The Heroes’ Cross on Caraiman Peak, Romania, has received official recognition from the Guinness World of Records as the largest cross on a mountain peak.
The cross is placed at 2,291 m altitude in the Bucegi Mountains of the Southern Carpathians, according to Guinness World of Records.
The Heroes’ Cross was built between 1926 and 1928 in the memory of the railway heroes who died on duty in World War I fighting against the armies of the Central Powers.
The monument is popularly known as the “Cross on Caraiman”.
The Heroes’ Cross is placed at 2,291 m altitude in the Bucegi Mountains of the Southern Carpathians
The cross itself has a height of 92 ft. The width of the vertical pole is 7 ft, the horizontal arms have a length by spindle pole of 23 ft, and a square cross section with sides of 7 ft. The cross is made out of steel profiles and is mounted on a pedestal of concrete clad with stone 25 ft high. Inside the pedestal there is a room that originally housed the electric generator that powered the 120 light bulbs of 500 W each located on the perimeter of the cross.
The Heroes’ Cross was built under King Ferdinand and Queen Mary of Romania.
According to a new research, premature birth – where waters break too soon, triggering labor – may be caused by specific bacteria.
The research could lead to screening and possible treatment for women at risk of early labor, say researchers at Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina.
The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, suggest certain bacteria may lead to thinning of the membranes around the baby, causing them to tear.
Early rupture of membranes causes almost a third of all premature births.
The membranes that make up the sac that holds the baby usually break at the start of labor.
If a mother’s waters break before the baby has reached full term, the medical term is preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM).
If this happens early, before contractions start, it can – but does not always – trigger early labor.
Premature birth may be caused by specific bacteria
The researchers have found high numbers of bacteria at the site where membranes rupture, which are linked with the thinning of membranes.
If the bacteria are the cause rather than the consequence of early membrane rupture, it may be possible to develop new treatments or screen for women at risk, they say.
Study author Amy Murtha, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Duke University School of Medicine, said: “For instance, if we think that certain bacteria are associated with premature rupturing of the membranes, we can screen for this bacteria early in pregnancy.
“We then might be able to treat affected women with antibiotics and reduce their risk for PPROM.
“Our research is several steps away from this, but it gives us opportunities to explore potential targeted therapeutic interventions, which we lack in obstetrics.”
The researchers examined membrane samples in 48 women who had just given birth, including those with PPROM, those who had an early birth for other reasons, and those with babies born at full term.
The researchers found bacteria were present in all membranes, but the more bacteria present, the thinner the membranes, especially in women with PPROM.
A huge explosion at the chemical factory Mitsubishi Materials in Yokkaichi city, central Japan, has killed at least five people.
Other 12 people have been reportedly injured.
The blast occurred in the afternoon at the chemical plant in Mie prefecture.
Maintenance crews were cleaning out a heat exchanger used in the production of silicon products when the blast happened, officials said.
It is not clear at this stage what caused the explosion.
The plant manufactures polymers and uses a number of highly-volatile chemicals including hydrogen and chlorine.
Mitsubishi Materials plant manufactures polymers and uses a number of highly-volatile chemicals including hydrogen and chlorine
Thursday’s blast at the plant – based some 220 miles west of Tokyo – killed five of the maintenance workers on the spot.
The number of injured has ranged, in reports, from 12 to 17.
Emergency officials said there had been no fire and the situation was quickly contained.
Mitsubishi Materials – a division of the huge Mitsubishi Corporation – makes a range of automotive, electronics, and construction and engineering products.
The polar vortex that has left people in North America shivering for days, shattering century-old temperature records, is loosening its icy grip.
Temperatures are rising in the Midwest and East, which has borne the brunt of polar vortex, but are still below freezing in many areas.
At least 21 people have died since Sunday as a result of the weather, and more than 11,000 flights were grounded.
US natural gas usage hit an all-time record in the US to meet heat demands.
Forecasters predicted weather would return to normal across much of the US in the coming days, after 50 US cities set new record low temperatures on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service predicted “a much-anticipated warm up” for much of the eastern US on Wednesday.
The Midwest – which experienced -37C (-35F) in recent days – also warmed slightly, but still faced temperatures 15 to 25 degrees below average.
Atlanta, Georgia, returned to a more temperate 5C (42F) on Wednesday following a record low of -14C (6F) a day earlier.
The polar vortex that has left people in North America shivering for days is loosening its icy grip
New York City topped -5C (22F) on Wednesday, after shattering a 118-year-old low temperature record with -15C (4F) on Tuesday.
Temperatures in parts of North America plunged so low this week that they eclipsed readings recently recorded on the Red Planet by the Mars Rover.
Even Alabama’s top official was not immune to the extreme cold.
Governor Robert Bentley faced an estimated $50,000 in damage after a water pipe froze and burst in the attic of his home in Tuscaloosa.
Guy Walton, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel, told media that the worst of the Arctic outbreak is over.
“It will be getting dramatically warmer from today,” he said on Wednesday.
“By Thursday temperatures will be almost back to normal.”
Scientists also posited a silver lining to the cold snap, saying it could kill some of the pests that have ravaged northern forests.
The low temperatures may also slow the migration of invasive species and prevent erosion of wetlands, they say.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has apologized for angry comments he made about US citizen Kenneth Bae, who is currently detained in North Korea.
In an interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman had appeared to point blame at Kenneth Bae, who has been jailed for 15 years by Pyongyang.
In a statement, Dennis Rodman apologized and said he had been drinking.
Dennis Rodman is in North Korea for a basketball match to mark the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The match was played on Wednesday and was attended by Kim Jong-un, to whom Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday.
Dennis Rodman is the most high-profile American to meet the North Korean leader, who he describes as a friend.
In his statement, Dennis Rodman said he took full responsibility for his actions.
Dennis Rodman has apologized for angry comments he made about Kenneth Bae
“It had been a very stressful day. Some of my team-mates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates,” the basketball player wrote.
“My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart. I had been drinking. It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the truth.”
His controversial comments came as he made his fourth visit to North Korea.
Dennis Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Kim Jong-un to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor in May 2013.
North Korea said that Kenneth Bae – described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary – had used his tourism business to plot sedition.
In the interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman lost his cool, appearing to suggest Kenneth Bae was at fault.
“If you understand what Kenneth Bae did… Do you understand what he did in this country? … I would love to speak on this,” he said.
Kenneth Bae’s sister described Dennis Rodman’s comments as appalling and said she was concerned they would hurt efforts to free her brother.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made her first public appearance since fracturing her pelvis in a skiing accident.
Angela Merkel, 59, joined a group of children on Tuesday for a carol singing session. Although she was on crutches and limping slightly, Angela Merkel appeared to be in good spirits as she sang along.
The group of children were dressed in festive costumes and one young girl held up a song sheet for Angela Merkel to read from because she could not do so herself.
Angela Merkel has made her first public appearance since fracturing her pelvis in a skiing accident
Angela Merkel injured herself when she fell during a cross-country skiing accident in the alpine region in Engadin, Switzerland earlier this week.
On Monday government spokesman Steffen Seibert said that Chancellor Angela Merkel would be out of action for the next three weeks.
Steffen Seibert explained that Angela Merkel initially thought that she had suffered bruising but a doctor’s examination revealed a partial fracture to the left interior pelvic ring. She was told that the injury would require “lots of lying down”.
Pope Francis was visiting the parish of St. Alphonso Maria dei Liguori, in the district of Justine, on the outskirts of Rome when an onlooker placed a baby lamb over his neck.
The pontiff was at the site to spend the afternoon of the Epiphany festival there where parishioners had set up a special nativity scene.
More than 200 people took part in the re-enactment, wearing period costumes and playing the parts of villagers, artisans and street sellers. People lined the sides of the road leading to the church and watched from rooftops and balconies of surrounding buildings.
According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis greeted each of the participants and many of the parishioners who attended.
One special guest lay waiting in a small hut: a 2-month-old baby named Francesco, who had been baptized that morning and played the role of Jesus in the pageant.
Pope Francis visiting the parish of St. Alphonso Maria dei Liguori in Rome’s outskirts
A woman dressed as a shepherd placed the small lamb on Pope Francis’ shoulders. Children sang a Christmas song and gave the pope a bouquet of red roses.
At the end of his visit, Pope Francis talked about the importance of a new year beginning with Jesus, who stays by everyone’s side to overcome evil. He asked everyone to pray for children who would be born in 2014 and for all grandparents, who he said are the source of wisdom.
The priest who organizes the parish’s live Nativity scene each year said he had invited Pope Francis just a few days earlier and the pope had accepted immediately.
“The pope was so happy. He told me <<Keep it up. Don’t get discouraged>>,” Father Dario Criscuoli told journalists.
According to the Vatican newspaper, the priest said Pope Francis told him” “Surely to put something like this together you have to be crazy, but that’s OK; God likes some things that are crazy.”
Tributes flooded in on social networking sites, as news of Ford Kiernan son’s tragic death spread.
Sonny Kiernan, 12, was found dead in bed at his father’s property in Glasgow’s west end on Monday night.
He was taken by ambulance to the nearby Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill but could not be saved.
Police said they were investigating the “unexplained death” and a post mortem would be carried out.
But there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.
Sonny Kiernan, a Kelvinside Academy pupil, lived at the townhouse flat with his 51-year-old comedian father, his mother Lesley, 44, and 14-year-old sister, Kaye.
Comedian and TV entertainer Andy Cameron tweeted: “Dreadful news about young Sonny Kiernan.
“My thoughts are with Ford and his family. Sometimes this life is impossible to understand. RIP Sonny.”
Sonny Kiernan’s death comes as Ford Kiernan and his Still Game co-star Greg Hemphill are due to revive their hit show on stage.
Ford Kiernan’s son was found dead in bed at the family home in Glasgow
Before that Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill enjoyed massive success with Chewin’ The Fat.
In 2001, Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill had celebrated becoming fathers by giving their sons starring roles in their show in 2001.
A three-month-old Sonny Kiernan and Benny Hemphill – born just 10 days apart – made their screen debut in the fourth series of the hit comedy.
At the time, Ford Kiernan joked: “We’ve negotiated separate pay cheques for them, but we stopped short of their demands for their own <<Sonny and Benny>> sketch.
“We’re all very close so they’ll grow up great pals, but I doubt they’ll end up a double act like their dads.”
However, Ford Kiernan and his wife had shielded their children from the limelight.
Sonny Kiernan’s teachers at Kelvinside Academy also paid tribute to the youngster.
A spokesman for the school said staff were “devastated” to hear of the death of the “lively, outgoing pupil”.
“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies go to Mr. and Mrs. Kiernan and Kaye for their tragic loss,” he added.
“Sonny was a lively, outgoing pupil with a warm smile and a great sense of humor.
“He made a whole-hearted contribution to the school community, bringing infectious enthusiasm to lessons and activities.
“We shall always remember him as a cheerful boy who brightened our lives.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Around 11.30 p.m. on Monday January 6, police received a report of the death of a 12-year-old boy in Glasgow.
“A post-mortem will be carried out in due course to establish the exact cause of death.
“The death is currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are continuing.”
Gravity movie leads this year’s BAFTAs, scoring 11 nominations including best film and best British film.
Sandra Bullock is up for best actress, while Alfonso Cuaron is nominated for best director.
Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave had 10 nods, with five in the main categories including best film, best director and best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o also landed supporting nominations.
American Hustle equaled 12 Years a Slave‘s tally, with nominations in all the acting categories for its stars Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
The 1970s drama, about two con artists who get entangled with the FBI, is also up for best film, with David O. Russell nominated for best director and original screenplay.
Chiwetel Ejiofor will compete for his award against Christian Bale, Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips, Bruce Dern for Nebraska and Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street.
The best actress category will see Sandra Bullock challenge Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks and Judi Dench for Philomena.
The nominations saw Judi Dench set a BAFTA record, with her 15th acting nomination.
That puts her one ahead of Meryl Streep, who was overlooked in the best actress category for August: Osage County.
BAFTA 2014 winners will be announced at a ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on February 16
Other movies competing for best film include Captain Phillips and Philomena, while the latter is also nominated for best British film alongside Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Saving Mr. Banks, The Selfish Giant and Rush.
Gravity, Saving Mr. Banks and Rush all qualified for the British film category because they were either filmed in the UK, utilized British effects companies or employed other British talent, from writers to producers.
The rules are set out by the BFI’s cultural test, which determines which films are eligible for UK tax relief.
The best director category mirrored that of the Directors Guild of America – which announced its film nominations on Tuesday. Both bodies shortlisted Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuaron and David O. Russell alongside Paul Greengrass for Captain Phillips and Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street.
Notable snubs in the acting categories included Robert Redford for sea drama All is Lost and Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club – both of whom have been tipped for Oscar consideration this year.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on February 16.
A US Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter with five people on board has crashed off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia.
Four of those on board the helicopter have been rescued, according to officials.
US Coast Guard officials said they responded to a downed aircraft report at about 11:00.
In a bizarre coincidence, the incident came a day after another US military helicopter crashed in the county of Norfolk, England, killing four people.
The aircraft in Wednesday’s incident went down 18 nautical miles east of the Virginia coast. The cause of the crash is not yet known.
The US Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter had five people on board when crashed off the coast of Norfolk
Petty Officer David Weydert said that the missing fifth person was still being sought.
The Coast Guard cutter Shearwater and two MH-60S helicopters are taking part in the search.
The condition of the four rescued personnel has not been given.
The downed helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14), was on a routine training mission, the commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic said in a statement.
Norfolk is an important hub for the US military, and is home to Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval complex in the world.
Jep and Jessica Robertson expanded their family with a new dog named Gizmo.
Jep Robertson, the youngest son of Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson, posed for a pic alongside his 11-year-old daughter Lily Lulu with the cute pooch.
Jep Robertson and his daughter Lily Lulu with their new dog Gizmo
Jessica Robertson tweeted the pic with the caption: “Jep & Lily Lulu playing with our new pup Gizmo.”
Gizmo is a white and brown cutie and Lily Lulu looks extremely happy about her new furry brother.
Kim Kardashian has revealed her secrets in an ongoing online Q&A session on Mobio Insider.
Amid discussions with her fans, Kim Kardashian shared what makes a perfect selfie for her.
Kim Kardashian has revealed her secrets in an ongoing online Q&A session
Kim Kardashian, 33, noted that her favorite pictures are the ones where she looks the most glitzy, like her snaps from her travels around the globe as well as intimate shots of daughter North and fiancé Kanye West. She said: “I love a good selfie 😉 My favorite is a glam selfie, usually at a shoot when I have fab make up on! Love sharing all the makeup tips.”
Honey Boo Boo’s family was involved in a car accident in Georgia this week that required some of the reality stars to be hospitalized briefly.
Alana Thompson and her family were reportedly out shopping when the crash happened on Monday night.
Gossip website TMZ has reported that Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson was driving with Mama June and daughters Alana “Honey Boo Boo,” Jessica, and Lauryn “Pumpkin” in the vehicle.
“They were at a red light, waiting to turn left,”TMZ reported.
Honey Boo Boo’s family was involved in a car accident in Georgia this week that required some of the reality stars to be hospitalized briefly
“The light turned green and Sugar Bear began the turn. A guy driving a truck was allegedly speeding in the opposite direction with his lights off and crashed into them.”
A source told TMZ that Sugar Bear has a contusion on his back, Mama June has a back and neck sprain, Honey Boo Boo hit her head against a passenger window and has a headache, and Pumpkin has severe chest bruises and is having panic attacks.
“As many of you have heard we were in a car accident last night. It was really scary for us, since it was the first time any of us had ever been in a wreck,” June Shannon said in a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly.
“We are definitely really sore today, but our top priority is to celebrate Pumpkin’s birthday. She turned 14 today and no matter how sore we feel we are going to go out and celebrate. As always we want to thank everyone for their support and well wishes.”
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo returns to TV with new episodes January 16.
Mark Duggan was lawfully killed by police, an inquest jury has said by a majority of 8 to 2.
Mark Duggan’s death sparked UK riots in 2011.
He was shot dead by armed officers in August 2011 in Tottenham, north London.
Rioting spread across London and other parts of England in what became some of the worst disturbances in decades.
Jurors at the Royal Courts of Justice also concluded 29-year-old Mark Duggan did not have a gun when he was shot by officers.
They also said it was more likely than not that Mark Duggan had thrown a gun from a taxi just before he was killed. The weapon was found about 20ft away from the scene.
The panel of seven women and three men said police had not done enough to gather and react to intelligence about the possibility of Mark Duggan collecting a gun from Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, who has since been found guilty of supplying the firearm.
Mark Duggan was killed in August 2011
But the jury said the taxi had been stopped in a location and in a way that “minimized to the greatest extent possible recourse to lethal force”.
Following the verdict his mother Pamela Duggan was led out of the court in tears, while Mark Duggan’s brother was seen screaming and shouting.
One man shouted: “A black life ain’t worth nothing.”
Following the conclusion to the inquest, an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) spokesperson said: “We note the inquest jury’s determination and findings and we are considering them as a matter of urgency in relation to our ongoing investigation.”
The inquest began in September. Before the jurors retired last month, Judge Keith Cutler told them to reach their decisions “on the evidence and the evidence alone”.
Before the verdicts were read out, the coroner thanked the jury and told them they will be excused from future jury service for life if they want.
Jenny Lauren, niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, has been fined 2,000 euros ($2,700) for pushing an air hostess and swearing at Delta Air Lines staff.
Jenny Lauren pleaded guilty to breaching the peace and being drunk on a Delta Air Lines flight on Monday.
The Barcelona to New York flight had to be diverted to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland on Monday afternoon.
Jenny Lauren’s solicitor told Ennis District Court in County Clare that Lauren was upset and embarrassed by her actions.
The New York-based jewellery designer bit her lip and looked to the ground in the dock while a police inspector told the court she had been loud-mouthed, abusive and threatening on the aircraft.
The police inspector said the flight, bound for New York’s JFK airport, had been in the air for two hours when an air hostess noticed the defendant crying in her seat, which would not recline properly.
He said Jenny Lauren used strong language and told a stewardess to “get out of my face” as she tried to help, and when told to calm down she became more abusive.
Jenny Lauren has been fined 2,000 euros for pushing an air hostess and swearing at Delta Air Lines staff
The court heard that when the stewardess went to brief her supervisor at the top of the plane, Lauren followed her through first class and into the galley “at speed” where she ranted, roared and shouted incoherently.
“She told the air hostess she was going to go ballistic and pushed the air hostess hard and she hit her back against the wall of the aircraft,” the police officers said.
He said her “frightening experience” continued with Jenny Lauren calling her an “ugly, blonde b**ch” and calling the senior stewardess a “fat ugly, unhappy, blonde b**ch”.
A pilot on a rest break in the cabin also intervened and was called “an asshole” by the defendant, the court heard.
Jenny Lauren, dressed in a black jumper, burgundy velvet skirt and boots, looked back to her friends for reassurance as the details were outlined to the packed courtroom.
More than 200 passengers and crew were on board the flight from Barcelona to New York when the air rage incident took place.
The diversion cost Delta $43,158 (31,770 euros).
Jenny Lauren admitted being intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that she might endanger herself or other persons on board the aircraft and to breaching the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behavior.
A third charge, of engaging in behavior likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to any person on board the aircraft, after being asked by a crew member to stop, was withdrawn by the prosecution.
All the charges were brought under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1973.
Footage from Michael Schumacher’s helmet camera shows him going at the speed of “a very good skier” when he hit a rock and fell, investigators say.
Investigators probing Michael Schumacher’s accident said he was 8 metres off-piste when he crashed.
Prosecutor Patrick Quincy said he could not as yet estimate Michael Schumacher’s speed but said it was “not an important element of the investigation”.
Michael Schumacher, 45, suffered a severe head injury in the December 29 accident.
He is currently in a medically induced coma at a clinic in Grenoble where doctors describe his condition as critical but stable.
Fans gathered outside the hospital on January 3rd to mark the racing legend’s 45th birthday.
Speaking at a news conference in the French city of Albertville, the investigating team said they had so far attended the scene of the accident in the resort of Meribel, spoken to witnesses and the medical team.
Footage from Michael Schumacher’s helmet camera shows him going at the speed of “a very good skier” when he hit a rock and fell
They have also reconstructed events leading up to the crash, examined the helmet and skis and viewed footage filmed on a camera attached to his helmet, they said.
Patrick Quincy, who is heading the investigation team, refused to be drawn on Michael Schumacher’s speed at the time of the accident saying they needed to go through the two-minutes of footage “image by image”.
But another investigator, Lt Col Benoit Vinneman said the video appeared to show “completely normal behavior by a good skier on this terrain”.
Michael Schumacher had deliberately chosen to go off piste, an area between a red and blue piste that was clearly signposted, the investigators said.
He hit a rock that was 26ft from the piste, and landed 30ft away from the piste, they outlined.
“[Michael Schumacher] is evidently an extremely good skier, but one of his skis hit a rock that was sticking out… it caused him to fall and he hit his head on the rock,” Patrick Quincy said.
Stephane Bozon, one of the local policemen involved in the investigation, said the skis were in “perfect condition” and had not been the cause of the accident.
Patrick Quincy stressed their investigation into Michael Schumacher’s accident was no different to that given to other skiing similar skiing accidents. He said they had investigated 50 such cases.
Michael Schumacher’s family has been by his bedside since the accident, and has appealed for privacy in recent days, asking journalists to leave the clinic where he is being treated.
Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in Pyongyang.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman said Kim Jong-un, who was in the audience with his wife and other senior officials, was his “best friend”.
Dennis Rodman is on his fourth North Korean visit to mark Kim Jon-un’s birthday with a basketball match.
Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in Pyongyang
He has angrily defended his visit after criticism from rights groups. The US said Dennis Rodman does not represent the country.
The crowd of about 14,000 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium clapped and waved as Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday on Wednesday, the Associated Press news agency says.
Dennis Rodman is with a team of former National Basketball Association (NBA) players who played an exhibition match. He said the match was to celebrate Kim Jong-un’s birthday, although the leader’s official birthday and age have not been confirmed.
Dennis Rodman has said that he was on a “basketball diplomacy” mission in North Korea. He remains the highest-profile American to have met Kim Jong-un.
Former Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi might not appear in court in Cairo because bad weather has prevented his departure from prison, officials say.
Other defendants have arrived at the police compound by helicopter but Mohamed Morsi is still in Alexandria.
Mohamed Morsi and 14 other Muslim Brotherhood figures are accused of inciting the killing of protesters outside a presidential palace in 2012.
He was removed by the army last July after demonstrations against his rule.
Mohamed Morsi’s supporters have since held regular protests calling for his reinstatement.
Last Friday at least 11 people died in clashes between police and pro-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators across Egypt.
A helicopter carrying some of the defendants arrived at the National Police Academy complex in Cairo for the hearing early on Wednesday, reporters said.
However state media said Mohamed Morsi’s arrival had been delayed by bad weather. He is being held at the city’s Burj al-Arab prison.
Mohamed Morsi’s supporters have held regular protests calling for his reinstatement
Egyptian media said thousands of police were on alert and TV pictures showed some pro-Morsi protesters being arrested as they waved the four-finger salute adopted by supporters of the ousted president.
Mohamed Morsi is due to be asked to appoint a lawyer, which he refused to do during his initial appearance.
He also faces several other charges ranging from fraud to colluding with foreign militants in a terrorist plot.
Mohamed Morsi faces another court hearing at the end of January, accused with some 130 others of murdering policemen during a mass breakout from a Cairo prison in January 2011 shortly before the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.
Human rights groups have dismissed some of the allegations against him as preposterous.
Egyptian officials insist Mohamed Morsi will be given a fair trial but lawyers trying to defend him say they have been denied access to him.
He first appeared in court in early November amid chaotic scenes.
Speaking from behind bars, he insisted he was still the president and was being held against his will.
Mohamed Morsi refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the court and would not wear a prison uniform.
A video of a meteorologist tossing a pot of boiling water into the air in Wisconsin, to demonstrate how it immediately turns to snow, quickly went viral on the internet and was widely imitated.
Meteorologist Eric Holthaus demonstrates what happens when you toss a pot of boiling water into the sky when it is -21°F with a wind chill of -51°F.
Meteorologist Eric Holthaus demonstrates what happens when you toss a pot of boiling water into the sky when it is -21°F with a wind chill of -51°F
The video was shot on January 6, 2014 in Viroqua, Wisconsin.
All 50 US states saw freezing temperatures as weather records have tumbled across North America.
The most extreme arctic blasts, blamed on a weather pattern known as the polar vortex, were said to have affected nearly 190 million people.
In Kentucky, an escaped prisoner turned himself in to get out of the cold.
Some parts of the Midwest hit -26C (-14F), as low as the Antarctic coast in winter, and much colder than the inside of a domestic freezer.
Temperature records were shattered in states across the US, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
It was -17C (1F) in the small town of Hell, Michigan, prompting online jokes that the weather was so bad even hell had frozen over.
But it was Embarrass, Minnesota, that experienced the lowest temperature in the nation on Tuesday: -37C (-35F).
That was colder than readings recently recorded on the Red Planet by the Mars Rover.
All 50 US states saw freezing temperatures as weather records have tumbled across North America
A video of a meteorologist tossing a pot of boiling water into the air in Wisconsin, to demonstrate how it immediately turns to snow, quickly went viral on the internet and was widely imitated.
The extreme weather resulted in the usual travel chaos – nearly 2,700 US flights were cancelled on Tuesday.
More than 500 rail passengers on their way to Chicago were marooned overnight into Tuesday morning in northern Illinois on three Amtrak passenger trains after drifting snow and ice covered the tracks.
The big freeze was even testing the resolve of Canadians, no strangers to cold weather.
Temperatures in parts of Ontario fell to -30C (-22F), causing flights in and out of Pearson International Airport to be halted for several hours on Tuesday morning.
Roads in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa were coated in dangerous black ice.
Freezing temperatures were recorded in all 50 US states, including the usually balmy California and Florida.
Even tropical Hawaii experienced -7C (18F), reports the Associated Press news agency, although that was at the peak of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano.
Atlanta, Georgia, was 25 degrees below average for this time of year.
People in the Midwest are still digging out from two massive snow storms recently which dumped more than 2ft of snow.
A reprieve is expected soon, however, with forecasters predicting temperatures above freezing for much of the US in the coming days.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has strongly criticized President Barack Obama’s handling of the war in Afghanistan in his new book Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary of War.
In the book, Robert Gates says that the president was skeptical that his administration’s Afghan strategy would succeed.
“I never doubted [his] support for the troops, only his support for their mission,” Robert Gates writes.
Robert Gates was Pentagon chief under Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
He was the first Pentagon head to serve presidents of different parties before leaving political office in 2011.
Although Robert Gates describes Barack Obama as “a man of personal integrity” who was right in his decisions regarding Afghanistan, he says that the president was uncomfortable with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which he inherited from the Bush administration.
Robert Gates also says Barack Obama was distrustful of the military that was providing him options.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has strongly criticized President Barack Obama’s handling of the war in Afghanistan in his new book
He writes in the memoir that in March 2011 Barack Obama did not trust General David Petraeus – the US military commander in Afghanistan in 2010-11 – and “could not stand” Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Barack Obama “doesn’t consider the war to be his”, Robert Gates writes of a March 2011 meeting in the White House.
“For him, it’s all about getting out.”
According to The Washington Post, the memoir is “in contrast to his subdued, even-keeled public demeanor as Pentagon chief”, and Robert Gates “strikes an often bitter tone in his memoir”.
In the book, Robert Gates voices frustration at the “controlling nature” of Barack Obama’s White House, which he says constantly interfered in Pentagon affairs, even though civilian aides lacked knowledge of military operations.
The White House national security staff “took micromanagement and operational meddling to a new level,” Robert Gates writes, comparing their approach to that of the Nixon era of the 1970s.
“All too early in the administration,” Robert Gates writes, “suspicion and distrust of senior military officers by senior White House officials – including the president and vice president – became a big problem for me as I tried to manage the relationship between the commander-in-chief and his military leaders.”
However, Robert Gates does give credit to the president for approving the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan – which he himself initially opposed – describing it as “one of the most courageous decisions I had ever witnessed in the White House.”
Robert Gates is also effusive in his praise of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has angrily defended his visit to North Korea, ahead of a basketball game to mark Kim Jong-un’s birthday.
In an interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman was asked if he would raise the issue of a US citizen jailed in North Korea.
Dennis Rodman responded with a rant that at one point appeared to point blame at the man, Kenneth Bae.
His visit has been criticized by rights groups, with Washington making it clear he does not represent the US.
His team of former NBA players will take on a North Korean team in an exhibition match later on Wednesday in Pyongyang.
Dennis Rodman says the match is to celebrate Kim Jong-un’s birthday, although his official birthday and age have not been confirmed.
It comes weeks after the execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Jang Sung-taek, once seen as a major power in North Korea. His rapid and brutal purge has sparked concern over stability inside the country.
Dennis Rodman has angrily defended his visit to North Korea, ahead of a basketball game to mark Kim Jong-un’s birthday
Meanwhile, state news agency KCNA has announced that elections for North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament will be held on March 9 – something which could provide a hint of who the key players are in the wake of Jang Sung-taek’s execution.
This visit is Dennis Rodman’s fourth to North Korea. He has in the past described Kim Jong-un as a friend and says he is on a “basketball diplomacy” mission. He remains the highest-profile American to have met the young leader.
Dennis Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Kim Jong-un to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor in May 2013.
North Korea said that Kenneth Bae – described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary – had used his tourism business to plot sedition.
Asked again in the CNN interview, Dennis Rodman appeared to lose his cool, saying: “If you understand what Kenneth Bae did … Do you understand what he did in this country? … I would love to speak on this.”
Dennis Rodman’s visit was about opening “the door a little bit”, he said, even though the team would have “to go back to America and take the abuse”.
A White House spokesman declined to comment on Dennis Rodman’s remarks, but reiterated a call for North Korea to release Kenneth Bae – who is suffering from ill health – on humanitarian grounds.
Former NBA star Charles D. Smith, meanwhile, told the Associated Press news agency that he felt “remorse” for participating in the trip amid the backlash in the US.
“I feel a lot of remorse for the guys because we are doing something positive, but it’s a lot bigger than us. We are not naive, we understand why things are being portrayed the way they are.”
Ex- NFL and Florida State player Todd Williams has been found dead in a Tampa Bay area hotel. He was 35.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reports that deputies responded to the Sarasota Suites late Monday morning, just hours before the Seminoles won a national championship.
Todd Williams, a Bradenton native, had reportedly complained to his mother of feeling sick on Friday. She found his body Monday.
He could not taste anything and had stomach pain for about a month, his mother, Ozepher Fluker, said, so she advised him to go to the hospital to get checked out Friday.
After not hearing from him over the weekend, Ozepher Fluker went to the hotel. She said she knew her son was gone when she heard crying coming from his room. Ozepher Fluker said Todd Williams lived at the hotel for about six years.
Todd Williams was one of Florida’s top prospects after his senior season at Southeast High in Bradenton
Todd Williams, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive lineman, was a member of the 1999 FSU Seminoles, who won the national championship. The team was led by another Southeast star, Peter Warrick.
Sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow says they haven’t found anything suspicious, but an autopsy will be performed.
Todd Williams was one of the state’s top prospects after his senior season at Southeast High in Bradenton.
He was a redshirt freshman on the Seminoles’ 1999 national champion team.
Todd Williams was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2003 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers.
