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Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studio to close by end of 2014

Nancy Clayson
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Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studio to close by end of 2014

Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studio will close by the end of the year, Xbox chief Phil Spencer told employees in an email.

Microsoft’s plan to compete with Netflix and Amazon by producing its own TV shows has come to an early end, as the company announces 18,000 job cuts.

Xbox Entertainment Studio launched to great fanfare in 2012, having secured Steven Spielberg to produce a spin-off of the military-themed sci-fi video game, Halo.

That show will go ahead, despite the studio’s closure, Microsoft said.

Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studio will close by the end of the year
Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studio will close by the end of the year

Five other shows had been given the green light, and a further 11 were in development.

The majority were male-friendly titles, with ties to the company’s major video game franchises, including Gears of War, Age of Empires, Fable and Forza Motorsport.

Only one had made it to air – Every Street United, a football-themed reality show, which debuted last month.

Documentary program Signal to Noise and a second Halo spin-off, Halo: Nightfall, written by Prison Break creator Paul Scheurin, are already in production and will be not be cancelled.

Humans is also expected to go ahead. A remake of a Swedish series about humans living with robot servants, the eight-episode drama is scheduled to debut next year.

“Xbox will continue to support and deliver interactive sports content like NFL on Xbox, and we will continue to enhance our entertainment offering on console by innovating the TV experience through the monthly console updates,” said Microsoft in a statement.

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Malaysia Airlines crash: Ukraine releases intercepts of conversation between rebels and Russian officer

Roy Siemens
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Malaysia Airlines crash: Ukraine releases intercepts of conversation between rebels and Russian officer

Ukrainian authorities intercepted phone conversations between pro-Russian rebels and what appear to be Russian military officers saying that separatists shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

The Ukrainian Security Service put the Russian-language conversations on YouTube within hours of the crash.

However, the veracity of the recordings cannot be confirmed.

First recording

[Male voice, identified as separatist leader Igor Bezler]: The group of the Miner [an alias] has just shot down a plane, which came down just behind Yenakiyevo.

[Col. Vasily Geranin]: Pilots. Where are the pilots?

[Igor Bezler]: Gone to search for and photograph the plane. It’s smoking.

[Second male voice, identified as Russian military intelligence Colonel Vasily Geranin]: How many minutes ago?

[Igor Bezler]: About 30 minutes ago.

Second recording

Ukrainian authorities intercepted phone conversations between pro-Russian rebels and what appear to be Russian military officers saying that separatists shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
Ukrainian authorities intercepted phone conversations between pro-Russian rebels and what appear to be Russian military officers saying that separatists shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17

[Male voice, captioned as “The Greek”]: Yes, Major.

[Major]: Well, the Chernukhino lads shot down the plane.

[Greek]: Who shot it down?

[Major]: From the Chernukhino roadblock. The Cossacks at Chernukhino.

[Greek]: Yes, Major.

[Major]: Well, the plane fell apart in the air, near the Pertropavlovskaya coal mine. The first casualty 200 [military jargon for dead body] has been found. A civilian.

[Greek]: Well, what do you have there?

[Major]: Basically it was 100% a civilian aircraft.

[Greek]: Are many people there?

[Major] [Curses]: The debris fell right into backyard.

[Greek]: What kind of aircraft?

[Major]: I have not figured this out yet because I haven’t been close to the main body of the debris. I am only looking where the first bodies began to fall. There are the remnants of inner brackets, chairs and bodies there.

[Greek]: I see. Any weaponry there?

[Major]: Nothing at all. Civilian things, medical bits and bobs, towels, toilet paper.

[Greek]: Any documents?

[Major]: Yes. From an Indonesian student. From Thompson University [curses].

Third recording

[Male voice, identified as a fighter]: Regarding the plane shot down in the area of Snezhnoye-Torez. It’s a civilian one. Fell down near Grabovo. There are lots of corpses of women and children. The Cossacks are out there looking at all this.

They say on TV it’s a Ukrainian AN-26 transport plane, but they say it’s got Malaysia Airlines written on the plane. What was it doing in Ukrainian territory?

[Male voice, identified as Cossack commander Nikolai Kozitsyn]: That means they were carrying spies. They shouldn’t be [curses] flying. There is a war going on.

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Malaysia Airlines crash: Ukraine separatists to allow jet probe

Roy Siemens
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Malaysia Airlines crash: Ukraine separatists to allow jet probe

Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have announced they will give international investigators access to the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines jet.

The rebels vowed to secure the site and allow the recovery of bodies, the Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said.

Malaysia Airlines plane, carrying 298 people, crashed in rebel-held territory on Thursday.

The two sides in Ukraine’s civil conflict have accused each other of shooting the jet down with a missile.

The Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. It fell between Krasni Luch in Luhansk region and Shakhtarsk in the neighboring region of Donetsk.

Malaysia Airlines said flight MH17 was carrying at least 154 Dutch nationals, 27 Australians, 43 Malaysians (including 15 crew), 12 Indonesians and nine Britons.

Other passengers came from Germany, Belgium, the Philippines and Canada. The dead include world-renowned Dutch researcher Joep Lange who was among a number of passengers en route to an international AIDS conference in Australia.

Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have announced they will give international investigators access to the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines jet
Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have announced they will give international investigators access to the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines jet

It is the second disaster suffered by Malaysia Airlines this year. Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Malaysia to China in March and has still not been found.

The separatists pledged to provide assistance in the crash probe after holding a video conference with senior representatives from the OSCE, Ukraine and Russia.

In a statement, the OSCE said the rebels had agreed to “close off the site of the catastrophe and allow local authorities to start preparations for the recovery of bodies”.

They would also provide “safe access” to international investigators and OSCE monitors and co-operate with Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine has declared the area a no-fly zone, while other airlines have announced they are now setting flight paths to avoid eastern Ukraine.

Describing the disaster as a “tragic day” in a “tragic year”, Malaysian PM Najib Razak earlier said the investigation “must not be hindered in any way”.

Rescue workers said on Friday they had recovered one of the plane’s black box flight recorders after searching through debris spread across several miles.

The Interfax-Ukraine news agency earlier reported that another black box was found by separatist fighters and handed over to Moscow. Observers say the move, if confirmed, is likely to cause international controversy.

US and Ukrainian officials said they believed the plane had been brought down by a missile – a Buk missile system said to have been used by the rebels in Ukraine before.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko called the disaster an “act of terrorism”.

Ukrainian authorities have released what they say are intercepted phone conversations that proved the plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatists.

The rebels were said to have seized the Buk after overrunning a Ukrainian military base.

However, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Vitaliy Yarema has cast doubt on this, telling local media: “The military told the president after the passenger plane had been shot down that the terrorists did not possess our Buk missile systems.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the Ukraine government for restarting military operations in the area, where it is trying to regain control from pro-Russian rebels.

“The country in whose airspace this happened bears responsibility for it,” he said.

Russia has called for a “thorough and unbiased” investigation, adding that the tragedy also highlighted a need for a swift end to the Ukrainian conflict.

Separatist leader Alexander Borodai also accused the Ukrainian government of downing the airliner.

Ukraine’s defense ministry said there were no air force jets in the area and no surface-to-air systems being used against the rebels.

Ukraine has accused Russia’s military of supplying advanced missiles to the rebels.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian officials blamed the Russian air force for shooting down one of its ground attack jets on Wednesday, and a transport plane on Monday.

The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on the disaster on Friday morning in New York.

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Google reports 22% revenue jump in Q2 2014

Clyde K. Valle
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Google reports 22% revenue jump in Q2 2014

Google has reported a 22% jump in revenue in Q2 2014 compared to a year earlier.

Revenue rose to $16 billion and profits were up 6% to $3.4 billion, said Google in its earnings report.

Google’s revenue rose to $16 billion and profits were up 6 percent to $3.4 billion in Q2 2014
Google’s revenue rose to $16 billion and profits were up 6 percent to $3.4 billion in Q2 2014

Strong demand for Google’s advertising helped boost revenues above expectations.

Google also announced chief business officer Nikesh Arora was leaving for SoftBank.

Nikesh Arora, who has been with Google for 10 years, will be temporarily replaced by Omid Kordestani.

Omid Kordestani was Google’s business founder and formerly led Google’s sales team.

Shares in Google rose by about 1% after the market closed.

Bolivia lowers age of legal child workers to 10

Diane A. Wade
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Bolivia lowers age of legal child workers to 10

Bolivia has passed a law allowing children to work from the age of 10 as long as they also attend school and are self-employed.

The law also permits 12-year-olds to be contracted to work for others. But they need parental authorization.

Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera said the new legislation reflects the needs of Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in South America.

It also sets harsher punishment for violence against children.

The law sets a sentence of 30 years in jail for child homicide.

Bolivia has passed a law allowing children to work from the age of 10
Bolivia has passed a law allowing children to work from the age of 10 (photo UNICEF)

The measure, approved by Congress earlier this month, was signed into law by Alvaro Garcia Linera in the absence of President Evo Morales, who was travelling to Brazil.

“President Evo [Morales] intervened to make sure we found a balance between the reality and the law, between rights and international treaties,” added Alvaro Garcia Linera.

More than 500,000 children already work to supplement the family income in Bolivia according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Many work cleaning shoes and selling food in stalls in La Paz and other Bolivian cities. But others face extreme conditions in mines and in agriculture fields.

Evo Morales’s socialist government hopes the law will help eradicate extreme poverty in Bolivia.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) says children under the age of 15 should not be allowed to work.

However, the ILO allows a minimum working age of 14 for developing countries.

“It would have been easier to pass a law in line with international conventions, but it would not be enforced because Bolivia’s reality has other needs and characteristics,” said Alvaro Garcia Linera.

The ILO says it is studying the legislation to decide whether Bolivia breaches international regulations on child labor.

TGV train collision: At least 25 people injured in southern France

Nancy Clayson
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TGV train collision: At least 25 people injured in southern France

At least 25 people have been injured in a high-speed TGV train collision in Denguin, southern France, according to media reports.

A TGV train on the Pau-Bayonne line was transporting 178 people when it crashed into a regional TER train carrying 70 passengers.

At least 25 people have been injured in a high-speed TGV train collision in Denguin, southern France
At least 25 people have been injured in a high-speed TGV train collision in Denguin, southern France

Initial reports indicate the TGV train was stopped on the tracks and restarting when the crash occurred near the town of Denguin.

Police and firefighters arrived at the scene quickly to help the injured passengers from the train.

The collision follows a recent damning report into the rail crash south of Paris last year, in which seven people died.

That report highlighted the poor state of France’s rail network, with the blame placed on poor maintenance checks.

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Gaza conflict: Israel begins ground offensive against Palestinian militants

Roy Siemens
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Gaza conflict: Israel begins ground offensive against Palestinian militants

Israel’s army has begun a ground offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, stepping up its 11-day-old military operation.

Troops and tanks were sent into Gaza to deal “a significant blow to Hamas”, Israel said.

A Hamas spokesman said Israel would “pay a high price” for its actions.

Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the invasion after days of intensive rocket fire and air strikes between the two sides.

Gaza’s health ministry said 11 Palestinians had been killed since the ground offensive began on Thursday night.

A five-month-old child was among the dead, Palestinian medics told AFP news agency. Israel said it had killed 14 “terrorists” overnight.

Israel meanwhile suffered its first military fatality, with the death of a soldier during the invasion, it said.

Some 258 Palestinians – three-quarters of them civilians – have died since the start of the wider Israeli operation on July 8, officials in Gaza say.

An Israeli civilian was killed from mortar fire, and several Israelis have been seriously injured, Israeli medics say.

Israel’s army has begun a ground offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip
Israel’s army has begun a ground offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip

Announcing the ground offensive, the Israeli military said: “Following 10 days of Hamas attacks by land, air and sea, and after repeated rejections of offers to de-escalate the situation, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has initiated a ground operation within the Gaza Strip.”

It said the goal was to “establish a reality in which Israeli residents can live in safety and security without continuous indiscriminate terror, while striking a significant blow to Hamas’ terror infrastructure”.

In Gaza City overnight, plumes of black smoke could be seen from the border area where Israeli troops were operating, AP news agency reported.

Israel said the initial phase was aimed at targeting tunnels Hamas has dug under the border with Israel to use in attacks.

On Wednesday 13 militants infiltrated into Israel through a tunnel aiming to attack a kibbutz, Israeli officials said. The Israeli military said it killed at least one of the militants, while the others are retreated through the tunnel.

Reuters news agency said Palestinians reported heavy clashes along the length of the eastern border, as well as in the northern towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya.

Military spokesman Gen. Moti Almoz warned residents of Gaza to evacuate areas in which the army was operating.

“This operation will be extended as much as necessary,” he said.

Israel approved the drafting of 18,000 more reservists on Thursday evening, bringing the total of extra troops called up since July 8 to 65,000.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said that the Israeli ground operation was “destined to failure”.

“What the occupier Israel failed to achieve through its air and sea raids, it will not be able to achieve with a ground offensive,” he said.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the ground operation would lead to “more bloodshed” and called on Israel to stop.

Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party recently agreed to a unity government with Hamas, was meeting Egyptian officials in Cairo amid efforts to negotiate a truce.

Israel says it has carried out more than 1,960 attacks on Gaza since July 9, while militants have fired some 1,380 rockets at Israel. It says more than 50 rockets have been fired at Israel since the ground operation began.

The UN says at least 1,370 homes have been destroyed in Gaza and more than 18,000 people displaced in recent hostilities.

The ground offensive follows attempts in Cairo to negotiate a new ceasefire.

There was a temporary ceasefire on Thursday to allow Palestinians to stock up on supplies and aid workers to distribute water, food and hygiene kits.

The truce lasted for five hours, although both sides reported violations.

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Nelson Mandela memorabilia auctioned in Johannesburg ahead of his 96th birthday

Sonia Pantiss
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Nelson Mandela memorabilia auctioned in Johannesburg ahead of his 96th birthday

A collection of unusual items signed by Nelson Mandela is being auctioned in Johannesburg.

The lots include a chess set, of figures from either side of the apartheid battle, and salt and pepper shakers of Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk.

The sale items are expected to raise around $450,000 for charity.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela, who died in December aged 95, was revered around the world for fighting minority rule in his country.

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, before being released in 1990 by FW de Klerk, South Africa’s last white ruler.

Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and stepped down in 1999
Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 and stepped down in 1999

He became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 and stepped down in 1999.

The auction of 202 lots is being held on the eve of what would have been Nelson Mandela’s 96th birthday.

“Nelson Mandela signed many, many, many things. And that’s what I like about it [the auction],” said Savo Tufegdzic of Stephan Welz & Co, the firm that will put the items under the hammer.

“People always look for autographs, but there are only a handful of items signed by those celebrities. In the case of Nelson Mandela, every person can own a piece of him.”

The chess set has pieces depicting Nelson Mandela, his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu facing off against apartheid leaders.

The set, which has some pieces missing, is thought to be worth between $950 and $1,400, the South African Press Association (SAPA) news agency reports.

The auction also includes objects ranging from statues, photographs, refrigerator magnets, ostrich eggs, medals, books and even a batch of 850 Chinese telephone cards emblazoned with Nelson Mandela’s image.

Some of the money raised would go to the Foundation for Rural Development run by Nelson Mandela’s grand-daughter Ndileka Mandela, SAPA reports.

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Malaysia Airlines crash UPDATE: All 295 passengers and crew believed dead

Roy Siemens
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Malaysia Airlines crash UPDATE: All 295 passengers and crew believed dead

All 295 people on board of Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight are believed dead as the plane crashed in east Ukraine, amid claims of a missile attack.

There are no signs of survivors on the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at the scene of the crash near the village of Grabovo, in rebel-held territory close to the border with Russia.

Both sides in Ukraine’s civil conflict accused each other of shooting down the plane with a missile. It is still not clear why the plane came down.

It is the second disaster suffered by Malaysia Airlines this year.

Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Malaysia to China in April and still has not been found.

At a news conference at Schiphol airport, Malaysia Airlines’ European chief Huib Gorter said that of the passengers that have been identified there were:

  • 154 Dutch nationals, 27 Australians, 23 Malaysians, 11 Indonesians
  • Six Britons, four Germans, four Belgians, three from the Philippines and one Canadian
  • All 15 of the crew were Malaysian

Other airlines have announced they are now avoiding eastern Ukraine.

There are no signs of survivors at the scene of MH17 crash near the village of Grabovo
There are no signs of survivors at the scene of MH17 crash near the village of Grabovo

Malaysian PM Najib Razak spoke of his shock and said he was launching an immediate inquiry into the crash.

“This is a tragic day in what has already been a tragic year for Malaysia,” he said.

US and Ukrainian officials said they believed the plane had been brought down by a missile.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said it was an “act of terrorism”.

Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin also said he had intercepted phone conversations that proved the plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatists.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the Ukraine government for restarting military operations in the area, where it is trying to regain control from pro-Russian rebels.

“The country in whose airspace this happened bears responsibility for it,” he said.

Separatist leader Alexander Borodai accused the Ukrainian government of downing the airliner.

Ukraine’s defense ministry issued a statement saying there were no air force jets in the area and no surface-to-air systems being used against the rebels.

The plane fell between Krasni Luch in Luhansk region and Shakhtarsk in the neighboring region of Donetsk.

At least 100 bodies have been found so far at the scene, an emergency services worker told Reuters news agency, with wreckage spread across an area of up to about 9 miles in diameter.

Broken pieces of the wings were marked with the blue and red paint of Malaysian Airlines.

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Elaine Stritch dies aged 89

Sonia Pantiss
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Elaine Stritch dies aged 89

Broadway legend Elaine Stritch has died at her home in Michigan aged 89.

Elaine Stritch was also known for her work in the 1970s television series Two’s Company.

The actress recently had a recurring role on celebrated comedy 30 Rock and held a farewell concert tour in New York.

Elaine Stritch had a recurring role on celebrated comedy 30 Rock
Elaine Stritch had a recurring role on celebrated comedy 30 Rock (photo NBC)

Elaine Stritch retired to Birmingham, Michigan, after seven decades in the spotlight, suffering from diabetes and having recently broken her hip.

The actress and singer was known for her tart tongue and wry musings, as well as a penchant for cigarettes and alcohol.

Elaine Stritch began her career in the 1940s, performing in a series of stage productions and eventually garnering five Tony nominations.

She also appeared in films, including Woody Allen’s September and Small Time Crooks.

Elaine Stritch admitted it would be difficult to bow out of the limelight during her farewell concert tour in April 2013.

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Captain America will be African-American

Sonia Pantiss
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Captain America will be African-American

A new Captain America will be African-American, Marvel has announced.

The character Sam Wilson, also known as The Falcon, was named as the replacement for Steve Rogers.

The move follows what is described as “a dire encounter with the Iron Nail” which left Steve Rogers unable to carry on.

The post reads: “Robbed of his superior strength and vitality, Steve Rogers must surrender his blues for a sturdy cane.”

Marvel’s new Captain America will be African-American
Marvel’s new Captain America will be African-American

The change of character is only set to affect the Captain America comic book series.

Chris Evans, who has played him in The Avengers movie, will also play the role in Avengers: Age of Ultron which is set for release in 2015.

Anthony Mackie played The Falcon, Sam Wilson, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but there are no plans for his character to become the Captain on the big screen.

Captain America writer Rick Remender wrote: “I think that different characters across the Marvel Universe are going to respond to Sam’s appointment in different ways.

“But he’s not a novice in his long history as the Falcon, he’s earned a reputation for integrity and honesty and backbone that most of the super hero community have a respect for.”

Captain America first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1941.

The news about Captain America comes a day after Marvel announced that Thor, the God of Thunder, would now be portrayed as a woman in that comic book series.

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Biological pacemaker created in lab

Kathryn R. Bown
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Biological pacemaker created in lab

Pioneering experiments in pigs showed that grow-your-own pacemakers are a step closer to reality.

Scientists turned heart cells into pacemaker cells by injecting a gene.

The “biological pacemaker” was able to “effectively cure a disease”, said scientists from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles.

Applications of the research have been published in Science Translational Medicine.

The researchers injected a gene into pigs with a heart condition that causes a very slow heart rate.

The gene therapy converted some of the billions of ordinary heart muscle cells into much rarer specialized cells that kept the heart beating in rhythm.

Pioneering experiments in pigs showed that grow-your-own pacemakers are a step closer to reality
Pioneering experiments in pigs showed that grow-your-own pacemakers are a step closer to reality

The patch of cells the size of a peppercorn had acted as a pacemaker for two weeks, taking over the function of a conventional pacemaker, said the US team.

“We have been able, for the first time, to create a biological pacemaker using minimally invasive methods and to show that the biological pacemaker supports the demands of daily life,” said Dr. Eduardo Marban, who led the research team.

“We also are the first to reprogram a heart cell in a living animal in order to effectively cure a disease.”

Conventional pacemakers are electronic devices that are implanted into the chest to control an abnormal heartbeat.

The pacemaker sends regular electrical pulses to keep the heart beating regularly.

Scientists are working on creating biological pacemakers that might one day be used in their place, either as a temporary or more permanent measure.

“Babies still in the womb cannot have a pacemaker, but we hope to work with foetal medicine specialists to create a life-saving catheter-based treatment for infants diagnosed with congenital heart block,” said co-researcher Dr. Eugenio Cingolani.

“It is possible that one day, we might be able to save lives by replacing hardware with an injection of genes.”

Pacemakers had been around since the early 1960s, and while technology was constantly improving, researchers were looking ahead to a day when perhaps an implantable device might not be needed for some patients.

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MH17 crash: Airlines change route to avoid Ukraine airspace

Nancy Clayson
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MH17 crash: Airlines change route to avoid Ukraine airspace

Ukrainian authorities have closed the airspace in the east of the country to all airline flights, the European flight safety body, Eurocontrol, has announced.

Eurocontrol said all flight plans that use routes in the area are being rejected.

It follows the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with 295 people on board, amid claims it was shot down.

Flights already airborne are being routed around the area by air traffic control in the region, a Department for Transport spokesperson said.

Flight MH17 was on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it came down near the village of Grabovo.

The European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents more than 38,000 European pilots, said the route flown by the crashed Malaysian aircraft was “the most common route for flights from Europe to South East Asia”.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with 295 people on board crashed in Ukraine, near Russian border
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with 295 people on board crashed in Ukraine, near Russian border

Airline Emirates said its flight EK171 from Dubai to Kiev had returned to Dubai “due to the safety concerns raised with the latest reports on Malaysian flight MH17”.

It added that its flights to Kiev were suspended “with immediate effect, till further notice”.

Emirates said its flights to and from the US and other European destinations used a different route and were outside the zone where the incident involving MH17 occurred.

Lufthansa said it had decided to “fly a wide detour around east Ukrainian airspace with immediate effect”.

The airline said the decision would affect four of its flights on Thursday.

Similarly, Virgin Atlantic said it would re-route “a small number” of its flights on Thursday, following the incident.

British Airways said its flights did not use Ukrainian airspace, with the exception of a once-a-day service between Heathrow and Kiev.

A spokesman for BA said they were keeping those services under review, but that “Kiev is several hundred kilometres from the incident site”.

Abu Dhabi based Etihad said it was unaffected as its planes didn’t fly over the space.

KLM said that as a precautionary measure it already avoided flying over the concerned territory.

And Russian airline Aeroflot said its London to Moscow flights would experience a delay of 30 to 40 minutes on Thursday.

Turkish Airlines has said all of its flights would avoid Ukrainian airspace, while Italy’s Alitalia and Air France said they would divert their flights away from eastern Ukrainian airspace.

France’s junior transport minister Frederic Cuvillier said he had told “French airlines to avoid Ukraine’s air space as long as the reasons behind this catastrophe are not known.”

Flight MH17 had been due to enter Russian airspace when contact was lost.

Both the Ukrainian government and rebels have denied shooting it down in the region close to the Russian border.

Eurocontrol said the aircraft had been flying at Flight Level 330 (approximately 33,000 feet) when it disappeared from the radar.

This route had been closed by the Ukrainian authorities from ground to flight level 320 but had been open at the height level at which the aircraft was flying.

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Johnny Winter dies aged 70

Sonia Pantiss
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Johnny Winter dies aged 70

Blues musician Johnny Winter has died at the age of 70.

Johnny Winter – hailed as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time – rose to fame in the 1970s, including memorable collaborations with his mentor Muddy Waters.

The blues guitarist passed away in Zurich earlier this week, just days after playing at the Lovely Days Festival in Austria.

He recently said he just wanted to be remembered as “a good blues musician”.

The Texas star said he knew he wanted to be a musician from the age of 12.

Hailed as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, Johnny Winter rose to fame in the 1970s
Hailed as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, Johnny Winter rose to fame in the 1970s (photo Getty Images)

Johnny Winter began his musical career on the clarinet, and then the ukulele, before moving on to the guitar.

His breakthrough came in 1968, at the age of 24, after opening for Mike Bloomfield. It saw him singled out by Rolling Stone as one of the best blues guitarists on the Texas scene.

The surge of interest in his career sparked a bidding war, with Columbia Records eventually offering him a substantial contract.

Johnny Winter worked with some of the greatest bluesmen, producing several albums for his childhood hero Waters – with whom he won a number of Grammys.

He also played with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, who reportedly became his lover.

In 1976, Johnny Winter teamed up with his brother Edgar Winter, a fellow musician, for the live album Together.

Johnny Winter was due to release a new album entitled Step Back on September 2.

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MTV VMA 2014: Beyonce leads nominations list with 8 nods

Sonia Pantiss
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MTV VMA 2014: Beyonce leads nominations list with 8 nods

Beyonce is leading this year’s MTV Video Music Award nominations list with 8 nods, including video of the year, best female and best choreography.

Her song Drunk in Love, performed alongside husband Jay-Z, is up against rivals including Pharrell Williams’ Happy for best video.

Eminem and Izzy Azalea scooped seven nods apiece in key categories including best male and female.

Beyonce is leading this year’s MTV Video Music Award nominations list with 8 nods
Beyonce is leading this year’s MTV Video Music Award nominations list with 8 nods (photo Getty Images)

The awards ceremony takes place in Inglewood, California, on August 24.

Musicians set to perform at the ceremony include Usher and Ariana Grande, with further acts due to be added to the bill in the coming weeks.

Other shortlisters for video of the year include Miley Cyrus for Wrecking Ball, Sia’s hit Chandelier and Fancy by Iggy Azalea.

Michael Jackson’s posthumous hit Love Never Felt So Good, performed with Justin Timberlake, is in the running for best choreography.

In 2013, Justin Timberlake won video of the year for Mirrors.

MTV VMA Nominations 2014: Full List

Sonia Pantiss
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MTV VMA Nominations 2014: Full List

2014 MTV Video Music Award Nominees:

Video of the Year
Beyoncé ft. Jay Z, Drunk In Love
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX, Fancy
Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball
Pharrell Williams, Happy
Sia, Chandelier

Best Hip-Hop Video
Childish Gambino, 3005
Drake ft. Majid Jordan, Hold On (We’re Going Home)
Eminem, Berzerk
Kanye West, Black Skinhead
Wiz Khalifa, “We Dem Boyz”

Best Male Video
Ed Sheeran ft. Pharrell Williams, Sing
Eminem ft. Rihanna, The Monster
John Legend, All of Me
Pharrell Williams, Happy
Sam Smith, Stay With Me

Best Female Video
Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea, Problem
Beyoncé, Partition
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX, Fancy
Katy Perry ft. Juicy J, Dark Horse
Lorde, Royals

Best Pop Video
Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea, Problem
Avicii ft. Aloe Blacc, Wake Me Up
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX, Fancy
Jason Derulo ft. 2 Chainz, Talk Dirty
Pharrell Williams, Happy

The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony will air live on Sunday, August 24
The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony will air live on Sunday, August 24

Best Rock Video
Arctic Monkeys, Do I Wanna Know?
Black Keys, Fever
Imagine Dragons, Demons
Linkin Park, Until It’s Gone
Lorde, Royals

Artist to Watch, Presented by Taco Bell
5 Seconds of Summer, She Looks So Perfect
Charli XCX, Boom Clap
Fifth Harmony, Miss Movin’ On
Sam Smith, Stay With Me
Schoolboy Q, Man of the Year

Best Collaboration
Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea, Problem
Beyoncé ft. Jay Z, Drunk In Love
Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne and Tyga, Loyal
Eminem ft. Rihanna, The Monster
Katy Perry ft. Juicy J, Dark Horse
Pitbull ft. Kesha, Timber

MTV Clubland Award
Calvin Harris, Summer
Disclosure, Grab Her!
DJ Snake & Lil Jon, Turn Down For What
Martin Garrix, Animals
Zedd ft. Hayley Williams, Stay the Night

Best Video With A Social Message
Angel Haze ft. Sia, Battle Cry
Avicii ft. Dan Tyminski, Hey Brother
Beyoncé, Pretty Hurts
David Guetta, One Voice
J. Cole, Crooked Smile
Kelly Rowland, Dirty Laundry

Best Cinematography
30 Seconds to Mars, City of Angels
Arcade Fire, Afterlife
Beyoncé, Pretty Hurts
Gesaffelstein, Hate Or Glory
Lana Del Rey, West Coast

Best Editing
Beyoncé, Pretty Hurts
Eminem, Rap God
Fitz and the Tantrums, The Walker
MGMT, Your Life is a Lie
Zedd ft. Hayley Williams, Stay the Night

Best Choreography
Beyoncé, Partition
Jason Derulo ft. 2 Chainz, Talk Dirty
Kiesza, Hideaway
Michael Jackson ft. Justin Timberlake, Love Never Felt So Good
Sia, Chandelier
Usher, Good Kisser

Best Direction
Beyoncé, Pretty Hurts
DJ Snake & Lil Jon, Turn Down For What
Eminem ft. Rihanna, The Monster
Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball
OK Go, The Writing’s On The Wall

Best Art Direction
Arcade Fire, Reflektor
DJ Snake & Lil Jon, Turn Down For What
Eminem, Rap God
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX, Fancy
Tyler, the Creator, Tamale

Best Visual Effects
Disclosure, Grab Her!
DJ Snake & Lil Jon, Turn Down For What
Eminem, Rap God
Jack White, Lazaretto
OK Go, The Writing’s On The Wall

The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony will air live on Sunday, August 24, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.

Nokia X: Microsoft to stop developing Android-powered smartphones

Nancy Clayson
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Nokia X: Microsoft to stop developing Android-powered smartphones

Microsoft will stop developing Android-powered smartphones beyond those already available.

Nokia X models will now become part of the Lumia range and run the Windows Phone operating system, although existing Android handsets will continue to be supported.

The move comes as Microsoft announced 18,000 job cuts across its workforce.

Microsoft acquired Nokia’s handset division earlier this year.

Nokia X models will now become part of the Lumia range and run the Windows Phone operating system
Nokia X models will now become part of the Lumia range and run the Windows Phone operating system

Nokia unveiled its first family of Android phones at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona in February.

The release of the smartphones, which were priced at the lower end of the market, was described as a “perplexing strategic move” at the time, given that Microsoft had its own mobile operating system, Windows Phone.

In an email to employees on Thursday, Stephen Elop, Microsoft’s executive in charge of mobile devices, announced that Android handsets were being phased out.

“In the near term, we plan to drive Windows Phone volume by targeting the more affordable smartphone segments, which are the fastest-growing segments of the market, with Lumia.

“In addition to the portfolio already planned, we plan to deliver additional lower-cost Lumia devices by shifting select future Nokia X designs and products to Windows Phone devices.

“We expect to make this shift immediately while continuing to sell and support existing Nokia X products.”

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Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crashes in Ukraine near Russian border

Roy Siemens
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Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crashes in Ukraine near Russian border

A Malaysia Airlines plane reportedly with 295 people on board has crashed in Ukraine near the Russian border, on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia Airlines said it had lost contact with Flight MH17 from Amsterdam and the last known position was over Ukraine, it said in a tweet.

Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane has been found burning on the ground in east Ukraine
Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane has been found burning on the ground in east Ukraine

An aviation source in Moscow told Reuters the plane had been found burning on the ground in east Ukraine.

Pro-Russian separatist rebels have been fighting government forces in the region.

A number of Ukrainian military planes have been shot down by missiles in recent weeks, with Ukraine accusing Russia’s military of supplying advanced missiles to the rebels.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian officials accused the Russian air force of shooting down one of its ground attack jets on Wednesday.

Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the plane had been hit by a missile at an altitude of 33,000ft. The claim could not be verified independently.

The source which spoke to Reuters said the plane had failed to enter Russian airspace.

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Australia becomes first nation to abolish carbon tax

James J. Williams
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Australia becomes first nation to abolish carbon tax

The Australian Senate has voted to repeal the carbon tax, a levy on the biggest polluters passed by the previous Labor government.

PM Tony Abbott, whose Liberal-National coalition beat Labor in an election last year, had made the repeal a central aim of his government.

Politicians have been locked in a fierce row about the tax for years.

Labor says it helps to combat climate change, but the Liberals claim it penalizes legitimate businesses.

Australia’s Senate voted 39 to 32 to repeal the tax.

The Australian Senate has voted to repeal the carbon tax
The Australian Senate has voted to repeal the carbon tax

Introduced in July 2012, it charges the 348 highest polluters A$23 ($22.60) for every tonne of greenhouse gases they produce.

Australia is the developed world’s worst polluter per head of population. But critics, including Tony Abbott, said that the tax cost jobs and forced energy prices up.

There were widespread protests against the introduction of the tax in Australia and its repeal formed a major part of Tony Abbott’s election manifesto.

He says he plans to replace it with a A$2.55 billion taxpayer-funded plan under which industries will be paid to reduce emissions and use cleaner energy.

Tony Abbott’s coalition does not hold a majority in the Senate but the repeal went through with the support of senators from mining tycoon Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party.

Labor and the Greens voted against the repeal, with Greens leader Christine Milne describing the vote as an “appalling day for Australia”.

Labor accused Tony Abbott of “taking Australia backwards while the rest of the world is moving forward”.

The Climate Institute think-tank said in a statement that the move left Australia “bereft of credible climate policy”.

Australia has promised to reduce its emissions levels by 5% on 2000 levels by 2020.

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Microsoft to cut up to 18,000 jobs worldwide

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Microsoft to cut up to 18,000 jobs worldwide

Microsoft has announced it will cut up to 18,000 jobs marking the deepest cuts in the company’s 39-year history.

The bulk of the cuts, around 12,500, will be in its phone unit Nokia, which Microsoft bought in April, the tech giant said.

Microsoft pledged to cut $600 million per year in costs within 18 months of closing the acquisition.

The cuts are much more severe than the 6,000 initially expected.

Microsoft employs 127,000 globally.

Microsoft will cut up to 18,000 jobs marking the deepest cuts in the company's 39-year history
Microsoft will cut up to 18,000 jobs marking the deepest cuts in the company’s 39-year history

Chief executive officer Satya Nadella, who took the helm in February, wants the company to shift its focus away from software to online services, apps and devices.

“Making these decisions to change are difficult, but necessary,” Satya Nadella wrote in the announcement to staff.

Microsoft said it also planned to have fewer layers of management “to accelerate the flow of information and decision making.”

The company said staff affected by the job cuts would be notified over the next six months, and they would be “fully completed” by the end of June next year.

In total it said the cuts, including severance pay, would cost it between $1.1 billion to $1.6 billion over the next year.

Last week, Satya Nadella rebranded the company as “the productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world”.

The cuts are aimed at helping Microsoft better compete with rivals including Google and Apple.

The last significant job cuts at Microsoft were in early 2009, when previous chief executive Steve Ballmer axed 5,800 staff.

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Vladimir Putin denies Russian plans to reopen spy facility in Cuba

Diane A. Wade
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Vladimir Putin denies Russian plans to reopen spy facility in Cuba

President Vladimir Putin has denied reports that Russia made a deal with Cuba to reopen an electronic listening post on the Caribbean island.

The Lourdes base near Havana was used by the Soviets to spy on the US during the Cold War.

Speaking at the BRICS summit in Brazil, Vladimir Putin said Russia could “meet its defense needs without this component”.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper had earlier reported that Russia and Cuba had agreed to reopen the spy facility.

The Lourdes base near Havana was used by the Soviets to spy on the US during the Cold War
The Lourdes base near Havana was used by the Soviets to spy on the US during the Cold War (photo Reuters)

Vladimir Putin closed the base in 2001, citing concerns over its cost.

The paper said the deal to make the base operational again had been reached during Vladimir Putin’s visit to Cuba last week.

A Russian security source quoted by Reuters news agency had confirmed the Kommersant report, saying “a framework agreement” had been agreed.

The Lourdes base began operations in 1967 and provided intelligence for Soviet state security bodies. It also handled secret communications for the Soviet navy.

In Soviet times some 3,000 specialists worked there, then in the 1990s Russia reduced the staff by about half. Kommersant said staffing on that level would not be required now, because of improvements in technology.

When Russia shut the base in 2001 the annual cost – the rent paid to Cuba – was $200 million.

Cuba was a Cold War hotspot. The crisis over Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962 almost escalated into nuclear war.

Yingluck Shinawatra given permission to travel abroad

Diane A. Wade
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Yingluck Shinawatra given permission to travel abroad

Thailand’s ousted PM Yingluck Shinawatra has received approval to travel abroad for the first time since the military coup.

A military spokesman said the request had been approved because Yingluck Shinawatra had “kept a low profile” since her government was overthrown on May 22.

Reports suggest Yingluck Shinawatra will travel to France for the birthday of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Yingluck Shinawatra was ousted ahead of the military coup by Thailand’s Constitutional Court
Yingluck Shinawatra was ousted ahead of the military coup by Thailand’s Constitutional Court

The military seized power after months of anti-government protests in Bangkok.

Thaksin Shianwatra, who turns 65 on July 26, was ousted in a coup in 2006.

He was removed by the military, kicking off a cycle of political instability in Thailand. Convicted of corruption by a Thai court, he has been living in self-imposed exile overseas.

Yingluck Shianwatra had asked to travel to Europe from July 20 to August 10, the military said.

They agreed because she had not “violated any orders of the NCPO [military junta] or any agreements, being the ban from politics or the ban on overseas travels” and had “given good co-operation all along”, spokesman Col. Winthai Suvaree told a press conference.

At least 28 people died in the anti-government protests that brought Yingluck Shinawatra’s government down.

Yingluck Shinawatra herself was ousted ahead of the coup by a Constitutional Court ruling that said she had illegally transferred her national security head. She is currently facing charges linked to a controversial government rice subsidy scheme.

California bank robbery: Two suspects and one hostage die in Stockton shootout

Nancy Clayson
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California bank robbery: Two suspects and one hostage die in Stockton shootout

Three women were taken hostage in a California bank robbery.

Two of the hostages were thrown from a fleeing SUV, as the bank robbers fired repeatedly at police during a high-speed chase. Police shot out their tires but the shooting continued, fatally wounding two suspects and the last hostage.

The violence began at 2 p.m. when officers responded to a call of a robbery at a Bank of the West branch in north Stockton. Arriving officers spotted three men taking three female hostages from the bank at gunpoint. The robbers stole a bank employee’s SUV and led officers on the pursuit, Stockton police Officer Joe Silva said.

During the chase that lasted 45 minutes and spanned several miles, one of the hostages was thrown from the SUV and was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound, Joe Silva said. The pursuit continued as the suspects fired with AK-47 style rifles from the SUV.

Fourteen police cars and an unknown number of homes along the robbers’ path were peppered with gunshots, Police Chief Eric Jones told a news conference late Wednesday.

Fourteen police cars and an unknown number of homes along the robbers' path were peppered with gunshots during Stockton shootout
Fourteen police cars and an unknown number of homes along the robbers’ path were peppered with gunshots during Stockton shootout (photo News10)

“It was such a chaotic … fluid situation, really one of the most dangerous, tense situations that a police officer could go through,” Eric Jones said.

“There was a lot on the line and the officers responded appropriately,” he said.

A second hostage was later thrown from the vehicle, and officers tending to her found she had suffered a grazing bullet wound, Joe Silva said.

When the SUV became disabled at a street intersection, officers exchanged a barrage of gunfire with someone inside the vehicle.

When it was all over, the third hostage was found dead in the SUV and one of the robbers was also dead. The police chief said the hostage was a bank customer, and that she appears to have been used by the suspects as a shield during the shootout.

Police said the other two suspects were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds, and one of them later died.

The surviving suspect was conscious, Eric Jones said.

Witnesses said the shootout that brought the episode to a close looked like a war.

Eric Jones said the robbers also tied up a bank security guard.

The bank said in a statement that it would not provide information about the victims.

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Ricin letters: Shannon Richardson sentenced to 18 years in jail

Nancy Clayson
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0
Ricin letters: Shannon Richardson sentenced to 18 years in jail

Actress Shannon Richardson, who posted ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has been given an 18-year prison term.

Shannon Richardson, 36, from Texas, had accused her estranged husband Nathaniel of sending the three poisoned letters in an apparent attempt to frame him.

“I never intended for anybody to be hurt,” the actress told the court.

Shannon Richardson pleaded guilty in December to the charge of possessing and producing a biological toxin.

Shannon Richardson posted ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Shannon Richardson posted ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

A federal judge gave her the maximum sentence under that plea deal and ordered her to pay restitution of about $367,000.

Shannon Richardson, a mother of six, has played small roles in The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead, according to IMDB.

Prosecutors say that after ordering the ingredients online, Shannon Richardson made the ricin and then posted three letters before going to police and claiming her estranged husband was to blame.

According to a federal indictment, one letter to Barack Obama read, exactly as she wrote it: “What’s in this letter is nothing compared to what ive got in store for you mr president.”

Another letter received by Michael Bloomberg, a gun control advocate, contained a threat to “shoot in the face” anyone who came for the sender’s guns.

A third ricin-laced letter was opened by Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a gun control advocacy group founded by Michael Bloomberg.

In asking the judge for leniency on Wednesday, Shannon Richardson apologized and said: “I’m not a bad person. I don’t have it in me to hurt anyone.”

Shannon Richardson asked for “mercy and compassion” and said she’d already been punished by being parted from her six children.

Ellen DeGeneres cheated on Portia de Rossi before she went to rehab?

Lisa.Felice
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Ellen DeGeneres cheated on Portia de Rossi before she went to rehab?

Portia de Rossi spent thirty days in a treatment facility in Malibu, California, In Touch magazine claimed earlier this month.

The actress entered the Passages Malibu rehab for a 30-day treatment and her wife allegedly visited her every weekend to offer support.

Now, the tabloid cited sources who claim that Portia de Rossi believes Ellen DeGeneres cheated on her before she went to rehab and the couple is now sitting down on a leather sofa somewhere, receiving couples therapy.

Portia de Rossi entered the Passages Malibu rehab for a 30-day treatment and Ellen de Rossi allegedly visited her every weekend to offer support
Portia de Rossi entered the Passages Malibu rehab for a 30-day treatment and Ellen de Rossi allegedly visited her every weekend to offer support (photo Getty Images)

“It’s going to take a lot for Portia to trust Ellen again,” a source told In Touch magazine.

“They kept up with the therapy after Portia got out of rehab, but they still have a long way to go.”

The magazine writes that Ellen DeGeneres’ alleged dalliance was “with one of their mutual friends right before Portia’s rehab stint in May”, according to a source.

This isn’t the first time that Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have seen their names attached to headlines declaring marital turmoil. Tabloid chatter has followed them consistently since they tied the knot in 2008. Ellen DeGeneres addressed one of the reports during a sit-down chat with People magazine in February, putting to rest any lingering questions of their commitment to one another.

“The truth is, and this is corny, I fall more in love with Portia all the time. I really do. She surprises me all the time,” Ellen DeGeneres said.

“It’s what anyone experiences when you find that person that gets you, wants to take care of you, wants the best for you. We’re really lucky because we know how rare it is,” she told People magazine.

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