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Pope Paul VI beatified by Pope Francis on the last day of Synod on the Family

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Paul VI beatified by Pope Francis on the last day of Synod on the Family

Pope Paul VI has been beatified by Pope Francis on the last day of the Synod of Bishops on the Family.

This year’s synod of the Catholic Church has ended in clinches over how to minister to gay people or whether to give Holy Communion to Catholics who have divorced and remarried.

Paul VI, who was pontiff from 1963 until his death in 1978, had faced similar pressures during the advent of free love, when the church came out against birth control. Pope Paul VI based the decision on Catholic teachings on marriage.

But the church is honoring other aspects of his work, highlighting his efforts to spread social justice and minister to the poor, topics Pope Francis also carries on his banner.

Paul VI is also known for having pioneered papal world visits, traveling to Africa, Latin America and Asia. He was the first pope to visit five continents, the Vatican has said.

He was also the first pope to visit the Holy Land since St. Peter, the Catholic News Service said.

Pope Paul VI has been beatified by Pope Francis on the last day of the Synod of Bishops on the Family
Pope Paul VI has been beatified by Pope Francis on the last day of the Synod of Bishops on the Family

A trip to the Philippines in 1970 could have cost him his life, but it also provided one of the two necessary precursors for his beatification, a relic.

When he was attacked by a man with a bayonet in Manila, two vests he was wearing were stained with blood, according to historian John-Peter Pham. One of the vests was brought to the beatification in a reliquary.

The second precursor required for beatification is a miracle. Pope Paul VI’s involves an unborn child in California, Vatican Radio said.

A doctor advised a pregnant woman to abort her child because of danger to her life and his, but she refused and instead had a nun pray for her using a photo of Pope Paul, CNS reported. The child was born healthy.

The announcement of Pope Paul VI’s beatification came in May, two weeks after Pope Francis canonized two other predecessors, John XXIII and John Paul II, allowing them to ascend to sainthood.

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Barack Obama urges Americans not to give in to Ebola hysteria

Kathryn R. Bown
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Barack Obama urges Americans not to give in to Ebola hysteria

President Barack Obama urged Americans not to give in to Ebola hysteria, stressing that the two cases contracted in the US were not an epidemic or an outbreak.

Barack Obama has also ruled out imposing a travel ban on Ebola-hit countries of West Africa.

He said isolating an entire region, a move urged by some Republicans, would make the situation worse.

The Ebola virus has killed about 4,500 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to the UN.

Barack Obama said the best way to tackle the disease was at its source, before it spreads.

“Trying to seal off an entire region of the world, if that were even possible, could actually make the situation worse,” he said.

“It would make it harder to move health workers and supplies back and forth.

“Experience shows that it could also cause people in the affected region to change their travel, to evade screening, and make the disease even harder to track.”

President Barack Obama urged Americans not to give in to Ebola hysteria
President Barack Obama urged Americans not to give in to Ebola hysteria (photo White House)

Barack Obama stressed that the US was not in the middle of an outbreak or an epidemic and urged Americans to stay calm.

However, the New York Times has reported that the president was furious with his aides over an inadequate response to the disease.

The newspaper said medical officials had given information that turned out to be wrong, local guidance was inadequate and categories of threats were unclear.

Some 60 Republicans in the House of Representatives have informally said they would support a travel ban, according to an unofficial count on the Hill website.

They were joined by a handful of Democrat representatives and a small number of Republicans in the Senate.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner, who supports travel restrictions, has hinted that he may propose a vote on the issue.

Several US airports have begun screening for Ebola, despite experts saying such moves were unlikely to have an impact.

Two American nurses contracted the virus after treating Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, who subsequently died of the disease at a hospital in Dallas.

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Michael Brown’s blood found on Darren Wilson’s gun

Nancy Clayson
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Michael Brown’s blood found on Darren Wilson’s gun

According to forensic evidence, Michael Brown’s blood was found on the gun, uniform and inside the car of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, law enforcement officials told the Washington Post.

Authorities believe the forensic evidence potentially corroborate Darren Wilson’s story that the unarmed 18-year-old tried to take his gun.

The evidence will make it harder for the Justice Department to prosecute Officer Darren Wilson on federal charges that he violated Michael Brown’s civil rights, said the officials.

Michael Brown’s blood was found on the gun, uniform and inside the car of Officer Darren Wilson
Michael Brown’s blood was found on the gun, uniform and inside the car of Officer Darren Wilson

Such evidence would also make it difficult for a county grand jury to indict Darren Wilson on state charges, such as murder or manslaughter, said county sources who also are prohibited from talking on the record about the pending case.

The St. Louis County police, the FBI and a county grand jury are investigating the shooting. The Justice Department is investigating Ferguson and St. Louis County policing practices and whether they have violated the rights of residents.

Darren Wilson, who is white, fatally shot Michael Brown, an African American, on August 9 in the majority black St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.

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Hurricane Gonzalo: Power and communications restored in Bermuda

Nancy Clayson
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Hurricane Gonzalo: Power and communications restored in Bermuda

Hurricane Gonzalo left a trail of damage in its wake on the tiny Atlantic territory of Bermuda.

Bermuda was “bruised” but came out of the storm better than expected, Premier Michael Dunkley said in a radio broadcast.

The storm made landfall on October 17, with strong winds and rain causing power cuts for most residents.

Only minor injuries were reported in the wake of 110mph winds.

It was the strongest storm to hit the British overseas territory in a decade.

Initially a category 4 storm, Hurricane Gonzalo was downgraded to category 2 on October 17 as it weakened on its approach to Bermuda.

Hurricane Gonzalo left a trail of damage in its wake on the tiny Atlantic territory of Bermuda
Hurricane Gonzalo left a trail of damage in its wake on the tiny Atlantic territory of Bermuda

Hurricane Gonzalo caused power cuts to 31,200 homes, but two-thirds had had their electricity restored by Saturday afternoon, according to the Bermuda Electric Company.

The hurricane caused flooding, felled trees, knocked down power lines and damaged buildings, including the island’s main hospital.

Bermuda’s international airport closed in anticipation of the storm and many roads were closed after being blocked by falling debris.

The main hospital saw some damage to its roof but otherwise fared well, Michael Dunkley said.

“As far as roads and infrastructure, we are in a much better position than many people might have thought,” he said, adding that the damage could be replaced, that thankfully no lives were lost, and only minor injuries were reported.

The Royal Navy has deployed a frigate, HMS Argyll, along with trained medical personnel to help with the provision of humanitarian assistance in Bermuda, the UK Ministry of Defense said.

It said the ship was en route to Bermuda, where it will help recover power, communications and water supplies, while a helicopter on the ship will carry out surveillance over the island.

Just days earlier, Tropical Storm Fay damaged homes and knocked down trees and power lines there.

“To be struck twice by two different cyclones is unusual, to say the least,” said Max Mayfield, a former director of the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Bermuda, an affluent island chain in the western Atlantic Ocean, is a popular tourist destination as well as a global hub for insurance companies and frequently sees strong tropical storms.

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Hong Kong protesters clash with police for Mong Kok site

Diane A. Wade
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Hong Kong protesters clash with police for Mong Kok site

Hong Kong protesters have clashed with police in a battle for territory in the district of Mong Kok.

Some reports suggested police charged after the demonstrators had breached their barriers, sparking scuffles that caused minor injuries on both sides.

Protesters on social media accused the police of an unprovoked attack.

Leaders on both sides have called for calm, and confirmed that talks between protest leaders and the government delegates will take place on October 21.

The protesters, many of them youths and students, are angry at China’s rulers for limiting their choice of leader in the next election in 2017.

They accuse Hong Kong’s current leader, CY Leung, of failing to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party.

Hong Kong protesters have clashed with police in a battle for territory in the district of Mong Kok
Hong Kong protesters have clashed with police in a battle for territory in the district of Mong Kok (photo Reuters)

Protests erupted last month and have been going on intermittently around government buildings and the business district on Hong Kong island, and in Mong Kok, a residential and shopping area in Kowloon.

On October 17, police had all but cleared the Mong Kok site and protesters’ numbers had substantially dwindled elsewhere.

Clashes resumed later as protesters launched a sustained effort to reoccupy a busy road junction in Mong Kok.

About 9,000 protesters pushed police back, with 26 people arrested.

At about midnight on October 18, police charged protesters, beating them with batons and deploying pepper spray.

A stand-off resumed shortly afterwards with neither side having gained any ground.

Talks between the two sides were announced earlier.

Carrie Lam, CY Leung’s deputy, said both sides would send five representatives to the negotiations, which will be broadcast live on television.

The talks will last about two hours, and be focused on constitutional reform, Carrie Lam said.

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Annapurna Circuit death toll rises to 39 after four days of searches

Nancy Clayson
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Annapurna Circuit death toll rises to 39 after four days of searches

The death toll of Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit has risen to 39 after days of searches, officials say.

Snowstorms and avalanches have killed the trekkers on one of the most popular hiking routes in the Himalayas.

After a fourth day of searches, 384 people have been rescued from the Annapurna trail, 216 of them foreigners, in the country’s worst-ever trekking disaster.

Helicopters have been searching parts of the trail high as 19,000ft for survivors.

The government said the priority was to rescue 22 stranded hikers.

The trekkers are stranded at Thorung La pass, and face a shortage of food and water. Army helicopters tried to rescue them but failed after being unable to land.

It is still unclear which climbers have been accounted for and which are still missing.

The task of the authorities is made more complicated because there are thousands of climbers in Nepal at this time of the year.

Army helicopters tried unsuccessfully to rescue them on October 18 between the Mustang and Dolpa districts, government rescue coordinator Suresh Acharya said.

The death toll of Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit has risen to 39 after days of searches
The death toll of Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit has risen to 39 after days of searches

Twenty bodies have been recovered but 19 bodies are still in the snow and a rescue team will be deployed on October 19 to dig them out and retrieve them by air, he said.

One of the main trekking routes – the Thorung La pass, the high point of the Annapurna Circuit – is now “relatively safe” after the army cleared snow, he said earlier.

Rescuers have only limited resources and most of the missing and dead are believed to be at the maximum heights that helicopters can reach.

Nepalese, Japanese, Israeli, Canadian, Indian, Slovak, Vietnamese and Polish trekkers are said to be among the dead.

Many survivors have been left with severe frostbite and will have to have limbs amputated.

Nepal earns huge revenues from the tens of thousands of trekkers and climbers who flock to the Himalayas every year.

This has been a particularly deadly year for Nepal’s trekking and mountaineering industry.

An avalanche on Mount Everest in April killed 16 Sherpa guides and resulted in a significant drop in the number of expeditions to the world’s highest peak.

The latest disaster comes at the height of the trekking period.

Hannah Graham update: Remains found in Walnut Creek Park in Albemarle County

Nancy Clayson
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Hannah Graham update: Remains found in Walnut Creek Park in Albemarle County

Human remains that could be those of Hannah Graham, who has been missing since September 13, have been found by Virginia police.

Forensic tests are under way to determine whether the remains are those of 18-year-old British-born student Hannah Graham.

Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., 32, was charged last month with abduction of Hannah Graham.

He was taken into custody by police in Galveston, Texas, 1,300 miles from where she was last seen.

Thousands of volunteers have searched local areas in the weeks since the disappearance of Hannah Graham, who was born in Reading, southern England.

Sources say Hannah Graham’s body was found in Walnut Creek Park area close to where Jesse Matthew’s grew up in his mother’s old home.

Hannah Graham has been missing since September 13
Hannah Graham has been missing since September 13

Police Chief Tim Longo said that Jesse Leroy Matthew’s arrest had also provided a “forensic link” to a separate case from 2009.

Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, 20, went missing from Charlottesville and was found dead months after she went missing.

Jesse Leroy Matthew, a nursing assistant, was identified as a suspect soon after Hannah Graham’s disappearance on Saturday September 13.

Witnesses reported seeing a man matching his physical description drinking with Hannah Graham on the night she went missing, and he appeared twice in CCTV footage walking alongside her, police said.

At 01:20, Hannah Graham sent a text message to a friend saying she was lost after an evening of drinking and socializing in the town. She was neither seen nor heard from again.

Police had offered $100,000 for information on her whereabouts, a sum which included contributions from the local community.

The following day police searched Jesse Leroy Matthew’s apartment and vehicle. He then visited a Charlottesville police station accompanied by relatives, spoke briefly with officers, then asked for a lawyer.

Jesse Leroy Matthew was allowed to leave, then drove away from the police station at high speed, prompting police to charge him with reckless driving and obtain a warrant for his arrest.

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Synod on the Family report: Bishops veto gay-friendly statements

Diane A. Wade
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Synod on the Family report: Bishops veto gay-friendly statements

Proposals for wider acceptance of gay people failed to win a two-thirds majority at the Catholic Church’s Synod on the Family.

A mid-term draft report issued through the meeting had called for greater openness towards gay people and divorced Catholics who have remarried.

However, those paragraphs were not approved, and were stripped from the final text.

The report will inform further debate before the synod reconvenes in larger numbers in a year’s time.

Correspondents say the text welcoming gay people and remarried Catholics had been watered down in the final version that was voted on – but it appears that they still met with resistance from conservatives.

All other parts of the draft report were accepted by the synod.

Proposals for wider acceptance of gay people failed to win a two-thirds majority at the Catholic Church’s Synod on the Family
Proposals for wider acceptance of gay people failed to win a two-thirds majority at the Catholic Church’s Synod on the Family

Speaking after the vote, Pope Francis told attendees that he would have been “worried and saddened” if there had not been “animated discussions” or if “everyone had been in agreement or silent in a false and acquiescent peace”, AP news agency reported.

Pope Francis also cautioned against “hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God”.

While the earlier draft had said that gay people had “gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community”, the revised document only said that discrimination against gay people “is to be avoided”.

The Pope said the full draft document, including the rejected paragraphs, should be published.

“Keep in mind this is not a magisterial document….the Pope asked for it to be made available to show the degree of maturity that has taken place and that which still needs to take place in discussions over the coming year,” Holy See press officer Tom Rosica said on Vatican Radio.

Pope Francis had made a powerful appeal to traditionalists not to lock themselves within the letter of the law, but conservative cardinals and bishops carried the day at the end of the synod.

About 200 bishops attended the synod on family issues at the Vatican.

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Xolile Mngeni: Anni Dewani murderer dies in South African jail

Nancy Clayson
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Xolile Mngeni: Anni Dewani murderer dies in South African jail

Xolile Mngeni, the man jailed for shooting dead Anni Dewani in 2010, has died in prison, South Africa’s correctional services department has said.

Xolile Mngeni, who was convicted of killing Anni Dewani while she was on her honeymoon, had been serving a life sentence for her murder.

His death comes amid the trial in Cape Town of British businessman Shrien Dewani, who denies arranging his wife’s murder.

Xolile Mngeni, 27, died in the hospital section of Cape Town prison, officials said.

South Africa’s correctional services department has said it will make a full statement about his death on October 18.

Xolile Mngeni was jailed for shooting dead Anni Dewani in 2010
Xolile Mngeni was jailed for shooting dead Anni Dewani in 2010

The death of Xolile Mngeni comes 12 days after Shrien Dewani went on trial.

Shrien Dewani, 34, faces five charges including murder and lying about the circumstances of his wife’s death.

He denies any involvement in the killing, which happened in the Gugulethu area of Cape Town.

Reports suggest prosecutors in South Africa had spoken to Xolile Mngeni but had not planned to call him as a witness in the trial because of the poor state of his health.

Xolile Mngeni was known to have had a rare brain tumor removed in 2011.

Anni Dewani was kidnapped at gunpoint and shot dead in Gugulethu, a township near Cape Town on 13 November 2010 while on honeymoon in South Africa. Shrien Dewani, who was kidnapped alongside her, was later released unharmed.

Xolile Mngeni was charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping three days after her death and was convicted on November 19, 2012, of firing the shots that killed Anni Dewani, having denied the charges.

Bruce Jenner is dating Kris Jenner’s best friend Ronda Kamihira

Lisa.Felice
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Bruce Jenner is dating Kris Jenner’s best friend Ronda Kamihira

Bruce Jenner is apparently already dating after his separation with Kris Jenner.

According to People magazine, Bruce Jenner has begun a new romance with Kris’ longtime friend and former assistant, Ronda Kamihira.

“Kris is devastated,” a source tells the magazine.

“This was her former assistant and best friend of 20 years.”

The potential new romance comes a month after Kris and Bruce Jenner filed for divorce, ending their 22-year marriage. The couple maintained the split was absolutely amicable.

Bruce Jenner has reportedly begun a new romance with Kris Jenner's longtime friend and former assistant, Ronda Kamihira
Bruce Jenner has reportedly begun a new romance with Kris Jenner’s longtime friend and former assistant, Ronda Kamihira

Kris Jenner “is just shocked” that the former Olympian has moved on with her friend, the magazine said.

“She’s so sad and completely heartbroken.”

Bruce Jenner first publicly stepped out with Ronda Kamihira in Los Angeles at an Elton John concert on October 4, where he sported his longer hair.

Just months earlier, Bruce Jenner’s new love joined Kris for a getaway to Punta Mita, Mexico.

Ronda Kamihira, however, was not seen with Bruce Jenner and members of the family during a brief getaway to Las Vegas last weekend.

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Ebola in US: CDC to issue new guidelines for healthcare workers

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola in US: CDC to issue new guidelines for healthcare workers

The CDC will issue new guidelines for healthcare workers handling Ebola patients, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “wrapping up the final details” about the new guidelines, which come in the wake of the first Ebola cases in the US, CDC spokeswoman Melissa Brower has said.

The CDC will issue new guidelines for healthcare workers handling Ebola patients
The CDC will issue new guidelines for healthcare workers handling Ebola patients

As of October 17, roughly 1,000 people were being watched for symptoms, asked to monitor themselves or urged to check with a counselor at the CDC. None has exhibited symptoms.

The group includes those who may have flown on a Frontier Airlines jetliner that carried Amber Vinson, the second of two nurses who contracted Ebola after caring for Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

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Ovarian cancer test helps getting right treatment

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ovarian cancer test helps getting right treatment

Scientists have developed a new test that can help doctors identify ovarian cancer more accurately and cut down on instances of unnecessary surgery.

The new test is designed to help diagnose different types and stages of ovarian cancer.

Scientists from Belgium and the UK said many women with cancer were not getting the right treatment.

The test is designed to distinguish accurately between benign cysts and malignant tumors as well as identify how aggressive tumors are.

It was developed by University of Leuven and Imperial College London scientists to help the patient get the right surgical treatment.

The new test is designed to help diagnose different types and stages of ovarian cancer
The new test is designed to help diagnose different types and stages of ovarian cancer

The test uses a combination of patient information, blood test results and ultrasound scans to predict the malignancy, type and stage of the cancer.

The researchers used data from 3,506 patients in 10 European countries between 1999 and 2007 to develop the test.

The research team, reporting their findings in the BMJ, then trialed the test with a further 2,403 patients between 2009 and 2012.

Ovarian cancer can be difficult to diagnose early, because symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain can be put down to other common illnesses.

It is the most aggressive gynecological cancer, with only about 40% of patients still alive five years after being diagnosed, according to the research paper.

One of the main factors in survival is how early the cancer is diagnosed. There is currently no screening available, so patients have to rely on seeing a doctor and being correctly diagnosed in time.

Another important factor in the survival rate is whether surgery is carried out by a specialist surgeon, the researchers said.

Many women were currently operated on by general surgeons, possibly because the true nature of the illness came to light only during surgery.

If women were diagnosed in the early stages of ovarian cancer they had a 90% chance of surviving the next five years, but if the cancer was found at a later stage, the five-year survival rate reduced to 22%.

Darren Wilson’s testimony to investigators revealed for first time

Nancy Clayson
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Darren Wilson’s testimony to investigators revealed for first time

Officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, has told investigators that he was pinned in his vehicle and in fear for his life as he struggled over his gun with the teenager.

Darren Wilson has told the authorities that during the scuffle, Michael Brown reached for the gun. It was fired twice in the car, according to forensics tests performed by the FBI. The first bullet struck Michael Brown in the arm and the second bullet missed.

The forensics tests showed Michael Brown’s blood on the gun, as well as on the interior door panel and on Officer Darren Wilson’s uniform.

Darren Wilson told the authorities that Michael Brown had punched and scratched him repeatedly, leaving swelling on his face and cuts on his neck.

Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9
Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9

This is the first public account of Darren Wilson’s testimony to investigators, but it does not explain why, after he emerged from his vehicle, he fired at Michael Brown multiple times. It contradicts some witness accounts, and it will not calm those who have been demanding to know why an unarmed man was shot a total of six times.

Michael Brown’s death continues to fuel anger and sometimes-violent protests.

In September, Darren Wilson appeared for four hours before a St. Louis County grand jury, which was convened to determine whether there is probable cause that he committed a crime. Legal experts have said that his decision to testify was surprising, given that it was not required by law. But the struggle in the car may prove to be a more influential piece of information for the grand jury, one that speaks to Officer Darren Wilson’s state of mind, his feeling of vulnerability and his sense of heightened alert when he killed Michael Brown.

Police officers typically have wide latitude to use lethal force if they reasonably believe that they are in imminent danger.

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Jeremy Clarkson penalized for speeding for first time in 30 years

Clyde K. Valle
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Jeremy Clarkson penalized for speeding for first time in 30 years

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has been penalized for speeding for the first time in 30 years.

Jeremy Clarkson wrote in the Sun that he had been caught by a fixed camera while travelling between Whitby and London.

He said: “Sadly, I was going too quickly for the speed awareness course to be an option.”

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has been penalized for speeding for the first time in 30 years
Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has been penalized for speeding for the first time in 30 years

Jeremy Clarkson said he had written last month in “blind fury” about the amount of speed cameras on the route.

“Well, it seems one of them got to me,” he added.

His admission comes just weeks after he and his Top Gear team caused controversy during filming in Argentina for using a number plate that appeared to refer to the Falklands war.

Jeremy Clarkson has said the number plate was a coincidence and the program’s producer has denied it was a stunt.

In 2008, Jeremy Clarkson, who lives near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, was criticized for claiming he had driven at 186mph on a public road.

Supreme Court: Texas can use new voter ID law for November elections

Diane A. Wade
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Supreme Court: Texas can use new voter ID law for November elections

Texas can use its controversial new voter ID law for the November election, the Supreme Court ruled on October 18.

A majority of the justices rejected an emergency request from the Justice Department and civil rights groups to prohibit the state from requiring voters to produce certain forms of photo identification in order to cast ballots. Three justices dissented.

Texas can use its controversial new voter ID law for the November election
Texas can use its controversial new voter ID law for the November election

Texas ID law was struck down by a federal judge last week, but a federal appeals court had put that ruling on hold. The judge found that roughly 600,000 voters, many of them black or Latino, could be turned away at the polls because they lack acceptable identification. Early voting in Texas begins Monday, October 20.

The Supreme Court’s order was unsigned, as it typically is in these situations. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented, saying they would have left the district court decision in place.

The law sets out seven forms of approved ID, a list that includes concealed handgun licenses but not college student IDs, which are accepted in other states with similar measures.

Hurricane Ana to hit Hawaii with strong winds and heavy rains

Nancy Clayson
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Hurricane Ana to hit Hawaii with strong winds and heavy rains

Hurricane Ana is approaching Hawaii, producing high waves along some shorelines, heavy rains that prompted a flood advisory, and winds strong enough for officials to urge caution.

The center of the powerful Pacific storm was about 155 miles southwest of the Big Island as it passed late Friday night and about 245 miles from Honolulu, the National Weather Service said.

There was little chance for hurricane conditions on the islands, but a tropical storm watch remained in effect throughout the archipelago and winds were expected to reach nearly 40 mph, forecasters said.

Waves were expected to crest to 10 to 15 feet on both the North and South shores of Hawaii’s islands late Saturday and to remain tall through Sunday.

Late Friday, the National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for parts of the Big Island until shortly after midnight, saying rain was falling in some areas at a rate of 2- to- 3-inches an hour.

Ana became a Category 1 hurricane earlier in the day when it was about 230 miles south of Hilo.

Hurricane Ana is approaching Hawaii with heavy rains that prompted a flood advisory
Hurricane Ana is approaching Hawaii with heavy rains that prompted a flood advisory (photo AP)

Shortly before midnight, it had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was churning along its course at 13 mph.

Swells were picking up on the Big Island’s south shores Friday afternoon, with 15-foot waves seen in Pohoiki Bay.

About 6 to 8 inches of rainfall were expected, although some isolated areas could get up to a foot of rain.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie proclaimed an emergency to help the state respond to the storm.

The Hawaii chapter of the American Red Cross planned to opened evacuation shelters on the Big Island at noon. Island Air planned to suspend its Maui and Lanai flights Saturday afternoon and all flights Sunday, but airports remained open.

On Oahu, buses and trash pickup remained on their normal schedule. Less rain was expected than previously predicted, but officials remained concerned about high surf, storm surge and flooding, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said.

Camping permits on Oahu were revoked for the weekend, but most parks remained open except for Hanauma Bay, which will be closed on Sunday.

The weather service issued a flash flood watch for the entire state from Friday through Sunday, indicating flooding is possible anywhere in the archipelago.

Ana (AH – nah) is expected to lose power as it moves northwest along the island chain.

What is Annapurna Circuit?

Nancy Clayson
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What is Annapurna Circuit?

Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit is one of the oldest trekking trails in the Himalayas and has been open to foreigners since 1977.

This circuit is considered one of the best treks in the world though road construction is threatening its reputation and its future as a classic trek.

The trekking route is crossing Thorung La Pass, which sits at an altitude of 5,416 meters (17,769 feet) and connects the village of Manang in the east with the famous Hindu temple of Muktinath in Mustang in the west. The pass was originally used by locals as a trade route, herding agricultural products on yaks and donkeys.

The trekking to complete the Annapurna Circuit starts in the town of Besi Sahar, approximately a six-hour drive from the capital Kathmandu or a three-hour drive from Pokhara, a popular tourist destination.

Annapurna Circuit is one of the oldest trekking trails in the Himalayas and has been open to foreigners since 1977
Annapurna Circuit is one of the oldest trekking trails in the Himalayas and has been open to foreigners since 1977 (photo AP)

Many tourists still choose to walk from Besi Sahar and complete the trek in about three weeks, which takes them through small villages where locals provide food and accommodation. But in the past decade, an unpaved road runs to Chame, the headquarters of Manang district, which gives many trekkers the ability to rent jeeps and cut short the trek by at least a few days.

The circuit goes through Manang, from where trekkers can choose to hike to the Tilicho lake, one of the highest lakes in the world, sitting at an altitude of 4,919 meters (16,138 feet).

Described as “the best long distance trek in the world”, the Annapurna Circuit is known as the “apple pie” circuit due to the baked goods offered by tea houses along the route.

The circuit passes Mount Annapurna, world’s 10th highest mountain and one of the most dangerous.

This week, at least 32 people have been killed, and dozens are missing, after a devastating blizzard hit the key hiking route in Nepal.

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Nepal: Annapurna Circuit death toll rises to 32

Nancy Clayson
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Nepal: Annapurna Circuit death toll rises to 32

Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit death toll has risen to 32 after the hiking route was hit by major snowstorms and avalanches earlier this week, officials say.

Mountain rescue teams are out for the fourth day, searching for missing trekkers, and it is feared more bodies lie beneath the snow.

A total of 282 people have been rescued from the mountain ranges in what is Nepal’s worst-ever trekking disaster.

Some climbers have accused their guides of abandoning them.

A spokesman for the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal told the AFP news agency the focus of the rescue operation was now geared towards the recovery of bodies.

The task of the authorities is made more complicated because there are thousands of climbers in Nepal at this time of the year.

Rescuers have only limited resources and most of the missing and dead are believed to be at heights of around 16,000ft.

Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit death toll has risen to 32 after the hiking route was hit by major snowstorms and avalanches
Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit death toll has risen to 32 after the hiking route was hit by major snowstorms and avalanches

Nepalese, Israeli, Canadian, Indian, Slovak and Polish trekkers are among the dead.

Many survivors have been left with severe frostbite and will have to have limbs amputated.

On October 18, helicopters were again searching the area around a high mountain pass on the Annapurna Trail, where most of the deaths occurred.

Nepal earns huge revenues from the tens of thousands of trekkers and climbers who flock to the Himalayas every year.

This has been a particularly deadly year for Nepal’s trekking and mountaineering industry.

An avalanche on Mount Everest in April killed 16 Sherpa guides and resulted in a significant drop in the number of expeditions to the world’s highest peak.

The latest disaster comes at the height of the trekking period.

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Hong Kong protesters retake streets in Mong Kok

Diane A. Wade
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Hong Kong protesters retake streets in Mong Kok

Hong Kong protesters have retaken streets in the Mong Kok district cleared by the authorities just a few hours earlier.

Some 9,000 protesters pushed back riot police, managing to retake territory south of a major intersection.

They have been occupying parts of the city for weeks, angered at China’s curbs on who can stand in Hong Kong’s next leadership election in 2017.

Police made 26 arrests for assault and other offenses on Friday evening.

Fifteen police officers were injured in the clashes, police said, while several protesters were seen being knocked to the ground during the latest scuffles, AP news agency reports.

Protest group Occupy Central issued a statement saying that the clearance operations ordered by the government had “triggered a new wave of occupations and worsened relations between police and citizens”.

The Mong Kok camp in Kowloon is an offshoot of the original protest site around government offices in Admiralty on Hong Kong Island.

Hong Kong protesters have retaken streets in the Mong Kok district cleared by the authorities just a few hours earlier
Hong Kong protesters have retaken streets in the Mong Kok district cleared by the authorities just a few hours earlier

Protesters and police are also congregating at Admiralty, although there are no reports of clashes.

Earlier on Friday, Alex Chow from the Federation of Students said both his group and the government had agreed to meet on October 21, in talks that would be broadcast live on radio, the South China Morning Post reported.

Hong Kong leader CY Leung said on October 16 that the government was ready for talks, but China would not retract its decision to vet candidates for the 2017 elections.

The last time talks were scheduled they were cancelled by Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, who said it was impossible to have constructive dialogue while the occupation of city streets continued.

Protester numbers have dropped off since the start of the month, when tens of thousands were on the streets. But tensions escalated this week, with violent clashes as police cleared an underpass on Lung Wo Road near the chief executive’s offices.

A video showing plainclothes police officers beating an unarmed protester, who is a member of the pro-democracy Civic Party, also sparked outrage.

Police said seven officers had been suspended pending an investigation.

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Hurricane Gonzalo hits Bermuda as Category 2 storm

Nancy Clayson
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Hurricane Gonzalo hits Bermuda as Category 2 storm

Hurricane Gonzalo has hit Bermuda late Friday, October 17, as a powerful Category 2 storm, with winds of about 110mph.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of high winds and a “life-threatening storm surge” the after the eye of the hurricane passed the British Atlantic territory.

Eighty per cent of the island chain has lost power because of the hurricane, Reuters quotes Bermuda Electric Light Company as saying.

Bermuda, an affluent insurance hub, frequently sees strong tropical storms.

“I wish everyone all the best for the next 24 hours. Good luck and look after each other,” Governor George Ferguson said in an emergency broadcast ahead of Hurricane Gonzalo’s arrival.

One person died in the Dutch territory of St Maarten after Hurricane Gonzalo passed over the Caribbean
One person died in the Dutch territory of St Maarten after Hurricane Gonzalo passed over the Caribbean

The Miami-based NHC said that although the Category 2 storm had weakened from earlier wind speeds of 125mph, it was still expected to be a dangerous hurricane as it passed over Bermuda.

Hurricane Gonzalo was labeled as a Category 4 storm on Thursday, October 16, and was moved down to Category 3 and then 2 on October 17.

A webcam at the Royal Naval Dockyard at the port showed heavy rain, large waves and trees being shaken vigorously from the strong winds.

Hurricane-force winds were predicted to pound Bermuda for several hours.

One person died in the Dutch territory of St Maarten after Hurricane Gonzalo passed over the Caribbean.

The storm is being compared to the 2003 Hurricane Fabian which wreaked havoc on Bermuda, the most powerful storm to hit the territory in 50 years.

The winds then reached the same speed as Hurricane Gonzalo, and caused damage of about $300 million.

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Rebecca Robertson celebrates 25th birthday

Sonia Pantiss
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Rebecca Robertson celebrates 25th birthday

Duck Dynasty’s Rebecca Robertson celebrates her 25th birthday on Friday, October 17.

Rebecca came to the family as an exchange student from Taiwan and was eventually taken in as a foster child by Willie and Korie Robertson, becoming the eldest of their five children.

She spent a lot of her childhood in Taipei, but moved back to the US when she was 16 years old.

Rebecca Robertson was taken in as a foster child by Willie and Korie Robertson
Rebecca Robertson was taken in as a foster child by Willie and Korie Robertson (photo Facebook)

Rebecca Robertson graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Apparel Design in 2012.

She worked as a wardrobe stylist in Los Angeles before opening up a clothing boutique called Duck & Dressing in Louisiana.

Her mother, Korie Robertson wrote on her Facebook page on October 17: “Let the Robertson family celebrations continue…happy, happy, happy birthday Rebecca!“

Rebecca Robertson joined the family on the fifth season of Duck Dynasty.

Michael Dunn gets life sentence without parole in Jordan Davis murder case

Nancy Clayson
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Michael Dunn gets life sentence without parole in Jordan Davis murder case

Michael Dunn, the Florida man who shot and killed teenager Jordan Davis in an argument over his loud music, has been sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole.

Michael Dunn, 47, was convicted of the first-degree murder of Jordan Davis, 17, on October 1, in his second trial.

He fired 10 times into Jordan Davis’ vehicle in Jacksonville, Florida, after a dispute in a store car park.

Michael Dunn has maintained he fired in self-defense, saying he believed Jordan Davis was reaching for a gun.

Police never found a firearm and witnesses say they did not see one.

The trial was Michael Dunn’s second. Earlier in the year he was found guilty of three charges of attempted murder in connection with Jordan Davis’ friends who were also in the car, and shooting into a vehicle, but the jury deadlocked on the murder charge.

Michael Dunn was convicted of the first-degree murder of Jordan Davis
Michael Dunn was convicted of the first-degree murder of Jordan Davis

In Jacksonville on October 17, Judge Russell Healey also sentenced Michael Dunn to 30 years for each attempted murder charge and 15 years for shooting into a vehicle.

“Mr. Dunn, your life is effectively over,” Judge Russell Healey said.

“What is sad… is that this case exemplifies that our society seems to have lost its way.”

Florida prosecutors declined to seek the death penalty and Jordan Davis’ family said they did not want Michael Dunn to be executed.

Jordan Davis’ mother Lucy McBath said in a statement that her son’s death had robbed her of the opportunity to see him grow up, according to the Jacksonville Times-Union.

“For years to come, I will be forced to celebrate his birthday without his presence,” she said.

“As I quietly watch my friends’ boys grow into young men, I will forever be reminded of what might’ve been for my Jordan.”

Lucy McBath said she forgave Michael Dunn because she taught her son to forgive.

In his own brief statement, Michael Dunn said: “I truly regret what happened.”

“If I could roll back time and do things differently I would. Still, I’m mortified I took a life, whether it was justified or not.”

On the evening of November 23, 2012, Michael Dunn and his fiancée parked at a convenience store in Jacksonville, Florida, after attending his son’s wedding.

Jordan Davis and three other teenage boys, all African American, had stopped at the same place after visiting a shopping mall.

Michael Dunn, a software developer, testified at his trial that the music blasting from the boys’ sport utility vehicle, next to his, was so loud it hurt his ears, and he asked them to turn it down.

But Jordan Davis, sitting in the back, ordered his friend in the front seat to turn the music back up, Michael Dunn testified.

Michael Dunn said Jordan Davis became verbally abusive and threatened his life.

He claimed the teenagers inside the vehicle wore “menacing expressions” and told the court he saw Jordan Davis reach down for something that looked like the barrel of a shotgun.

Michael Dunn reached into his glove box, withdrew a pistol and fired at the vehicle, killing Jordan Davis.

Prosecutors said Jordan Davis failed to call police or first responders after shooting 10 times, and instead returned to his hotel, ordered pizza, walked his dog and went to sleep.

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Barack Obama’s credit card declined at New York restaurant

Clyde K. Valle
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Barack Obama’s credit card declined at New York restaurant

President Barack Obama revealed his credit card was declined at a restaurant in New York City last month.

Barack Obama said: “It turned out I guess I don’t use it enough.”

“They thought there was some fraud going on.”

Fortunately, the president said, First Lady Michelle Obama had a credit card on hand and paid for the meal.

Barack Obama told the story at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as he announced new protections for debit cards used to deliver federal benefits.

Barack Obama revealed his credit card was declined at a restaurant in New York City
Barack Obama revealed his credit card was declined at a restaurant in New York City

An estimated 100 million Americans have been affected by identity theft in the past year, including high-profile security breaches at retailers like Target and Home Depot.

“I was trying to explain to the waitress, you know, I really think that I’ve been paying my bills,” Barack Obama said.

“Even I’m affected by this.”

Barack Obama is paid $400,000 per year, as well as given a non-taxable $50,000 expense account.

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Study: Soft drinks warning signs can encourage healthier choices

Kathryn R. Bown
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Study: Soft drinks warning signs can encourage healthier choices

A US research suggests that signs warning shoppers how much exercise they need to do to burn off calories in sugary drinks can encourage healthier choices.

A study of teenagers’ purchasing habits found they bought fewer sugary drinks and more water when the signs were up.

The most effective sign said it took five miles to walk off the 250 calories in a sugary drink.

Study leader Dr. Sara Bleich, associate professor at the Bloomberg School, John Hopkins University, said people do not understand calorie content on its own on a label.

“What our research found is that when you explain calories in an easily understandable way such as how many miles of walking is needed to burn them off, you can encourage behavior change.”

For six weeks, the brightly colored signs were displayed in corner shops in neighborhoods in Baltimore, in full view of young customers buying sugary drinks.

Four different signs were used in the shops. Two translated the calories in the drinks into the amount of exercise needed to burn off those calories.

One sign said it would take 50 minutes of running to work off the 250 calories – or 16 teaspoons of sugar – contained in a 590ml bottle of fizzy drink, sports drink or fruit juice.

The remaining signs listed the sugar content of the drink and the calories contained in the drink.

Signs warning shoppers how much exercise they need to do to burn off calories in sugary drinks can encourage healthier choices
Signs warning shoppers how much exercise they need to do to burn off calories in sugary drinks can encourage healthier choices

To find out the impact of the signs, the researchers – writing in the American Journal of Public Health – interviewed children aged between 12 and 18 years old leaving the shop.

Out of the 35% of those interviewed who said they saw the signs, 59% said they believed the sign and 40% said their behavior had changed as a consequence.

Before the signs were put up, 98% of drinks bought in the shops were sugary ones. After six weeks, this was reduced to 89%.

During the time the signs were on view, sales of larger bottles of fizzy drinks went down from 54% to 37% of all purchases.

The percentage of teenagers who chose to buy no drink at all in the shops increased from 27% to 33%.

This change in behavior continued for several weeks after the “exercise” signs were taken down, the study adds.

In total, more than 3,000 drinks purchases were observed by the research team.

Dr. Sara Bleich said the findings could help in the fight against obesity: “This is a very low-cost way to get children old enough to make their own purchases to drink fewer sugar-sweetened beverages and they appear to be effective even after they are removed.

“Using these easy-to-understand and easy-to-install signs may help promote obesity-prevention or weight loss.”

Morgan Stanley reports 87% jump in profit in Q3 2014

Clyde K. Valle
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Morgan Stanley reports 87% jump in profit in Q3 2014

Morgan Stanley has reported an 87% jump in profits to $1.65 billion in Q3 2014.

Trading of currencies, commodities and bonds was a big driver of profits, as was wealth management – advising high earners on their finances.

On October 16, rival bank Goldman Sachs reported a 50% rise in profits.

Banks’ bond trading activities have reportedly benefitted from problems at bond giant Pimco.

Morgan Stanley has reported an 87 percent jump in profits to $1.65 billion in Q3 2014
Morgan Stanley has reported an 87 percent jump in profits to $1.65 billion in Q3 2014

In September, trading superstar Bill Gross made a surprise exit from the world’s biggest bond company.

The departure of Bill Gross from Pimco reportedly prompted investors to withdraw billions of dollars from the company, money which has found its way to other trading businesses.

Morgan Stanley’s total revenue for the quarter rose 12% to $8.91 billion.

Bond trading revenues were up 19.4% to $997 million. Wealth management revenue rose 9% to $3.79 billion.

“We are well positioned to create superior returns for our shareholders, particularly as the US economy continues to strengthen,” Morgan Stanley’s chief executive and chairman James P. Gorman said in a statement.

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