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Berlin Film Festival 2014: Shia LaBeouf walks out of Nymphomaniac news conference

Sonia Pantiss
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Berlin Film Festival 2014: Shia LaBeouf walks out of Nymphomaniac news conference

Shia LaBeouf has walked out of a news conference for director Lars von Trier’s new film Nymphomaniac at the Berlin Film Festival.

Shia LaBeouf, 27, left after 10 minutes, quoting footballer Eric Cantona’s famous 1995 line: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

The actor later appeared on the red carpet wearing a paper bag on his head.

Written on the paper bag were the words: “I am not famous anymore.”

Shia LaBeouf appeared on the Berlin Film Festival red carpet wearing a paper bag on his head
Shia LaBeouf appeared on the Berlin Film Festival red carpet wearing a paper bag on his head

LaBeouf had walked out of the news conference after being asked about the film’s explicit s** scenes.

His parting line was taken from a cryptic quote Eric Cantona delivered after he had caused a furor by kicking a fan in the crowd while playing for Manchester United.

Shia LaBeouf is known for films including Transformers, Wall Street II, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The film’s stars Christian Slater and Uma Thurman later laughed about their co-star’s comments, joking that the script contained a lot of sardines.

Lars von Trier missed the news conference but did turn up for an earlier photocall wearing a T-shirt bearing the words “Persona non grata” alongside the gold leaf logo of the Cannes Film Festival.

That was a reference to the divisive director’s expulsion from Cannes three years ago after he suggested in a news conference that he sympathized with Adolf Hitler.

Lars von Trier no longer takes part in such news conferences but the incident did not deter him from arriving in Berlin to promote his film.

The two-and-a-half hour Nymphomaniac Volume I “premiered to cheers” and “went down a storm at an afternoon press preview on Sunday, the AFP news agency reported.

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Syria: More than 600 civilians evacuated from Homs

Roy Siemens
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Syria: More than 600 civilians evacuated from Homs

More than six hundreds civilians have been evacuated from the rebel-held Old Quarter of Homs, Syria, state media report.

This was despite mortar fire and shooting which activists say killed several people and wounded others.

UN and Syrian Red Crescent teams also managed to deliver relief supplies to the quarter, which has been besieged by government forces for more than a year.

On Saturday aid workers were trapped under fire there for several hours.

The Wall Street Journal‘s Sam Dagher, in Homs, has tweeted that more than a dozen men who came out with the evacuees were detained by security forces and taken away to an unknown location.

Sunday is the final day of what was agreed as a three-day humanitarian truce.

More than six hundreds civilians have been evacuated from the rebel-held Old Quarter of Homs
More than six hundreds civilians have been evacuated from the rebel-held Old Quarter of Homs

The governor of Homs, Talal al-Barazi, has said the ceasefire may be extended by a further three days, to allow all those who might want to leave the chance to do so.

Elsewhere, opposition activists said at least 11 people were killed in the northern city of Aleppo when government helicopters dropped barrel bombs – crude weapons comprising cylinders packed with explosives and metal fragments – on rebel-held neighborhoods.

The operation to help trapped civilians in Homs was the one concrete agreement reached at recent peace talks in Geneva, which are due to resume on Monday.

A UN/Red Crescent aid convoy came under attack from mortars and gunfire as it was leaving Homs on Saturday.

Syrian authorities have blamed the attack on rebels, but they in turn say that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces were responsible for the incident.

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has insisted that the UN and aid agencies will not be deterred by the weekend’s violence.

The Red Crescent, in a joint operation with the UN, is trying to deliver food, water and medicine by truck to some 3,000 civilians in rebel-held areas.

Homs has been a key battleground in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

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Australia bushfires spark emergency alerts in south-east

Nancy Clayson
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Australia bushfires spark emergency alerts in south-east

Dozens of bushfires are sweeping the Australian states of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, fanned by hot weather and strong winds.

Officials say an unknown number of homes have been destroyed and a firefighter has been injured in the state of Victoria.

Some residents have been ordered to leave and flames have spread to the outer suburbs of Australia’s second biggest city, Melbourne.

Conditions in Victoria are at their worst since 2009, authorities said.

Then, wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed about 2,000 homes in a disaster dubbed Black Saturday.

Dozens of bushfires are sweeping the Australian states of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, fanned by hot weather and strong winds
Dozens of bushfires are sweeping the Australian states of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, fanned by hot weather and strong winds

Emergency crews are also fighting blazes in South Australia and New South Wales.

More than 70 fires are burning across Victoria and 15 emergency warnings are in effect, with up-to-date local information available on the Vic Emergency website.

Hundreds of firefighters and dozens of fire engines are battling the blazes.

Fire authorities are worried about the threat posed to the coal-fired 1,600-megawatt Hazlewood Power Station in Latrobe Valley, local media reported.

Homes have been lost in the Melbourne suburbs of Warrandyte and Mickleham, and in Gisborne some 30 miles north-west of the city.

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Doctors deny Michael Schumacher’s death rumors

Clyde K. Valle
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Doctors deny Michael Schumacher’s death rumors

Doctors at Grenoble hospital where Michael Schumacher is receiving treatment for his grievous head injury following a ski accident has reportedly denied rumors that the Formula 1 champion has died.

Michael Schumacher, who has been in a coma since December 29 last year after the accident in the French Alps, was rumored to have died in the Grenoble hospital where doctors have been trying to bring him out of the coma.

Michael Schumacher was rumored to have died in the Grenoble hospital where doctors have been trying to bring him out of the coma
Michael Schumacher was rumored to have died in the Grenoble hospital where doctors have been trying to bring him out of the coma

According to the Daily Star, a spokesperson for the hospital has stated that Michael Schumacher is still alive and doctors are trying to bring him out of the induced coma.

However, experts said that any attempt to wake Michael Schumacher could end up in him being in a permanent vegetative state, adding that the sleeping drugs in his body alone may take weeks to exit his system.

Sochi 2014: Justine Dufour-Lapointe beats sister Chloe in women’s moguls

Clyde K. Valle
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Sochi 2014: Justine Dufour-Lapointe beats sister Chloe in women’s moguls

Canadian Justine Dufour-Lapointe and her sister Chloe Dufour-Lapointe won gold and silver in the women’s moguls at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

Hopes of a family podium sweep were ended after Justine and Chloe’s sister Maxime failed to make the final phase.

Defending champion Hannah Kearney from the US won bronze after a disappointing performance in the final run of the competition.

Japan’s Aiko Uemura was beaten into fourth for the second successive Games.

Justine Dufour-Lapointe and her sister Chloe Dufour-Lapointe won gold and silver in the women's moguls at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games
Justine Dufour-Lapointe and her sister Chloe Dufour-Lapointe won gold and silver in the women’s moguls at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games

Justine Dufour-Lapointe, 19, went through a technically precise final run to score 22.44 points with her 22-year-old sister following with a solid run but coming up .78 points short of the winning score.

They were just the third pair of sisters to win gold and silver in the same event at a Winter Olympics. The others were Christine and Marielle Goitschel of France in 1964 and Doris and Angelika Neuner of Austria in 1992.

“It’s the best feeling, they did it! They did it!” shouted the sisters’ watching father Yves Dufour-Lapointe.

Hannah Kearney scored 21.49 in what is set to be her final Winter Olympics.

Swiss anti-immigration referendum results invalidate agreement with EU

Diane A. Wade
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Swiss anti-immigration referendum results invalidate agreement with EU

Voters in Switzerland have narrowly backed a referendum proposal to bring back strict quotas for immigration from EU countries.

Final results showed 50.3% voted in favor. The vote invalidates the Swiss-EU agreement on freedom of movement.

Fiercely independent Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but has adopted large sections of EU policy.

Brussels said it regretted the outcome of the vote and would examine its implications.

A Yes vote of more than 50% was needed for the referendum to pass.

The vote has shown up traditional divisions, with French-speaking areas against the quotas, German-speaking regions divided, and the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino firmly in favor.

In a statement, the European Commission said it regretted that an “initiative for the introduction of quantitative limits to immigration has been passed by this vote.

Voters in Switzerland have narrowly backed a referendum proposal to bring back strict quotas for immigration from EU countries
Voters in Switzerland have narrowly backed a referendum proposal to bring back strict quotas for immigration from EU countries

“This goes against the principle of free movement of persons between the EU and Switzerland. The EU will examine the implications of this initiative on EU-Swiss relations as a whole. In this context, the Federal Council’s position on the result will also be taken into account.”

The vote comes amid increasing debate across Europe about migration and the impact of free movement of people.

Switzerland’s economy is booming at the moment, and unemployment is low, but many Swiss worry about immigration.

A quarter of the eight million-strong population is foreign, and last year 80,000 new immigrants arrived.

Since 2007, most of the EU’s 500 million residents have been on an equal footing with locals in the Swiss job market – the result of a policy voted into law in a 2000 referendum.

But a coalition led by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party now wants to reverse this deal, saying it was a huge mistake.

Supporters of quotas believe free movement has put pressure on housing, health, education, and transport. They also argue that foreign workers drive salaries down.

But the Swiss government and business leaders say free movement is key to Switzerland’s economic success, allowing employers to choose skilled staff from across Europe.

Switzerland’s bilateral agreements with the EU took years of negotiation to achieve.

Abandoning free movement could limit Switzerland’s access to Europe’s single market, where over half its exports are sold.

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X Factor cancelled after Simon Cowell’s exit

Sonia Pantiss
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The X Factor show has been cancelled in the US after three seasons following judge Simon Cowell’s decision to return to the UK show.

The Fox network show has been unable to match the ratings success of Simon Cowell’s previous singing contest American Idol.

The X Factor‘s audience dropped from 12 million in 2011 to six million last year.

The X Factor show has been cancelled in the US after three seasons following judge Simon Cowell's decision to return to the UK show
The X Factor show has been cancelled in the US after three seasons following judge Simon Cowell’s decision to return to the UK show

The news follows Simon Cowell’s announcement that he will be back on the UK version in the autumn after three years away.

“I’ve had a fantastic time over the last 12 years, both on The X Factor and American Idol,” Simon Cowell said in a statement about the US show’s cancellation.

“And apart from being lucky enough to find some amazing talent on the shows, I have always had an incredible welcome from the American public – most of the time!”

Man arrested after trying to climb White House fence

Nancy Clayson
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Man arrested after trying to climb White House fence

A man has been arrested by the US Secret Service after trying to climb over the White House fence, leading to a security lockdown.

The unidentified would-be intruder was carrying two bags, which are being screened, said the authorities.

A man has been arrested by the US Secret Service after trying to climb over the White House fence, leading to a security lockdown
A man has been arrested by the US Secret Service after trying to climb over the White House fence, leading to a security lockdown

“[The suspect] did not make it over the fence,” a Secret Service spokesman told Reuters news agency.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were not in the White House at the time.

Both had travelled to Michigan for the signing of agricultural legislation.

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Dieudonne M’bala M’bala acquitted over anti-Semitic video

Nancy Clayson
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Dieudonne M’bala M’bala acquitted over anti-Semitic video

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has been acquitted over a video where he called for the release of a man who tortured and murdered a Jew in 2006.

The court ruled it could not prove the controversial French comedian was behind the video’s release.

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, who has convictions for inciting hatred against Jews, had faced a fine of 20,000 euros ($27,000) or 200 days in prison.

France recently banned one of Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s shows over concerns about anti-Semitism.

The comedian already owes 65,000 euros in fines for six convictions of hate speech against Jews.

Dieudonne M'bala M'bala has been acquitted over a video where he called for the release of a man who tortured and murdered a Jew in 2006
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has been acquitted over a video where he called for the release of a man who tortured and murdered a Jew in 2006

Last week, police raided several properties owned by Dieudonne M’bala M’bala as part a probe into alleged fraud.

The government accused Dieudonne M’bala M’bala of trying to bankrupt himself in order to avoid paying the fines.

The comedian has caused controversy in recent months with what many regard as anti-Semitic comments.

He has joked about gas chambers and is accused of deriding Holocaust survivors and victims.

His trademark “quenelle” gesture has been described by some as an “inverted Nazi salute”.

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala says the quenelle is an anti-establishment gesture, and denies that he is an anti-Semite, saying he is anti-Zionist.

In January, France’s highest court upheld a ban on Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s one-man show The Wall (Le Mur), which contained sketches including the performer miming urination against the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

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Sakhalin cathedral shooting leaves two dead in Russia

Nancy Clayson
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Sakhalin cathedral shooting leaves two dead in Russia

A nun and a churchgoer have been killed by a gunman who opened fire inside a cathedral on the eastern Russian island of Sakhalin.

Six other people were wounded in the incident – most were said to have been shot in the legs and were not critically hurt.

An employee at a private security firm was detained at the scene in the main city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

A nun and a churchgoer have been killed by a gunman who opened fire inside a cathedral on the eastern Russian island of Sakhalin
A nun and a churchgoer have been killed by a gunman who opened fire inside a cathedral on the eastern Russian island of Sakhalin

The motive of the gunman, who is said to be about 25 years old, was not clear.

There was no apparent link to the Winter Olympics taking place in Sochi about 4,700 miles to the west.

The Investigative Committee – Russia’s main federal investigating authority – said psychiatrists would try to determine the suspect’s mental condition, reported Reuters news agency.

Reuters quoted the regional leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Tikhon, as saying a prayer service would be held at the cathedral later on Sunday.

Marius the giraffe put down at Copenhagen Zoo

James J. Williams
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Marius the giraffe put down at Copenhagen Zoo

The bid to save Marius the giraffe from destruction at Copenhagen Zoo has failed, and the animal was put down on Sunday morning.

Thousands of people had signed an online petition appealing for a change of heart over 18-month-old Marius.

The zoo said it had no choice because of European rules to avoid in-breeding.

Marius was due to be killed by a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, which would contaminate the meat.

Two zoos, one in the UK and one in Sweden, had reportedly put in last-ditch offers to take Marius in.

Marius was due to be killed by a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, which would contaminate the meat
Marius was due to be killed by a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, which would contaminate the meat

On Saturday Bengt Holst, scientific director at the Danish zoo, defended Marius’s destruction, saying his genes were already well represented among giraffes at the zoo.

He said he could not understand the fuss over Marius, pointing out that, for instance, 700-800 deer are killed every year at a deer park north of Copenhagen to control their numbers.

The zoo planned to dissect the animal after it was killed, before feeding it to the tigers and other carnivores.

“It would be absolutely foolish to throw away a few hundred kilos of meat,” Bengt Holst said according to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.

“Some is used for research and the rest for food.”

Animal rights campaigners have described the move as barbaric and have accused the zoo of being unethical.

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Pussy Riot disowns Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

Sonia Pantiss
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Pussy Riot disowns Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

Russian punk rock band  Pussy Riot have signed an open letter insisting Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova not be billed as members.

The letter said Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova had forgotten about the “aspirations and ideals of our group”.

Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova performed alongside Madonna at a concert in New York on Wednesday.

They were jailed for two years after singing a protest song in a Moscow cathedral in 2012 but were freed in December.

Known as “Masha” and “Nadia”, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova spent 16 months in prison.

Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova performed alongside Madonna at a concert in New York
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova performed alongside Madonna at a concert in New York

The six members of the collective who signed the letter – Garadja, Fara, Shaiba, Cat, Seraphima and Schumacher – say they wish to remain anonymous.

They said that their group belonged to a “leftist anti-capitalist ideology” but that the pair had become “institutionalized advocates of prisoners’ rights”.

The letter read: “Unfortunately for us, they are being so carried away with the problems in Russian prisons, that they completely forgot about the aspirations and ideals of our group – feminism, separatist resistance, fight against authoritarianism and personality cult, all of which, as a matter of fact, was the cause for their unjust punishment.”

The remaining members of the group criticized Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova for appearing at the Amnesty International concert in New York.

“Our performances are always <<illegal>>, staged only in unpredictable locations and public places not designed for traditional entertainment,” the group said.

The group said that although Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova had repeatedly stressed they were no longer members, the public announcement before their speech spoke of “the first legal performance of Pussy Riot”.

The letter did praise the former members for their new cause.

“Yes, we lost two friends, two ideological fellow member (sic), but the world has acquired two brave, interesting, controversial human rights defenders – fighters for the rights of the Russian prisoners.”

However, it added: “Unfortunately, we cannot congratulate them with this in person, because they refuse to have any contact with us.”

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High-dose vitamin C can boost cancer-killing effect of chemotherapy

Kathryn R. Bown
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High-dose vitamin C can boost cancer-killing effect of chemotherapy

A new research suggests that high-dose vitamin C can boost the cancer-killing effect of chemotherapy in the lab and mice.

Given by injection, it could potentially be a safe, effective and low-cost treatment for ovarian and other cancers, scientists at the University of Kansas say.

Reporting in Science Translational Medicine, they call for large-scale government clinical trials.

Pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to run trials, as vitamins cannot be patented.

Vitamin C has long been used as an alternative therapy for cancer.

High-dose vitamin C can boost the cancer-killing effect of chemotherapy in the lab and mice
High-dose vitamin C can boost the cancer-killing effect of chemotherapy in the lab and mice

In the 1970s, chemist Linus Pauling reported that vitamin C given intravenously was effective in treating cancer.

However, clinical trials of vitamin C given by mouth failed to replicate the effect, and research was abandoned.

It is now known that the human body quickly excretes vitamin C when it is taken by mouth.

However, scientists say that when given by injection vitamin C is absorbed into the body, and can kill cancer cells without harming normal ones.

The researchers injected vitamin C into human ovarian cancer cells in the lab, into mice, and into patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

They found ovarian cancer cells were sensitive to vitamin C treatment, but normal cells were unharmed.

The treatment worked in tandem with standard chemotherapy drugs to slow tumor growth in mouse studies. Meanwhile, a small group of patients reported fewer side-effects when given vitamin C alongside chemotherapy.

Co-researcher Dr. Jeanne Drisko said there was growing interest in the use of vitamin C by oncologists.

One potential hurdle is that pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to fund trials of intravenous vitamin C because there is no ability to patent natural products.

Clint Eastwood performs Heimlich on choking golf tournament director Steve John

Lisa.Felice
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Clint Eastwood performs Heimlich on choking golf tournament director Steve John

Clint Eastwood has been credited with saving the life of a golf tournament director in California who was choking on a piece of cheese.

“Clint saved my life,” said Steve John, director of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament.

Clint Eastwood reportedly saw that Steve John was in difficulty and performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on him.

The technique requires a rescuer to carry out abdominal thrusts on a choke victim to dislodge the blockage.

Clint Eastwood has been credited with saving the life of golf tournament director Steve John who was choking on a piece of cheese
Clint Eastwood has been credited with saving the life of golf tournament director Steve John who was choking on a piece of cheese

“Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. It was as bad as it could have been,” Steve John said of the incident at a drinks reception in Carmel-by-the-Sea on Wednesday.

“Clint came up behind me, and he knew exactly what to do.”

Clint Eastwood told the Carmel Pine Cone that he noticed Steve John had “that look of panic people have when they see their life passing before their eyes”.

Clint Eastwood, 83, moved behind Steve John and carried out the manoeuvre.

“I gave him three good jolts, and that got it out,” he said.

“And then I made him drink a big glass of water with a bunch of lemon squeezed in it.”

Clint Eastwood said he had performed the manoeuvre before, but only “to practice”.

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George Zimmerman vs. DMX boxing match called off

Nancy Clayson
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George Zimmerman vs. DMX boxing match called off

Celebrity boxing match between rapper DMX and George Zimmerman has been called off, TMZ reported.

Promoter Damon Feldman said on Twitter that the match, which generated a public outcry this week, was called off because there’s “more to life than money.”

The potential match was set for March 1, which would have been the 19th birthday of Trayvon Martin, who was killed in 2012 by George Zimmerman. It would have pitted George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, against the trash-talking musician with a history of arrests, most of them drug or driving offenses.

Trayvon Martin’s shooting and George Zimmerman’s self-defense claim polarized the nation on issues of racial justice, stand your ground laws and gun control.

Celebrity boxing match between rapper DMX and George Zimmerman has been called off
Celebrity boxing match between rapper DMX and George Zimmerman has been called off

Damon Feldman as said on Twitter: “Just looked at my son and daughter today wow I’m so lucky those people must be in so much pain … all you people are right.”

After the fight between George Zimmerman and Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, was announced earlier this week, Damon Feldman met a barrage of criticism, with civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton cautioning against glorifying Zimmerman.

The promoter also came under intense attack on Twitter. One Tweet to him said: “We just wish you could make a living without helping a killer profit from his deed.”

Damon Feldman’s tweets that the fight was called off were deleted from his Twitter feed.

After George Zimmerman’s acquittal, his lawyer said it would be difficult for his client, like defendants in other notorious crimes, to find normal employment.

Istanbul violent protests over internet censorship

Diane A. Wade
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Istanbul violent protests over internet censorship

Hundreds of Turkish demonstrators marching in Istanbul in protest at new laws tightening government control of the internet clashed with riot police.

Demonstrators threw fireworks and stones at police cordoning off Taksim Square, the city’s main square.

President Abdullah Gul is under pressure not to ratify the legislation.

The new legislation includes powers allowing authorities to block websites for privacy violations without a court decision.

The opposition says it is part of a government attempt to stifle a corruption scandal.

Demonstrators threw fireworks and stones at police cordoning off Taksim Square
Demonstrators threw fireworks and stones at police cordoning off Taksim Square

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied accusations of censorship, saying the legislation would make the internet “more safe and free”.

The Turkish parliament approved the bill last week.

As well as allowing Turkey’s telecommunications authority to block websites without first seeking a court ruling, it will also force internet providers to store data on web users’ activities for two years and make it available to the authorities.

Internet access in Turkey is already restricted and thousands of websites blocked.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been openly critical of the internet, describing Twitter as a “scourge” and condemning social media as “the worst menace to society”.

Both Twitter and Facebook were widely used by anti-government protesters to spread information during demonstrations last year.

The corruption scandal broke in December with the arrest of businessmen close to the prime minister and three ministers’ sons.

Since then, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has sacked hundreds of police officers and executives from banking and telecoms regulators and state television.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the scandal is an attempt by a US-based cleric with influence in the police and judiciary to unseat him. The cleric, Fethullah Gulen, denies this.

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Valentine’s Day Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Kathryn R. Bown
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Valentine’s Day Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients (20 cupcakes):

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 fluid ounce red food coloring

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 20 paper baking cups.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, red food coloring and vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and vinegar. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter and frost with desired frosting.

Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day Two, February 9

Clyde K. Valle
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Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day Two, February 9

Sochi Winter Games 2014: Day Two, February 9

Eight medals won today: Alpine skiing (men’s downhill), biathlon (women’s sprint), cross country skiing (men’s skiathlon), figure skating (team event), luge (men’s singles), ski jump (men’s normal hill), snowboard (women’s slopestyle), speed skating (women’s 3,000m).

Day Two highlights include:

07:00 Alpine skiing – men’s downhill.

Sochi Winter Games 2014
Sochi Winter Games 2014

06:25 and 09:15 Snowboard – women’s slopestyle.

14:30 Luge – men’s singles.

15:00 Figure skating – team event.

Also: Ice hockey (women’s group games).

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Justin Bieber’s legal team seeks to prevent jail pictures release

Lisa.Felice
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Justin Bieber’s legal team seeks to prevent jail pictures release

Justin Bieber’s lawyers has filed legal documents in an attempt to prevent the release of images showing the singer in police custody.

The request comes after footage emerged of Justin Bieber being strip-searched by police in a jail in Miami Beach following his arrest last month.

The motion, filed late Friday by Justin Bieber’s lawyers: “While in custody at the Miami Beach police station, the defendant was captured on videotape in various states of undress which show intimate personal parts of the defendant’s body.”

Justin Bieber’s lawyers has filed legal documents in an attempt to prevent the release of images showing the singer in police custody
Justin Bieber’s lawyers has filed legal documents in an attempt to prevent the release of images showing the singer in police custody

The documents allege the release of the video showing Justin Bieber’s strip search is in violation of the law and it emerged before the pop star’s lawyers were made aware of the existence of the footage. Last week, it was revealed a police officer was facing an internal investigation over claims she attempted to take a picture of the singer while he was behind bars.

Justin Bieber denies charges of DUI, driving on a suspended license and resisting arrest without violence and is due to appear in Florida court on Friday.

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Philip Seymour Hoffman funeral held in New York City

Lisa.Felice
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Philip Seymour Hoffman funeral held in New York City

Philip Seymour Hoffman has been mourned by family and friends at his funeral in New York City.

Among those at the Church of St Ignatius Loyola were Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Ethan Hawke, Spike Lee and other show business figures.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, 46, was found dead at his home in Manhattan on Sunday with a syringe in his arm.

While police believe the actor died of a heroin overdose, a post-mortem examination was inconclusive.

Philip Seymour Hoffman has been mourned by family and friends at his funeral in New York City
Philip Seymour Hoffman has been mourned by family and friends at his funeral in New York City

The New York City medical examiner’s office has said more tests are needed to determine what exactly killed Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Authorities also found dozens of bags of what seemed to be heroin in the actor’s apartment.

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s partner of 15 years, Mimi O’Donnell, and their three children walked behind the coffin as it was brought into the church on Friday.

Playwright David Bar Katz, who found Philip Seymour Hoffman’s body, looked visibly upset as he arrived before the funeral.

The lights at theatre marquees on New York’s Broadway, the centre of American theatre, were dimmed on Wednesday in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s honor, and a candlelight vigil was held outside the Labyrinth Theater Company. His close family held a private wake on Thursday.

A larger memorial service is being planned for later in February.

Amid the investigation into Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death, three people have been arrested on drug charges, including one on a charge of heroin possession with intent to sell.

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Lindsey Vonn talks about skinny-fat celebrities at Met Gala 2013

Lisa.Felice
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Lindsey Vonn talks about skinny-fat celebrities at Met Gala 2013

Lindsey Vonn, who had to drop out from the 2014 Sochi Olympics due to a knee injury, opened up about attending the 2013 Met Gala last May with boyfriend Tiger Woods.

“It was hard to go to the Met Ball with people who eat lettuce and Diet Coke for dinner,” Lindsey Vonn, 29, said in the February issue of SELF magazine.

A-list celebrities who attended fashion’s biggest night last year included Beyonce, Katie Holmes, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Lawrence.

“It’s difficult to be at events with a room full of women who weigh half as much as you do. That’s always tough.”

Lindsey Vonn opened up about attending the 2013 Met Gala last May with boyfriend Tiger Woods
Lindsey Vonn opened up about attending the 2013 Met Gala last May with boyfriend Tiger Woods

“So many of them are skinny-fat,” Lindsey Vonn continued of the stars in attendance.

“They have more cellulite than most people. I feel like I need to give them a cheeseburger.”

As for her relationship with Tiger Woods, the skier said: “We’re good for each other.”

“I don’t know what he’s learned from me, to be honest. But we push each other and help each other when we’re down.”

Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods, 37, made their red carpet debut at the gala as Vonn stunned in an Elie Saab white dress with see-through slits in the front.

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Dylan Farrow responds to Woody Allen defense

Lisa.Felice
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Dylan Farrow responds to Woody Allen defense

Hollywood legend Woody Allen responded to his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow’s accusations of childhood molestation in a New York Times op-ed.

Woody Allen chose to respond in the same publication in which Dylan Farrow made the claim a week ago.

“Of course, I did not molest Dylan,” the film-maker wrote.

Dylan Farrow immediately responded with her own counterclaim, saying: “Nothing he says or writes can change the truth.”

Woody Allen responded to his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow’s accusations of childhood molestation
Woody Allen responded to his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow’s accusations of childhood molestation

Woody Allen, 78, claimed the entire scandal was orchestrated by Dylan’s adopted mother Mia Farrow.

The film director and Mia Farrow were in a lengthy relationship that ended bitterly in 1992.

Dylan Farrow wrote, through a spokesman: “His op-ed is the latest rehash of the same legalese, distortions, and outright lies he has leveled at me for the past 20 years. He insists my mother brought criminal charges – in fact, it was a pediatrician who reported the incident to the police based on my firsthand account. He suggests that no one complained of his misconduct prior to his assault on me – court documents show that he was in treatment for what his own therapist described as <<inappropriate>> behavior with me from as early as 1991.”

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UN aid convoy fired on in Homs

Roy Siemens
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UN aid convoy fired on in Homs

A UN aid convoy bringing supplies into the besieged district of the central Syrian city of Homs has come under fire, leaving at least one person hurt.

Renewed fighting in the city had already slowed bids to bring in relief supplies.

The Syrian Red Crescent said its vehicles were fired on, and that one of its drivers was wounded.

However, Syrian state media said four Red Crescent aid workers were wounded by rebel gunfire.

The UN is overseeing efforts to deliver food, water and medicine by truck to some 3,000 civilians in rebel-held areas.

The government and rebels accused each other of violating a ceasefire after mortar fire on Saturday morning delayed an earlier attempt to bring in aid.

A UN aid convoy bringing supplies into the besieged district of the central Syrian city of Homs has come under fire, leaving at least one person hurt
A UN aid convoy bringing supplies into the besieged district of the central Syrian city of Homs has come under fire, leaving at least one person hurt

On Friday, the first day of the agreed three-day ceasefire, more than 80 children, women and elderly people were evacuated.

Many of those evacuated on Friday looked frail and described extreme hardships inside the area, which has been under army siege for nearly a year-and-a-half.

They said bread had not been available for months, and many residents were gathering weeds and leaves to eat.

Relief officials had earlier warned that this second phase of the humanitarian operation, to allow aid into the embattled quarter, was particularly delicate, not least because the government side has always been reluctant to see supplies going in to rebel-held areas.

If the aid does reach the city, the next step would be another day of evacuations.

During Friday’s operation, vulnerable civilians such as children, old people and medical cases were brought out of the besieged area, sometimes carried by Red Crescent volunteers.

They told journalists that there were more people trapped in the city who had wanted to leave.

Homs has been a key battleground in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

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Rock derails Nice to Digne les Bains train killing two people in French Alps

Nancy Clayson
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Rock derails Nice to Digne les Bains train killing two people in French Alps

A tourist train has been derailed by a falling boulder killing two people in the southern French Alps, local officials and firefighters say.

At least nine people were injured.

The train was travelling from Nice to the town of Digne-les-Bains on a line which crosses gorges and viaducts at up to 3,200ft above sea level.

Images from the scene show the two-carriage train dangling from the tracks, the side of one carriage caved in by the rock.

The train was travelling from Nice to the town of Digne-les-Bains on a line which crosses gorges and viaducts at up to 3,200ft above sea level
The train was travelling from Nice to the town of Digne-les-Bains on a line which crosses gorges and viaducts at up to 3,200ft above sea level

Local prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger told AFP news agency that one of the dead was a Russian woman, while the other victim came from the Alps region.

One of the injured is said to be in a critical condition, while the others, including the driver, are reported to have sustained lighter injuries.

“A rock the size of a car came off the mountainside and slammed into the first car of the train,” Jean Ballester, mayor of nearby Annot, told BFM television.

There were a total of 34 people on board at the time of the accident, AFP news agency reports.

The agency adds that a total of 110 firefighters and 32 vehicles were deployed from around the region, as well as two helicopters.

They are said to have encountered difficulties in reaching the accident because of heavy snow and the isolated location.

The train travels on track that regularly receives snow and rockfalls, but regional transport official Jean-Yves Petit said that even in winter it is considered safe.

Marius: Giraffe faces death at Copenhagen Zoo

James J. Williams
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Marius: Giraffe faces death at Copenhagen Zoo

Danish animal rights campaigners are trying to save a healthy young giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo from being destroyed.

The zoo says it cannot keep the giraffe, named Marius, because of European rules to avoid in-breeding, and that attempts to find it a new home have failed.

Copenhagen Zoo says it needs to kill the giraffe before it becomes an adult and attempts to mate.

Campaigners say to do so would be barbaric.

Copenhagen Zoo says it needs to kill the giraffe before it becomes an adult and attempts to mate
Copenhagen Zoo says it needs to kill the giraffe before it becomes an adult and attempts to mate

Bengt Holst, scientific director at the zoo, said 18-month-old Marius’s genes were already well represented among giraffes at the zoo.

He could not understand the fuss Marius’s impending destruction had generated, pointing out that, for instance, 700-800 deer are killed every year at a deer park north of Copenhagen to control their numbers.

Marius is due to be killed by a bolt gun. The zoo will not use a lethal injection, because that would contaminate the meat.

The zoo plans to dissect the animal after it has been killed, before feeding it to the tigers and other carnivores.

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