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Jane Austen £10 banknote portrait airbrushed

Sonia Pantiss
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Jane Austen £10 banknote portrait airbrushed

Biographer Dr. Paula Byrne has criticized the Bank of England for selecting an “airbrushed” portrait of Jane Austen for its new £10 note.

Oxford University fellow Dr. Paula Byrne said the 1870 image was a “makeover” of an earlier portrait composed by the novelist’s sister Cassandra.

Halloween, the Jane Austen Society, which was consulted by the Bank of England, felt it was a good choice.

Jane Austen was chosen to replace Charles Darwin on the £10 note.

It is expected to come into circulation from 2017.

Dr. Paula Byrne, author of The Real Jane Austen, said the chosen image made the writer look like “a pretty doll with big doe eyes”.

“It’s a 19th Century airbrushed makeover,” said the fellow.

Biographer Paula Byrne has criticized the Bank of England for selecting an airbrushed portrait of Jane Austen for its new £10 note
Biographer Paula Byrne has criticized the Bank of England for selecting an airbrushed portrait of Jane Austen for its new £10 note

“It makes me quite angry as it’s been prettied up for the Victorian era when Jane Austen was very much a woman of Georgian character.

“The costume is wrong and the image creates a myth Austen was a demure spinster and not a deep-thinking author.

“She was edgy for her time and the portrait by her sister Cassandra depicts an intelligent, determined woman.”

Elizabeth Proudman, chairman of the Jane Austen Society, said the Bank of England had done the best it could.

“There is only one authentic image available of Jane Austen and that is the pencil sketching by her sister that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

“It’s an amateur portrait and, at the time, nobody particularly liked it.

“But, Jane Austen’s fame and popularity grew after her death and an engraving of Cassandra’s portrait was produced by [William Home] Lizars to go inside her memoirs.

“The family chose it, feeling it was a strong resemblance and that is more or less the image which has been chosen.”

In a statement, the Bank of England said the banknote portrait was an 1870 engraving commissioned by Jane Austen’s nephew, James Edward Austen Leigh, adapted from the original Cassandra sketch.

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire. She died in Winchester on July 18, 1817.

The selection of Jane Austen for the £10 note removed the prospect of having no women, besides the Queen, on the UK’s currency.

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Halloween 2013: Best-selling candy from around the world

Nancy Clayson
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Halloween 2013: Best-selling candy from around the world

Halloween is all about the candy! Almost every child in the US will have candy on Halloween, and about half of the adults will eat some.

Test your knowledge of the world’s candies and check out some of our favorites here.

1. Bounty, UK

Mounds lovers will appreciate Bounty, a coconut-filled bar enrobed with milk chocolate.

2. Cheong Woo, Korea

Leave it to South Korea to come up with pumpkin candy — a mellow, slightly salty candy with a prominent squash-like flavor and the texture of Starburst. If you can track it down, it’s perfect for this time of year.

3. Baci, Italy

Hershey’s isn’t the only one with kisses — Italy has its own version, Perugina’s Baci. These chocolate bonbons are filled with hazelnut chocolate cream, topped with a whole hazelnut, and wrapped in a love note.

4. Yorkie, UK

The Yorkie bar — originally titled so because it was made by Rowntrees of York — was created in the 1970s as a larger chocolate bar alternative to Cadbury’s Dairy-Milk. To this day, the chocolate stays true to its original branding with the slogan: “It’s not for girls!”

Perugina's Baci chocolate bonbons are filled with hazelnut chocolate cream, topped with a whole hazelnut, and wrapped in a love note
Perugina’s Baci chocolate bonbons are filled with hazelnut chocolate cream, topped with a whole hazelnut, and wrapped in a love note

5. Chimes Mango Ginger Chews, Indonesia

These individually-wrapped Indonesian ginger candies in the quaint tin have a latent heat and spiciness to them, thanks to ginger that’s grown on volcanic soil in East Java.

6. ToffeeCrisp, UK

Nestlé makes a number of chocolate bars in Europe that aren’t readily available in the US. One of them is ToffeeCrisp, a staple in the UK. The long, slender milk chocolate bar is filled with crackling puffed rice and caramel. Its motto is: “Somebody, somewhere, is eating a ToffeeCrisp.”

7. Kinder Country, Germany

Kinder Country is described on the wrapper as “milk chocolate with rich milk filling.” It’s a creamy, milky white center, made crunchy with puffed rice and then doused in milk chocolate.

8. Peko Milky Candy, Japan

Peko-chan Milk Candy is commonplace among children in Japan. The individually-wrapped candies are firm yet chewy and have a distinctive sweet milk flavor.

9. Lion, UK

Another chocolate confection that hails from the UK. It was similar to a ToffeeCrisp, with caramel, crisp cereal, and a wafer enrobed in milk chocolate and reminded me of an even heartier 100 Grand.

 10. Botan Rice Candy, Japan

Even if you’ve never been to Japan, you may have come across Botan Rice Candy in Asian supermarkets. Botan, which means “peony,” is a prominent brand in Japan and makes a sticky rice candy with a slightly citrusy flavor.

McCafe: McDonald’s to start selling packaged coffee in 2014

Clyde K. Valle
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McCafe: McDonald’s to start selling packaged coffee in 2014

McDonald’s has announced it will test selling a variety of packaged ground and whole-bean coffee at supermarkets and other retail outlets starting next year.

The test will also include single-cup servings.

McDonald’s, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, did not disclose any other details. But the company already started selling McCafe packaged coffee in Canada late last year. Those bags weighed about 12 ounces and cost about $7.

McDonald’s will test selling a variety of packaged ground and whole-bean coffee at supermarkets and other retail outlets starting next year
McDonald’s will test selling a variety of packaged ground and whole-bean coffee at supermarkets and other retail outlets starting next year

The company is teaming up with Kraft Foods Group Inc. to distribute the coffee.

McDonald’s did not say how widespread the test would be.

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Syria’s declared chemical equipment destroyed

Roy Siemens
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Syria’s declared chemical equipment destroyed

Syria’s declared equipment for producing, mixing and filling chemical weapons has been destroyed, sources with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons say.

An announcement by the OPCW is expected later – a day before its deadline which Syria had to meet.

Inspectors were sent to Syria following allegations that government forces had used chemical weapons in civilian areas, killing scores of people.

Syria's declared equipment for producing, mixing and filling chemical weapons has been destroyed
Syria’s declared equipment for producing, mixing and filling chemical weapons has been destroyed

Syrian government denies the accusations.

The inspections were agreed between Russia and the US after Washington threatened to use force in Syria.

The US says more than 1,400 people were killed during a nerve agent attack in Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus on August 21.

Syria and Russia believe rebel groups were responsible for the attack.

Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal is believed to include more than 1,000 tonnes of the nerve gas sarin, the blister agent sulphur mustard and other banned chemicals, stored at dozens of sites.

It has until mid-2014 to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile.

Happy Halloween 2013! Seventeen little known facts about the spooky holiday

James J. Williams
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Happy Halloween 2013! Seventeen little known facts about the spooky holiday

Happy Halloween 2013!

It’s no mystery that this annual night of fright is chockfull of candy, costumes and chilling decor, but do you know just how many confectionary treats are actually gobbled up on Halloween? Or the amount of cash spent to make all the macabre magic happen?

Here are some facts that will make you the brainiest of the bunch on All Hallows’ Eve:

  1. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest time to carve a face into a pumpkin is 20.1 seconds, achieved by David Finkle of the United Kingdom. He completed the feat on October 7, 2010, while filming a Halloween show for the BBC.
  2. For some towns in the US, the Halloween theme lasts all year long, thanks to their names. A few that would be especially fun to visit for the holiday: Frankenstein, Missori; Scary, West Virginia; Spook City, Colorado; and Candy Town, Ohio.
  3. No matter how scary your local haunted house is, it probably can’t top the Haunted Cave in Lewisburg, Ohio. It measures 3,564 feet long, and Guinness World Records named it the world’s longest haunted house in 2010 (until it was beaten by a haunted house in Japan in 2011). Even spookier: It’s located 80 feet below ground in an abandoned mine.
  4. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there will be 41.1 million trick-or-treaters ages 5 to 14 in America this year. Parents are expected to spend $1.04 billion on children’s costumes -and if they’re on trend, most of the cash will go toward pumpkin, princess, witch or vampire getups.
  5. Although the cards may be ghoulish, the sentiment is sweet – according to Hallmark, Halloween ranks as the sixth most popular card-giving holiday, with 19 million cards sent each year. Christmas comes in first place, with a whopping 1.6 billion cards sent each year.
  6. Halloween candy coffers wouldn’t be the same without California. Why? Because according to the US Census Bureau, the Golden State leads the nation in non-chocolate confectionary production. Out of the 409 sites that manufacture non-chocolate confections in the US, California is home to 45 of them.

    Halloween 2013
    Halloween 2013
  7. In 1950, Philadelphia-based trick-or-treaters traded in a sweet tooth for a sweet action. In lieu of candy, residents collected change for children overseas and sent it to UNICEF. Subsequently, the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF program was born.
  8. Valentine’s Day is no longer the sweetest national holiday – at least when it come to candy sales. More than twice as much chocolate is sold for Halloween as for Valentine’s Day; 90 million pounds of chocolate are sold during Halloween week alone. In total, $1.9 billion is spent on Halloween candy each year
  9. Americans’ enthusiasm to get in the Halloween spirit just keeps growing. According to the National Retail Federation, average spending on Halloween has increased 54% since 2005, with total spending estimated to reach $6.9 billion in 2013.
  10. A working magician from the age of 17, Harry Houdini (née Ehrich Weisz) became America’s favorite magician and a world-renown legend for his daring escapes. It was only fitting, then, for this master trickster to die on October 31, 1926 – from a ruptured appendix.
  11. Since its invention in 1898 by the Herman Goelitz Confectionery Co. of Fairfield, California, (now known as the Jelly Belly Candy Co.), candy corn has been wildly popular – so much so that today, more than 35 million pounds of candy corn are produced each year.
  12. It was just tricks – no treats – for Charlie Brown in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. In the 1966 TV special, he utters: “I got a rock,” while trick-or-treating. The phrase went on to become one of the most famous lines in Peanuts history.
  13. Halloween wouldn’t be the same without pumpkins, and thankfully, there are plenty of gourds to go around. According to the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, in 2010, the top pumpkin-producing states – Illinois, California, New York and Ohio – produced 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins.
  14. Due to safety concerns, trunk-or-treating was introduced in 2000 as an alternative to hitting the pavement for candy on Halloween night. Cars are parked in a circle at a school or church parking lot, with event-goers decorating their open trunks and dressing in costume in order to hand out treats
  15. From its vampy costumes and sweet treats to macabre household decorations, Halloween is big business. So big, in fact, that it’s the second-largest commercial holiday in America – only Christmas surpasses it in sales.
  16. In 2010, Belleville, Illinois, became the latest city to ban trick-or-treating for kids over 12. Teens can face fines from $100 to $1,000 for going door-to-door (although according to officials, more often than not, over-age Halloween-goers are just given a warning).
  17. Got leftover Halloween candy? Save it for later! Dark and milk chocolates can last up to two years if stored in a dry, odor-free spot. Hard candy can last up to a year, while unopened packages of candy corn can last nine months.

Cirque du Soleil fined over Sarah Guyard-Guillot’s death

Sonia Pantiss
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Cirque du Soleil fined over Sarah Guyard-Guillot’s death

Cirque du Soleil will be fined after acrobat Sarah Guyard-Guillot died during one of its live shows in Las Vegas in June, Nevada state officials say.

Sarah Guyard-Guillot, 31, was performing at the MGM Grand hotel.

Investigators said Sarah Guyard-Guillot, a mother of two, fell 94ft to the floor when a safety wire became detached due to her rapid ascent.

They said Sarah Guyard-Guillot’s death was partly caused by a failure to give her adequate training.

Cirque du Soleil said Sarah Guyard-Guillot’s death was the first fatality during a live performance in its 29-year history.

The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Cirque du Soleil Nevada on six counts.

These included inadequate equipment training for Sarah Guillot-Guyard, and a circus-fall protection programme that did not match state safety standards.

Cirque du Soleil will be fined after acrobat Sarah Guyard-Guillot died during one of its live shows in Las Vegas in June
Cirque du Soleil will be fined after acrobat Sarah Guyard-Guillot died during one of its live shows in Las Vegas in June

The Nevada OSHA proposed more than $25,000 in penalties for the company.

It also proposed a fine of $7,000 against the MGM Grand hotel for exposing its employees to workplace hazards, including onstage open-sided floors and pyrotechnic dust used for Cirque du Soleil performances.

The accident happened during the final scene of the Canadian company’s show, Ka, a mixture of acrobatics, martial arts and puppetry.

Teri Williams, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, said the report found that Sarah Guyard-Guillot had ascended too quickly, which caused the rope to detach from the sheave/pulley.

“The rope was severed when it encountered a shear point,” she said.

“The investigation concluded that she ascended too quickly, in part, because she did not receive proper training.”

Both Cirque du Soleil and the MGM Grand say they will appeal against the OSHA ruling.

“Cirque du Soleil completed an exhaustive review of its safety policies and procedures in the wake of the tragic accident involving Sarah,” said Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard.

“We have redoubled our efforts to ensure the overall diligence and safety of our performers and crew.”

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Boston Red Sox wins World Series 2013 at Fenway Park

Clyde K. Valle
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Boston Red Sox wins World Series 2013 at Fenway Park

Boston Red Sox has won the 2013 World Series with a 6-1 victory over St Louis Cardinals in Game 6 at Fenway Park.

Winning the series 4-2, Boston Red Sox clinched the title in front of their own fans for the first time in 95 years.

Red Sox has now landed three Major League titles in 10 seasons, following an 86-year drought which ended in 2004 when they also beat the Cardinals.

Boston Red Sox has won the 2013 World Series with a victory over St Louis Cardinals in Game 6 at Fenway Park
Boston Red Sox has won the 2013 World Series with a victory over St Louis Cardinals in Game 6 at Fenway Park

The last time Red Sox won the World Series at home, their pitching staff included the legendary Babe Ruth.

The subsequent sale of Ruth, baseball’s greatest star, to the rival New York Yankees was said to have initiated the infamous Curse of the Bambino which Boston took more than eight decades to break.

“I knew this was going to be a special year,” said Boston slugger David Ortiz, the outstanding player of the best-of-seven series.

“When we started rolling, nobody ever stopped the train.”

“Big Papi” Ortiz, the only member of the 2004 team still playing for the Red Sox, was named as the World Series’ most valuable player.

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Barack Obama accepts full responsibility for fixing HealthCare.gov

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama accepts full responsibility for fixing HealthCare.gov

President Barack Obama has accepted “full responsibility” for ensuring the troubled HealthCare.gov website gets fixed.

Speaking in Boston, Barack Obama said he was “not happy” about the glitch-laden project, but made a full-throated defense of the broader 2010 healthcare law.

Earlier, the president’s embattled health secretary apologized to the American people over the botched website rollout.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the largest overhaul of the US healthcare system since the 1960s.

Commonly known as Obamacare, it aims to extend health insurance coverage to the estimated 15% of the American population who lack it.

But a central component of the law, the federal website where consumers can shop for health insurance plans, has been plagued by malfunctions since its launch on 1 October.

Barack Obama said in Wednesday’s speech: “There’s no denying it – right now the website is too slow. Too many people have gotten stuck. And I’m not happy it about it. And neither are a lot of Americans who need healthcare.”

He added: “So there’s no excuse for it. And I take full responsibility for making sure it gets fixed ASAP. We are working overtime to improve it every day.”

Barack Obama spoke at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, a state that in 2006 introduced a groundbreaking healthcare law that inspired the Obama administration’s own nationwide overhaul.

“Massachusetts has shown the model works,” he said.

President Barack Obama has accepted "full responsibility" for ensuring the troubled HealthCare.gov website gets fixed
President Barack Obama has accepted “full responsibility” for ensuring the troubled HealthCare.gov website gets fixed

He also took a swipe at Republicans, who view the health law as a costly and inappropriate government intrusion into healthcare, and have sought to undo or undermine it at every turn.

“If they put as much energy into making sure the law works as they do attacking the law, Americans would be better off,” the Democratic president said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told a House of Representatives committee that she was to blame for the website’s problems.

“Hold me accountable for the debacle,” she said.

“I’m responsible.”

Kathleen Sebelius acknowledged the website experience was “frustrating” for many Americans, but said the problems were “fixable” and that the site would be fully up and running by the end of November.

Some Republicans have demanded Kathleen Sebelius resign over the issue. They argue that the website’s faults reflect broader problems with the healthcare law.

Committee chairman Fred Upton, a Republican, called the website “inept”, saying that five weeks into enrolment, “the news seems to get worse by the day”.

The committee’s senior Democrat, Henry Waxman, acknowledged “the launch of the new website has not gone well”, but he said the “early glitches will soon be forgotten”.

Aside from establishing the federal insurance marketplace homepage and parallel websites run by 14 states plus Washington DC, the law bolsters coverage requirements for insurance firms, mandates that individuals carry insurance or pay a tax penalty, and offers subsidies to assist in the purchase of the insurance.

It also expands eligibility for the Medicaid healthcare programme for the poor in states where governors have agreed to it.

Amid the fallout, the White House has said it will grant a six-week extension – until March 31st, 2014 – in the healthcare law’s requirement for individuals to buy insurance or face a tax penalty.

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Forbes World’s Most Powerful People List 2013

Clyde K. Valle
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Forbes World’s Most Powerful People List 2013

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has topped Forbes magazine’s World’s Most Powerful People list in 2013.

Vladimir Putin has beaten President Barack Obama into second place on the list.

Pope Francis features at number four after Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Barack Obama’s “lame duck period” had started earlier than usual while Vladimir Putin had consolidated his control of Russia, Forbes says.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked number five – one of only two women to feature in the top 20.

British PM David Cameron is 11th most powerful, in the magazine’s opinion – well ahead of his French counterpart but well behind American philanthropist Bill Gates.

It is the first time in three years that Barack Obama has dropped to second place on the Forbes list.

It comes as relations between the US and Russia have been hit by the civil war in Syria.

Vladimir Putin, who has been dominating Russian politics for 12 years, was re-elected president in March 2012.

Vladimir Putin has topped Forbes magazine’s World's Most Powerful People list in 2013
Vladimir Putin has topped Forbes magazine’s World’s Most Powerful People list in 2013

Barack Obama, on the other hand, has emerged bruised from a 16-day US government shutdown caused by a budget and debt crisis in Washington, Forbes says:

“Putin has solidified his control over Russia, while Obama’s lame duck period has seemingly set in earlier than usual for a two-term president – latest example: the government shutdown mess.”

Russia granted asylum in August to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is wanted in the US over intelligence leaks.

A month later, Vladimir Putin “played the trump card again” by averting Barack Obama’s threatened missile strikes on Syria with a plan for Damascus to hand over chemical weapons, the magazine says.

“Anyone watching this year’s chess match over Syria and NSA leaks has a clear idea of the shifting individual power dynamics,” it adds.

 

Top 10 Most Powerful People – Forbes 2013

1. Vladimir Putin, Russian President

2. Barack Obama, US President

3. Xi Jinping, Chinese President

4. Pope Francis, Roman Catholic Church

5. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor

6. Bill Gates, co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

7. Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman

8. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

9. Mario Draghi, European Central Bank president

10. Michael Duke, Wal-Mart CEO

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Decorated dogs for Halloween on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Lisa.Felice
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Decorated dogs for Halloween on Jimmy Kimmel Live

According to the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Americans spend $300 million on costumes for their pets every Halloween.

On last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, creative dog groomer Catherine Opson showed off several dogs that were painted and groomed in interesting ways for Halloween. The five different dog designs shown included a zombie, a leopard, a koi pond, Sesame Street, and The Simpsons.

On last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, creative dog groomer Catherine Opson showed off several dogs that were painted and groomed in interesting ways for Halloween
On last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, creative dog groomer Catherine Opson showed off several dogs that were painted and groomed in interesting ways for Halloween

However, the most amazing design was likely The Simpsons, which were actually displayed on two dogs. Jimmy Kimmel quipped they were the only dogs “to be sued by FOX for copyright infringement.”

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Graham Stark dies aged 91

Sonia Pantiss
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Graham Stark dies aged 91

Actor Graham Stark, best known for his recurring roles opposite Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films, has died aged 91.

Graham Stark died in London on Tuesday after recently suffering a stroke.

Roles in Alfie and James Bond spoof Casino Royale were among his more than 100 screen credits.

It was his friendship with Peter Sellers that secured his roles in the Pink Panther series, beginning with 1964 film A Shot in the Dark.

Graham Stark played Inspector Clouseau’s stone-faced assistant, Hercule Lajoy, a role he reprised in 1982’s Trail of the Pink Panther. The part saw him say little more than “Oui, monsieur” to Clouseau’s orders.

He later starred as Dr. Auguste Balls in Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and Son of the Pink Panther (1993).

Graham Stark’s friendship with Peter Sellers secured his roles in the Pink Panther series
Graham Stark’s friendship with Peter Sellers secured his roles in the Pink Panther series

Graham Stark  memorably also appeared in 1976’s The Pink Panther Strikes Again, playing a German hotel clerk in a scene where Clouseau is bitten by a dog.

“I thought you said your dog did not bite?” says Clouseau, to which Graham Stark replies: “That is not my dog.”

Graham Stark, who was born in Wallesey, Merseyside, made his professional debut at the Lyceum theatre in London in a pantomime aged 13.

After studying at Rada he volunteered for the RAF. During the war years he entertained the troops around the world with fellow airmen and future stars Sellers, Tony Hancock and Dick Emery.

Graham Stark  went on to star in numerous comedy TV shows, including The Idiot Weekly, A Show Called Fred and Benny Hill, before landing his own BBC sketch series, The Graham Stark Show, in 1964.

Other films in which he he appeared include Victor Victoria, Superman III and Blind Date.

Graham Stark, also directed two films: the 1970 short Simon Simon and the 1971 comedy The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins.

He was a keen photographer and had exhibited his work – mainly images of his acting colleagues and friends – around the world.

Graham Stark  is survived by his wife, the actress Audrey Nicholson, and three children.

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Halloween Recipe: Glittery Pumpkin Cupcake

Kathryn R. Bown
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Halloween Recipe: Glittery Pumpkin Cupcake

Halloween Glittery Pumpkin Cupcake

Ingredients

1 teaspoon coarse orange sanding sugar or orange sprinkles

1 vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting

1 1-inch piece green licorice twist or gummy worm

Halloween Glittery Pumpkin Cupcakes
Halloween Glittery Pumpkin Cupcakes

Directions

Place the sugar in a small bowl. Dip the cupcake in the sugar to coat. Top with the licorice to make the stem.

You don’t need be a pro to create this easy look – simply dip the cupcake into a bowl of colored sanding sugar and top with a piece of green licorice twist.

India to restrict foreign cloud-based email services after NSA leaks

Nancy Clayson
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India to restrict foreign cloud-based email services after NSA leaks

India will impose a ban on the use of foreign cloud-based email services to send official communications, before the end of the year.

It would prevent civil servants using Gmail, Yahoo! or Outlook.com.

Instead they would be required to use a service provided by the country’s own National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The move follows the publication of leaks about US cyber-spying operations.

According to documents given to the Guardian and subsequently reported by The Hindu newspaper in June, 6.3 billion pieces of information were collected from India’s computer and telephone networks over the course of a month by the US NSA, making it the fifth most “intensively watched” country.

India’s communications and IT minister first announced his intention to restrict which email services officials could use in August.

He added that staff working outside the country should use virtual private networks and one-time passwords when accessing NIC servers to further protect themselves.

India will impose a ban on the use of foreign cloud-based email services to send official communications, before the end of the year
India will impose a ban on the use of foreign cloud-based email services to send official communications, before the end of the year

“It is imperative in view of the security concerns that exist in other countries,” Kapil Sibal said at the time.

One of the minister’s officials has now confirmed the plan is close to implementation.

“Our effort will be to operationalise the policy by mid or end-December,” said J Satyanarayana, secretary at the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, at a conference in Delhi.

India is not the only country implementing such measures.

Earlier this month Brazil’s president confirmed her country planned to set up its own secure, encrypted email service to “prevent possible espionage”.

The move would prevent the NSA and GCHQ (the UK Government Communications Headquarters) monitoring locally sent and received messages unless Brazilians allowed them access to their servers or if the emails were sent to an account belonging to a non-protected service.

President Dilma Rousseff, in a speech at the UN. described the suspected interception of Brazilian diplomats’ data as “a breach of international law”.

However, India’s ministers have been less vocal about the issue.

“This is not scrutiny and access to actual messages,” said India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid in July when questioned about the alleged surveillance of his country.

“It is only computer analysis of patterns of calls and emails that are being sent. It is not actually snooping specifically on content of anybody’s message or conversation.”

India is in the process of creating its own data intercept scheme called the Centralized Monitoring System.

Local telecoms operators have been told they must co-operate with the surveillance effort, which involves a variety of local security agencies.

Spain officially out of recession after first quarterly economic growth since 2011

Clyde K. Valle
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Spain officially out of recession after first quarterly economic growth since 2011

Spain is officially out of recession after first quarterly economic growth since 2011, according to data from the country’s National Statistics agency INE.

Spain’s GDP grew 0.1% in the July-to-September period, after contracting for the previous nine quarters.

Its growth confirmed last week’s estimates from the Bank of Spain.

Spain was one of the countries worst hit by the global economic crisis, with street riots and soaring unemployment.

The statistics mean Spain is officially out of recession.

Spain is officially out of recession after first quarterly economic growth since 2011
Spain is officially out of recession after first quarterly economic growth since 2011

The INE said an increasing number of exports supported the growth, with a boost to the tourist industry from holidaymakers avoiding northern Africa and the Middle East.

Ben May, economist at Capital Economics, said the growth was encouraging and cited business surveys that suggested there “may be more to come in the near term”.

He said: “However, domestic demand is still contracting and against that backdrop, it’s hard to see a strong and sustained recovery.”

Spain’s economy has been ailing since its property bubble burst in 2008.

Its banks needed government bailouts from other European countries to survive, after they were left with hundreds of billions worth of euros in bad debts.

Since then, Spain has endured Europe’s highest level of unemployment, at 26%. There have been huge street protests in response to government austerity cuts and thousands of businesses have gone bust.

Spain’s government recently predicted the end of its recession was near, saying its reforms and cuts were paying off.

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Tiananmen car crash suspects detained in China

Roy Siemens
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Tiananmen car crash suspects detained in China

Chinese police have detained five suspects in connection with Monday’s deadly car crash at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, state media report.

Police have described the incident as a “violent terror attack”, the Xinhua news agency says, for first time.

All three people in the car had names from the Muslim Uighur minority in the restive western region of Xinjiang.

Two bystanders died and 38 people were injured after the vehicle crashed into a crowd and burst into flames.

The police said that what happened at Tiananmen Square was a “violent terrorist attack” which was “carefully planned and organised”, Xinhua says.

The jeep that crashed into a bridge in front of the Forbidden City was driven by a man who was with his wife and mother, police said in a statement.

All three had names from the Muslim Uighur minority in the Xinjiang region.

Chinese police have detained five suspects in connection with Monday's deadly car crash at Beijing's Tiananmen Square
Chinese police have detained five suspects in connection with Monday’s deadly car crash at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square

The three ignited petrol inside the car, they added.

Police said the vehicle they found on Monday had a container for petrol, two knives and what they describe as a flag with extremist religious slogans on it. They added that the car’s number plates were registered in Xinjiang province.

They said they also found more knives and another flag at a location in Beijing.

On Wednesday, a number of news agency reports said a police notice was being circulated among hotels in Beijing, asking information about eight suspects.

Seven have names typical of the Uighur ethnic group and the other, although seemingly from China’s majority Han ethnicity, has an address in Xinjiang, reports say.

A tourist from the Philippines and a tourist from Guangdong province were among those killed in the incident. Another 38 people were injured, including three tourists from the Philippines and one from Japan.

Police shut down the scene of the incident – at the north end of the square at an entrance to the Forbidden City – shortly after it occurred, temporarily closing a subway station and a road.

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Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabooks smell of cat urine

Nancy Clayson
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Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabooks smell of cat urine

A number of Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabooks users have complained that their laptops “smell of cat urine”.

Dell engineers have ruled out biological contamination, and said the smell was not a health hazard.

The problem lay in the manufacturing process, which has now been changed, Dell said.

Users affected by the issue should send their laptop back for replacement parts.

Customers first raised the issue with Dell’s high-end business laptop in June.

“A few weeks ago I got a new Lattitude 6430u for work,” one user called Three West complained on Dell’s hardware support forum.

A number of Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabooks users have complained that their laptops smell of cat urine
A number of Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabooks users have complained that their laptops smell of cat urine

“The machine is great, but it smells as if it was assembled near a tomcat’s litter box. It is truly awful!”

Other users said they had blamed their cats for the smell.

Dell support technicians initially suggested that users should clean the laptop air vents with compressed air, but users complained that the odor persisted.

In September, a customer known as Malioz raised a concern that the cause of the problem could be to do with the polymer used in the laptop plastics, and asked whether chemicals causing the smell could be a health hazard.

After an investigation, Dell concluded that the odor was not hazardous to health.

“The smell is not related to cat urine or any other type of biological contaminant, nor is it a health hazard,” Dell support technician SteveB said.

The problem was related to the manufacturing process, and had now been resolved, he said.

“If you order an E6430u now, it will not have the issue.”

Dell recommended that users should send affected laptops away for a replacement palm rest and keyboard.

 

Halloween Muffins Recipe: Witch Hat Cupcakes

Kathryn R. Bown
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Halloween Muffins Recipe: Witch Hat Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the perfect choice for any celebratory occasion and can be easily transformed to make scary, yet delicious treats that will complete any Halloween party or gathering.

 

Witch hat cupcakes

 

Ingredients

For the cakes:

  • 150g self-raising flour
  • 150g butter (room temperature)
  • 3 medium eggs (room temperature)
  • 150g sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 30ml milk (room temperature)

For the buttercream:

  • 270g unsalted butter
  • 400g icing sugar
  • 1tsp good quality vanilla extract
  • 30ml milk
  • Tangerine food colour

For the toppers:

  • 250g black fondant
  • 100g white fondant
  • Gum tragacanth (optional)
  • Black, yellow, tangerine and violet food color

    Witch hat cupcakes
    Witch hat cupcakes

Equipment:

  • 12 purple cases
  • Sharp knife
  • 1cm and 7mm square cutters (optional)
  • Small paint brush
  • Wilton 2A nozzle and piping bag (optional)
  • Large drying sponge or greaseproof paper

 

 

Method:

For the toppers:

  1. You will need to make these toppers 2 days before you actually need them in order for them to set.
  2. The day before you want to make these toppers. Add your gum tragacanth to the black fondant and knead for 5 min, adding this can sometimes dull the black color so add a touch of black food color to bring it back again. Wrap this in cling film and pop in an airtight container overnight. This is an optional step but makes the fondant easier to work with.
  3. Color 50g fondant purple and 50g yellow.
  4. Rolling the black fondant out to 3mm thick and cut 12 triangles to fit the size of your cupcakes. After cutting the triangle bend the tops slightly to give a ‘floppy’ look. Pop the triangles on a large drying sponge or a piece of greaseproof to dry while you make the straps.
  5. Roll out the purple fondant to 2mm thick and with a sharp knife cut 4mm thick straps and place ¾ of the way up the hats. Trim to size and stick with a brush of water
  6. For the buckles roll out the yellow fondant and with a sharp knife cut 12 squares using the square cutters if you have them. With a smaller square cutter, cut the centre from the larger squares. Alternatively you can cut a small square from the left over purple fondant and stick it in the centre. Stick the buckles with a brush of water in the centre of the purple straps.
  7. Leave to dry for a couple of days in a breathable box – cake or shoe boxes work well. This will make sure the hats don’t droop onto the cakes.

For the cakes:

  1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line the baking tray with 12 cases
  2. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until smooth, don’t overbeat or the batter will be greasy.
  3. Divide the batter between the 12 cases and bake for 20-25. Remove and cool in the trays for 10 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack
  4. To make the buttercream: Pop all the ingredients onto a large bowl and beat on a low speed for about 7 min until smooth.
  5. Once cooled completely, pipe or spread a ball of buttercream into the centre of the cake. If using a piping bag, hold the nozzle in the centre of the cakes and apply pressure the bag, while keeping the nozzle in the centre. If you press the tip into the buttercream as you apply pressure you’ll get a perfect ball of buttercream. Stop applying pressure when the buttercream reaches close to the cake cases.
  6. Top the buttercream with a witch hat topper.

NSA surveillance: German intelligence officials in US talks over spy claims

Diane A. Wade
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NSA surveillance: German intelligence officials in US talks over spy claims

German intelligence officials are in Washington for talks at the White House on Wednesday following claims that the US monitored Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone.

Angela Merkel’s foreign policy adviser and Germany’s intelligence co-ordinator will hold talks at the White House.

The head of US intelligence has defended the monitoring of foreign leaders as a key goal of operations.

The US is facing growing anger over reports it spied on its allies abroad.

It has also been reported that the NSA monitored French diplomats in Washington and at the UN, and that it conducted surveillance on millions of French and Spanish telephone calls, among other operations against US allies.

German intelligence officials are in Washington for talks at the White House following claims that the US monitored Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone
German intelligence officials are in Washington for talks at the White House following claims that the US monitored Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone

However, NSA director General Keith Alexander said “the assertions… that NSA collected tens of millions of phone calls are completely false”.

The revelations stem from documents leaked by fugitive ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who now lives in Russia and is wanted in the US in connection with the unauthorised disclosures.

German media have reported that the US bugged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone for more than a decade – and that the surveillance only ended a few months ago.

Germany’s delegation includes Christoph Heusgen, Angela Merkel’s foreign policy adviser, and Guenter Heiss, the secret service co-ordinator, said Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the US National Security Council.

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, are also expected to take part.

Caitlin Hayden said the meeting was part of the agreement reached between President Barack Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel last week to deepen US-German cooperation on intelligence matters.

The meeting comes just hours after James Clapper and Gen. Keith Alexander testified before the intelligence panel of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Gen. Keith Alexander said much of the data cited by non-US news outlets was actually collected by European intelligence services and later shared with the NSA.

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Best Halloween Candy 2013

Kathryn R. Bown
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Best Halloween Candy 2013

Halloween is all about the candy. So, make the neighborhood kids scream with delight by stocking up on this year’s best Halloween candies.

From classics chocolates to new takes on old favorites, here’s what you should be carrying in your candy bowl this All Hallow’s Eve:

1. Candy Corn Oreos

We don’t suggest you hand these out to trick-or-treaters, but you can keep them at home for a perfect end-of-the-night sweet surprise for your little ones. Serve them with a glass of milk, naturally.

2. Reese’s Pumpkins

For some reason the festive shaped Reese’s always taste the best; maybe it’s the thinner chocolate, giving you a richer peanut butter bite.

3. Candy Corn M&Ms

These M&Ms are not only your favorite type, they’re also in on the spooky spirit of this holiday.

4. Crazy Bones Lollipops

There’s no better lollipop for All Hallow’s Eve than these with their creepy bone-shaped stick. They’re a terrifically terrifying option for those who prefer non-chocolate candy.

Halloween Crazy Bones Lollipops
Halloween Crazy Bones Lollipops

5. Chocolate-Covered Pumpkin-Shaped Peeps

Peeps are generally a take-’em or leave-’em sort of candy. They melt away a little too quickly and they go stale overnight, but these new varieties are upgraded with a decadent chocolate dip. They’re now one step away from being a s’more; that’s a pretty delicious difference.

6. Annie’s Naturals Bunny Grahams

This year, that downer of a house that refuses to hand out candy gets a delicious upgrade. These organic, adorably-shaped grahams have taken on a festive flair, donning orange and black. No longer will these fun-size bags be the scourge of your candy spoils.

7. Candy Corn Pretzels

Salty-sweet treats really hit the spot, and this Halloween there’s a new option for satisfying that craving. Using the classic candy corn as a coating for salty, crunchy pretzels, these sweet treats come in fun-size packs for handing out or just pacing yourself.

8. Pumpkin Spice Break-A-Part

These satisfying sweets now come in the year’s favorite flavor, pumpkin spice. The balance of comforting spices and sweet milk chocolate might just make you forget all about those lattes.

9. Pumpkin Spice Kisses

They may be little, but they’re packed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin flavors so you can have the sweet taste of your favorite seasonal latte any time of day.

10. Dove Sea Salt & Caramel

This candy-consumption-based holiday isn’t just for kids. For a grown-up indulgence, stock up on these chocolates that pack the elegant contrast of sea salt and buttery caramel into two-bite treats.

Lady Gaga X Factor performance draws hundreds of complaints in UK

Lisa.Felice
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0
Lady Gaga X Factor performance draws hundreds of complaints in UK

Around 200 viewers have complained about Lady Gaga’s performance on The X Factor UK on Sunday, according to British regulator Ofcom.

The people contacted the broadcasting watchdog about Lady Gaga’s outfit of shells and flesh-colored underwear.

“We will assess all the complaints received on this issue before deciding whether to investigate,” said a spokesman.

Around 200 viewers have complained about Lady Gaga's performance on The X Factor UK
Around 200 viewers have complained about Lady Gaga’s performance on The X Factor UK

Another 60 viewers have complained directly to ITV about Lady Gaga’s appearance, before the 9 p.m. watershed.

An ITV spokeswoman said: “We do not believe Lady Gaga’s performance was inappropriate for the family audience of the X Factor Results show, which has an established tradition of featuring performances from the biggest music stars.

“Lady Gaga is well known for her highly individual performance style.”

In 2010, The X Factor final featured Christina Aguilera in a routine which was described as being “at the very margin of acceptability” by Ofcom.

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Emile Hirsch to play John Belushi in new biopic

Sonia Pantiss
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Emile Hirsch to play John Belushi in new biopic

Emile Hirsch is to star as John Belushi in a film biopic based on the legendary comic’s life.

Steve Conrad will write and direct the as yet untitled independent feature, to begin shooting in New York next spring.

Emile Hirsch, 28, is best known for his roles in Speed Racer, Milk, Into the Wild, The Girl Next Door and Killer Joe.

Emile Hirsch is to star as John Belushi in a film biopic based on the legendary comic's life
Emile Hirsch is to star as John Belushi in a film biopic based on the legendary comic’s life

John Belushi shot to fame as one of the original cast members of TV’s Saturday Night Live before dying of a drug overdose in 1982 at the age of 33.

According to Variety magazine, Steve Conrad will direct from a self-penned script adapted from a 2005 biography co-written by John Belushi’s widow Judy.

Steve Conrad’s writing credits include Will Smith film The Pursuit of Happyness, Nicolas Cage drama The Weather Man and upcoming Ben Stiller vehicle The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

His film will be executive produced by Dan Aykroyd, one of John Belushi’s best friends and the other Blues Brother in John Landis’s 1980 cult comedy film.

John Belushi, also famous for his role in John Landis’s film Animal House, was previously portrayed on screen by The Shield star Michael Chiklis in 1989 release Wired.

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Irwindale sues Huy Fong Foods over Sriracha hot sauce smell

Nancy Clayson
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Irwindale sues Huy Fong Foods over Sriracha hot sauce smell

Californian city of Irwindale has sued the maker of Sriracha hot sauce saying the factory’s smell makes the area uninhabitable.

Irwindale has asked a judge to prevent Huy Fong Foods from making the spicy condiment until the factory submits plan to reduce the smell.

Huy Fong representatives have said they are actively trying to fix the problem and have received no citations.

Sriracha sauce is sold around the world, and there was even a recent Sriracha festival in LA.

Californian city of Irwindale has sued the maker of Sriracha hot sauce saying the factory's smell makes the area uninhabitable
Californian city of Irwindale has sued the maker of Sriracha hot sauce saying the factory’s smell makes the area uninhabitable

Irwindale officials say residents have complained of burning eyes, irritated throats and headaches and are unable to escape the smell even inside their homes.

“The odors are so strong and offensive as to have caused residents to move outdoor activities indoors and even to vacate their residences temporarily to seek relief from the odors,” the city alleges in the lawsuit.

Huy Fong moved its factory to Irwindale, 20 miles outside Los Angeles, earlier this year. Before, it had two smaller factories in a nearby town.

During the months of September to December, all the chillies needed for producing the year’s sauce are processed and stored.

The company had been co-operating with the city until representatives denied the odors were a problem, saying workers had no complaints, according to Irwindale City Attorney Fred Galante.

Huy Fong founder David Tran told the Los Angeles Times that the company had already installed filters in the factory, to combat escaping smells, but needed more time to research how to best abate the odor.

North Korea: UN inquiry into human rights abuses

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea: UN inquiry into human rights abuses

Michael Kirby, the chief of a UN inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea, says he was “moved to tears” by testimonies of “gross human rights violations”.

Michael Kirby, a retired judge, said the inquiry had “copious evidence” of rights abuses in North Korea.

During the inquiry’s hearings, eyewitnesses described systematic torture, starvation and executions.

North Korea describes the inquiry as “a political plot” and has not given investigators access to the country.

However, the inquiry said that it was not biased against Pyongyang and that it had consistently asked North Korean representatives to take part in public hearings and question witnesses.

The inquiry is the UN’s first-ever human rights investigation into North Korea.

The UN panel interviewed witnesses in South Korea, Japan and the UK, and is conducting hearings in the US on Wednesday and Thursday. It will submit a final report to the UN in March 2014.

“Some of the testimony has been extremely distressing,” Michael Kirby said.

Michael Kirby said the UN inquiry had copious evidence of rights abuses in North Korea
Michael Kirby said the UN inquiry had copious evidence of rights abuses in North Korea

“I am a judge of 35 years experience and I have seen in that time a lot of melancholy court cases which somewhat harden one’s heart.”

“But even in my own case, there have been a number of testimonies which have moved me to tears,” he said.

Some of the atrocities reported included a woman forced to drown her own baby; children imprisoned from birth and starved; and families tortured for watching a foreign soap opera.

Kim Song-ju, a North Korean defector, told the hearing last week about the torture he experienced in a detention camp.

“The North Korean prison guards were telling us that once you get to this prison you’re not human, you’re just like animals,” he said.

Meanwhile, fellow inquiry member Marzuki Darusman said that fewer North Koreans had fled to South Korea in 2013.

In 2013 so far, 1,041 North Koreans had entered South Korea, compared to 1,509 in 2012 and 2,706 in 2011, he said.

“This represents a reversal of the trend of steady increase in the number of annual arrivals since 1998, possibly due to recently tightened border control and increased incidents of refoulement,” he said.

Refoulement refers to the forced return of refugees to their country of origin or another country where they are likely to be persecuted.

North Korean refugees tend to make their journey to South Korea via China, which borders the North. However, China often returns North Korean refugees, ruling them economic migrants.

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Israel releases second batch of 26 Palestinian prisoners

Roy Siemens
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0
Israel releases second batch of 26 Palestinian prisoners

The second of four batches of 26 Palestinian prisoners have been released in Israel as part of a deal for the resumption of peace talks.

Five prisoners were released in Gaza, while the other 21 were sent to the West Bank.

Those freed were all convicted of murders and had spent between 19 and 28 years in prison.

Israeli and Palestinian officials resumed direct talks in Jerusalem in August after a three-year hiatus.

Those who have been freed are seen there as political prisoners and heroes of the Palestinian cause – but that the decision has been hugely unpopular with the Israeli public.

The Palestinians released early on Wednesday were driven from Israel’s Ofer prison to the Erez crossing into Gaza and the Beituna crossing into the West Bank.

In Gaza, fireworks shot into the sky as the former inmates were driven away in a convoy. In the West Bank, the freed prisoners were taken to Ramallah, where Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed a large crowd.

The second of four batches of 26 Palestinian prisoners have been released in Israel as part of a deal for the resumption of peace talks
The second of four batches of 26 Palestinian prisoners have been released in Israel as part of a deal for the resumption of peace talks

Mahmoud Abbas said the next batch of prisoners would be released in two months, and called for all Palestinians to be freed.

“There will be no final agreement without the release of all the prisoners,” he said.

He also denied rumours that the deal for the prisoner release had been made on the understanding that Israel could continue building settlements.

The release has caused tensions within Israel’s governing coalition, with far-right parties trying and failing to stop it going ahead.

Shortly after the prisoners were freed, Israeli media reported that the government had announced that it would build 1,500 new homes in the east Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Shlomo.

The move was seen as an effort to mollify government hardliners. Talks between Israel and the Palestinians were suspended in 2010 after an Israeli freeze on settlement construction expired.

The longest serving prisoner, Isa Abed Rabbo, was convicted of murdering two students while they were hiking south of Jerusalem in October 1984.

A list of the prisoners was published 48 hours before the releases, to allow victims’ families to appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against the freeing – but the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by an organisation for bereaved families.

There have been large protests in Israel in recent days. Demonstrators on Wednesday held signs that read “death to murderers”.

Conditions over freedom of movement are often attached to prisoner releases by Israel but these have sometimes been broken in the past, with freed Palestinians being rearrested, our correspondent says.

The first batch of Palestinian prisoners was freed in Gaza and the West Bank on August 14.

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Halloween 2013: Five last minute ideas for DIY costumes

Kathryn R. Bown
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0
Halloween 2013: Five last minute ideas for DIY costumes

Looking to score an awesome and unique Halloween costume this year, but don’t want to break the bank?

Check out five delightful DIY options for your Halloween costume:

1. Mary Poppins

Practically perfect in every way, this costume is easy to throw together at the last-minute using items in your closet. The accessories are key in nailing this costume so don’t forget the red bowtie, red belt, hats, the umbrella or the broomstick.

2. Bandits

Make out like bandits with this couples costume idea. Pull this look together using striped shirts, black pants, sneakers, black hats and black gloves. The bags can be purchsed from a thift store or craft store. Use your computer to print out a stencil for the $ sign.

Bandits Halloween costumes
Bandits Halloween costumes

3. Fantastic Mr. Fox

This couples’ costume is timely and easy to make. Wear a vintage outfit so that when you put down your mask, you still look like you’re dressed in costume.

4. The Hamburgler

Have a striped dress in your closet? All you need are a few accessories to transform yourself into a hamburgler.

5. Medusa

You just need a few items to make this costume: A beige or white dress, gold accessories, sandals and rubber snakes for your hair.

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