Peter Kassig’s parents have released a letter he has written in captivity.
Peter Edward Kassig, 26, is an American hostage who is being held by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Syria.
He converted to Islam in 2013, changing his name to Abdul-Rahman Kassig.
Abdul-Rahman Kassig wrote in June 2014 that he was “scared to die” and saddened by the pain his ordeal was causing to the family.
Last week ISIS posted a video showing the killing of British hostage Alan Henning. The video ended with a threat to kill Peter Kassig.
It was the fourth such video released by ISIS, which controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
Previous victims were American reporter James Foley, American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines.
ISIS said they were killed in retaliation for US-led air strikes on the group’s targets.
Peter Edward Kassig is being held by ISIS militants in Syria
Peter Kassig’s parents, Ed and Paula Kassig, said they had decided to release excerpts from their son’s letter “so the world can understand why we and so many people care for him and admire him”.
“We want to send our heartfelt thanks to the many people around the world who have offered their prayers and support to our family at this difficult time, and especially to those who know our son and worked with him in Lebanon, Turkey or Syria. We are overwhelmed by the response from those who consider Abdul-Rahman a hero for the work he was doing before he was taken captive.”
In the letter, Abdul-Rahman Kassig wrote: “I am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing, wondering, hoping, and wondering if I should even hope at all.
“I am very sad that all this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through.
“If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need.
“In terms of my faith, I pray every day and I am not angry about my situation in that sense.”
The letter – which the parents received on June 2 – ends with the words: “I love you.”
Peter Kassig’s parents said he had been working for the relief organization he founded, Special Emergency Response and Assistance (SERA), when he was captured on his way to Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria in 2013.
In a statement they said their son’s “journey toward Islam” had begun before he was taken captive but they understood he had converted voluntarily late last year while sharing a cell with a devout Muslim.
Gone Girl has topped the US box office on its debut weekend, taking $38 million, according to early estimates.
Ben Affleck’s thriller, which also stars Rosamund Pike, is about a man who comes under suspicion when his wife mysteriously disappears.
Annabelle, featuring the creepy doll from 2013 horror The Conjuring, was a close second with $37.2 million.
Gone Girl has topped the US box office on its debut weekend, taking $38 million
Gone Girl is based on the best-selling novel by author Gillian Flynn and is directed by David Fincher, the film-maker behind The Social Network and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Published in 2012, Gillian Flynn’s novel has sold more than six million copies. Earlier this year, she was commissioned by the Hogarth Shakespeare project to rewrite The Bard’s tragedy Hamlet.
Last week’s number one, The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington, slipped to third place with $19 million.
Animation The Boxtrolls and young adult movie Maze Runner rounded out the top five.
Brenda Leyland, who was accused of targeting internet abuse at the family of Madeleine McCann, has been found dead in a room at Marriott Hotel in Leicester, UK.
Brenda Leyland, 63, was accused of being one of the so-called “trolls” directing abusive messages at the McCanns.
Her body was found days after she was confronted outside her home by a Sky News reporter.
Madeleine McCann disappeared while on holiday In Portugal in 2007.
Brenda Leyland was confronted by the reporter who put to her she had posted messages attacking the family on Twitter via the handle @sweepyface.
Brenda Leyland was accused of targeting internet abuse at the family of Madeleine McCann (photo Sky News)
She replied: “I’m entitled to do that.”
A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said: “Police were called at 13:42 on Saturday 4 October to reports of a body of a woman in a hotel room in Smith Way, Grove Park [in Leicester].
“Officers have attended the scene and a file is being prepared for the coroner. The death is not being treated as suspicious.”
Sky issued a statement saying: “We were saddened to hear of the death of Brenda Leyland. It would be inappropriate to speculate or comment further at this time.”
A statement released by the Marriott Hotel read: “We are very sad to confirm the death of a guest at the Leicester Marriott Hotel and our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased.”
Jules Bianchi has undergone surgery after suffering a severe head injury in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Earlier, governing body the FIA said the Marussia driver would be operated on before being moved to intensive care.
Jules Bianchi, 25, was unconscious when he was taken to hospital from Suzuka.
He was injured after hitting a recovery vehicle, prompting the stoppage of the rain-affected race in Suzuka after 44 laps.
Jules Bianchi has undergone surgery after suffering a severe head injury in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix
Earlier reports in the French media said Jules Bianchi was breathing on his own following surgery. However there are now conflicting accounts.
Jules Bianchi lost control close to where Sauber driver Adrian Sutil had spun and hit the tire barrier.
As a recovery vehicle was lifting Sutil’s car, Jules Bianchi travelled across the run-off area and hit the back of the tractor.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the race ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg, but said: “It is obviously a real anti-climax to hear one of our colleagues is seriously injured. That is the main worry.”
Yahoo is planning to invest millions of dollars in mobile messaging service Snapchat, which may value the start-up at about $10 billion, reports say.
Snapchat allows users to send images and videos that “disappear” seconds after being viewed.
The company is said to have rejected a $3 billion takeover offer from Facebook and other tech behemoths, including China’s Alibaba and Tencent groups in recent years.
Yahoo and Snapchat refused to comment.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo may invest about $20 million in Snapchat’s next funding round after cashing in from its stake in e-commerce giant Alibaba.
In 2005, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang bought a 40% stake in Alibaba for about $1 billion. It sold part of that stake during last month’s initial public offering, earning more than $9 billion before taxes.
Yahoo has been on an acquisition spree under chief executive Marissa Mayer, who has been looking to move it away from its reliance on search and make it more of a content provider.
Since joining in 2012, Marissa Mayer has overseen more than two dozen deals aimed at turning the company around.
Yahoo is planning to invest millions of dollars in mobile messaging service Snapchat
However, she has recently come under pressure from activist investor Starboard Value.
Starboard Value has been calling on Yahoo to halt its spending and consider combining with online rival AOL.
Last week, Yahoo bought mobile-chat application MessageMe, which allows users to ping one or many friends on their smartphone using emoticons and stickers.
Marissa Mayer also acquired blogging service Tumblr for about $1 billion last year.
MessageMe has said it will shut down in November, so that its eight-person team can work on mobile products for Yahoo.
Snapchat was created by a group of students at Stanford University in 2011 and quickly became popular among teens.
Facebook is now testing a similar feature that allows users to schedule the automatic deletion of their posts ranging from one hour to seven days.
Snapchat, which has little to no revenue, reportedly rejected Facebook’s $3 billion offer last year for being too low.
However, a tech boom in Silicon Valley has seen several privately owned start-ups receive eleven-digit valuations, including house-sharing company Airbnb and private car-booking application Uber.
Powerful Typhoon Phanfone is bringing many parts of Japan to a standstill with heavy wind and rain as it heads towards Tokyo.
Thousands of households have lost power and Japan’s two largest airlines have suspended many flights.
The adverse weather has also forced the suspension of a search operation for missing people after a volcanic eruption in central Japan last week.
Japan averages 11 typhoons a year, according to its weather agency.
Typhoon Phanfone was downgraded from an earlier status of a super typhoon, but the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that it was still a dangerous storm with winds gusting to 135mph.
The typhoon is moving at a speed of 12.5 mph from off Japan’s south-western coast and is expected to make landfall and approach the capital Tokyo on Monday, October 6.
Typhoon Phanfone is bringing many parts of Japan to a standstill with heavy wind and rain as it heads towards Tokyo
The storm is expected to deposit about 100mm of rain on Tokyo over 24 hours, according to the Transport Ministry website.
Many schools will close on October 6 and two car companies in Japan have halted production at some plants ahead of the storm.
More than 174 domestic flights were affected nationwide, NHK state broadcaster said on Sunday, October 5.
Twelve people are still missing following the eruption of Mount Ontake in central Japan.
The volcano, about 125 miles west of Tokyo, erupted last Saturday killing 51 people, mostly hikers. It is still emitting poisonous fumes.
Heavy rain delayed the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday, and French driver Jules Bianchi was rushed to hospital after losing control and crashing in the wet conditions.
TNT has decided to cancel the remake of classic 1980s Dallas after three seasons.
The network said: “TNT has decided not to renew Dallas”, adding it “defied expectations by standing as a worthy continuation of the Ewing saga”.
TNT thanked “everyone involved in the show” and the people of Dallas “for their warm and generous hospitality”.
The series followed the fortunes of Texan oil family the Ewings.
The original Dallas aired from 1978 to 1991 and centered on a long and bitter rivalry between brothers JR Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, and Bobby Ewing, played by Patrick Duffy.
TNT has decided to cancel the remake of classic 1980s Dallas after three seasons (photo TNT)
It began as a mini series in 1978 and went on to become one of the most-watched television shows around the world for 13 years.
The 356 episodes were seen by an estimated 300 million people in 57 countries.
The new version followed the power struggles within two feuding Texan oil and cattle-ranching families, focusing on John Ross and Christopher Ewing as they clashed over the future of the family dynasty.
Josh Henderson, who appeared as a child in the original series, played John Ross, son of JR Ewing, while Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalfe was Christopher, son of Bobby Ewing.
Original cast members Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray also returned to Southfork ranch as JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen.
In November 2012 Larry Hagman died at the age of 81 from cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.
The series was rewritten to reflect this, incorporating his death into the storyline.
At least 5 police officers have been killed and 12 others injured in a suicide attack in the Chechen capital, Grozny, Russia’s interior ministry says.
The attack took place outside a hall where a concert marking Grozny’s City Day was about to take place.
A statement from the ministry said police were searching a “suspicious” young man when he detonated a device.
Grozny was ravaged by two wars between Russia and Chechen separatists but has been relatively calm in recent years.
At least 5 police officers have been killed and 12 others injured in a suicide attack in the Chechen capital, Grozny (photo AP)
The Russian statement said that police officers on duty at the event “noticed a suspicious young man near metal detectors set up at the concert hall”.
“When the police decided to search him and establish his identity, the man blew himself up,” it said.
There has been no information about any civilian casualties.
The ministry added that Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev was preparing to decorate the police involved for preventing what it described as a major terrorist act.
“They gave their lives to save thousands of people who had come to the concert,” ITAR-TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying.
Pope Francis has opened the extraordinary general session of the Synod of Bishops on family life at the Vatican.
The pontiff and more than 200 senior bishops will be joined by lay Catholics to discuss some of the most controversial issues affecting the Catholic Church: abortion, contraception, homos**uality and divorce.
The extraordinary Synod lasts two weeks and a follow-up meeting will be held next year.
Pope Francis said on October 4 that he wanted bishops to really listen to the Catholic community.
Pope Francis has opened the extraordinary general session of the Synod of Bishops on family life at the Vatican (photo Reuters)
The pontiff said he hoped they would have a “sincere, open and fraternal” discussion that would respond to the “epochal changes” that families were living through.
Last year, a global survey launched by Pope Francis suggested that the majority of Catholics reject Church teaching on issues such as s** and contraception.
As one of the world’s oldest religious institutions, the Catholic Church is in no hurry to change its teachings.
No-one should expect rapid results from this Synod, but many Catholics are hoping that it will bring some change.
After these two weeks of debate, the Synod will gather again in a year’s time to continue its review.
The Catholic Church has more than one billion members around the world.
The pre-sale tickets for Glastonbury 2015 have sold out in just 14 minutes on Friday, October 3.
A total of 15,000 coach and admission packages for the next year’s festival were snapped up in less than a quarter of an hour.
Emily Eavis, who organises the event with her father Michael, said on Twitter: “Wow, all 15,000 coach + ticket packages went in 14 minutes! That’s amazing.”
Revellers have not missed their chance to attend next year’s event, however.
The pre-sale tickets for Glastonbury 2015 have sold out in just 14 minutes
Standard weekend tickets will go on sale on October 5, with tens of thousands expected to attempt to secure their place at the Somerset festival.
Tickets for Glastonbury 2014, which starred Dolly Parton, Metallica and Arcade Fire, sold out in a record time of one hour and 27 minutes last year.
The full price of a Glastonbury 2015 ticket is £220 ($350) plus a £5 ($8) booking fee.
Bookmakers William Hill have installed Fleetwood Mac as favorites to headline next year’s festival, with odds of 4/6.
Others being linked to a performance on the Pyramid Stage include AC/DC, Elton John and Prince.
The line-up will not be announced by organisers until spring 2015.
Glastonbury 2015 will run from June 24 to June 28.
Nick Cannon has altered the Mariah Carey tattoo on his back.
Nick Cannon, who recently announced he and Mariah Carey secretly separated a few months ago, got his estranged wife’s first name inked across his shoulders in large letters shortly before they tied the knot in 2008.
According to new reports, Nick Cannon recently had the tattoo transformed into an elaborate image of Jesus Christ.
Nick Cannon got his Mariah Carey’s first name inked across his shoulders in large letters shortly before they tied the knot in 2008 (photo Getty Images)
Nick Cannon, who has three-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan with the 44-year-old singer, debuted his new artwork as he celebrated his upcoming 34th birthday on October 8 with friends, including Amber Rose, at the Playhouse nightclub in Hollywood on October 2.
According to TMZ.com, Nick Cannon’s new tattoo shows Jesus Christ on the cross with angel wings coming off the end the crucifix.
It is not yet known whether Mariah, who got Mrs. Cannon inked on her back before their wedding, plans to change or remove her tattoo.
Nick Cannon announced his split from Mariah Carey in August, saying: “There is trouble in paradise. We have been living in separate houses for a few months. My main focus is my kids.”
About two million Muslim pilgrims gathered at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on October 4 as they took part in one of the final rites of the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The pilgrims completed a five-day religious journey that is considered one of the Muslim faith’s greatest acts of worship.
Wearing unstitched folds of white cloth, the pilgrims gathered around the cube-shaped Kaaba – the holiest site in Islam.
Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the greatest religious observances in Islam.
About two million Muslim pilgrims gathered at the Grand Mosque in Mecca as they took part in one of the final rites of the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia (photo AP)
The exact dates of Islamic holidays cannot be determined in advance, due to the nature of the Islamic lunar calendar. Estimates are based on expected visibility of the hilal (waxing crescent moon following a new moon) and may vary according to location.
Hajj is one of the largest gatherings of people in the world and every adult Muslim is required to complete the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime as long as they are physically and financially capable of making the expensive and difficult journey.
Every year, Muslim faithful from about 160 countries converge on the Islamic city of Mecca and other locations in western Saudi Arabia to complete the holy journey.
The week of Hajj occurs during the last month of the Islamic calendar and it requires pilgrims to perform a number of services or rituals before arriving in Mecca.
Steve Martin will be honored with this year’s Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute (AFI).
The AFI announced on October 3 that Steve Martin would be getting its highest award for a career in film.
The award will be given at a tribute in Los Angeles in June 2015. The gala ceremony will be aired for a third year on the TNT network and by its sister channel, Turner Classic Movies.
Steve Martin will be honored with this year’s Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute
Steve Martin, 69, followed initial stardom as a stand-up and TV performer with his debut feature film, The Jerk, in 1979.
Steve Martin’s many other films include Pennies from Heaven, Three Amigos!, Little Shop of Horrors, All of Me, Roxanne and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Previous award recipients of the AFI award include Al Pacino, Warren Beatty, Mel Brooks and Jane Fonda.
Charlie Sheen is being sued by a dental technician for assault and battery after punching her in the chest during an office visit.
Margarita Palestino filed the lawsuit on October 3 in Los Angeles seeking unspecified damages from Charlie Sheen.
Her lawsuit accuses Charlie Sheen of attacking her during a dental appointment on September 25, including punching her in the chest and grabbing her clothes.
Charlie Sheen is being sued by the dental technician after punching her in the chest during an office visit
Los Angeles police said on October 2 that they have an active investigation into the incident, but could not release further details.
Charlie Sheen had an adverse reaction to the combination of nitrous oxide and pain medication he was taking for a shoulder injury and he knocked over dental instruments, the actor’s publicist, Jeff Ballard, said on October 2. However, other elements of Margarita Palestino’s story were not true, Jeff Ballard said.
Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola within the US, has deteriorated from a serious to a critical condition, doctors in the state of Texas say.
Thomas Eric Duncan, who caught the virus in his native Liberia, is being treated at a Dallas hospital in isolation.
Earlier it emerged that the flat where he lived is being cleaned by hazardous materials specialists and its remaining four occupants moved to a private home.
Some 3,431 people have died in West Africa in the worst Ebola outbreak yet.
On October 3, a senior US military figure said the US could deploy as many as 4,000 troops to the region to help contain the outbreak, which has hit hardest in West African four nations.
While Thomas Eric Duncan is the first person to be diagnosed within the US, three American aid workers and a photojournalist contracted the virus in Liberia.
Thomas Eric Duncan is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola within the US
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital issued a six-word statement about Thomas Eric Duncan on October 4, saying only that: “Mr. Duncan is in critical condition.”
Earlier his condition had been described as serious but stable.
Ebola spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has the virus and the only way to stop an outbreak is to isolate those who are infected.
There have been nearly 7,500 confirmed infections worldwide, with officials saying the figure is likely to be much higher in reality.
Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have been hardest hit.
Celebrations in West Africa for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha are being badly affected by the Ebola outbreak, with many public places deserted this weekend.
Meanwhile, a French nurse who got the virus in Liberia has recovered after having experimental treatment in Paris, it has emerged.
A Senegalese medical expert who was infected in Sierra Leone has also been discharged from a hospital in the German city of Hamburg.
Freelance photojournalist Ashoka Mukpo was diagnosed with Ebola on Thursday, October 2, and was being cared for at a treatment centre in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
His family said he was expected to leave there on Sunday, October 5, and arrive at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha on Monday, October 6.
Ashoka Mukpo, 33, was in high demand, contributing to a range of sites including NBC News, Vice News, Africa Is a Country and Al Jazeera English, among others.
His stories reveal a humanitarian striving to show the world Ebola’s horrors.
Ashoka Mukpo was diagnosed with Ebola in Liberia (photo Facebook)
On September 30, Ashoka Mukpo began a freelance job with NBC News as part of a news crew in Liberia telling the story of Ebola’s latest outbreak for NBC properties.
On October 1, Ashoka Mukpo felt tired, achy and sick. He has had a few fever scares before, but told friends he thought this time it was real. He quickly self-quarantined; then, on October 2, he tested positive for Ebola at a Doctors Without Borders facility.
Ashoka Mukpo, who hails from Providence, Rhode Island, arrived in Liberia on September 4, returning after a brief absence to a region he called home for the past several years. He was scheduled to stay in the country through October 4.
Former Haiti President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier has died of a heart attack in the capital Port-au-Prince at the age of 63, official sources say.
Jean-Claude Duvalier was just 19 when in 1971 he inherited the title of “president-for-life” from his father, the notorious Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier.
Baby Doc was accused of corruption, human rights abuses and repression in his rule, which ended in a 1986 uprising.
After years of exile in France, Jean-Claude Duvalier returned to Haiti in 2011.
His death was announced by Haiti’s health minister, and the ex-leader’s attorney Reynold Georges confirmed he died at home on Saturday, October 4.
At the time of his swearing in, Jean-Claude Duvalier was the youngest president in the world.
Former Haiti President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier has died of a heart attack in the capital Port-au-Prince at the age of 63
Initially it seemed that there could be a significant move away from his father’s harsh regime, underpinned as it was by Haiti’s notorious secret police, the Tontons Macoutes.
Jean-Claude Duvalier moved closer to the Americans, from whom his father had been estranged. US businesses moved in and he allowed limited press freedom.
However, he lived lavishly. His state-sponsored wedding reportedly cost $5 million in 1980, while most of the people in his ravaged nation endured the worst poverty in the Western hemisphere.
Repression continued, too, and amid massive unrest in 1986 he fled to France.
Human rights groups say thousands of political prisoners were tortured or killed under Jean-Claude Duvalier’s rule, and he was accused of massive corruption.
He described his return to Haiti – a year after it was devastated by a major earthquake, as a gesture of solidarity to the nation.
Jean-Claude Duvalier was arrested and charged, and although released he finally appeared in court in February 2013, where in an emotionally-charged hearing in front of some of his alleged victims, he denied responsibility for abuses carried out during his time as president.
Judges ruled Jean-Claude Duvalier could face crimes against humanity charges, but the case had stalled some time before he died.
The parents of American hostage Peter Kassig have appealed to Islamic State (ISIS) militants to “show mercy” and release him.
In a video statement, Ed and Paula Kassig said they were proud of their son and the aid work he had done.
The statement follows the release of a video by the militant group on October 3, which showed the killing of British aid worker Alan Henning.
That video ended with a threat to kill 26-year-old Peter Kassig.
It was the fourth such video released by the ISIS group.
Previous victims were American reporter James Foley, American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines.
It is believed Peter Kassig changed his given name to Abdul-Rahman and converted to Islam while in captivity
Peter Kassig’s parents said he had been working for the relief organization he founded, Special Emergency Response and Assistance (SERA), when he was captured a year ago on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria.
In their appeal, they said: “As Muslims around the world, including our son Abdul-Rahman Kassig, celebrate Eid al-Adha, the faith and sacrifice of Ibrahim, and the mercy of Allah, we appeal to those holding our son to show the same mercy and set him free.”
It is believed Peter Kassig changed his given name to Abdul-Rahman and converted to Islam while in captivity.
The family has heard from former hostages that his faith has provided him comfort.
ISIS militants may hold many more hostages.
On October 3, the father of John Cantlie, a British photojournalist held by the group, appealed for his release in a video, describing his son as a friend of Syria.
The ISIS group has its roots in al-Qaeda’s Iraqi affiliate but was expelled over its brutal tactics and refusal to obey orders to confine its activities to Iraq.
The first picture of first baby to be born from a transplanted womb has been made public by his parents.
The baby boy’s birth took place in Sweden after surgeons at the University of Gothenburg performed the pioneering transplant procedure.
He was delivered by caesarean section in the 31st week of pregnancy and weighed 3.9 pounds – normal for that stage of pregnancy.
Both mother and child are now at home and said to be doing well.
The identity of the parents, a Swedish couple, has not been released, but the baby’s father said: “It was a pretty tough journey over the years, but we now have the most amazing baby.
“He is very, very cute, and he doesn’t even scream, he just murmurs.”
He added: “He’s no different from any other child, but he will have a good story to tell. One day he can look at the newspaper articles about how he was born and know that he was the first in the world to be born this way.”
The father spoke as the first picture of the baby was published, amid widespread excitement over a procedure which offers renewed hope to thousands of infertile women around the world.
The birth of the Swedish baby is understood to have taken place within the last month, after doctors transplanted wombs into several women who had a rare genetic condition that meant they were born without their own womb.
In January, one of the patients underwent IVF treatment that resulted in an embryo being transferred to her new womb. The donated womb came from a 61-year-old woman, a close family friend who had gone through menopause after giving birth to two children.
The 35-year-old mother is a patient of Dr. Mats Brannstrom, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg.
The mother had to take three medicines to prevent her body from rejecting the new organ. About six weeks after the transplant, she got her menstrual period – a sign the womb was healthy.
The baby boy’s birth took place in Sweden after surgeons at the University of Gothenburg performed the pioneering transplant procedure (photo Lancet)
After one year, when doctors were confident the womb was working well, they transferred a single embryo created in a lab dish using the woman’s eggs and her husband’s semen.
The woman, who has only one kidney, had three mild rejection episodes, including one during pregnancy, but all were successfully treated with medicines.
The baby’s growth and blood flow to the womb and umbilical cord were normal until the 31st week of pregnancy, when the mother developed preeclampsia, a dangerous high-blood-pressure condition.
After an abnormal fetal heart rate was detected, the baby was delivered by cesarean section.
Prof. Mats Brannstrom, who led the research and delivered the baby with the help of his wife, a midwife, said: “The baby is fantastic. But it is even better to see the joy in the parents and how happy he made them.
“That was a fantastic happiness for me and the whole team, but it was an unreal sensation also because we really could not believe we had reached this moment. Our success is based on more than 10 years of intensive animal research and surgical training by our team and opens up the possibility of treating many young females worldwide that suffer from uterine infertility.”
Liza Johannesson, a gynaecological surgeon on the team, said: “It gives hope to those women and men that thought they would never have a child, that thought they were out of hope.”
The Swedish couple, both competitive athletes, will have to decide shortly if they want a second baby.
The drugs used to prevent the womb being rejected would be damaging in the long term – so the couple will either try again or have the womb removed.
The father said: “We will definitely think about that. But right now, we’re very happy with just one baby.”
After the caesarean section, the womb would be left in place until the mother has completed her family and then removed so that drugs to stop the body rejecting the organ could be halted. The drugs carry an increased risk of cancer.
The operation, follow-up and immunosuppressant drugs cost $160,000, with the research paid for by the Jane and Dan Olsson Foundation for Science, a Swedish charity.
The only other options for women born without a womb were adoption or surrogacy if she wanted to have a child genetically related to her, but this is legally complicated.
Doctors around the world have welcomed the first successful birth from a transplant.
The first womb transplant was done in Saudi Arabia in 2000 but failed shortly afterwards.
In 2011 Derya Sert, 21, received a womb from a dead donor in Turkey. She conceived a child but no heartbeat was detected and it was later terminated.
In 2012 it was announced by Dr. Mats Brannstrom that nine womb transplants had been carried out and all were successful.
Eight of the recipients suffer from MRKH syndrome, a congenital disorder which affects one in 5,000 women and prevents the womb from developing.
The ninth had her womb removed after suffering cervical cancer.
The only other options for women born without a womb is adoption or surrogacy if she wants to have a child genetically related to her.
North Korea and South Korea have agreed to resume formal high-level talks, the South Korean media reported.
The talks between the two countries had been suspended since February 2014.
The agreement came during a surprise visit to South Korea by North Korean officials for the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in Incheon.
The visit was led by two top-ranking North Korean officials seen as close aides to leader Kim Jong-un.
Both sides were said to have agreed to meet again within the next few weeks.
Hwang Pyong-so, seen as the second-most powerful man in North Korea, held talks with Ryoo Kihl-jae, the South’s reunification minister, on October 4 after flying to Incheon to attend the sporting event.
Hwang Pyong-so, seen as the second-most powerful man in North Korea, held talks with Ryoo Kihl-jae, the South’s reunification minister
He is the top political officer at the Korean People’s Army.
The other two members of the North’s delegation were Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Yang-gon – key members of the ruling Workers’ Party.
It is not known what was discussed at the meeting and neither party has commented publicly on the talks.
Relations between North Korea and South Korea have been practically non-existent for four years, but the North’s economic troubles seem to have forced a change of tack.
The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 conflict was ended with a truce.
The surprise meeting comes amid ongoing speculation about the health of Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public since September 3. A recent official documentary showed him overweighed and limping.
The US unemployment rate fell from 6.1% in August 2014 to 5.9% in September 2014, official figures have shown.
The rate is the lowest recorded since July 2008.
US Labor Department also said that employers added 248,000 jobs last month, and the job growth figures for August and July were revised upwards.
The jobs figures are seen as a significant gauge of the health of the economy and there has been much debate over when US interest rates will rise.
The US Federal Reserve has kept interest rates close to zero since the financial crisis in 2008.
US markets cheered the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising over 100 points.
The US dollar was pushed higher as expectations rose that interest rates would go up sooner than previously predicted.
The US unemployment rate in September 2014 is the lowest recorded since July 2008 (photo AP)
“The most important item in this report is the drop in the unemployment rate below 6%. [Fed Chair Janet] Yellen has said there is only so much slack if the unemployment rate falls below 6%,” said Christopher Low, chief economist at FTN Financial in New York.
The Fed’s stimulus program, known as “quantitative easing”, is due to end this month. Its aim was to keep long-term interest rates low using the purchase of bonds, and thus to boost spending.
The Federal Reserve has indicated it will raise short term interest rates if the economy continues to grow. Janet Yellen has given no firm date for the rise, but the Fed has said the move will come a “considerable time” after the stimulus program ends.
The Labor Department said 69,000 more jobs were created in July and August than previously estimated. It also said nearly 100,000 jobseekers stopped looking for work in September.
The largest rise in employment was in professional and business services, including management and legal services, which saw an increase of 81,000 jobs in September.
The retail sector added 35,000 jobs compared with the previous month. Employment in the health care, construction and leisure and hospitality sectors also continued to increase.
A 1916 silent Sherlock Holmes movie featuring the only screen performance by William Gillette has been found in the French film archive.
The film, thought lost forever, had been wrongly catalogued decades ago by staff at the Cinematique Francaise.
William Gillette made his name as Sherlock Holmes mainly on stage, bringing his trademark deerstalker and pipe to life for the first time.
The movie is being restored and will be shown at a French festival next year.
It is due to be premiered in the US at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in May 2015.
William Gillette, who died in 1937, gave the definitive portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth during his lifetime, adopting many of the traits that have been seen since and survive to this day.
William Gillette made his name as Sherlock Holmes mainly on stage, bringing his trademark deerstalker and pipe to life for the first time
He was also a playwright, and wrote the story for the 1916 film which was simply entitled Sherlock Holmes.
It was made in Chicago in 1915 at the Essanay Studios, which is best known for a series of short Charlie Chaplin films made around the same time.
The feature-length film contained elements from various Conan Doyle mysteries featuring the famous detective, and was presented in promotional material as being in seven acts.
The version uncovered in Paris had captions in French and was ready to be color-tinted specifically for the French market at the time.
It had been mixed up with some other unrelated Sherlock material and not been labeled properly.
Staff at the archive came across it while working on an extensive project to catalogue the thousands of nitrate film reels in its collection.
The restoration, which is being carried out in Bologna in Italy, will strive to show the film as it was originally intended.
Polio cases in Pakistan have hit the highest number in 14 years, with health officials blaming the rise on attacks on immunization teams.
The number of new cases so far in 2014 is 202, already exceeding the previous the high of 199 cases in 2001.
Most of the infections are in the north-western tribal region where militants have targeted health teams.
Militants there accuse doctors of being spies and say the vaccinations are part of a Western plot to sterilize Muslims.
Polio cases in Pakistan have hit the highest number in 14 years, with health officials blaming the rise on attacks on immunization teams
Suspicions over the programs worsened after the US was accused of using a fake vaccination program during its tracking of al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011.
Since December 2012, about 60 people, including health workers and police providing security to medical teams, have been killed by Taliban militants targeting polio teams.
Pakistan has failed to curb the disease despite massive investment on immunization programs by the international community.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) imposed travel restrictions on the country meaning all Pakistanis must now carry proof of vaccination before travelling abroad.
Pakistan is one of three countries where polio is endemic – the other two being Afghanistan and Nigeria.
The occupants of the Dallas flat where Thomas Eric Duncan lay sick for days with Ebola have been moved from their home.
Thomas Eric Duncan, who caught the virus in his native Liberia, is now in a serious condition in hospital. This is the only Ebola case recorded so far in the US.
The flat in Dallas where he lived before being isolated is being cleaned by hazardous materials specialists.
The four people living there have been moved to a private home offered by a volunteer.
Louise Troh, thought to be Thomas Eric Duncan’s girlfriend, her 13-year-old son and two nephews have spent days inside the flat under the orders of health officials.
The family was driven away from the home in a police car, after officials failed to find shelter for them.
Hotels, flats and others had refused to offer them accommodation, before a private residence was offered.
“No one wants this family,” said Sana Syed, a Dallas city spokeswoman.
More than 3,431 people have died in four West African countries in what has become the world’s worst ever Ebola outbreak.
The flat in Dallas where Thomas Eric Duncan lived before being isolated is being cleaned by hazardous materials specialists (photo AP)
Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the US could deploy as many as 4,000 troops to West Africa to help contain the outbreak.
Although Thomas Eric Duncan is the first person to be diagnosed within the US, four Americans have contracted the virus in Liberia.
Three aid workers have recovered after flying back to the US for treatment but a fourth, photojournalist Ashoka Mukpo, 33, is expected to be flown home over the weekend.
Thomas Eric Duncan’s diagnosis was confirmed on September 30, 10 days after he arrived in the US to visit relatives and friends.
As well as the four who shared his flat, another six people who had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan have been identified by Texas health officials as higher risk.
Thomas Eric Duncan, a courier driver, is believed to have taken a sick patient to a clinic in Liberia.
Authorities there have accused him of lying on an Ebola questionnaire prior to leaving the country and say they plan to prosecute him upon his return.
On October 3, Howard University hospital in Washington DC said a patient had come in with symptoms “associated with Ebola”.
The patient was being kept in isolation while he was tested for the disease. He had recently travelled from Nigeria.
A delegation of three senior North Korean officials arrived in South Korea for the closing ceremony of this year’s Asian Games.
The North Korean visit in South Korea is seen as a rare opportunity for high-level talks.
The North Korean team is led by Hwang Pyong-so, who is considered to be the second most important official after leader Kim Jong-un.
Hwang Pyong-so is expected to meet South Korean Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae and a senior security adviser.
The visit comes as speculation continues about the health of Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public since September 3. A recent official documentary showed him limping and being overweight.
Hwang Pyong-so is considered to be the second most important official in North Korea after leader Kim Jong-un (photo AP)
The three North Korean officials arrived in the city of Incheon – the venue of the Asian Games.
They will take part in the closing ceremony of the major sporting event later on Saturday, October 4.
They are also expected to hold talks over lunch with Ryoo Kihl-jae and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin before returning home.
Hwang Pyong-so is the top political officer at the Korean People’s Army. The other two officials are Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Yang-gon – key members of the ruling Workers’ Party.
Despite that harsh rhetoric of recent years, the visit indicates a desire for economically-pressed North Korea to have closer relations with the South.
The visit has also caused speculation about Kim Jong-un, who has been absent from public view for a month.
What the closest members of his inner circle tell the South Korean government will be analyzed to try to discern the health and views of Kim Jong-un back in Pyongyang.
