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Americans are the biggest consumers of high protein products

Kathryn R. Bown
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Americans are the biggest consumers of high protein products

High-protein products are an important nutritional choice for Americans, whether they try to build muscle, or to lose weight, whether they want to have a vegan diet.

A research from Mintel, a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence, shows that introductions of foods and drinks making a high-protein claim are higher in the US than anywhere else in the world, accounting for 19% of global new product launches in 2012. India and the U.K. follow with 9% and 7% respectively.

“Americans are looking for protein to aid in satiety, weight management and to boost muscle recovery and build muscle after a workout, making protein appeal to a broad audience in a great number of usage occasions,” said Nirvana Chapman, global food Science trend analyst at Mintel.

Proteins enhance muscle growth and repair after exercise and help to improve performances.

A study conducted by American College of Sports Medicine showed that the high-protein diet improved athletes’ endurance performance slightly after intense training and reduced their stress levels. Apparently, tyrosine, an amino-acid found in protein, is a mood-booster, contributing to the increase in performance.

According to Mintel, protein use in meal-replacement and sports beverages formulations making high-protein claims had a 37% growth in the past five years.

At Maxishop you can find a large variety of high-protein supplements to help you to lose weight, and to tone your muscles,  along with nutrition and hydration products, clothing and accessories. Also, you can find information on ingredients, sports nutrition, and you can pose questions to experts to make a choice of what product is right for you.

High-protein is a selection attribute for 46% of all meal-replacement users in the US and there is an upward trend towards whey protein products for weight loss.

Also, 87% of US consumers indicated satiety as an important food attribute for them when choosing products.

“A ‘Satiety Index’ (SI) is often used to measure the hunger-fighting power of certain foods. Foods with a high-SI leave people more satisfied after eating and ensure that they are likely to eat less for hours after. Protein in particular has been shown to have a positive effect on subjective satiety, with whey protein in particular having demonstrated a functional role in weight management and satiety,” said Nirvana Chapman.

Snacks represent 20% of the high protein food and drink new product launches in the US in 2012, followed by meal- replacement and other fortified drinks (17%) and spoon-able yogurt (15%). Products launched in the US with both a high-protein and vegan claim have shown a steady increase since 2008, with a 54% growth in the last five years.

Globally, the percentage of food and drink products launched with a slimming claim in the past five years that include whey protein are trending upwards, up 140% between 2008 and 2012.

“In the weight management industry, there is an upward trend towards products that combine whey protein, peptides, and calcium for weight loss. Specifically, the high-protein trend is growing worldwide, evidenced by countries with high-protein claim products being launched, as well as European examples of consumers seeking high-protein products,” said Nirvana Chapman.

Whether you want to lose weight, to tone your body, or to enhance performances, you have to be fully informed before you chose a high-protein supplement. High-protein diet works, but if it is not right for you, it can lead to allergies, constipation, kidney issues, heart problems, osteoporosis, or malnutrition. You need to drink enough water, to keep a balance in your diet (including vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers), to learn your medical condition, and obviously to know the full list of ingredients of the high-protein supplements.

 

John Allen cleared of misconduct over Jill Kelley emails in David Petraeus scandal

Diane A. Wade
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John Allen cleared of misconduct over Jill Kelley emails in David Petraeus scandal

General John R. Allen has been cleared of misconduct by the Pentagon for more than 3,000 emails exchanged with Florida socialite Jill Kelley and revealed during David Petraeus scandal.

John Allen’s nomination to head NATO commander in Europe had been put on hold amid reports the emails were inappropriate.

He is due to relinquish command of his Afghanistan post in February.

Harassment complaints by Jill Kelley led the FBI to unmask an affair between CIA Director David Petraeus and his biographer, Paula Broadwell. He later resigned.

Defence officials told the Associated Press that the White House had not decided whether to go forward with General John Allen’s nomination to Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said the defence department “was pleased to learn that allegations of professional misconduct were not substantiated”, adding that defence secretary Leon Panetta had “complete confidence in the continued leadership” of Gen. John Allen.

The emails first came to light as part of a wider investigation into email harassment against Jill Kelley, who knew both Gen. John Allen and David Petraeus, a former general, through social contacts on the Florida army base where US Central Command is headquartered.

When the FBI investigated, it traced the emails to David Petraeus biographer Paula Broadwell, bringing to light her affair with the CIA chief.

General John R. Allen has been cleared of misconduct by the Pentagon for more than 3,000 emails exchanged with Florida socialite Jill Kelley and revealed during David Petraeus scandal
General John R. Allen has been cleared of misconduct by the Pentagon for more than 3,000 emails exchanged with Florida socialite Jill Kelley and revealed during David Petraeus scandal

Earlier reports suggested Gen. John Allen and exchanged thousands of emails, some described as inappropriate and flirtatious, with Jill Kelley.

The Afghanistan commander had also written a letter to a judge in support of Natalie Khawam, Jill Kelley’s twin sister, in a messy custody dispute.

After being contacted by the FBI, Leon Panetta announced the inquiry into Gen. John Allen and put the commander’s nomination on hold.

Defence officials told the Washington Post that the full investigation had shown that there were in fact only several hundred emails exchanged between the two, mostly notes on current news topics, social invites or compliments on Gen. John Allen’s television interviews.

“Some of the messages are not the sort of things you would print in a family newspaper,” the official said.

“But that doesn’t mean he violated military regulations by sending and receiving them.”

In addition to the inquiry into Gen. John Allen, Leon Panetta asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff to review ethics training after a series of misconduct cases.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has not released the results of his review but has said he found that ethics training for senior leaders should begin earlier in an officer’s career and be reinforced more frequently.

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Beyonce lip-syncing of National Anthem at Barack Obama’s inauguration sparks debate

Sonia Pantiss
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Beyonce lip-syncing of National Anthem at Barack Obama’s inauguration sparks debate

Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Beyonce sang live the National Anthem at President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

A spokeswoman for the Marine Corp Band told The Times in a “last minute” decision, Beyonce opted to perform to a pre-recorded backing track.

However, the Marine Corp said “no-one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded”.

But it confirmed that the band itself was not playing live.

Millions of people tuned in to watch President Barack Obama be sworn in for his second term in office. The ceremony was punctuated by performances from James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson, as well as Beyonce, who sang the National Anthem.

When The Times reported that Beyonce had mimed, the story quickly travelled around the world.

The newspaper quoted a spokeswoman for the Marine Corp Band, Master Sergeant Kristin duBois, who said: “We pre-recorded all music as a matter of course and have done since time immemorial.

“This is our 54th inauguration… There is no question of there not being any music, it’s not because the performer cannot do it.”

However, the spokeswoman did not state outright that Beyonce mimed her part of the performance.

In a statement, the Marine Corp said: “There was no opportunity for Ms Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the inauguration so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event.

“Each piece of music scheduled for performance in the Inauguration is pre-recorded for use in case of freezing temperatures, equipment failure, or extenuating circumstances.

“Regarding Ms Knowles-Carter’s vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded.”

Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Beyonce sang live the National Anthem at President Barack Obama's inauguration
Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Beyonce sang live the National Anthem at President Barack Obama’s inauguration

Some reports suggested Beyonce had pre-recorded her vocal in a studio at the Marine Barracks Annex on Sunday night.

They were drawing inferences from a series of images posted on Beyonce’s website over the weekend – one of which showed her in the studio holding the sheet music for the Star Spangled Banner.

If the claims turned out to be true, they would not be without precedent.

In 2008, American cellist Yo Yo Ma mimed his performance at President Barack Obama’s first inauguration, saying the freezing temperatures and wind might have affected his instrument live.

Celebrities and fans have been debating Beyonce’s performance.

Soul legend Aretha Franklin, who also performed at the 2008 ceremony, said the star did “a beautiful job”, even if she was miming.

“When I heard the news this evening that she was pre-recorded I really laughed,” she told ABC News.

“I thought it was funny because the weather down there was about 46 or 44 degrees and for most singers that is just not good singing weather.

“But she did a beautiful job with the pre-record… Next time I’ll probably do the same.”

On Twitter, TV presenter Piers Morgan said: “Beyonce still SANG it, everyone. It was HER voice.”

Brooklyn band Prince Rama commented: “I actually think Beyonce lip-syncing the national anthem is one of the best conceptual art pieces I’ve seen in a long time.”

While Los Angeles musician Michael Anthony defended the star, saying: “It doesn’t even look like Beyonce was lip syncing at all.”

A blog post on the Washington Times website said: “Some Beyonce fans insist it looked real, especially when she ripped out her earpiece midway through the song.”

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Alcohol disrupts sleep cycles

Diane A. Wade
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Alcohol disrupts sleep cycles

A glass of alcohol before bedtime may get you off to sleep faster but it can disrupt your night’s slumber, say researchers who have reviewed the evidence.

The London Sleep Centre team says studies show alcohol upsets our normal sleep cycles.

While it cuts the time it takes to first nod off and sends us into a deep sleep, it also robs us of one of our most satisfying types of sleep, where dreams occur.

Used too often, it can cause insomnia.

Many advocate a nightcap – nursing homes and hospital wards have even been known to serve alcohol – but Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim and his team advise against it.

Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director at the London Sleep Centre and co-author of the latest review, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, said: “We should be very cautious about drinking on a regular basis.

“One or two glasses might be nice in the short term, but if you continue to use a tipple before bedtime it can cause significant problems.

“If you do have a drink, it’s best to leave an hour and a half to two hours before going to bed so the alcohol is already wearing off.”

A glass of alcohol before bedtime may get you off to sleep faster but it can disrupt your night's slumber
A glass of alcohol before bedtime may get you off to sleep faster but it can disrupt your night’s slumber

He said people could become dependent on alcohol for sleep.

And it could make sleep less restful and turn people into snorers.

“With increasing doses, alcohol suppresses our breathing. It can turn non-snorers into snorers and snorers into people with sleep apnoea – where the breathing’s interrupted.”

From the hundred or more studies that Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim’s team looked at, they analyzed 20 in detail and found alcohol appeared to change sleep in three ways.

Firstly, it accelerates sleep onset, meaning we drop off faster.

Next, it sends us into a very deep sleep.

These two changes – which are identical to those seen in people who take antidepressant medication – may be appealing and may explain why some people with insomnia use alcohol.

But the third change – fragmented sleep patterns the second half of the night – is less pleasant.

Alcohol reduces how much time we spend in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – the stage of sleep where dreams generally occur.

As a consequence, the sleep may feel less restful, said Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim.

Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said: “Alcohol on the whole is not useful for improving a whole night’s sleep. Sleep may be deeper to start with, but then becomes disrupted. Additionally, that deeper sleep will probably promote snoring and poorer breathing. So, one shouldn’t expect better sleep with alcohol.”

The Sleep Council said: “Don’t over-indulge. Too much food or alcohol, especially late at night, just before bedtime, can play havoc with sleep patterns.

“Alcohol may help you fall asleep initially, but will interrupt your sleep later on in the night. Plus you may wake dehydrated and needing the loo.”

David Cameron pledges in/out referendum on EU

Diane A. Wade
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David Cameron pledges in/out referendum on EU

UK’s PM David Cameron has said the British people must “have their say” on Europe as he pledged an in/out referendum if the Conservatives win the election.

David Cameron said he wanted to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the EU, before asking people to vote.

The British people would face a “very simple choice” either to accept the result of the talks, or to leave the EU altogether, he said.

Labour’s Ed Miliband said PM was “weak” and being driven by “party interest”.

In a long-awaited speech, David Cameron pledged to hold a referendum during the early part of the next parliament – by the end of 2017 at the latest – if the Conservatives win the next general election.

He said it would be a decision on the UK’s “destiny” and, if he secured a new relationship he was happy with, he would campaign “heart and soul” to stay within the EU.

“It is time for the British people to have their say,” the prime minister said.

“It is time to settle this European question in British politics. I say to the British people: this will be your decision.”

The Conservative leader has been under pressure from many of his MPs to give a binding commitment to a vote on Europe.

PM David Cameron has said the British people must have their say on Europe as he pledged an in-out referendum if the Conservatives win the election
PM David Cameron has said the British people must have their say on Europe as he pledged an in-out referendum if the Conservatives win the election

David Cameron said “disillusionment” with the EU was “at an all time high” and “simply asking the British people to carry on accepting a European settlement over which they have had little choice” was likely to accelerate calls for the UK to leave.

“That is why I am in favor of a referendum,” he said.

“I believe in confronting this issue – shaping it, leading the debate. Not simply hoping a difficult situation will go away.”

Setting out the conditions for a future poll, David Cameron said: “The next Conservative manifesto in 2015 will ask for a mandate from the British people for a Conservative government to negotiate a new settlement with our European partners in the next parliament.

“And when we have negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in-or-out choice to stay in the EU on these new terms; or come out altogether. It will be an in/out referendum.”

David Cameron said holding an in/out referendum now would be a “false choice” because Europe was set to change following the eurozone crisis and it would be “wrong to ask people whether to stay or go before we have had a chance to put the relationship right”.

The prime minister said he “understood the appeal” of Britain going it alone and said he was sure the UK would survive outside the EU. But, he said, the UK must think “very carefully” about the implications of withdrawal for its prosperity and role on the international stage.

“If we left the European Union, it would be a one-way ticket, not a return,” he added.

David Cameron rejected suggestions that a new relationship was “impossible to achieve”, adding that he would prefer all other EU countries to agree a new treaty but would be prepared to seek negotiations on a unilateral basis.

Several Conservative MPs – who want a looser relationship with the EU focused around trade and who were briefed about the speech – have said they are “satisfied” with the thrust of its contents.

But some europhile Conservatives, including Lord Heseltine, have warned that committing to a referendum at some point in the future on the outcome of an uncertain negotiating process was an “unnecessary gamble”.

The Lib Dems say pursuing a wholesale renegotiation of the UK’s membership will cause uncertainty and deter foreign investment while Labour claim David Cameron’s approach is being driven by party calculations rather than the national interest.

Labour said the referendum pledge defined David Cameron “as a weak prime minister, being driven by his party, not by the national economic interest”.

“We understand the need for change but I don’t honestly believe the best way to get change in a club of 27 is to stand at the exit door demanding change or threatening to leave,” shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said.

The speech had been scheduled for last Friday in the Netherlands, but was postponed because of the Algerian hostage crisis.

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Benjamin Netanyahu alliance wins Israel election

Diane A. Wade
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Benjamin Netanyahu alliance wins Israel election

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to form “as broad a government as possible” after his alliance won a narrow election victory.

His right-wing Likud-Beitenu bloc will have 31 seats in parliament – a sharp drop from 42, exit polls suggest.

In a major surprise, the centrist Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party came second with a predicted 18-19 seats, with Labour next on 17.

Analysts now predict weeks of political horse-trading to form a new cabinet.

They say that there is even a possibility that Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance would end up being in opposition.

Although the Likud-Beitenu alliance is the largest seat-winner, the split of right and left political blocs is a dead heat at 60-60 in the 120-member Knesset, the Israeli Central Elections Committee website showed, with 99.5% of votes counted.

Thirty-two parties were competing under a system of proportional representation. Parties must win at least 2% of the total vote to secure seats.

Full election results are expected on Wednesday, and the official ones will be announced on 30 January.

Speaking shortly after the voting ended on Tuesday evening, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the voters “for the opportunity to lead the state of Israel for the third time”.

In an apparent reference to his electoral setback, the prime minister promised to reach out to “many partners” to form a wide coalition.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to form as broad a government as possible after his alliance won a narrow election victory
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to form as broad a government as possible after his alliance won a narrow election victory

“Tomorrow we start anew,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.

He also said that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remained the government’s first challenge.

Other top priorities, he added, would be stabilizing the economy, striving for peace in the region, more egalitarian military and civilian services and reducing the cost of living.

In a brief speech, Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman said: “I’m happy that our two main missions were achieved. We have ensured a continuity in the rule of the national camp and the continued leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

Benjamin Netanyahu is now widely expected to seek an alliance with a new nationalist party, Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home), which is projected to have 12 seats.

The party – led by Benjamin Netanyahu’s former chief-of-staff Naftali Bennett – has been recently challenging Likud-Beitenu’s dominance on the right.

Analysts say the 18 or 19 seats predicted for Yesh Atid, headed by journalist-turned-politician Yair Lapid, is a stunning result for a newcomer.

Yair Lapid has said he will not join Benjamin Netanyahu’s team unless the prime minister promises to push for peace with Palestinians.

“We have red lines. We won’t cross those red lines, even if it will force us to sit in the opposition,” Yaakov Peri, one of Yesh Atid’s leaders, told Israeli TV.

Labour is expected to get 17 seats – up from just seven in the outgoing parliament. Labour leader Shelly Yachimovich said: “There is a high chance of a shake-up and an end to the Netanyahu government.”

The wider world will examine these results for clues about Israel’s future attitude towards peace talks with the Palestinians or the possibility of a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, our correspondent says.

He adds that the truth of the matter is that it’s far too early to make those judgements which will depend on the balance of forces within a future coalition more than on the outcome of the popular vote.

But the sudden and decisive lurch to the right that many predicted has not happened, our correspondent says. The results show that there is plenty of life on the left and the centre of Israeli politics too.

Benjamin Netanyahu, 63, has been in office since the 2009 election. He also served one term as prime minister between 1996 and 1999.

In recent years he has accelerated home construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, drawing anger from Palestinian leaders and criticism from Western partners.

However, unlike in previous elections, the campaign focused largely on social and economic issues, rather than the prospects for a permanent peace agreement with the Palestinians.

There have been unprecedented protests against the rising cost of living and a recent report said nearly one in four Israelis lived in poverty.

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Stuart Hall arrested over rape charges

Diane A. Wade
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Stuart Hall arrested over rape charges

British broadcaster Stuart Hall has been charged with one offence of rape and 14 offences of indecent assault, Lancashire Police have said.

Stuart Hall, 83, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was arrested on Tuesday after attending a police station by appointment.

The rape is alleged to have been committed in 1976 against a 22-year-old woman.

The indecent assaults are alleged to have taken place between 1967 and 1986 on 10 girls aged between nine and 16.

Stuart Hall has been bailed to appear before magistrates in Preston on February 7.

A Lancashire Police statement said: “Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service an 83-year-old man has this evening been charged with one offence of rape and 14 offences of indecent assault.”

British broadcaster Stuart Hall has been charged with one offence of rape and 14 offences of indecent assault
British broadcaster Stuart Hall has been charged with one offence of rape and 14 offences of indecent assault

Stuart Hall pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault when he appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court earlier this month. The court referred these charges to Preston Crown Court.

The broadcaster is best known for his sports reporting on BBC Radio 5 live – as well as his work on the 1970s TV show It’s A Knockout.

Stuart Hall has been a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting for half a century and became an OBE in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and charity.

Milan Piqué Mebarak: Shakira gives birth to a baby boy at Barcelona hospital

Diane A. Wade
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Milan Piqué Mebarak: Shakira gives birth to a baby boy at Barcelona hospital

Shakira and Gerard Piqué have welcomed last night their first child together, baby boy Milan Piqué Mebarak.

Shakira has announced the happy news on her official website, revealing that he is already to follow in the footsteps of his father, footballer Gerard Piqué, stating: “Just like his father, baby Milan became a member of FC Barcelona at birth.”

The singer added in the message: “We are happy to announce the birth of Milan Piqué Mebarak, son of Shakira Mebarak and Gerard Piqué, born January 22nd at 9:36 p.m., in Barcelona, Spain.

“The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification…”

The hospital confirmed that the couple’s first child weighed approximately 6 lbs. 6 ounces, and that both mother and child are in excellent health.

Shakira, 35,took to Twitter just four hours earlier to ask her devotees to pray for her during the birth of her first child, revealing to them that she was about to go into labour.

She was admitted into hospital in Barcelona, where she was due to be induced and give birth to her baby boy with her 25-year-old boyfriend Gerard Piqué.

Shakira and Gerard Piqué have welcomed last night their first child together, baby boy Milan Piqué Mebarak
Shakira and Gerard Piqué have welcomed last night their first child together, baby boy Milan Piqué Mebarak

Shakira appealed to her fans via Twitter shortly after arriving at the Teknon clinic on Tuesday, writing: “I’d like to ask you all to accompany me in your prayers on this very important day of my life. Shak.”

She also posted the same content in Spanish and was immediately inundated with messages of support from her fans across the world, wishing her good luck.

A source previously told Spanish newspaper La Razon that the couple scheduled the birth so that FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué could be present during their baby’s arrival.

The insider also revealed that Shakira had requested a female only medical team, who all signed confidentiality agreements, assist her during the birth.

The Colombian was said to be feeling “increasing discomfort” ahead of the birth and was complaining of “abdominal pressure.”

Shakira has been dating soccer player Gerard Piqué for around two years and previously said he is the “best thing” to ever happen to her, until she got pregnant.

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North Korea nuclear warning following UN resolution condemning its recent rocket launch

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea nuclear warning following UN resolution condemning its recent rocket launch

North Korea has reacted angrily to a UN resolution condemning its recent rocket launch, pledging to strengthen military and nuclear capabilities.

The Security Council unanimously passed the resolution, which also expanded existing sanctions, on Tuesday.

North Korea, in a statement early on Wednesday, pledged to bolster its “nuclear deterrent” and ruled out denuclearization talks.

The resolution followed Pyongyang’s successful December launch.

North Korea said the three-stage rocket put a communications satellite into space.

But its neighbors and the US said the move constituted a test of long-range missile technology banned under UN resolutions passed after Pyongyang’s nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

The Security Council resolution was proposed by the US and backed by China, North Korea’s closest ally and biggest trading partner.

It represented a compromise between the two nations, with the US pushing for new sanctions and China for a statement, rather than a resolution. Chinese support was a blow for Pyongyang, observers say.

North Korea has reacted angrily to a UN resolution condemning its recent rocket launch, pledging to strengthen military and nuclear capabilities
North Korea has reacted angrily to a UN resolution condemning its recent rocket launch, pledging to strengthen military and nuclear capabilities

Under the resolution – which pledged “significant action” if North Korea carried out a third nuclear test – North Korea’s space agency, a bank and a number of trading companies and individuals were added to existing sanctions lists.

“This resolution demonstrates to North Korea that there are unanimous and significant consequences for its flagrant violation” of previous resolutions, said US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice.

Both South Korea and Japan welcomed the resolution, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling it a “resolute action”.

Chinese envoy to the UN Li Baodong, meanwhile, said Beijing believed “that action taken by the council should be prudent, measured, proportionate and conducive to stability”.

North Korea responded swiftly, with a statement from its foreign minister carried by state news agency KCNA condemning the “extremely unfair” resolution as a violation of sovereign rights.

“We will take physical actions aimed at expanding and strengthening our self-defensive military forces, including nuclear deterrence,” it said.

It also stated that there would be “no dialogue to discuss denuclearization of the Korean peninsula”, in an apparent reference to long-stalled six-nation talks aimed at ending Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

In recent weeks reports from both the US and South Korea have described activity at North Korea’s nuclear test sites, sparking concerns North Korea could be preparing for a third test.

Pyongyang has conducted two nuclear tests, the first in 2006 and the second in 2009.

The US and North Korea’s neighbors fear Pyongyang’s ultimate goal is to put a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile that could target the west coast of the US, but it is not believed to have mastered the technology yet.

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Shakira admitted to hospital to give birth

Diane A. Wade
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Shakira admitted to hospital to give birth

Shakira has taken to Twitter to ask her devotees to pray for her during the birth of her first child, revealing to them she’s about to go into labour on Tuesday evening.

Shakira, 35, has been admitted into hospital in Barcelona, where she is due to be induced and give birth to her baby boy with her 25-year-old boyfriend Gerard Pique.

The singer appealed to her fans via Twitter shortly after arriving at the Teknon clinic on Tuesday, writing: “I’d like to ask you all to accompany me in your prayers on this very important day of my life. Shak.”

She also posted the same content in Spanish and was immediately inundated with messages of support from her fans across the world, wishing her good luck.

Shakira has taken to Twitter to ask her devotees to pray for her during the birth of her first child, revealing to them she's about to go into labour on Tuesday evening
Shakira has taken to Twitter to ask her devotees to pray for her during the birth of her first child, revealing to them she’s about to go into labour on Tuesday evening

A source previously told Spanish newspaper La Razon that the couple scheduled the birth so that FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique could be present during their baby’s arrival.

The insider also revealed that Shakira had requested a female only medical team, who all signed confidentiality agreements, assist her during the birth.

Shakira was said to be feeling “increasing discomfort” ahead of the birth and was complaining of “abdominal pressure.”

Shakira has been dating soccer player Gerard Pique for around two years and previously said he is the “best thing” to ever happen to her, until she got pregnant.

Lone Star College shooting: two students and suspect injured

Nancy Clayson
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Lone Star College shooting: two students and suspect injured

Three people have been injured in a shooting at Lone Star College in Houston, Texas, say police.

Harris County Sheriff’s official Armando Tello said a suspect was in custody after the attack at Lone Star College in the Houston-area.

Jed Young, a spokesman for the college, told CNN that two students had been wounded in cross-fire.

He said a suspect was also injured and was in custody, while a second armed suspect had fled the campus.

The college’s official Twitter account said a shooting between two individuals had taken place at about 12:30 local time on Tuesday.

“Danger has been mitigated,” said the statement.

“Situation under control.”

Three people have been injured in a shooting at Lone Star College in Houston
Three people have been injured in a shooting at Lone Star College in Houston

Students fled for safety as ambulances arrived at the scene and police swarmed over the campus.

A spokesman for the nearby Ben Taub General Hospital in Harris County said two casualties had been admitted to that facility.

Witnesses told local broadcaster KHOU they had seen a man pull out a gun during an argument with another man.

“I saw two dudes basically get into an altercation and the dude that shot, he basically got angry and started shooting the other guy,” Brittany Mobley said.

Another student, Amanda Vasquez told KPRC television she had been waiting for an English class to begin when gunfire rang out.

“They sounded very close, the shots. Five or six gunshots,” she said.

“I just ducked under the table as fast as I could and hoped for the best.

“I saw one of the shooters when he was already under police control.”

The campus, about 20 miles north of Houston, has some 18,000 students.

Jill Kelley breaks her silence over David Petraeus scandal

Nancy Clayson
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Jill Kelley breaks her silence over David Petraeus scandal

Florida socialite Jill Kelley has finally broken her silence over David Petraeus affair since the scandal erupted three months ago and said she never met Paula Broadwell, who tried to “blackmail, extort and threaten her”.

Jill Kelley – who has been described as the “other other woman” in David Petraeus affair – has been accused of many things since the scandal erupted.

The Lebanese-born socialite was accused of having an affair with David Petraeus as they exchanged more than 30,000 emails, that she had an affair with General John Allen and that she used cancer charity funds for entertainment purposes.

Jill Kelley, 37, said from the moment the blackmailing email was sent to an account she shared with her husband Scott, her life was turned upside down as she went from wealthy Tampa socialite to a maligned, scamming mistress.

She said she was terrified by the anonymous email and admitted in the barrage that followed there was “blackmail, extortion, threats”.

She would later learn they were from biographer Paula Broadwell, whose affair with David Petraeus triggered his resignation as CIA director.

Speaking to The Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz, Jill Kelley said she had no idea who Paula was or of her relationship with Petraeus.

When Jill Kelley complained to a friend in the FBI, she had no idea of the chain of events she was about to set in motion – including finding herself accused of having an affair with General John Allen, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, which both flatly deny.

“I knew I was being stalked. I did what anybody else would have done when they were feeling threatened, to go seek protection from somebody I could trust,” she said.

Jill Kelley has finally broken her silence over David Petraeus affair since the scandal erupted three months ago
Jill Kelley has finally broken her silence over David Petraeus affair since the scandal erupted three months ago

In the interview, Jill Kelley mainly dwells on the impact the scandal has had on her husband and children, recounting a party she threw soon after for her daughter’s seventh birthday.

“It was devastating. To have your privacy invaded is truly…there are no words to describe it,” she said.

“Instead of enjoying a family birthday party, I had paparazzi storming my front lawn, pushing down the door. There are no words to describe the panic and fear at that moment.

“As much as I appreciate that [the media] want to be the first one to come out with a headline, regardless of whether they did any fact-checking, they have to consider the impact they have on our life and our children’s lives,” Jill Kelley says.

“Just because it’s repeated doesn’t make it true. It was living a nightmare.”

Jill Kelley said a lot of reports in the media were not true, or greatly exaggerated, including that she had exchanged as many as 30,000 emails with Gen. John Allen.

While she did not provide an estimate, she said it was probably somewhere in the hundreds.

When asked about her relationship with John Allen, whom she met when she hosted a birthday party for David Petraeus’ wife Holly,

“We’re friends, good friends,” she said.

That friendship continued by email when Allen was sent to Kabul.

The general’s promotion to be commander of NATO forces is on hold while investigators examine the email traffic between him and Jill Kelley – but sources have described it as flirtatious and potentially inappropriate.

But she contests this, saying they were sent from an account she shared with her husband and that sometimes John Allen’s wife was even copied in.

Jill Kelley said it has been particularly difficult for her cancer surgeon husband, who she deems “an honorable guy” but what she wants the public to know is simple.

“I’m a dedicated mother, a loving wife. We have a very happy, close family. I support the troops. I take pride in feeding the homeless in our community. This whole situation is just very sad.”

In the fallout from the Petraeus scandal, which cost the decorated former General his job as CIA director, Jill Kelly also lost her title as an Honorary Consul to South Korea.

She was also banned from visiting MacDill Airforce base in her role as a social liaison officer and told to remove vanity license plates that carried the title “Honorary Consul”.

Jill Kelley, a mother of two, has never spoken publicly about her involvement in the scandal but is believed to be writing a tell-all book.

Privacy Visor: glasses could make you invisible to facial-recognition technology

Nancy Clayson
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Privacy Visor: glasses could make you invisible to facial-recognition technology

A pair of glasses dubbed a “privacy visor” has been developed to make the user invisible to hidden cameras using facial-recognition software.

The prototype spectacles have been designed by scientists at Tokyo’s National Institute of Informatics.

The glasses are equipped with a near-infrared light source, which confuses the software without affecting vision.

Law enforcers, shops and social networks are increasingly using facial-recognition software.

Prof. Isao Echizen said: “As a result of developments in facial recognition technology in Google images, Facebook et cetera and the popularization of portable terminals that append photos with photographic information [geotags]… essential measures for preventing the invasion of privacy caused by photographs taken in secret and unintentional capture in camera images is now required.”

The near-infrared light “appends noise to photographed images without affecting human visibility,” he said.

The glasses dubbed privacy visor has been developed to make the user invisible to hidden cameras using facial-recognition software
The glasses dubbed privacy visor has been developed to make the user invisible to hidden cameras using facial-recognition software

Prof. Isao Echizen said the glasses, which connect to a pocket power supply, would be reasonably priced, but there are some simpler alternatives.

Heavy make-up or a mask will also work, as will tilting your head at a 15-degree angle, which fools the software into thinking you do not have a face, according to an online guide produced by hacktivist group Anonymous.

In September, following a review by Ireland’s data protection commissioner, Facebook suspended its facial-recognition tool that suggested when users in Europe could be tagged in photographs.

In November, it emerged some shop mannequins were collecting data on shoppers using facial-recognition software.

The EyeSee mannequin logs the age, gender and race of passers-by through a camera hidden behind one eye.

New Kardashian Kollection arrives at Dorothy Perkins in London

Diane A. Wade
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New Kardashian Kollection arrives at Dorothy Perkins in London

The Kardashian sisters are back with a second Kardashian Kollection at Dorothy Perkins in London.

The new collection includes cobalt blue shift dresses, pretty loose blouses and plenty of polka dots.

The latest capsule Kardashian Kollection arrives at the high-street store at the end of the month but anyone expecting bling is in for a shock – the spring collection is the most muted to date.

A monochrome palette is enlivened by the odd flash of scarlet or cobalt blue, while silhouettes are kept surprisingly simple.

According to Dorothy Perkins, the capsule collection for the New Year boasts pieces that will see you through the party season and straight into spring.

Key looks from their debut collection are echoed in this one with plenty of polka dots in both a chiffon shirt and blazer variety.

But while the clothes are low key, the shoes are most definitely not.

The Kardashian sisters are back with a second Kardashian Kollection at Dorothy Perkins in London
The Kardashian sisters are back with a second Kardashian Kollection at Dorothy Perkins in London

Kim Kardashian’s famous skyscraper heels are very much in evidence – despite her advancing pregnancy – and come complete with bright pops of color and bang-on-trend studs galore.

As for arm candy, the self-made trio have branded their handbags with the iconic Kardashian Kollection symbol.

Styles range from a nude leather tote and frayed festival-chic bag to neon shoulder bags perfect for adding an injection of color to any drab outfit.

Kourtney Kardashian’s bohemian chic can be emulated by teaming simple black platform courts with the polka dot blazer.

To achieve Kim Kardashian’s red carpet glamour a statement color block wedge with the ottoman dress would help you channel the voluptuous star’s look.

If Khloe Kardashian’s look is more your style the smoky print jersey top teamed with the studded court shoe will help you replicate her edgy styling.

This capsule collection comes after the sisters debut collection for the store in November where they injected their va-va-voom style into over 100 pieces including sequined clutch bags, blinging tops and – of course – killer party dresses.

Commenting on the partnership, a spokesman for Dorothy Perkins said at the time: “This was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.

“Knowing how popular they are and the huge interest they attract, it enables our customer to buy in to their lifestyle and emulate their look at a great price.”

The Dorothy Perkins brand has been a feature of our high streets since 1919, and has previously been associated with more demure office and casual wear.

The store has recently re vamped its image though in the hope of attracting a younger, more glamorous crowd, and it doesn’t get more glamorous than the Kardashian sisters.

Chris Brown home stormed by police after prank call over a domestic incident

Diane A. Wade
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Chris Brown home stormed by police after prank call over a domestic incident

Police arrived at Chris Brown’s home on Monday after an anonymous call claimed a mother and father were in a fight and the father had raced to another room in the house for a gun.

The Hollywood Hills address was given to authorities but when police arrived at the home they quickly realized it was not only a false alarm, it was rapper Chris Brown being pranked.

According to the website TMZ, police found no evidence of a gunman or any dispute at Chris Brown’s $1.6 million home.

TMZ reports Chris Brown, 23, was not home at the time.

Police arrived at Chris Brown’s home on Monday after an anonymous call claimed a mother and father were in a fight and the father had raced to another room in the house for a gun
Police arrived at Chris Brown’s home on Monday after an anonymous call claimed a mother and father were in a fight and the father had raced to another room in the house for a gun

The incident is apparently the latest in string of so-called “swatting” incidents – when an anonymous tipster calls in a fake report alleging a serious crime – involving celebrities in Los Angeles.

Kris and Bruce Jenner were allegedly swatted last Friday when someone falsely reported a man with a gun in their Calabasas mansion.

Kim Kardashian lashes out at Kourtney for acting like Octomom just before falling pregnant

Diane A. Wade
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Kim Kardashian lashes out at Kourtney for acting like Octomom just before falling pregnant

On last night’s episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, Kim Kardashian lashed out at her sister Kourtney for being what she called a “slob-kabob”.

Kim Kardashian confessed to her best friend Jonathan Cheban: “She literally is like Octomom. It’s so overwhelming, it’s even made me second guess wanting to have kids.”

She added: “I would die if I had kids right now.”

Jonathan Cheban assured Kim Kardashian that she would “be a great mother”, but did imply the 32-year-old ought to start worrying about ageing.

“You act like you literally have 500 kids,” Kim Kardashian told her older sister when she saw her in sweatpants during the afternoon one day.

“Talk to me once you have a child,” Kourtney Kardashian, 33, hit back.

But when she later attempted to wear a printed dress, Kim Kardashian referenced Three’s Company with the words: “That was like, Mrs. Roper status.”

As usual, Kim Kardashian took things too far, when she described Kourtney – and all mothers for that matter – as having “boring and miserable lives”.

She told Kourtney over dinner: “Mom life is so torturous. I have a whole new perspective on how boring and miserable your lives are.

“If you knew how boring you’d become, would you still have had kids?”

On last night’s episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, Kim Kardashian lashed out at her sister Kourtney for being what she called a slob-kabob
On last night’s episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, Kim Kardashian lashed out at her sister Kourtney for being what she called a slob-kabob

A furious Kourtney Kardashian stormed out of the restaurant after the cruel comments and called Kim “a b****”, telling her she can find her “own ride home”.

Kourtney and Kim Kardashian came to blows once again in the parking lot – but this time it was Kourtney’s turn to talk.

“This is the life I want, that I’m happy in,” she fumed.

“I don’t expect you to get it.”

Kim Kardashian finally opened up to sister Khloe, 28, and admitted she acted defensive because she was concerned about her own fertility and ability to have children, wondering aloud if having children was ‘in the cards’ for her.

Kim Kardashian later attempted to apologize over a tearful dinner, but the tables quickly turned and Kourtney ended up being the one comforting her sister.

It was a dramatic episode for Kourtney Kardashian, who also had to deal with her partner Scott Disick being hospitalized.

Thankfully, Scott Disick was just fine, but Kourtney Kardashian was furious at him.

She had banned the father of her children from driving race cars, but mischievous Scott Disick went behind her back and it ended up backfiring.

However in the end the 29-year-old managed to convince Kourtney Kardashian to come and watch him at the race track, and she eventually changed her tune, feeling proud of her man’s skills.

Kourtney Kardashian added: “Also, he looks very handsome in his racing suit.”

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Sony Xperia Z tablet and LG Optimus G Pro phablet launched in Japan

Nancy Clayson
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Sony Xperia Z tablet and LG Optimus G Pro phablet launched in Japan

Sony has unveiled Xperia Z, the thinnest tablet computer of its kind.

The Android-powered Xperia Z is 0.27in (6.9 mm)-thick. That is 0.01in thinner than Apple’s iPad Mini despite featuring a bigger 10.1in screen.

Sony Xperia z launch coincides with news that LG is releasing a 5 in handset – the Optimus G Pro – making it the latest to offer the so-called “phablet” form factor.

Both devices have only been confirmed for release in Japan, but more details are expected next month.

Mobile World Congress is being held in Barcelona from 25 to 28 February and is a popular time to announce global launches of new smart devices.

Samsung has already said it would show off a new 8 in version of its Galaxy Note tablet family at the event.

Beyond being thin, Sony’s new tablet can also lay claim to being the lightest for its size.

The firm says it weighs 1.1 lb (495 g) – a fraction below the Toshiba Excite 10 LE which previously laid claim to the title.

Sony has unveiled Xperia Z, the thinnest tablet computer of its kind
Sony has unveiled Xperia Z, the thinnest tablet computer of its kind

In addition it is water and dust-resistant – featuring similar plastic covers to protect its ports as are found on the firm’s Xperia Z smartphone which was announced a fortnight ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The two Sony devices are designed to work together, allowing photos and other data to be transferred between the phone and tablet using the firm’s “one-touch sharing” facility which is activated by waving the machines close to each other to activate their near field communications (NFC) chips.

“It’s a good product and on the face of it it should do well, but it is hampered by a potential squeeze on the larger tablet segment as a lot of consumers and other manufacturers are moving to the smaller 7in-to-8in form factor – in part because of their cheaper price,” said David McQueen, principal analyst at the Informa Telecoms and Media consultancy.

“So the success of the Sony tablet might ultimately be determined by how much it costs as well as whether the firm bundles some of the content it owns from its music, movie and gaming divisions.”

LG has released 5in handset Optimus G Pro, the latest smartphone maker to offer the so-called phablet form factor
LG has released 5in handset Optimus G Pro, the latest smartphone maker to offer the so-called phablet form factor

LG’s new handset is effectively a version of its existing Optimus G phone with a bigger, more detailed screen.

It offers 440 pixels per inch (ppi) – matching HTC’s newly-released J Butterfly and Huawei’s Ascend D2.

This density of its pixels allows LG’s handset to be marketed as offering playback of 1080p videos in their full high definition resolution.

However, the trade-off is the screen is power-hungry. LG’s handset features a 3,000 mAh (milliampere-hour) battery as a consequence which is bigger than that of most other smartphones.

“4G high-speed data connections are helping push the adoption of higher definition bigger screens on phones, but I do think it will remain a small, though high-end, segment of the market,” said David McQueen.

Sony and LG’s devices were revealed as part of Japanese network NTT Docomo’s Spring line-up announcement.

It also featured a more unusual handset from NEC Casio featuring two screens.

The Medias W N-05E’s displays are placed on either side of the device, but can also be folded out so that the two 4.3in LCD screens sit alongside each other.

It is the second dual-screened smartphone to be announced in recent weeks – Russia’s Yota unveiled a model in December which features one LCD screen and one e-ink display, which it said would go on sale in the second half of the year.

However, recent history suggests such devices might only appeal to a niche audience.

Samsung, LG and Kyocera are among others firms to have released dual-screened phones over the past two years which only achieved limited sales.

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Red Deer Cave people related to modern Asians

James J. Williams
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Red Deer Cave people related to modern Asians

Researchers have been able to trace a line between some of the earliest modern humans to settle in China and people living in the region today.

The evidence comes from DNA extracted from a 40,000-year-old leg bone found in a cave near Beijing.

Results show that the person it belonged to was related to the ancestors of present-day Asians and Native Americans.

The results are published in the journal PNAS.

Humans who looked broadly like present-day people started to appear in the fossil record of Eurasia between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago.

But many questions remain about the genetic relationships between these early modern humans and present-day Homo sapiens populations.

For example, some evidence hints at extensive migration into Europe after the last Ice Age.

And fossil finds from Red Deer Cave, also in China, and Iwo Eleru in Nigeria point to a hitherto unappreciated diversity among Late Pleistocene humans.

The team managed to extract genetic material from an ancient leg bone found in 2003 at the site of Tianyuan Cave outside Beijing.

Analysis of the Red Deer Cave fossils' DNA showed that they were related to the ancestors of present-day Asians and Native Americans
Analysis of the Red Deer Cave fossils’ DNA showed that they were related to the ancestors of present-day Asians and Native Americans

They managed to extract the type of DNA found in the nuclei of cells (nuclear DNA) and genetic material from the cell’s “powerhouses” – known as mitochondria.

They used new techniques that can identify ancient genetic information from an archaeological find, even when large amounts of DNA from soil bacteria are also present.

Analysis of the person’s DNA showed that they were related to the ancestors of present-day Asians and Native Americans. But the analysis showed that this individual had already diverged from the ancestors of present-day Europeans.

“More analyses of additional early modern humans across Eurasia will further refine our understanding of when and how modern humans spread across Europe and Asia,” said co-author Svante Pääbo, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

Research in the last few years has shown that early modern humans interbred with ancient human species such as the Neanderthals and Denisovans as they migrated from Africa and settled across the world.

Around 40,000 years ago, the Neanderthals and Denisovans were being replaced by Homo sapiens. Genetic studies of people living at this important crossover period could help scientists understand when and how this interbreeding took place.

The researchers found that the person from Tianyuan cave carried about the same proportion of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA as people in the region today.

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Global Employment Trends 2013 report shows world jobless numbers rising

Diane A. Wade
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Global Employment Trends 2013 report shows world jobless numbers rising

World jobless numbers rose by 4 million in 2012 to 197 million and is expected to grow further, the UN labour agency warns.

In a recent report, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said the worst affected were youth: nearly 13% of the under 24s were unemployed.

It said global unemployment was projected to rise 5.1 million this year and by a further 3 million in 2014.

The trend reflected a downturn in economic growth, the document said.

This was particularly the case in developed countries.

World jobless numbers rose by 4 million in 2012 to 197 million and is expected to grow further, the UN labour agency warns
World jobless numbers rose by 4 million in 2012 to 197 million and is expected to grow further, the UN labour agency warns

The report – Global Employment Trends 2013 – said that 6% of the world’s workforce were without a job in 2012.

It revealed that long-term unemployment was also growing, pointing out that a third of Europe’s jobless had been without work for more than a year.

Many were giving up, with the report estimating that 39 million people had withdrawn from the labour market.

“An uncertain economic outlook, and the inadequacy of policy to counter this, has weakened aggregate demand, holding back investment and hiring,” ILO director general Guy Ryder said.

The report also called for more funds to be injected in vocational training to equip young people to do the jobs available.

“This is a massive waste of the lives of young people and their talents, and extraordinarily damaging to the people themselves and their societies,” Guy Ryder said.

The ILO pointed out that countries which had retained apprenticeships – such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland – had the lowest levels of youth unemployment.

Lindsay Sandiford sentenced to death for Bali drug trafficking

Nancy Clayson
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Lindsay Sandiford sentenced to death for Bali drug trafficking

Lindsay Sandiford, a 56-year-old British grandmother, has been sentenced to death by firing squad in Indonesia for drug trafficking.

Lindsay Sandiford was arrested at Bali’s airport in May last year after 4.8 kg (10.6 lb) of cocaine was found in the lining of her suitcase during a routine customs check.

The woman, whose last UK address was in Gloucestershire, said she was coerced into bringing the drugs to the island.

Her lawyers said they were “surprised” at the verdict and would appeal.

Lindsay Sandiford was held after a flight from Bangkok, Thailand.

Prosecutors had recommended a 15-year sentence of imprisonment.

But the judges said there were no mitigating circumstances and the defendant did not appear to care about the consequences of her actions.

They said Lindsay Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government’s anti-drugs programme.

Her lawyer said it was very rare that judges delivered a sentence so much harsher than the prosecution had recommended.

The defendant appeared shocked and covered her head with a brown sarong to hide her face from the glare of cameras.

Lindsay Sandiford, originally from Redcar in Teesside, was accused of being at the centre of a ring involving three other Britons.

Last year, Paul Beales was sentenced to four years for possession of drugs and Rachel Dougall was jailed for one year for failing to report a crime.

The drug possession trial of Julian Ponder, from Brighton – who is believed to be Rachel Dougall’s partner – is still taking place. He is alleged to have collected cocaine from Lindsay Sandiford.

Lindsay Sandiford’s case had been taken up by the British human rights charity Reprieve, which said she had been “targeted by drug traffickers who exploited her vulnerability and made threats against her children”.

It says she was held for 10 days without access to a lawyer or translator after her arrest and the Indonesian authorities failed to inform the British embassy during this time.

In response to the sentence, Reprieve’s Harriet McCulloch said: “She is clearly not a drug king pin – she has no money to pay for a lawyer, for the travel costs of defence witnesses or even for essentials like food and water.

“She has cooperated fully with the Indonesian authorities but has been sentenced to death while the gang operating in the UK, Thailand and Indonesia remain free to target other vulnerable people.”

Lindsay Sandiford, a 56-year-old British grandmother, has been sentenced to death by firing squad in Indonesia for drug trafficking
Lindsay Sandiford, a 56-year-old British grandmother, has been sentenced to death by firing squad in Indonesia for drug trafficking

During the trial Lindsay Sandiford’s defence lawyer told Denpasar District Court that a history of mental health problems made her vulnerable.

In a witness statement, Lindsay Sandiford apologized to “the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian people” for her involvement.

She added: “I would never have become involved in something like this but the lives of my children were in danger and I felt I had to protect them.”

In another statement read out in court, her son Eliot said he believed his mother was forced into trafficking after a disagreement over rent money she paid on his behalf.

Indonesia has some of the toughest anti-drug laws in the world, but executions rarely take place.

Most of the 40 foreigners currently on death row in Indonesia have been convicted of drug offences, according to Australia’s Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Five foreigners have been executed since 1998, all for drug crimes, but there have been no executions in the country since 2008, said the institute said.

The UK Foreign Office says there are currently 12 British nationals facing the death penalty abroad.

It said: “We are aware that Lindsay Sandiford is facing the death penalty in Indonesia.

“We strongly object to the death penalty and continue to provide consular assistance to Lindsay and her family during this difficult time.”

It said “repeated representations” about the case were made to Indonesia following her arrest and the foreign secretary had raised the case during the Indonesian president’s state visit in November.

The Foreign Office says its policy is to use “all appropriate influence” to prevent the execution of a British national including “high-level political lobbying when necessary”.

Any pressure by the UK government in Lindsay Sandiford’s case was now likely to occur after the judicial appeals process was complete.

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood said the verdict was unexpected and “very worrying” and he would seek to raise the sentence with Foreign Secretary William Hague.

“I’m appalled by this development,” he said.

“We had been given encouraging signals by the Indonesian ambassador that Indonesia was moving away from the death penalty, that this was something that was associated with the days of the dictatorship, long since past.”

Meanwhile, Sebastian Saville, the former chief executive of the human rights charity Release, said the sentence was “utterly deplorable”.

But he said: “There are many people executed every year in local countries – Thailand, Cambodia – for much smaller amounts of drugs…. So it does not fall out of the remit for someone caught with 5kg of cocaine to be given the death sentence.”

Sebastian Saville added: “If we took a referendum in this country… should people caught with 5kg of cocaine be executed, yes or no… I think you’d be surprised about the number of yeses, as we live in a world which believes in punishment, not in fixing things.”

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4CMenB: Meningitis B vaccine gets European licence

Diane A. Wade
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4CMenB: Meningitis B vaccine gets European licence

4CMenB, a vaccine to protect children against one of the most common and deadly forms of meningitis, has been approved for use in Europe.

The 4CMenB vaccine licensed by the European Commission is the first to cover meningococcal B meningitis – until now vaccines had protected against only some of the bacterial types involved.

About 1,870 people contract meningitis B each year and one in 10 die.

Now the product is licensed in EC countries and it could be bought and used by healthcare providers.

About a quarter of all survivors of meningitis B are left with life altering after-effects, such as brain damage or limb loss.

Children under the age of five are the most at risk from the bacterial infection, which leads to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

Experts say the jab is likely to be effective against 73% of the different variations of meningitis B.

4CMenB, a vaccine to protect children against one of the most common and deadly forms of meningitis, has been approved for use in Europe
4CMenB, a vaccine to protect children against one of the most common and deadly forms of meningitis, has been approved for use in Europe

A vaccine against the less common meningitis C has been administered since 1999 and is now widely given to babies in the first year of their life.

It has led to a large fall in the number of cases in people under the age of 20.

Meningitis:

  • Inflammation of membranes covering brain and spinal cord
  • It can be caused by viruses or bacteria
  • Meningitis B is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in Europe
  • It can also cause septicaemia
  • There are a number of vaccines that can prevent many cases of viral and bacterial meningitis, including MMR, Meningitis C, PCV and DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccination

Goettingen: The song that changed the world

Sonia Pantiss
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Goettingen: The song that changed the world

The reconciliation between France and Germany after WWII was enshrined in Elysee Treaty signed 50 years ago. But many believe a song, Goettingen, recorded in 1964, did as much to thaw relations.

Can there be many songs that really did change the world?

There have certainly been records which have been immensely popular – and some of those have had a message. But did they really change the hearts and minds of ordinary people? Did they alter politics?

There is one which did, and it’s barely known now.

In 1963, Germany and France were neighbors where the scars of war were still raw.

Germany had invaded France and been repulsed, inch by bloody inch and town by town. Germans were trying to come to terms not just with total defeat, but with how what they thought was their civilized country had perpetrated one of the great crimes of history.

Into this minefield of potential resentment and painful rancor, stepped a slight, soft-voiced chanteuse.

Barbara was her stage name – she had been born Monique Serf in Paris in 1930. She was Jewish and so a target for the Nazis. But, two decades after the end of the war, she travelled to the German city Goettingen, as near to the heart of Germany as you can get.

She fell in love with the city and its people and recorded a paean of praise, first in French and then in German, the language of the former oppressor. She sang of “Herman, Peter, Helga et Hans”. Who had they been, the listener wonders. Her friends? Her lovers?

It captured the hearts of her German audience at the Goettingen theatre. It became a hit.

A street was named after her. The city bestowed its Medal of Honour on her. The citation talks of the song and its “quiet, emphatic plea for understanding”. The song’s popularity, the citation says, “made an important contribution to Franco-German reconciliation”.

The reconciliation between France and Germany after WWII was enshrined in Elysee Treaty signed 50 years ago, but many believe Brabara’s Goettingen did as much to thaw relations
The reconciliation between France and Germany after WWII was enshrined in Elysee Treaty signed 50 years ago, but many believe Brabara’s Goettingen did as much to thaw relations

As the song says:

“Of course, we have la Seine

And our Vincennes’ wood,

But God, the roses are beautiful

In Goettingen, in Goettingen.”

And then:

“But children are the same,

In Paris or in Goettingen.

May the time of blood and hatred

Never come back

Because there are people I love

In Goettingen, in Goettingen”.

One of the people in the audience was a student by the name of Gerhard Schroeder.

He would later become Chancellor of Germany and use the words of the ballad in a speech marking the 40th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty of reconciliation between France and Germany, a speech made exactly 10 years ago.

Gerhard Schroeder said: “I was a doctoral student in Goettingen when she came to sing. It went to our hearts, the start of a wonderful friendship between our countries.”

Listening to the song today, it’s easy to understand its appeal then. It remains hauntingly beautiful, a wistful paean of love with a tinge of sadness.

Barbara had much to be sad about. She had suffered sexual abuse from her father, and she had spent the war in flight from the Nazis, leaving Paris for the south and then dodging to hide from collaborators who would have handed her over to her murderers.

With the war over, she returned to Paris and took up singing and piano lessons at the Paris Conservatoire. But it was cabaret to which she was drawn, and the world of Edith Piaf and then Jacques Brel. Her big breakthrough came in the early 60s with Barbara chante Barbara.

And Goettingen. In Germany, Barbara was loved for the love she had extended to them. In France, Barbara was a star. Streets were named after her there too. A stamp had her face on it. When Barbara died in 1997, a quarter of a million mourners went to the funeral.

But all that is just the ephemera of showbusiness – the hits and the publicity and the pictures in the paper of her smoldering in dark glasses.

The part that still matters is that song. After all, which other singer could claim to have changed the world and for the better?

Goettingen was recorded just after one of the big political speeches of the century. President Charles de Gaulle of France went to the German city of Ludwigsburg and addressed the “youth of Germany”, again in their own language.

“To you all I extend my congratulations,” he said.

“I congratulate you for being young.”

He had spent much of the war in London as the exiled leader of the Free French and returned to France as the Germany enemy was forced out – so his speech in German was important. The historians mark it as significant.

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Elysee Treaty 50th anniversary celebrations in France and Germany

Diane A. Wade
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Elysee Treaty 50th anniversary celebrations in France and Germany

France and Germany are marking the 50th anniversary of Elysee Treaty that helped to reconcile the two former foes.

The German and French leaders have been holding talks in Berlin and there will also be a joint session of the two countries’ parliaments.

The Elysee Treaty was signed by Charles de Gaulle of France and Germany’s Konrad Adenauer on January 22, 1963.

Despite ups and downs in the relationship, Berlin and Paris have been key shapers of the European Union.

Charles De Gaulle described Europe as “a coach and horses, with Germany the horse and France the coachman”, and the co-operation between the two nations has been the foundation stone of the European project.

To celebrate what has been described as a festival of friendship, France and Germany are issuing stamps, coins and other items of memorabilia.

France and Germany are marking the 50th anniversary of Elysee Treaty that helped to reconcile the two former foes
France and Germany are marking the 50th anniversary of Elysee Treaty that helped to reconcile the two former foes

French flags will be flying beside those of Germany in Berlin.

Later on Tuesday, more than 500 French lawmakers will travel to the German capital for the session with the Bundestag.

There will also be a joint cabinet dinner and a concert.

On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande held talks behind closed doors.

Angela Merkel said in her weekly podcast on Saturday that she felt “a very great closeness” with Germany’s neighbor.

“When we have come together, then mostly a good new solution has come out of it,” Angela Merkel said.

However, the two countries remain at odds on several issues, including how to deal with the eurozone crisis.

President Francois Hollande – who is pushing for fresh spending to bolster growth – believes that the Germans are wrong to place such emphasis on austerity and cutting deficits.

On Francois Hollande’s side there is also still bitterness that Chancellor Angela Merkel backed Nicolas Sarkozy so openly during last year’s French presidential elections, our editor says.

The ongoing crisis in Mali is also likely to test the two countries’ relationship.

While Paris has deployed troops in West African nation to halt the advance of Islamist insurgents, Berlin has been reluctant to be drawn deeply into the conflict.

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Israel elections: PM Benjamin Netanyahu seeks re-election

Diane A. Wade
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Israel elections: PM Benjamin Netanyahu seeks re-election

Israel has begun voting in a general election, with polls suggesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will return to office but with a reduced majority.

Benjamin Netanyahu said the choice was between parties that would lead to “a divided and weak Israel or a united and strong Israel”.

Analysts say he is likely to form a new right-wing coalition.

Unlike previous elections, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has not been high on most parties’ campaign agendas.

Social and economic issues have emerged as key concerns among voters in the run-up to the polls.

According to final opinion polls, the joint electoral list of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party of his former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman will win about 32 seats. That would be 10 fewer than their combined total from the previous election but still enough to form a majority with right-wing parties.

Other right-wing and religious parties are expected to give Benjamin Netanyahu a majority of about 63 seats in the 120-member Knesset (parliament).

Benjamin Netanyahu called early elections last October after his coalition failed to agree the annual budget.

His joint party ticket has consistently led opinion polls, but recently lost support to a new ultra-nationalist party, Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home).

Israel has begun voting in a general election, with polls suggesting PM Benjamin Netanyahu will return to office but with a reduced majority
Israel has begun voting in a general election, with polls suggesting PM Benjamin Netanyahu will return to office but with a reduced majority

Some 1,000 polling stations opened on Tuesday at 07:00 local time and will close at 22:00. About 5.66 million people are eligible to vote.

For the first time the public is able to follow the counting of ballots in real time on a government website, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reports.

Final results are expected by Wednesday morning, after which coalition talks that could take several weeks will begin.

Speaking at his final campaign appearance in Jerusalem on Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu said he was confident of a late surge in support.

“I have no doubt that many, many people will decide at the last minute to come home to Likud-Yisrael Beitenu.

“I have a good feeling. And at the last minute, I appeal to each and every citizen going to the ballot box: Decide for whom you are going to vote – for a divided and weak Israel or for a united and strong Israel and a large governing party.”

Likud-Beitenu’s right-wing dominance has been challenged by Habayit Hayehudi, led by millionaire businessman Naftali Bennett – Benjamin Netanyahu’s former chief-of-staff.

Naftali Bennett has advocated annexing large parts of the occupied West Bank and rejected the idea of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

“I pray to God to give me the power to unite all of Israel and to restore Israel’s Jewish soul,” Naftali Bennett said on Monday during a campaign appearance at Jerusalem’s Western Wall.

Habayit Hayehudi is forecast to take up to 14 seats and become the third-largest party in the Knesset.

The second-largest party is expected to be Labour, which currently has eight seats but is predicted to make a comeback with about 17, due in large part to growing anger over the rising cost of living.

Labour’s leader, Shelly Yachimovich, has ruled out joining a coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

The new secular centrist party, Yesh Atid (There is a Future), led by TV personality Yair Lapid, and centrist Hatnua (The Movement), led by former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, are also set to do moderately well. Both leaders have said they would consider joining a Netanyahu-led coalition.

Israel elections:

  • Polls opened at 07:00 a.m.; close 22:00
  • 5,656,705 eligible voters
  • 34 parties standing
  • 120 seats contested
  • parties elected by proportional representation

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Dannielyn Birkhead looks just like her mother Anna Nicole Smith

Diane A. Wade
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Dannielyn Birkhead looks just like her mother Anna Nicole Smith

Dannielyn Birkhead, Anna Nicole Smith’s 6-year-old daughter, showed her mother’s memory is living on through her on Sunday as she went backstage at Broadway show Annie.

With her blonde hair, button nose and big eyes, Dannielyn Birkhead showed she is looking much like the late actress and model.

Dannielynn Birkhead looked very stylish in a leopardskin coat to wrap up against the cold weather and happily posed for snaps with her photographer father Larry as the pair went backstage at The Palace Theatre in New York City.

Larry and Dannielynn Birkhead also posed with the musical’s cast members, including Lilla Crawford who plays Annie, with Larry lifting up the growing little girl for the snapshot.

Dannielyn Birkhead is well on her way to getting as confident as her late mother in front of the camera. She recently appeared in an advertising campaign for Guess Kids.

“Dannielynn has always looked up to her mom’s image and I think that this is kind of Dannielynn’s way of paying tribute to her mom in her own special way,” 39-year-old Larry Birkhead told Good Morning America last November.

“To see her mom’s picture next to hers as a Guess girl and say, <<Hey, I was a Guess Kids girl, my mommy was a Guess girl>>, that might be her only connection with her mom.”

Dannielyn Birkhead, Anna Nicole Smith’s 6-year-old daughter, showed her mother's memory is living on through her on Sunday as she went backstage at Broadway show Annie
Dannielyn Birkhead, Anna Nicole Smith’s 6-year-old daughter, showed her mother’s memory is living on through her on Sunday as she went backstage at Broadway show Annie

Anna Nicole Smith, the buxom reality TV star and former Playboy model who struggled with prescription drug problems, was found dead in a Florida hotel room in February 2007, aged 39.

The official cause of death was an accidental overdose of nine prescription drugs, including Valium and Atavan.

Anna Nicole Smith’s death followed the devastating loss of her 20-year-old son Daniel Smith just six months earlier, three days after his mother gave birth to Dannielynn.

Daniel Smith died after an accidental overdose of the drug methadone with the antidepressants Lexapro and Zoloft.

Since Anna Nicole Smith’s tragic death, Larry Birkhead has devoted himself to giving his daughter a stable, balanced life.

When asked whether he was concerned about what Dannielynn might learn about her mother’s life when she gets older, Larry Birkhead said: “I hope that she understands that no one’s perfect and people have triumphs and people have tragedies. And her mom really soldiered on and she came from nothing and you know, lived her dream.

“But I also want to make things a cautionary tale, and give her the tools that she needs to where she has the opportunities that her mother and Anna’s son, Daniel won’t have.”

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