The FDA has banned India’s largest drugmaker Ranbaxy from producing and distributing drugs for the US market from its Toansa facility in Punjab.
The agency said there had been “significant” manufacturing violations at the facility.
The FDA alleged that staff had retested materials after those items had failed initial tests “in order to produce acceptable findings”.
Other Ranbaxy units have also come under scrutiny by the US in the past.
The FDA has previously banned products from the company’s facilities in Paonta Sahib, Dewas and Mohali.
The FDA has banned Ranbaxy from producing and distributing drugs for the US market from its Toansa facility in Punjab
“We are taking swift action to prevent substandard-quality products from reaching US consumers,” Carol Bennett, acting director of the FDA’s Office of Compliance, said in a statement.
Ranbaxy said in a statement that it had “voluntarily and proactively suspended shipments” from the facility to the US after it received the inspection findings earlier this month.
“This development is clearly unacceptable and an appropriate management action will be taken upon completion of the internal investigation,” said Arun Sawhney, chief executive of Ranbaxy.
Ranbaxy’s shares fell as much as 20% on the FDA ruling.
Princess Grace of Monaco biopic – Grace of Monaco – starring Nicole Kidman, has been pulled from release in the US by its distributor The Weinstein Co.
The company has given no explanation for its decision to hold back the film, which was due out on March 14.
Grace of Monaco original November release was delayed because it was deemed not ready for cinema screens.
Director Olivier Dahan has previously claimed that he was at odds with Harvey Weinstein over the final cut.
In his interview with French newspaper Liberation, translated and reproduced in The Guardian, Olivier Dahan said: “What’s complicated at the moment is ensuring that you, the critics, can review my version of the film and not that of somebody else.
“It’s not over yet. I haven’t given up.”
Grace of Monaco original November release was delayed because it was deemed not ready for cinema screens
The Weinstein Co. has not responded to Olivier Dahan’s claims.
The film-maker’s previous work includes Edith Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose, which won Marion Cotillard a best actress statuette at the Academy Awards.
The original November release date was put in place so the film would be eligible for the Oscars.
The script of Grace of Monaco has been criticized by the Monaco royal family, who said it contained “major historical untruths and a series of purely fictional scenes”.
“The Princely family wishes to emphasize that this film is by no means a biopic,” the Monaco royal family statement added.
Billboard magazine has named Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z as the most powerful people in music.
The celebrity couple were voted top of Billboard’s Power 100 list by the magazine editors who analyzed market share, revenue and other data.
Beyonce and Jay-Z have founded their own companies – Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment and Roc Nation.
The couple have been married since 2008 and have one child together, a daughter named Blue Ivy.
Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge and Red Light Management founder Coran Capshaw follow the performers on the annual list of most influential people in America’s music industry.
Billboard magazine has named Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z as the most powerful people in music
Lucian Grainge and Coran Capshaw were first and second last year respectively.
The third annual Billboard Power 100 list took place on Thursday night at the Emerson Theatre in Los Angeles.
Scooter Braun, who manages artists including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Martin Garrix and Tori Kelly, came in at number 33 on the list.
Music producer Dr Luke, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and recording executive Jimmy Iovine also featured.
Music and television producer Simon Cowell came in at 58, while his former colleague on The X Factor, LA Reid, was voted two places higher at 56.
Justin Bieber has been granted bail after appearing in a Miami court accused of racing and driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.
Justin Bieber was pulled over by Miami Beach Police in the early hours of Thursday morning whilst driving his yellow Lamborghini
Amateur footage shows the moment Justin Bieber, 19, was pulled over by Miami Beach Police in the early hours of Thursday morning whilst driving his yellow Lamborghini.
Three blasts that appeared to target the police force have killed 5 people in Cairo.
Nearly 70 people have been wounded following the attacks.
The attacks began with a powerful car bomb that exploded outside the police headquarters in central Cairo, killing four people and wounding 51.
Within hours, two other blasts occurred elsewhere in the city, killing one person and injuring 15.
The attacks come on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising.
The revolution brought about the removal of the country’s decades-long ruler Hosni Mubarak.
An al-Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Champions of Jerusalem) has admitted carrying out the attack on the police headquarters.
The group previously claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on a security building in the northern city of Mansoura in December that killed 16 people and injured more than 100 others.
Three blasts that appeared to target the police force have killed 5 people in Cairo
The authorities blamed Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood for that attack – something the group strongly denied – and declared it a terrorist group shortly afterwards.
Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim said security is being stepped up around the squares where people are expected to gather to mark Saturday’s anniversary.
“We have a plan to secure all of this for the anniversary of the 25 January revolution,” he said.
“I am telling the people not to be afraid and go down.”
The Muslim Brotherhood condemned the attack that hit police headquarters at around 06:30 local time.
The group called for an investigation and added they were part of a “peaceful revolution”.
The powerful blast was felt across the city and black smoke could be seen rising over the scene.
Gunfire was reportedly heard soon after the blast, and more than 30 ambulances raced to the scene.
There was extensive damage to the large concrete building with debris strewn across the street.
A British food shop in Canada has been ordered to stop selling Marmite, Ovaltine and Irn-Bru because they contain illegal additives.
Tony Badger, who owns Brit Foods in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, told local media that food safety officials had removed the foods from his shelves.
Other affected products include Lucozade, Penguin Bars and Bovril.
Tony Badger said he had been selling the items since 1997, and had never had problems in the past.
“We’ve been bringing Irn-Bru in since the very beginning,” Tony Badger told CKOM.
The bright orange caffeinated drink is particularly popular in Scotland, but sold in countries around the world.
“My understanding was we were importing legally. We’ve been declaring it through a customs broker and we’ve never had an issue until now,” he said.
Marmite, Ovaltine and Irn-Bru have been banned because they contain illegal additives
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is reportedly cracking down on the sale of such goods and increasing its inspections of suppliers.
Irn-Bru contains at least one additive – Ponceau 4R – which has been linked to hyperactivity and does not appear on the approved food list in Canada.
The other products are banned because they are “enriched with vitamins and mineral” while some canned foods and soup contained too much animal product.
The CFIA could not be reached for comment.
Tony Badger said he first ran into trouble in October when his Christmas stock was seized as it was imported from Britain. Then last week, officials from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency came to his shop to confiscate the remaining produce.
“The concern now is, with the next shipment, if it gets held there may be new issues with new products, so it somewhat paralyses our ability to bring new product in,” he said, adding the delays had already cost him thousands of dollars.
But he said the agency was now conducting a health assessment on the foods to determine whether they were fit for sale.
“I haven’t heard of anyone dying from consuming Irn-Bru in Scotland or Britain,” he said.
During an online Q&A session, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has said he has “no chance” of a fair trial in the US and has no plans to return there.
Edward Snowden, 30, said that the 100-year-old law under which he has been charged “forbids a public interest defense”.
“There’s no way I can come home and make my case to a jury,” he said.
Edward Snowden has temporary asylum in Russia after leaking details of NSA electronic surveillance programmes.
He said that his predicament over not having a fair trial was “especially frustrating”.
“Returning to the US, I think, is the best resolution for the government, the public, and myself, but it’s unfortunately not possible in the face of current whistleblower protection laws, which, through a failure in law, did not cover national security contractors like myself,” he told the Free Snowden website.
Edward Snowden has said he has “no chance” of a fair trial in the US and has no plans to return there
“Maybe when Congress comes together to end the programs… They’ll reform the Whistleblower Protection Act, and we’ll see a mechanism for all Americans, no matter who they work for, to get a fair trial.”
In December Edward Snowden delivered an “alternative” Christmas message to Britain’s Channel 4 TV, in which he called for an end to mass surveillance.
Earlier on Thursday an independent US privacy watchdog ruled that the bulk collection of phone call data by US intelligence agencies is illegal and has had only “minimal” benefits in preventing terrorism.
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) advised by a 3-2 majority that the program should end.
The report from the PCLOB is the latest of several reviews of the NSA’s mass surveillance program, the details of which caused widespread anger after they were leaked by Edward Snowden.
In a separate development on Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder told MSNBC television that he was unlikely to consider clemency for Edward Snowden.
Eric Holder said that the US authorities “would engage in conversation” about a resolution of the case if Edward Snowden accepted responsibility for leaking government secrets.
North Korea has sent an open letter to South Korea calling for reconciliation and an end to “hostile military acts”.
The letter, published in North Korea’s state media, comes weeks before South Korea is due to hold joint military drills with the US.
South Korea dismissed the letter as having a “hidden motive”.
Correspondents say that tensions between North Korea and South Korea traditionally rise ahead of the annual drills, which Pyongyang has condemned as provocative.
Last year, the military exercises, known as “Foal Eagle”, led to an unusually sharp and protracted surge in tensions. North Korea threatened pre-emptive nuclear strikes, as nuclear-capable US stealth bombers flew practice runs over the peninsula.
The military drills scheduled for next month are a source of great irritation to the North, which sees them as aggressive preparations for war.
While North Korea is appearing to offer reconciliation, its rhetoric has been accompanied by thinly-veiled threats not to “rashly reject” the proposals.
“What is important for paving a wide avenue for mending North-South relations is to make a bold decision to stop all hostile military acts, the biggest hurdle stoking distrust and confrontation,” the letter from North Korea’s National Defence Commission (NDC) said.
North Korea has sent an open letter to South Korea calling for reconciliation and an end to hostile military acts
“The DPRK [North Korea] has already unilaterally opted for halting all acts of getting on the nerves of South Korea and slandering it.”
“Regretfully, the South Korean authorities still remain unchanged in [their] improper attitude and negative stand,” it said, adding that the South “should not thoughtlessly doubt, misinterpret and rashly reject our sincere, important proposal”.
The letter was apparently sent by special order of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It calls on South Korea to take a bold decision to “stop all hostile military acts” and prevent “impending nuclear disasters”.
South Korean defense ministry spokesman Wi Yong-seop said: “The most important military tactic is to figure out the enemy’s hidden motive.”
He added that existing tensions were the result of “North Korea’s military provocations” and that “the current situation can be resolved if North Korea stops threatening and hostile rhetoric”.
This letter follows a proposal from the NDC a week ago that South Korea should cancel the annual drills with the US.
It also said the two sides should stop “all acts of provoking and slandering” each other.
Seoul has responded by warning that Pyongyang may be contemplating a provocative act aimed at triggering a confrontation.
In March 2013, North Korea made multiple threats against the South and the US following the “Foal Eagle” drill.
Pyongyang warned of a “pre-emptive nuclear strike” on the US, said it was scrapping the Korean War armistice, and closed the jointly-run Kaesong industrial park for months.
Justin Bieber was released from a Miami jail on Thursday afternoon following his arrest hours earlier for DUI, driving with an expired license and resisting arrest.
As he walked out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center surrounded by police, Justin Bieber, 19, climbed atop his waiting SUV, sat down and waved to fans while putting on a brave face.
Clad in a black hoodie, sunglasses and the same baggy leather shorts he was wearing when he was busted for allegedly drag-racing in the wee hours of Thursday morning, Justin Bieber tried to look as unaffected as possible by the incident by acknowledging the looky-loos waiting outside the jail.
Justin Bieber walked out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center surrounded by police and climbed atop his waiting SUV
Justin Bieber’s swagger-laden stance upon his release echoed his smiley mugshot and reported bad attitude with the arresting officers. He reportedly asked one: “Why the **** are you doing this?”
But behind the scenes, it was apparently a different story.
According to People magazine, after a judge set his bond for $2,500 via a video link from jail, Justin Bieber broke down.
Wearing a red jail jumpsuit with the sleeves rolled up far enough to show off his tattoos, Justin Bieber was “crying his eyes out,” says a source.
Dean McDermott has entered rehab following reports of his rumored infidelity on Tori Spelling, his wife of seven years.
Dean McDermott told People magazine: “I am truly sorry for the mistakes I have made and for the pain I’ve caused my family.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions and have voluntarily checked myself into a treatment center to address some health and personal issues. I am grateful to be getting the help I need so I can become the husband and father my family deserves.”
Dean McDermott has entered rehab following reports of his rumored infidelity on Tori Spelling
Last month, Us Weekly reported that Dean McDermott, 47, cheated on Tori Spelling with a 28-year-old named Emily Goodhand while he was promoting his gig as host of Chopped Canada in Toronto. The couple has not commented on the report.
Tori Spelling, 40, and Dean McDermott have four children together: Liam, 6, Stella, 5, Hattie, 2, and Finn, 1.
The FDA says knowledge about nutrition has evolved over the last 20 years, and food labels need to reflect that.
Those nutrition labels on the back of food packages may soon become easier to read.
As the agency considers revisions, nutritionists and other health experts have their own wish list of desired changes.
The number of calories should be more prominent, the agency says, and the amount of added sugar and percentage of whole wheat in the food should be included. They also want more clarity on how serving sizes are defined.
“There’s a feeling that nutrition labels haven’t been as effective as they should be,” says Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“When you look at the label, there are roughly two dozen numbers of substances that people aren’t intuitively familiar with.”
For example, Michael Jacobson says, most of the nutrients are listed in grams, the metric system’s basic unit of mass. He says people don’t really understand what a gram is.
Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods, says 20 years ago “there was a big focus on fat, and fat undifferentiated”. Since then, health providers have focused more on calories and warned people away from saturated and trans fats more than all fats. Trans fats were separated out on the label in 2006.
The nutrition facts label “is now 20 years old, the food environment has changed and our dietary guidance has changed,” says Michael Taylor, who was at the agency in the early 1990s when the FDA first introduced the label at the behest of Congress.
The FDA says knowledge about nutrition has evolved over the last 20 years, and food labels need to reflect that
“It’s important to keep this updated so what is iconic doesn’t become a relic.”
The FDA has sent guidelines for the new labels to the White House, but Michael Taylor would not estimate when they might be released. The FDA has been working on the issue for a decade, he said.
There’s evidence that more people are reading the labels in recent years.
According to an Agriculture Department study released this month, a greater percentage of adults reported using the nutrition facts panel and other claims on food packages “always or most of the time” in 2009 and 2010 compared with two years earlier.
The USDA study said 42% of working adults used the panel always or most of the time in 2009 and 2010, while older adults used it 57% of the time during that period.
One expected change in the label is to make the calorie listing more prominent, and Regina Hildwine of the Grocery Manufacturers Association said that could be useful to consumers. Her group represents the nation’s largest food companies.
Regina Hildwine said FDA also has suggested that it may be appropriate to remove the “calories from fat” declaration on the label.
It’s not yet clear what other changes the FDA could decide on. Nutrition advocates are hoping the agency adds a line for sugars and syrups that are not naturally occurring in foods and drinks and are added when they are processed or prepared. Right now, some sugars are listed separately among the ingredients and some are not.
It may be difficult for the FDA to figure out how to calculate added sugars, however. Food manufacturers are adding naturally occurring sugars to their products so they can label them as natural – but the nutrition content is no different.
Other suggestions from health advocates:
— Add the percentage of whole wheat to the label. Many manufacturers will label products “whole wheat” when there is really only a small percentage of it in the food.
— Clearer measurements. Michael Jacobson of CSPI and others have suggested that the FDA use teaspoons instead of grams on the label, since consumers can envision a teaspoon.
— Serving sizes that make sense. There’s no easy answer, but health experts say that single-size servings that are clearly meant to be eaten in one sitting will often list two or three servings on the label, making the calorie and other nutrient information deceptive. FDA said last year that it may add another column to the labels, listing nutrition information per serving and per container. The agency may also adjust recommended serving sizes for some foods.
— Package-front labeling. Beyond the panel on the back, nutrition experts have pushed for labels on the package front for certain nutrients so consumers can see them more easily. The FDA said several years ago it would issue guidelines for front of pack labeling, but later said it would hold off to see if the industry could create its own labels.
Angela Lansbury says she is “relieved” the planned remake of her detective show Murder, She Wrote has been scrapped.
Due to star Octavia Spencer, who won an Oscar for The Help, a pilot episode was ordered last October.
According to Deadline, NBC had now pulled the plug on the show.
Angela Lansbury, who played amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the original series, told the BBC she was “terribly pleased and relieved” by the news.
“I knew it was a terrible mistake,” she said.
“I didn’t want to sully the memory.”
Angela Lansbury added: “Octavia Spencer is a superb actress. She had no business being put into a situation that she couldn’t win.”
Angela Lansbury says she is “relieved” the planned remake of her detective show Murder, She Wrote has been scrapped
The original was one of the most successful series in TV history with Angela Lansbury playing mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher in 264 episodes from 1984-1996.
At the height of its popularity, Murder, She Wrote attracted 23 million viewers in the US.
Angela Lansbury won four Golden Globes and 12 consecutive Emmy nominations for her performance.
In the remake, Octavia Spencer was to be a hospital administrator who dabbled in detective work.
When the plans were announced, Angela Lansbury said she was not happy they were using the same title.
She told the AP: “I think it’s a mistake to call it Murder, She Wrote because Murder, She Wrote will always be about Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person.
“So I’m sorry that they have to use the title Murder, She Wrote, even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
However, Deadline suggested NBC may revisit a Murder, She Wrote revival in the future, with a different concept.
Vincent Asaro, an alleged member of an infamous New York mob family, has been charged with stealing $5 million from the Lufthansa terminal at JFK airport in 1978.
The crime, among the largest cash heists in US history, was dramatized in the 1990 movie Goodfellas.
Vincent Asaro and four other alleged mobsters were charged with crimes dating as far back as 1968 – murder, arson, extortion, robbery and more.
The men are expected to appear in court on Thursday afternoon.
On December 11, 1978, hooded gunmen rushed into Lufthansa Airlines’ cargo terminal at New York’s JFK airport and stole $5 million being transported to a Manhattan Bank from West Germany, as well as $1 million in jewellery.
Investigators said the thieves were familiar with the cargo building’s layout, including the location of the high-value storage room, and addressed several Lufthansa employees by name.
The cash was never found.
Vincent Asaro and four other alleged mobsters were charged with crimes dating as far back as 1968
Vincent Asaro, an allegedly high-ranking member of the Bonanno crime family, was arrested on Thursday and charged in federal court in New York with the robbery.
He is also charged with a 1969 murder, extortion and illegal gambling.
The indictment charges him and Jerome Asaro, accused of being a “captain” in the Bonanno family, with the theft of $1.25 million in gold salts from Federal Express, a US freight service.
Vincent Asaro and Jack Bonventre, another alleged Bonanno associate, are charged with illegal gambling.
In addition, the Asaros, Thomas DiFiore and John Ragano are charged with a litany of crimes between them including racketeering, extortion, arson and murder solicitation.
The authorities have had difficulty bringing charges in the case over the years, largely because so many people suspected of involvement in the heist were killed by nervous mobsters.
Just two years after the robbery, The New York Times reported at least six murder victims were believed to have been connected with the case.
A cargo agent for the airline with gambling debts was the only person ever convicted in connection to the crime.
In June, FBI investigators descended on a neighborhood in the New York borough of Queens where they believed the robbery was planned.
The agency believed James Burke, a now-deceased Lucchese crime family associate who inspired Robert De Niro’s character in Goodfellas, masterminded the heist.
Investigators used jackhammers and shovels to dig beneath James Burke’s house.
Duck Dynasty fans were treated to a Si Robertson takeover on last night’s episode.
Uncle Si Robertson strapped a camera on top of a war helmet to give viewers a point-of-view look into the life of Si.
“Gentlemen, I present Si-vision,” said Jase Robertson.
“From this moment on, okay hey, the truth will be known,” Si Robertson announced to the camera.
“No one will be able to look at Si Robertson again with a crooked eye and say, <<Hey! That guy’s head ain’t on right>>.”
Si Robertson wanted to make sure his viewers were able to get a complete look into the Si experience so he strapped a second camera to his chest.
“I’ve got one camera looking at me and then I’ve got another one on my chest where you can see what a shorter version of me sees,” he explained.
One person who definitely would not be tuning in was Jase Robertson.
“This is going to get real old fast,” he said.
“This is gonna be what they call a classic,” Si Robertson said very confidently.
“This is all nonfiction Jack. Hey look! You can’t make this stuff up.”
Uncle Si Robertson strapped a camera on top of a war helmet to give viewers a point-of-view look into the life of Si
But what started off as a “duck-umentary” of one man, navigating life as a duck call maker, somehow turned into a war movie.
“I know I said it would be a documentary about my life,” he admitted.
“Now it’s turning into an epic war movie.”
Sick of Si Robertson’s crazy antics, Jase, Jep and their Duck Commander coworkers Justin Martin and John Godwin set off on a long-awaited hunting trip and reluctantly brought along their uncle.
“Whenever hunting season rolls around, let just say it’s pretty difficult to focus on work,” said Jase.
But before they could head out for the hunt, Si Robertson had to take a bathroom break, which he of course filmed.
“In goes the good tea, out goes the bad tea,” Uncle Si said on camera.
“Can we go hunting now or are we going to sit around and talk about what happened or what didn’t happen in the Vietnam War?” Jase Robertson asked Uncle Si.
Once finally in the great outdoors, Si Robertson managed to turn what should have been a hunting trip into an episode of Oprah Winfrey.
“Speak into my chest and let’s get it off of your chest,” Si Robertson said as he asked Jase to share his feelings with him on camera.
“Bring the real Jason Robertson forward.”
“I don’t share my feelings with mad men,” Jase Robertson responded.
“That’s your problem,” explained Uncle Si.
“Treat me like Oprah.”
Jase Robertson began to notice that his Uncle was starting to get out of hand with the whole filming everything thing.
“Once you start comparing yourself to Oprah, things get uncomfortable just like a nature calling amongst a cactus thicket,” said Jase Robertson.
Si Robertson’s documenting started to scare off all of the deer so he was kicked out of the duck blind. It was either that or his Oprah comment.
“This deer hunting movie [has] turned into a survival movie” he said as he exited the blind.
“That’s what happens when you’re comrade desert you.”
Phil Robertson wouldn’t stand for his sibling’s shenanigans.
“You need to turn that mess off Si, and get back to reality,” Phil Robertson told Uncle Si.
Justin Bieber has appeared in a Miami court accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.
Police said Justin Bieber, 19, was arrested early on Thursday after racing his sports car on a Miami Beach street.
They said the singer did not co-operate when pulled over and also charged him with resisting arrest without violence and having an expired driving license.
Justin Bieber was granted bail set at $2,500.
The arrest comes a week after his home in Los Angeles was searched by police following allegations he had thrown eggs at his neighbor’s house.
Justin Bieber was accused of causing significant damage to the property. One member of his entourage was arrested for alleged drug possession following the search.
In the latest incident, police said Justin Bieber had been racing a yellow Lamborghini against another sports car in the early hours of Thursday.
The Miami Herald reported that members of the musician’s entourage had apparently used their cars to block traffic on Pine Tree Drive at 26th Street, effectively creating a drag strip.
Justin Bieber has appeared in a Miami court accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs
Miami-Dade Police said Justin Bieber didn’t co-operate with officers at first, questioning why he had been stopped. He also had an invalid Georgia driver’s license, they alleged.
The driver of the second car – a red Ferrari – was also arrested and both cars impounded, they said.
The other driver was later named as an R&B singer known as Khalil. He was also set bail by the court.
“During the investigation Mr. Bieber made statements that he had consumed some alcohol, that he had been smoking marijuana and consumed some prescription medication,” said Miami Beach police chief Raymond Martinez.
“They were starting from a stop position and they were accelerating to a high rate of speed, going almost double the speed limit… in that area.”
The arrest report said the singer “had slow deliberate movements” and a look of “stupor” when the officer told him to step out of the Lamborghini.
The two men were first taken to Miami Beach police station and later transferred to a Miami-Dade County jail before their court appearance.
The street where police say Justin Bieber was racing is a residential area in mid-Miami Beach.
Small apartment buildings are along one side of the street and on the other side are a high school, a youth centre, a golf course and a fire station.
Government and rebels in South Sudan have signed a ceasefire agreement after talks in Ethiopia.
Under the deal, signed in a hotel in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the fighting is due to come to an end within 24 hours.
In the past week, government forces have recaptured the two main cities under rebel control.
More than 500,000 people have been forced from their homes during the month-long conflict.
“These two agreements are the ingredients to create an environment for achieving a total peace in my country,” said Taban Deng, head of the rebel delegation, AFP reports.
However, the South Sudanese government has expressed skepticism over whether the opposition will be able to control all the militias involved in fighting.
The talks have now been adjourned and are due to continue on February 7.
What started out as a political dispute between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his former deputy Riek Machar on December 15 escalated into full-scale conflict, with reports of ethnic killings.
South Sudan’s government and rebels have signed a ceasefire agreement after talks in Ethiopia
A ceremony to mark the signing of the agreement on the “cessation of hostilities and the question of the detainees” took place at the hotel where the talks were hosted.
The agreement is thought to address the issue of 11 detainees whom the rebels wanted freed, and whose fate had previously left the talks deadlocked.
The detainees – allies of Riek Machar and prominent political figures from a faction of the governing SPLM party – were taken into custody when Salva Kiir first made the allegations of an attempted coup – which Machar denies.
The South Sudanese government had earlier said on its Twitter feed that it envisaged an amnesty for the detainees but only after their cases had been heard in court.
Another key rebel demand was for Ugandan troops fighting alongside the government forces to be withdrawn.
Last week, the UN human rights chief said both government soldiers and rebels had committed atrocities in South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries.
More than 70,000 civilians are seeking shelter at UN bases across South Sudan and the UN estimates that considerably more than 1,000 have been killed.
Following the outbreak of hostilities, it was agreed to boost the UN force and an extra 5,500 peacekeepers are being deployed to South Sudan, to bring its strength up to 12,500.
Platon Lebedev, the former business partner of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, with whom he was jailed in 2005, will be released, Russia’s Supreme Court has ordered.
Platon Lebedev and Mikhail Khodorkovsky were convicted of tax evasion and theft after funding opposition parties and falling out with President Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin pardoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky last month, but Platon Lebedev, who was due for release in May, did not seek a pardon and stayed in jail.
The Russian Supreme Court ruled that his sentence should be reduced and that he would be able to walk free on Friday.
“Release Lebedev,” Supreme Court Judge Pyotr Serkov declared in the ruling, after reducing his sentence so that it amounted to time served.
Platon Lebedev and his former business partner Mikhail Khodorkovsky were jailed in 2005
Both men’s convictions remain in place, despite repeated appeals.
It did not change a court order under which Platon Lebedev and Mikhail Khodorkovsky must pay 17 billion roubles ($500 million) in tax arrears.
That debt is an obstacle to Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s return to Russia after leaving for Germany in December.
The releases are believed by many to be part of a drive to improve Russia’s international image ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics next month.
Other prominent inmates freed in the past few weeks included two women from the Pussy Riot protest group, jailed over the performance of a “punk prayer” critical of Vladimir Putin in a Russian Orthodox church.
Platon Lebedev used to head NFO Menatep, while Mikhail Khodorkovsky ran oil giant Yukos and was once Russia’s richest man.
In 2014, there is a very strong likelihood that the value of the UK real estate market will increase nearly 8%. There were surprise gains in 2013 that took place in all parts of the country, causing the estate agents and banks to estimate that this boom in the UK property market will continue throughout 2014. This seems to be the consensus view among economists and property professionals. There has been a round up of a survey that was conducted by more than seven banks, estate agents, and surveyors that shows that there will be a further growth in the UK property market and this is through the widespread forecast on the property markets.
Gains will be particularly strong in the South East and in London, partially due to the initiatives of the government in encouraging banks to lend more money for remortgage deals and mortgages, and for consumers to buy more property, in a program known as Help To Buy. This has greatly restored some degree of confidence to the property markets in the UK which has been lacking for the past few years, hence leading to increase in demand. Even though the government of the UK has tried to remove some economic stimulus and has brought about some minor changes in how the mortgage markets are regulated, the property market is nevertheless expected to rise in 2014 as demand for real estate booms.
The expected results of this increase in the property markets in 2014
Due to the public belief that the growth in consumer confidence in the economy in late 2013 is likely to gain momentum in the 2014, people are becoming more willing to buy real estate, driving the price up. Property professionals are expecting a high likelihood that there will be a large increase in the buying and selling of houses, and more than one million homes will be bought and sold. Due to the increase in the transaction levels there is a high expectation that the growth in the real estate market will be around 8 per cent, but may be in the double digits. All this is caused by factors such as:
Better economic conditions
Improved confidence
Increased availability of mortgages
In the UK, the biggest winners in the property market boom will most likely be the sellers of high tech homes, the wrecks, and eco-homes. The UK property market has also split into two regions of particularly strong growth: London and South East. London is the biggest hotspot in the increase in the property market, growing at over 10 per cent last year. This is expected to continue throughout 2014. Due to the continuing boom in the UK property market in 2014, now is the best time for investors to invest more in real estate, and diversify their holdings.
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Miami Beach Police released mugshots of Justin Bieber after the singer has been arrested and accused of road racing and driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.
Miami Beach Police said Justin Bieber was detained after racing on a street early on Thursday.
Police said Justin Bieber, 19, did not co-operate when pulled over and was also charged with resisting arrest without violence and having an invalid driver’s license.
Justin Bieber has had several run-ins with police in recent years.
The arrest comes a week after his home in Los Angeles was searched by police following allegations he had thrown eggs at his neighbor’s house.
In the latest incident, police said Justin Bieber had been driving a yellow Lamborghini when he was arrested in the early hours of Thursday.
The Miami Herald reported that members of the musician’s entourage had apparently used their cars to block traffic on Pine Tree Drive at 26th Street, effectively creating a drag strip.
Police say Justin Bieber didn’t co-operate at first, questioning why he had been stopped. He also had an invalid Georgia driver’s license, officers said.
Miami Beach Police released mugshots of Justin Bieber after the star has been arrested and accused of road racing and DUI
The driver of a red Ferrari was also arrested and both cars impounded, said Miami-Dade Police spokesman Sgt Bobby Hernandez.
Police later named the other driver as an R&B singer known as Khalil.
“During the investigation Mr. Bieber made statements that he had consumed some alcohol, that he had been smoking marijuana and consumed some prescription medication,” said Miami Beach police chief Raymond Martinez.
“They were starting from a stop position and they were accelerating to a high rate of speed, going almost double the speed limit… in that area.”
The arrest report said Justin Bieber “had slow deliberate movements” and a look of “stupor” when the officer told him to step out of the Lamborghini.
Justin Bieber and Khalil were first taken to Miami Beach police station and later transferred to a Miami-Dade County jail pending an initial court appearance expected later on Thursday.
The street where police say Justin Bieber was racing is a residential area in mid-Miami Beach.
Honey Boo Boo and her family visited Savannah and Tybee Island in the latest episode of reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
The episode, filmed in June and titled Hubba Bubba follows the Georgia family on an RV roadtrip to Tybee Island where 8-year-old Alana Thompson, sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” and niece Katilyn see the beach for the first time.
June Shannon takes her first dip in the ocean, and the girls take their first surf lesson before ending the day with some Southern cooking at Sisters of the New South on Skidaway Road.
Kenneth Brown, operations manager at Sisters of the New South, said they knew of the family’s visit about a month in advance but had to keep quiet so it would be a surprise for the customers.
“It was a normal day for us, and all of the customers were really surprised to see them,” Kenneth Brown said.
Honey Boo Boo and her family see the beach for the first time on Tybee Island
“They were all very friendly. I think TV portrays them a certain way … as <<backwoodsy>>, but they were very down to earth, just like anyone else you would meet.”
Dorothy Bing, front line supervisor at the restaurant, waited on the family and agreed with Brown, saying what you see on television is what you get with the family.
“They’re just regular, ordinary people. They acted the same way they do on TV, acting a fool and all,” said Dorothy Bing.
She said the family enjoyed red and white velvet cake and that Mama June tried ox tails for the first time.
“I was surprised at how quiet the little girl was. She did talk, but she was a lot quieter than I thought she would be,” Dorothy Bing said.
After the family’s day of fun in the sun June Shannon gave Honey Boo Boo’s one million Facebook followers a peek into their day: “Omg had a blast on tybee today a first time ever at a beach for pumpkin katilyn and alana and my first time going in the ocean we have a awesome time just as a family and meet some fans down there now going to dinner and then maybe walking river st.”
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, featuring the family’s trip to Tybee Island and Savannah, airs at 9 p.m. today on the TLC network.
Justin Bieber has been arrested in Miami Beach after being accused of DUI and drag racing.
The Miami Beach Police Department said Justin Bieber, 19, was detained after racing on a street early on Thursday and had failed an alcohol test.
The singer has had several run-ins with police in recent years.
The arrest comes a week after Justin Bieber’s home in Los Angeles was searched by police following allegations he had thrown eggs at his neighbor’s house.
Justin Bieber was accused of causing significant damage to the property. One member of his entourage was arrested for alleged drug possession following the search.
In the latest incident, the Associated Press quoted police as saying Justin Bieber had been driving a yellow Lamborghini when he was arrested in the early hours of Thursday.
The Miami Herald reported that members of Justin Bieber’s entourage had apparently used their cars to block traffic on Pine Tree Drive at 26th Street, effectively creating a drag strip.
Justin Bieber has been arrested in Miami Beach after being accused of DUI and drag racing
The driver of a second car, a red Ferrari, was also arrested and both cars impounded, said Miami Dade-Police spokesman Sgt. Bobby Hernandez.
Police later named the other driver as an R&B singer known as Khalil.
The street where police say the singer was racing is a residential area in mid-Miami Beach.
Small apartment buildings are along one side of the street and on the other side are a high school, a youth centre, a golf course and a fire station.
Justin Bieber lives in a gated community in Calabasas, about 30 miles north-west of central Los Angeles.
Opposition leaders in Ukraine have issued an ultimatum to President Viktor Yanukovych, after talks failed to resolve the political stalemate.
Vitali Klitschko said he would lead pro-EU protesters “on the attack” in the capital, Kiev, if the government refused to call snap elections.
PM Mykola Azarov said compromises “might be possible”, but the opposition should avoid ultimatums.
Two activists were killed in clashes with police in Kiev on Wednesday.
Prosecutors confirmed they had died from gunshot wounds.
They were the first fatalities since the anti-government protests flared up in late November over Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to pull out of a landmark treaty with the EU.
Late on Wednesday, Ukraine’s Radio Liberty reported the death of a third activist.
The body of Yuri Verbitsky was found in a forest outside Kiev, bearing signs of torture, according to the broadcaster.
He had reportedly been abducted earlier this week with activist Igor Lutsenko, who was later released. Igor Lutsenko is said to be in hospital.
Hundreds of people have been injured in the clashes, though some of the violence has been blamed on a little-known far-right group, Right Sector.
Opposition leaders in Ukraine have issued an ultimatum to President Viktor Yanukovych, after talks failed to resolve the political stalemate
Wednesday’s unrest came on the day that new anti-protest laws entered into force. Parliament approved the laws last week, triggering renewed protests which spilled into violence on Sunday night.
As dawn broke on Thursday, the barricades were still burning, billowing black smoke from the piles of tyres that now mark the front line between the riot police and the protestors.
Speaking at a mass rally on Wednesday evening, Vitali Klitschko said the president could end the stand-off “without bloodshed” by calling early elections, but that “tomorrow, if the president does not respond… then we will go on the attack”, to roars of approval from the crowd.
Vitali Klitschko said police were preparing to clear demonstrators out of the main protest encampment at Maidan (Independence Square).
“We must do all we can to stop them clearing us out,” he told demonstrators.
Another opposition leader, Arseniy Yatseniuk, said the government had 24 hours to respond to the demands, which also include the lifting of the new anti-protest laws.
“If this does not happen, we will march forward together. If it’s a bullet to the head, then it’s a bullet to the head,” he declared.
But the prime minister said opposition leaders should be “more humble”.
“The opposition leaders should move away from the language of ultimatums,” Mykola Azarov said.
“We are ready to compromise, to agree. The opposition leaders should understand that they also bear responsibility in avoiding a civil war, and bloodshed, and so does the government.”
Wednesday’s violence began in a small area around Hrushevskyy Street, a road leading to government buildings close to the protest camp at Maidan.
Security forces later fell back to their positions after fierce clashes with protesters, but by the afternoon had pushed on through the barricades.
Protesters again hurled petrol bombs and stones while riot police responded with stun grenades and rubber bullets.
Thousands of protesters also gathered in Independence Square.
There was a crush at one of the narrow entrances into the square when protesters trying to get in met protesters who were trying to get out to fight the police.
At least two ambulances were seen carrying away the wounded.
Officials confirmed two bodies were found with bullet wounds close to the scene of the clashes.
Pentagon has decided to ease its uniform rules to allow religious wear including turbans, skullcaps, beards and tattoos, officials have said.
Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Wiccan soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen can now request exemptions to strict military uniform and grooming policies.
Requests will be evaluated individually and can be denied if they hinder military readiness.
Previously, at least three Sikhs had won specific accommodation.
Pentagon has decided to ease its uniform rules to allow religious wear including turbans, skullcaps, beards and tattoos
Service members’ requests for a religious accommodation will be weighed on a case-by-case basis to ensure they do not impact “mission accomplishment, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline”.
And appeals to be allowed to wear beards or special apparel, for example, may be denied if they hinder the safe operation of weapons or military equipment, such as helmets or protective masks.
An accommodation will only apply to the service member’s current assignment, requiring him or her to obtain new exemptions with every transfer.
The new policy, in effect on Wednesday, will extend to all religions recognized by the US military across all branches.
The US military counts nearly 3,700 Muslims and 1,500 Wiccans among its ranks, according to statistics reported by NBC News, but it remains unclear how many will apply for dispensations.
