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Japan’s Shares Lose All Year-to-Date Gains

Clyde K. Valle
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Japan’s Shares Lose All Year-to-Date Gains

Japan’s shares lost this year’s gains after Nikkei index fell below 17,450.77 points on September 8.

Japan’s benchmark index finished the day down 2.43% at 17,427.08 points.

Analysts said investors were concerned about China’s economy following latest trade numbers released on September 8.

Investors also reacted to Japan’s revised growth numbers released earlier which analysts said had not eased concerns about the state of the country’s economy.

Japan’s economy contracted 0.3% during the quarter, compared with original calculations of a 0.4% contraction.

Photo Wikipedia
Photo Wikipedia

The revision beat market expectations, which were for a contraction of 0.5%, but did little to calm investors.

The world’s third largest economy also revealed a revised fall in private consumption on September 8 to 0.7% from a previous estimate of 0.8%.

Japan relies on domestic consumption for about 60% of its economy. However, it has been adjusting to the impact of a sales tax rise which has dampened spending.

Chinese shares rallied to close higher after a surge in late afternoon buying by bargain hunters helped reverse earlier losses.

The Shanghai Composite finished up 2.9% at 3,170.45, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 3.3% at 21,259.04.

Investors ignored trade data that showed China’s imports in August fell 14.3% in yuan-denominated terms from a year ago, while exports fell by 6.1%.

The steep fall in the value of imports, which was greater than expected, reflected lower commodity prices globally, particularly crude oil.

In Australia the S&P/ASX 200 closed up 1.69% at 5,115.2 points.

Energy stocks were boosted as investors reacted to news that Australian energy giant Woodside Petroleum had made an estimated $11.65 billion Australian dollars ($8.1 billion) bid for Oil Search as it looks towards Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) market.

Australian-listed shares in Oil Search, which is an oil and gas exploration firm with most of its assets in PNG, rose as much as 17% on the news, though Woodside’s slid more than 3%.

South Korea’s Kospi benchmark index closed down 0.24% at 1,878.68 points.

China Imports Fall 14.3% in August 2015

Clyde K. Valle
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0
China Imports Fall 14.3% in August 2015

According to latest trade figures, China’s August imports fell 14.3% in yuan-denominated terms from a year ago, while exports fell by 6.1%.

The steep fall in the value of imports reflects lower commodity prices globally, particularly crude oil.

The numbers mean China’s monthly trade surplus expanded by close to 40% from the month earlier to 368 billion yuan ($57.8 billion).China imports August 2015

China recently revised down its 2014 economic growth from 7.4% to 7.3%, its weakest for almost 25 years.

In US dollar denominated terms, exports for the month of August fell 5.5% from a year earlier – slightly less than expected – while imports fell by 13.8%, leaving China with a surplus of $60.24 billion.

Currency conversion factors based on US dollar and Chinese yuan movements over the last year mean some official numbers from the mainland are now reported in both currencies.

A fall in both import and export figures had been expected as China’s economy slows, though analysts said the drop in imports was greater than forecast.

North Korea and South Korea Agree to Hold Family Reunions in October

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea and South Korea Agree to Hold Family Reunions in October

North Korea and South Korea have agreed to hold reunions for families separated by the Korean War, according to Seoul government.

The family reunions will take place in October at the Diamond Mountain resort in North Korea.

The decision follows an agreement last month that de-escalated tensions sparked by a border mine explosion that injured two South Korean soldiers.

Thousands of Korean families have been separated with little or no contact since the war ended in 1953.

The highly emotional reunions of family member who have not seen one another in decades have been infrequent, and depend hugely on the state of relations on the Korean peninsula.Korean family reunion

The reunions, which started in 1988, used to be annual but have often been canceled in recent years as relations frayed. The last round was held in February 2014.

About 66,000 South Koreans remain on the waiting list to see their relatives, many in their 80s and 90s.

The upcoming reunions, slated to be held at the Diamond Mountain resort in Mount Kumgang from October 20 to 26, will see 100 people from each side selected.

The decision came after Red Cross officials from both Koreas held talks earlier this week at the border village of Panmunjom.

Communication between relatives across the border is highly restricted and almost non-existent.

Amanda Knox Acquittal: Italy’s Court of Cassation Publishes Reasoning

Nancy Clayson
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Amanda Knox Acquittal: Italy’s Court of Cassation Publishes Reasoning

Italy’s Court of Cassation has criticized “glaring errors” in the investigation into the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

The highest appeals court acquitted Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito of the murder in March.

The court said there was an “absolute lack of biological traces” of either defendant in the room where Meredith Kercher was killed or on her body.

Meredith Kercher, 21, was stabbed to death in a Perugia flat she shared with Amanda Knox.

The Court of Cassation published its reasoning on September 7, as it is required to do under Italian law.

It issued a damning assessment of the quality of the prosecution case, saying its high profile nature had an effect on investigators.Amanda Knox acquittal 2015

“The international spotlight on the case in fact resulted in the investigation undergoing a sudden acceleration,” the court said.

Several mistakes in the investigation were outlined by the court in its reasoning, including the fact that investigators burned Amanda Knox’s and Meredith Kercher’s computers, which could have yielded new information.

The court also wrote that the Florence appeals court which convicted Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito last year ignored expert testimony that “clearly demonstrated possible contamination” of evidence and misinterpreted findings about the knife allegedly used to slit Meredith Kercher’s throat, in what prosecutors had described as a s**ual assault, AP reports.

“The kitchen knife, found in Sollecito’s house and the supposed crime weapon, was kept in an ordinary cardboard box,” the judges noted, adding that no traces of blood were found on it.

The judges said that one of Meredith Kercher’s bra clasps, which prosecutors argued carried a trace of Raffaele Sollecito’s DNA, was left on the floor of the murder scene for 46 days, and then “was passed from hand to hand of the workers, who, furthermore, were wearing dirty latex gloves”.

Another man, Rudy Hermann Guede, born in Ivory Coast, was convicted of murder in a separate trial and is serving a 16-year sentence.

The court’s ruling against Rudy Hermann Guede stated that he did not act alone, but the acquittals of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito mean that no-one now stands convicted of acting with Guede to kill Meredith Kercher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vANbFNsxI

Toshiba Posts $318 Million Net Loss

Clyde K. Valle
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Toshiba Posts $318 Million Net Loss

Toshiba has posted a net loss of 37.8 billion yen ($318 million) for the year to March.

The delayed result follows the sale of its stake in Finnish company Kone, in a bid to bolster its bottom line amid a recent accounting scandal.

The sale of the 4.6% stake in the lift manufacturer was worth $946.2 million.

Toshiba’s president and vice-president resigned in July after an independent panel found the company had overstated profits for the past six years.

The panel said operating profits had been overstated by $1.22 billion, roughly triple an initial estimate by Toshiba.Toshiba annual loss 2015

Toshiba has apologized to investors and has made attempts to avoid further accounting irregularities.

The company said in a statement that “while the US economy had lost some momentum… the UK had witnessed a strong performance and the eurozone had sustained a gradual recovery”.

Toshiba also said that despite China’s slowdown, solid growth had been seen in South East Asia and India.

During a news conference after the earnings were released, Toshiba also announced that it had decided there was no need to write down the value of its US nuclear operation, Westinghouse.

The accounting scandal had raised concerns that it was overestimating the value of the business.

Toshiba chief executive Masashi Muromachi also said that he was considering a “bold restructuring” of its semiconductor business by the end of the year.

The full-year results posted on September 7 had been delayed twice.

Toshiba shares rose on the earnings by as much as 3.5%, closing higher by 1.8% in Tokyo.

HTC Exits TSWE 50 Index After Share Price Fall

Clyde K. Valle
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HTC Exits TSWE 50 Index After Share Price Fall

HTC has been dropped from Taiwan’s TSWE 50 index, following a 66% slide in its share price this year.

The collapse in HTC’s share price means it is not big enough to be included in Taiwan’s TWSE 50 Index.

In June, the smartphone maker said Q2 2015 revenues had halved from the same period last year, resulting in an operating loss of 5.1 billion Taiwanese dollars ($155 million).

Last month, HTC said it would cut 15% of its global workforce.

HTC’s share price is now less than the amount of cash it holds on deposit, which means investors consider the rest of the company to be, in theory, worthless.

Dropping out of the TWSE 50 index may push the share price even lower, as foreign investors are reluctant to hold shares not listed on the main Taiwan index.

HTC was founded in the 1990s and started out manufacturing notebook computers and some of the first touch handheld devices. It also made the world’s first Android smartphone.

Photo HTC
Photo HTC

It has been outgunned at the top end of the smart phone market by Apple, Samsung and LG.

Many blame the outcome on the massive advertising budgets of the market leaders. Samsung alone spent over $60 million on marketing the launch of its new Galaxy S6 smart phone, roughly the same as HTC’s entire annual marketing budget.

Meanwhile, Chinese makers such as Xiaomi and Lenovo have squeezed it at the cheaper end.

Analysts complain that HTC has not innovated enough, claiming for instance that its new HTC One M9 smart phone is almost identical to its former M8.

However, HTC has not been slow to launch new products. It has a fitness tracker called the Grip and recently launched active earphones.

Hours before the Taiwanese stock exchange announced HTC’s ejection from the TWSE 50, the company launched the latest of its Desire smartphone range, the 728, in China.

HTC is also attracting attention with the launch of its virtual reality headset Vive at the end of the year. The company says more than 1,000 developers are working with it on content creation for gaming, entertainment and education apps.

Cher Wang, chairwoman and chief executive of HTC, said: “While the current market climate is challenging, I firmly believe the measures we are putting in place to streamline our operations, improve efficiency and focus, and increase our momentum will start to show results over the coming quarters.”

While HTC is out of the TSWE 50, it will be listed in the smaller Mid-Cap 100 Index, which contains 100 companies, but only 20% of the value of the whole market.

War Room Tops US Box Office with $9.3 Million

Sonia Pantiss
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War Room Tops US Box Office with $9.3 Million

War Room has topped the North American box office chart over the weekend.

The movie about the power of prayer, made by Christian film-makers with an all-Christian cast, cost $3 million to make and earned $9.3 million between Friday and Sunday.

War Room marks the acting debut of Priscilla Shirer, a spiritual speaker and author.

Straight Outta Compton, a biopic of rap group NWA, fell one place to No 2 after spending three weeks in the top spot.War Room box office

War Room was written and directed by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who have been dubbed “the Spielbergs of Christian cinema” by Variety magazine.

Straight Outta Compton made $8.9 million on its third weekend in US and Canadian cinemas, according to studio estimates.

A Walk in the Woods, an adaptation of a book by travel writer Bill Bryson starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, is ranked third with $8.1 million.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation was fourth in this week’s chart, followed by new release The Transporter: Refueled.

The weekend was also a significant one for dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic World, which has now made more than $1 billion outside North America.

Jurassic World is the fourth film to achieve this feat, after Avatar, Titanic and this year’s Fast & Furious 7, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Europe Migrant Crisis: Germany Calls on Other EU States to Help

Diane A. Wade
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Europe Migrant Crisis: Germany Calls on Other EU States to Help

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the “breathtaking” flow of migrants into her country will “occupy and change” Germany in the coming years.

Angela Merkel said Germany would speed up asylum procedures and build extra housing, but called on other EU states to help.

In the same time, President Francois Hollande said France would take 24,000 refugees and that quotas for EU states to relocate 120,000 migrants were being planned.

Meanwhile, the flow of migrants across Europe shows no sign of easing.Angela Merkel on migrant crisis

On September 7, large numbers of people were reported to be streaming into Hungary across its southern border with Serbia.

Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on September 7 that 120,000 migrants will be resettled under the proposals, on top of the 40,000 already agreed.

The 160,000 are said to include 66,000 who have arrived in Greece, 54,000 in Hungary and 40,000 in Italy.

Thousands of migrants who had arrived in Hungary made their way through Austria to Germany over the weekend. Those arriving at Munich station were cheered by locals.

Angela Merkel thanked volunteers who had helped and welcomed those arriving, saying they had “painted a picture of Germany which can make us proud of our country”.

However, she said that although Germany was “a country willing to take people in”, it was “time for the European Union to pull its weight”.

Germany – which expects 800,000 asylum requests this year – could face costs of €10 billion next year because of the influx, she added.

New quotas drawn up by the European Commission are set to be unveiled on September 9.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6lVamN8VN0

Cecil the Lion: Walter Palmer Speaks Publicly for First Time

Nancy Clayson
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Cecil the Lion: Walter Palmer Speaks Publicly for First Time

Walter Palmer, who sparked an international outcry after killing Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, has said he did nothing wrong and is planning to return to work this week.

Speaking in his first interview since the July killing of Cecil, Walter Palmer said he had been unaware of the lion’s significance.

The Minnesota dentist also revealed that there had been “some safety issues” for his family.

Zimbabwe has said it wishes to extradite and prosecute Walter Palmer.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the incident, Walter Palmer told the Associated Press and Minneapolis Star Tribune acted legally, but said that if he had known who the animal was he would not have killed it.Cecil the lion Walter Palmer interview

“If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study obviously I wouldn’t have taken it,” Walter Palmer said.

“Nobody in our hunting party knew before or after the name of this lion.”

Walter Palmer, 55, admitted that he wounded the lion with an arrow but denied that it had subsequently taken 40 hours to track down and kill it. He also denied claims by the Zimbabwean authorities that it had been killed by a gun, saying that an arrow had been used.

The dentist is believed to have paid $50,000 to hunt a lion in Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve.

Walter Palmer was forced to cease working following protests outside of his dentistry practice.

He says he intends to return to work because “my staff and my patients support me and they want me back”.

However, Walter Palmer denied that he had been forced into hiding for his own safety.

“I’ve been out of the public eye. That doesn’t mean I’m in hiding,” he said.

“I’ve been among people, family and friends.”

Walter Palmer did reveal that his wife and daughter had faced intimidation.

“They’ve been threatened in the social media, and again … I don’t understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all,” he said.

An avid hunter who had previously visited Zimbabwe four times, Walter Palmer did not rule out returning to the country.

“I don’t know about the future,” he said.

“Zimbabwe has been a wonderful country for me to hunt in, and I have always followed the laws.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR69iphYOlM

The Wisest Investments of the Year

Dana R
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The Wisest Investments of the Year

Before you invest your money, you need to think about what the wisest investment to make is. Here are some of the best investment options this year.

Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are good for beginners because you don’t have to take any big risks or decisions for yourself. Mutual funds pool together the money of many different investors and then the manager running the operation will invest that cash in bonds and different stocks. It takes out a lot of the risk involved in investing.

You should make sure you check out the experience and track record of the manager before you invest though. Some mutual funds are managed passively and other actively. Actively managed funds are the best option because the manager reacts to trends in the market to find the best results.

Gold

Gold is like a port in the storm. It’s the best investment option for people who don’t like the risks of investing but still want the rewards. Gold goes up and down in value the same as other types of investment. But it’s nowhere near as volatile as other types of investment. This means you won’t lose huge amounts of money if you invest in gold.

Other types of precious metals like silver and platinum are good for investing in as well. If you’re going to invest in silver, make sure it’s 90% Silver. That is the best form of silver to invest in at the moment. Platinum is doing very well on the market at the moment, so don’t rule out that option either.

Stocks

Buying stocks and shares is the most conventional and straightforward form of investment. Playing the stock market isn’t for everyone. You have to be attentive and on the ball at all times. You need to monitor the market and adjust your investments accordingly. This can make it a lot of fun as well though.

When you’re starting out, it’s important to remain cautious. Don’t be tempted to put all your money into one company. You should spread your investments so that you don’t run the risk of losing your cash if they company fails. By spreading your investments across various companies, you’ll be able to handle setbacks.

wise-investment

Image Source

Real Estate

Investing in property takes time and effort, but it can be hugely rewarding as well. You have to start by finding the right property to buy. It should be something with a lot of potential and pulling power on the market. Having said that, it doesn’t need to be in great shape. Look for rough diamonds that you can improve and sell on at a profit.

Once you have your first home bought and renovated, you can rent it out, or you can sell it on immediately. When you have the taste for it, you’ll probably want to go back for more. As your confidence grows, you’ll be able to build up a solid portfolio and make a lot of money in the process.

These options are the best forms of investment in 2015, so think about which one is best for you.

Saudi Arabia Cuts State Spending After Oil Price Collapse

Clyde K. Valle
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Saudi Arabia Cuts State Spending After Oil Price Collapse

Saudi Arabia government has decided to cut spending and delay some state projects after the recent decline in the price of oil, Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf has announced.

Talking to broadcaster CNBC Arabia, Ibrahim al-Assaf said Saudi Arabia was in a good position to manage low oil prices.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporting country, has maintained its production levels despite a collapse in the price of oil.

Oil is trading at less than $50 per barrel, half the price of a year ago.

“We have built reserves, cut public debt to near-zero levels and we are now working on cutting unnecessary expenses while focusing on main development projects and on building human resources in the kingdom,” Ibrahim al-Assaf said in the interview.Saudi Arabia economy 2015

Some areas of the economy will still receive investment, the finance minister said, as Saudi Arabia tries to improve industries outside energy.

“Projects in sectors such as education, health and infrastructure are not only important for the private sector but also for the long-term growth of the Saudi economy,” he said.

Ibrahim al-Assaf did not give details of where cuts would happen.

It may issue bonds, or Islamic bonds known as sukuk to finance some spending, Ibrahim al-Assaf said.

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has more than $600 billion in reserves it can draw upon should expenditure outstrip income from oil exports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpJ2VjFssfA

China Stock Markets Volatile After Four-Day Weekend

Clyde K. Valle
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China Stock Markets Volatile After Four-Day Weekend

The Chinese markets were volatile for much of September 7 as mainland stock exchanges reopened following a four-day weekend.

The Shanghai Composite traded erratically, but closed down by 2.5% to 3,080.42 points.

The market volatility in China came as the country’s National Bureau of Statistics revised its annual economic growth rate for 2014 to 7.3%, down from 7.4%.

Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng index closed down 1.2% to 20,583.52.

Mainland shares have fallen 40% since mid-June when the sell-off began, while Chinese regulators continue to take more steps to stabilize erratic trading.

China’s central bank governor, Zhou Xiochuan, told financial leaders at the G20 summit over the weekend that the markets had almost completed their correction after a steep rise in the first half of the year.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

“The stock market adjustment is already roughly in place and financial markets can be expected to be more stable,” Zhou Xiochuan said in a statement from Turkey.

Other Asian markets were mixed on September 7 despite stocks in the US, which headed lower on before weekend after US jobs figures were released.

Friday’s much-anticipated jobs figures showed unemployment fell to 5.1% last month, the lowest since April 2008.

The jobs report is the last before the Federal Reserve meets later this month to decide whether to increase interest rates.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei opened lower on September 7, down 0.65%, but finished the day closing up 0.38% at 17,860.47.

In Australia the S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.2% at 5,030.40, while South Korea’s Kospi benchmark index closed down 0.15% at 1,883.22 points, after closing down 1.5% on September 4.

Guatemala Elections 2015: Jimmy Morales Leads Presidential Vote After Early Results

Diane A. Wade
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Guatemala Elections 2015: Jimmy Morales Leads Presidential Vote After Early Results

Guatemalan actor Jimmy Morales is leading in the country’s presidential poll, early results have showed.

Jimmy Morales, who has campaigned against corruption, has about 25% of the vote so far, with a centre-right businessman, Manuel Baldizon, on 21%.

If no candidate wins more than half the votes, a second round will be held.

Voting took place on September 6, days after the resignation and arrest of President Otto Perez Molina over corruption allegations.

A new congress is also being elected.Guatemala elections 2015 Jimmy Morales

Many voters had called for the polls to be postponed in the wake of the allegations.

If no candidate wins 50% of the vote, the second round of voting will take place on October 25.

“Guatemala wants change and to not be governed by people with dark pasts,” said Jimmy Morales after voting near Guatemala City.

“Guatemala wants to live in peace. Guatemala wants elections,” Manuel Baldizon told journalists after casting his vote.

There had been calls for Guatemalans to wear black clothes of mourning as they cast their vote, amid skepticism that the poll could achieve political change.

Voters queued from the early hours to cast their ballots.

Electoral authorities said 50% of voters had cast their ballots five hours after polls opened.

Some 7.5 million people were eligible to vote in the polls.

Prosecutors accuse Otto Perez Molina of masterminding a scheme in which businessmen paid bribes to evade customs charges. The former president denies involvement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBy6hK-imGw

North Korea and South Korea Hold Talks on Organizing Family Reunions

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea and South Korea Hold Talks on Organizing Family Reunions

South Korea and North Korea are conducting talks on organizing a rare reunion for families separated by the Korean War.

The talks are being held at the border village of Panmunjom by Red Cross officials from both sides.

Thousands of Korean families have been separated with little contact made since 1953 when hostilities ended.

The sporadic reunions depend hugely on the state of relations, and North Korea is known to have canceled a few. The last reunion was held in February 2014.Korean family reunion

Each meeting gets deluged by tens of thousands of applications from South Korea, but only a tiny percentage gets selected. The last meeting saw 100 from each side attending, in a hugely emotional event.

The discussions come after a tense few weeks on the Korean peninsula, which saw exchanges of fire at the border and the evacuation of thousands of South Koreans from the border region.

The tensions began when a border landmine injured two South Korean soldiers – South Korea responded by broadcasting propaganda messages into North Korea.

The two sides reached an agreement to defuse the situation after marathon talks.

North Korea, which denied planted the mine, agreed to express “regret” about the incident – though later clarified this was an expression of sympathy not an apology.

South Korea and North Korea remain technically at war as the Korean War only ended in an armistice.

New Test Shows How Your Body Is Aging

Kathryn R. Bown
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New Test Shows How Your Body Is Aging

Scientists at King’s College London say they have developed a way of testing how your body is aging.

They say it could help predict when a person will die, identify those at high-risk of dementia and could affect medicine, pensions and insurance.

The team says that looking at “biological age” is more useful than using a date of birth.

However, the work, published in Genome Biology, provides no clues as to how to slow the aging process.Ageing test study

The test looks for an “ageing signature” in the body’s cells by comparing the behavior of 150 genes.

It was developed by initially comparing 54,000 markers of gene activity in healthy, but largely sedentary, 25 and 65-year-olds and then whittling them down to a final 150.

The team said “health” and “age” were two separate entities.

While some lifestyle decisions, like spending all day on the sofa, could be bad for your health they do not appear to affect the speed your body ages.

The team believes combining lifestyle factors and your biological age would give a more accurate picture of your health.

The researchers tried the test out on samples from a group of 70-year-old men in Sweden.

They worked out who was ageing well and who was ageing very rapidly and were able to predict who would die in the next few years.

The researchers say it could also alter cancer screening, with people who are ageing rapidly needing to be screened at a younger age.

The test could also form a “useful tool” in predicting the onset of dementia.

The research group at King’s College London are aware that being able to check your biological age could have wide-ranging consequences from pensions to insurance premiums.

War on Terrier: Amber Heard’s Australia Dog-Smuggling Case Adjourned

Lisa.Felice
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War on Terrier: Amber Heard’s Australia Dog-Smuggling Case Adjourned

An Australia case to hear dog-smuggling charges against Amber Heard has been adjourned.

Johnny Depp’s wife had been ordered to appear in an Australian court on September 7 on charges of failing to declare her terrier dogs to Customs officials.

Amber Heard failed to appear but the case has now been adjourned until November 2.

She faces a possible 10-year jail term or a hefty fine for illegally importing the dogs into Australia and of producing a false document.

The discovery of the dogs in a Gold Coast mansion where Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were staying earlier this year sparked a public spat with Australia’s Agriculture Minister, attracted international media attention and was dubbed the #WarOnTerrier by social media.

Photo Today
Photo Today

Johnny Depp does not face any charges over the dogs.

Australia has strict quarantine laws to prevent diseases being imported into the island nation.

Amber Heard was spotted over the weekend supporting her husband at the Venice Film Festival.

The dogs, Boo and Pistol, are understood to have arrived in Australia on board Johnny Depp’s private jet in April this year.

Johnny Depp was in Australia filming the fifth movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise on Australia’s Gold Coast.

At the time, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the dogs would be put down if they stayed.

The dogs left the country unharmed a few days later.

Johnny Depp recently took aim at Barnaby Joyce at a press conference in Venice.

“I killed my dogs and ate them under direct orders from some kind of, I don’t know, sweaty, big-gutted man from Australia,” Johnny Depp said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdCw0M3q1T8

Europe Migrant Crisis: Austria to Restore Spot Checks

Diane A. Wade
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Europe Migrant Crisis: Austria to Restore Spot Checks

Austria is planning to phase out special measures that have allowed thousands of migrants to travel freely from Hungary to Western Europe, Chancellor Werner Faymann said.

The emergency measures for asylum seekers will be removed “step by step”, the chancellor added.

The easing of rules has meant thousands have been able to leave Hungary for Austria and Germany over the weekend.

Germany, where most of the migrants are heading, warned that its willingness to help “should not be overstretched”.

The German interior ministry said the decision to allow migrants in over recent days was an exception and that the EU’s rules requiring asylum seekers to be processed in the first country they arrived in remained valid.

Chancellor Werner Faymann issued his statement after speaking by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban on September 6.

Photo AP
Photo AP

“We have always said this is an emergency situation in which we must act quickly and humanely,” the Austrian chancellor said.

“We have helped more than 12,000 people in an acute situation. Now we have to move step-by-step away from emergency measures towards normality,” he added.

The change means that Austria will restore spot checks on those entering the country, as it had before the weekend.

On September 6, a group of cars driven by German and Austrian activists travelled to Hungary to pick up migrants and distribute food.

Hungarian police said anyone taking people across the border was breaking the law on people smuggling – although the activists were able to collect migrants without being stopped.

The crisis took a dramatic turn on September 4, when Hungary removed restrictions on transit and helped migrants reach the Austrian border.

On September 5, about 10,000 people travelled by bus, train and on foot to Vienna, with many continuing to Munich and other German cities.

Thousands more were allowed to travel from Hungary to Austria and Germany on September 6.

The migrants had travelled north through the Balkans – Greece, Macedonia and Serbia – before arriving at Hungary’s southern border.

Sarah Palin Wants to Be Named Energy Secretary Under Donald Trump Presidency

Diane A. Wade
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Sarah Palin Wants to Be Named Energy Secretary Under Donald Trump Presidency

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has said she would like to serve as energy secretary in a Donald Trump administration in order to abolish the department.

Sarah Palin told CNN that “energy is my baby”.

“Oil and gas and minerals, those things that God has dumped on this part of the Earth for mankind’s use,” the conservative activist said.

Donald Trump said in July he would be open to the possibility of Sarah Palin serving in his government.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Sarah Palin said she wanted individual states to “start having more control over the lands that are within their boundaries” with respect to their energy policy.

“If I were in charge of that, it would be a short-term job,” she said.

Sarah Palin also defended Donald Trump over recent criticism of gaps in his knowledge of foreign affairs.

“I think I’d rather have a president who is tough and puts America first than can win a game of Trivial Pursuit,” she said.

“But I don’t think the public gives a flying flip if somebody knows who, today, is a specific leader of a specific region or a religion or anything,” Sarah Palin added.

Donald Trump has recently been leading polls for the Republican presidential nomination.

Sarah Palin was the Republican nominee for vice-president in 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gejROvp2bxg

Guatemala Elections 2015: Voters Heading to Polls amid Political Crisis

Diane A. Wade
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Guatemala Elections 2015: Voters Heading to Polls amid Political Crisis

Voters in Guatemala are heading to the polls in presidential elections amid a deep political crisis.

Former President Otto Perez Molina resigned this week and was swiftly arrested over a customs fraud scheme.

Many people in the Latin American country have called for the polls to be postponed in the wake of the allegations.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Leading contenders include centre-right businessman Manuel Baldizon and comic actor Jimmy Morales.

If no candidate wins 50% of the vote there will be a second round of voting on October 25.

There have been calls for Guatemalans to wear black clothes of mourning as they cast their vote, amid skepticism that the poll can achieve political change.

Prosecutors accuse Otto Perez Molina of masterminding a scheme in which businessmen paid bribes to evade customs charges. The former president denies involvement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLPAY_8xg4g

Netflix Declined to Sign up Top Gear Trio Because “It Wasn’t Worth Money”

Clyde K. Valle
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Netflix Declined to Sign up Top Gear Trio Because “It Wasn’t Worth Money”

Netflix declined to sign up Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May because they “weren’t worth” the £160 million ($256 million) said to have been paid by rival Amazon to air a new version of Top Gear, a senior executive for the streaming service said.

The former presenters of Top Gear left the BBC earlier this year after Jeremy Clarkson was fired for hitting a producer.

Netflix was known to have been in discussions with the former Top Gear trio but decided against taking things further after analyzing its own viewership data of past Top Gear episodes, according to the company chief product officer Neil Hunt.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May recently signed a “very, very, very expensive” deal with Amazon Prime.Top Gear trio rejected by Netflix

However, Netflix has claimed the presenters “sold themselves for way more money” than they are worth.

“We have past episodes of Top Gear, so we have a pretty good gauge of what audiences like,” Neil Hunt, told Digital Spy in an interview.

“Our buying decisions tend to be somewhat data-driven. We have a lot of data to get the deals we want.

“Clearly it wasn’t worth the money to make the deal.”

Neil Hunt later clarified his comments in a statement, saying: “There is an audience for everything and it is not up to us to judge if Amazon has paid too much or not.”

British broadcaster BT Sport previously said it, too, had declined to bid for the Top Gear trio.

Managing director Delia Bushell told the Guardian: “To be honest I didn’t consider it. It just wasn’t right for us.

“It’s a fantastic franchise, but it made more sense for a global player like Netflix because Top Gear has huge US revenues as well.”

Jeremy Clarkson was suspended in March, following an “unprovoked physical attack” with a Top Gear producer in a Yorkshire hotel. It was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day’s filming.

Following an internal investigation, the BBC decided not to renew the presenter’s contract.

Jeremy Clarkson’s co-hosts then followed him in leaving the show.

They have now signed up to Amazon Prime to make a new car-themed program, along with producer Andy Wilman, who also quit the BBC following Jeremy Clarkson’s “fracas”.

Top Gear will continue on BBC Two, with Chris Evans in charge.

Cate Blanchett to Star as Lucille Ball in Biopic Written by Aaron Sorkin

Sonia Pantiss
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Cate Blanchett to Star as Lucille Ball in Biopic Written by Aaron Sorkin

Cate Blanchett will play Lucille Ball in a biopic penned by West Wing and Social Network writer Aaron Sorkin.

The biopic will revolve around the life of the comedy actress, who starred in such classic TV sitcoms as I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show.

The film will chronicle Lucille Ball’s 20-year marriage to Desi Arnaz, with whom she starred on I Love Lucy.Cate Blanchett to play Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball had two children with Desi Arnaz before they divorced in 1960. She married Gary Morton the following year.

Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. will produce with Escape Artists, whose executive Jenna Block will oversee development of the project on behalf of the Sony-based company, The Wrap reports.

Aaron Sorkin, writer of upcoming biopic Steve Jobs, has yet to start work on the script, so there could be a long wait for Lucille Ball biopic.

Cate Blanchett won the first of two Academy Awards for playing another Hollywood icon, Katharine Hepburn, in Martin Scorsese‘s The Aviator.

West Point Cadets Injured in Annual Pillow Fight

Nancy Clayson
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West Point Cadets Injured in Annual Pillow Fight

At least 30 cadets have been injured in a pillow fight at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The cadets were marking the end of summer training.

At least 24 cadets were reported to have been left unconscious because pillows were stuffed with hard objects.

One cadet suffered a broken nose, while others had dislocated shoulders.

West Point academy said the fight was designed to build “espirit de corps”. None of the injuries was severe and all cadets have returned to duty, it said.West Point cadets pillow fight

Details of the injuries sustained in August emerged in The New York Times, which reported that video of the fight posted online shows crowds of yelling cadets, some wearing body armor as well as helmets, surging together in a central quad.

Although pictures of the August 20 brawl have been circulated on social media, West Point did not confirm it took place until recently.

The annual night-time event has been described as a harmless way of blowing off steam at the end of a grueling summer of training.

However, this year’s event seems to have been a little over-exuberant, with pillow cases reported to have been stuffed with hard objects, thought to have been helmets.

West Point superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen said in a statement: “While these spirit events do occur, we never condone any activity that results in intentional harm to a teammate.

“Although the vast majority of the class appears to have maintained the spirit of the event; it is apparent that a few did not.”

Military police were investigating the incident and would take appropriate action when the inquiry was complete, Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen added.

There are no plans to end the annual pillow fight, which has taken place since at least 1897.

China’s Bohai Leasing Buys Irish Aircraft Leaser Avolon for $2.5 Billion

Clyde K. Valle
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0
China’s Bohai Leasing Buys Irish Aircraft Leaser Avolon for $2.5 Billion

Bohai Leasing, a unit of China’s aviation giant HNA, is buying the Irish aircraft leasing company Avolon Holdings for about $2.5 billion.

The leasing group will pay $31 per share in the deal that includes the assumption of debt and has a total enterprise value of about $7.6 billion.

The price is lower than the $32 discussed by the firms in August due to the “volatility” in the equity markets.

Chinese leasing companies have expanded as local carriers introduce more routes.

Most of them are backed by state-owned banks.Bohai Leasing buys Avolon

The two companies had been in negotiations about a deal since July and shares of Avolon have risen more than 20% since the talks began.

Avolon chairman Denis Nayden said in a statement: “We believe Bohai will enhance Avolon’s profile, positioning and relationships in the Chinese aviation market – a market which we believe offers one of the most compelling growth opportunities in global aviation over the next two decades.”

The Dublin-based company owned or managed 152 aircraft and had more than 100 more on order as of June.

Meanwhile, HNA is China’s fourth-largest aviation group and has interests in airlines such as Hong Kong Airlines and Hainan Airlines.

Bohai Leasing and Avolon deal is expected to be finalized by Q1 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsMGrKFSW8k

More Migrants Expected to Arrive in Germany and Austria from Hungary

Diane A. Wade
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More Migrants Expected to Arrive in Germany and Austria from Hungary

Germany and Austria are expecting thousands more migrants to arrive from Hungary after Budapest government eased restrictions on their travel on September 5.

Thousands of migrants traveled to the Austrian border by bus, by train and on foot before moving on to Vienna and Munich.

Austrian officials are laying on more trains as needed.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to hold talks with her coalition partners on a crisis that has divided the EU.

After days of confrontation and chaos, Hungary opened its borders with Austria and bussed thousands of migrants to the frontier.

Up to 10,000 arrived at the border on September 5, according to the Austrian authorities, who have said they do not plan to limit the numbers crossing into the country.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Many traveled straight on to Munich, southern Germany, where locals greeted them with applause, giving sweets to the children among the new arrivals.

They have been sent on to reception centers to be registered and receive food and clothing.

Both Germany and Hungary have said the current measures are aimed at averting a humanitarian crisis, and will not set a precedent.

The rules requiring refugees to apply for asylum in the first country they land in “are still valid, and we expect other European Union member states to stick to them”, a German government spokesman said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany can cope with the influx of newcomers without raising taxes or jeopardizing its budget.

Germany is the key destination for arrivals on European shores, and expects to take in 800,000 people this year.

Syrians fleeing a brutal civil conflict are the largest group travelling, followed by Afghans and Eritreans.

There is little sign of a co-ordinated EU response to the crisis, despite more than 350,000 migrants having crossed the EU’s borders in 2015 alone.

Germany, backed by the European Commission, has been pushing for a quota system for dividing the people reaching Europe between member states.

However, this has been opposed by several eastern members.

On September 5, Hungary said that while it had temporarily relaxed restrictions on the transit of asylum seekers, it was pressing ahead with plans to tighten border controls and could send troops to its southern frontier if parliament agreed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1axQH00Uow

Thailand’s Draft Constitution Rejected by Junta-Backed Council

Diane A. Wade
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0
Thailand’s Draft Constitution Rejected by Junta-Backed Council

A Thailand’s junta-backed council has rejected the controversial new constitution drafted after last year’s coup.

A new committee must now be appointed to write another draft, further setting back elections.

The draft has been widely criticized, in particular a clause which enables a 23-member panel to take over government during a “national crisis”.

Thailand’s army ousted the elected government after months of political unrest.Thailand draft constitution

The 247-member National Reform Council rejected the draft charter by 135 votes to 105, with seven abstentions.

Correspondents say that it met strong opposition on practically all sides of the political divide.

Another committee will have 180 days to write a new one, which will later be put to a nationwide referendum.

Until a new constitution can be drafted, the military government retains its substantial powers.

It had said elections could take place in late 2016, but analysts say the delay means 2017 is more likely.

Critics of the draft constitution say it would erode the power of political parties in favor of the army and prevent a genuine democracy from being established.

Thailand has seen numerous different constitutions since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

For years Thailand has been divided between pro-democracy parties that support former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, and an alliance of conservatives, including members of the military, the judiciary and royalists.

Thaksin Shinawatra’s allies have prevailed in every election since 2001, but have faced two coups and the removal of three prime ministers by the courts.

 

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