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Al-Qaeda announces creation of its Indian wing

Roy Siemens
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Al-Qaeda announces creation of its Indian wing

In a video posted online, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has announced the creation of an Indian branch of his militant group to “raise the flag of jihad” across South Asia.

In the 55-minute video posted online, Ayman al-Zawahiri pledged renewed loyalty to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Correspondents say his stated allegiance is an apparent snub to Islamic State (ISIS) militants.

ISIS is challenging al-Qaeda to lead worldwide Islamist militancy.

Announcing the formation of “al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent” using a mixture of his native Arabic and Urdu widely spoken in Pakistan, Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared eager to regain some of the limelight, correspondents say.

“[Al-Qaeda] is an entity that was formed to promulgate the call of the reviving imam, Sheikh Osama Bin Laden. May Allah have mercy upon him,” Ayman al-Zawahiri said.

He urged the “umma”, or Muslim nation, to “wage jihad against its enemies, to liberate its land, to restore its sovereignty and to revive its caliphate”.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has announced the creation of an Indian branch of his militant group
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has announced the creation of an Indian branch of his militant group

Ayman al-Zawahiri said “al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent” would be good news for Muslims in Burma, Bangladesh and in the Indian states of Assam, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, where they would be rescued from injustice and oppression.

A spokesperson for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told the Associated Press that the statement was “a matter of serious concern”.

“But there is nothing to worry about. We have a strong government at the federal level,” the spokesperson said.

Counter-terrorism experts say al-Qaeda’s ageing leadership is vying with ISIS to recruit followers after the success of militants in the Middle East in attracting young followers worldwide by conquering large amounts of territory across Iraq and Syria.

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi describes himself as a “caliph” – or head of state – and has called for the support of all Muslims around the world.

The two groups fell out in 2013 over the ISIS expansion into Syria, where Baghdadi’s followers have carried out decapitations, crucifixions and other forms of capital punishment.

On September 3, it emerged that Pakistani militants linked to IS have been distributing pamphlets in the north-western city of Peshawar calling on people to support their idea of creating an Islamic caliphate.

The material, published in the Pashto and Dari languages, urges people to support ISIS in its fight for a grand Islamic rule.

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Ebola outbreak: More than 1,900 people died in West Africa

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola outbreak: More than 1,900 people died in West Africa

More than 1,900 people have now died in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

WHO head Margaret Chan said there were 3,500 confirmed or probable cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

“The outbreaks are racing ahead of the control efforts in these countries,” she said.

On September 4, the WHO is holding a meeting to examine the most promising treatments and to discuss how to fast track their testing and production.

Disease control experts, medical researchers, officials from affected countries, and specialists in medical ethics will all be represented at the meeting in Geneva.

The WHO has previously warned that more than 20,000 people could be infected before the outbreak of the virus is brought under control.

Margaret Chan described the outbreak as “the largest and most severe and most complex we have ever seen”.

More than 1,900 people have now died in West Africa's Ebola outbreak
More than 1,900 people have now died in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak

“No one, even outbreak responders with experience dating back to 1976, to 1995, people that were directly involved with those outbreaks, none of them have ever seen anything like it,” she said.

At least 40% of the deaths have occurred in three weeks leading up to September 3, the WHO says.

Yesterday Nigeria reported two further cases in the city of Port Harcourt.

There had previously only been one case outside the city of Lagos, where five people have died from the virus.

“The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Port Harcourt has the potential to grow larger and spread faster than the one in Lagos,” the WHO warned.

Also on September 3, the first British person to contract Ebola during the outbreak was discharged from hospital after making a full recovery.

On September 2, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned that a global military intervention was needed to combat the outbreak.

MSF condemned the global response so far as “lethally inadequate” and said the world was “losing the battle” to contain the outbreak.

It has called for military and civilian teams capable of dealing with a biological disaster to be deployed immediately, as well as for more field hospitals with isolation wards to be set up, trained healthcare workers to be sent to the region and air support to move patients and medics across West Africa.

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Andrew Madoff dies from mantle cell lymphoma aged 48

Nancy Clayson
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Andrew Madoff dies from mantle cell lymphoma aged 48

Andrew Madoff died on September 3 at the age of 48 after a long battle with cancer, his lawyer announced.

The son of convicted fraudster Bernard Madoff suffered from mantle cell lymphoma.

“Andrew Madoff has lost his courageous battle against mantle cell lymphoma,” lawyer Martin Flumenbaum said.

“He died peacefully at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on September 3, 2014, surrounded by his loving family.”

Bernard Madoff, now 76, is serving a 150-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to operating a massive Ponzi scheme estimated to have cost investors $17 billion in lost principal. He used to steal from thousands of average investors, charities, celebrities and others worldwide.

Andrew Madoff died from mantle cell lymphoma aged 48
Andrew Madoff died from mantle cell lymphoma aged 48 (photo Getty Images)

His other son, Mark Madoff, committed suicide on December 11, 2010, on the second anniversary of his father’s arrest.

Both Madoff sons denied knowing about the fraud and were never criminally charged in connection with the scheme.

Mark and Andrew Madoff worked at the market-making and proprietary trading division of their father’s Manhattan-headquartered business.

Bernard Madoff’s younger brother, Peter Madoff, 68, who ran the market-making division of the family business, pleaded guilty to doctoring records in 2012 and was sentenced to a 10-year prison term.

Ruth Madoff, 73, the Ponzi scheme architect’s wife, has not been charged. Like her sons, she has maintained she had no knowledge of the fraud.

Andrew Madoff’s funeral arrangements will be private, the attorney said.

According to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, mantle cell lymphoma is a relatively rare blood cancer that got its name because the tumor cells originate from the “mantle zone” of the body’s lymph nodes.

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Joan Rivers update: Comedienne moved out of intensive care

Lisa.Felice
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Joan Rivers update: Comedienne moved out of intensive care

Melissa Rivers has announced in a brief statement on September 3 that her mother, Joan Rivers, has been moved into a private room and is “comfortable”.

“My mother has been moved out of intensive care and into a private room where she is being kept comfortable. Thank you for your continued support,” Melissa Rivers wrote.

The update on Joan Rivers’ health condition came a day after Melissa Rivers said her mother remains on life support.

Joan Rivers, 81, was rushed to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York after she stopped breathing during throat surgery at her doctor’s office.

Joan Rivers has been moved out of intensive care and into a private room at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York
Joan Rivers has been moved out of intensive care and into a private room at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York (photo Getty Images)

The comedienne was later placed in a medically-induced coma.

On September 2, Melissa Rivers wrote: “On behalf of my mother and our family, we are extremely grateful for all the love and support we’ve received. At this time she does remain on life support.”

“I know my mother would be overwhelmed by the continued outpouring of kindness and I want to thank everyone for keeping us in their prayers.”

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Season 5 to premiere in January 2015

Lisa.Felice
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Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Season 5 to premiere in January 2015

Honey Boo Boo and her family, Mama June Shannon, dad Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson and sisters Jessica (“Chubbs”), Anna (“Chickadee”) and Lauryn, will return for a fifth season premiering in January 2015.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show on TLC features the family of child beauty pageant contestant Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, now 9.

The show is primarily filmed in and around their rural hometown of McIntyre, Georgia.

Honey Boo Boo and her family will return for a fifth season premiering on TLC in January 2015
Honey Boo Boo and her family will return for a fifth season premiering on TLC in January 2015 (photo TLC)

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo averaged 1.8 million viewers in Season 4, which ended on August 14 — down from 2.5 million viewers the season before (January through March 2014), according to Nielsen.

The show’s inaugural season, which aired from August 2012 through February 2013, averaged nearly 3 million viewers.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was originally spun off from Toddlers & Tiaras, on which Alana Thompson appeared.

Libyan military jet crashes near parliament building in Tobruk

Nancy Clayson
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Libyan military jet crashes near parliament building in Tobruk

A military jet has crashed near the Libyan parliamentary building in the eastern city of Tobruk, causing a huge inferno and killing a child and at least two other people, officials say.

The MiG-21 fighter jet hit a block of flats near the new parliamentary building after developing a “technical fault”, a security official said.

The aircraft was controlled by forces loyal to ex-General Khalifa Haftar who have been battling Islamist militias.

The Islamist-linked Libya Dawn group seized the capital, Tripoli, last week.

The MiG-21 fighter jet hit a block of flats near the new parliamentary building in Tobruk after developing a technical fault
The MiG-21 fighter jet hit a block of flats near the new parliamentary building in Tobruk after developing a technical fault

Parliament had earlier relocated to Tobruk, more than 620 miles away, because of the deteriorating security situation in Tripoli.

Witnesses said the jet was flying at a low altitude and smoke was billowing out of its engine before it crashed into an apartment block and burst into flames, the AFP news agency reports.

The plane came down on September 2 around 0.6 miles from the seat of parliament, killing at least two residents and a co-pilot, Reuters news agency reports.

The dead included a child, but the co-pilot survived, an unnamed security official is quoted by AFP as saying.

Libya has been hit by instability since an array of militia groups, backed by NATO air strikes, overthrew long-serving ruler Col. Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The militia groups, many of whom are allied to rival politicians, have been fighting for power among themselves.

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France cancels Mistral warships delivery to Russia over Ukraine crisis

Diane A. Wade
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France cancels Mistral warships delivery to Russia over Ukraine crisis

France has decided to stop the delivery of the first of two Mistral navy assault ships to Russia over Ukraine crisis.

President Francois Hollande’s office blamed Moscow’s recent actions in Ukraine.

France had until now resisted pressure to halt the delivery.

It has said conditions are “not right” for delivery as it needed to respect an existing contract, to which EU sanctions could not apply retroactively, and that it would have been too costly to cancel.

The Vladivostok, the first of the two helicopter carriers, was expected to have been delivered to Russia by late October.

The second, the Sevastopol, was to have been sent next year, although no mention of it was made in Francois Hollande’s statement.

France has decided to stop the delivery of the first of two Mistral navy assault ships to Russia over Ukraine crisis
France has decided to stop the delivery of the first of two Mistral navy assault ships to Russia over Ukraine crisis (photo Wikipedia)

Francois Hollande’s office said today’s remarks by the Russian and Ukrainian presidents about a possible cease-fire were not enough to allow France to give it the go-ahead.

“The president of the republic has concluded that despite the prospect of ceasefire, which has yet to be confirmed and put in place, the conditions under which France could authorize the delivery of the first helicopter carrier are not in place,” it said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he had agreed a “cease-fire process” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin said he hoped a peace deal could be reached by Friday, when representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the rebels meet in Minsk for talks

The pro-Russian rebels have said they support Vladimir Putin’s proposals, but that they do not trust Petro Poroshenko to maintain a ceasefire.

It is not clear whether any truce is being observed on the ground.

Meanwhile, in Estonia, President Barack Obama sought to reassure the Baltic states that they would be protected by NATO, and said that Washington would stand by Ukraine.

Valerie Trierweiler swallowed sleeping pills after confronting Francois Hollande over Julie Gayet affair

Lisa.Felice
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Valerie Trierweiler swallowed sleeping pills after confronting Francois Hollande over Julie Gayet affair

Valerie Trierweiler has revealed in her newly released tell-all book that she swallowed sleeping pills after confronting President Francois Hollande over his affair with actress Julie Gayet.

France’s former first lady’s account of their break-up has been revealed in excerpts of a book published by Paris Match magazine.

Photos of Francois Hollande’s liaison with Julie Gayet appeared in January 2014.

Valerie Trierweiler, 49, describes how she snapped after hearing about the affair and wanted to escape.

Francois Hollande’s break-up with Valerie Trierweiler captivated France for weeks at the start of 2014 and such was the secrecy surrounding her book that it was printed in Germany.

Until now Valerie Trierweiler has said little about how their relationship ended and the contents of her book, Thank You For This Moment.

Even President Francois Hollande only found out about it on September 2.

Valerie Trierweiler has revealed she swallowed sleeping pills after confronting Francois Hollande over his affair with Julie Gayet
Valerie Trierweiler has revealed she swallowed sleeping pills after confronting Francois Hollande over his affair with Julie Gayet (photo AFP)

“The Julie Gayet story is the top headline on the morning bulletins,” Valerie Trierweiler’s account in Paris Match begins.

“I crack up. I can’t listen to that. I rush into the bathroom. I grab the little plastic bag which has sleeping pills in. Francois has followed me, he tries to snatch the bag. I run into the bedroom.

“He snatches the bag which tears. Some pills spill on the ground. I reach out to pick some up, I swallow what I can. I want to sleep, I don’t want to live through the coming hours. I want to escape, I lose consciousness.”

After pictures were published by Closer magazine of Francois Hollande arriving at a flat for meetings with Julie Gayet, Valerie Trierweiler was admitted to hospital in Paris where she spent a week.

At the time, French media quoted a friend of Valerie Trierweiler saying that she had taken “one pill too many” but denying she had tried to commit suicide.

Valerie Trierweiler then continued her recuperation at the presidential residence at Versailles before the couple formally separated.

Julie Gayet, 42, successfully sued Closer magazine in March for breaching her privacy.

Before beginning a relationship with Valerie Trierweiler, Francois Hollande had four children with Segolene Royal, a former Socialist presidential candidate who joined the French government this year and is now environment minister.

In one extract in Paris Match – the magazine that journalist Valerie Trierweiler worked for before and during her time as first lady – she describes how Francois Hollande initially admitted only that the affair had gone on for more than a month. Eventually, Valerie Trierweiler discovered it had lasted an entire year.

Valerie Trierweiler also takes a swipe at Francois Hollande’s Socialist credentials, claiming that while he has created an image of disliking the rich, “in reality the president doesn’t like the poor”.

“He, the man of the left, talks about <<the toothless ones>> in private, very proud of his humorous streak.”

The hashtag “SansDents” fast became a top-trending French-language topic on Twitter on September 3 just behind “Trierweiler”.

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Theodore Wafer sentenced to 17 years in prison for killing Renisha McBride

Nancy Clayson
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Theodore Wafer sentenced to 17 years in prison for killing Renisha McBride

Theodore Wafer, who killed an unarmed black woman who banged on his door at night, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Theodore Wafer, 55, was convicted of the second-degree murder of Renisha McBride, 19, who was drunk when she crashed her car near his home in suburban Detroit.

Before sentencing, Theodore Wafer apologized to Renisha McBride’s family and said: “I will carry that guilt and sorrow forever.”

The case raised the issue of the use of guns in self-defense in the US.

Theodore Wafer was convicted of the second-degree murder of Renisha McBride
Theodore Wafer was convicted of the second-degree murder of Renisha McBride

The nine-day trial had looked at whether Theodore Wafer had a reasonable belief that his safety was under threat when he was woken in the night by a pounding on his door.

He told the court he had shot Renisha McBride because he feared his life was in danger.

However, a jury rejected Theodore Wafer’s claim of self-defense and he was convicted last month of murder, manslaughter and a gun-related charge.

Renisha McBride knocked on Theodore Wafer’s door at about 4:30 AM, having crashed her car into a parked car about half a mile away three hours earlier. A post-mortem examination found that she was extremely drunk.

There was some speculation after the tragedy whether race might be a factor, with some likening it to the shooting of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, but race did not figure in the trial.

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Big Brother Africa 2014 delayed by house blaze

Sonia Pantiss
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Big Brother Africa 2014 delayed by house blaze

The launch of this year’s Big Brother Africa reality show has been delayed by a “devastating” blaze at its purpose-built studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The show, due to start on September 7, has been put off while producers “urgently” seek alternative facilities.

No-one was hurt in the fire and its cause will remain unknown until an investigation gets underway.

Contestants from 14 African countries were due to take part in the ninth series of the reality show.

It was due to run for 91 days before crowning a winner to succeed last year’s winner, Dilish Matthews from Namibia.

This year’s victor stands to win $300,000, the same as the prize pot in 2013.

Big Brother Africa new season has been delayed by a devastating blaze at its purpose-built studios in Johannesburg
Big Brother Africa new season has been delayed by a devastating blaze at its purpose-built studios in Johannesburg

Big Brother makers Endemol South Africa and M-Net said efforts to find another complex in which to film the show would be difficult at such short notice due to its “highly technical infrastructure” which is not “immediately available”.

“Every effort will be made to find a solution as quickly as possible to ensure that Africa’s biggest reality show will continue,” they added.

Channel 24 said that production had already hit complications as contestants from Ghana faced visa entry problems and were being replaced with Ghanaians already resident in South Africa.

The participation of Rwanda – for the first time – and Sierra Leone also had to be scrapped, it reported.

The new edition of the show was due to be shown across Africa via satellite television.

Big Brother has been a popular draw since it started in 2003, and has produced winners from Tanzania, Angola, Nigeria, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The first winner, Cherise Makubale, came from Zambia.

In 2010, Big Brother hit the headlines around the world after a male contestant was removed from the compound for punching a female housemate.

South African producers had initially allowed Hannington Kuteesa to remain on the show, prompting protests.

Piers Morgan leaves CNN after four years

Lisa.Felice
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Piers Morgan leaves CNN after four years

Piers Morgan has quit CNN after four years, despite being offered a chance to extend his tenure there.

Piers Morgan, 49, said on Twitter that he has decided to “try pastures new” after the station’s boss asked him to remain for another two years.

The deal would have seen him host a series of 40 interview specials.

Piers Morgan took over from veteran talk show host Larry King, but his show was axed in March due to falling ratings.

The primetime program launched in January 2011 to audiences of around two million, but they dwindled to some 270,000.

Piers Morgan has quit CNN after four years, despite being offered a chance to extend his tenure there
Piers Morgan has quit CNN after four years, despite being offered a chance to extend his tenure there

He said: “I had a fantastic time in my four years at CNN and have huge respect for Jeff [Zuckerberg, CNN boss] and all the people who work there.”

In December 2012, thousands of Americans lobbied for his deportation from the country after he advocated gun controls in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings.

Piers Morgan continued to be an ardent opponent of the gun lobby while on air and said as he left CNN: “I haven’t finished with you lot yet.”

Shortly after Piers Morgan made his debut on CNN, his predecessor Larry King said that he had been “oversold” to US TV audiences.

“He’s certainly not bad. He’s certainly an acceptable host. He asks good questions, maybe he interrupts a little too much at times. I think he may have been oversold,” said the veteran broadcaster.

He has yet to give any indication of his next career move, also writing on his Twitter feed: “Ironically, my transfer window just opened.”

Piers Morgan also confirmed his contract had come to an end on September 2 but added: “@piersmorgan left @CNN a long time ago.”

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Study: All diets have similar results

Kathryn R. Bown
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Study: All diets have similar results

According to a new research, all diets – from Atkins to Weight Watchers – have similar results and people should simply pick the one they find easiest.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed data from 48 separate trials.

The Canadian team concluded that sticking to a diet was more important than the diet itself.

Obesity experts said all diets cut calories to a similar level, which may explain the results.

Diets go in and out of fashion on a regular basis, with a current debate around the relative benefits of low carb and low fat diets.

Scientists at McMaster University in Ontario and the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute in Toronto analyzed data from 7,286 overweight dieters.

The range of diets covered included, Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Biggest Loser, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Volumetrics, Weight Watchers, Ornish and Rosemary Conley.

All diets have similar results and people should simply pick the one they find easiest
All diets have similar results and people should simply pick the one they find easiest

It showed that after 12 months, people on low carbohydrate and low fat diets both lost an average of 16lb. Those on low carb meal plans had lost slightly more at the six-month marker.

The report said: “The differences [between diets] were small and unlikely to be important to those seeking weight loss.”

It concluded: “Our findings should be reassuring to clinicians and the public that there is no need for a one-size-fits-­all approach to dieting because many different diets appear to offer considerable weight loss benefits.

“Our findings suggest that patients may choose, among those associated with the largest weight loss, the diet that gives them the least challenges with adherence.”

However, the study did not look at wider health issues, such as levels of cholesterol, which may vary according to diet.

Prof. Susan Jebb, from the University of Oxford and a government advisor on obesity, said diets were more similar than they appeared, advocating cutting calories to 1,500 a day, sticking to strict meal times and avoiding biscuits, cakes and chocolate.

“The issue is about adherence and it’s how closely and how long can you keep sticking to the plan over time that matters.

“That probably means finding the right diet for you, rather than one being so particularly better than the others.”

Prof. Susan Jebb said people should try to match diets to their lives.

Vegetarians would struggle more with a high protein, low carb diet, while people living on their own may find liquid (instead of meals) diets easier than those who would still have to cook for a family.

Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin agree on cease-fire process in Ukraine

Diane A. Wade
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Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin agree on cease-fire process in Ukraine

Ukraine announces that President Petro Poroshenko has agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on a “cease-fire process” for the east.

His office initially reported that a “permanent cease-fire” had been agreed but later revised its statement.

The Kremlin stressed Vladimir Putin had not agreed to a cease-fire as Russia was not party to the conflict.

President Barack Obama has expressed solidarity with Baltic member-states of NATO on a visit to Estonia.

Barack Obama is in the Estonian capital Tallinn with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia and the leaders of Latvia and Lithuania, all former Soviet states which joined NATO a decade ago.

A NATO summit opening in Wales on September 4 is expected to back plans for a rapid response force.

Meanwhile, the rebels in Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk have said that there can be no cease fire until the government withdraws its forces.

The earlier version of the statement on the Ukrainian presidential website read: “Their conversation resulted in agreement on a permanent cease-fire in the Donbass region [the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk].”

Petro Poroshenko has agreed with Vladimir Putin by phone on a cease-fire process for eastern Ukraine
Petro Poroshenko has agreed with Vladimir Putin by phone on a cease-fire process for eastern Ukraine

However, this has now been changed to: “Their conversation resulted in agreement on a process for ceasing fire in the Donbass region.”

The statement adds that Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin “reached a mutual understanding on steps leading to peace”.

In its statement, the Kremlin said a phone conversation had taken place on September 3 between the two presidents in which their points of view had “coincided significantly” on possible ways to end the crisis.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, clarified for Russian news agency RIA Novosti: “Putin and Poroshenko did not agree a cease-fire in Ukraine because Russia is not party to the conflict, they only discussed how to settle the conflict.”

A rebel spokesman told the same agency the rebels did not believe Petro Poroshenko was in complete control over Ukrainian forces in the east.

A spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton said that work on new sanctions against Russia was continuing because the cease-fire had not been confirmed.

More than 2,600 civilians and combatants have been killed and more than a million people have fled their homes since fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine in April, when pro-Russian separatists there declared independence.

Russia has denied accusations by the West and the Ukrainian government that it is sending troops and military equipment over the border to support the separatists, who recently gained the upper hand against government forces.

Through the Years:  The Many Diseases of Baseball and Its Players

Nancy Clayson
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Through the Years:  The Many Diseases of Baseball and Its Players

Being a famous athlete puts you in the spotlight. Because of this, every piece of your life becomes public knowledge; from the places you vacation to the people you date and even to your overall health.

Through the years, many famous baseball players have been the victim of various diseases and illnesses. Some of these baseball players were able to treat the disease while others eventually lost their battle.

Take a trip down memory lane and learn about the many diseases that have affected baseball players through the years.

Photo: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley via Instagram.
Photo: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley via Instagram.

Lou Gehrig and the Ice Bucket Challenge

Lou Gehrig may just be the most famous baseball player known for a disease. After all, he has a disease named after him. Lou Gehrig, otherwise known on the field as The Iron Horse, played first base for the New York Yankees for 17 years. In 1939, Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, or what some currently refer to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a progressive disease in which the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord become degenerate, resulting in paralysis.

Ron Santo

Ron Santo was an American baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. Santo was an All American player, earning many achievements and accolades throughout his career despite battling type 1 diabetes. In fact, Santo hid his diabetes for more than 80 percent of his career. After his retirement, he ended up having the lower half of both his knees amputated. Santo died in 2010.

Brett Butler

Brett Butler was an outfielder for the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1990s. In May 1996, Butler found out that he had squamous cell carcinoma in his tonsils, which required surgery and intensive treatment. Just four months after surgery, Butler was back on the field for the Dodgers, and even scored the winning run.

Ben Petrick

Ben Petrick is a former baseball player who had careers in both the minor and major leagues. He played for the Colorado Rockies and the Detroit Tigers from 1999 to 2004. In 2004, after noticing that his statistics and skill had fallen, he announced his retirement from baseball and disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Josh Hamilton

Whether for recreation, medical or steroidal use, many baseball players have been affected by some form of drug abuse. Josh Hamilton is the poster boy for baseball players with a drug problem. Hamilton suffered from drug addiction and alcohol abuse, and finally decided to fight his illness when confronted by his grandmother. Although he has been sober since 2004, in order to stay on track, Hamilton undergoes drug testing three times every week. And when his team achieves something great, Hamilton’s teammates opt to celebrate with ginger ale instead of alcohol to accommodate their teammate and keep him sober.

Baseball is America’s past time, and through the years, America has come to love many different players. Unfortunately, although we look up to these athletes, they’re not superheroes, and they too are affected by illness and disease just like everyone else.

Steven Sotloff’s killing video is authentic, US confirms

Roy Siemens
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Steven Sotloff’s killing video is authentic, US confirms

The video showing the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff by ISIS militants is authentic, the US has confirmed.

Steven Joel Sotloff, 31, was abducted in northern Syria in August 2013.

President Barack Obama warned the killers that “our reach is long and justice will be served”.

Meanwhile, the UK held a meeting of its emergency Cobra committee after threats to kill a British hostage who was also shown in the latest video.

President Barack Obama, speaking in Estonia, said the killing was a “horrific act of violence and we cannot begin to imagine the agony everyone who loves Steven is feeling right now. Our country grieves with them”.

He added: “We will not be intimidated. This horrific act only unites us.”

US National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said: “The US Intelligence Community has analyzed the recently released video showing US citizen Steven Sotloff and has reached the judgment that it is authentic.”

The video showing the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff by ISIS militants has been confirmed as authentic
The video showing the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff by ISIS militants has been confirmed as authentic

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also said “preliminary analysis” had suggested the video was genuine.

A spokesman for the Sotloff family had earlier indicated they believed the video was genuine, issuing a statement that said: “The family knows of this horrific tragedy and is grieving privately. There will be no public comment from the family during this difficult time.”

Before the verification was confirmed, US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki had said: “If the video is genuine, we are sickened by this brutal act, taking the life of another innocent American citizen. Our hearts go out to the Sotloff family.”

Jen Psaki said it was believed that “a few” other Americans were still being held by Islamic State.

Steven Sotloff had appeared in a video last month which showed fellow American journalist James Foley being killed.

The latest video, entitled A second message to America, is about two-and-a-half minutes long and was apparently recorded in a desert.

Next to a masked figure, Steven Sotloff reads out a text addressed to President Barack Obama saying: “You’ve spent billions of US taxpayers’ dollars and we have lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State, so where is the people’s interest in reigniting this war?”

The militant has a voice with a British accent similar to that of the man who appeared to carry out the beheading of James Foley.

The man says: “I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State… despite our serious warnings.”

The jihadist also threatens to kill the British hostage shown in the footage. The family of the British hostage has asked the media not to release his name.

The US has launched more than 120 air strikes in the past month to try to help Kurdish forces curb the IS advance.

ISIS militants have seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in recent months, declaring a new caliphate, or Islamic state, under leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

After the news of the video emerged, President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of another 350 troops to Baghdad to protect US diplomatic facilities.

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Barack Obama arrives in Estonia for Ukraine talks

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama arrives in Estonia for Ukraine talks

President Barack Obama has arrived in Estonia for talks on the Ukraine crisis with Baltic leaders.

Barack Obama is due to hold talks in the capital Tallinn with the presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Correspondents say the three states, which joined NATO in 2004, are worried about Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.

Later in the week Barack Obama will attend a NATO summit that is expected to back plans for a rapid-response force that could be dispatched within 48 hours.

NATO recently announced plans to set up the force to protect Eastern European members against possible Russian aggression.

Russia reacted by saying it would alter its military doctrine to reflect “NATO infrastructure getting closer to Russian borders”.

Meanwhile Russian news agency Rossiya Segodnya announced that one of its photojournalists Andrei Stenin, missing since August 5, has been killed in eastern Ukraine. Russian officials say his remains were identified in a car that came under attack while following a refugee convoy.

Barack Obama has arrived in Estonia for talks on the Ukraine crisis with Baltic leaders
Barack Obama has arrived in Estonia for talks on the Ukraine crisis with Baltic leaders (photo Al Jazeera)

The rapid-response force and other security measures will be discussed at a two-day NATO summit in Wales, which begins on September 4.

Barack Obama arrived in Tallinn early on Wednesday. He will later meet Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Lithuania’s Dalia Grybauskaite and Latvia’s Andris Berzins.

According to the White House, Barack Obama would use his trip to Estonia, where about 25% are ethnic Russians, to make it clear that it is “not OK for large countries to flagrantly violate the territorial integrity of their smaller neighbors”.

Pro-Russian rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces since April. Separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.

Since the violence erupted, some 2,600 people have been killed and thousands more wounded.

On September 2, the UN said the conflict had forced more than a million people from their homes in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s army has seen several losses in recent days after rebels launched offensives in both the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and further south around the port of Mariupol.

Russia has denied accusations by the West and the Ukrainian government that it is sending troops and military equipment over the border to support the separatists.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have accused the rebels of violating a humanitarian deal reached by the two sides. They say the separatists killed as many as 100 Ukrainian troops who were evacuating the town of Ilovaysk via an agreed corridor at the weekend, but the rebels deny this.

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Joan Rivers update: Comedienne remains on life support

Lisa.Felice
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Joan Rivers update: Comedienne remains on life support

Joan Rivers remains on life support at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, her daughter Melissa announced on September 2.

“On behalf of my mother and our family, we are extremely grateful for all the love and support we’ve received. At this time she does remain on life support,” Melissa Rivers wrote.

“I know my mother would be overwhelmed by the continued outpouring of kindness and I want to thank everyone for keeping us in their prayers,” she added.

Joan Rivers remains on life support at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York
Joan Rivers remains on life support at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York (photo Getty Images)

Joan Rivers, 81, was taken last week to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York after she stopped breathing during a throat surgery at her doctor’s office.

She was later placed in a medically-induced coma.

On September 1, anonymously sourced reported that Joan Rivers was being brought out of the medically-induced coma.

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Valerie Trierweiler releases tell-all book about her relationship with Francois Hollande

Lisa.Felice
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Valerie Trierweiler releases tell-all book about her relationship with Francois Hollande

France’s former First Lady Valerie Trierweiler is set to release a tell-all book about her tumultuous relationship with President Francois Hollande, AFP reported.

Valerie Trierweiler, a 49-year-old journalist, was dumped unceremoniously by Francois Hollande in January 2014 after Closer magazine revealed his affair with actress Julie Gayet, and has since remained broadly silent about an event she once said had felt like falling “from a skyscraper”. Sh had all along been secretly writing a book about her years-long relationship with the Socialist leader, which comes out tomorrow and does not “spare” Francois Hollande, according to parliamentary channel LCP which broke the news.

“Everything I write is true,” Valerie Trierweiler writes on the cover of the book, called Thank You For This Moment and unveiled in Paris-Match, a glossy magazine for which she used to be a political reporter and still contributes to.

“At the Elysee [presidential palace], I sometimes felt as if I was on a story. And I have suffered too much from lies to tell lies myself.”

The 320-page book “is a cry of love as well as a slow descent into hell, a plunge into the intimacy of a couple. Two people and nothing more: Valerie and Francois,” Paris-Match writes.

The Elysee said it was “not aware” of the book’s publication.

“So by definition we have not read this book,” a source close to Francois Hollande told AFP.

Valerie Trierweiler is set to release a tell-all book about her tumultuous relationship with President Francois Hollande
Valerie Trierweiler is set to release a tell-all book about her tumultuous relationship with President Francois Hollande (photo Getty Images)

Valerie Trierweiler met Francois Hollande in the mid-2000s while he was in a relationship with Segolene Royal – herself a former presidential candidate – and the pair began a secret liaison.

Francois Hollande subsequently left Segolene Royal, the mother of his four children, for Valerie Trierweiler who became the de facto first lady of France after he was elected in 2012, despite the fact the pair were not married.

News of Francois Hollande’s affair with 42-year-old Julie Gayet caused shock waves in France in January, and Valerie Trierweiler was hospitalized for a week after Closer magazine published pictures of the president arriving for secret trysts with the actress at a borrowed flat.

Francois Hollande then announced their relationship was over in an 18-word statement that was devoid of regret or remorse for the woman he had described as “the love of my life” in 2010.

“Eighteen words is almost one word for each month we spent together since he was elected,” Valerie Trierweiler told Le Parisien daily in January, describing herself as “more disappointed than hurt”.

According to Paris-Match, this is the first time that a former first lady “really tells the story of nine years of a relationship eroded by jealousy and power … A story of love … and despair”. The weekly – which publishes extracts of the book in an issue that comes out on September 3 in Paris and on September 4 in the rest of France – describes Valerie Trierweiler as a “passionate lover, possessive, mad about this man whom she admires, who makes her laugh and delightfully destabilizes her”.

The book could also prove an embarrassment for President Francois Hollande, whose approval ratings are at a record low.

However, the memoir will not be the first by a former first lady.

Nicolas Sarkozy’s ex-wife Cecilia Attias, who was a key adviser in his successful 2007 campaign but divorced him soon after, also published an autobiography last year, which sold tens of thousands of copies.

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Ebola vaccine: First human trials begin in Maryland

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola vaccine: First human trials begin in Maryland

The first human trials for an Ebola vaccine have begun in Maryland.

Researchers are studying how human immune systems respond to the vaccine.

Twenty healthy adult volunteers are being tested at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland.

The trial has been brought forward amid an outbreak of the Ebola disease in West Africa that has killed at least 1,500.

No volunteers will be infected with the Ebola virus but the vaccine has performed well in primate trials.

There is no cure for Ebola but a separate experimental drug, ZMapp, was 100% effective in studies on monkeys, according to researchers who published their data in Nature last week.

The first human trials for an Ebola vaccine have begun in Maryland
The first human trials for an Ebola vaccine have begun in Maryland

ZMapp has not been officially studied in humans, but it was used on seven people infected with Ebola in West Africa, mostly health workers.

Two of them later died and it is unclear if the drug helped the others to recover. The fatality rate during this outbreak has been about 50%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

At least 3,000 people have been infected with the virus. On August 29, a fifth country, Senegal, had its first confirmed case.

WHO has warned it could get much worse and infect more than 20,000 people.

“There is an urgent need for a protective Ebola vaccine, and it is important to establish that a vaccine is safe and spurs the immune system to react in a way necessary to protect against infection,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which helped develop the drug.

Researchers in Bethesda, Maryland, will be looking for any adverse reactions and how each volunteer’s immune system responds to the vaccine.

NIH is also partnering internationally with the Wellcome Trust and others for a similar trial in the UK, the Gambia and Mali.

Kanye West confronted Jay Pharoah after VMAs spoof

Lisa.Felice
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Kanye West confronted Jay Pharoah after VMAs spoof

Kanye West admitted that he confronted comedian Jay Pharoah after his spoof at the 2014 MTV VMAs during a series of rants at the Made in America festival in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 30.

“They want to make a joke out of how hard we work,” Kanye West said while on stage at the Jay-Z hosted event referring to Jay Pharoah and a recent South Park spoof.

“It’s fine and all funny and everything, but don’t distract from our vision. It’s not a joke what we do up here. This music that we do is not a joke. What we do culturally is not a joke.”

Kanye West, 37, went on to tell the crowd that he called Jay Pharoah after the SNL actor’s skit went down at the MTV VMAs.

Kanye West admitted that he confronted comedian Jay Pharoah after his spoof at the 2014 MTV VMAs
Kanye West admitted that he confronted comedian Jay Pharoah after his spoof at the 2014 MTV VMAs (photo Getty Images)

“I called Jay Pharoah right after the MTV awards,” Kanye West said.

“I said, ‘I appreciate your show, but let me tell you about my story. Let me tell you about what I went through to get to that position’ … So we ain’t gonna have no black comedians going onstage spoofing the people that’s working hard, and helping the next man out.”

Kanye West’s rant also included his relationship with Kim Kardashian.

“For me to be in a very publicized interracial relationship is not a joke,” Kanye West told the crowd of his new marriage.

“It’s something that should be treated with respect cause we’re all in this together.”

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Chris Brown pleads guilty to punching Parker Adams at Washington DC hotel

Lisa.Felice
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Chris Brown pleads guilty to punching Parker Adams at Washington DC hotel

Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to punching Parker Adams outside W Hotel in Washington DC in October 2013.

The 25-year-old rapper was accused of attacking Parker Adams as he tried to join a picture the singer was taking with two women.

Chris Brown had been charged with misdemeanor assault and had been in police custody for two days in connection with this case.

The judge sentenced Chris Brown to time served, meaning he was free to go after appearing in court.

Chris Brown had previously rejected two plea deals.

Outside court, Chris Brown’s lawyer told reporters that his client had been put on trial for a “phantom crime”.

Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to punching Parker Adams outside W Hotel in Washington DC in October 2013
Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to punching Parker Adams outside W Hotel in Washington DC in October 2013

Danny Onorato said: “To say that he’s been punished severely in this matter is an understatement.”

At the time of the assault, Chris Brown was on probation in California for a 2009 attack on then-girlfriend, Rihanna.

As a result, he was ordered to serve an additional 131 days in jail and was only released in June.

Chris Brown said nothing to hundreds of photographers, reporters and fans waiting for him outside court, but had earlier apologized to the court.

Since his assault on Rihanna, Chris Brown has been involved in a number of incidents.

Chris Brown’s career has been on hold for almost a year and his lawyer said the rapper would now go back to work, including a tour in support of his new album, X, which is due out on September 16.

His bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, was also charged over the same Washington scuffle.

Christopher Hollosy was accused of being the second person after Chris Brown to strike Parker Adams outside the W Hotel.

The bodyguard was convicted of misdemeanor assault in April but has not yet been sentenced.

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Justin Bieber arrested in Canada for assaulting car crash victim

Lisa.Felice
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Justin Bieber has been arrested and charged with assault and dangerous driving after crashing his quad bike into a minivan.

The 20-year-old singer was arrested near his hometown of Stratford, Ontario, after apparently getting into a fight with the other driver.

Ontario Provincial Police confirmed they were called to the scene to investigate and then made the arrest.

Police said they then released Justin Bieber on what’s called a “promise to appear” in court on September 29.

According to a police statement, an investigation “revealed that after colliding, the driver of the all terrain vehicle and an occupant of the minivan engaged in a physical altercation”.

There were no reported injuries from the collision, but law enforcement sources wouldn’t say whether injuries had resulted from the fight.

Justin Bieber’s lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said in an emailed statement: “Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez’ peaceful retreat in Stratford this weekend was unfortunately disrupted by the unwelcome presence of paparazzi.

“This has regrettably resulted in charges of dangerous driving and assault.”

This is the latest in a long line of run-ins with the police.

The singer is serving two years probation for throwing eggs at his neighbor’s house in LA.

Justin Bieber already faces an assault charge in Toronto following an altercation between a limo driver and a passenger last December and is expected in court on September 8 to answer that charge.

 

UN: One million people fled eastern Ukraine

Diane A. Wade
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UN: One million people fled eastern Ukraine

According to UN officials, more than a million people have left their homes because of the escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine.

In the past three weeks alone, the number of people displaced inside Ukraine itself has doubled to at least 260,000, according to the UN’s Vincent Cochetel in Geneva.

Another 814,000 people have crossed the border into Russia this year, Vincent Cochetel says.

Pro-Russian rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces since April.

Separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.

Since the violence erupted, some 2,600 people have been killed and thousands more wounded.

The city of Luhansk has been under siege by government forces for the past month and is without proper supplies of food and water.

More than a million people have left their homes because of the escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine
More than a million people have left their homes because of the escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine (RIA Novosti)

But the Ukrainian army has been forced to retreat as pro-Russian rebels gain ground, and said they had withdrawn from the city’s airport after coming under attack from “Russian tanks”.

Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said sappers had blown up the airport’s runway so that it could not be used by rebel forces.

Rebels have also advanced in Donetsk region, around the city of Donetsk and further south near the port of Mariupol.

In early August, the UN refugee agency said 117,000 people were displaced in Ukraine but it now says that number has climbed dramatically, and could be even higher as many of those affected are unregistered and staying with family and friends.

The UN also says that there has been a decline in the use of humanitarian corridors set up by the Ukrainian authorities because of a series of fatal attacks on civilians.

In the past few days, an estimated 10,000 people have fled the southern port city of Mariupol since pro-Russian rebels captured areas close to the Russian border.

Russia denies Ukrainian and Western accusations that it is providing troops and equipment to the rebels.

It says 814,000 people have arrived from Ukraine this year under a visa-free regime.

Of these, 121,000 have applied for temporary asylum or refugee status. The UN says most Ukrainians in Russia are staying with relatives and friends or finding private accommodation.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has warned that if the crisis is not stopped quickly “it will have not only devastating humanitarian consequences but it also has the potential to destabilize the whole region”.

Steven Sotloff’s killing showed in new Islamic State video

Roy Siemens
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Steven Sotloff’s killing showed in new Islamic State video

A new Islamic State video has showed the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff.

Steven Sotloff, 31, disappeared in Syria in 2013. He appeared at the end of a video last month which showed fellow American journalist James Foley being killed.

A militant in the latest video also threatens to kill a British hostage.

Steven Sotloff’s family said they were aware of the video and were “grieving privately”.

After James Foley’s death, Steven Sotloff’s mother appealed to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to save her son’s life.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said US officials were checking the reports.

The US has recently carried out dozens of air strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq.

The video, entitled A second message to America, shows a masked figure together with Steven Sotloff, who is dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

Steven Sotloff was abducted near Aleppo in northern Syria in August 2013
Steven Sotloff was abducted near Aleppo in northern Syria in August 2013

Steven Sotloff reads out a text addressed to Barack Obama saying: “You’ve spent billions of US taxpayers’ dollars and we have lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State, so where is the people’s interest in reigniting this war?”

The masked man then describes the act he is about to commit as retribution for the US air strikes.

“I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State… despite our serious warnings,” the man says.

“We take this opportunity to warn those governments that enter this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone.”

The video ends with the militant threatening to kill a captive who is claimed to be British.

US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: “If the video is genuine, we are sickened by this brutal act.”

Steven Sotloff was abducted near Aleppo in northern Syria in August 2013.

He had worked for Time magazine, Foreign Policy and the Christian Science Monitor, and reported from Egypt, Libya and Syria.

Friends said Steven Sotloff had lived in Yemen for many years and spoke good Arabic.

At the time of his capture, Steven Sotloff’s family chose not to go public with details, on the advice of officials.

Last month a video was released showing the beheading of James Foley.

Steven Sotloff was shown at the end, as a militant gave a warning that his fate depended on President Barack Obama’s next move.

The US launched has launched more than 120 air strikes in Iraq in the last month, in an attempt to help Kurdish forces curb the advance of Islamic State militants and protect minorities threatened by them.

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Julie Gayet wins privacy case against Closer magazine

Lisa.Felice
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Julie Gayet wins privacy case against Closer magazine

Julie Gayet has won a privacy case over a photo published by Closer magazine during its coverage of her alleged affair with President Francois Hollande.

The photo shows actress Julie Gayet sitting inside her car, which under French law is considered to be a private space.

The alleged affair made international headlines after it was revealed by the magazine in January this year.

Closer magazine has already paid damages to the actress for publishing the report.

Julie Gayet has won a privacy case over a photo published by Closer magazine during its coverage of her alleged affair with President Francois Hollande
Julie Gayet has won a privacy case over a photo published by Closer magazine during its coverage of her alleged affair with President Francois Hollande (photo AFP/Getty Images)

On September 2, a court in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre handed photographer Laurent Viers a suspended fine of 1,000 euros ($1,300) for taking the photo of the actress sitting at the wheel of the car.

The fine only needs to be paid if the defendant re-offends.

Closer magazine published the picture with the caption: “It’s in her white Citroen that Julie Gayet meets the president.”

The director general of Closer magazine’s publisher, Carmine Perna, and its editor in chief, Laurence Pieau, both received suspended fines of 3,000 euros.

Laurence Pieau had earlier contested the ruling saying that “for me, a car is not a private space”.

However, Julie Gayet’s lawyer described it as an “important ruling”, saying that it was the first time officials from the magazine had been sentenced.

In March, Closer magazine was ordered to pay Julie Gayet 15,000 euros for breach of privacy over the publication of images purporting to show her and Francois Hollande arriving at a Paris flat.

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