A new research suggests that mothers are over-feeding their children because they are unable to see if they are too chubby.
A survey of nearly 300 mothers found they struggled to judge the weight of their own toddlers.
Experts say this blind spot can lead to the youngsters being encouraged to overeat, predisposing them to obesity in later life.
The study was carried out by dietitian Rebecca Byrne who asked 276 mothers to describe their 12 to 16 month old toddlers as either underweight, normal weight or overweight.
The researchers then measured the children’s heights and weights.
Rebecca Byrne said the mothers thought 27 of the children were too thin, but only one of these toddlers was actually underweight, with the rest a normal size.
Additionally, while 32% of the toddlers in the study were actually overweight, only four per cent (12 of the 276 toddlers) were perceived as too heavy by their mothers.
A new research suggests that mothers are over-feeding their children because they are unable to see if they are too chubby
Rebecca Byrne, of the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, said: “Mums are often worried their babies and toddlers aren’t eating enough.
“We put a lot of emphasis on weight gain in babies and toddlers as a measure of them doing well.
“I think the perception in our society is that a chubby baby is a healthy baby and the chubbiness is something they’ll grow out of – but they don’t.
“This sticks with them throughout childhood and they often end up overweight as an adult.”
She added: “Mums who are worried their child is not gaining enough weight, may pressure them to eat more or bribe them with dessert or treats.
“This can teach children to ignore their own cues of hunger and fullness, inadvertently promoting overeating.”
Rapid early weight gain before two years of age is associated with a two to threefold increase in the risk of obesity later in life.
Rebecca Byrne said parents are not given the support they need to understand normal child growth and how to pick up weight problems in their children.
She said: “Serious prevention efforts need to start early in life to reverse the trend of increasing childhood obesity and set kids up for life-long good health.”
Image sharing website Acidcow.com has amassed a huge selection of animal pictures throughout the course of 2012.
They’re the funniest animal photos of 2012, the maniac moggies and marvelous mutts who have brightened up our year with their utterly barmy exploits
And it’s not just household pets which have brought a smile to out faces – the dogs and cats are joined by a host of bonkers animals including horses, monkeys and even a goat.
There’s the dog that looks just dandy with a set of painted on eyebrows, a playful pup who can’t wait to show off its pole-dancing skills and another, which when viewed from a certain angle looks like quite something else entirely.
Image sharing website Acidcow.com has amassed a huge selection of animal pictures throughout the course of 2012
A Russian passenger plane has crashed into a main road outside Moscow killing at least four people, reports say.
Russian state television says the plane overshot the runway after landing.
Details are still emerging, but images of the scene on Twitter appear to show a badly-damaged aircraft lying in several pieces across a major road.
Some reports say the aircraft caught fire.
Reports said there were between eight and 12 people on board the Red Wings Tupolev-204, flight number RWZ9268, which was landing at Vnukovo airport.
Images of the scene show the aircraft split into several pieces, with the cockpit on the road.
Four people were severely injured, emergency officials said.
A Russian passenger plane has crashed into a main road outside Moscow, killing at least four people
The plane’s tail and cockpit had broken off but the fuselage was largely intact.
There were fire engines at the scene and smoke could be seen rising from parts of the wreckage.
The plane had arrived in Moscow from the Czech Republic, government officials said.
The incident is said to have taken place at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.
The images on Twitter show a plane bearing the Red Wings airlines livery, with the tail and cockpit broken off but the fuselage largely intact.
There are fire engines at the scene and smoke can be seen rising from the wreckage.
Unconfirmed reports say the plane had arrived from the Czech Republic with around eight passengers and four crew on board. The plane was reported to be a Tupolev-204.
Philippines President Benigno Aquino has signed into law a bill providing for free access to contraception and family planning.
Supporters say the law, which took 14 years to pass, will reduce poverty and maternal mortality in a country with the highest birth rate in the region.
The Roman Catholic Church repeatedly tried to block the bill.
The country’s Congress failed to pass the measure several times before giving it final approval on December 19th.
The law is due to take effect in mid-January, said presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte.
“The passage into law of the Responsible Parenthood Act closes a highly divisive chapter of our history – a chapter borne of the convictions of those who argued for, or against this act,” she said.
“At the same time, it opens the possibility of co-operation and reconciliation… engagement and dialogue characterized not by animosity, but by our collective desire to better the welfare of the Filipino people.”
Philippines President Benigno Aquino has signed into law a bill providing for free access to contraception and family planning
Even now the bill has become law, the Church and its political allies could still derail it.
Several bishops have already threatened to contest the bill’s legality in the Supreme Court.
More than 80% of the population in the Philippines is Catholic, and the Church has had the support of many politicians, media commentators, and businessmen.
Condoms are widely sold in the Philippines, but at a price that many people cannot afford.
Many maternity hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of births, and the UN appealed to the Philippines earlier this year to pass the family planning bill.
A government health survey in 2011 found that the maternal mortality rate had risen by 36% between 2006 and 2010.
France’s constitutional council has struck down a top income tax rate of 75% introduced by Socialist President Francois Hollande.
Raising taxes for those earning more than 1 million euros has been a flagship policy for Francois Hollande.
The policy angered France’s business community and prompted some wealthy citizens to say they would emigrate.
Francois Hollande’s government said it would rework the tax, due to take effect in 2013, to meet the council’s complaints.
In its ruling on Saturday, the Constitutional Council said the new tax rate “failed to recognize equality before public burdens” because, unlike other forms of income tax, it was to be applied to individuals rather than households.
For example, that meant a household in which one person earned more than 1 million euros would pay the tax, but a household in which two people earned 900,000 euros each would not have to pay.
France’s constitutional council has struck down a top income tax rate of 75 percent introduced by Socialist President Francois Hollande
The council also rejected new methods for calculating the tax.
But Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the government would press ahead with the new tax rate.
“The government will propose a new system that conforms with the principles laid down by the decision of the Constitutional Council,” he said.
The new rate was seen as largely symbolic since it would have only applied to some 1,500 people for a temporary period of two years.
But along with other tax rises, it has still been the subject of fierce debate in France.
French actor Gerard Depardieu recently announced he was moving to Belgium to avoid taxes, sparking a furious reaction from some on the left.
There was also speculation that people employed in high-income jobs like banking and finance would move elsewhere, including to London.
Francoise Hollande campaigned against the austerity policies used in many European countries affected by economic crisis, favoring higher taxes rather than spending cuts to bring down the deficit.
The 75% rate for high earners was included in the government’s 2013 budget, approved by parliament in September.
Katie Holmes’ play Dead Accounts is to close on January 6th, after less than six weeks on Broadway.
Theresa Rebeck’s drama, which also stars Norbert Leo Butz as Katie Holmes’ brother, had been scheduled to run until February 24th.
The show opened to poor reviews on November 29th and will have had 27 previews and 44 performances when it closes.
It marked Katie Holmes’ first major acting role since her divorce from Tom Cruise earlier this year.
Directed by Tony Award-winner Jack O’Brien, Dead Accounts tells the story of a prodigal son who returns home to Cincinnati from New York City.
Katie Holmes’ play Dead Accounts is to close on January 6th, after less than six weeks on Broadway
Theresa Rebeck has created several well-received plays including Mauritius and Seminar – her last on Broadway – which had 191 performances and 26 previews before it ended.
According to the New York Times, for the week ending December 23rd, Dead Accounts had made just under 25% of its potential gross at the Music Box Theatre.
Katie Holmes, who became a star in the teen soap opera Dawson’s Creek, made her Broadway debut in the 2008 production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons.
The actress was married to Tom Cruise from 2006 until this year.
Meanwhile, respected actors Jack Klugman and Charles Durning are being honored by the theatre community with the dimming of Broadway’s lights.
On Thursday, the marquees at all Broadway theatres were darkened for one minute at 20:00 EST in memory of Charles Durning, who died on Monday aged 89.
Charles Durning amassed several important Broadway credits, including playing Big Daddy in a 1990 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and opposite George C. Scott in Inherit the Wind in 1996.
On Friday, the 40 Broadway marquees will go dark at 20:00 EST in memory of Jack Klugman, 90, who also died on Monday.
Jack Klugman’s Broadway roles included parts in I’m Not Rappapor and The Sunshine Boys. He was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1960 for Gypsy.
The female student who was raped on a bus in India’s capital Delhi has died at a Singapore hospital, doctors say.
The 23-year-old had arrived in Singapore on Thursday after undergoing three operations in a Delhi hospital.
The attack earlier this month triggered violent public protests in India that left one police officer dead.
As news of the student’s death spread across social media in India, police sealed off large parts of central Delhi and appealed for calm.
The centre of Delhi resembled a fortress, with armed police and riot troops maintaining a heavy presence.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was “very saddened” and promised to channel “emotions and energies” into a course of action.
Six men have been arrested and two police officers have been suspended following the 16 December attack.
A statement from the hospital said the woman “passed away peacefully” early on Saturday with her family by her side.
“The patient had remained in an extremely critical condition since admission to Mount Elizabeth Hospital,” hospital chief executive Kelvin Loh said.
“She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome.
“We are humbled by the privilege of being tasked to care for her in her final struggle,” Kelvin Loh said.
The female student who was raped on a bus in India’s capital Delhi has died at a Singapore hospital
A team of eight specialists had tried to keep the patient stable, but her condition continued to deteriorate over the two days she was at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, he added.
Officials from the Indian High Commission were also present when the patient passed away. The Indian home minister said the government had decided to send the victim overseas on the recommendation of her doctors.
Arrangements are being made to take her body back to India, said Indian high commissioner to Singapore TCA Raghavan.
In a statement issued in Delhi, Prime Minister Singh said: “It would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channelize these emotions and energies into a constructive course of action.
“The need of the hour is a dispassionate debate and inquiry into the critical changes that are required in societal attitudes.
“Government is examining… the penal provisions that exist for such crimes and measures to enhance the safety and security of women. I hope that the entire political class and civil society will set aside narrow sectional interests… to help us all reach the end that we all desire – making India a demonstrably better and safer place for women to live in.”
The victim and her friend had been to see a film when they boarded the bus in the Munirka area of Delhi, intending to travel to Dwarka in the south-west of the city.
Police said she was raped for nearly an hour, and both she and her companion were beaten with iron bars and thrown out of the moving bus and into the street.
On arrival at the hospital in Singapore, doctors said that as well as a “prior cardiac arrest, she also had infection of her lungs and abdomen, as well as significant brain injury”.
The government has tried to halt rising public anger by announcing a series of measures intended to make Delhi safer for women.
These include more police night patrols, checks on bus drivers and their assistants, and the banning of buses with tinted windows or curtains.
The government has also said that it will post the photos, names and addresses of convicted rapists on official websites to shame them.
It has set up two committees – one looking into speeding up trials of cases involving sexual assaults on women, and the other to examine the lapses that might have led to the incident in Delhi.
But the protesters say the government’s pledge to seek life sentences for the attackers is not enough – many are calling for the death penalty.
Since the Delhi incident, several cases have been highlighted of authorities failing to respond to reported rapes.
On Wednesday, a woman committed suicide in the state of Punjab, after having tried to report to police a rape which allegedly took place last month, local media reports said.
At least one police officer involved in the case has been sacked, according to local officials.
E.L. James bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey took the world by storm, selling more than 3.2 million copies up to now.
Now, the novel is being offered as the subject of a course at American University (AU).
Sex educator and AU professor Stef Woods will teach “Contemporary American Culture: The 50 Shades Trilogy”, to 25 students starting in January, successfully turning popular culture into a subject of academia.
According to the Daily Beast, she will use the trilogy and related readings to tackle issues of domestic violence, female sexuality, and objectivity, as well as looking at how social media marketing is used in the promotion and success of contemporary novels.
Stef Woods outlined the curriculum on her blog, City Girl, which will ask students to critically analyze and answer questions like “Evaluate the relationship in the book in light of our readings on domestic violence.”
“Are the leads in the trilogy in a healthy or abusive relationship? Why or why not?”
And also, “What was the role of social media in perpetuating the trilogy’s success? If you were in charge of marketing the upcoming movies, how would you utilize social media?”
The class already has a waiting list full of senior honor students, and at least 22 are female and are enrolled in the school or communications or are studying sexuality, according to Stef Woods.
Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy becomes subject of a course at American University
According to the Daily Beast, “students will also be asked to rewrite one of the introductory chapters, before Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey consummate their relationship, with an aim to improving it”.
Stef Woods argues that editing and sub-editing are useful tools ‘in almost any job’.
“Someone who has just graduated will be tasked with editing and proofreading and reviewing over and over again for their superiors in the office,” she said.
American University isn’t the only education institution to recognize “what’s driving American culture and how to study that critically”, Stef Woods added.
The Daily Beast noted that Brown University’s fall 2012 course Human Sexuality in a Social Context used Fifty Shades of Grey alongside Foucault’s The History of Sexuality and Mary Roach’s science journalism book Bonk, in the required reading.
Meanwhile the American Studies department Macalester College includes Hunger Games: Map and Mirror for the 21st Century, and the University of Delaware’s English department offers Fighting the Future From The Hunger Games to The Matrix: The Dystopian Tradition in the 21st Century.
“I love when people incorporate social media and pop culture because that’s how the field is ever evolving. It makes academia more relevant; you want something that resonates with students and inspires them to think in different ways,” said Stef Woods.
As for the books’ explicit content, she said: “This is not a sex-shop book club. We’re not looking at how these characters can inspire us to expand our sexual boundaries… We’re looking at overall themes.
“We’re not doing dramatic readings, we’re not discussing personal preferences- mine or theirs.”
Stef Woods recently told the student newspaper, The Eagle: “No other contemporary text on sexuality has transformed American culture the way that this series has.
“It never crossed my mind to use another book for a case study.”
Dr. Shira Tarrant, associate professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at California State University, Long Beach, supports Stef Woods decision.
“That’s the world we live in, and it serves us well to know how to make sense of it with an awareness of gender, class, race, age, capitalism, and – of course – sexuality,” she said.
Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is to lead a coalition of centre parties going into Italy’s parliamentary election in February.
Speaking to reporters after four hours of talks with centrist politicians, he said he was willing to be “named leader of the coalition”.
Mario Monti resigned after 13 months as prime minister when predecessor Silvio Berlusconi withdrew his support.
The Vatican newspaper backs Mario Monti’s bid to return as prime minister.
Mario Monti clearly threw his hat into the political ring at a news conference on Friday evening.
“A new political formation has been born,” Mario Monti said.
A single reform list, grouping together centrist parties, would stand for election to the Senate under the provisional title “Monti’s agenda for Italy”, he said.
But in the lower house, the chamber of deputies, there would be a coalition of centrist parties, including the Christian Democrat UDC.
As senator for life, Mario Monti cannot stand for election, but he is able to take part in the campaign and could return to the post of prime minister if a centrist coalition were successful.
He was brought in to form a technocratic government last year after the government of Silvio Berlusconi collapsed under pressure from the financial markets.
Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is to lead a coalition of centre parties going into Italy’s parliamentary election in February
Mario Monti, a former economics professor and European Union Commissioner, was chosen to impose financial rigor on the economy.
In power, he made some progress early on, including raising the retirement age and structural reforms.
But later policies were watered down and Silvio Berlusconi and his centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party increasingly attacked Mario Monti’s economic austerity.
Mario Monti has described his 13 months in office as “difficult but fascinating”.
“The work we did… has made the country more trustworthy… more competitive and attractive to foreign investors,” he said.
However, ordinary Italians have been hard hit by the combination of tax rises and spending cuts Mario Monti has imposed to repair Italy’s public finances and it is uncertain how well he will fare in the election on 24-25 February 2013.
The left-wing Democratic Party is currently leading the opinion polls, while Silvio Berlusconi will lead the challenge from the right as head of his PDL party.
Mario Monti was optimistic that the electorate will stick with him. He told an impromptu news conference that he expected his supporters could win a “significant result” in the election.
A study of 2012’s most read Wikipedia articles reveals striking differences in what proved popular across the different language versions of the online encyclopaedia.
“Facebook” topped the English edition while an entry for adult video actresses did best in Japan.
Hua Shan – a Chinese mountain featuring “the world’s deadliest hiking trail” – topped the Dutch list.
By contrast, cul-de-sacs were the German site’s most clicked entry.
The data was published by a Swedish software engineer Johan Gunnarsson as part of the Wikitrends project. His home land’s most viewed article was a page dedicated to Sweden itself.
Lower entries on the lists also proved revealing.
While articles about Iran, its capital city Tehran and the country’s New Year celebrations topped the Persian list, entries about sex, female circumcision and homosexuality also made its top 10.
An overview of Egypt topped the Arabic language version and was followed by a history of Muhammad Ali Pasha – the Ottoman army commander who became the country’s ruler in 1805. He is viewed by many as the founder of the “modern” nation.
Sport featured prominently in the Indonesian edition with football, volleyball and basketball all coming within the top seven articles.
Italy appeared more obsessed with US television. Grey’s Anatomy came out on top, and Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries followed shortly after.
The Russian version was led by an article about the country followed by one about YouTube. But entries for “p**n site” and “unemployment” may provide greater insight into local users’ lives.
Unusual results included the “@” symbol making it into second place in the Spanish language edition, a type of Japanese holly topping the French list, and The European Regional Development Fund coming in third in Poland.
A study of 2012’s most read Wikipedia articles reveals striking differences in what proved popular across the different language versions of the online encyclopaedia
Canadian pop star Justin Bieber managed to make both the Danish and Norwegian top 10s, but was trumped by British boy band One Direction who appeared in the English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish and Danish lists.
Elsewhere, Facebook’s photo sharing service Instagram – which did not make any of Wikipedia’s top 10s – has published its own round-up of 2012.
The firm has focused on locations rather than themes.
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport came out on top with more than 100,000 photos taken there, followed by the city’s Siam Paragon shopping mall.
Thailand only recently held an auction to award 3G mobile network licences, and has instead focused on providing free wi-fi connectivity. It already has more than 200,000 hotspots and the government has announced a target of covering 80% of the country by May.
The Next Web tech blog suggests local habits had also aided Instagram’s local popularity.
“Many mobile internet users in the region didn’t spend much-time (or any time at all) using PCs, so their mobile or tablet is their single portal to the web and always-on web access is something new to them,” wrote Jon Russell.
The US took the next seven of the top 10 spots thanks to snaps taken at California’s Disneyland, New York’s Times Square; San Francisco’s AT&T Park; and Los Angeles’ International Airport, Dodger stadium, Staples Center and Santa Monica Pier.
Paris’s Eiffel Tower was the only European location to make the list.
China has decided to tighten its rules on internet usage and to enforce a previous requirement that users fully identify themselves to service providers.
The move is part of a package of measures which state-run Xinhua news agency said would protect personal information.
But critics believe the government is trying to limit freedom of speech.
The announcement will be seen as evidence China’s new leadership views the internet as a threat.
The Chinese authorities closely monitor internet content that crosses its borders and regularly block sensitive stories through use of what is known as the Great Firewall of China.
However, it has not stopped hundreds of millions of Chinese using the internet, many of them using micro-blogging sites to expose, debate and campaign on issues of national interest.
China has decided to tighten its rules on internet usage and to enforce a previous requirement that users fully identify themselves to service providers
In recent months, the internet and social media have been used to orchestrate mass protests and a number of corrupt Communist Party officials have been exposed by individuals posting criticisms on the internet.
The new measures come a month after a new leadership, led by Xi Jinping, was installed by the ruling Communist Party.
The new man in charge of the internet, Liu Qibao, has a reputation for taking a hard line on media control. He recently called for “more research on how to strengthen the construction, operation and management of the Internet and promote mainstream online themes”.
The new measures now formally require anyone signing agreements to access the internet, fixed-line telephone and mobile devices to provide network service operators with “genuine identification information”, known as real-name registration, Xinhua reports.
Real-name registration was supposed to be have been implemented in 2011 but was not widely enforced.
China’s biggest internet firm, Sina Corp, warned earlier this year in a public document that such a move would “severely reduce” traffic to its hugely-successful micro-blogging site Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter with more than 300 million users.
Under the new rules, network service providers will also be required to “instantly stop the transmission of illegal information once it is spotted” by deleting the posts and saving the records “before reporting to supervisory authorities”.
The measures are designed to “ensure internet information security, safeguard the lawful rights and interests of citizens… and safeguard national security and social public interests”, and were approved by China’s top legislature at the closing session of a five-day meeting on Friday, Xinhua reports.
The calls for tighter controls of the internet have been led by state media, which said that rumors spread on the web could harm the public and sow chaos and confusion.
The government has said officially that it welcomes the exposure of official abuses, but a new generation of ever bolder bloggers and commentators pose a threat that the leadership seems determined to counter.
Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s interior minister, says he will restore access to video-sharing website YouTube in the coming hours, months after it was blocked.
Rehman Malik tweeted: “There was a great demand to unblock YouTube… expect the notification today!”
YouTube has been blocked to users in Pakistan since September when excerpts from an anti-Islamic film were posted, sparking protests across the world.
Pakistan blocked YouTube in 2008 and 2010 because of sacrilegious content.
It reimposed a ban on the site on 17 September following days of protests around the world after a translated version of an amateur film attacking the Prophet Mohammed was posted on an Egyptian website.
The original English language version was posted on YouTube in July.
Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s interior minister, says he will restore access to video-sharing website YouTube in the coming hours, months after it was blocked
Pakistan had reportedly asked YouTube and its parent company, Google, to block access to the video.
But Pakistani media reports say Google was unable to comply because it had no formal agreement with Pakistan.
Google had earlier said in a statement that the video was “clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube”.
But the US firm added that “given the very difficult situation” it had restricted access to the video in numerous countries including India, Libya and Egypt, where the protests started.
There has been much discontent in Pakistan with the ban, which has also affected Android mobile phone services run by Google.
However, it is unclear whether Pakistanis will have unfettered access to YouTube when the site is unblocked.
Rehman Malik also tweeted: “PTA [Pakistan Telecommunication Authority] is finalizing negotiations for acquiring a powerful firewall software to totally block pornographic and blasphemous material.”
President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a ban on Americans adopting Russian orphans.
The law is a reaction to the US Magnitsky Act, which blacklists Russian officials accused of rights abuses.
The death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 became a symbol of the fight against corruption in Russia, and soured relations between Russia and the US.
The US state department says it “deeply regrets” the passing of the law.
On Friday, a Moscow court acquitted a prison doctor accused of negligence over Sergei Magnitsky’s death. It was the only trial to be held in the case.
The judge said Dmitry Kratov had acted appropriately when Sergei Magnitsky fell ill in jail. Dmitry Kratov was deputy head of the high-security Butyrka prison in Moscow at the time.
A Russian official report last year concluded that Sergei Magnitsky had been tortured and handcuffed in jail.
Sergei represented London-based Hermitage Capital Management (HCM). He uncovered what he described as a web of corruption involving Russian tax officials, including the alleged theft of more than $200 million.
After reporting it to the authorities, he was himself detained on suspicion of aiding tax evasion, and died in custody on 16 November 2009 at the age of 37.
President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a ban on Americans adopting Russian orphans
US-born fund manager Bill Browder, who runs Hermitage Capital, spearheaded efforts in the US to put pressure on Russia over the Magnitsky case. Bill Browder was a major investor in Russia before Sergei Magnitsky’s arrest.
Earlier this month the US Congress adopted the Magnitsky Act, prompting Russia’s retaliation. The EU has also criticized Russia over its handling of the case.
Vladimir Putin signed the Russian law after it had been approved by the Russian parliament.
He told officials he saw no reason not to sign it, and said he would sign a presidential decree to “modify the support mechanisms for orphaned children”.
“There are lots of places in the world where living standards are higher than they are here,” Vladimir Putin said.
“Are we going to send all our children there? Perhaps we should move there ourselves?”
Some 3,400 Russian children were adopted by foreign families in 2011, almost one-third of the children going to American homes.
Over the same period, the number of children adopted by Russian citizens was 7,416.
In the past two decades Americans have adopted more than 60,000 Russian children.
“The Russian government’s politically motivated decision will reduce adoption possibilities for children who are now under institutional care,” US state department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.
“We are further concerned about statements that adoptions already underway may be stopped and hope that the Russian government would allow those children who have already met and bonded with their future parents to finish the necessary legal procedures so that they can join their families,” he added.
The Moscow judge ruled on Friday that Dmitry Kratov had organized Sergei Magnitsky’s transfer to hospital and had “taken all the necessary measures to treat the illnesses” that Sergei Magnitsky was suffering from.
Sergei Magnitsky had pancreatitis, but an investigation by Russia’s presidential council on human rights concluded that he had been severely beaten and denied medical treatment.
The council’s report, compiled while Dmitry Medvedev was president, singled out senior interior ministry investigator Oleg Silchenko and prison chief Ivan Prokopenko as being at fault for neglect over the lawyer’s death.
The document said they “obstructed” his medical care by moving him to another prison just before he was due to have an operation, where there was a criminal failure to provide him with care in the last days of his life.
Sergei Magnitsky’s mother, widow and lawyers believe that Dmitry Kratov has been used as a decoy by the authorities to protect the real culprits in the lawyer’s death.
Dmitry Kratov’s assistant Larisa Litvinova had also been a suspect in the case, but the investigation into her actions was dropped in April.
Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has agreed to pay 36 million euros ($48 million) a year to his ex-wife Veronica Lario, reports say.
Silvio Berlusconi will keep the $100 million villa where the couple lived with their three children, as part of a divorce deal reportedly filed on Christmas Day.
Veronica Lario left Berlusconi in 2009 after he was seen at the 18th birthday party of an aspiring model.
Forbes magazine estimated his wealth at nearly $6 billion in March.
The Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that Veronica Lario had initially asked for $56 million a year.
Silvio Berlusconi, 76, reportedly offered her about $5 million.
Silvio Berlusconi has agreed to pay 36 million euros a year to his ex-wife Veronica Lario
The couple met in a dressing room in 1980 after Berlusconi saw Veronica Lario, 56, perform in a Milan theatre.
They were married in 1990.
Silvio Berlusconi has two other children from his first marriage and is currently engaged to 28-year-old Francesca Pascale.
He was Italy’s longest-serving post-war prime minister until he resigned in November 2011.
Silvio Berlusconi says he will to run for office again in 2013.
His third term in office saw slow growth and a national debt of $2.6 trillion and his government was slow to implement austerity measures in response.
Silvio Berlusconi also became embroiled in a series of financial and sex scandals.
Since leaving office, he has been fighting various court cases.
In October 2012, Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to four years in jail by a Milan court after being convicted of tax evasion.
Silvio Berlusconi is currently appealing against the decision, and commentators say it is unlikely that he will serve any time in jail.
The female student who was gang-raped on a bus in India’s capital Delhi has “taken a turn for the worse” at a Singapore hospital, doctors say.
The 23-year-old arrived in Singapore on Thursday after undergoing three operations in a Delhi hospital.
“Her vital signs are deteriorating with signs of severe organ failure,” hospital official Kelvin Loh said.
The attack earlier this month triggered violent public protests in India that left one police officer dead.
Six men have been arrested and two police officers have been suspended following the 16 December attack.
Doctors had earlier described the woman as “fighting for her life”.
Kelvin Loh said in a statement that the hospital had put her on “maximum artificial ventilation support, optimal antibiotic doses as well as stimulants which maximize her body’s capability to fight infections”.
The female student who was gang-raped on a bus in Delhi has taken a turn for the worse at a Singapore hospital
“Her family members have been informed that her condition has deteriorated and they are currently by her side to encourage and comfort her,” he said.
“The High Commission of India is with her and her family at this critical time. Our medical team continues to provide all possible treatment and care,” Kelvin Loh added.
On arrival at the hospital in Singapore, doctors said that as well as a “prior cardiac arrest, she also had infection of her lungs and abdomen, as well as significant brain injury”.
The government has tried to halt rising public anger by announcing a series of measures intended to make Delhi safer for women.
These include more police night patrols, checks on bus drivers and their assistants, and the banning of buses with tinted windows or curtains.
The government has also said that it will post the photos, names and addresses of convicted rapists on official websites to shame them.
The victim and her friend had been to see a film when they boarded the bus in the Munirka area, intending to travel to Dwarka in south-west Delhi.
Police said she was raped for nearly an hour, and both she and her companion were beaten with iron bars and thrown out of the moving bus into a Delhi street.
India’s Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said in a statement on Thursday that the government had decided to send the victim overseas on the recommendation of her doctors.
“Despite the best efforts of our doctors, the victim continues to be critical and her fluctuating health remains a big cause of concern to all of us,” he said.
Superstorm Sandy hit the New Jersey shore town of Mantoloking hard – 60 homes were demolished when waves crashed over the sand dunes and swept into the small community.
The water washed away the road leading to Ed Wright’s house and pummeled ten of his neighbors’ homes in a 200-foot radius.
But Ed Wright’s house endured. It was the only house in his immediate neighborhood left standing by the ferocious storm and it sustained only minor damage.
The New Jersey Star-Ledger calls Ed Wright’s house “the Mantoloking Miracle” – but closer examination reveals that the house remains standing because Ed Wright took special care when building it and used design features meant to withstand a hurricane.
Now, FEMA and the town of Mantoloking are studying the home and could make some elements of its construction mandatory for all new houses that are built in the beach community.
“The goal is to construct things that will stay around awhile,” Ed Wright told the Star-Ledger, “and hopefully outlive you”.
Unlike his neighbors, Ed Wright elevated his home and built it on top of 34 treated pine pylons that were driven 20 feet into the sand. The first inhabited floor is eight feet above the beach.
And the walls in the ground floor, used as a garage and for storage, were made to collapse easily under the force of waves – saving the rest of the home.
Ed Wright’s house was surrounded on all sides by water after Superstorm Sandy breached the protective sand dunes in his community
Even the roof is designed with a hurricane in mind – long and sloping it faces north to ‘shoulder the prevailing win,’ the Star-Ledger reports.
When the storm came, the home did exactly what is was supposed to.
The walls on the ground floor gave way and allowed the water to wash around the pilings – leaving the living spaces of the house mostly untouched.
While his neighbors’ homes were swept off their foundations or blasted to splinters by the water from the storm, which hit the New Jersey coast on October 29.
Most of Ed Wright’s neighbors had only a small crawlspace beneath their houses, which provided no protection against the force of water.
While his neighbors lost everything, Inside Ed Wright’s house it barely looked as though a storm had ever hit.
The refrigerator was ruined by water and a few floorboards were damp. Houseplants had been toppled over and a few pictures were knocked off the wall. Otherwise – the living space was untouched.
“It was all in one piece, like we had just gone to eat, as if we had just gone out,” Ed Wright said.
A classified file released by the FBI shows how the agency tracked Marilyn Monroe’s suspected ties to communism in 1956.
The agency documented an anonymous phone call to the New York Daily News that year warning that playwright Arthur Miller was a communist and Marilyn Monroe had “drifted into the communist orbit” after her marriage to him earlier that year.
The file is just one piece of the puzzle about what the FBI knew about Marilyn Monroe when she died in August 1962.
The Associated Press waging an ongoing campaign to have more of the FBI documents released by the agency, coinciding with the 50th anniversary Marilyn Monroe’s death.
The redacted document reveals that on July 11, 1956, the agency got a tip that an anonymous male caller phoned the Daily News to report that the actress’s company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, was “filled with communists” and that money from the company was being used to finance communist activities.
The caller said Arthur Miller’s marriage to Marilyn Monroe during a Jewish ceremony less than a months earlier was a “coverup”.
Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller were both suspected of communist activities by the FBI
Arthur Miller, the man said, “was still a member of the CP [communist party] and was their cultural front man”.
The FBI has long made portions of its documents about Monroe public, but most of them are heavily redacted.
However, the FBI claims it has lost its files on the actress and cannot release them.
Finding out precisely when the records were moved – as the FBI says has happened – required the filing of yet another, still-pending Freedom of Information Act request.
The most recent version of the files is publicly available on the bureau’s website, The Vault, which periodically posts FBI records on celebrities, government officials, spies and criminals.
The AP appealed the FBI’s continued censorship of its Marilyn Monroe files, noting the agency has not given “any legal or factual analysis of the foreseeable harm that might result from the release of the full records”.
Marilyn Monroe’s star power and fears she might be recruited by the Communist Party during the tenure of longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover led to reports being taken on her activities and relationships, including her marriage to playwright Arthur Miller.
Marilyn Monroe’s file begins in 1955 and mostly focuses on her travels and associations, searching for signs of leftist views and possible ties to communism. The file continues up until the months before her death, and also includes several news stories and references to Norman Mailer’s biography of the actress, which focused on questions about whether Marilyn Monroe was killed by the government.
There have been two major government investigations into Marilyn Monroe’s demise – the original inquiry immediately after her death and another effort by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office in 1982. The second inquiry, released in December 1982, reviewed all files available investigative reports, including files compiled by the FBI on her death. The records, the DA’s office noted, were “heavily censored”.
That mention intrigued the man who performed Marilyn Monroe’s autopsy, Dr. Thomas Noguchi. While the DA investigation concluded he conducted a thorough autopsy, Thomas Noguchi has conceded that no one will likely ever know all the details of Marilyn Monroe’s death. The FBI files and confidential interviews conducted with the actress’ friends that have never been made public might help, he wrote in his 1983 memoir “Coroner”.
“On the basis of my own involvement in the case, beginning with the autopsy, I would call Monroe’s suicide <<very probable>>,” Thomas Noguchi wrote.
“But I also believe that until the complete FBI files are made public and the notes and interviews of the suicide panel released, controversy will continue to swirl around her death.”
Shakira’s footballer boyfriend Gerard Piqué has confused fans over whether or not they have actually become parents with a series of tweets.
It appeared Gerard Piqué was announcing the birth of their son on his Twitter page in the early hours of Friday morning.
However, many suspect his announcement is simply a joke for Dia de los Innocentes (Day of the Holy Innocents) – Spain’s equivalent of April Fool’s Day.
Writing in Spanish in the early hours of Friday, he said: “Our son has been born! We are very happy! Thanks to all for your messages!”
However, later on Thursday, Gerard Piqué, 25, wrote: “It has a name! His name is Innocent! Happy Holy Innocents Day to all!”
Shakira, 35, herself did not confirm the news, fuelling speculation that her baby is still in utero.
Shakira’s footballer boyfriend Gerard Piqué has confused fans over whether or not they have actually become parents with a series of tweets
Only days before Christmas, Shakira was pictured looking heavily pregnant shopping for gifts in Barcelona.
Shakira is thought to have been due to give birth early next month.
This is the first child for Shakira, who emerged on the Colombian and Latin America music scene in the 1990s before making it big among the English-speaking crowd in the U.S. and Europe in the early Noughties.
Shakira announced the pregnancy in mid-September on her blog.
There are a few home truths about an outing to the movies that cinephiles would probably rather not know and that might just change the way they think about their next visit.
Perhaps the most startling is that popcorn is often doused in coconut oil and chemicals to give it that irresistible aroma that wafts from the concession stand where cinemas make up to 40% of their revenue.
Not only this but punters should not be fooled by the churning machine and the warmth of the seemingly fresh popcorn; the tasty snack lasts for two days and might well be served up from yesterday’s batch.
A list compiled by Good Morning America andReader’s Digest also reveals how cinema employees themselves stay away from the pretzels, hot dogs and nachos knowing how stale and old they are and that the nacho cheese may have been sitting out for days before it is melted and poured over chips.
The only foods they trust according to an anonymous source who provided much of the information to Reader’s Digest, is the popcorn, boxed candy and beverages.
Moreover, between showings, the remnants of those snacks that are dropped all over the floors are hurriedly swept under seats rather than into the trash.
“Your suspicions are correct,” writes a cinema worker.
“Sometimes I sweep excess food under the seats. Movies often end every few minutes. Sometimes, three or more screenings end at the same time. I don’t always have time to clean everything up.”
Cinema popcorn is often doused in coconut oil and chemicals to give it that irresistible aroma
Employees aren’t that bothered either by cheeky cinema-goers who sneak in for double bills without paying or those who use cell phones, according to the list.
“I know all the methods you use to sneak in. I just don’t always care enough to kick you out for it,” says the source who explains that most people who use their phones are the young audience members that cinemas want to keep attracting, hence the lack of enforcement.
But they aren’t that relaxed when it comes to handing out free merchandise. At the end of the day an inventory is taken so extra cups are rarely provided for large soda sharers no matter how many times you ask.
Tech geeks who assume they are getting a better experience by going to see an “Extreme Digital” screening are mistaken if they believe it is better than Imax. Theatres charge more but it is lower quality than Imax and easier for the cinema to maintain.
Where you can ensure the best movie experience, however, is by picking a seat right in the middle of the auditorium where sound checks for optimal audio are conducted. Too far out to the side and sound might be distorted.
When it comes to the best deal for your cinema outing, GMA suggests getting discounts and coupons at Sam’s, Costco or Triple A where you can save 25% on ticket purchase.
Where you can’t save money though, is back at the concession stand.
“Combination deals don’t save you money at some theaters. You’d pay the same price if you purchased the items separately,” admits the Reader’s Digest source. But you can watch out for staffers trying to up sell a large popcorn for only 75 cents more than the medium.
Cinema employees tend to stick together, explains the employee. If you complain about something, “the manager might pretend to yell at me for a minute, but he’ll pat me on the back the moment you’re out of sight”.
The US has evacuated its embassy in the Central African Republic (CAR) as rebels threaten to advance towards the capital, Bangui.
The state department said it had not broken off diplomatic ties with the government but warned US citizens not to travel to CAR during the unrest.
Earlier, CAR President Francois Bozize appealed to the US and France to help block the rebel advance.
The UN has said it is evacuating its non-essential staff from the country.
US state department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the embassy had suspended operations and that the ambassador and other staff had left the country on Thursday.
“This decision is solely due to concerns about the security of our personnel and has no relation to our continuing and long-standing diplomatic relations with the CAR,” he said in a statement.
Residents are stockpiling food amid fears that the rebels – known as the Seleka coalition – could launch an assault in the next few days.
On Sunday, the rebels captured the northern city of Bambari, the third largest in the country, having earlier seized the rich diamond mining area around Bria.
On Wednesday, protesters in Bangui attacked the embassy of former colonial power France, accusing Paris of abandoning them.
The US has evacuated its embassy in the Central African Republic as rebels threaten to advance towards capital Bangui
France has about 200 soldiers based in CAR and stepped up security at its embassy after the attack.
President Francois Bozize apologized for the incident and appealed for “our French cousins” and the US “to help us to push back the rebels”.
However, French President Francois Hollande said Paris would not intervene in its former colony.
“If we have a presence, it’s not to protect a regime, it’s to protect our nationals and our interests and in no way to intervene in the internal business of a country, in this case the Central African Republic,” he said.
“Those days are over.”
Seleka, which is made up of breakaway factions from three former armed groups, accuses Francois Bozize of failing to honour a 2007 peace deal, under which fighters who laid down their arms were meant to be paid.
The rebels have pledged to depose Francois Bozize unless he negotiates with them.
They began their campaign a month ago and have taken several towns in their push towards the capital.
The annual Marist Poll has revealed the most annoying words or phrases used in conversation in 2012.
“Whatever” headed the list, cited by 32% of adults, and next came “like”, which 21% didn’t like.
Runners-up included “Twitterverse” and “gotcha”.
The results mirrored last year’s survey when “whatever” topped the annoying words list for a third straight year.
But “seriously”, named by 7% last year, dropped off the list entirely – really.
The annual Marist Poll has revealed the most annoying words or phrases used in conversation in 2012
Marist questioned 1,246 adults in a U.S. nationwide, telephone survey.
Results showed differences by age and regions, with people younger than 45 in the Northeast especially annoyed by “like”, while “you know” offended more of the 45-and-over set.
Men and women gave similar responses overall, but whites were twice as likely as non-whites to find “you know” irritating. And people under 45 were more than twice as likely as those over 45 to be put off by “just sayin”.
Sixteen people have been reported killed by a severe snow storm moving through the north-eastern after disrupting Christmas in the Midwest.
States in New England are seeing heavy snowfall, with over a foot (30 cm) already fallen in parts of Massachusetts, weather officials said.
Flights were grounded and road collisions reported as the storm moved across the middle of the US.
As many as 34 tornadoes were reported across the South on Christmas Day.
The storm moved across northern New England on Thursday afternoon. Heavy snow was also reported in eastern parts of Canada.
Lebanon, Maine reported 12 in of snow, with up to 18 inches expected in the state and nearby Vermont and New Hampshire by the end of Thursday.
In Coudersport, Pennsylvania, where the storm has stopped, the National Weather Service reported 15 inches.
Hundreds of thousands of people are reported to have lost power, including 200,000 people in Arkansas and Alabama, where ice and 10 inches of snow coated electricity wires snapping poles and wires.
Sixteen people have been reported killed by a severe snow storm moving through the north-eastern after disrupting Christmas in the Midwest
Storm-related deaths were reported in New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the Associated Press said.
Falling trees claimed the lives of two people in Texas and Louisiana. A New York man was killed after his vehicle skidded on an icy road and an Ohio teenager died after losing control of her car and crashing into an oncoming snowplough.
As the storm moves into the southern parts of the Canadian province of Quebec, the area could receive up to 17in of snow, according to Environment Canada.
In Concord, New Hampshire, resident Dale Lamprey said he had been on the streets before 05:00 EST on Thursday morning, trying to clear the snow.
“It’s been windy, it’s been snowing and I think it changed over to sleet and freezing rain at one point. It’s pretty bad,” he told AP.
Inbound flights were delayed in Philadelphia and at the three New York area airports, as thousands of travelers were trying to return home after Christmas.
In Pittsburgh, a flight that landed safely on Wednesday night got stuck in several inches of snow on the tarmac for about two hours.
Airlines cancelled more than 800 flights on Thursday across the country, according to FlightAware.com.
Flights were also cancelled in Canada, with Toronto and Montreal affected, reports said.
Earlier in the week Little Rock, Arkansas, saw its first snow on Christmas Day in 83 years, while in neighboring Oklahoma seven inches of snow were blamed for a 21-vehicle pile-up on an interstate highway outside Oklahoma City.
Thirty-four tornadoes were observed in the southern states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on Tuesday. A large section of a church roof in Mobile, Alabama, was ripped off by a twister.
Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led troops in the 1991 Gulf War, has died aged 78, US media report.
General Norman Schwarzkopf – known as Stormin’ Norman – was commander of coalition forces in the first Gulf War in 1990-91.
The US-led coalition drove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait.
Former President George H. W. Bush described General Norman Schwarzkopf as “one of the great military leaders of his generation”.
General Norman Schwarzkopf spent his retirement in Tampa, Florida, where he had served in his last military assignment as commander-in-chief of US Central Command.
His military success made him one of America’s most famous modern generals although some criticized him for negotiating ceasefire terms which allowed Saddam Hussein to remain in power.
President George H.W. Bush, who was in office during the first Gulf War, said he “mourned the loss” of General Norman Schwarzkopf, “one of the great military leaders of his generation”.
George H.W. Bush, who remains in intensive care at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, issued a statement, saying: “A distinguished member of that Long Gray Line hailing from West Point, General Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the <<duty, service, country>> creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises.
“More than that, he was a good and decent man – and a dear friend. Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife Brenda and his wonderful family.”
Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led troops in the 1991 Gulf War, has died aged 78
US Republican Senator John McCain tweeted that General Norman Schwarzkopf was “one of the great American heroes”.
“We thank him for his service,” he said.
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta also paid tribute to the general, saying his 35 years of service had “left an indelible imprint on the United States military and on the country”.
“His bravery during two tours in Vietnam earned him three silver stars, and set him on the path lead our troops into battle in Grenada, and then to take charge of the overall allied effort in the first Gulf War as Commander of United States Central Command,” he said.
“General Schwarzkopf’s skilled leadership of that campaign liberated the Kuwaiti people and produced a decisive victory for the allied coalition. In the aftermath of that war, General Schwarzkopf was justly recognized as a brilliant strategist and inspiring leader. Today, we recall that enduring legacy and remember him as one of the great military giants of the 20th Century.”
During Operation Desert Storm, General Norman Schwarzkopf famously used one of his regular news conferences to taunt his opponent.
“As far as Saddam Hussein being a great military strategist, he is neither a strategist, nor is schooled in the operational art, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general, nor is he a soldier: other than that, he’s a great military man – I want you to know that,” he said.
General Norman Schwarzkopf’s sometimes fiery temper meant that he clashed with subordinates and superiors alike including the then Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell.
Despite this and his bluff appearance, he was smarter and more diplomatic than many critics gave him credit for, our correspondent adds.
After the first Gulf War, General Norman Schwarzkopf became a national celebrity, but always rejected suggestions that he run for office himself.
General Norman Schwarzkopf: Career highlights
Born on 22 August 1934 in Trenton, New Jersey
Aged 12, he moves to Iran where his father, a high-ranking army officer, trained the police and was an adviser to the Shah
Studies in Switzerland and Germany, attends US Military Academy at West Point, New York. Gains masters degree in guided-missile engineering from the University of Southern California
Highly decorated for his services in the Vietnam and Grenada wars
Named commander-in-chief of the US Central Command in 1988
Best known for leading allied forces as part of Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War in 1991
Often referred to as “Stormin Norman”, he used to taunt Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
The Beatles, Mick Jagger and Robbie Williams are among the names being considered to appear on the new £10 banknote.
According to The Mirror, the Bank Of England has released a list of 150 great Britons who have been suggested by members of the public to be the face on one side of the new notes when they are printed.
They join a list that includes football star David Beckham, Princess Diana, literacy great William Shakespeare and wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, who could feature on the new series F notes.
The Beatles, Mick Jagger and Robbie Williams are among the names being considered to appear on the new £10 banknote
Other suggestions include suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, TV stars John Cleese, Michael Parkinson and Terry Wogan; scientists Stephen Hawking, Sir Alexander Fleming and current favorite WW2 codebreaker Alan Turing, who died aged 41 in 1954 after being prosecuted for being gay.
Last month, Robbie Williams scored a chart double as his ninth album Take The Crown and single Candy occupied both Number One spots. The last time he had similar success was back in December 2001 when he had a Number One single with Something Stupid, his cover of Carson and Gaile’s 1967 track featuring Nicole Kidman, and a Number One album with Swing When You’re Winning.
Last week, The Rolling Stones played the final show of their 50 And Counting run of gigs at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where they were joined onstage by Lady Gaga for a rendition of Gimme Shelter.
