People who regularly get fewer than six hours of sleep a night are at significantly increased risk of stroke, a study suggests.
Researchers found that those in middle age who skimped on sleep were more likely to suffer stroke symptoms than those who got at least nine hours of shut-eye – even if they were a healthy weight and with no family history of stroke.
More than 5,000 participants, who were between 45 and retirement age, were monitored for three years as part of the US study.
Those who slept for fewer than six hours were most likely to experience symptoms such as numbness or weakness down one side of their body, dizziness, loss of vision or a sudden inability to express themselves verbally or in writing.
People who regularly get fewer than six hours of sleep a night are at significantly increased risk of stroke, a study suggests
Scientists at the University of Alabama said the impact of sleep deprivation was a major one, even after taking into account age, weight and other known risks such as high blood pressure.
The participants were divided into five groups according to how many hours a night they slept. They were asked to report their symptoms every six months.
Co-author Virginia Howard, a professor of epidemiology, said: “Many people can have these symptoms and not recognize them as a precursor to having a stroke, and perhaps not even mention them to their doctor.
“Sleeping habits can exacerbate the potential for these symptoms, which are internationally recognized as putting people at extraordinary risk of subsequent stroke.”
It is already known that sleep apnea – a breathing problem which produces poor quality sleep – is linked to strokes.
A study of hundreds of thousands of participants by Warwick University last year also linked lack of sleep to increased incidence of both strokes and heart disease.
But the latest study focuses on the early symptoms of strokes, which are often ignored.
Prof. Virginia Howard’s team plans to continue monitoring the participants for several more years. She said: “It will be very interesting to see what the stroke rate is, and whether early detection may have helped.”
Dr. Megan Ruiter, lead author of the study, which will be presented today at the American Association of Sleep Medicine’s annual conference, speculated that lack of sleep could be a precursor to more traditional stroke risk factors.
The Euro and stock markets have boosted in Asia after a deal to shore up Spain’s troubled banks eased concerns about a European currency break up.
In Asian trade, the euro rose 1% versus the US dollar and Japanese yen. Stock indexes in Japan and Hong Kong rose 2%.
On Saturday, eurozone ministers agreed to lend Spain up to 100 billion Euros ($125 billion) to help its banks.
Analysts said the deal would buy time for policymakers to solve other problems facing the 17-nation eurozone.
The biggest issue now looming on the horizon is the 17 June elections in Greece, and the worry that an anti-eurozone party may end up in a position of power.
“All eyes are still on Greece’s upcoming elections but investors’ worries over the eurozone have eased in the short term,” said Andy Du of Orient Futures Derivatives.
According to Stephen Davies of Javelin Wealth Management, the fact that the Spanish banking bailout was bigger than many people had expected pointed to a continuing “degree of strain within the European banking system”.
The Euro and stock markets have boosted in Asia after a deal to shore up Spain's troubled banks eased concerns about a European currency break up
“It reflects the fairly dire straits within which Europe continues to find itself,” he added.
Spain’s weakest banks were left with billions of Euros of bad loans following the collapse of a property boom and the recession that followed.
Currently Spain is in its second recession in three years and the economy is expected to shrink by 1.7% this year.
Its economic problems have become so acute, and its borrowing costs in the international markets so high, that there have been concerns that the government would not be able to service its debts.
At the same time, there were fears that some of its banks would not be able to find enough capital to continue to operate.
The exact amount of emergency funding that Spain will receive will be decided after two audits of its banks are completed within the next few days.
Spain’s loan was welcomed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as the US and Japan.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hailed the decision as a victory for the single currency.
European Union economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn said the deal was a clear signal to the markets that the euro area was ready to take decisive action to calm markets and contain contagion.
Spain is the eurozone’s fourth-biggest economy – twice the size combined of those of Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the countries bailed out so far.
However, tensions over the euro remain high with another election to be held in Greece next weekend.
If voters elect a government that refuses to abide by the terms of the country’s bailout deal, Athens faces a possible exit from the bloc.
Analysts said that in the days leading up to the election it was likely that a low-risk appetite from investors would return.
There are fears that a Greek exit could trigger a run on the banks, not only there but in other eurozone countries.
Greece has been in recession for five years, crippled by huge debts, high unemployment and labor unrest.
Cissy Houston, mother of late star Whitney Houston, is cashing in on her child’s tragic death, that’s what some family members think of her plans to write a tell-all book, new reports have claimed.
Sources close to the Houston family told TMZ that Cissy Houston’s new publishing deal with Harper-Collins for a memoir is merely a lame attempt to make money – since Whitney Houston left everything to her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown – and not at all about honoring the late singer.
Cissy Houston is cashing in on Whitney Houston's tragic death, that's what some family members think of her plans to write a tell-all book
One source said the book, which is slated for release in 2013, could also be a PR move for Cissy Houston, claiming: “She will try to come out looking like the world’s greatest mom, when in actuality, she wasn’t.”
French exit polls suggest that Francois Hollande’s Socialists and their allies are set for a majority following the first round of legislative elections.
The Socialists appear tied with the right-wing UMP party on about 35% of the vote, but the support of Green allies gives them closer to 40%.
The outcome of the polls is expected to determine the extent and pace of reform under the newly-elected French leader.
Run-offs are to be held a week later.
French exit polls suggest that Francois Hollande's Socialists and their allies are set for a majority following the first round of legislative elections
The early indications are that turnout has been much lower than in the presidential elections in April, at about 60%.
France’s 46 million eligible voters are picking representatives for 577 seats in the National Assembly.
TNS Sofres, Ipsos and OpinonWay pollsters all agreed that the political left, including the Communist-backed Left Front, would win at least 289 seats in the 577-seat Assembly and possibly as many as 368 seats.
These are predictions rather than hard results and it is hard to predict accurately what the final tallies will be before next week’s decisive round of voting.
But with the Senate already under the control of the Socialists, it appears that Francois Hollande will have a majority in the lower house – even if only with the support of allies – which would give him unprecedented power to force through his reform programme.
Francois Hollande’s government is due to present a revised budget plan to parliament next month.
The result of the parliamentary election will determine the pace of reform and how radical it becomes.
“It’s a good result tonight… but we have to remain mobilized for the second round,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, an influential Socialist, was quoted by news agency AP as saying.
The election also saw a surge in support for Marine Le Pen’s far right National Front, which won almost 14% of votes, according to the exit polls – well above the 4% it got in the 2007 parliamentary elections.
Krystle Marie Reyes from Salem, Oregon, who was given a $2.1 million tax refund after filing a false claim went on a massive spending spree until she was caught.
Krystle Marie Reyes, 25, was only caught after she reported the Visa card containing the seven figure sum had been lost.
By that time she had already spent more than $150,000, including buying a car and other household items.
Krystle Marie Reyes had used Turbo Tax to file her income tax return for 2011.
She claimed earnings of $3 million but used the tax calculator programme to claim a refund of $2.1 million, Oregon Live reported.
Due to the size of the refund, her electronic claim was examined by several people within the Oregon Revenue Department.
Incredibly they approved the payout and Krystle Marie Reyes was sent a visa card by the tax preparation computer programme containing a balance of $2.1 million.
Krystle Marie Reyes from Salem, Oregon, who was given a $2.1 million tax refund after filing a false claim went on a massive spending spree until she was caught
Prosecutors said she went on a spending spree and spent more than $150,000.
She later reported the card missing prompting an investigation which uncovered the massive fraud which is believed to be the biggest in the history of the state of Oregon.
Krystle Marie Reyes, according to an arrest affidavit, paid $2,000 in cash for a 1999 Dodge Caravan and used the card to buy $800 worth of tires and wheels.
She was also caught on CCTV cameras using the card at various outlets.
According to the probable cause statement, Krystle Marie Reyes spent $13,000 in Marion County over two days in February, $26,000 in March and more than $35,000 in April.
The statement says the fraud was discovered on May 7 by the issuer of the debit card after Krystle Marie Reyes reported a “second card” as lost or stolen.
Oregon Department of Justice agents arrested Krystle Marie Reyes on Wednesday at a Northeast Salem address.
The apparent ease with which Krystle Marie Reyes was allegedly able to defraud the state revenue department has stunned officials.
“They’ve got some explaining to do to restore the confidence of Oregonians,” Rep. Vicki Berger, R-Salem, who serves as co-chair of the House Revenue Committee told the OregonLive.com.
“Is this is an anomaly? If so, let’s make sure it never happens again. Or do we have a systematic problem in the way the Department of Revenue treats this and other transactions?”
The revenue department processes about $7 billion in tax returns each year on computer systems designed in the 1980s.
In January, the state’s chief operating officer, Michael Jordan, pulled the plug on a $100 million computer upgrade that the department said would pay for itself by finding tax cheats.
In 2010, the state reported $559 million in delinquent taxes, mostly from unpaid personal and corporate income taxes.
Revenue officials estimate that, in 2006, Oregon’s personal income tax compliance rate was 81.5% – far lower than other states – and translating to $1.2 billion in unreported or uncollected taxes that year.
Krystle Marie Reyes has been charged with aggravated theft and computer crime.
She was released from Marion County jail and is due in court on July 5th.
After last weekend Kris Humphries was enjoying the company of his rumored new girlfriend Fatima “Myla” Sinanaj on Miami Beach, he has now got his focus back – and was yesterday seen with his nutritionist and sometimes-trainer.
Kris Humphries, 27, was photographed in the turquoise blue Florida waters with the woman – who TMZ has identified as Tracy Paradise.
Sources told TMZ there is nothing romantic going on between the pair – and things are strictly professional.
The sighting comes as Kris Humphries’ lawyers are trying to keep his rumored relationship with Myla Sinanaj on the quiet.
His legal team want the basketball star to walk into his divorce depositions at the end of June looking like a heartbroken and very single man.
Kris Humphries’ lawyers are going to great lengths to keep his new rumored girlfriend Myla Sinanaj quiet about her supposed relationship with the basketball player, as they aim to prove that his 72-day marriage to reality TV star Kim Kardashian was indeed fraud.
Kris Humphries was photographed in the turquoise blue Florida waters with the woman, who TMZ has identified as Tracy Paradise
According to TMZ, Kris Humphries’ lawyer reached out to Myla Sinanaj’s lawyer to negotiate a non-disclosure agreement in order to get a lockdown on any sensitive texts, emails, or other documents the 25-year-old Kardashian-lookalike has relating to their relationship.
Kris Humphries is demanding millions from Kim Kardashian, and Kris doesn’t want anything to jeopardize his case that their union should be annulled rather than granted a divorce.
His lawyers are willing to pay a price in order to get Myla Sinanaj’s signature on a joint statement as well.
RadarOnline first reported that Kris Humphries had no plans to publicly date anyone until after his divorce was finalized, but TMZ claimed that Kris has been dating Myla Sinanaj since January, even flying her to Miami for a romantic beach holiday last weekend.
They have apparently been seeing each other regularly, meeting at various basketball games where Kris Humphries provided her and family members with courtside seats.
The pair met at a prominent five star hotel in New York, TMZ claims.
“Kris is expecting to be asked if he has a girlfriend, or has had one since Kim filed for divorce,” an insider told RadarOnline.
“Kris will answer under oath that he hasn’t had a girlfriend and that he is very single. Kris doesn’t care that Kim is dating Kanye West, he has truly moved on with his life.
“Kris is going to be in Minnesota for the summer getting in the best shape possible for the upcoming basketball season, end of story. Kris’ primary focus has been basketball, and that is it.”
Myla Sinanaj’s Twitter page, which has since been deleted, had a number of interesting posts related to Kardashian patriarch Bruce Jenner and Kim Kardashian’s new boyfriend rapper Kanye West.
“Say my name, say my name. When no one is around, you say baby I love you. Why the sudden change?” Myla Sinanaj tweeted, quoting a Destiny’s Child song.
Myla Sinanaj also shared: “Bruce Jenner’s face scares me – it should be on the <<Why not to get plastic surgery>> poster.”
“[Kanye should be] bigger than taking petty shots at s**t that got nothing to do with him. Lost respect,” read another post by Myla Sinanaj, commenting on his new song Theraflu.
Kim Kardashian began dating Kanye West in April, and the pair are reportedly discussing moving in together, so Kris Humphries most likely wants to look single by comparison to his famous ex.
“Myla is very upset with Kris for not wanting an exclusive relationship,” a source told RadarOnline.
“Kris was honest with her from the beginning and it’s very likely that he won’t be seeing her anymore now. There are always going to be girls that are looking for their 15 minutes of fame and say they are dating Kris. It just comes along with the territory.”
A new study suggests that an “early and aggressive” approach to people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes is justified to reduce cases of the disease.
People with “pre-diabetes” have higher than normal blood sugar which has not yet reached diabetic levels.
A US study, published in the Lancet, showed restoring normal sugar levels more than halved the numbers going on to Type 2 diabetes.
Experts said the findings were clinically important.
It is thought that 7 million people have pre-diabetes in the UK and 79 million in the US. They are at heightened risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart attack and stroke. Many are undiagnosed.
A new study suggests that an "early and aggressive" approach to people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes is justified to reduce cases of the disease
Some measures, such as weight loss and more exercise, can reverse pre-diabetes. The study, by the US Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group, tried to determine how effective the treatment was at preventing Type 2 diabetes.
It followed 1,990 people with pre-diabetes. Some were being treated through drugs or lifestyle change, others were not.
It showed patients who reduced their blood sugar levels to normal, even briefly, were 56% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes during the six years of the study.
Lead author Dr. Leigh Perreault, from the University of Colorado, said: “This analysis draws attention to the significant long-term reduction in diabetes risk when someone with pre-diabetes returns to normal glucose regulation, supporting a shift in the standard of care to early and aggressive glucose-lowering treatment in patients at highest risk.”
Dr. Natalia Yakubovich, from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, said the “findings clearly suggest” that restoring normal blood sugar levels was “of clinical relevance”.
She added: “Identification of regression to normal glucose regulation could be an important way to stratify people into those at higher and lower risk of progression to diabetes.
“Such stratification could therefore identify individuals for whom additional treatment might be needed to prevent diabetes or to slow down disease progression.”
Accounts of unusual sexual activities among Adelie penguins, observed a century ago by Dr. George Murray Levick, a member of Captain Scott’s polar team, are finally being made public.
Details, including “sexual coercion”, recorded by Dr. George Murray Levick were considered so shocking that they were removed from official accounts.
However, scientists now understand the biological reasons behind the acts that Dr. George Murray Levick considered “depraved”.
The Natural History Museum in UK has published his unedited papers.
Dr. George Murray Levick, an avid biologist, was the medical officer on Captain Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole in 1910. He was a pioneer in the study of penguins and was the first person to stay for an entire breeding season with a colony on Cape Adare.
He recorded many details of the lives of Adelie penguins, but some of their activities were just too much for the Edwardian sensibilities of the good doctor.
He was shocked by what he described as the “depraved” sexual acts of “hooligan” males who were mating with dead females. So distressed was he that he recorded the “perverted” activities in Greek in his notebook.
Accounts of unusual sexual activities among Adelie penguins, observed a century ago by Dr. George Murray Levick, a member of Captain Scott's polar team, are finally being made public
On his return to Britain, Dr. George Murray Levick attempted to publish a paper entitled “the natural history of the Adelie penguin”, but according to Douglas Russell, curator of eggs and nests at the Natural History Museum, it was too much for the times.
“He submitted this extraordinary and graphic account of sexual behaviour of the Adelie penguins, which the academic world of the post-Edwardian era found a little too difficult to publish,” Douglas Russell said.
The sexual behavior section was not included in the official paper, but the then keeper of zoology at the museum, Sidney Harmer, decided that 100 copies of the graphic account should be circulated to a select group of scientists.
Douglas Russell said they simply did not have the scientific knowledge at that time to explain Dr. George Murray Levick’s accounts of what he termed necrophilia.
“What is happening there is not in any way analogous to necrophilia in the human context,” Douglas Russell said.
“It is the males seeing the positioning that is causing them to have a sexual reaction.
“They are not distinguishing between live females who are awaiting congress in the colony, and dead penguins from the previous year which just happen to be in the same position.”
Only two of the original 100 copies of Dr. George Murray Levick’s account survive. Douglas Russell and colleagues have now published a re-interpretation of Dr. George Murray Levick’s findings in the journal Polar Record.
Douglas Russell described how he had discovered one of the copies by accident.
“I just happened to be going through the file on George Murray Levick when I shifted some papers and found underneath them this extraordinary paper which was headed <<the sexual habits of the adelie penguin, not for publication>> in large black type.
“It’s just full of accounts of sexual coercion, sexual and physical abuse of chicks, non-procreative sex, and finishes with an account of what he considers homosexual behaviour, and it was fascinating.”
The report and Dr. George Murray Levick’s handwritten notes are now on display at the Natural History Museum for the first time. Douglas Russell believes they show a man who struggled to understand penguins as they really are.
“He’s just completely shocked. He, to a certain extent, falls into the same trap as an awful lot of people in seeing penguins as bipedal birds and seeing them as little people. They’re not. They are birds and should be interpreted as such.”
Kenyan Internal Security Minister George Saitoti has died in a helicopter crash, officials say.
Officials say George Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode, have been killed when the aircraft went down west of Nairobi, bursting into flames as it hit the ground.
There is no word on the cause of the crash, in which six people were killed, including bodyguards and pilots.
George Saitoti, 66, a former vice-president, had been planning to run in a forthcoming presidential poll.
He was on his way to a security meeting when his helicopter crashed on Sunday morning.
An AFP agency news journalist saw six charred bodies being removed from the wreckage.
Officials say George Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode, have been killed when the aircraft went down west of Nairobi, bursting into flames as it hit the ground
Another reporter at the scene says debris of the burnt-out police helicopter were strewn in the brush.
George Saitoti had been a key figure in Kenyan politics, holding a number of senior ministerial posts over the last 30 years.
The professor of mathematics joined Daniel Arap Moi’s government as a finance minister in 1983, going on to become his vice-president in 1988.
He briefly stepped down as education minister in 1996 over accusations he was involved in the Goldenberg financial scandal, but was reinstated when a Kenyan court ruled he should not be charged.
After years as a senior member in the long-dominant Kanu party, George Saitoti joined the current president Mwai Kibaki’s National Alliance of Kenya in 2002.
As Internal Security Minister under Mwai Kibaki, he was a leading government voice against the Somali militant group al-Shabab.
Kenyan troops have been fighting al-Shabab in Somalia since they sent troops into the country last October.
The militants have killed several people in a string of grenade attacks in various parts of Kenya, including Nairobi.
George Saitoti announced he would stand for the presidency last November.
No date for the presidential election has so far been set. Mwai Kibaki’s mandate ends in January 2013.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga – a rival of both Mwai Kibaki and George Saitoti – has also announced he was standing for president.
The last presidential election, in December 2007, was followed by a wave of ethnic and political violence in which about 1,500 were killed.
Raila Odinga has warned about the emergence of ethnically-based political groups in the run-up to the next poll.
A US scientific team is embarking on a mission to capture a 3D image of every ant species known to science.
The scientists are visiting museums around the world to photograph all of the ant specimens in their collections.
They are using a technique that, for the first time, allows microscopic anatomical detail of the insects’ bodies to be photographed.
The aim is to make an online catalogue called Antweb, providing a unique tool for scientists who study the insects.
It will also allow anyone with access to the internet a detailed glimpse of the diverse world of ants.
Brian Fisher from the California Academy of Sciences is leading the study. He and his colleagues have started their “world ant tour” at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London.
The team has already used the imaging technique on ant collections in the US, capturing snapshots of 8,000 ant species so far.
But there are approximately 15,000 species that have been “formally described” in science, and about 30,000 species in total.
Each named and described species has a specimen – an ant that provides the reference for what this species looks like – housed in a museum collection.
A US scientific team is embarking on a mission to capture a 3D image of every ant species known to science
Dr. Brian Fisher and his team plan to capture a snapshot of every single one of these specimens.
“Our goal is to image 10,000 a year,” he said.
And for the database to be complete, the team is taking several images of each species, including examples of all the different ant castes – queens, soldiers, minor workers – and the different sexes.
To achieve this, they need to find the museums with the most complete ant collections, and the NHM is the first one outside of the US that the team has targeted.
Dr. Brian Fisher says it has “one of the best ant collections in the world”, with more than 6,000 species pinned into display cases in the museum’s carefully curated store rooms.
The team will systematically work its way through every one of these boxes of long-dead and preserved ants, and use a special technique that takes dozens of highly magnified pictures all on a different plane of focus.
Combining all of these images into one final picture reveals each insect in unprecedented detail.
“You can zoom in and see fine hairs, the eyes, all of this detail,” Dr. Brian Fisher explains.
“And all of this, under a microscope, is not in focus.
“So this is actually the first time, as a scientist, I get to see this ant in 3D. It’s very useful for scientists.”
The researcher and his team hope to bring the ant world out of museum cupboards, not just for researchers studying the insects, but also to reveal the diversity of ants to the public.
“Many people don’t know the amazing creatures that live in their back yards,” he said.
“This project will mean that anybody, anywhere at any time will have access to these specimens that we hide in museums.”
Demi Moore put on a brave front at the high school graduation for 18-year-old daughter Tallulah on Thursday and looked in great shape.
Although still slim, Demi Moore, 49, looked like she had put on a few healthy pounds and wore a black mini dress to show off her legs.
Keeping her long dark hair in a simple style and wearing flats, Demi Moore, who turns 50 in November, seemed to be focused on just being there for her teen.
The actress was reunited with ex-husband Bruce Willis who was also there to support Tallulah and their other daughters Rumer, 23, and Scout, 20, were along for the family occasion too.
Rumer showed off her toned stomach in a belly baring grey top which she paired with a see-through white summer skirt and her orange bag matched her flaming locks.
Meanwhile, middle girl Scout flew in to Los Angeles from New York to face all the family after recently being arrested for underage drinking and having an open alcohol container on the street.
Demi Moore put on a brave front at the high school graduation for 18-year-old daughter Tallulah on Thursday and looked in great shape
Scout is studying at Brown University and is also an aspiring singer.
It’s not the first time she has been at the centre of controversy. Earlier this year she took to Twitter and ranted about how much she hated her parents and how she tried the drug MDMA.
She later claimed the tweets were a ‘hoax’ and that she did it for a class project at school.
One person who was noticeably absent was Demi Moore’s estranged husband Ashton Kutcher.
The clan had always prided themselves on attending special events together but it seems now that Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have split it may not be as comfortable a situation as it once was.
Ashton Kutcher, who is currently filming the Steve Jobs biopic, is apparently still close to his stepdaughters but stayed away.
There have been recent rumors swirling that Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher may reunite after calling it quits on their marriage following allegations the actor cheated on Demi on their six-year anniversary
RadarOnline said that they have met up on several occasions are “still desperately in love and could be on for a reconciliation”.
No divorce papers have yet been filed.
Meanwhile, Bruce Willis became a father for the fourth time in April when his new wife Emma Heming gave birth to a girl, Mabel Ray.
He was all smiles for the graduation and beamed proudly as he got to spend time with his daughters.
Matthew McConaughey wed the mother of his two children, Camila Alves, in an intimate Saturday evening ceremony at his Austin, Texas property, according to People magazine.
The couple, who got engaged last Christmas Day after almost five years together, tied the knot in front of their close friends and family.
Also witnessing the ceremony was their two children, Levi, who turns 4 next month, and daughter Vida, 2½.
Camila Alves has taken Matthew McConayghey’s surname and has officially become Camila McConaughey, the actor’s representation told the publication.
It is said that the couple kept the nuptials a secret from some guests up until the very last minute.
Yesterday, plans were well underway for the nuptials with a sea of camping equipment acting as accommodation for their guests.
The couple is believed to have provided guests with the state-of-the art tents which line the back yard.
Matthew McConaughey wed the mother of his two children, Camila Alves, in an intimate Saturday evening ceremony at his Austin, Texas property
The luxury temporary abodes, numbered 1-47, are in four rows in the garden and are said to be kitted out with beds, cosy white fur rugs on the floor, and outdoor seating with doormats at the front.
They have also been equipped with what appears to be high-tech air-conditioning units.
Yesterday Matthew McConaughey, 42, appeared to be relaxing in a hammock as preparations went on around him, with a giant white marquis erected – no doubt where the happy couple walked down the aisle this evening.
Also visible from the bird’s eye view were seven long, wooden dinner tables, that seat 18 people each.
There were boxes of candles that also looked set to provide extra romance for this evening spectacular event.
Security was on hand at the three-story, seven-bedroom mansion, called Old Oak Estate.
Just two dozen close friends and relatives are thought to have been invited to the “cosy” celebration, with those working at the event signing a nondisclosure contract, according to E! News.
Camila Alves, 29, was due to be honored at the Step Up Women’s Network event in Beverly Hills yesterday but instead sent a video message so she could remain close to the wedding plans.
The Brazilian model recently said she didn’t expect marriage to alter their relationship.
“We’ve been living a married life for over six years now,” she says.
“We have homes together, we have family together, we have kids, we’ve built a life together. So, we’ve been living a married life this whole time.”
Matthew McConaughey recently moved his family back to Austin, Texas because he loves the laid-back vibe of the city and enjoys a level of anonymity he cannot achieve elsewhere.
The actor said: “No one recognizes you and no one asks you, <<Hey, what do you do?>>, because I don’t think anyone cares.
“Fridays show up sooner here. You want to get along in Austin, you want to get along in Texas, all you have to do is be yourself.”
Matthew McConaughey previously dated Penélope Cruz and Ashley Judd.
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel who sent home a big Afghan carpet free of charge aboard an intelligence service plane has drawn criticism from opposition politicians.
A spokesman for Minister Dirk Niebel says the customs duty required for the carpet will be paid.
Dirk Niebel bought the 30 kg (66-pound) carpet for himself in the Afghan capital Kabul, the Spiegel news website reports. It cost about $1,400.
Import duty was not paid when it arrived in Berlin last month.
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel who sent home a big Afghan carpet free of charge aboard an intelligence service plane has drawn criticism from opposition politicians
The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) have demanded an explanation from the minister. He is a member of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), junior coalition partners with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats.
Dirk Niebel had left the 9 sq m (97 sq ft) carpet at the German embassy because he could not get it on a scheduled flight. Then the German foreign intelligence service (BND) offered to fly it back to Berlin as a favor, German media report.
Spain’s decision to request a loan of up to 100 billion Euros ($125 billion) from eurozone funds to help shore up its struggling banks has won broad support.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the bailout was big enough to restore credibility to Spain’s banks.
Washington welcomed the measure as a vital step towards the “financial union” of the eurozone.
The move was agreed during emergency talks between eurozone finance ministers on Saturday.
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said the plan for Spain should provide “assurance that the financing needs of Spain’s banking system will be fully met”.
“I strongly welcome the statement by the Eurogroup, which complements the measures taken by the Spanish authorities in recent weeks to strengthen the banking system,” she said.
“The IMF stands ready, at the invitation of the Eurogroup members, to support the implementation and monitoring of this financial assistance through regular reporting.”
Spain's decision to request a loan of up to 100 billion Euros ($125 billion) from eurozone funds to help shore up its struggling banks has won broad support
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner welcomed the latest moves as “important for the health of Spain’s economy and as concrete steps on the path to financial union, which is vital to the resilience of the euro area”.
France’s Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the deal would “contribute to restoring confidence in the eurozone”.
The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said he was confident that through bank restructuring and other reforms, Spain could gradually regain the confidence of investors and create the conditions needed for sustainable growth and job creation.
Earlier, Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos announced that his country would shortly make a formal request for assistance.
Luis de Guindos said the help would be for the financial system, not the economy as a whole.
“This is not a rescue,” he said.
He also said the aid would not come with new austerity measures attached to the economy. Spain has already imposed strict economic reforms in a bid to tackle its debt problems.
The loan will bolster Spain’s weakest banks, left with billions of Euros worth of bad loans following the collapse of a property boom and the recession that followed.
Some banks borrowed large amounts on the international markets to lend to developers and homebuyers, a riskier strategy than funding it with deposits from savings.
The exact amount that Spain will receive will be decided after the completion of two audits of its banks, due to be completed by the end of June.
The money will come from two funds created to help eurozone members in financial distress – the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), which enters into force next month.
Investors have recently demanded higher and higher costs to lend to Spain, making it too expensive for the country to borrow the money needed for a bank rescue from the markets.
Peruvian police officials say they have found the wreckage of a helicopter missing in the south of the country, and all 14 on board are dead.
The helicopter had left the Amazon region of Madre de Dios on Wednesday bound for Cusco.
The 12 passengers were mostly South Korean but included a Dutchman, a Czech, a Swede and a Peruvian, police said. The two members of the crew were Peruvian.
The wreckage was at 4,900 m (16,000 ft) near Mount Mamarosa, police said.
Peruvian police officials say they have found the wreckage of a helicopter missing in the south of the country, and all 14 on board are dead
Police commander Raul Aybar, who visited the scene, said the helicopter had “crashed and exploded”.
“Everyone died in the initial impact because everything is burned and scattered,” Raul Aybar told AP news agency.
Peru’s police chief, General Raul Salazar, said that some parts of the helicopter had been thrown up to 200m by the force of impact.
Officials said bodies were being recovered from the crash site, although rain and snow have hampered the team’s efforts.
The South Korean embassy in the Peruvian capital, Lima, said its nationals had been part of a team exploring a potential hydro-electric project near Puno, in southern Peru.
Samsung C&T and the Korea Water Resources Corporation, which employed some of those on board, had sent teams to assist in the search.
The helicopter went missing in a mountainous area that is regularly covered in clouds.
Thousands of tourists travel to the Cusco region each year to visit Machu Picchu, a 15th Century Incan city on a mountain above the town of Aguas Calientes.
UEFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Football Union of Russia for “improper conduct of supporters” during Friday’s Euro 2012 game against the Czech Republic in Wroclaw.
Four stewards needed hospital treatment after being attacked by fans in the Municipal Stadium in Poland.
And claims of racist abuse directed at Czech defender Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is black, are being investigated.
The Control and Disciplinary Body will review the case on Wednesday, 13 June.
A UEFA statement read: “Having looked at the security reports and available images, UEFA has today announced that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Football Union of Russia [RFS] for the improper conduct of its supporters, the setting off and throwing of fireworks, and the display of illicit banners at Friday’s UEFA match.”
UEFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Football Union of Russia for "improper conduct of supporters" during Friday's Euro 2012 game against the Czech Republic in Wroclaw
Anti-racism campaigners claimed Czech defender Theodor Gebre Selassie was the victim of monkey chants during Russia’s 4-1 victory, while footage seemingly shows Russian supporters attacking stewards in a walkway of the stadium.
The FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) network confirmed one of their observers at the match heard “fleeting” racist abuse of Gebre Selassie.
Asked if it included monkey chants, FARE chief executive Piara Powar said: “Our observer reported descriptions of that nature.
“It was directed at the Czech Republic’s only black player,” Piara Powar added.
Footage of the incident involving the stewards has emerged online, with UEFA releasing a statement saying they are aware of “a brief and isolated incident involving a small group of around 30 fans who attacked a handful of stewards”.
The statement continued: “The situation was quickly and efficiently brought under control. The local police are aware of the incident and investigating.
“The cause of the incident is not currently known but we are studying the security reports and available images. UEFA remains entirely committed to the safety and security of all fans and spectators at all matches of Euro 2012.”
The tournament has already been beset with problems of racism, with UEFA confirming on Friday there were “isolated incidents of racist chanting” aimed at Netherlands players during an open training session.
France is voting in parliamentary elections expected to determine the extent and pace of reform under new President Francois Hollande.
Voting for the lower house is beginning with a first round, followed by run-offs a week later.
Correspondents say if Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party can win a majority, he will have the mandate to push through bold tax and spend policies.
There is also a closely watched battle between the far right and the far left.
The far-right National Front is hoping to follow up a strong performance in the recent presidential election by gaining its first presence in the 577-seat National Assembly since the 1980s.
France is voting in parliamentary elections expected to determine the extent and pace of reform under new President Francois Hollande
With the senate already under the control of the Socialists, a majority in the lower house would give Francois Hollande unprecedented power to force through his reform programme.
Francois Hollande’s government is due to present a revised budget plan to parliament next month.
The result of the parliamentary election will determine the pace of reform and how radical it becomes.
If the left fails to win, France would enter into a period of “cohabitation”, in which the presidency and the lower house are controlled by political rivals.
The right-wing Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) – the party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy – is defending an absolute majority in the current National Assembly.
The party has concluded an electoral agreement with its centrist Radical Party and New Centre allies.
With the parliamentary polls coming hot on the heels of April’s presidential election, there have been concerns over voter turnout.
Speaking on Thursday, Francois Hollande said: “I call on the French to vote. I call on them to give a large majority, a solid and coherent one.”
One of the main stories of the presidential election was the third place finish of the National Front’s Marine Le Pen.
The far right’s strongest chances of success in this poll are in a string of constituencies in the north and southeast.
The key battle is in the northern industrial town of Henin Beaumont where Marine Le Pen faces the flamboyant leader of the far left, Jean Luc Melenchon.
Maria Sharapova blasted her way to victory over Italian Sara Errani in the French Open final to become only the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam.
Maria Sharapova, 25, claimed a one-sided 6-3 6-2 win to add to the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open titles from earlier in her career.
The Russian overwhelmed her Italian opponent, who was playing in her first Grand Slam singles final.
Maria Sharapova’s run in Paris has also moved her top of the women’s rankings.
At a time when the women’s game is lacking a dominant and consistent figure, Maria Sharapova provided more evidence that she is capable of filling that vacuum.
Since she was last world number one in June 2008, the top ranking has been held by eight different players and changed hands on 15 occasions, while the last six Grand Slams have been won by six different women.
Maria Sharapova blasted her way to victory over Italian Sara Errani in the French Open final to become only the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam
Maria Sharapova, who has battled back from shoulder surgery that threatened her career and severely disrupted her serve, produced a display of power and precision which will now see her head into Wimbledon as a strong favourite.
She and Sara Errani had never met before and, while the Russian was the clear favourite, her opponent posed a threat having won three clay court tournaments coming into the French Open.
But the Italian had her first two service games broken and struggled to handle the power of her opponent’s game.
The Russian had lost her last two Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open but was clearly determined not to slip up again.
Sara Errani engineered a break back to register her first game but it was a temporary reprieve as Maria Sharapova claimed a third set point with a backhand down the line.
Maria Sharapova broke to love at the start of the second set and despite Sara Errani drawing cheers from the crowd with some adventurous shotmaking, it was not enough to disrupt the second seed.
Sara Errani had won the women’s doubles title with Roberta Vinci on Friday and, after her semi-final win over Samantha Stosur, said she had to start showing greater belief against more illustrious opponents.
But the Bologna-born right-hander rarely looked like she thought she could overcome Maria Sharapova and after wasting a break point in game four, she was broken again in game five.
Maria Sharapova set up her third match point with a magnificent running forehand winner up the line, and converted it when Sara Errani sliced a tame backhand into the net.
It was her first Grand Slam title since the 2008 Australian Open and she sunk to her knees in celebration.
Dwina Gibb was adamant the mother of Robin Gibb’s love child did not attend his funeral today and Claire Yang respectfully granted her wish.
Claire Yang, a former housekeeper of robin Gibb, with whom he fathered Snow Robin three years ago, instead spent the day with the tot and a close friend.
While Robin Gibb’s casket was being brought through the streets of his hometown of Thame, Oxfordshire, the trio were out and about, returning home at around 3:00 p.m., as the rest of the star’s grieving family were attending the private service at St Mary’s church.
The group got out of the silver 4×4, with Claire Yang’s friend walking around the back of the car to get the little girl out.
They then rushed into the former housekeeper’s large house.
Claire Yang refused to speak about her decision not to attend the funeral.
Dwina Gibb was adamant the mother of Robin Gibb’s love child did not attend his funeral today and Claire Yang respectfully granted her wish
When reporters pressed the entry phone system and asked to talk to her, a woman with an oriental accent said she would not speak.
“She’s not available,” said the woman.
“She’s not at home, goodbye.”
According to reports, Dwina Gibb told friends that she would absolutely hate Claire Yang to attend, but wouldn’t turn her away if she did, although no doubt she will have been relieved it didn’t come to that.
A close friend told the Daily Mirror: “Dwina has said that she would loathe her to be there but there won’t be any scene whatsoever if she came along to pay her respects.”
Robin Gibb, 62, who died from liver and colon cancer on May 20, had a long-term affair with Claire Yang but was asked to leave the house by bisexual Dwina, 59, when she became pregnant.
Despite having an open relationship it is thought Dwina Gibb “hit the roof” when she discovered Claire Yang was pregnant.
It was revealed last week that Robin Gibb had paid out £4 million ($6.5 million) to Claire Yang and their three-year-old daughter Snow Robin.
A source told the Sunday Mirror: “If Claire does go to the funeral she will be -keeping her distance from Dwina and it will be awkward.
“Robin never walked away from his responsibilities and always made sure the child was fully provided for.”
Robin Gibb’s fans got the chance to pay their respects to the singer when his horse-drawn glass carriage was taken through his home town of Thame, Oxon.
The carriage left from his home before heading along the town’s high street and then making its way to the church.
At the service Dwina Gibb read a poem that she wrote especially for today and a song written by Robin Gibb was also debuted.
Don’t Cry Alone is thought to be his final composition taken from his Titanic Requiem.
The touching song features the opening lines: “If your heart is breaking, I’m yours whatever, I will not forsake you ever, don’t cry alone.”
Karen Marley, a divorced woman and a self-confessed serial mistress from UK, has had affairs with 50 married men over the past six years – and has no plans to change her habit.
“Married men are better trained,” she said in an interview with the Mirror.
“They have had all their rough edges sanded off by their wives and know how to behave around a lady. And married men are better in bed.”
Karen Marley says she has learned that a man who is still single into his 40s is single for a reason: either he has no social etiquette whatsoever or he’s a player, just looking for his next wrestle.
“A single guy I was on a date with licked his plate in a restaurant,” Karen Marley, 45, says.
“A married man would never do that because his wife would knock his head off his shoulders.”
Karen Marley is one of a growing number of women signing up to IllicitEncounters.com, a dating site for married people.
Women can join for free but men are charged £134 ($215) a month to find a mistress having consciously made a decision to have an affair.
Karen Marley, a divorced woman and a self-confessed serial mistress from UK, has had affairs with 50 married men over the past six years -
Karen Marley justifies her behavior by saying she doesn’t want to steal the husbands away from their wives – she simply wants to “borrow” them.
“Their wives should be grateful when it’s me their husbands choose,” she says.
“I’m the perfect mistress. I am never going to ask them to leave their wives for me. Most mistresses do, but not me. If I asked him to leave his wife, in every argument from then on he would say: <<Do you know what I gave up for you?>> I don’t ever want to be part of that.
“In fact, when one of my men confessed about me to his wife and told me his marriage was over, I finished our affair. I was horrified. I don’t want to steal someone’s else husband for good, just borrow him for a while.
“I know how to behave as a mistress – and I don’t just mean in bed. I would never ring one of my married men at home at 2am or the weekend because that’s their time with their family.
“I would never throw a hissy fit if they don’t spend Valentine’s, Easter or Christmas with me. We both know exactly what the goalposts are. That’s the beauty of it all.”
Karen Marley has been confronted by a couple of angry wives who suspected she was sleeping with their husbands.
She insisted that she was merely friends with the men and stopped seeing them immediately. She feels no guilt about her behaviou because she says the men on the site have already made a conscious decision to have an affair before meeting her.
“I am not the reason for their marital problems,” she says.
“Also it costs so much to join, so you get a certain quality of man.”
Indeed, despite the current economic slump in the UK, Illicit Encounters have reported that business is booming – with the number of new members up by 27,000 in the last two months.
Experts say that that cheating websites are popular because many unhappily married couples simply cannot afford to get divorced in the current economic climate.
The stagnant housing market, growing family debt – up 58% to an average of £9,314 ($15,000) per family this year – and the average cost of divorce – £13,000 ($21,000) – are forces behind the wide-spread shift to infidelity.
Many new Illicit Encounters members stated on their application forms that they were joining because they were in unhappy marriages that they were unable to get out of in what is now a “double-dip” recession.
Illicit Encounters spokesperson Rosie Freeman-Jones said: “Many couples are now finding themselves trapped in unhappy marriages because they simply cannot afford to divorce.
“It’s not just legal fees. It’s the fact they can’t sell their houses since the market is so stagnant. Worse, some are in a position of negative equity. A surprisingly high number of people who have recently joined have said that they count their marriages as over already and would have already got a divorce by now if they could only afford it. Having an affair is treated almost as a practical, rather than a romantic, decision.”
Mistresses like Karen Marley are reaping the benefit from this boom in cheating. Karen Marley insists it is not money she is after. She makes her own living as a writer, and most of her relationships with men on Illicit Encounters are nothing more than short flings.
She says: “When husbands are on loan to me they almost revert back to being in their 20s because that’s often the last time they dated. We go to the theatre and do all the things married couple no longer do because they’ve already done it.
“I get the good bits of married men. During our time together, it’s the wife who is the other woman.”
Karen Marley divorced her husband 11 years ago, but says she is happier flitting from one man to the next rather than finding Mr. Right.
“I know married life isn’t for me. But I know that married men have the qualities I am looking for.”
Jaw-dropping pictures posted on social networks reveal the devastation caused by massive hail storms which have swept through Colorado and Wyoming this week.
Destructive hailstones coated the ground so thickly that the landscape appeared to be covered in snow, KOAA reported.
Stunned residents took to Facebook and Twitter to share their photos of the bizarre weather, which blocked roads and left some cars almost totally submerged.
One picture in particular tugged at many heartstrings when it was posted by KDVR – a touching snapshot of a dog which sought shelter from the torrential downpour in a trash can.
Jaw-dropping pictures posted on social networks reveal the devastation caused by massive hail storms which have swept through Colorado and Wyoming this week
The hail downpour was part of a powerful storm system that rolled through parts of Colorado and Wyoming on Thursday, packing heavy rains, high winds and hail.
The storms followed a round of nasty late spring weather that pummeled the region.
Preliminary reports show Colorado was hit by 10 tornadoes during the past two days.
The storms came at the peak time for such severe weather in the state. Severe thunderstorms normally become less common later in the month and in early July until summer monsoons start developing.
At least seven homes were damaged in Elbert County on the plains southeast of Denver.
County officials said two homes lost roofs and others had broken windows but the total damage was still being assessed.
Laura Van Why said she and her husband Dennis, their 2-year-old son and two dogs hid under the stairs of their basement while the storm passed near Kiowa, Colorado.
“It felt like forever,” Laura Van Why said.
“It was like, <<Black out the windows>>.”
Forecaster Jerry Claycomb, from the National Weather Service in Cheyenne, said the same factors created the storms in both states.
A low-pressure system stalled over northern Colorado and against the Laramie Range mountains southeast of Casper. That pulled up low-level moisture from the Gulf of Mexico from the southeast.
High-level westerly winds combined with low-level southeasterly winds to create what Jerry Claycomb called “shear”, which he said amounts to a turning in the atmosphere.
“It created these super cell thunderstorms over us, and those super cells created some tornadoes,” he said.
Kris Humphries’ lawyers want him to walk into his divorce depositions at the end of June looking like a heartbroken, and very single, man.
And they are going to great lengths to keep his new rumored girlfriend Fatima “Myla” Sinanaj quiet about her supposed relationship with Kris Humphries, as they aim to prove that his 72-day marriage to reality TV star Kim Kardashian was indeed fraud.
According to TMZ, Kris Humphries’ lawyer reached out to Myla Sinanaj’s lawyer to negotiate a non-disclosure agreement in order to get a lockdown on any sensitive texts, emails, or other documents she has relating to their relationship.
Kris Humphries, 27, is demanding millions from Kim Kardashian, 31, and Kris doesn’t want anything to jeopardize his case that their union should be annulled rather than granted a divorce.
His lawyers are willing to pay a price in order to get Myla Sinanaj’s signature on a joint statement as well.
Kris Humphries' lawyer reached out to Myla Sinanaj's lawyer to negotiate a non-disclosure agreement in order to get a lockdown on any sensitive texts, emails, or other documents she has relating to their relationship
RadarOnline first reported that Kris Humphries had no plans to publicly date anyone until after his divorce was finalized, but TMZ claimed that Kris has been dating Myla Sinanaj, 25, since January, even flying her to Miami for a romantic beach holiday last weekend.
They have apparently been seeing each other regularly, meeting at various basketball games where Kris Humphries provided her and family members with courtside seats.
The pair met at a prominent five star hotel in New York, TMZ claims.
“Kris is expecting to be asked if he has a girlfriend, or has had one since Kim filed for divorce,” an insider told RadarOnline.
“Kris will answer under oath that he hasn’t had a girlfriend and that he is very single. Kris doesn’t care that Kim is dating Kanye West, he has truly moved on with his life.
“Kris is going to be in Minnesota for the summer getting in the best shape possible for the upcoming basketball season, end of story. Kris’ primary focus has been basketball, and that is it.”
Myla Sinanaj’s Twitter page, which has since been deleted, had a number of interesting posts related to Kardashian patriarch Bruce Jenner and Kim’s new boyfriend rapper Kanye West.
“Say my name, say my name. When no one is around, you say baby I love you. Why the sudden change?” Myla Sinanaj tweeted, quoting a Destiny’s Child song.
She also shared: “Bruce Jenner’s face scares me – it should be on the <<Why not to get plastic surgery>> poster.”
“Myla is very upset with Kris for not wanting an exclusive relationship,” a source told RadarOnline.
“Kris was honest with her from the beginning and it’s very likely that he won’t be seeing her anymore now. There are always going to be girls that are looking for their 15 minutes of fame and say they are dating Kris. It just comes along with the territory.”
Irish football fan Oliver Coughlan is the target of a worldwide web hunt after he left his tickets for Ireland’s three Euro 2012 matches in a Champion Sports shop in Dublin Airport.
“The tickets are for Ireland’s games against Croatia, Italy and Spain,” said Paul O’Kane at Dublin Airport.
“I can only think that somewhere in Poland, the poor man is putting his hand in his pocket for his tickets and figuring out that they’re gone.”
The tickets were found in the airport shop at 10:00 BST on Friday.
The authorities think that Oliver Coughlan must have flown out without them.
But thanks to the honesty of staff at Champion Sports and the quick thinking of the airport media department, the hunt for Oliver has taken to Twitter and Facebook. His story has featured on Irish radio and on news websites.
Irish football fan Oliver Coughlan is the target of a worldwide web hunt after he left his tickets for Ireland's three Euro 2012 matches in a Champion Sports shop in Dublin Airport
His story has gone viral.
“We have tweeted and Champion Sports have posted messages on their Facebook,” said Paul O’Kane, director of public affairs at the airport.
“The story has been picked up by RTE and local radio stations.
“I can only think that the first game is on Sunday evening so we have a bit of time to find him. Ten years ago, trying to track him down would have been very difficult. Now, thanks to new media and social networks we have a chance of reuniting him with his tickets before Sunday’s match.”
The airport lines have been buzzing with people wondering about those tickets – some of them have even offered to buy them.
But the airport is keen to do the right thing by Oliver Coughlan – they are trying their best to reunite him with his tickets and have asked the public to help them find him.
Prince Philip has left London’s King Edward VII hospital after a five-night stay receiving treatment for a bladder infection.
He was admitted to London’s King Edward VII hospital on Monday, a day after attending the rain-drenched Jubilee river pageant with the Queen.
On Friday, the Duke of Edinburgh was visited by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, the latest in a series of visits from his family.
Prince Philip will celebrate his 91st birthday on Sunday.
Prince Philip has left London's King Edward VII hospital after a five-night stay receiving treatment for a bladder infection
Earlier this week, Buckingham Palace said the duke’s condition had “improved considerably” and that he was being treated with antibiotics and was in “good spirits”.
Clarence House said Prince William and Prince Harry paid a “short private visit” to see their grandfather on Friday.
They made no comment to reporters outside as they left after 20 minutes.
Prince William visited the duke while on leave from his RAF search and rescue duties.
On Thursday, it was announced that he had qualified as a Royal Air Force search and rescue captain, after passing his tests on 29 May.
Meanwhile, his brother Prince Harry – a captain in the Army – has spent this week on pre-deployment training at RAF Wattisham in Suffolk.
The Queen and the Duke of York visited Prince Philip on Wednesday. Prince Andrew said that his father was “mending very well”.
Prince Philip had appeared to be in good health when he accompanied the Queen on Sunday on the royal barge the Spirit of Chartwell, which formed part of the Jubilee river pageant.
His admission to hospital meant that he could not join the Queen at the final Diamond Jubilee events to mark her 60 years on the throne.
Prince Philip is not due to attend his next scheduled engagement until Tuesday, when the Queen hosts a garden party at the Sandringham Estate as part of Jubilee celebrations.
