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Moscow metro crash death toll rises to 19

Diane A. Wade
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Moscow metro crash death toll rises to 19

The death toll of this morning’s Moscow metro crash has risen to 19, the Russian emergency ministry has announced.

Scores were injured, some seriously, when a packed commuter train braked abruptly between stations in the west of the city in the morning rush hour.

Some of those hurt were carried out of the tunnel on stretchers, with the most serious cases airlifted to hospital.

The cause of the crash – one of the worst incidents ever on the metro – is reported to be a power surge.

The train derailed between Slaviansky Boulevard and Park Pobedy (Victory Park) stations in the west on the city.

The death toll of this morning's Moscow metro crash has risen to 19
The death toll of this morning’s Moscow metro crash has risen to 19

Some 50 people were in a serious condition, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported, quoting a health official.

“The train slowed down abruptly, the lights went off, and then there was a spark of fire and smoke. We were blocked in,” one passenger told Russian TV.

Another, quoted by Reuters news agency, said: “We were trapped and only got out by some miracle. I thought it was the end. Many people were hurt, mostly in the front carriage because the cars ran into each other.”

A number of bodies were recovered from the wrecked carriages but some remained underground, officials said.

More than 1,100 people were evacuated.

The packed commuter train was travelling from the north-west of Moscow to the city centre at the time of the crash.

The tunnel where crash happened was built about 10 years ago.

Critics accuse the authorities of spending too much on extending the metro system, and not enough on maintenance.

Park Pobedy is the deepest metro station in Moscow, 84m (275ft) deep, which is making the rescue particularly hard.

No foreigners were among the injured, the Interfax news agency said.

Militant attacks on Russia’s railways and transport networks have killed dozens of people in the past, but the emergencies ministry said there was no suspicion of such a cause in this case.

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Oscar Pistorius in nightclub row with Jared Mortimer

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius in nightclub row with Jared Mortimer

Oscar Pistorius was involved in an argument at a nightclub at the weekend, his spokesperson has said.

The South African athlete had an altercation with businessman Jared Mortimer who said he was drunk, The Star newspaper says.

Oscar Pistorius’ spokesperson said the argument took place after Jared Mortimer started to “aggressively interrogate” him about his murder trial.

Reeva Steenkamp was killed at Oscar Pistorius’ home in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, on February 14, 2013.

Jared Mortimer said he got involved in a row with Oscar Pistorius at the nightclub in Johannesburg’s upmarket suburb of Sandton, after the athlete insulted his friends and South African President Jacob Zuma’s family, The Star reports.

Oscar Pistorius had an altercation with businessman Jared Mortimer at a Johannesburg nightclub
Oscar Pistorius had an altercation with businessman Jared Mortimer at a Johannesburg nightclub (photo AP)

“I took that personally because I am very good friends with a member of the Zuma family,” Jared Mortimer is quoted as saying.

Jared Mortimer said the Olympic sprinter was intoxicated and started to poke him in the chest while they were talking.

The businessman said he then pushed Oscar Pistorius away from him and the athlete fell over a chair.

The club’s bouncers helped Oscar Pistorius up, but were asked to remove him after he “had a confrontation with another man”, Jared Mortimer is quoted as saying.

Anneliese Burgess, a spokeswoman for Oscar Pistorius’ family, disputed Jared Mortimer’s version of events.

Oscar Pistorius, 27, was in the VIP section of the club when he was approached by a man who had since been identified as Jared Mortimer, she said.

“The individual, according to my client, started to aggressively interrogate him on matters relating to the trial,” said Anneliese Burgess.

She added that Oscar Pistorius “regrets the decision to go to a public space and thereby inviting unwelcome attention”.

On Sunday, hours after the incident, Oscar Pistorius tweeted for the first time since the death of Reeva Steenkamp.

He tweeted a Bible verse, a collage of pictures of his humanitarian work, and an extract from Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning.

Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial was adjourned last week for closing arguments on August 7.

Gaza conflict: Israel accepts Egyptian truce proposal

Roy Siemens
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Gaza conflict: Israel accepts Egyptian truce proposal

Egypt launched an initiative on Monday to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict.

On Tuesday, Israel has accepted the truce proposal for the conflict with Gaza.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, has not formally responded. But its armed wing has rejected the plan as a “surrender”.

Under the terms, the ceasefire should begin immediately, followed by a series of meetings in Cairo with high-level delegations from both sides.

Palestinian officials say at least 192 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes launched eight days ago to stop militants firing rockets into Israel.

There have been no Israeli air strikes into Gaza since the 09:00 truce, but at least one rocket has been fired from Gaza into Israel.

Egypt launched an initiative to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict
Egypt launched an initiative to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict

Israel’s security cabinet, convened by PM Benjamin Netanyahu, voted to approve the truce on Tuesday morning, minutes before the proposed time for it to come into effect.

Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the IDF, Israel’s military, said: “In accordance with the government directives, the IDF now holds fire. We remain alert and preserve high preparedness levels, both defensive and offensive. If the Hamas terror organization will fire at Israel, we shall respond.”

For now, Hamas sources are saying its attacks will “increase in ferocity and intensity” unless Israel releases prisoners and co-operates with Egypt to lift economic restrictions on Gaza.

That is not encouraging but does not mean that a deal will not ultimately be done – just that it will not be easy, our correspondent says.

Meanwhile the casualty figures continue to mount.

Three people were killed in Khan Younis, south of Gaza, on Tuesday morning, shortly before Israel accepted the proposed truce.

Of the 192 now reported dead by the Palestinian health authority, the UN estimates that over three-quarters were civilians.

An estimated 1,400 Palestinians have been injured.

Israel disputes the Palestinian casualty figures, saying they were based on Hamas sources and were not objective.

At least four Israelis have been seriously injured since the violence flared, but no-one has been killed.

Israeli sources said at least three rockets landed in and around the southern Israeli city of Eilat overnight.

Reports suggest they may have been fired from the Sinai peninsula in Egypt rather than from Gaza.

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Australia: Black Saturday bushfires survivors win record payout

Diane A. Wade
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Australia: Black Saturday bushfires survivors win record payout

Victims of one of the worst bushfires in Australia have won a payout of almost A$500 million ($470 million), in the country’s largest class action settlement.

Some 10,000 plaintiffs sued a power company for negligence over the fire.

The case centered on the most deadly blaze on Black Saturday, on February 7, 2009, when wildfires swept across several areas in the state of Victoria.

This fire, in the Kilmore East area north of Melbourne, killed 119 people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes.

The 2009 Black Saturday fires resulted in Australia's highest ever loss of life from a bushfire
The 2009 Black Saturday fires resulted in Australia’s highest ever loss of life from a bushfire

A 2009 Royal Commission found that the fire began when an electricity line failed between two poles. Contact between the live conductor and a cable stay supporting the pole caused arcing that ignited vegetation, the report said.

The plaintiffs accused SP AusNet of failing to adequately maintain its power lines.

They also sued Utility Services Corporation Ltd, the line maintenance contractor, and the Department of Sustainability and Environment for inadequate prevention measures.

The group was awarded a settlement of A$497.4 million ($467 million), of which SP AusNet will pay A$378.6 million.

The settlement represented “a measure of justice and some real compensation to help ease the financial burden of their suffering,” lawyer for the plaintiffs Andrew Watson said.

SP AusNet said the settlement came without an admission of liability by the company.

“SP AusNet’s position has been, and continues to be, that the conductor which broke and which initiated the fire was damaged by lightning, compromising its fail-safety design in a manner which was undetectable at the time,” it said in a statement.

“It is a tragedy that the conductor eventually failed on one of the worst days imaginable.”

A total of 173 people died in the Black Saturday fires.

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Moscow Metro crash kills three people and injures over 80

Diane A. Wade
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Moscow Metro crash kills three people and injures over 80

At least three people have been killed and over 80 injured as a train derailed on the Moscow Metro on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya dark blue Metro line on Tuesday morning.

A statement from the metro said only that a train derailed on the network’s blue line, without providing any details, the AFP news agency reported.

At least three people have been killed and over 80 injured in Moscow Metro crash
At least three people have been killed and over 80 injured in Moscow Metro crash (photo RIA Novosti)

There is no word as to the cause of the crash, in the west of the city.

The Moscow metro is one of the oldest and most extensive underground railway systems in the world.

Some of the most seriously injured passengers were taken to hospital by helicopter, Russian TV said.

The train derailed in a tunnel between stations.

News of the derailment was preceded by reports of smoke detected on the dark blue line of the Moscow Metro. Later, Moscow’s emergencies agency denied reports of smoke and said a sudden failure in the electricity supply to a conductor rail could have caused the accident.

Live giant African snails seized at Los Angeles airport

Nancy Clayson
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Live giant African snails seized at Los Angeles airport

Customs agents have seized 67 live giant African snails at Los Angeles International Airport.

The snails, which are prohibited in the US, were found by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspectors.

They arrived from Nigeria and were intended for a person in California, said Lee Harty, a spokeswoman for the customs agency.

The mollusks are among the largest land snails in the world and can grow up to 8 inches long, said officials.

Customs agents have seized 67 live giant African snails at Los Angeles International Airport
Customs agents have seized 67 live giant African snails at Los Angeles International Airport (photo AP)

The US Department of Agriculture put the snails in an incinerator after they were inspected, said Lee Harty, because they can carry parasites that are harmful to humans, including one that can lead to meningitis.

They are also potentially damaging to nature, said Maveeda Mirza, the CBP program manager for agriculture.

“These snails are seriously harmful to local plants because they will eat any kind of crop they can get to,” said Maveeda Mirza, who added that investigations were continuing into why one person would want so many.

“We’re investigating what happened, but it doesn’t seem like there was smuggling involved,” she said.

This is the first time that they have confiscated such a large quantity, Maveeda Mirza added, although there have been cases of much smaller numbers being found to be accidentally in people’s luggage.

Germany issues stamp celebrating World Cup win

Nancy Clayson
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Germany issues stamp celebrating World Cup win

Germany has issued a stamp celebrating its soccer team’s victory at the 2014 World Cup championship.

Five million were printed before the final match was even held.

The stamp was ordered by Germany’s finance ministry which holds a large stake in Deutsche Post.

Germany has issued a stamp celebrating its soccer team's victory at the 2014 World Cup championship
Germany has issued a stamp celebrating its soccer team’s victory at the 2014 World Cup championship

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he had “dared to hope very early on” that the national team would win.

If Germany had lost to Argentina on Sunday the 0.60 euro stamps would have had to be pulped.

The stamp will go on sale on Thursday, July 17, after the first commemorative copies are presented to the coach, players and team staff.

Graphic designer Lutz Menze told German news agency DPA that the image does not show individual footballers in order to honor the whole team.

He said that producing a stamp usually takes six months but he had been contacted by the government after the tournament had already started.

It was Germany’s fourth World Cup title after 1954, 1974 and 1990.

WTO: US violated global trade rules by imposing tariffs on products from China and India

Clyde K. Valle
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WTO: US violated global trade rules by imposing tariffs on products from China and India

The United States violated global trade rules when it imposed tariffs on products from China and India, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has found.

In response to a 2012 complaint, the WTO said the US improperly imposed tariffs on Chinese steel and solar panels.

The WTO said the US improperly imposed tariffs on Chinese steel and solar panels
The WTO said the US improperly imposed tariffs on Chinese steel and solar panels

In a separate ruling, it said the US must change the way it imposes tariffs on India steel products.

The US is embroiled in several trade spats with China and India.

“China urges the United States to respect the WTO rulings and correct its wrongdoings of abusively using trade remedy measures, and to ensure an environment of fair competition for Chinese enterprises,” said China’s foreign trade ministry in a statement.

However, the WTO did not agree with all of the complaints filed by India and China.

The US – which has argued it imposed the tariffs to combat artificially low prices on products from India and China’s state-subsidized industries – has the right to appeal the ruling.

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Citigroup agrees to pay $7 billion to settle sub-prime mortgage case

Clyde K. Valle
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Citigroup agrees to pay $7 billion to settle sub-prime mortgage case

Citigroup has agreed to pay $7 billion to US authorities to settle an investigation into risky sub-prime mortgages.

Citigroup will pay $4 billion to the Department of Justice and $2.5 billion for “consumer relief”.

Consumer relief includes investment in affordable homes and mortgage relief.

Following the decision, the bank reported a stronger than predicted quarterly profit, and saw its share price rise by 3.62% to $48.70.

Second-quarter earnings fell by 96% to $181 million, but that was after a $3.8 billion charge related to the settlement.

Citigroup has agreed to pay $7 billion to US authorities to settle an investigation into risky sub-prime mortgages
Citigroup has agreed to pay $7 billion to US authorities to settle an investigation into risky sub-prime mortgages

The settlement stems from the sale of securities made up of sub-prime mortgages, which were at the centre of the 2008 financial crisis.

Citigroup is the second major bank to pay a settlement since President Barack Obama launched an investigation into housing loans.

JPMorgan Chase paid $13 billion last year to settle government investigations.

The Citigroup fines are said to have surprised stock analysts and people inside the bank, who had hoped to settle for less.

According to the US Attorney General Eric Holder, “under the terms of this settlement, the bank has admitted to its misdeeds in great detail”.

Eric Holder said the settlement “does not absolve Citigroup or its employees from facing any possible criminal charges in the future”.

Citigroup’s chief executive, Michael L. Corbat, said that the decision was the right one for shareholders.

“We believe that this settlement is in the best interests of our shareholders, and allows us to move forward and to focus on the future, not the past,” he said.

Investors welcomed the decision, as Citigroup’s share price rose in New York trading.

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Sotheby’s to auction art on eBay

Sonia Pantiss
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Sotheby’s to auction art on eBay

Sotheby’s and eBay will create a web platform to allow viewers to bid on and buy art.

According to Sotheby’s chief operating officer Bruno Vinciguerra, the international art auction house hoped to reach “the broadest possible audience around the world” with the move.

Sotheby’s said the number of lots purchased online increased 36% in 2013.

Online art sales are expected to reach $13 billion by 2020.

Sotheby's and eBay will create a web platform to allow viewers to bid on and buy art
Sotheby’s and eBay will create a web platform to allow viewers to bid on and buy art (photo Getty Images)

In April, John James Audubon’s elephant-folio The Birds of America sold for $3.5 million online via a live auction at Sotheby’s – a record for the company.

The venture will start with live auctions streamed from Sotheby’s New York headquarters, which will allow “real-time bidding from anywhere around the world”.

Sotheby’s will offer 18 categories to start, focusing jewelry, watches, prints, wine, photographs and 20th century design – categories the company says have been particularly appealing to online buyers.

The move comes just ahead of eBay’s earnings, which are set to be released on Wednesday, and as more and more start-ups, such as Artsy, Artspace and Paddle8 allow consumers to buy art on the web.

In 2013, Amazon announced it would sell works by artists such as Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol on its website.

Sotheby’s and eBay declined to give a firm start date for the service.

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Ukrainian military plane shot down near Russian border

Roy Siemens
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Ukrainian military plane shot down near Russian border

A Ukrainian military plane has been shot down in the east, amid fighting with pro-Russian separatist rebels, Ukrainian officials say.

They say the An-26 plane was hit at an altitude of 21,325ft.

The plane was targeted with “a more powerful missile” than a shoulder-carried missile, “probably fired” from Russia. The crew survived.

Russia has made no comment. Separately, NATO reported a Russian troop build-up near the Ukraine border.

The Ukrainian military plane has been shot down in the east, amid fighting with pro-Russian separatist rebels
The Ukrainian military plane has been shot down in the east, amid fighting with pro-Russian separatist rebels

Russia denies supporting and arming the separatists, and has invited officials from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe to monitor its border with Ukraine.

A statement on Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko’s website said the An-26 was taking part in an “anti-terror operation” in the region.

The statement quoted Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletei as saying that a search-and-rescue operation was now under way.

Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s security and defense council, was later quoted by Ukrainian media as saying that eight people were on board the plane.

Rebel forces earlier said they had targeted the aircraft in the Luhansk region.

This comes as the Ukrainian air force said it had delivered “five powerful air strikes” on targets in the region in a bid to end a rebel blockade of a strategic airport there.

Several targets were hit near the airport in the rebel-held city of Luhansk, a military spokesman said.

Ukraine’s military later said the airport had been “unblocked” and the army had retaken several villages.

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Ladies in White: More than 90 women protesters detained in Cuba

Diane A. Wade
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Ladies in White: More than 90 women protesters detained in Cuba

Cuban opposition activist group “Ladies in White” says dozens of its members were detained during a protest march.

The women, who were freed after several hours, were marking the deaths of 37 people who drowned while fleeing the island 20 years ago.

The government has always denied the group’s allegation that the authorities deliberately sunk a tugboat in 1994.

For 10 years, Ladies in White members have defied a protest ban on the Communist island by marching every week, dressed in white.

Ladies in White members were detained during a protest march in Cuba
Ladies in White members were detained during a protest march in Cuba (photo AFP)

The group says its members were rounded-up by police on Sunday, as they tried to divert from their normal protest route in the capital, Havana.

More than 90 of them were bundled into buses off the city’s smart 5th Avenue as they headed towards the seafront, they say.

The women were planning to lay flowers in memory of the adults and children who died when the tugboat they had hijacked sank as it was pursued by the Cuban authorities in Caribbean waters.

Dissident groups allege the vessel was rammed and flooded with water cannon, but the government has always maintained the sinking was an accident.

The women are routinely detained and their protests broken up, but these days their march attracts minimal public interest.

However, the group’s members say their protests have produced results, with all 75 political prisoners they have campaigned for now free.

The Cuban authorities say the “Ladies in White” are in the pay of the US and form part of Washington’s “decades-old effort to undermine Cuba’s socialist revolution”.

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Missing Nigeria girls: Malala Yousafzai meets President Goodluck Jonathan

Roy Siemens
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Missing Nigeria girls: Malala Yousafzai meets President Goodluck Jonathan

Malala Yousafzai has met Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan to press for more action to free at least 200 girls held by Boko Haram Islamist militants.

Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau has reiterated in a new video message that he is prepared to negotiate a prisoner swap for them.

He also expressed support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared caliph of a new Middle Eastern state.

Boko Haram sparked a global outcry when it abducted the girls three months ago.

Goodluck Jonathan’s government has faced strong criticism for not doing enough to curb violence by Boko Haram, especially in the wake of the kidnappings.

Malala Yousafzai has met Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan to press for more action to free at least 200 girls held by Boko Haram Islamist militants
Malala Yousafzai has met Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan to press for more action to free at least 200 girls held by Boko Haram Islamist militants

Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousafzai, 17, met Goodluck Jonathan in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, and urged him to meet the families of the kidnapped girls.

She also met relatives of the girls on Sunday, and expressed solidarity with them.

President Goodluck Jonathan has not spoken to the relatives, exactly three months after the abductions.

The military has also failed to debrief some of the girls who managed to escape from captivity, he says.

In a statement after his meeting with Malala Yousafzai, President Goodluck Jonathan said he would meet with the parents before they left Abuja “to personally comfort them and reassure them” that the government was doing “all within its powers to rescue their daughters”.

The notion that the government has not been doing enough to find and rescue the girls was “very wrong and misplaced”, the statement said.

“Terror is relatively new here and dealing with it has its challenges. The great challenge in rescuing the Chibok girls is the need to ensure that they are rescued alive,” Goodluck Jonathan said.

After meeting the parents, Malala Yousafzai said she understood their suffering.

“It’s quite difficult for a parent to know that their daughter is in great danger. My birthday wish this year is… bring back our girls now, and alive.”

Two years ago, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by Pakistani Taliban militants for campaigning for girls’ education.

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Bowe Bergdahl to return to active military duty after reintegration process

Roy Siemens
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Bowe Bergdahl to return to active military duty after reintegration process

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl will return to active military duty at the end of his reintegration process, the US Army has said.

Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive for five years by the Taliban, will take a headquarters job on a Texas base.

The soldier was released in May in a swap for five Taliban commanders, a move some US politicians decried.

The army is investigating the circumstances of his capture, including whether he intended to desert.

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl will return to active military duty at the end of his reintegration process
Sgt Bowe Bergdahl will return to active military duty at the end of his reintegration process

Two soldiers will reportedly be assigned to assist Bowe Bergdahl, and he will live in military barracks, US media reported.

He will take a job with US Army North at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, the army said.

Bowe Bergdahl has yet to speak publicly regarding his ordeal since his release on 31 May.

The move to release five Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay after Sgt Bowe Bergdahl was transferred to US special forces sparked a heated political row in the US.

The US opened an investigation into his disappearance in 2009 but said investigators would not interview him until he finished the reintegration process.

The US military has concluded Bowe Bergdahl walked away from his base without authorization before his capture but has stopped short of accusing him of desertion.

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Nadine Gordimer dies in Johannesburg aged 90

Sonia Pantiss
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Nadine Gordimer dies in Johannesburg aged 90

Nobel Prize-winning writer Nadine Gordimer has died in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the age of 90.

Nadine Gordimer, who was one of the literary world’s most powerful voices against apartheid – died at her home after a short illness, her family said.

She wrote more than 30 books, including the novels My Son’s Story, Burger’s Daughter and July’s People.

Nadine Gordimer jointly won 1974’s Booker Prize for The Conservationist and was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1991.

The Nobel committee said at the time it was honoring Nadine Gordimer for her “magnificent epic writing” which had been “of very great benefit to humanity”.

Nadine Gordimer was one of the literary world's most powerful voices against apartheid
Nadine Gordimer was one of the literary world’s most powerful voices against apartheid (photo Getty Images)

Writing from an early age, the author published her first story – Come Again Tomorrow – in a Johannesburg magazine at just 15.

Her works comprised both novels and short stories where the consequences of apartheid, exile and alienation were the major themes.

Nadine Gordimer’s family said she “cared most deeply about South Africa, its culture, its people, and its ongoing struggle to realize its new democracy”.

Committed to fighting apartheid, Nadine Gordimer was a leading member of the African National Congress and fought for the release of Nelson Mandela. They went on to become firm friends.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation paid tribute to Nadine Gordimer, saying it was “deeply saddened at the loss of South Africa’s grande dame of literature”.

“We have lost a great writer, a patriot and strong voice for equality and democracy in the world,” it added.

A number of Nadine Gordimer’s books were banned by the South African government under the apartheid regime including 1966’s The Late Bourgeois World and 1979’s Burger’s Daughter.

Her last novel, No Time Like the Present, published in 2012, follows veterans of the battle against apartheid as they deal with the issues facing modern South Africa.

She was also critical of South African President Jacob Zuma, expressing her opposition to a proposed law which would limit the publication of information deemed sensitive by the government.

Nadine Gordimer’s family said a private memorial service would be announced at a later date.She is survived by three children.

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Costa Concordia salvage update 2014: Wrecked cruise liner refloated

Diane A. Wade
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Costa Concordia salvage update 2014: Wrecked cruise liner refloated

Costa Concordia has been successfully raised from the under-sea platform it has been resting on for the past year, salvage workers say.

The wrecked cruise ship – the target of one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history – is now floating about 3ft off the platform.

In all, the refloating operation is expected to take six or seven days.

The cruise liner will then be towed to its home port, Genoa, where it will be scrapped.

Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.

Costa Concordia has been successfully raised from the under-sea platform it has been resting on for the past year
Costa Concordia has been successfully raised from the under-sea platform it has been resting on for the past year

Workers are slowly lifting the vessel by pumping air into tanks attached to the ship. The wreck was hauled upright in September but was still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.

Salvage workers cheered with delight as they returned to Giglio’s port.

“The ship is upright and is not listing. This is extremely positive,” the engineer in charge of the salvage, Franco Porcellacchia, told a news conference.

A search for the remains of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body was not recovered from the wreck, will be carried out after the vessel is moved.

The Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Crociere, estimate the operation to remove the wreck from the reef and tow it for scrapping will cost 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) in total.

An engineer with Costa Crociere described the salvage efforts as “unprecedented”.

“As with anything being done for the first time, there are risks. But we are confident,” Franco Porcellacchia said.

Hundreds of divers and engineers have been involved in operations to salvage the Concordia, which is twice the size of the Titanic.

Towing the ship to Genoa – about 200 nautical miles away – is due to begin on July 21 and take about five days.

“The operation began well but it will be completed only when we have finished the transport to Genoa,” Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti told reporters on Monday.

Costa Concordia’s captain Francesco Schettino is on trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship, charges he denies.

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Lindt agrees to buy rival Russell Stover

Clyde K. Valle
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Lindt agrees to buy rival Russell Stover

Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprungli has agreed a deal to buy American rival Russell Stover.

Lindt said the takeover would help it to expand in the US, making it the third-largest chocolate manufacturer in North America.

It said it had agreed not to disclose the purchase price for the deal.

“This biggest and most important strategic acquisition in Lindt & Sprungli’s history is a unique opportunity,” said chair Ernst Tanner.

Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprungli has agreed a deal to buy American rival Russell Stover
Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprungli has agreed a deal to buy American rival Russell Stover

Lindt, known for its chocolate balls and gold foil-wrapped chocolate bunnies, said it would now expand the range of chocolates it sold in the US to include a variety of products from Russell Stover, including sugar-free chocolates.

The chocolate company said it expected the deal to boost its earnings from 2015 onwards, and that as a result, it would pass $1.5 billion in annual sales in North America.

Russell Stover owns the Whitman’s brand in the US. It is known for its boxed chocolates and has four chocolate factories in the US, and also runs a chain of 35 stores.

The American company currently has annual sales of about $500 million.

Both companies said the union was “a perfect strategic fit”.

“The acquisition clearly signals Lindt & Sprungli’s intention to improve its market position in North America,” Lindt added in a statement.

Samsung finds evidence of suspected child labor at Chinese factory

Clyde K. Valle
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Samsung finds evidence of suspected child labor at Chinese factory

A Samsung Electronics investigation has found “evidence of suspected child labor” at a factory of its Chinese supplier Dongguan Shinyang Electronics.

The South Korean giant tech conducted an investigation into the supplier after New York-based campaign group, China Labor Watch, accused it of hiring children.

The company has “temporarily” suspended business with the supplier following the investigation.

Samsung said that Chinese authorities were also looking into the matter.

A Samsung Electronics investigation has found evidence of suspected child labor at a factory of its Chinese supplier Dongguan Shinyang Electronics
A Samsung Electronics investigation has found evidence of suspected child labor at a factory of its Chinese supplier Dongguan Shinyang Electronics

“If the investigations conclude that the supplier indeed hired children illegally, Samsung will permanently halt business with the supplier in accordance with its zero tolerance policy on child labor,” Samsung said in a statement.

“Furthermore, Samsung will strengthen its hiring process not only at its production facilities but also at its suppliers to prevent such case from reoccurring.”

Samsung said it had conducted three audits on the Dongguan Shinyang Electronics since 2013, with the latest one ending on June 25 this year.

However, it added that “no cases of child labor were found during these audits”.

Samsung launched a subsequent investigation following the allegations by China Labor Watch and “found evidences of illegal hiring process that took place on June 29”.

This is the first time Samsung has reported finding evidence of underage workers at its suppliers.

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World Cup 2014: Luiz Felipe Scolari resigns as Brazil coach

Clyde K. Valle
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World Cup 2014: Luiz Felipe Scolari resigns as Brazil coach

Brazil’s soccer team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has resigned following his country’s failure to win the 2014 World Cup, reports Brazilian broadcaster Globo TV.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, 65, won the 2002 World Cup but the hosts could only finish fourth at this year’s event.

Brazil was thrashed 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals, their joint-heaviest loss ever and first home competitive defeat for 39 years.

They then lost 3-0 to the Netherlands in the play-off for third place.

Brazil’s soccer team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has resigned following his country's failure to win the 2014 World Cup
Brazil’s soccer team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has resigned following his country’s failure to win the 2014 World Cup

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s contract was set to expire after the tournament but Globo TV says his resignation will be confirmed on Monday by the CBF, Brazil’s football federation.

UOL News, a Brazilian website, is also reporting that Luiz Felipe Scolari has quit, quoting two CBF sources.

During the defeat by the Netherlands, Luiz Felipe Scolari, in his second spell in charge of the national team, was booed every time his image appeared on the big screen inside the stadium in Brasilia.

Luiz Felipe Scolari first took over the Brazil side in 2001 and guided them to World Cup success a year later, beating Germany 2-0 in the 2002 final in Yokohama, Japan.

After spells in charge of Portugal, Premier League side Chelsea, Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan and Brazilian club Palmeiras, he resumed control of the national team in 2012.

Brazil hosted and won the Confederations Cup in 2013, beating Spain 3-0 in the final, and wa favorite to win a sixth World Cup.

They finished top of their group after two wins and a draw from their three matches, before edging past Chile on penalties in the last 16.

They beat Colombia 2-1 in the quarter-finals, but lost top goalscorer Neymar to a spine injury and captain Thiago Silva to suspension.

In the semi-final, Brazil were 5-0 down to Joachim Low’s Germany after only 29 minutes, before losing 7-1.

Luiz Felipe Scolari described the defeat as “the worst day of his life” and asked for forgiveness from the Brazilian people.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes tops US box office with $73 million in its opening weekend

Sonia Pantiss
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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes tops US box office with $73 million in its opening weekend

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has topped the North American box office taking $73 million in its opening weekend.

The movie easily topped the chart, which saw Transformers: Age of Extinction slip to second with $16.5 million.

The Apes epic also picked up another $31 million from international markets.

Set 10 years after 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel follows the battle for dominance between humans and intelligent apes.

Andy Serkis has reprised his performance-capture role as Caesar, the ape who leads his species after encountering a colony of humans who survive a deadly virus.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has topped the North American box office taking $73 million in its opening weekend
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has topped the North American box office taking $73 million in its opening weekend

He also famously played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, which also used performance capture, which electronically tracks an actor’s movements and expressions so they can be translated into computer generated imagery (CGI).

Directed by Cloverfield’s Matt Reeves, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes also stars Gary Oldman, Keri Russell and Jason Clarke.

The sequel opened more strongly than its predecessor, which took $54.8 million during its opening weekend.

A second sequel to be directed by Matt Reeves is already in the works to further extend the franchise which first began with 1968’s Planet of the Apes, based on Pierre Boulle’s French novel.

Four movies followed in the 1970s, as well as a critically panned 2001 reboot by Tim Burton.

Elsewhere on the chart, Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon comedy Tammy – about a fast food worker who gets fired and takes her hard-drinking grandmother on a road trip – was at three with $12.9 million.

Sequels 22 Jump Street and How to Train Your Dragon 2 took the fourth and fifth spots with $6.7 million and $5.9 million respectively.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – $73 million
  2. Transformers: Age of Extinction – $16.5 million
  3. Tammy -$12.9 million
  4. 22 Jump Street – $6.7 million
  5. How To Train Your Dragon 2 – $5.9 million

Source: Rentrak

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Cheryl Cole marries Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in secret ceremony

Lisa.Felice
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Cheryl Cole marries Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in secret ceremony

Cheryl Cole has revealed she married her French boyfriend Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in secret earlier this month.

Cheryl Cole, 31, said she had made the announcement to stop speculation about her private life.

The pair had reportedly been seeing each other for just three months when they wed on the private island of Mustique, the Sun newspaper said.

Cheryl Cole has revealed she married her French boyfriend Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in secret earlier this month
Cheryl Cole has revealed she married her French boyfriend Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in secret earlier this month (photo Getty Images)

Cheryl Cole separated from footballer Ashley Cole – her husband of four years – in 2010.

She split from boyfriend Tre Holloway, an American dancer, in 2013.

Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, 33, is said to run a pop-up restaurant business.

Alongside a picture of her wedding ring, in a statement on Cheryl Cole’s website, the star said: “I usually do not discuss my personal life but to stop the speculation I want to share my happy news.

“Jean-Bernard and I married on 7/7/14. We are very happy and excited to move forward with our lives together.”

Cheryl Cole is due to appear as a judge on the next series of The X Factor UK. She was sacked from the US version of the talent show in 2011.

Study: One in three cases of Alzheimer’s disease worldwide is preventable

Kathryn R. Bown
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Study: One in three cases of Alzheimer’s disease worldwide is preventable

According to a recent research from the University of Cambridge, one in three cases of Alzheimer’s disease worldwide is preventable.

The main risk factors for the disease are a lack of exercise, smoking, depression and poor education, it says.

Previous research from 2011 put the estimate at one in two cases, but this new study takes into account overlapping risk factors.

According to the study, published in The Lancet Neurology, the Cambridge team analyzed population-based data to work out the main seven risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease main risks are:

  • Diabetes
  • Mid-life hypertension
  • Mid-life obesity
  • Physical inactivity
  • Depression
  • Smoking
  • Low educational attainment

    The main risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are a lack of exercise, smoking, depression and poor education
    The main risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are a lack of exercise, smoking, depression and poor education

The researchers worked out that a third of Alzheimer’s cases could be linked to lifestyle factors that could be modified, such as lack of exercise and smoking.

They then looked at how reducing these factors could affect the number of future Alzheimer’s cases.

They found that by reducing each risk factor by 10%, nearly nine million cases of the disease could be prevented by 2050.

Current estimates suggest that more than 106 million people worldwide will be living with Alzheimer’s by 2050 – more than three times the number affected in 2010.

Prof Carol Brayne, from the Institute of Public Health at the University of Cambridge, said: “Although there is no single way to treat dementia, we may be able to take steps to reduce our risk of developing dementia at older ages.

“We know what many of these factors are, and that they are often linked.

“Simply tackling physical inactivity, for example, will reduce levels of obesity, hypertension and diabetes, and prevent some people from developing dementia.

“As well as being healthier in old age in general, it’s a win-win situation.”

Of the seven risk factors, the largest proportion of cases of Alzheimer’s in the US, UK and the rest of Europe can be attributed to physical inactivity.

The study says about a third of the adult population in these countries are physically inactive.

Physical inactivity is also linked to increased risks of other health problems, such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

GSK China scandal: Corporate investigator Peter Humphrey charged with illegally obtaining private information

Clyde K. Valle
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GSK China scandal: Corporate investigator Peter Humphrey charged with illegally obtaining private information

British national Peter Humphrey and his wife Yu Ying Zeng, an American national, have been charged with illegally obtaining private information in GSK China bribery case, Xinhua news agency said.

Peter Humphrey and Yu Ying Zeng were arrested in China in August 2013.

His company, ChinaWhys, was hired by GlaxoSmithKline China, which is embroiled in controversy over alleged systematic bribery of Chinese doctors.

Prosecutors say the couple “illegally trafficked a huge amount of personal information on Chinese citizens” for profit, Xinhua reported.

They obtained this information by “secret photography, infiltration or tailing after someone”, it said.

Peter Humphrey has been charged with illegally obtaining private information in GSK China bribery case
Peter Humphrey has been charged with illegally obtaining private information in GSK China bribery case

“Based on the information, the couple compiled so-called <<reports>> and sold them at high prices to their clients, most of which are China-based multinational corporations, including GSK China,” it said.

Local courts “will hold [a] hearing about the case soon”, the agency added.

In a statement earlier this month, GSK said that its China operation hired ChinaWhys in April 2013 “to conduct an investigation following a serious breach of privacy and security related to the company’s China general manager”.

This is understood to relate to a s** tape said to have shown the general manager, Mark Reilly, who said the footage was filmed without his knowledge or consent.

The video was sent to GSK’s London-based CEO Andrew Witty with an email accusing Mark Reilly of being behind systematic corruption in the company’s China operation.

Mark Reilly is currently being investigated by Chinese authorities, as are at least two other senior GSK China executives. He is alleged to have pressed his sales team to bribe doctors, hospital officials and health institutions to increase sales of GSK products.

He is currently effectively detained in China, and has made no recent comment.

GSK has described the allegations as “deeply concerning”.

“We are learning lessons from this situation and we are determined to take all actions necessary as a result,” it said in the statement.

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Costa Concordia salvage: Refloating operation begins in Giglio

Diane A. Wade
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Costa Concordia salvage: Refloating operation begins in Giglio

The wrecked Costa Concordia is being raised in one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history.

Workers are slowly lifting the vessel by pumping air into tanks attached to the ship. The refloating operation is expected to take six or seven days.

The wreck will then be towed to its home port, Genoa, where it will be scrapped.

Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.

The ship was hauled upright in September but is still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.

The wrecked Costa Concordia is being raised in one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history
The wrecked Costa Concordia is being raised in one of the biggest maritime salvage operations in history

“It’s a very complex operation,” Franco Gabrielli, the head of the civil protection agency overseeing the salvage, told reporters.

“The first phase of the operation will be the most dangerous because the vessel will be detached from the platforms.”

Franco Gabrielli added that a search for the remains of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body was not recovered from the wreck, would be carried out after the vessel was moved.

An engineer with Costa Crociere, the cruise operator, described the salvage efforts as “unprecedented”.

“As with anything being done for the first time, there are risks. But we are confident,” Franco Porcellacchia said.

Hundreds of divers and engineers have been involved in operations to salvage the Costa Concordia, which is twice the size of the Titanic.

Local residents have said they are glad the wreckage will be removed.

Costa Concordia’s captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship, charges he denies.

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World Cup 2014: Germany beats Argentina 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium

Clyde K. Valle
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0
World Cup 2014: Germany beats Argentina 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium

Germany’s soccer team were crowned world champions for the fourth time as Mario Gotze’s extra-time winner beat Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil.

Substitute Mario Gotze controlled Andre Schurrle’s cross with his chest before volleying in with seven minutes left.

Both sides wasted chances in normal time, Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain and Lionel Messi both dragging wide.

Germany’s soccer team were crowned world champions for the fourth time at World Cup 2014
Germany’s soccer team were crowned world champions for the fourth time at World Cup 2014 (photo AP)

Benedikt Howedes hit the Argentine post with a header late in the first half, but Mario Gotze sparked German celebrations.

Mario Gotze became the first substitute to score the winner in a World Cup final.

More than 250,000 German fans are estimated to have watched their country’s win at Berlin’s famous Brandenburg Gate.

More than 25,000 police, soldiers and firefighters ensured there was tight security around the Maracana stadium ahead of kick-off. Brazilian authorities said it was Rio de Janeiro’s largest ever security operation.

Thousands of supporters packed on to Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach to watch the match on big screens.

Shakira, who is the partner of Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique, performed some of her most recognizable hits at the World Cup 2014 closing ceremony ahead of final kick-off.

The World Cup 2014 final was also watched by Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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