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Giorgio Napolitano to testify at high-profile anti-Mafia trial

Diane A. Wade
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Giorgio Napolitano to testify at high-profile anti-Mafia trial

Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano will testify at a high-profile anti-Mafia trial in Rome.

Prosecutors are investigating possible collusion between ministers, police chiefs and the Mafia to end a period of violence in the early 1990s.

Giorgio Napolitano, 89, denies any knowledge of the negotiations.

Opposition politicians have called for Giorgio Napolitano’s evidence not to be held behind closed doors when the trial moves from Palermo to the capital on October 28.

There is no suggestion that he was involved in any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors are investigating a dramatic period of Mafia violence in the 1990s – marked by car bombings and assassinations.

They accuse the state of making an illegal deal with the Mafia to bring the violence to an end.

Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano will testify at a high-profile anti-Mafia trial in Rome
Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano will testify at a high-profile anti-Mafia trial in Rome

In October 2013, Giorgio Napolitano wrote a letter to the court saying he had “no useful knowledge” to give the trial, but would have been happy to give evidence if he had.

Prosecutors allege that government officials sought to make an agreement with the Mafia after bombings in 1993, reportedly promising less harsh jail conditions in exchange for calling off the bombing campaign.

Two leading anti-mafia prosecutors died in devastating explosions in Sicily.

A former interior minister, Nicola Mancino, is on trial for allegedly negotiating with the Mafia after the attacks in Rome, Florence and Milan.

Nicola Mancino denies the charges.

The court ruled last year that President Giorgio Napolitano could not be asked about conversations he had with Nicola Mancino in 2011 and 2012. Evidence from an intercepted phone-call was destroyed after an application from Giorgio Napolitano.

The former interior minister is on trial along with several other people including two jailed Mafia bosses, Toto Riina and Benardo Provenzano.

A final verdict in the case is not expected for at least two more years.

John Tory wins Toronto mayoral election defeating Rob Ford’s brother

Diane A. Wade
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John Tory wins Toronto mayoral election defeating Rob Ford’s brother

John Tory, a moderate conservative, has been elected as the mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, defeating the brother of controversial incumbent Rob Ford.

John Tory won 40% of the vote, ahead of Doug Ford, whose brother Rob admitted problems with alcohol and crack cocaine use during his four years in office.

Rob Ford, 45, announced last month that he would not seek re-election as he undergoes treatment for a rare cancer.

However, he did win election to a council seat in the Etobicoke district.

“In four more years, you’re going to see another example of the Ford family never, ever, ever giving up,” he said, hinting at another run for mayor.

John Tory has been elected as the mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, defeating the brother of controversial incumbent Rob Ford
John Tory has been elected as the mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, defeating the brother of controversial incumbent Rob Ford

The results of the mayoral election were announced on Monday night after more than 90% of the votes had been counted.

Doug Ford congratulated John Tory on his victory and said he was proud of his brother.

“I still believe he’s the best mayor ever,” he said.

Earlier this year, Rob Ford began rehab for drugs and alcohol problems after a slew of newspaper reports and videos that depicted him under the influence.

In 2013, Rob Ford admitted he had smoked crack cocaine in a “drunken stupor”.

Rob Ford was stripped of many of his powers by the city council.

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Mark McDaniel destroyed June Shannon and Sugar Bear’s relationship

Lisa.Felice
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Mark McDaniel destroyed June Shannon and Sugar Bear’s relationship

According to new reports, Mark McDaniel destroyed June Shannon and Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson’s relationship, even though the child molester was behind bars almost the entire time June was with Sugar Bear.

June Shannon was keeping a box of photos of her and Mark McDaniel in the house, something Sugar Bear knew about and protested, to no avail, TMZ reported.  However, Mama June would not get rid of them.

Mark McDaniel molested June Shannon’s daughter, Anna “Chickadee”, when she was just 8-year-old.

Sources close to the family told the gossip website that Mark McDaniel was the subject of frequent arguments between June Shannon and Sugar Bear.  He felt she was still emotionally in a relationship with Mark McDaniel even though he had been locked up for years.

It appears June Shannon was seeing Mark McDaniel while she was still with Honey Boo Boo’s father after McDaniel got out of prison in March. The family now believes it was actually June who was cheating, not Sugar Bear, and she used the online dating story to get out of a relationship she had already rejected.

June Shannon could lose Honey Boo Boo custody

Lisa.Felice
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June Shannon could lose Honey Boo Boo custody

June Shannon could lose custody of her minor daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson.

The family may see their lives change drastically if Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services determines June Shannon is unable to keep three of her daughters, who are minors, safe from the man who her oldest daughter Anna Shannon Cardwell, 20, claims molested her when she was 8-year-old.

Reports surfaced last week that Mama June was dating Mark McDaniel again, who recently got out of jail after he served time for aggravated child molestation.

June Shannon, 35, denies she has rekindled her relationship with Mark McDaniel, 53.

Susan Boatwright, a rep for the Division of Family and Children Services, said due to privacy reasons she couldn’t comment on whether or not the agency was investigating June Shannon. She did, however, explain that cases like June Shannon’s would be taken very seriously by the department if they were notified a child was frequently in the presence of a s** offender.

June Shannon’s minor daughters could be taken away by child services
June Shannon’s minor daughters could be taken away by child services (photo Facebook)

“When [the Division of Family and Children Services] gets a report that indicates a child is living around someone who is a s** offender or who may have been guilty of child molestation, we would take that very seriously and go out and investigate and look at the parent’s protective capacity,” she said.

Susan Boatwright said with a case like the one the Shannon family is allegedly facing, child services “would look to see if the allegations that were reported were true and the next step would be to determine how safe or unsafe the children are in the current environment.”

She explained that if the parent is seen as being able to handle the situation and protect his or her children from the pedophile in question, the child will be left in his or her home. If not, child services would look to relatives nearby to try and find a safe home for the child.

Back in September, June Shannon split from Honey Boo Boo’s father, Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson. June Shannon is currently the primary caregiver for her three underage daughters: Ala, Lauryn and Jessica.

Anna Cardwell revealed that after she was abused by Mark McDaniel about 10 years ago, she left June Shannon’s home and went to live with a relative.

Susan Boatwright said young children tend to be more vulnerable to abuse, but anyone under 18 can be taken from a parent’s care if the division of child services determines the environment is unsafe. Honey Boo Boo is 9 years old, and a photo recently surfaced of Mark McDaniel seemingly touching her arm.

A typical child services investigation can take anywhere from 30 to 45 days, Susan Boatwright said.

TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo show after four seasons amid the scandal.

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Oscar Pistorius sentencing: Prosecutors to appeal against verdict

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius sentencing: Prosecutors to appeal against verdict

Prosecutors are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to South African athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Last week, Oscar Pistorius, 27, began serving a five year prison sentence for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, although he could be out in 10 months.

The double-amputee Olympic sprinter was cleared of murder.

“The appeal on conviction is based on the question of law,” the national prosecuting spokesman said.

Oscar Pistorius’ family said that he will not appeal.

The athlete was also given a three-year suspended sentence for firing a gun in a restaurant.

Prosecutors are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to Oscar Pistorius for killing Reeva Steenkamp
Prosecutors are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to Oscar Pistorius for killing Reeva Steenkamp

“The prosecutors are now preparing the necessary papers in order to be able to file within the next few days,” Nathi Mncube from the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement.

Oscar Pistorius was charged by the prosecution with the pre-meditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate.

He was acquitted of this and the lesser murder charge of dolus eventualis.

In South African law, this charge – also known as common-law murder – applies if the accused knew they might kill someone but still went ahead with their course of action.

The judge’s critics have argued that dolus eventualis includes the possibility of meaning to kill one person and ending up killing another.

Oscar Pistorius says he shot dead Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last year by mistake, fearing there was an intruder in the house.

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Kaci Hickox: Ebola nurse to be discharged from quarantine after threatening legal action

Kathryn R. Bown
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Kaci Hickox: Ebola nurse to be discharged from quarantine after threatening legal action

Nurse Kaci Hickox, who was quarantined in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, will be discharged after threatening legal action over her confinement.

Kaci Hickox said she was made to feel like a criminal after returning to the US on October 24.

She is free of symptoms and will be flown privately to her home state of Maine, New Jersey officials said.

The White House and mayor of New York have expressed concerns over new strict quarantine orders in several US states.

The new rules in New York, New Jersey and Illinois require a mandatory 21-day quarantine for all health workers who have had contact with Ebola patients in West Africa upon their return to the US.

The measures were announced after a New York doctor who had treated patients in Guinea fell ill with Ebola last week.

Amid criticism the quarantine rules were overly strict, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo eased the state’s restrictions on October 26.

Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone
Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone

Now, returning health workers who have displayed no symptoms will be allowed to pass the quarantine period in their homes, will be allowed contact with their families and friends, and will be monitored twice daily. Compensation will be offered for lost earnings.

More than 10,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus, with 4,922 deaths, according to the World Health Organization’s latest figures.

All but 27 of the cases have occurred inside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Separately on October 27, a five-year-old boy was being tested for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital in New York City after visiting an Ebola-stricken country and developing a fever, hospital officials said. Test results were expected later in the day.

In a statement, the New Jersey health department said Kaci Hickox had tested negative for Ebola on Saturday and had been free of symptoms for 24 hours.

Kaci Hickox arrived at Newark Airport on October 24 and was placed in isolation after developing a fever, the health department said.

“She was cared for in a monitored area of the hospital with an advanced tenting system that was recently toured and evaluated by the CDC.

“While in isolation, every effort was made to insure that she remained comfortable with access to a computer, cell phone, reading material and nourishment of choice.”

Over the weekend, Kaci Hickox, of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said she underwent hours of questioning at the airport before being transferred to a hospital isolation tent outside University Hospital in Newark.

She described the experience as “frightening” and a “frenzy of disorganization”.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had defended the state’s quarantine requirements.

Kaci Wilcox’s lawyer Norman Siegel said her isolation raised civil liberty issues given that she had displayed no Ebola symptoms and did not test positive for the virus.

“We’re not going to dispute that the government has, under certain circumstances, the right to issue a quarantine,” he said, adding that “the policy is overly broad when applied to her”.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has described Kaci Hickox as a “returning hero”, but said that she had been “treated with disrespect” when put into quarantine.

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Pino Palmieri: Roscigno mayor invites whole town to breakfast

Nancy Clayson
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Pino Palmieri: Roscigno mayor invites whole town to breakfast

Pino Palmieri, mayor of the Italian town of Roscigno, has invited every family in his town to join him for breakfast at the town hall.

Pino Plmieri wants to listen to people’s problems, concerns and ideas, Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper reports.

The mayor is sending out official invitations to have a different family join him each morning at his office.

In order to “avoid criticism”, and spare the municipal coffers, Pino Palmieri says he will be footing the bill for each breakfast with his own cash.

Roscigno Mayor Pino Palmieri has invited every family in his town to join him for breakfast at the town hall
Roscigno Mayor Pino Palmieri has invited every family in his town to join him for breakfast at the town hall

Families in Roscigno, a town of about 800 people, will be able to choose what they fancy to eat and drink thanks to an agreement with the town’s main bar, La Citta di Salerno website reports.

“Every morning in the town hall I will welcome my fellow citizens and, over a coffee and a cappuccino, I will listen to their ideas to improve the liveability of our town,” Pino Palmieri says.

Pino Palmieri is not the only one getting an early start. Further north, in the Tuscan town of Cascina, Mayor Alessio Antonelli has announced he’ll be spending three hours every morning meeting people outside under a gazebo, according to the Pisa Today website.

Alessio Antonelli says he’ll be available to chat to on the street from 07:30 a.m, for 45 days in a row.

Ouija tops North American box office with $20 million

Sonia Pantiss
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Ouija tops North American box office with $20 million

Ouija has topped the North American box office in the run-up to Halloween.

The horror film about young people who use an Ouija board to contact the spirit world.

The low-budget Ouija, starring Olivia Cooke, made $20 million between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.

That put it ahead of John Wick, Keanu Reeves’ latest thriller, which made $14.2 million over the same period.

Last week’s top film, Brad Pitt’s World War II tank drama Fury, fell to three.

Made for just $5 million, Ouija‘s success is testament to US moviegoers’ appetite for modestly-budgeted supernatural fare without big-name stars.

Ouija has topped the North American box office in the run-up to Halloween
Ouija has topped the North American box office in the run-up to Halloween

Blumhouse Productions, the company behind the film, has enjoyed similar success with the Insidious, Purge and Paranormal Activity series.

Meanwhile, John Wick, in which Keanu Reeves plays a retired assassin out for revenge, exceeded industry expectations with its second place opening.

This week’s top five was rounded out by David Fincher’s Gone Girl and animated title The Book of Life.

Next week’s chart is likely to be dominated by Interstellar, the latest sci-fi epic from British director Christopher Nolan.

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Senzo Meyiwa dead: South Africa football captain shot dead in Johannesburg

Clyde K. Valle
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Senzo Meyiwa dead: South Africa football captain shot dead in Johannesburg

Senzo Meyiwa, South Africa’s football captain and goalkeeper, has been shot dead in Johannesburg, police say.

Senzo Meyiwa, 27, was reportedly attacked after men entered his girlfriend’s house in Vosloorus, south of Johannesburg.

He played for Orlando Pirates and had played in South Africa’s last four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

On October 25, Senzo Meyiwa was in action for his club, when they progressed to the semi-finals of the South African League Cup.

Orlando Pirates beat Ajax Cape Town 4-1.

In a statement, the South African Police Service said two men had entered the house, around 20:00 local time. A third man remained outside.

Senzo Meyiwa played for Orlando Pirates and had played in South Africa's last four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
Senzo Meyiwa played for Orlando Pirates and had played in South Africa’s last four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

All three fled on foot after shots were fired, in what local media reports say was an attempted burglary. One of the men had reportedly demanded Senzo Meyiwa’s mobile phone.

A reward of about $14,000 has been offered for information leading to the suspects’ arrest.

Senzo Meyiwa was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

He started playing for Orlando Pirates, based in the Parktown district of Johannesburg, in 2005.

“This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it, to Senzo’s family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates and to the nation,” said Pirates’ chairman Irvin Khoza.

Senzo Meyiwa was yet to concede a goal in his team’s current run of qualifying games in the Africa Cup of Nations (CAF).

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Brazil elections 2014: Dilma Rousseff re-elected president for second term

Diane A. Wade
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Brazil elections 2014: Dilma Rousseff re-elected president for second term

Brazil’s incumbent President Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected for a second term after securing more than 51% of votes in the closest election race in many years.

An official count showed Dilma Rousseff’s rival, centrist candidate Aecio Neves, taking just over 48% of the vote.

In her victory speech, Dilma Rousseff said she wanted to be “a much better president than I have been until now”.

She faced protests last year against corruption, record spending on the football World Cup and poor services.

Dilma Rousseff, who has been in power since 2010, is popular with poor Brazilians thanks to her government’s welfare programs.

The vote split Latin America’s biggest country almost evenly in two, along lines of social class and geography.

Dilma Rousseff called on all Brazilians “to unite in favor of Brazil’s future” and said she would seek political reform.

“This president is open to dialogue. This is the top priority of my second mandate,” she told a cheering crowd in the capital, Brasilia.

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected for a second term after securing more than 51 percent of votes in the closest election race in many years
Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected for a second term after securing more than 51 percent of votes in the closest election race in many years

She also thanked her supporters, especially her political mentor and predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

“I thank from the bottom of my heart our number one militant, President Lula.”

Dilma Rousseff’s re-election for a second term extends the rule of her Workers Party (PT), which came to power in 2002 with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Aecio Neves, of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), admitted defeat in a speech to supporters in the southern city of Belo Horizonte.

He thanked the “more than 50 million Brazilians” who voted for him and said he had telephoned the re-elected president.

“I… wished her success in the administration of her next government, and I reaffirmed what I feel should be our greatest priority, to unite Brazil on the basis of an honorable project which dignifies all Brazilians,” he said at the rally.

Aecio Neves was the governor of the southern swing-state of Minas Gerais for eight years.

Both he and Dilma Rousseff had made economic growth and lifting Brazilians out of poverty central to their election campaigns.

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June Shannon started dating Mark McDaniel since March?

Lisa.Felice
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June Shannon started dating Mark McDaniel since March?

June Shannon denied reports she was dating child molester Mark McDaniel or even seeing him since he went to prison back in 2004.

However, it appears that Mama June’s daughter, Anna Shannon, who was the victim of her ex-boyfriend child molester, decided to leave Here Comes Honey Boo Boo show on the same month Mark McDaniel was released from jail.

Was Anna Shannon’s decision to leave the show linked to a rekindled romance between her mother and the child molester?

June Shannon, 34, said that news of her rekindled romance with Mark McDaniel – who was indicted in June 2003 for molesting her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Shannon when she was 8-year-old – isn’t true.

However, sources claim that Mark McDaniel and June Shannon dated before he went to prison for assault in 2004, and they reconciled shortly after he was released in March.

Sources claim that Mark McDaniel and June Shannon dated before he went to prison for assault in 2004, and they reconciled shortly after he was released in March
Sources claim that Mark McDaniel and June Shannon dated before he went to prison for assault in 2004, and they reconciled shortly after he was released in March

Now, Honey Boo Boo’s older sister believes that her mother betrayed her by dating Mark McDaniel again behind the family’s back.

“I believe she is seeing him and hanging around him,” Anna Shannon told RadarOnline.

“I’m hurt,” she added.

Mark McDaniel, now 53, was sentenced to ten years in prison for his crime. He was released from Dodge State Prison on March 1, 2014.

On March 28, according to a statement posted on Mama June’s Facebook page, the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo matriarch announced that Anna Shannon was leaving the reality show: “Anna is leaving the show, I am so sad but its her decision she wants nothing to do with the family.”

June Shannon split from longtime love and Honey Boo Boo’s father, 42-year-old Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, in September.
Meanwhile, TLC decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo amid Season 5 production.

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Here Comes Honey Boo Boo canceled after four seasons amid child molestation scandal

Lisa.Felice
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Here Comes Honey Boo Boo canceled after four seasons amid child molestation scandal

TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show after four seasons amid child molestation scandal.

The reality show was a spin-off of Toddlers & Tiaras and followed breakout beauty pageant star Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and her family in their hometown of McIntyre, Georgia.

Honey Boo Boo’s mother, June Shannon, came under scrutiny on October 23 when TMZ reported she was dating a man who was convicted and served time for aggravated child molestation of one of her relatives.

It was later revealed that June Shannon’s daughter, Anna Chickadee Shannon, was the victim of child molester Mark McDaniel. Now, Anna Shannon accuses her mother of betraying her by dating Mark McDaniel again behind the family’s back.

After that story broke, TLC released the following statement: “TLC is not currently in production on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. We are very concerned about this new information and are reassessing the future of the series.”

TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show after four seasons amid child molestation scandal
TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show after four seasons amid child molestation scandal (photo TLC)

On October 24, the network released a new statement announcing the show’s cancelation: “TLC has cancelled <<Here Comes Honey Boo Boo>> and ended all activities around the series. TLC is faithfully committed to the girl’s ongoing comfort and well-being.”

Honey Boo Boo aired its fourth season finale in August 2014, which brought in 1.81 million viewers. A fifth season had not previously been announced.

On the same day, Honey Boo Boo’s family said in statement posted on June Shannon’s Facebook page: “We just want to thank from the bottom of our hearts the support that we’ve had from our fans, This experience has been awesome to us. Thank you guys for everything we love you all.”

On October 25, June Shannon issued a new statement defending herself: “I want to make a post trying to clear up the rumors remember you can’t believe everything you read! Ppl sell stories to the tabloid everyday that r false! It isnt true i promise my kids r #1 priority over anything else and I would never put them in danger period over this or anything else they r my life this is my past I left him 10 yrs ago for it and I wouldn’t go back.”

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Anna Chickadee Shannon reveals she was victim of June Shannon’s child molester boyfriend

Lisa.Felice
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Anna Chickadee Shannon reveals she was victim of June Shannon’s child molester boyfriend

Honey Boo Boo’s older sister, Anna Shannon Cardwell changed her mind after previously defended her mother June Shannon and vehemently denying reports that June was dating her child molester ex-boyfriend, RadarOnline reported.

Anna Shannon, 20, revealed that she was the 8-year-old victim of Mark McDaniel, 53, in 2002 and 2003- and now believes that her mother betrayed her by dating him again behind the family’s back.

“I believe she is seeing him and hanging around him,” Anna “Chickadee” Shannon told RadarOnline.

“I’m hurt.”

According to the website, Mark McDaniel was indicted in June 2003 for aggravated child molestation and aggravated s**ual battery on his young victim.

Anna Chickadee Shannon revealed she was victim of June Shannon's child molester boyfriend Mark McDaniel
Anna Chickadee Shannon revealed she was victim of June Shannon’s child molester boyfriend Mark McDaniel

Though the case was dismissed, Mark McDaniel was later convicted on aggravated child molestation charges in another case in nearby Spalding County.

He was sentenced to ten years in prison for his crime. He was released from Dodge State Prison on March 1, 2014.

Meanwhile TLC has pulled the plug on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show, June Shannon revealed t in a Facebook video.

June Shannon denied having had any contact with Mark McDaniel in more than 10 years.

June Shannon, 34, split from longtime love Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, 42, in September.

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Jessica Robertson launches bronzing lotions line for Podz & Dr. Sun Rx

Lisa.Felice
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Jessica Robertson launches bronzing lotions line for Podz & Dr. Sun Rx

Duck Dynasty’s Jessica Robertson, wife of Jep Robertson, is the new face of the tanning industry, courtesy of Podz & Dr. Sun Rx.

Jessica and Jep Robertson are married since 2001.

Jessica Robertson signed with the Kansas based company at the beginning of this summer.

Jessica Robertson’s line is including natural and bronzing tanning lotions, face and leg bronzers, moisturizers, make-up bronzing powders, nail polish, lip balms, and sunglasses
Jessica Robertson’s line is including natural and bronzing tanning lotions, face and leg bronzers, moisturizers, make-up bronzing powders, nail polish, lip balms, and sunglasses (photo Facebook)

Dr. Sun is producing several different lotion products for Jessica Robertson, while Podz is focused on sunglasses and accessories such as nail polish, lip gloss and facial bronzer. The company is working with Jessica Robertson on all product components, from what goes into the bottle as well as the packaging.

President of Podz & Dr. Sun Christy Hogan is thrilled to bring Jessica Robertson to tanning industry: “Our industry is full of celebrity faces and endorsements. Our company wanted to bring someone on board who not only shares our values as a company, but also has a fun and beautiful personality.”

Jessica Robertson’s line is including natural and bronzing tanning lotions, face and leg bronzers, moisturizers, make-up bronzing powders, nail polish, lip balms, and sunglasses.

Jep Robertson hospitalized after suffering from seizure while deer hunting

Sonia Pantiss
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Jep Robertson hospitalized after suffering from seizure while deer hunting

Duck Dynasty’s Jep Robertson took to Twitter to talk about his near-death experience after suffering from a seizure while deer hunting on October 19.

“Well, I about died this past Sunday…I’m doing much better now. Thanks for all the prayers! #seizuresuck #gladtobealive,” Jep Robertson, 36, tweeted on October 25.

Jep Robertson also posted a picture comparing himself to Steven Seagal in the hospital.

Jep Robertson suffered from a seizure while deer hunting
Jep Robertson suffered from a seizure while deer hunting (photo Facebook)

“Just like Steven Seagal, I’m hard to kill,” he added to the snapshot.

In a statement to Us Weekly, the Robertson family says: “Jep was rushed to the hospital and received immediate treatment. He is doing well now, but is still in the hospital for additional tests and observation, and he is being treated with antibiotics to cover a range of possible infections believed to have caused the seizure.”

The statement continues: “Our family would like to thank everyone for their love and support and ask that you keep Jep, Jessica and their children in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Duck Dynasty Season 7 is set to premiere on A&E on November 19.

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June Steenkamp: Reeva was about to leave Oscar Pistorius

Clyde K. Valle
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June Steenkamp: Reeva was about to leave Oscar Pistorius

In a recent interview, Reeva Steenkamp’s mother has said that it was bad luck her daughter met Oscar Pistorius as the “volatile” athlete “would have killed someone sooner or later”.

Speaking to The Times, June Steenkamp calls Oscar Pistorius “pathetic”, “moody”, “gun-toting” and “possessive”.

June Steenkamp rejects both Oscar Pistorius’ apology and his version of events, but admits: “He’s the only one who knows the truth.”

Oscar Pistorius, 27, is serving five years for the culpable homicide of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He could be out in 10 months.

The Paralympic champion was cleared of murder.

June Steenkamp, 68, told The Times, which is serializing her book, Reeva: A Mother’s Story, which is to be published on November 6, that Reeva had told her the couple had not yet entered a s**ual relationship and had “nagging doubts about their compatibility”.

She says: “She had confided to me that she hadn’t slept with him. They’d shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level.

“She wouldn’t want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn’t sure. I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts, she didn’t think it was making either of them happy.”

June Steenkamp rejects both Oscar Pistorius’ apology and his version of events
June Steenkamp rejects both Oscar Pistorius’ apology and his version of events

June Steenkamp, who was not called to testify at the trial, says this may have played a part in what happened on the night of the shooting, Valentine’s Day last year.

She rejects his version of events, that there was no row and that he had thought there was an intruder in the toilet cubicle when he fired four shots through the door “without thinking”.

“There is no doubt in our minds that something went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones,” June Steenkamp writes.

Other words she uses to describe Oscar Pistorius are “arrogant”, “moody”, “combustible”, “trigger-happy”, “vague”, “evasive” and “shifty”.

She believes Reeva, 29, was about to leave Oscar Pistorius, 27.

She says: “Her clothes were packed. There is no doubt in our minds: she had decided to leave Oscar that night.”

In the excerpt of the book serialized in the paper, June Steenkamp refers to Oscar Pistorius’ apology to them in court.

“Why decide to say sorry to me in a televised trial in front of the whole world? I was unmoved by his apology.

“I felt if I appeared to be sorry for him at this stage of his trial on the charge of premeditated murder, it would in the eyes of others lessen the awfulness of what he had done. He was in the box trying to save his own skin.”

Nevertheless, the parents say they do want to meet Oscar Pistorius.

Although she says: “I am not entirely sure what I am going to say”, father Barry, 71, says he wants an apology.

“I would like him to really, truthfully say, although he said it in court, <<I’m sorry>>. I would like him just to say it to our faces.”

June Steenkamp also talks about the “wrenching pain that you get in your heart” when thinking of her daughter’s death.

“It’s always there. The minute your eyes open in the morning, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, there it is.”

Oscar Pistorius, an amputee sprinter, became the first athlete to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

He is serving his sentence in Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru II jail.

Oscar Pistorius was also given a three-year suspended sentence for firing a gun in a restaurant.

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Is Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody having healing powers?

Sonia Pantiss
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Is Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody having healing powers?

A poll suggests that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is a good song for people to listen to if they feel unwell or down.

A ComRes survey for BBC local radio for Faith in the World Week, which is exploring the healing power of music, offered 1,000 people 10 choices.

Dancing Queen by Abba came second, with Happy by Pharrell Williams in joint third with “classical music” generally.

More than two-thirds of those polled said they like listening to music when they do not feel well.

Nearly 90% of respondents agreed that listening to music can make people feel better when they are sick or facing difficult times.

A poll suggests that Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is a good song for people to listen to if they feel unwell or down
A poll suggests that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is a good song for people to listen to if they feel unwell or down

Faith in the World Week, which runs until November 2, is examining how music can change and shape people’s lives.

Asked to select specific music, almost 30% of men choose Bohemian Rhapsody from the list provided. Fewer women – 23% – put it first, with 28% naming Dancing Queen. Only 16% of men opted for the Abba track.

Among the over-65s, classical music made more of an impression, with 39% saying they wanted to listen to it when they’re ill or down.

Among younger adults, Happy was the most popular song. Songs by Bob Marley, Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson were also on the list presented in the survey.

Bohemian Rhapsody is taken from Queen’s A Night at the Opera album.

Queen said they regarded the track as a showcase of their technical skill and the song encompasses several musical styles.

Although Bohemian Rhapsody topped the poll for its apparent cheering and soothing effects, its subject matter is a man’s confession to a murder.

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Ukraine elections 2014: Voters head to polls for new parliament

Diane A. Wade
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Ukraine elections 2014: Voters head to polls for new parliament

Ukraine is holding snap elections for a new parliament.

President Petro Poroshenko called the poll as he aims to cement a new direction for the country after the ousting of pro-Russian leaders earlier this year.

However, the vote will be overshadowed by a continuing conflict with pro-Russian rebels in the east.

About 3 million people in Donetsk and Luhansk regions will not vote. The separatists will hold their own polls next month.

Another 1.8 million people in Crimea, annexed by Russia in March, will not take part.

The vote also comes amid an energy crisis, with Russia cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine in June in a dispute over unpaid bills.

Ukraine’s economy is collapsing, with GDP forecast to fall between 7 and 10% this year.

The government hopes the elections will help stabilize the country, with pro-Russian parties considerably weakened by recent events.

Half of the 450 seats in parliament will be allocated proportionally according to a party list system, with parties needing to gain more than 5% to win seats.

Ukraine is holding snap elections for a new parliament
Ukraine is holding snap elections for a new parliament (photo Getty Images)

Another 198 lawmakers will be elected from individual constituencies, with 27 from Crimea and the rebel-held areas remaining vacant.

Most are nationalist and pro-Western, and ousted President Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions is not running.

However, three parties comprising his former allies are seeking votes in the south and east of the country.

“At last we will elect a pro-Ukrainian and not pro-Moscow, an anti-corruption and not pro-bribery, a pro-European parliament,” President Petro Poroshenko said on October 24.

Viktor Yanukovych fled in February after a wave of pro-Western protests in Kiev triggered by his refusal to sign a partnership agreement with the European Union.

Anger in eastern Ukraine at his overthrow turned to unrest with separatists seizing government buildings and beginning an insurgency in April.

At least 3,700 people have been killed since the conflict began, including 300 killed after a ceasefire was agreed on September 5.

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Nurse Kaci Hickox criticizes Ebola quarantine rules in New Jersey

Kathryn R. Bown
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Nurse Kaci Hickox criticizes Ebola quarantine rules in New Jersey

Nurse Kaci Hickox, who was quarantined on her return to the US from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, has criticized the way she was dealt with at Newark airport.

Kaci Hickox, 33, said the experience was frightening and could deter other health workers from travelling to West Africa to help tackle the Ebola virus.

Illinois has become the third state after New York and New Jersey to impose stricter quarantine rules.

Meanwhile US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power is to visit West Africa.

Samantha Power will travel to Guinea on October 26, continuing later to Liberia and Sierra Leone – the three worst-hit countries.

“For me the benefits of having first hand knowledge of what is happening in these countries gravely outweighs the almost nonexistent risk of actually travelling to these countries, provided I take the proper precautions,” she said on Saturday.

She said she hoped her trip would “draw attention to the need for increased support for the international response”.

The White House has expressed concern that strict quarantine restrictions such as those imposed in New York, New Jersey and Illinois could put off aid workers and others travelling to West Africa to help mitigate the crisis at its source.

More than 10,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus, with 4,922 deaths, according to the WHO’s latest report.

Only 27 of the cases have occurred outside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Kaci Hickox, of medical charity Doctors Without Borders, described seeing a “frenzy of disorganization, fear and most frightening, quarantine” on her return from Sierra Leone on October 24.

Writing for The Dallas Morning News, Kaci Hickox asked whether fellow health workers would “face the same ordeal”.

Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined on her return to the US from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone
Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined on her return to the US from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone (photo My Space)

“Will they be made to feel like criminals and prisoners?” she questioned.

Kaci Hickox said she was kept in isolation at the airport terminal for seven hours and given only a cereal bar to eat.

She also denied that she had had a fever, saying she was merely flushed because of the upset caused by her treatment at the airport.

Though Kaci Hickox tested negative in a preliminary test for the virus, she will remain under quarantine for three weeks and continue to be monitored by health officials.

Stricter quarantine measures were put in place in New York and New Jersey after a doctor, Craig Spencer, tested positive for the virus on his return from Guinea last week.

Dr. Craig Spencer is currently being treated at New York’s Bellevue Hospital in isolation.

The new measures mean that anyone who has had contact with Ebola victims in West Africa now faces a mandatory 21-day quarantine period.

Illinois governor Pat Quinn announced on October 25 that his state would start imposing the same measures, without providing further details.

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was not consulted over the new rules, which were ordered by the state governors of New York and New Jersey.

“The state has the right to make its decision, just like the CDC does, and we’re going to work with them,” he told reporters on October 25.

President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio and online address that Americans had “to be guided by the facts – not fear”, reiterating that people cannot contract Ebola unless they have come into direct contact with an infected patient’s bodily fluids.

Barack Obama’s comments follow the release of the WHO’s latest report, which warned that the number of Ebola cases in West Africa could be much higher than recorded, as many families were keeping relatives at home rather than taking them to treatment centers.

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Tunisia elections 2014: First full parliament to be elected under new constitution

Diane A. Wade
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Tunisia elections 2014: First full parliament to be elected under new constitution

Tunisians are voting to elect the country’s first full parliament under a new constitution passed earlier this year.

The election is one of the final stages in the political transition which followed the ousting of authoritarian leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

There are no opinion polls, but the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which won Tunisia’s last national election in 2011, is expected to do well.

Its main rival is likely to be the liberal Nidaa Tounes (Tunisia’s Call).

Most of the major parties have vowed to tackle Tunisia’s high unemployment and to reinvigorate its economy.

Tunisia is seen as the birthplace of the “Arab Spring” – the pro-democracy movement which sought to replace autocratic governments in several Arab countries.

The country is considered to have had the most successful outcome, with relatively low levels of violence.

Tunisians are voting to elect the country’s first full parliament under a new constitution passed earlier this year
Tunisians are voting to elect the country’s first full parliament under a new constitution passed earlier this year (photo Reuters)

However, radical groups within Tunisia have threatened to disrupt the elections and on October 23 militants shot a policeman on the outskirts of the capital, Tunis.

More than 50,000 security personnel and nearly 20,000 soldiers are expected to be deployed on Sunday to ensure safe voting.

Around five million Tunisians have registered to vote, with overseas residents having already cast their votes on October 24.

Some observers fear a low turnout, arguing that voters have become disaffected with politics after a lack of economic progress in the years following Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s overthrow.

Results are expected on October 29. Ennahda, which currently rules in coalition with other parties, has promised to pursue a unity government even if it wins the most seats.

Tunisia is set to hold a presidential election on November 23, which will deliver the country’s first directly elected leader following the ousting of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in street protests almost four years ago.

The protests, which began in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid in late 2010, later gathered pace and spread across much of the Arab world the following year.

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Brazil elections 2014: Dilma Rousseff faces Aecio Neves in presidential run-off

Diane A. Wade
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Brazil elections 2014: Dilma Rousseff faces Aecio Neves in presidential run-off

Brazilians are voting in the second round of the presidential election in what correspondents say is the tightest vote the country has seen in decades.

Incumbent left-leaning President Dilma Rousseff of the Workers Party (PT) faces centrist Aecio Neves of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) in the second run-off round.

Both candidates have pledged to kick-start Latin America’s largest economy and make it more competitive.

The latest opinion polls showed President Dilma Rousseff with a slight lead over the opposition candidate.

A survey by pollster Datafolha gave Dilma Rousseff 52% voter support against 48% for Aecio Neves.

A separate survey by polling firm Ibope gave the incumbent 53% against 47% for her challenger.

Both polls had a margin of error of plus or minus 2%.

Leftist President Dilma Rousseff faces centrist Aecio Neves in the second run-off round of Brazil’s presidential election
Leftist President Dilma Rousseff faces centrist Aecio Neves in the second run-off round of Brazil’s presidential election

Poor Brazilians, particularly in the impoverished northeast, remain loyal to Dilma Rousseff thanks to her party’s trademark welfare programs, such as the Bolsa Familia grant scheme.

Dilma Rousseff obtained her largest support there in the first round of the presidential election on 5 October, with almost 60% of votes.

But wealthy Brazilians, who are against interventionist economic policies such as petrol price controls and high taxes, favor instead business-friendly Aecio Neves.

Aecio Neves is regarded in the financial markets as someone to put the economy back on track, after four years of low growth rates with the country now technically in recession.

More than 140 million Brazilians will vote on October 26, but correspondents say much will depend on who wins the middle-class vote in the industrialized southeast.

On October 25, Aecio Neves campaigned in his native state, where he served two terms as governor, and paid a visit to the grave of his grandfather Tancredo, who was elected president in 1985 but died before taking office.

Dilma Rousseff, who has been serving as Brazil’s first woman president since 2010, spent instead the last day of campaigning in her southern stronghold of Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, where she held a rally.

The vote is widely seen as a referendum on 12 years of government by her Workers Party.

The PT came to power in 2002 with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as president.

Its policies are credited with lifting an estimated 40 million Brazilians out of extreme poverty.

However, President Dilma Rousseff’s government has faced allegations of corruption and of overspending in preparations for this year’s football World Cup.

She also presided over rising inflation and a recession this year.

The election comes after weeks of intensive campaigning by the two candidates and a presidential race that turned dramatic after Eduardo Campos, a main opposition candidate, was killed in a plane crash in August.

His running mate, a renowned environmentalist, Marina Silva, was thrust into his spot, vowing to become the South American country’s first “poor, black” president.

Marina Silva came third in the first round after Dilma Rousseff and Aecio Neves secured 41.5% and 33.5% of the vote respectively.
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Uruguay elections 2014: Voters cast ballots for new president and parliament

Diane A. Wade
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Uruguay elections 2014: Voters cast ballots for new president and parliament

Uruguayans are voting to elect a new president to succeed outgoing leader Jose Mujica who is barred by the constitution from running for a second term.

Former President Tabare Vazquez of the Broad Front, Jose Mujica’s left-leaning party, is ahead in opinion polls.

However, neither Tabare Vazquez nor his main challenger, Luis Lacalle Pou of the right-wing National Party, is expected to win outright without a second round.

Pedro Bordaberry of the Colorado Party is trailing a distant third.

Uruguayans will cast ballots for president, vice-president and members of parliament at the same time. The Broad Front could lose its current majority in Congress.

Uruguayans will cast ballots for president, vice-president and members of parliament at the same time
Uruguayans will cast ballots for president, vice-president and members of parliament at the same time

They will also vote in a controversial referendum on whether to lower the age at which a person can be criminally charged as an adult from 18 to 16.

Jose Mujica remains popular after leading Uruguay through economy growth and wage rises, but he is barred by the constitution from running for a second consecutive term.

His government was behind social reforms such as the legalization of marijuana, abortion and gay marriage.

However, critics say Jose Mujica’s government has failed to deal with problems in education, security and environmental protection.

Polls will open from 08:00 local to 19:30.

If no candidate obtains the 50.1% needed to avoid a second round, Uruguayans will choose between the two leading candidates on November 30.

Tabare Vazquez served as president of Uruguay from 2005 to 2010 while Luis Lacalle Pou is the son of a former president.

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Serena Williams smashes racket at WTA Tour Finals in Singapore

Clyde K. Valle
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Serena Williams smashes racket at WTA Tour Finals in Singapore

Serena Williams gave a fiery display of her fighting spirit on October 25 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium during her WTA Finals semi-final against good friend Caroline Wozniacki.

Serena Williams beat Caroline Wozniacki in a thrilling contest to reach her third consecutive final at the WTA Tour Finals in Singapore.

The world No 1 had a 9-1 head-to-head record going into the game against the Dane, but got off to a slow start in the opening set.

Her frustration came to a boil when she went 5-2 down after sending the ball into the net.

Serena Williams, 33, proceeded to smash her racket multiple times into the ground, leaving it in an obliterated, mangled mess. Her act left the crowd gasping and earned her a warning from the chair umpire.

Serena Williams gave a fiery display of her fighting spirit at the Singapore Indoor Stadium during her WTA Finals semi-final against good friend Caroline Wozniacki
Serena Williams gave a fiery display of her fighting spirit at the Singapore Indoor Stadium during her WTA Finals semi-final against good friend Caroline Wozniacki

“I don’t know how many times I hit it, but boy, that racket will never do me wrong again, I tell you,” Serena Williams said of her angry outburst in the first set.

“It was definitely legendary. I kind of lost my cool a little bit. I thought, well, at least you know I’m passionate. I give 200%.

“When I play, doesn’t matter how I feel, I’m going to give everything I have for every shot and every point.”

Serena Williams will face a rematch against Simona Halep on October 26, four days after suffering her heaviest defeat in 16 years against the Romanian in the group stage.

Simona Halep, 23, broke Agnieszka Radwanska’s serve five times and hit 26 clean winners as she swept past the Pole to reach the final on her first appearance at the WTA season finale.

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Korie Robertson celebrates 41st birthday

Sonia Pantiss
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Korie Robertson celebrates 41st birthday

Duck Dynasty’s Korie Robertson celebrated her 41st birthday on Friday, October 24.

Korie Howard married childhood sweetheart Willie Robertson on January 11, 1992. Together, they have four children: John Luke, Sadie, Will and Bella. They also have a foster child: Rebecca.

Korie Howard married childhood sweetheart Willie Robertson on January 11, 1992
Korie Howard married childhood sweetheart Willie Robertson on January 11, 1992 (photo Facebook)

In 2014, Korie and Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson announced that they were planning on leaving the show.

She earned a business degree from Harding University.

Korie Robertson works at Duck Commander as the company’s office manager.

Ford reports sharp fall in profits in Q3 2014

Clyde K. Valle
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Ford reports sharp fall in profits in Q3 2014

Ford profits dropped in Q3 2014, largely due to the cost of developing its new F-150 pickup truck.

Net profit for the period was $835 million, down by a third from a year earlier. Revenue was up slightly at $35.8 billion.

Ford said it invested “heavily” in new products and closed its Dearborn truck plant for five weeks to replace machinery to make the F-150.

The new truck is scheduled to go on sale later this year.

Ford profits dropped in Q3 2014, largely due to the cost of developing its new F-150 pickup truck
Ford profits dropped in Q3 2014, largely due to the cost of developing its new F-150 pickup truck

“During the third quarter, we continued to introduce an unprecedented number of new vehicles and invest heavily in the new products and technologies that will deliver strong profitable growth beginning next year,” said Ford CEO Mark Fields.

The carmaker had warned that profits this year would be under pressure from new model launches, including the new Mustang, and the cost of building new plants in Asia.

In the first nine months of this year, Ford made a net profit of $3.1 billion.

For 2015, Ford forecasts “significantly higher” profits of between $8.5 billion and $9.5 billion, excluding one-off items.

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