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JPMorgan Chase agrees to pay $1.7 billion to victims of Bernard Madoff fraud

Clyde K. Valle
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JPMorgan Chase agrees to pay $1.7 billion to victims of Bernard Madoff fraud

Following a settlement with US prosecutors, JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $1.7 billion to victims of the Bernard Madoff fraud.

The settlement comes after Federal prosecutors accused the bank of ignoring red flags about Bernard Madoff’s crimes.

“We recognize we could have done a better job,” said JPMorgan spokesperson Jennifer Zuccarelli.

The bank has agreed to improve its controls as part of the settlement.

While JPMorgan acknowledged failures in its protections against money laundering, the settlement includes a so-called deferred prosecution agreement that allows it to avoid criminal charges.

No individual executives were accused of wrongdoing.

JPMorgan was Bernard Madoff’s primary bank in the later years of a fraud that lasted for decades.

JP Morgan had a relationship with Bernard Madoff dating back to 1986
JP Morgan had a relationship with Bernard Madoff dating back to 1986

The bank had a relationship with Bernard Madoff dating back to 1986, according to documents released by the US Attorney’s office.

It ended in 2008 when Bernard Madoff revealed to the FBI that his investment advisory business was a Ponzi scheme.

According to the complaint, Bernard Madoff’s account – account 703 – received deposits and transfers totaling $150 billion over the period from 1986 until the fraud was discovered in 2008, almost exclusively from Madoff Securities.

JPMorgan employees began raising red flags about the account from the late 1990s up until 2008, but no action was taken to alert US regulators.

Bernard Madoff, 75, pleaded guilty to the fraud and is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence in the US.

Over the past year, JPMorgan has paid close to $20 billion in settlements with regulators for various violations relating to the US financial crisis, the so-called “London whale” trading loss, and manipulating the London inter-bank offered rate, or LIBOR.

JPMorgan boss Jaime Dimon has taken a proactive stance in ridding the bank of various investigations into its practices over the past year.

In his annual letter to shareholders from April 2013, Jaime Dimon wrote: “I feel terrible that we let our regulators down.”

The bank is still facing scrutiny from US regulators over its hiring policies in China.

Shares in JPMorgan fell slightly on news of the settlement.

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Monica Spear shot dead in Venezuela

Lisa.Felice
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Monica Spear shot dead in Venezuela

Monica Spear and her Irish husband Thomas Berry have been shot dead in their car in Venezuela.

Their five-year-old daughter, who was injured in the incident, is said to be in a stable condition in hospital.

Police have launched an investigation into the killing, which happened on the highway leading from Valencia to Puerto Cabello.

Monica Spear, 29, became Miss Venezuela in 2004, and also acted in soap operas.

Monica Spear and her Irish husband Thomas Berry have been shot dead in their car in Venezuela
Monica Spear and her Irish husband Thomas Berry have been shot dead in their car in Venezuela

Local media reported that Monica Spear and her husband had stopped by the roadside because their car had broken down.

The gunmen opened fire in what police said might have been a robbery gone wrong.

Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and armed robberies and kidnappings are not unusual.

CES 2014: Samsung introduces Bendable TV

Nancy Clayson
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CES 2014: Samsung introduces Bendable TV

Samsung has unveiled the Bendable TV, an 85 in (216 cm) prototype that allows the curvature of its screen to be adjusted by remote control.

The LED (light-emitting diode) set was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

LG has also announced a smaller 77 in (196 cm) flexible TV of its own that is based on OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology.

The firms suggest that a curved screen can enhance the viewing experience.

The tech would allow the sets’ owners to determine how bent the screens should be taking into account how many people were watching them and how far away they were sitting. The screens would have the added benefit of being able to be left flat against the wall when not in use.

LG’s model will go on view when its show floor booth opens to attendees on Tuesday.

However, industry watchers are unconvinced there is a market for such innovation.

Samsung has unveiled the Bendable TV at CES 2014
Samsung has unveiled the Bendable TV at CES 2014

“The challenge for the firms is to demonstrate that the world really needs this,” said Martin Garner, a TV tech consultant from CCS Insight who is attending CES.

“They are, however, a nice attempt at differentiation.”

Neither of the two South Korean manufacturers have given a projected price or release date for the user-bendable TVs.

They both, however, offer versions with a fixed curvature.

The two companies are showing off new giant-sized 105 in (267 cm) concave-screened versions in the extra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung said such a design delivered the “most immersive viewing experience” possible.

However, a demonstration of the equipment went awry when it invited Michael Bay, director of the Transformers movies, on stage at its press conference.

Joe Stinziano, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics, told the crowd: “Welcome to Vegas, it’s a live show folks.”

Michael Bay later wrote a blog giving his take on the mishap.

“Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES,” he wrote.

“I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost.

“Then the prompter went up and down – then I walked off. I guess live shows aren’t my thing.”

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Akademik Shokalskiy and Xue Long escape from Antarctic ice trap

James J. Williams
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Akademik Shokalskiy and Xue Long escape from Antarctic ice trap

The Akademik Shokalskiy and Chinese icebreaker Xue Long have broken free from Antarctic ice where they had been stranded for several days.

The Russian scientific mission ship’s captain said a crack had appeared in the ice after a change in wind direction.

The Akademik Shokalskiy got stuck on December 25. It has a Russian crew of 22.

On Thursday, the Xue Long’s helicopter ferried 52 passengers from the stranded Russian ship to an Australian vessel.

The Xue Long then became stuck itself on Friday.

The Akademik Shokalskiy got stuck in the Antarctic on December 25
The Akademik Shokalskiy got stuck in the Antarctic on December 25

“We’re going slowly and zig-zagging, we’ve already moved more than 20 [nautical] miles,” Captain Igor Kiselyov of the Russian ship told ITAR-TASS news agency.

“It’s tough going so far, a lot of mist, visibility is no more than 500 metres,” he said.

Captain Igor Kiselyov confirmed that the Chinese ship was also moving and that Akademik Shokalskiy was just north of it.

“It may catch up with us – in that case, we’ll follow in its wake. But if not, we’ll get out together, independently,” he said.

US Coastguard icebreaker Polar Star is heading towards the two ships, responding to an earlier request for help. It left Sydney, Australia, on Sunday and will take a week to get there.

The Akademik Shokalskiy got trapped by thick floes of ice driven by strong winds about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart in Tasmania.

Michael Schumacher accident: Corinna Schumacher appeals for privacy

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher accident: Corinna Schumacher appeals for privacy

Michael Schumacher’s wife, Corinna Schumacher, has appealed for privacy and for reporters to leave the clinic where he is being treated.

The former F1 champion has been in a medically induced coma for the past eight days following a skiing accident in the French Alps.

Corinna Schumacher called on the media to “let the doctors work in peace”.

Local media in France report that footage from a camera attached to Michael Schumacher’s helmet is to be used by French investigators.

According to the Dauphine Libere newspaper, the images may help investigators piece together details about the accident, such as the speed he was skiing at and whether signs on or near the piste were visible.

Corinna Schumacher has appealed for privacy and for reporters to leave the clinic where Michael Schumacher is being treated
Corinna Schumacher has appealed for privacy and for reporters to leave the clinic where Michael Schumacher is being treated

Asking for support in “our joint fight alongside Michael”, Corinna Schumacher said: “It is important to me that the doctors and the hospital be left in peace to work – please trust their statements and leave the clinic.”

Corinna Schumacher also called on reporters to “please leave our family in peace”.

There has been considerable media speculation over Michael Schumacher’s condition in recent days.

The hospital treating Michael Schumacher for head injuries in the French city of Grenoble says his condition remains stable but critical.

Prosecutors investigating the accident plan to give details of their probe on Wednesday.

Michael Schumacher won seven world championships and secured 91 race victories during his 19-year career.

Infanta Cristina summoned to appear in court over fraud accusations

Diane A. Wade
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Infanta Cristina summoned to appear in court over fraud accusations

Infanta Cristina, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, has been summoned to appear in court over accusations of fraud and money-laundering.

The 48-year-old Spanish princess has been linked to the business affairs of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who is being investigated for alleged embezzlement.

Infanta Cristina, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, has been summoned to appear in court over accusations of fraud and money-laundering
Infanta Cristina, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, has been summoned to appear in court over accusations of fraud and money-laundering

Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, is now a formal suspect and should appear in court on March 8.

It is believed to be the first time a direct relative of the king will appear in court accused of wrongdoing.

Turkey: 350 police officers sacked following government corruption probe

Diane A. Wade
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Turkey: 350 police officers sacked following government corruption probe

About 350 police officers have been sacked in Turkey’s capital Ankara, following a corruption probe targeting people close to the government, reports say.

Officials, mostly from outside the city, have been named to replace them.

Hundreds of police have been dismissed or reassigned across Turkey since last month’s corruption investigation. Three cabinet ministers resigned after their sons were detained in the raids.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the police and judiciary of a “dirty plot”.

The arrests were carried out as part of an inquiry into alleged bribery involving public tenders, which included controversial building projects in Istanbul.

Hundreds of police have been dismissed or reassigned across Turkey since last month's corruption investigation
Hundreds of police have been dismissed or reassigned across Turkey since last month’s corruption investigation

Those detained in the December 17 raids included more than 50 public officials and businessmen – all allies of the prime minister.

The latest round of police sackings and reassignments were carried out under a government decree published at midnight.

Those removed from their posts include chiefs of the financial crimes, anti-smuggling and organized crime units, the private Dogan News Agency reported.

The move comes as the government is trying to contain the fall-out from the corruption inquiry.

Many believe the arrests and firings reflect a feud within Turkey’s ruling AK Party between those who back Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar living in self-imposed exile in the US.

Members of Fethullah Gulen’s Hizmet movement are said to hold influential positions in institutions such as the police, the judiciary and the AK Party itself.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he would not allow “political plotting”.

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North America Polar Vortex heading toward East

Nancy Clayson
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North America Polar Vortex heading toward East

A polar vortex hitting North America is now heading toward East, ushering in dangerous temperatures not seen in two decades, warn forecasters.

From Montana to Maryland, about half of the population has been placed under a wind chill warning or advisory.

In Canada, the province of Ontario is facing temperatures of -40C (-40F) with wind chill.

Thousands of flights have been grounded, and residents told their skin could freeze if they go outside.

People on the North East coast were warned to prepare themselves for the cold front sweeping in on Tuesday from the Midwest.

Temperatures were set to plummet overnight in New York and Washington DC by as much as 45 degrees, from unseasonably clement highs a day earlier.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that parts of major highways would be closed in preparation for the extreme weather, which could see the mercury plummet to -26C (-15F) overnight with wind chill.

The polar blast was threatening crops and livestock across the American farm belt, even in the usually temperate Deep South.

The sub-zero snap was expected to reach as far south as Texas and central Florida, the National Weather Service said.

Tennessee and Kentucky were forecast to receive several inches of snow.

From Montana to Maryland, about half of the population has been placed under a wind chill warning or advisory
From Montana to Maryland, about half of the population has been placed under a wind chill warning or advisory

The weather has been blamed for at least 16 deaths in recent days.

Meteorologists said some 187 million people in all would be able to feel the effects of the cold snap by Tuesday.

It has been widely blamed on a shift in the weather pattern known as the “polar vortex”.

In Comertown, Montana, on Monday the temperature sank to -53C (-63F) with wind chill.

The state of Minnesota saw the mercury plummet to -48C (-56F) by the same measure.

The South Pole, and Irkutsk, Siberia, by comparison, jointly basked in a relatively balmy -33C.

More than 4,500 flights were cancelled just on Monday in the US because of the extreme weather.

JetBlue Airways suspended nearly all operations at airports in Boston and around New York City until midday on Tuesday.

The state of Minnesota and the city of Chicago, Illinois, have ordered all schools closed.

It was so cold that even the polar bear at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo was kept indoors, CNN reports.

Public parks were also shut as officials warned that exposed flesh could become frostbitten.

In Illinois, the National Guard used 10-tonne military vehicles to clear up after several lorries jackknifed, stranding nearly 400 vehicles. There were no fatalities or injuries reported in those incidents.

Freezing rain also caused hundreds of flight cancellations at airports in Toronto and Ottawa.

Nearly 1,000 homes in Newfoundland, Canada, were still without electricity on Monday after a power outage.

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High-fiber diet could ease asthma symptoms

Kathryn R. Bown
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High-fiber diet could ease asthma symptoms

According to a new research, fruits, vegetables and whole-grains might be an unlikely treatment for asthma.

The animal study results, published in Nature Medicine, showed that a high-fiber diet could reduce inflammation in the lungs.

The extra fiber changed the nutrients being absorbed from the gut, which in turn altered the immune system.

The researchers argue the shift to processed foods may explain why more people are developing asthma.

The airways are more sensitive to irritation and more likely to become inflamed in people with asthma.

It leads to a narrowing of the airways that make it harder to breathe.

However, a possible solution may lie in another organ, the gut, and the bacteria which live there.

The cells of the human body are vastly outnumbered by the trillions of microbes that live in and on it.

There is growing evidence that these bacteria have a significant impact on health.

Fruits, vegetables and whole-grains might be an unlikely treatment for asthma
Fruits, vegetables and whole-grains might be an unlikely treatment for asthma

A team at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland showed that the high and low fiber diets altered the types of bacteria living in the guts of the mice.

Bacteria which can munch on soluble fiber, the type found in fruit and vegetables, flourished on the high-fiber diet and they in turn produced more short-chain fatty acids – a type of fat, which is absorbed into the blood.

The scientists said these fatty acids acted as signals to the immune system and resulted in the lungs being more resistant to irritation.

The opposite happened in low-fiber diets and the mice became more vulnerable to asthma.

Their report argued that a dietary shift away from fiber in favor of processed foods may be involved in rising levels of asthma.

It said: “In recent decades, there has been a well-documented increase in the incidence of allergic asthma in developed countries and coincident with this increase have been changes in diet, including reduced consumption of fiber.”

One of the researchers, Dr. Benjamin Marsland said some of the differences caused by high-fiber diets have already been observed in people by comparing diets in Europe and Burkina Faso.

The team in Lausanne is also investigating the role of diet in long-term lung inflammation such as COPD, which is set to become the world’s third biggest killer.

An alternative to tweaking diets is giving the purified fatty acids themselves as a dietary supplement.

This worked in mice, but Dr. Benjamin Marsland warns there “certainly needs to be more work” before this is suggested in people.

Janet Yellen confirmed as next head of Federal Reserve

Clyde K. Valle
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Janet Yellen confirmed as next head of Federal Reserve

Janet Yellen has been confirmed by US Senate as the next head of the Federal Reserve.

Fifty-six senators voted in favor of Janet Yellen with 26 opposed – many members of the chamber were unable to attend the vote because of bad weather.

It was the last procedural hurdle for Janet Yellen, 67, before taking over from outgoing chair Ben Bernanke on February 1st.

Janet Yellen is the first woman to lead the central bank in its 100-year history.

President Barack Obama welcomed the vote, saying in a statement: “The American people will have a fierce champion who understands that the ultimate goal of economic and financial policymaking is to improve the lives, jobs and standard of living of American workers and their families.”

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Janet Yellen served as chair of former President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers and was an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

Janet Yellen has been confirmed by US Senate as the next head of the Federal Reserve
Janet Yellen has been confirmed by US Senate as the next head of the Federal Reserve

During the Senate session to confirm her as the head of the central bank, many senators praised her long-term focus on unemployment.

Janet Yellen is the first Fed chair nominated by a Democratic president since Paul Volcker left the top spot in 1987.

She will face a difficult road ahead once Ben Bernanke steps down after eight years in office.

Although most analysts expect Janet Yellen to continue Ben Bernanke’s efforts to boost the US economy by keeping short term interest rates low, she will eventually face unchartered territory once the central bank begins to ease back on its extraordinary measures.

Janet Yellen was a strong supporter of the Fed’s current stimulus efforts – a $75 billion a month bond buying program known as quantitative easing. By buying bonds, particularly mortgage bonds, the Fed has tried to keep long term interest rates low to spur housing activity and encourage investors to spend, rather than save, their money.

In doing so, the Fed has amassed close to $4 trillion in assets since it first initiated its stimulus efforts in the wake of the 2008-2009 financial collapse – a fact that some senators criticized during Monday’s confirmation hearings.

Although the central bank announced plans to cut its purchases from $85 billion a month to $75 billion a month in December, Janet Yellen faces the difficult task of assessing when and how to ease stimulus efforts.

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Mia Robertson cleft surgery: Friends and family decorate her hospital room

Sonia Pantiss
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Mia Robertson cleft surgery: Friends and family decorate her hospital room

Mia Robertson underwent surgery last week for a cleft issue on her face – and her parents, Duck Dynasty’s Missy and Jase Robertson, have been keeping friends, family and fans posted on her progress via Facebook.

Mia Robertson underwent surgery for a cleft issue on her face
Mia Robertson underwent surgery for a cleft issue on her face

Missy Robertson wrote yesterday on her Facebook page: “Snowflakes snowflakes everywhere! Thank you 4th and 5th graders at WFR for the thoughtful surprise for Mia. And to some sweet friends for bringing them to Dallas. They, along with Mia’s cousins, hung them up while she was in recovery. Accor…ding to every doctor and nurse, it was the most decorated room that hospital has ever seen.”

Honey Boo Boo returns with HOLLAday specials ahead of Season 3 premiere

Lisa.Felice
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Honey Boo Boo returns with HOLLAday specials ahead of Season 3 premiere

Honey Boo Boo and her self-proclaimed crazy family return with Season 3 on January 16 as well as three HOLLAday specials for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas starting on January 6.

Honey Boo Boo and her self-proclaimed crazy family return with Season 3 on January 16
Honey Boo Boo and her self-proclaimed crazy family return with Season 3 on January 16

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo follows 8-year-old Alana Thompson and her family: stay-at-home Mama June, chalk-mining dad Sugar Bear, and sisters, Lauryn “Pumpkin”, Jessica “Chubbs” and Anna “Chickadee.”

CES 2014: Withings unveils Aura smart sleep system

Nancy Clayson
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CES 2014: Withings unveils Aura smart sleep system

Withings unveiled the Aura “smart sleep” system on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 in Las Vegas.

The maker of the set of communicating bedroom sensors that control a changing-color lamp claims to be able to wake sleepers at the best moment.

One part slides under the mattress to study the dozing owners while another screens their bedroom environment.

It is the first of more than a dozen sleep-related gadgets set to be launched at the event.

However, one expert warned it was too soon to know how much difference such devices could really make to purchasers’ health.

The Aura system consists of three parts:

  • A soft padded sensor that is slipped under the mattress. The firm says it is able to record body movements, breathing cycles and heart rates.
  • A device that should be placed next to the bed. This includes sensors to study noise levels, room temperature and light levels. In addition it contains a clock, a speaker that plays alarm sounds and a circular LED (light-emitting diode) lamp.
  • A smartphone app that controls the system and provides feedback about the sleepers’ night.

    Withings bedroom kit Aura promises smarter sleep
    Withings bedroom kit Aura promises smarter sleep

The light changes color from blue to yellow and red across the course of the night on the basis of research that different light wavelengths can affect the secretion of hormones.

Studies have suggested that blue light stimulates melanopsin – a pigment found in cells in the eye’s retina, which send nerve impulses to parts of the brain thought to make a person feel alert.

Blue light is also believed to suppress melatonin – a hormone made by the brain’s pineal gland which makes a person feel sleepy when its levels rise in their blood.

By switching from blue to red light – via an intermediary yellow or white stage – this process should be reversed, encouraging a feeling of sleepiness.

Space agency NASA has previously studied the phenomenon and has announced plans to install a light-color changing system of its own into the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016.

Withings’ system is being launched at a cost of $299.

Philips recently announced a competing product at the same price. Its Wake-up Light system mimics the changing conditions created by a sunrise, turning from red to bright yellow over the course of half-an-hour before sounding an alarm. However, it does not monitor the sleepers themselves.

Other sleep-related technologies on show at CES 2014 include:

  • Sensible Baby – a sensor put in an infant’s night clothes that tracks their temperature, orientation and movement. It sounds a smartphone app alarm if it detects a problem.
  • Sleepow – a pillow that plays tones at slightly different frequencies for each ear, which its maker claims promotes relaxation.
  • Basis – one of several new smartwatches that can monitor sleep data, in this case by studying the wearer’s heart rate, perspiration and skin temperature.

Charlie Sheen and Brett Rossi marriage announcement just a joke

Lisa.Felice
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Charlie Sheen and Brett Rossi marriage announcement just a joke

Charlie Sheen took to his Twitter on Sunday to make a surprise announcement, but it turns out he was actually joking about tying the knot with his girlfriend Brett Rossi.

“This is the house ware M Gorbachev R Reagan did some epic,” wrote Charlie Sheen.

“It’s also where S and I GOT MARRIED! c #RumorMilUhPede,” the actor tweeted beside an image of the two seated in front of the former French consulate building in Reykjavik, Iceland. The location is where the 1986 Cold War Summit took place between former President Ronald Regan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Charlie Sheen and Brett Rossi in front of the former French consulate building in Reykjavik
Charlie Sheen and Brett Rossi in front of the former French consulate building in Reykjavik

Charlie Sheen’s rep tells Us Weekly: “He’s kidding around,” adding that fans should “read the hashtag.” Brett Rossi, 24, also took to her Twitter Sunday night to make fun of the buzz surrounding her alleged marriage to Charlie Sheen.

Charlie Sheen, 48, and Brett Rossi first emerged together while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico back in November.

The actor has been married and divorced three times before.

Charlie Sheen wed Donna Peele in 1995 in a short-lived one year marriage. He then married actress Denise Richards in 2002, though the two split in 2006.

Two years later, Charlie Sheen married his third wife Brooke Mueller. They divorced in 2011.

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Saul Zaentz dies of complications from Alzheimer’s at 92

Sonia Pantiss
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Saul Zaentz dies of complications from Alzheimer’s at 92

Film producer Saul Zaentz has died of complications from Alzheimer’s at his San Francisco home. He was 92.

The winner of best picture Oscars for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Amadeus and The English Patient, Saul Zaentz only entered the movie business in his 50s, having already made a fortune in the music industry.

Most of Saul Zaentz’s films were based on literary properties, and he held the rights to JRR Tolkien’s novels.

“He was an amazing man,” said his nephew Paul Zaentz, who is also a film producer.

Saul Zaentz won best picture Oscars for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus and The English Patient
Saul Zaentz won best picture Oscars for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Amadeus and The English Patient

“He always taught me to only make films I am passionate about.”

Saul Zaentz was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1921 and later joined the US Army, where he served in Europe and the Pacific during WWII.

After military service, he briefly tried his hand as a chicken farmer, before moving to San Francisco to study business.

Saul Zaentz was hired as a salesman by jazz label Fantasy Records in 1955 and, 12 years later, acquired the company from its founders.

In a departure from its usual roster – which included Dave Brubeck and the poet Allen Ginsberg – Saul Zaentz signed rock group Credence Clearwater Revival, who went on to make the label millions.

Bangladesh elections 2014: Awami League wins boycotted poll

Diane A. Wade
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Bangladesh elections 2014: Awami League wins boycotted poll

Bangladeshi ruling party Awami League has won a violent general election whose outcome was never in doubt, after a boycott by the main opposition party.

Fewer than half the 300 parliamentary seats were contested – reports say the Awami League has a two-thirds majority.

At least 18 people died during Sunday’s vote and dozens more in the run-up. Clashes on Monday killed another three.

Voter turnout appears to have been particularly poor, with just over 20% reportedly taking part.

More than 70% voted in the 2008 parliamentary elections, with officials saying the fear of violence and the boycott kept many away this time.

PM Sheikh Hasina was swift to claim her party had won fairly.

“The people have cast their votes spontaneously, upheld the value of democracy and dumped terrorism. We will form our government,” Sheikh Hasina told a news conference.

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led a nationwide 48-hour strike beginning on Saturday after its leader Khaleda Zia urged supporters to “completely boycott” what she called a “scandalous farce” of an election.

At least 18 people died during Bangladeshi elections and dozens more in the run-up
At least 18 people died during Bangladeshi elections and dozens more in the run-up

Sheikh Hasina had rejected the opposition’s demands for her to step down and set up a neutral government to oversee the poll.

The BNP has demanded that results be declared null and void and has called for another 48-hour general strike to begin on Monday.

Widespread violence erupted across the country on Sunday. Scores of polling stations – many of them schools – were torched, and violent clashes broke out between opposition activists and police.

With most votes counted, the Awami League won 105 of the 147 contested seats, with allied parties or independent candidates taking the remaining 34, reports said.

Repolling will take place in eight constituencies.

The ruling party also held 127 seats that were unopposed, giving it 232 seats in all. A final result is expected later on Monday.

The opposition strike is only the latest in a string of protests by the BNP and its allies – including the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party – that has seen a blockade of roads, railways and waterways and the closure of shops, schools and offices.

In the run-up to the polls, scores of opposition supporters died in police shootings and dozens of commuters were burnt to death by protesters throwing petrol bombs at strike-defying buses.

All elections since 1991 have been held under a neutral caretaker administration to ensure that voting is not fixed.

But the Awami League abolished the caretaker system in 2010, arguing that it was no longer necessary.

The government has insisted the BNP should take part in the polls within the existing constitutional framework.

Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia – who are bitter political enemies – have alternated from government to opposition for most of the past two decades.

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Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea with former NBA players

Clyde K. Valle
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Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea with former NBA players

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has arrived in North Korea along with a team for a match marking leader Kim Jong-un’s birthday.

Dennis Rodman, 52, and the team of former NBA players flew from Beijing on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s match.

The sportsman said his aim was to “connect two countries”.

State Department officials have made it clear Dennis Rodman does not represent the US.

Dennis Rodman has also been strongly criticized for ignoring North Korea’s human rights abuses.

Dennis Rodman has arrived in North Korea along with a team for a match marking leader Kim Jong-un's birthday
Dennis Rodman has arrived in North Korea along with a team for a match marking leader Kim Jong-un’s birthday

He last visited North Korea in December, shortly after the execution of Jang Sung-taek.

The fall of Kim Jong-un’s once-powerful uncle was seen as a major shake-up at the very top of Pyongyang’s elite.

On that visit, Dennis Rodman’s third, he did not meet Kim Jong-un, who is reported to be a basketball fan. He has met the young leader on his other two previous visits, however, and is the highest-profile American to have done so.

This time, Dennis Rodman leads a squad of players on a trip he is describing as “basketball diplomacy”. The squad will play a North Korean team in an exhibition match.

Dennis Rodman’s unprecedented access to North Korea’s young leader has drawn questions over the impact of his visits to a country criticized for its repressive system of brutal political prison camps.

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Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 plane makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan

Nancy Clayson
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Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 plane makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan

A Singapore Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Azerbaijan due to loss of cabin pressure.

The Airbus A380 plane was flying from London to Singapore and had 467 passengers and 27 crew members on board.

Singapore Airlines said that oxygen masks were deployed and the aircraft landed “uneventfully” at the Baku airport.

It said that none of the passengers or crew was injured and that it was investigating what caused the problem.

Singapore Airlines said a replacement airplane to take the stranded passengers on to Singapore had now departed and was due to arrive in Baku on January 7.

It said it had also sent staff from both Istanbul and Moscow to provide assistance on the ground in Baku.

The Singapore Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Azerbaijan due to loss of cabin pressure
The Singapore Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Azerbaijan due to loss of cabin pressure

However, some customers writing on the airline’s Facebook page complained about the wait for a replacement plane.

In response to the complaints, Singapore Airlines issued a statement on Facebook apologizing: “We sincerely apologize to affected customers for the inconvenience caused by the diversion and the lengthy delay encountered at the airport in Baku.”

However, other people writing on Singapore Airline’s Facebook page praised its handling of the incident.

In response to passenger reports that the emergency landing was because of a faulty door, a Singapore Airlines spokesman said that “on the earlier flight into London there was a noise reported from one of the main deck doors”.

But he added that “the door was inspected by engineers on the ground in London with no findings, and the aircraft was cleared for continued operation”.

Airbus, which manufactures A380s, said in a statement that it was “following up on this issue and providing technical assistance to the airline”.

Singapore Airlines is one of the biggest operators of the A380 planes, with 19 jets in its fleet.

Michael Schumacher accident UPDATE: F1 champion’s condition stable but critical

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher accident UPDATE: F1 champion’s condition stable but critical

Michael Schumacher’s condition remains stable but critical, the hospital treating him for head injuries has announced.

Doctors in Grenoble say Michael Schumacher is being continually monitored but they will not be releasing more health details.

Michael Schumacher has been in a medically induced coma for the past eight days following a skiing accident in the French Alps.

Meanwhile prosecutors investigating the accident plan to give details of their probe on Wednesday.

The state prosecutor in Albertville, Patrick Quincy, told the AP news agency that French investigators were trying to obtain smartphone footage of the accident which the German magazine Der Spiegel reported had been shot by a bystander.

Michael Schumacher’s condition remains stable but critical
Michael Schumacher’s condition remains stable but critical

Der Spiegel says that a flight attendant from Essen who was filming his girlfriend on the slopes happened to catch what he believes was Michael Schumacher’s fall in the background.

The 35-year-old planned to hand the footage over to prosecutors, Der Spiegel reported.

Monday’s hospital statement said that the medical team will not be giving details of Michael Schumacher’s treatment for reasons of privacy, and no further press conferences were planned “for the time being”.

The statement also asked journalists to refrain from reporting claims about Michael Schumacher’s health not originating from the medical team or his management.

It follows Friday’s press claims of an improvement in Michael Schumacher’s condition, which were denied by his manager.

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Angela Merkel skiing accident in Switzerland

Nancy Clayson
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Angela Merkel skiing accident in Switzerland

Angela Merkel has fractured a bone in her pelvis in a cross-country skiing accident in Switzerland, her spokesman says.

The German chancellor will have to remain lying down as much as possible in the next three weeks and several visits will be cancelled, Steffen Seibert said.

Angela Merkel also suffered severe bruising in the accident, in the Alpine Engadine region of eastern Switzerland.

She was not skiing fast at the time, the spokesman added.

He called the injury “severe bruising linked with a partial fracture on the left, rear part of the pelvis”.

Angela Merkel has fractured a bone in her pelvis in a cross-country skiing accident in Switzerland
Angela Merkel has fractured a bone in her pelvis in a cross-country skiing accident in Switzerland

Immediately after the accident, during the Christmas holiday in December, Angela Merkel was not aware that part of her pelvis had been fractured, the spokesman said.

He did not give details about how it happened. She was skiing near the resort of St Moritz.

Angela Merkel still intends to chair a cabinet meeting on Wednesday – the first gathering of all her coalition ministers. She is now walking with the aid of crutches.But mostly she will be working from home.

Angela Merkel has cancelled a trip to Poland this week and will not receive Luxembourg’s new PM Xavier Bettel in Berlin, the spokesman said.

Frozen returns on top of US box office in its 7th week of release

Sonia Pantiss
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Frozen returns on top of US box office in its 7th week of release

Frozen has returned to the top of the North American box office in its seventh week of release, according to early estimates.

The Disney animation knocked The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug off the top spot and into third place.

It is unusual for a film to go back to number one seven weeks after its release.

The last film to do so, according to box office tracker Rentrak, was The Passion of the Christ in 2004.

Frozen took $20.7 million over the weekend.

The next biggest film on the chart was horror offering, Paranormal Activity: The Marked One, which debuted at number two with $18.2 million.

Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, a possible Oscar contender, was at four.

Another awards hopeful, David O Russell’s crime caper American Hustle, rounded out the top five.

Frozen, which is very loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, has now made more than $600 million worldwide.

That makes it the second-biggest Disney animation release after The Lion King.

Frozen has returned to the top of the North American box office in its seventh week of release
Frozen has returned to the top of the North American box office in its seventh week of release

Kristen Bell voices the main character in Frozen, which was created by the same team behind 2010 Disney animation Tangled.

Frozen follows the relationship of Queen Elsa and her sister Princess Anna, who battles to save their kingdom when Elsa’s involuntary magical powers threaten to destroy it.

The freezing temperatures currently being experienced in some regions of North America are thought to have had some effect on box office takings.

Meanwhile, Stephen Frears’ Philomena saw its North American total gross creep up to about $20 million this weekend.

In its seventh weekend, Philomena took in $1.6 million from 607 locations. The film, starring Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, has enjoyed one of the strongest showings for an arthouse film released in 2013.

North American box office Top 5:

1. Frozen – $20.7 million

2. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones – $18.2 million

3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – $16.3 million

4. The Wolf of Wall Street – $13.4 million

5. American Hustle – $13.2 million

Source: Hollywood.com

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Kesha enters rehab to get treatment for eating disorder

Lisa.Felice
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Kesha enters rehab to get treatment for eating disorder

Kesha has entered rehab to get treatment for an eating disorder.

In a statement provided by her spokesman on Friday, Kesha said she would be “unavailable for the next 30 days” as she sought treatment.

“I’m a crusader for being yourself and loving yourself, but I’ve found it hard to practice,” the singer added.

Kesha has entered rehab to get treatment for an eating disorder
Kesha has entered rehab to get treatment for an eating disorder

Kesha, 26, is being treated at the Timberline Knolls centre near Chicago.

She said she wanted to “learn to love myself again, exactly as I am”. No other details were released.

The vegetarian singer, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert and is also known as Ke$ha, rose to fame with her song Tik Tok.

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Mia Robertson recovers from major bone graft procedure for her cleft

Sonia Pantiss
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Mia Robertson recovers from major bone graft procedure for her cleft

Mia Robertson, Duck Dynasty’s Jase and Missy Robertson’s daughter, is recovering from what her mother called “a major bone graft procedure for her cleft”.

Mia Robertson is recovering from a major bone graft procedure for her cleft
Mia Robertson is recovering from a major bone graft procedure for her cleft

The official Duck Commander Twitter account shared a Facebook message from Missy: “Great news! All went well. <<Textbook>> is the word the surgeon used. We are praising God and waiting to go see our baby girl. Thank you for all the prayers!!!!”

Missy Robertson captioned the picture: “Thumbs up!”

Liz Cheney drops out of Wyoming Senate race

Diane A. Wade
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Liz Cheney drops out of Wyoming Senate race

Liz Cheney has decided to drop out of the Senate primary after her bid to unseat Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi sparked a round of warfare in the Republican Party and even within her own family.

The official announcement from Liz Cheney – the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney – could come as early as Monday.

Liz Cheney’s election bid in the deeply conservative state was controversial from the outset.

Liz Cheney has decided to drop out of the Senate primary after her bid to unseat Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi sparked a round of warfare in the Republican Party and even within her own family
Liz Cheney has decided to drop out of the Senate primary after her bid to unseat Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi sparked a round of warfare in the Republican Party and even within her own family

Her Wyoming credentials were challenged in spite of her family’s deep roots in the state, because she spent much of her youth and adult life in Virginia.

Last summer, Liz Cheney committed an embarrassing political gaffe in a state where hunting and fishing are taken very seriously by mistakenly buying the wrong fishing license after living in Wyoming for just a few months.

Another scandal erupted when Liz Cheney’s sister, Mary Cheney, and her wife, Heather Poe, took to social media to blast the elder sister for her continued opposition to gay marriage.

Ergenekon: PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan backs army plot retrials

Diane A. Wade
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Ergenekon: PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan backs army plot retrials

Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he favors the retrial of hundreds of military officers convicted of plotting to overthrow the government.

The move comes after Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s senior adviser suggested that the officers had been framed by the police and judiciary.

Hundreds of people were jailed in 2012 and 2013 in two high-profile cases, called Sledgehammer and Ergenekon.

Correspondents say the remarks represent a political turnaround.

“Our position on a retrial is a favorable one,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Sunday.

“First we must establish the legal grounding for fresh trials.”

It comes as political tensions run high over alleged corruption in the Turkish government.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the police and judiciary of orchestrating a probe which led to the resignation of his ministers.

The ruling AK Party is rooted in political Islam and has moved to curb the power of the Turkish military, which sees itself as guardian of the modern secular state founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he favors the retrial of hundreds of military officers convicted of plotting to overthrow the government
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he favors the retrial of hundreds of military officers convicted of plotting to overthrow the government

The prime minister now appears to have taken the side of the military he once opposed. In recent days, the army has filed a criminal complaint calling for retrials.

During the early years of his administration, Recep Tayyip Erdogan formed an unofficial alliance with prosecutors in an effort to remove the military from politics.

This effort culminated with two major trials relating to separate alleged plots – Sledgehammer and Ergenekon. They were seen as major challenges to Turkey’s secularist traditions.

But in December, some of the same prosecutors involved in those investigations ordered the arrest of a number of the prime minister’s own allies.

Three ministers resigned after their sons were arrested, along with dozens of others, over alleged wrongdoing in construction contracts and deals with Iran.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the investigation as a “dirty plot”.

The armed forces then suggested that this “plotting” also included the convictions of officers, and demanded a retrial.

The former armed forces chief, General Ilker Basbug, was among dozens of people given long jail terms. Lawyers, politicians and journalists were convicted, along with many military officers.

Analysts say the latest dispute over corruption is part of a power struggle between Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government and an influential US-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who is said to have many followers within Turkey’s police and judiciary.

For decades, the armed forces were the ultimate arbiter in Turkish politics.

Between 1960 and 1997, the military forced out four civilian governments.

But over the last decade, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has changed the balance of power in Turkey.

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