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Julian Assange granted asylum by Ecuador

Diane A. Wade
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Julian Assange granted asylum by Ecuador

Ecuador has granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange two months after he took refuge in country’s London embassy while fighting extradition from the UK.

It said there were fears Julian Assange’s human rights might be violated.

Ecuadorian foreign minister Ricardo Patino accused the UK of making an “open threat” to enter its embassy to arrest him.

Julian Assange took refuge at the embassy in June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over assault and rape claims, which he denies.

The Foreign Office said the decision on Julian Assange’s application for political asylum would not affect the UK’s legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden.

It tweeted: “We remain committed to a negotiated solution that allows us to carry out our obligations under the Extradition Act.”

Ecuador has granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange two months after he took refuge in country’s London embassy
Ecuador has granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange two months after he took refuge in country’s London embassy

The UK government will still seek to arrest him and it will not grant him safe passage. If he steps out, he will be arrested.

Announcing Ecuador’s decision, Ricardo Patino said the country believed Julian Assange’s fears of political persecution were “legitimate”.

He said the country was being loyal to its tradition of protecting those who were vulnerable.

“We trust that our friendship with the United Kingdom will remain intact,” he added.

The announcement was watched live by Julian Assange and embassy staff in a link to a press conference from Quito.

Outside Ecuador’s embassy in London, news was slowly spreading through Julian Assange’s assembled supporters and they were delighted.

“The political temperature has risen very significantly. It is clear this is only the beginning of a very long legal contest,” he said.

There was now a “complete standoff” between the UK and Ecuador regarding the status of the embassy in London.

The British government now had to make a decision, adding that the risks were enormous – including making other embassies around the world vulnerable.

Julian Assange entered the embassy after the UK’s Supreme Court dismissed the Australian national’s bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period before extradition proceedings could start.

It was during that fortnight, while on bail, that he sought refuge.

A subsequent offer by Ecuador to allow Swedish investigators to interview Julian Assange inside the embassy was rejected.

The WikiLeaks website Julian Assange founded published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly the US’s, in 2010.

Earlier, the UK Foreign Office warned it could lift the embassy’s diplomatic status to fulfill a “legal obligation” to extradite the 41-year-old by using the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987.

That allows the UK to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Julian Assange for breaching the terms of his bail.

Julian Assange says he fears that if extradited to Sweden, he will then be passed on to the American authorities.

In 2010, two female ex-WikiLeaks volunteers accused Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.

Julian Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated.

 

Rihanna opens up to Oprah Winfrey about Chris Brown assault

Lisa.Felice
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Rihanna opens up to Oprah Winfrey about Chris Brown assault

In the upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna opens up about her relationship with Chris Brown.

And what Rihanna has to say about her ex-boyfriend, who was convicted of assaulting her three years ago, in the prerecorded interview will come as a surprise to some.

Rihanna, 24, tells Oprah Winfrey: “I felt like the only person they hate right now is him. It was a weird, confusing space to be in.

“Because as angry as I was – as angry and hurt and betrayed – I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help. And who’s going to help him? Nobody’s going to say he needs help, everybody’s going to say he’s a monster, without looking at the source. And I was more concerned about him.”

Previously released preview clips of the upcoming TV special Oprah: The Next Chapter, showed Rihanna describe the fall-out from the horrific night after a pre-Grammy party.

She said: “It was embarrassing it was humiliating… I lost my best friend.”

In the upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna opens up about her relationship with Chris Brown
In the upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna opens up about her relationship with Chris Brown

Oprah Winfrey is then seen asking series of probing questions concerning Rihanna’s past and present relationship with Chris Brown, including: “Do you think Chris Brown is a true love for you?” and “Where does your relationship stand today?”.

While producers saved Rihanna’s answers for the actual episode, her replies managed to shock the talk show queen.

Oprah Winfrey exclaims: “I would have never thought that. You just shocked me.”

In one of the promos ahead of the episode, Oprah Winfrey, 58, reveals she had a pre-conceived idea of what to expect when she travelled to the singer’s home country of Barbados.

During the documentary, which was filmed on August 5, Rihanna went back to her childhood home in the island capital Bridgetown.

Speaking to camera in the preview, Oprah Winfrey said: “I went there with my own ideas about who she was from watching her videos and listening to her music.

“I thought she was gonna be kind of a bada**, a kind of hard edged, rocker, pop woman. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.”

Over clips of the interview and footage of Rihanna driving Oprah to visit her old neighborhood, Oprah Winfrey said: “She was thoughtful… She was very emotional… She was vulnerable.”

In brief segments from the one-to-one on the sofa, Rihanna admitted: “I am super duper terrified of the pedestal that comes with fame…

“It’s amazing how lonely you can feel.”

As well as crying, Rihanna also burst into laughter when Oprah Winfrey commented on her frequent use of the F-word.

Oprah also praised Rihanna for her skills behind the wheel: “First of all I’m surprised by what a good driver she is.”

Visiting her former home, Rihanna appears down-to-earth and humble as she chats to her old neighbors and embraces local children.

Teasing viewers to watch the interview, she said: “She pushes the edge a lot, and there’s a reason for that.”

Rihanna’s appearance on Oprah’s OWN channel comes three years after the talk show queen made a public appeal to the singer to leave her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.

Oprah Winfrey spoke out a month after Rihanna was assaulted by the R&B singer, amidst rumors at the time they were still together.

The TV presenter said in 2009: “If a man hits you once, he will hit you again. He will hit you again. It makes me so sad. Love doesn’t hurt.

“Both Chris Brown and Rihanna, if I were your friend, I would call you up and say give it some time. Get yourself some counseling. Take care of yourself. Heal yourself first.”

Oprah Winfrey is hoping the Rihanna special will help her struggling network continue its comeback.

It has seen viewership increase by 25% since the start of the year, though from a very low starting baseline.

Discovery has just revealed they expect the network to start making money at the end of 2013.

The Rihanna interview will air on OWN on August 19.

 [youtube uVd8EwppORw]

Eating two handfuls of walnuts a day improves sperm health in young men

Kathryn R. Bown
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Eating two handfuls of walnuts a day improves sperm health in young men

A study in the journal Biology of Reproduction suggests that eating around two handfuls of walnuts a day improves sperm health in young men.

Sperm shape, movement and vitality improved in men who added walnuts to their diet over 12 weeks.

The fatty acids found in these nuts are thought to have helped sperm development. It is not known if this would help improve male fertility.

About one in six couples are infertile, with 40% of these due to a male factor.

Dr. Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield said: “It would be relatively easy to poke fun at studies like this, but there is increasing evidence to show that aspects of a man’s diet can affect the number and quality of sperm produced by his testicles.”

A study in the journal Biology of Reproduction suggests that eating around two handfuls of walnuts a day improves sperm health in young men
A study in the journal Biology of Reproduction suggests that eating around two handfuls of walnuts a day improves sperm health in young men

The researchers say the next step is to work with couples who are attending infertility clinics to determine if placing sub-fertile men, with poor semen quality, on a walnut diet results in better success conceiving.

It is thought that infertility in men may be a result of too few sperm being made, or that the sperm have poor swimming ability, size or shape.

This study involved 117 men between the ages of 21 and 35, who were divided into two groups. One group added 2.6 ounces (75 grams) of whole-shelled walnuts to their daily diet.

The other group continued their usual diet but avoided eating tree nuts. Both groups ate a typical Western-style diet.

Lead author, Prof. Wendie Robbins from UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health said: “We found a significant improvement in sperm parameters in the group that consumed the walnuts.

“The men who ate no tree nuts saw no change.”

Sperm quality improved in terms of concentration, vitality, movement, shape and chromosome abnormalities.

Dr. Allan Pacey said: “The study has been well executed and my only criticism would be that the men in the walnut-eating arm of the trial could have altered other aspects of their behavior to give the results shown in the paper.

“A better trial would be to produce tablets of walnut extract that looked identical to a placebo so that the study was completely blind.

“In spite of this, the results of the study show a small but statistically significant improvement in sperm health.”

These benefits may be down to the fatty acids in the nuts.

Co-author Catherine Carpenter, from the UCLA Centre for Human Nutrition said: “Walnuts provide a particularly rich source of a-linolenic acid, a natural plant source of omega-3, which we suspect may have been responsible for the improvements we observed.”

The walnuts for the study were supplied by the California Walnut Commission and the study was funded by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health.

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launched amid patent trial

Nancy Clayson
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launched amid patent trial

Samsung has released a new tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launch comes midway through a patent trial involving the South Korean firm and Apple, in which each company has accused the other of copying its technology.

The new Android tablet distinguishes itself from the iPad by featuring a stylus and a screen which can measure 24 levels of pressure sensitivity.

It also allows a split-screen mode in which two apps can be used at once.

In addition Samsung has opted to retain a look it introduced in 2011 placing wider bezels along two of the device’s sides. The feature was created after a German court temporarily banned earlier models for infringing Apple’s tablet design.

The significance of this is that Apple is seeking damages in the California trial claiming that its rival’s original Galaxy Tab computers were “confusingly” similar to its own.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launch comes midway through a patent trial involving the South Korean firm and Apple, in which each company has accused the other of copying its technology
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 launch comes midway through a patent trial involving the South Korean firm and Apple, in which each company has accused the other of copying its technology

Samsung rejects the accusation saying Apple’s US design patent showed “little more than a blank rectangle”, and it would go against legal precedent to allow it to monopolize the shape.

The judge overseeing the case has asked the chief executives of both firms to meet again to see if they can resolve the dispute without the need for a court ruling.

According to analysts at IHS iSuppli, Apple had a 69.6% share of the global tablet market in the April-to-June quarter, compared with Samsung’s 9.2% share.

The Asian tech firm began calling its witnesses at the trial in San Jose earlier this week after Apple rested its case.

Among them was Dr. Woodward Yang, an electrical engineering professor from Harvard University, who backed Samsung’s claim that Apple had infringed patents involving sending photos by email and playing music in the background.

Samsung also took evidence from Jeeyuen Wang, one of its designers, who rejected claims she had made reference to or copied the look of Apple’s iOS system app icons.

Apple’s lawyer then showed the court documents signed by Jeeyuen Wang which featured side-by-side comparisons of the two firms’ interfaces.

Samsung also presented video testimony from Rodger Fidler, a former employee at the Knight Ridder newspaper group, who developed a mock-up tablet for a concept video in 1994. He said he had shown the prototype to Apple.

The evidence is intended to suggest that Apple’s designs were not unique and therefore do not deserve patent status.

Earlier this year a court in the Netherlands rejected a claim that an early Galaxy Tab computer had infringed Apple’s design rights after hearing about the Knight Ridder effort.

Apple is claiming a total of $2.5 billion in damages claiming seven patent breaches in addition to other trade violations.

The judge could triple that figure if she decides to punish Samsung for willful misconduct.

For its part the South Korean company is demanding a “reasonable royalty rate” for five patents which it claims Apple has infringed.

Both sides are expected to present closing arguments next week.

However, Judge Lucy Koh has convinced the firms to make one last effort to resolve the lawsuit outside court.

“I see risk here for both sides if we go to a verdict,” the judge said according to a transcript provided by Forbes magazine.

“I think it’s worth one more attempt. If you could have your CEOs have one last conversation, I’d appreciate it.”

Lawyers for the companies said at the very least there would be a telephone conversation involving the businesses.

 

Vanessa Bryant denies having plastic surgery to keep Kobe

Lisa.Felice
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Vanessa Bryant denies having plastic surgery to keep Kobe

Vanessa Bryant has denied that she has been under the surgeon’s knife after reports suggested she had sought cosmetic help to stop philandering husband Kobe from straying.

Vanessa Bryant’s representatives have blasted the allegations as “100 per cent not true” and “ridiculous”.

During her appearance at the London Olympic Games, Vanessa Bryant, 30, set tongues wagging that she had undergone surgery after pictures of her looking rather different from her former self emerged.

A source told The National Enquirer that Vanessa Bryant was starting to feel “insecure” about her looks and “would do anything to keep Kobe happy”.

Not only had she made obvious changes to her hair, which once bared blonde highlights and is now raven black, but her skin tone, pout, brow and tip of the nose appeared to belong to someone else.

Vanessa Bryant denies having plastic surgery after reports claimed she had sought cosmetic help to stop philandering husband Kobe from straying
Vanessa Bryant denies having plastic surgery after reports claimed she had sought cosmetic help to stop philandering husband Kobe from straying

Plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn offered his expertise to the US publication, saying: “Vanessa appears to have undergone some plastic surgery.

“Her nose is thin with what appears to be scars at the base of each nostril. In some people, this is a telltale sign of a nose job.”

The medical professional – who practices in Troy, Michigan – also stated that Vanessa Bryant’s lips look to have been plumped, “possibly from an injectable filler like Juvederm”.

Following Kobe Bryant’s rumored reputation of playing away from home, including an admission to one particular infidelity in 2003 and pictures of him shirtless with two women during a recent nightclub venture, Vanessa is said to be “obsessed” with her looks in a bid to stay young and youthful for her husband of 11 years.

A source told the Enquirer: “The sad thing is that Vanessa is wrecking her natural beauty.

“She started freaking out over a few crow’s feet, and the next thing you know she was getting a full facial makeover… she is extremely insecure.

“She’d do anything to keep Kobe happy.”

The on/off couple has had a somewhat turbulent romance over the years and was on the verge of divorce just two months ago.

But during the London Olympics, they appeared to have reconciled and were seen laughing in the stands during a swimming final with their six-year-old daughter Gianna.

However, Australian Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Rice was still forced to deny she was having a fling with Kobe Bryant after they were seen during a cycling event together.

 

Joe Jackson drops civil case against Conrad Murray

Lisa.Felice
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Joe Jackson drops civil case against Conrad Murray

Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father, has dropped a wrongful death case filed against doctor Conrad Murray, who was convicted of causing the singer’s death.

Joe Jackson began proceedings against Conrad Murray exactly one year after his son’s death, in June 2010.

He sought civil damages for a variety of issues, including loss of income and emotional distress.

A federal judge had refused to hear but it was later re-filed in a state court in Los Angeles.

Court documents show the request for dismissal was granted on Monday.

Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, has dropped a wrongful death case filed against doctor Conrad Murray, who was convicted of causing the singer's death
Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, has dropped a wrongful death case filed against doctor Conrad Murray, who was convicted of causing the singer's death

The filings do not elaborate on the reasons for dropping the case, but two lawyers involved with it were recently ruled ineligible to practice law in California.

Conrad Murray’s attorney, Charles Peckham, welcomed the decision.

“It’s good finally that this case is dismissed and gone,” he said on Wednesday.

“It’s pretty clear that Joe Jackson intelligently and smartly dismissed this case so he, his wife and children can focus on Michael Jackson’s life instead of the circumstances of his death.”

He added that Conrad Murray, who remains jailed while he appeals his conviction for involuntary manslaughter, was still pained by Jackson’s death and feels sorry for his family.

“His heart goes out to them,” Charles Peckham said.

Joe Jackson’s case claimed Conrad Murray repeatedly lied to paramedics and doctors about giving Jackson the anaesthetic propofol and that he did not keep adequate medical records, both issues that prosecutors raised against Murray during his trial last year.

Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine, continues to pursue a case against concert company AEG Live alleging it negligently hired and supervised Murray, whose treatments were administered while the pop star was rehearsing for a 50-date comeback show at London’s O2 arena.

Her case is scheduled for trial in April.

 

Brussels Flower Carpet 2012 in African designs on the Grand Place

Sonia Pantiss
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Brussels Flower Carpet 2012 in African designs on the Grand Place

A flower carpet using designs from Africa has been created on the main square of the Belgian capital, Brussels.

Hundreds of thousands of flowers were used by the 120 volunteers who made the carpet on the Grand Place. The process took almost four hours.

Traditional patterns from Ethiopia, Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon and Botswana are displayed in the carpet.

A flower carpet was first installed at the site in 1971 and is re-created every two years.

“The design is very complicated this year because it is very sophisticated,” one of the organizers, Annette Katz, told Reuters.

The carpet will be on show until 19 August.

Traditional patterns from Ethiopia, Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon and Botswana are displayed in the 2012 Flower Carpet from Grand Place
Traditional patterns from Ethiopia, Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon and Botswana are displayed in the 2012 Flower Carpet from Grand Place

The famed flower carpet at Brussels’ Grand Place (Grote Markt) has been unfurled in anticipation of the city’s five-day celebration of floral decorations. The flower carpet has been a part of the Belgian capital city’s traditions since 1971, when the first such carpet, consisting of thousands of begonias, was laid out. Every year since then, in August, over 750,000 flowers (usually begonias) are packed together to form a carpet at the Grand Place.

The flower carpet is spread across almost 20,000 sq ft and is placed right in the center of the Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which already draws thousands of tourists independent of the flower attractions.

The charming tradition of creating sophisticated flower carpet designs and vibrant colors is also seen as a celebration of the spirit of horticulture artistry. The techniques involved in the making of this floral tapestry reflect the mastery of hundreds of gardeners and horticulturists. According to the official website of the Grand Place flower carpet, the flowers are tightly packed, to prevent them from being blown away by the wind, but without the use of soil. Moreover, these flowers create their own microclimate.

“The spaces between the floral patterns will already have been filled with rolled turf. In heat waves, the turf has to be watered to prevent it from shrinking, but if the weather is too wet, the grass can grow 4 to 5 centimeters in 3 days,” a statement on the website reads.

Brussels’ Grand Place flower carpets are usually made of begonias because these flowers are known for their sturdiness and ability to survive bad weather. Few other varieties of flowers can retain their freshness to the degree the begonia can, for five days at a stretch. Given the fact that Belgium cultivates 60 million begonia tubers every year and is recognized as the world’s largest producer, the flower carpets in Brussels has also become a means to promote the begonia.

 [youtube 3LQUixAoIGY]

Ecuador accuses UK of threat to storm its London embassy to arrest Julian Assange

Diane A. Wade
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Ecuador accuses UK of threat to storm its London embassy to arrest Julian Assange

Ecuador has accused the UK of making a “threat” to enter its embassy in London to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Julian Assange, 41, took refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over assault and rape claims, which he denies.

Ecuador says a decision on his bid for political asylum will come later.

The UK Foreign Office says it can lift the embassy’s diplomatic status to fulfill a “legal obligation” to extradite Julian Assange.

The WikiLeaks website published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly the US, in 2010, and Julian Assange says he fears that Sweden will pass him on to the American authorities.

A number of police officers are outside the Ecuadorian embassy, in Knightsbridge, where some of Julian Assange’s supporters have also gathered.

Demonstrators also protested outside the British embassy in Ecuador’s capital. Images from Quito showed protesters holding signs saying “We are sovereign, not colonies” and a union jack being stepped on.

Ecuador has accused the UK of making a "threat" to enter its embassy in London to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
Ecuador has accused the UK of making a "threat" to enter its embassy in London to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

At a news conference in Quito on Wednesday, Ecuador Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said a letter from the UK government had been delivered through a British embassy official.

“Today we received from the United Kingdom an express threat, in writing, that they might storm our embassy in London if we don’t hand over Julian Assange,” he said.

“Ecuador rejects in the most emphatic terms the explicit threat of the British official communication.”

Ricardo Patino said such a threat was “improper of a democratic, civilized and rule-abiding country”.

He added: “If the measure announced in the British official communication is enacted, it will be interpreted by Ecuador as an unacceptable, unfriendly and hostile act and as an attempt against our sovereignty. It would force us to respond.

“We are not a British colony.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said the UK remained “determined” to fulfill its obligation to extradite Julian Assange.

“Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadorians’ attention to relevant provisions of our law, whether, for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or to the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK,” the spokesman said.

“We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution.”

Police have so far been unable to detain Julian Assange for breaching the terms of his bail as he is on diplomatic territory.

The law Britain has informed Ecuador it could use in the case is the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987.

It allows the UK to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Julian Assange.

On Monday, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa said a decision would be made this week after he held a meeting with his advisers.

Ricardo Patino told reporters an announcement on Julian Assange’s bid for political asylum would be issued on Thursday, at 07:00 local time (13:00 BST).

In 2010, two female ex-WikiLeaks volunteers accused Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.

Julian Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated.

He says he is concerned he may be sent later to the US to face espionage charges.

In June, judges at the UK’s Supreme Court dismissed his final appeal against extradition to Sweden.

An offer by Ecuador to allow Swedish investigators to interview Julian Assange inside the embassy was rejected.

UK letter to Ecuador

Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said the letter from the UK to Ecuador stated: “You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy.

“We sincerely hope that we do not reach that point, but if you are not capable of resolving this matter of Mr. Assange’s presence in your premises, this is an open option for us.”

It went on: “We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna Convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations.”

 

Four Arab states urge their citizens to leave Lebanon over Syria conflict

Roy Siemens
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Four Arab states urge their citizens to leave Lebanon over Syria conflict

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon amid signs that the conflict in Syria is spilling over into its western neighbor.

The four Arab states urged immediate action after a string of kidnappings of Sunni Muslims by a powerful Shia clan.

They were retaliating for the abduction of a clan member by rebels in Damascus.

Meanwhile, a summit of Islamic countries meeting in Mecca has suspended Syria’s membership.

The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation’s secretary-general, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, said the body had no room for a regime that kills its own people.

Correspondents say the move further isolates President Bashar al-Assad after the Arab League suspended Syria last November.

Lebanese citizens were further caught up in the Syrian crisis on Wednesday when warplanes struck the town of Azaz north of Aleppo, reportedly killing 30 people.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon amid signs that the conflict in Syria is spilling over into its western neighbor
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon amid signs that the conflict in Syria is spilling over into its western neighbor

Among those reported wounded in the attack close to Syria’s border with Turkey were seven Lebanese hostages held by the rebels since May. Four more hostages were said to be missing after the building they were in was hit.

After unconfirmed TV reports that the four had died, rioters were said to have burned tyres on the main road to Beirut airport and an Air France flight switched routes to Jordan “for security reasons”.

The al-Meqdad clan said it had abducted more than 20 people it claimed were connected to Syrian rebels. A video broadcast by a pro-Syrian TV channel showed what it said were two of the men, apparently including a Free Syrian Army captain.

Although most of the men abducted were Syrians, a Turkish businessman and a Saudi national were also reported to be among those seized.

Syrian rebels say the man they seized in Damascus was fighting for the Syrian government on behalf of Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah movement.

A video of Hassan Salim al-Meqdad was released by his captors on Tuesday in which the captive, surrounded by three masked gunmen, says he was one of 1,500 Hezbollah fighters who arrived in Syria in early August. The statement was dismissed by his family – the al-Meqdad clan – as a lie.

The clan, who are thought to be heavily involved in smuggling, have been described as a family with a military wing.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are all Sunni Muslim countries that support the Syrian rebels fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad.

As the al-Meqdads threatened to carry out further abductions, the official Saudi news agency Spa quoted a foreign ministry official as saying Saudi citizens should avoid “travelling to Lebanon for their own safety”.

A UAE foreign ministry official said it issued its alert after the embassy “received information about UAE nationals being targeted and because of the difficult and sensitive circumstances in Lebanon”, state news agency Wam reported.

Lebanon is a popular tourist destination for Saudis and citizens of other Gulf states.

The abductions were condemned by Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati and President Michel Suleiman.

“Spreading chaos in the country will not bring about the liberation of hostages. On the contrary, chaos could cause [the hostages] harm and threatens the sovereignty of the state,” the president said.

Like Syria’s other neighbors – Turkey, Iraq and Jordan – Lebanon has absorbed thousands of refugees fleeing from the conflict.

But unlike the other countries, Lebanon risks being plunged into sectarian strife, possibly even a return to civil war, by the strains inflicted on its own delicate internal situation by the Syrian crisis, correspondents say.

Last week, former information minister Michel Samaha was arrested and accused along with two Syrian military figures of plotting to destabilize Lebanon and incite sectarian fighting.

Tripoli – Lebanon’s second city – has recently witnessed street gun battles between supporters and opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.

 

Pakistan: militants attack Minhas air base at Kamra

Roy Siemens
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Pakistan: militants attack Minhas air base at Kamra

A Pakistani military air base has been attacked by gunmen triggering a fierce fire-fight with security forces that lasted several hours.

Several militants wearing military uniforms and suicide belts stormed Minhas air base at Kamra, near the capital Islamabad, just before dawn.

Eight militants were killed, say officials, one soldier died and the base commander was seriously injured.

All of Pakistan’s air bases were placed on high alert following the attack.

Minhas military air base in Pakistan has been attacked by gunmen triggering a fierce fire-fight with security forces that lasted several hours
Minhas military air base in Pakistan has been attacked by gunmen triggering a fierce fire-fight with security forces that lasted several hours

Shortly after the attack began, at around 02:00 local time a police officer outside the air base, Hafeez Aulakh, said he could hear intense gunfire and see flames leaping up from inside, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Militants did not reach the hangars inside the base, the air force said, although rocket-propelled grenades fired from outside are said to have damaged one aircraft.

Reporters who reached the scene several hours later said there was no sound of gunfire.

“Security personnel are now in the process of scanning the entire area,” an air force spokesman said.

Base commander Air Commodore Muhammad Azam was reported to be seriously wounded but in a stable condition in hospital.

Earlier reports said two soldiers had died, but this was later revised.

Officials have denied speculation that there were nuclear weapons stored at the site.

It was not immediately clear how the attackers managed to enter the base.

Minhas is one of Pakistan’s biggest air bases with about 30 fighter jets including new JF-17 planes – jointly developed with China – that are being assembled there. It is about 60km (35 miles) north-west of Islamabad.

No group has said it carried out the attack but Islamist militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban have previously targeted military bases.

In May 2011, militants attacked the Mehran naval air base in Karachi, killing 10 soldiers.

It took security forces about 17 hours to secure the base on that occasion.

In 2009 a suicide bomber killed six people at a military checkpoint in Kamra, in Punjab province.

 

X-51A WaveRider test flight at Mach 6 failed

James J. Williams
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X-51A WaveRider test flight at Mach 6 failed

The US Air Force has announced that an attempt to fly its hypersonic jet X-51A WaveRider at Mach 6 (3,600 mph; 5795 km/h) has failed.

The unmanned aircraft had been designed to fly at six times the speed of sound after being dropped from a B-52 bomber.

But officials said that a faulty control fin prevented it from starting its supersonic-combustion ramjet engine, and the craft was lost.

It marks the second time in a row that the Air Force has been unable to test the technology as planned.

The US Air Force has announced that an attempt to fly its hypersonic jet X-51A WaveRider at Mach 6 (3,600 mph; 5795 km/h) has failed
The US Air Force has announced that an attempt to fly its hypersonic jet X-51A WaveRider at Mach 6 (3,600 mph; 5795 km/h) has failed

The latest attempt had sought to fly at its maximum speed for five minutes.

But a spokesman said that a problem was recognized 16 seconds after a rocket booster was triggered to increase its velocity, ahead of the scramjet engine being started.

When the rocket unit detached 15 seconds later X-51A WaveRider lost control and broke apart, falling into the Pacific Ocean north-west of Los Angeles.

“It is unfortunate that a problem with this subsystem caused a termination before we could light the scramjet engine,” Charlie Brink, of the Air Force Research Laboratory at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, said in a statement.

“All our data showed we had created the right conditions for engine ignition and we were very hopeful to meet our test objectives.”

The previous test aircraft was also lost to the Pacific after it was unable to restart its engine.

But the original test flight, in 2010, flew at five times the speed of sound for three minutes.

The Pentagon – which helped fund the project – has been testing hypersonic technologies in an effort to develop faster missiles.

It has also been suggested the research could eventually help build a commercial plane with the promise of London to New York trips taking as little as an hour, or Tokyo to Paris journeys slightly more than double that time.

For now only one X-51A vehicle remains and the Air Force has not yet decided whether to organize a fourth test.

 [youtube L0FshSwx-SA]

Honey Boo Boo’s parents accused of child abuse after feeding Toddlers&Tiaras star roadkill and Go Go juice

Lisa.Felice
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0
Honey Boo Boo’s parents accused of child abuse after feeding Toddlers&Tiaras star roadkill and Go Go juice

Honey Boo Boo’s parents have been accused of child abuse, according to a new report.

Six-year-old pageant queen Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo of Toddlers & Tiaras fame, and her family, who live in rural McIntrye, Georgia, were visited by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services in March, reported The National Enquirer.

A source told the magazine that authorities who made the unannounced visit “found reason to bring the case to court” but a “court-appointed attorney” for June Thompson, the youngster’s mother, convinced the judge to “throw it [the case] out”.

The source said investigators were called to the home as a result of June and Mike Thompson’s unorthodox, and highly-publicized, parenting methods which include feeding Alana caffeinated drinks as well as roadkill for dinner.

The family now star in their own spin-off reality series, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which has also showed Alana Thompson go mud belly flop diving, adopt a pet pig named Glitzy, attend local food auctions with June and help her buy more than a dozen packets of chocolate milk powder, during one supermarket visit, using discount coupons.

Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo of Toddlers & Tiaras fame, and her family, who live in rural McIntrye, Georgia, were visited by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services in March, reported The National Enquirer
Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo of Toddlers & Tiaras fame, and her family, who live in rural McIntrye, Georgia, were visited by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services in March, reported The National Enquirer

The source added: “Honey Boo Boo’s upbringing raised eyebrows with neighbors.”

The initial visit by authorities is said to have occurred “shortly after filming began” on the new TLC series which premiered on August 8. It attracted 2.2 million viewers.

Although June Thompson sparked outrage back in January when she was seen on Toddlers & Tiaras feeding Alana “Go Go Juice”, a mixture of Mountain Dew and Red Bull, the authorities visited the family after catching wind of an online video that showed Alana dancing for dollars in a bar.

The video, which can still be found on YouTube, was not filmed by the network however showed Alana Thompson in a darkened room, dancing atop of table as colored lights flash around her.

June Thompson defended her daughter’s actions by explaining that Alana Thompson had been dancing in a college bar, not a sleazy one.

The “Go Go Juice” incident, which saw Alana Thompson being fed the liquid after having downed 15 bags of Pixy Stix, tubes of powdered sugar commonly referred to as “pageant crack”, attracted negative criticism of its own.

June Thompson was filmed instructing Alana to take “two big gulps” from an unlabelled bottle.

Within seconds, the change was apparent and the pageant hopeful was seen rapidly swinging her arms over her head and spinning around on the floor, exclaiming: “My Go Go juice is kicking in right now!”

Beauty pageant insiders speculate that some mothers’ “special juice” blends may even contain alcohol.

Describing how the drink made her feel, Alana Thompson said: “Go Go juice makes me laughy, and play-ey, and makes me feel like I want to pull my mommy’s hair.”

June Thompson has stolen much of the limelight away from her daughter in the new reality series.

During its debut episode, she was seen grinding up against a young man as her daughter played in a giant mud pit.

She has also been filmed taking her family to the supermarket to help her shop using discount coupons and take Alana to their local food auction, June’s favorite weekly activity, in order to bid on what appeared to be sugary donuts.

June Thompson has also admitted that she is obsessed with “couponing”, labeling it “better than sex” in a teaser for tonight’s new episode of the reality series.

The coupon queen, as she is commonly referred to, continued: “Couponing is a serious obsession. Anybody who uses coupons will tell you that it is an addiction.”

 [youtube TEmuTX_HaNQ]

Eating dark chocolate daily lowers blood pressure

Kathryn R. Bown
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Eating dark chocolate daily lowers blood pressure

An analysis of 20 studies showed that eating dark chocolate daily resulted in a slight reduction in blood pressure.

The Cochrane Group’s report said chemicals in cocoa, chocolate’s key ingredient, relaxed blood vessels.

However, there are healthier ways of lowering blood pressure.

The theory is that cocoa contains flavanols which produce a chemical in the body called nitric oxide. This “relaxes” blood vessels making it easier for blood to pass through them, lowering the blood pressure.

An analysis of 20 studies showed that eating dark chocolate daily resulted in a slight reduction in blood pressure
An analysis of 20 studies showed that eating dark chocolate daily resulted in a slight reduction in blood pressure

However, studies have thrown up mixed results. The Cochrane analysis combined previous studies to see if there was really an effect.

There was a huge range in the amount of cocoa consumed, from 3 g to 105 g a day, by each participant. However, the overall picture was a small reduction in blood pressure.

A systolic blood pressure under 120 mmHg (millimetres of mercury) is considered normal. Cocoa resulted in a 2-3 mmHg reduction in blood pressure. However, the length of the trials was only two weeks so the longer term effects are unknown.

Lead researcher Karin Ried, from the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia, said: “Although we don’t yet have evidence for any sustained decrease in blood pressure, the small reduction we saw over the short term might complement other treatment options and might contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

High blood pressure is both common and deadly. It has been linked to 54% of strokes worldwide and 47% of cases of coronary heart disease.

However, chocolate packs plenty of fat and sugar as well as cocoa so is not the ideal way of lowering blood pressure.

There has also been a warning in the Lancet medical journal that dark chocolate may contain fewer flavanols than you might think. Dark chocolate contains a higher cocoa count than milk chocolate so should contain more flavanols, however, they can also be removed as they have a bitter taste.

 

Baroness tour bus fell 30 ft from a viaduct near Bath in UK

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Baroness tour bus fell 30 ft from a viaduct near Bath in UK

Two people on a tour bus used by Baroness were badly injured when the vehicle fell 30 ft (10 m) from a viaduct near Bath in UK.

Emergency services were called to Brassknocker Hill, in Monkton Combe, on the B3108 at its junction with the A36 Warminster Road at 11:30 BST.

Two of those on board suffered multiple fractures and had to be freed by firefighters. Seven had minor injuries.

All remaining dates of the band’s European tour have been cancelled.

The group played at The Fleece in Bristol on Tuesday evening and had been due to appear in Southampton later.

Two people on a tour bus used by Baroness were badly injured when the vehicle fell 30 ft (10 m) from a viaduct near Bath in UK
Two people on a tour bus used by Baroness were badly injured when the vehicle fell 30 ft (10 m) from a viaduct near Bath in UK

Baroness’s tour promoter said: “It is with great regret that we have to inform you that Baroness were involved in a very serious road accident earlier today and will not be able to perform at Talking Heads tonight.

“Our thoughts are with the band at this time and we wish them and their crew a speedy recovery.”

Tim Bailey, from The Fleece in Bristol, said: “It’s awful for anybody but just knowing the band from last night and all the crew and how lovely everyone was – it was a real shock and we just really hope they’re OK.”

Baroness was formed in 2003 in Savannah, Georgia, and has toured throughout Europe and the United States.

They have also played at a variety of festivals, including Coachella and Bonnaroo in the United States.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said the crash involved a coach which had left the road with about nine passengers on board.

One of the pair who suffered multiple fractures was taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol and the other to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

The seven with more minor injuries were taken to the Royal United Hospital (RUH).

“Seven casualties moved to the Royal United Hospital will not leave hospital tonight,” an RUH spokesman said.

“They will be treated for their injuries into this evening.”

Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud bang and rushed to the scene.

Site manager Tony Cook, 61, was one of the first people to arrive as he was working at a property at the bottom of Brassknocker Hill.

Tony Cook said: “At the top of the hill it is quite windy so they were going quite slow and seemed to be taking it quite carefully.

“It was torrential rain – it was like one of these eastern storms or something, it was like a river down here.”

He added: “When we got down there the driver was hanging out of front of the coach, but his legs were trapped so we had to free him and get him back and comfortable.

“Then we got some ladders down there so that the people that were conscious inside could get out.

“We just got the people to the side of the road and made them comfortable and just helped.”

Another witness, from the Angel Fish restaurant on the viaduct, said the coach had “fallen off” the viaduct at the traffic lights.

Inspector Nick Hunt, from Avon and Somerset Police, added: “Police are investigating the circumstances of the accident. At this stage it is too early to tell what the cause was.”

Heavy rain in the area reduced visibility and it was not possible for the air ambulance to land.

The A36, which was closed between Bath and its junction with the A366 at Farleigh Hungerford for most of the day, has now re-opened.

 

Prince Philip taken to hospital again as a precautionary measure

Diane A. Wade
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0
Prince Philip taken to hospital again as a precautionary measure

Prince Philip has been taken to hospital as a “precautionary measure” after a recurrence of a bladder infection, Buckingham Palace has said.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who is 91, was driven by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary while staying at Balmoral with the Queen, a spokesperson said.

The duke originally suffered the infection shortly before the Diamond Jubilee concert on 4 June.

Prince Philip is likely to remain in the NHS hospital for the next few days

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are at their private residence of Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate, while the Earl and Countess of Wessex are at Balmoral with the Queen.

It is not known whether other royals are there, but a palace spokesman said it was usual for members of the royal family to be in residence at Balmoral during the summer period.

Prince Philip has been taken to hospital as a "precautionary measure" after a recurrence of a bladder infection
Prince Philip has been taken to hospital as a "precautionary measure" after a recurrence of a bladder infection

The duke has been seen at public engagements in Cowes over the last few days.

Michael Dunkason, from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, saw him come ashore from the Galatea to Cowes at about 09:00 BST on Wednesday morning. He said Philip was “steadily walking up the steps and walked briskly along the jetty”.

He said: “The duke seemed in very good spirits and gave a final wave before entering the car.”

It is the third time Prince Philip has been in hospital in the last nine months: he also spent four days in hospital over Christmas, following an operation to clear a blocked heart artery.

In March, Prince Harry said the operation – which was successful – had given his grandfather a “new spurt of life”.

Later, in June, after braving the elements during the Jubilee boat pageant to mark the Queen’s 60-year reign, Prince Philip was forced to miss several days of festivities after being admitted to hospital for five nights with the bladder infection.

Since then he has been in apparently good health, joining the Queen at the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics on 27 July, and touring the Olympic Park.

Prince Philip had travelled to Balmoral after viewing a number of Olympic events, including his granddaughter Zara Phillips’s equestrian competition on 29 July.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “He has been resident at the castle for a short while, but whilst he has been there, he has also undertaken engagements on the Isle of Wight.”

As Admiral and member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, the duke has been taking part in Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight this week.

On Tuesday, he watched races in the Solent and accompanied Lord-Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, Major General Martin White, for a lunch on board a yacht.

The previous day, he also met members of Newport’s Chamber of Commerce and visited manufacturers AJ Wells and Sons.

Earlier this month, he was at the Queen’s side for engagements in Scotland, helping to host a garden party for around 3,000 guests at Balmoral, marking the end of the Jubilee celebrations.

Prince Philip is the longest-serving royal consort in British royalty.

In the Queen’s Jubilee address to Parliament in March, she praised her husband for his devotion.

She said: “During these years as your Queen, the support of my family has, across the generations, been beyond measure.

“Prince Philip is, I believe, well known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout he has been a constant strength and guide.”

 

Reinvent The Toilet Fair: Bill Gates backs future toilet to improve world sanitation

James J. Williams
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1
Reinvent The Toilet Fair: Bill Gates backs future toilet to improve world sanitation

Bill Gates’ charitable organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for future loos that can improve sanitation around the world.

At the Reinvent the Toilet fair, hosted at its Seattle campus this week, designs included a lavatory that used microwave energy to turn poo into electricity.

Another turned excrement into charcoal, while a third used urine for flushing.

In total 28 designs were shown off at the fair and the winner was a team from the California Institute of Technology.

At the Reinvent the Toilet fair, hosted at its Seattle campus this week, designs included a lavatory that used microwave energy to turn poo into electricity
At the Reinvent the Toilet fair, hosted at its Seattle campus this week, designs included a lavatory that used microwave energy to turn poo into electricity

Led by Prof. Michael Hoffman, the toilet they designed was solar-powered and generated hydrogen gas and electricity. They won a $100,000 prize.

“We couldn’t be happier with the response that we’ve gotten,” Bill Gates said at the event.

The project challenged inventors to come up with a toilet that operated without running water, electricity or a septic system. It needed to operate at a cost of no more than 5 cents a day and would ideally capture energy or other resources.

Walter Gibson, from a team of scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, showed off a toilet that used black soldier fly larvae to process waste and create environmentally-friendly animal feed.

The toilet is already being field tested in South Africa.

Traditional flush toilets waste tons of drinking water and are often impractical in many areas of the developing world.

The UN estimates that disease caused by unsafe sanitation is responsible for half of the hospitalizations in the developing world. About 1.5 million children die each year from diarrhoeal disease.

The Gates Foundation has committed $370 million to its future toilet initiative and hopes to field test the prototypes within three years.

 

US launches immigration reform

Diane A. Wade
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0
US launches immigration reform

Undocumented immigrants are applying for the temporary right to live and work openly in the US, as a sweeping immigration policy reform takes effect.

Up to 1.7 million people could be eligible for the programme, unveiled in June by President Barack Obama amid pressure from Hispanic voters.

Republicans say Barack Obama has passed over Congress – and unemployed US citizens – with the programme.

The Latino vote could be important in November’s presidential election.

Most of the estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the US are from Latin America.

Illegal immigrants are getting their records in order as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) starts accepting applications.

Undocumented immigrants are applying for the temporary right to live and work openly in the US, as a sweeping immigration policy reform takes effect
Undocumented immigrants are applying for the temporary right to live and work openly in the US, as a sweeping immigration policy reform takes effect

In an internal document, DHS officials estimated 1.04 million people would apply in the first year.

The Migration Policy Institute and the Pew Hispanic Center have estimated as many as 1.7 million people could be eligible under the programme.

The administration’s plan is to stop deporting many illegal immigrants who were brought to the US as children.

To be eligible, immigrants must prove they arrived in the US before they turned 16, are 30 or younger, have been living here at least five years and are in school or graduated or served in the military.

They also cannot have been convicted of certain crimes.

The measure has echoes of the so-called Dream Act, which offered permanent residency to young undocumented immigrants, but failed to pass after years of congressional stalemate.

“Childhood arrivals who meet the guidelines and whose cases are deferred will now be able to live without fear of removal, and be able to more fully contribute their talents to our great nation,” said Alejandro Mayorkas, head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

But conservatives accused Barack Obama of political pandering as he and Republican White House rival Mitt Romney compete for the Hispanic voting bloc ahead of November’s elections.

Republican House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith said on Tuesday: “While potentially millions of illegal immigrants will be permitted to compete with American workers for scarce jobs, there seems to be little if any mechanism in place for vetting fraudulent applications and documentation submitted by illegal immigrants.”

The Obama administration detailed on Tuesday what documents illegal immigrants need to qualify for the programme.

The paperwork for the programme can be downloaded from the immigration services website.

Applicants must pay a $465 fee and provide proof of identity and eligibility.

This could include a passport or birth certificate, school transcripts, medical and financial records, military service records and, in some cases, multiple sworn affidavits.

A decision on each application could take several months, and immigrants have been warned not to leave the country while their paperwork is being processed.

Advocacy groups are planning to run events this week to help migrants get their paperwork in order.

 

 

Demi Moore steps out joined by young male friend in Santa Monica

Lisa.Felice
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0
Demi Moore steps out joined by young male friend in Santa Monica

A fresh-faced Demi Moore joined a younger man for a day out in Santa Monica yesterday.

Looking healthy and relaxed, the actress showed no hint of the troubles which have made headlines over recent months.

Demi Moore, 49, wore a simple outfit of shorts, T-shirt and sandals.

The actress’ friend looked to be younger than her, who is known for her taste for younger men.

A fresh-faced Demi Moore joined a younger man for a day out in Santa Monica yesterday
A fresh-faced Demi Moore joined a younger man for a day out in Santa Monica yesterday

Demi Moore was most recently linked to New Zealand star Martin Henderson, who is 12 years her junior at 37. And she is currently in the midst of her divorce from Ashton Kutcher, 34.

Her outing in the bright California sunshine comes as she reportedly sought help from a hypnotist.

“Demi knows that to move on with her life she needs to find a way to let Ashton go,” a source told UK magazine Grazia.

“She is still heartbroken and holding on to a lot of anger.

“She has started seeing a hypnotist for one hour a week. It’s quite pricey at around $2,350 an hour, and it’s quite radical to undergo hypnosis, but she desperately want to be happy again.”

Not only has Demi Moore’s marriage to Ashton Kutcher crumbled, following claims he was unfaithful to her, but her three daughters are said to have “broken ties” with their mother in the wake of the split.

Her daughters Rumer, 23, Scout, 20 and Tallulah, 18, are finding it difficult to cope with Demi Moore due to her “emotional breakdown”.

She also had a stay in rehab in January, which came just after she was rushed to hospital after inhaling nitrous oxide.

Demi Moore was apparently treated for substance abuse and anorexia issues.

 

Pussy Riot continues anti-Putin protests despite their colleagues’ trial

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Pussy Riot continues anti-Putin protests despite their colleagues’ trial

Russian punk group Pussy Riot plans to continue their anti-Putin protests despite the trial of three colleagues on hooliganism charges.

Seven of the balaclava-clad women spoke out about their protest campaign during an interview with BBC, using only their nicknames.

A band member called Mother said “of course” when asked if Pussy Riot would carry on protesting as before.

“We’ll try to follow our principles, of freedom of speech… we will do it to support our sisters in prison.”

Russian punk group Pussy Riot plans to continue their anti-Putin protests despite the trial of three colleagues on hooliganism charges
Russian punk group Pussy Riot plans to continue their anti-Putin protests despite the trial of three colleagues on hooliganism charges

Some of the interviewees took part in the protest on 21 February which led to three being arrested and put on trial.

The verdict is expected on Friday. Russian prosecutors have asked for three years in prison for the women.

Pussy Riot played a song attacking Russian President Vladimir Putin at the altar of Moscow’s Christ the Saviour cathedral.

The band sided with protesters who staged huge marches against Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party after December parliamentary elections marred by many alleged abuses.

In the interview, another band member, Terminator, said: “Nobody can mute us, nobody can forbid us to do what we want… We want Russia to be a better place… We won’t stop, we would do it again.”

Terminator continued: “I hope somebody in the government realizes now they’re doing something very awful, very bad and have to stop it.”

She said the church protest was “not an act of hooliganism, definitely not an anti-religious act” but a “political performance” against President Vladimir Putin.

 

Large explosion in central Damascus close to a military compound

Roy Siemens
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0
Large explosion in central Damascus close to a military compound

A large explosion has rocked Syrian capital Damascus striking close to a military compound, near a hotel used by the UN’s observer mission.

Syrian state TV reported that three people had been injured in the blast, but that none of them were UN monitors.

Eyewitnesses in Damascus saw a huge plume of smoke coming from the area in the city centre and several ambulances were seen rushing towards site.

The intended target of the explosion was not immediately clear.

A large explosion has rocked Syrian capital Damascus striking close to a military compound, near a hotel used by the UN's observer mission
A large explosion has rocked Syrian capital Damascus striking close to a military compound, near a hotel used by the UN's observer mission

State television said it had been caused by a bomb near a fuel truck planted in a car park near the hotel, but other reports suggested it had been an improvised explosive device (IED).

The area around the hotel, the Dama Rose, is a sealed-off, high-security zone. There are several government and military buildings in the vicinity.

Images from the scene showed UN vehicles covered in dust and debris.

There were reports from activists of other blasts around the city but these could not be immediately verified.

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told state media it was “a criminal act aimed at distorting Syria’s image”.

The latest violence comes as a group of Islamic countries prepares to meet in the Saudi city of Mecca to discuss the crisis.

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Co-operation is expected to suspend Syria’s membership, despite objections from Iran, Syria’s last regional ally.

The violence in Syria has spread to the capital in recent weeks.

Last month a bomb at the national security headquarters killed three of President Bashar al-Assad’s security chiefs.

 

Australia court backs anti-tobacco move

Diane A. Wade
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0
Australia court backs anti-tobacco move

The highest court of Australia has upheld a new government law on mandatory packaging for cigarettes that removes brand colors and logos from packaging.

The law requires cigarettes to be sold in olive green packets, with graphic images warning of the consequences of smoking.

Leading global tobacco manufacturers, including British American Tobacco and Philip Morris, had challenged the law.

The new packaging rules are scheduled to be implemented from 1 December 2012.

“At least a majority of the court is of the opinion that the Act is not contrary to (Australia’s constitution),” the court said in a brief statement.

The full judgement is expected to be published on a later date.

The highest court of Australia has upheld a new government law on mandatory packaging for cigarettes that removes brand colors and logos from packaging
The highest court of Australia has upheld a new government law on mandatory packaging for cigarettes that removes brand colors and logos from packaging

The law was passed by the government last year. Authorities have said that plain packaging of cigarettes will help reduce the number of smokers in the country.

However, tobacco manufacturers have argued that removing their brand names and company colors from packets will lead to a drastic cut in profits.

They have also warned that it may result in fake products entering the market.

“It’s still a bad law that will only benefit organized crime groups which sell illegal tobacco on our streets,” said Scott McIntyre, spokesman for British American Tobacco (BAT) Australia.

Sonia Stewart, spokesperson for Imperial Tobacco, added that “the legislation will make the counterfeiters’ job both cheaper and easier by mandating exactly how a pack must look”.

Cigarette manufacturers have also claimed that the law is unconstitutional and infringes on their intellectual property rights by banning the use of brands and trademarks.

However, BAT’s Scott McIntyre said the firms will comply with the new rules.

“Even though we believe the government has taken our property from us, we’ll ensure our products comply with the plain packaging requirements and implementation dates.”

Australia’s new tough packaging laws are the first of their kind to be implemented in the world.

However, many other countries such as New Zealand, India, the UK and even some states in the US have been contemplating taking similar measures in a bid to reduce the number of smokers.

As a result, the case between the government and the cigarette makers was being watched closely all across the globe.

Jonathan Liberman, director of the McCabe Center for Law and Cancer, said the ruling was likely to give a boost to other countries looking to take similar steps.

“It shows to everybody that the only way to deal with the tobacco industry’s claims, sabre rattling and legal threats is to stare them down in court,” he said.

The decision may have global ramifications for the cigarette makers.

“Whilst Australia might be a relatively small cigarette market, tobacco companies know that losing here could lead to a deluge of legislation elsewhere in their really big markets.”

 

Playboy 1972 centrefold image shrunk to width of human hair in Singapore

James J. Williams
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0
Playboy 1972 centrefold image shrunk to width of human hair in Singapore

A 1972 image of a Playboy centrefold has been shrunk down to the width of a human hair by scientists in Singapore.

A team from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) printed a color photo, measuring just 50 micrometres across.

The photo is a crop of the portrait of Lena Soderberg, a Swedish model, that originally appeared in a 1972 issue of Playboy.

It is a commonly-used image for testing printing techniques.

In the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers stated that the device could produce color images of up to 100,000 dots per inch – 10 times as many as a high-end home printer.

The method could be used to print tiny watermarks or secret messages for security purposes, said the scientists.

A 1972 image of a Playboy centrefold has been shrunk down to the width of a human hair by scientists in Singapore
A 1972 image of a Playboy centrefold has been shrunk down to the width of a human hair by scientists in Singapore

“Our color-mapping strategy produces images with both sharp color changes and fine tonal variations, is amenable to large-volume color printing… and could be useful in making micro-images for security,” the team wrote in its research paper.

According to Chad Mirkin, a nanotechnology professor from Chicago’s Northwestern University who was not involved in the study, the result is “approaching the limit of what is possible to print in color”.

If the pixels were brought any closer, light reflecting off them would diffract, causing the two objects to blur together.

To obtain the image, the team used tiny silver and gold particles, which, when arranged in a certain manner, produced color.

“This is a clever way of creating desired colors,” said Prof. Chad Mirkin.

“Instead of taking normal dyes and using conventional printing, they’re making colors out of one material by adjusting nanostructure in a lithographic [a technique to create patterns] experiment.

“They’re getting these high-resolution images in a context of color, and getting the color in a way different from dyes that make up clothing or pigments in paint.”

He stressed that it was not, however, an advance in high-resolution printing, as there were other techniques that were substantially superior.

For instance, scientists at the University of Nottingham created a microscopic portrait of the Queen to mark the Diamond Jubilee that was so small it could fit on a standard postage stamp 300,000 times.

Lena Soderberg’s picture was first used as a test image in 1973.

An assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern California Signal and Image Processing Institute Alexander Sawchuk was looking around his lab for an image to scan for a colleague’s conference paper.

He wanted a different picture from his team’s usual test images, and when someone came in with a recent issue of Playboy, he used the centrefold.

The scan became one of the most used images in computer history, and the model became dubbed the “first lady of the internet”.

 

George Michael accused of using Olympics closing ceremony to promote his new single

Sonia Pantiss
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0
George Michael accused of using Olympics closing ceremony to promote his new single

George Michael says he has no regrets about performing his new single at the London 2012 closing ceremony.

George Michael’s performance of White Light led some to accuse him of using Sunday night’s event to promote his new material.

“I hope you are not bothered by the press reports of my scandalous <<promotion>>!!!” George Michael told his fans via Twitter on Tuesday.

The performance at the Olympic Stadium was the 49-year-old’s first since his life-threatening battle with pneumonia.

George Michael spent a month in hospital in Vienna after contracting the illness last year.

George Michael says he has no regrets about performing his new single at the London 2012 closing ceremony
George Michael says he has no regrets about performing his new single at the London 2012 closing ceremony

Sunday’s extravaganza also included musical performances from Annie Lennox, Take That, the Spice Girls and The Who. Each sang one or more of their best-known songs.

George Michael, wearing sunglasses and dressed in black leather, came on stage in front of 80,000 people to sing his 1990 hit Freedom.

He followed it with White Light, a slower number inspired by his near-death experience.

Some viewers felt this was inappropriate and expressed their objections via Twitter.

“Not the time for new single promo,” said Steve Anderson, a musical director for Kylie Minogue and Westlife.

“I’m genuinely surprised he was allowed to do this.”

In his own Twitter postings, George Michael said: “It was my one chance on tv to thank you all for your loyalty and prayers, and I took it.”

“And I don’t regret it,” he added.

Several artists have enjoyed a sales boost since the show, with Elbow’s One Day Like This and Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill both entering the iTunes Top 10.

George Michael’s White Light reached number two on Sunday and was ranked in 22nd place in the iTunes countdown on Tuesday afternoon.

The closing ceremony, described by organizers as “A Symphony of British Music”, was watched at its peak by 26.3 million viewers in the UK.

 

Australian lower house backs offshore processing camps

Diane A. Wade
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0
Australian lower house backs offshore processing camps

Australian lower house has approved laws allowing offshore processing camps for asylum seekers to be re-established in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

The MPs passed a bill presented to parliament on Tuesday, following recommendations from an expert panel.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass in coming days because both the governing Labor Party and the opposition back it.

Labor, under former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, closed the camps in 2008.

The debate on the legislation in the lower house lasted for six hours on Tuesday and continued the next day. Only two MPs – an independent and one from the Australian Greens party – voted against the bill.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, speaking before the vote, said it was important that the bill pass.

“The Australian people expect no less and the people smugglers fear nothing more,” he said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard – whose party had until Monday opposed the move – said on Tuesday that she hoped processing centres for asylum seekers could be reopened “within a month”.

The vote followed the release on Monday of a report by an expert panel appointed by Julia Gillard to break the deadlock on the issue of asylum.

It set out 22 recommendations aimed at tackling people-smuggling issues, including re-opening mothballed offshore processing centres.

Australian lower house has approved laws allowing offshore processing camps for asylum seekers to be re-established in Papua New Guinea and Nauru
Australian lower house has approved laws allowing offshore processing camps for asylum seekers to be re-established in Papua New Guinea and Nauru

The move comes amid rising numbers of asylum seekers travelling to Australia by boat from Indonesia.

Officials reported that at least three boats carrying more than 150 people were intercepted on Tuesday.

Australian officials say offshore processing is needed as a deterrent against making the perilous journey – pointing out that many lives have been lost in sinkings in recent years.

But critics say the policy – known as the Pacific Solution before it was scrapped in 2008 – violates asylum seekers’ rights.

In the past detainees on Nauru mounted multiple hunger strikes to protest against both conditions and the length of their detention.

Small protests against offshore processing have been reported outside immigration offices in Sydney and Melbourne.

Melissa Park, a Labor MP, earlier said that the measures being debated were “at the lower end of what we are capable of as a nation”.

“There are strong concerns about the devastating consequences, including severe mental health issues of detention of asylum seekers for indeterminate periods on Nauru and Manus Island,” she said.

The Pacific Solution was introduced in 2001 by the government of John Howard, in response to a reported rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat.

Processing centres were set up on Nauru and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, the governments of the two nations receiving millions of dollars in aid in exchange.

The Australian navy diverted all boats carrying asylum seekers to those camps, where many were detained for months – sometimes years – under high security.

Many Australians did support the policy but rights groups condemned it and accused Australia of failing to meet its obligations under refugee conventions.

Australia asylum:

• In 2010, there were 6,535 Irregular Maritime Arrivals (IMAs – people coming by sea) in 134 vessels

• In 2011, 4,565 IMAs arrived in 69 vessels

• As of 13 August 2012, 7,629 IMAs had arrived in 114 boats

• To date, July has been the busiest month, with 1,798 IMAs

• Most of the IMAs from 2009-2011 came from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Iran

• Some asylum-seekers arrive by plane. Between July 2010 and June 2011, 6,316 people applied in this way

Source: Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Pacific Solution

• Established in 2001 under conservative government of John Howard

• Asylum seekers arriving by boat detained in offshore centres in PNG and Nauru

• Rights groups criticized the conditions in which people were held, as detainees went on repeated hunger strikes

• Labor’s Kevin Rudd elected in November 2007, said Pacific Solution would end

• Last detainees left Nauru in February 2008

 

Standard Chartered to pay $340 million for Iran deals

Clyde K. Valle
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Standard Chartered to pay $340 million for Iran deals

British bank Standard Chartered has agreed a $340 million settlement with New York regulators that accused it of hiding $250 billion of transactions with Iran.

The hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday has now been adjourned.

Standard Chartered’s chief executive Peter Sands has been in New York negotiating with the regulators.

It had admitted that some of its transactions did break US sanctions, but said that the amount totaled just $14 million.

“The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) and Standard Chartered Bank have reached an agreement to settle the matter raised in the DFS order dated August 6, 2012,” a statement from the regulator’s superintendent said.

“The parties have agreed that the conduct at issue involved transactions of at least $250 billion.”

Standard Chartered has agreed a $340 million settlement with New York regulators that accused it of hiding $250 billion of transactions with Iran
Standard Chartered has agreed a $340 million settlement with New York regulators that accused it of hiding $250 billion of transactions with Iran

A short statement from Standard Chartered simply confirmed a settlement of $340 million had been reached.

“A formal agreement containing the detailed terms of the settlement is expected to be concluded shortly,” it added.

The bank also said it continued to “engage constructively” with other US authorities.

According to the terms of the settlement, Standard Chartered will pay a “civil penalty” of $340 million to the DFS.

It will also install a monitor for at least two years who will evaluate money-laundering controls at the bank’s New York branch and report directly to the regulator.

“In addition, DFS examiners shall be placed on site at the bank,” the statement said.

Finally, the settlement provided for permanent staff at the bank’s New York office to audit any money-laundering controls.

The $340 million was a “hefty penalty, but nothing like as hefty as it could have been” if the two parties had not negotiated a settlement. The DFS had, for example, talked of revoking Standard Chartered’s New York banking licence.

Last week, New York’s DFS alleged that the US unit of the bank had illegally hidden 60,000 transactions with Iran worth $250 billion over nearly a decade.

It accused the London-based bank of being a “rogue institution” for breaking US sanctions against Iran.

Peter Sands said at the time that he was “completely surprised” by the ferocity of the DFS’s attack, which he described as “disproportionate”.

He did, however, admit that 300 transactions did break US sanctions.

“This was clearly wrong and we are sorry that they happened,” Peter Sands said.

 

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