The UN is to complain to the Syrian government and rebels after a convoy of chemical weapons inspectors came under sniper fire.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said he would ask the inspection team in Damascus to register “a strong complaint” so it never happened again.
The UN is to complain to the Syrian government and rebels after a convoy of chemical weapons inspectors came under sniper fire
The team is looking at five sites near Damascus where hundreds are reported to have been killed last week.
Russia has warned strongly against Western military action against Syria.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said any intervention in Syria without a UN mandate would be a “grave violation of international law”.
The West, he told a news conference in Moscow, had not been able to come up with any proof of chemical weapons use while “saying at the same time that the red line has been crossed and there can be no delay”.
He was responding to suggestions from some Western countries that military action against Syria could be taken without a UN mandate over the suspected use of chemical weapons by government forces.
The Butler has topped the North American box office for a second week, taking $17 million.
Officially titled Lee Daniel’s The Butler, because of a legal tussle, it tells the story of a long-serving servant in the home of the president.
Jennifer Aniston’s We’re The Millers remained second with $13.5 million, taking its total to $90 million.
The World’s End from British director Edgar Wright opened in fourth place.
The film, the final in the trilogy from Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, took $8.9 million, following an extensive promotional tour from the director and cast.
Its predecessor, Hot Fuzz, took $5.8 million when it open in 2007.
The producers of Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – which debuted in third spot with $9.3 million – are hoping to have hit upon the next big teen franchise in the mould of Twilight or The Hunger Games.
The Butler has topped the North American box office for a second week, taking $17 million
Based on young adult fantasy book series, Sony Screen Gems has already committed to a sequel.
The top five is completed by Disney’s Planes, a spin-off of Cars, which took $8.6 million.
The global box office chart, which excludes the US and Canada, was dominated by Jurassic Park, which has been re-released in 3D. Its strong showing, with $30 million, bodes well for the franchise restarting next year with Jurassic Park 4.
Second in the global chart was Matt Damon’s Elysium, followed by Monster’s University and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
Venice authorities have set out proposals to make navigation safer on the city’s main waterway after a German tourist died in a crash last week.
They aim to regulate traffic flow on the heavily congested Grand Canal, and include plans to carry out checks for drug use by gondoliers, the mayor says.
A 50-year-old German man died after his gondola collided with a “vaporetto”, or public water bus, on August 17.
Police say traces of cocaine were found in the bloodstream of the gondolier.
“We have to think of the Grand Canal as a street, a main street like that of all cities, with particular heavy traffic…we need some discipline,” said Venice Mayor Giorgio Orsoni on Monday.
Venice authorities have set out proposals to make navigation safer on the city’s main waterway after a German tourist died in a crash
To avoid future accidents, he said, “these measures will require some sacrifices for citizens”.
Gondolas may only be allowed to operate at certain times of the day after morning rush hour, he added.
He said the city council was assessing the possibility of widening narrow passageways – such as where the recent crash took place – by removing structures such as small docks.
They also hope to introduce a system of checking for drug and alcohol abuse by those in charge of boats and are looking into proposals to ban captains from using hand-held devices whilst navigating the canals.
Jaochim Vogel and his family were thrown into the water after their gondola collided with a water bus, which carries members of the public around the city’s canals.
His three-year-old daughter was treated in hospital for head injuries. Joachim Vogel, however, died after getting crushed between the two vehicles.
An association of gondoliers, which oversees training and issues limited licenses, is also engaged in discussions on safety and accident prevention.
The Farmers’ Almanac that hits newsstands Monday predicts a winter storm will hit the Northeast around the time the Super Bowl is played at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
The 197-year-old publication also predicts a colder-than-normal winter for two-thirds of the country and heavy snowfall in the Midwest, Great Lakes and New England.
“We’re using a very strong four-letter word to describe this winter, which is C-O-L-D. It’s going to be very cold,” said Sondra Duncan, managing editor.
Based on planetary positions, sunspots and lunar cycles, the almanac’s secret formula is largely unchanged since founder David Young published the first almanac in 1818.
Modern scientists don’t put much stock in sunspots or tidal action, but the almanac says its forecasts used by readers to plan weddings and plant gardens are correct about 80% of the time.
The Farmers’ Almanac predicts a winter storm will hit the Northeast around the time of Super Bowl
Last year, the forecast called for cold weather for the eastern and central U.S. with milder temperatures west of the Great Lakes. It started just the opposite but ended up that way.
Caleb Weatherbee, the publication’s elusive prognosticator, said he was off by only a couple of days on two of the season’s biggest storms: a February blizzard that paralyzed the Northeast with 3 feet of snow in some places and a sloppy storm the day before spring’s arrival that buried parts of New England.
Readers who put stock in the almanac’s forecasts may do well to stock up on long johns, especially if they’re lucky enough to get tickets to the Super Bowl on Feb. 2. The first Super Bowl held outdoors in a cold-weather environment could be both super cold and super messy, with a big storm due February 1 to 3, the almanac says.
Sondra Duncan said: “It really looks like the Super Bowl may be the Storm Bowl.”
The Maine-based Farmers’ Almanac, not to be confused with the New Hampshire-based Old Farmer’s Almanac, which will be published next month, features a mix of corny jokes, gardening tips, nostalgia and home remedies, like feeding carrots to dogs to help with bad breath and using mashed bananas to soothe dry, cracked skin in the winter.
Also in this year’s edition, editor Peter Geiger is leading a campaign to get people to ditch the penny, like Canada is doing.
Past campaigns have focused on moving Thanksgiving to harvest time in October, reconsidering “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem and changing the color of money. This time, Peter Geiger thinks he has a winner.
He wants people to donate pennies to charity and then lobby Congress to stop making them.
“They don’t get used very much. They get tossed. The only real use of a penny is if you save tens of thousands of them, then you can use them to help someone,” Peter Geiger said.
According to a new study, Republicans were about 50 percent more likely to tune in to Duck Dynasty Season 4 premiere than Democrats.
The sudy also found that and “Republicans who always vote in statewide elections were almost twice as likely to tune in as were Democrats”.
Republicans were about 50 percent more likely to tune in to Duck Dynasty Season 4 premiere than Democrats
The Washington Post reports the season premiere of the show “got ratings higher than a 30 percent share in 25 media markets,” which is “comparable to most Super Bowls.” And of the top 15 media markets “tuned in to the premiere, only three – Lima, Ohio, Charleston, West Vitgonia and Evansville, Indiana – are outside the South”.
Duck Dynasty is shattering cable television records – the season premiere two weeks ago was cable’s most-watched nonfiction telecast in history.
The study also found that “West Coasters and urbanites were least likely to watch. The show did worst in the San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles media market, where only 2.5 to 3 percent of households tuned in. New York, Boston, Las Vegas and Chicago were all near the bottom in media market performance”.
Chinese prosecutors said no leniency should be shown as the trial of former top politician Bo Xilai ended.
Bo Xilai’s crimes were serious and he had not shown remorse, the prosecution said, so leniency was not called for.
The disgraced politician, meanwhile, continued to deny charges against him and said his police chief tried to defect because he was in love with his wife, Gu Kailai.
The five-day trial adjourned after closing statements, with the verdict expected “at a date to be decided”.
The former Communist Party chief in the mega-city of Chongqing denies bribery, corruption and abuse of power.
On Sunday, the former high-flier launched a scathing attack on Wang Lijun, his former police chief whose flight to the US consulate in February 2012 led to a fresh investigation into the death of British businessman Neil Heywood.
Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, has since been convicted of the murder of Neil Heywood, and the abuse of power charge against the former politician relates to his role in attempting to conceal her crime, the court has heard.
Foreign media are not allowed into the trial, but the court in the eastern city of Jinan has been posting regular updates on China’s micro-blogging site Weibo (in Mandarin).
This is China’s most politically charged trial in decades. Bo Xilai had been seen as a candidate for the highest levels of office until his fall from grace. He is widely expected to be found guilty.
When court resumed at 08:30 on Monday, the prosecution made its closing statement.
Chinese prosecutors said no leniency should be shown as the trial of former top politician Bo Xilai ended
“The defendant’s crimes are extremely grave, and he also refuses to admit guilt,” an official transcript read.
“As such, the circumstances do not call for a lenient punishment but a severe one, in accordance with the law.”
The prosecutors’ statement was posted on the court’s microblog and then taken down, before being reposted without a sentence that referred to Bo Xilai acting on the orders of “superiors” in obtaining a fake medical certificate for Wang Lijun.
Bo Xilai then gave a statement to the court in which, according to the official transcript, he blamed Wang’s flight to the US consulate on the fact that he had been in love with Gu Kailai and feared Bo’s reaction.
He also defended his right to deny charges in court, saying he wrote previous confessions under pressure because he hoped by doing so he could stay in the Communist Party and keep his political career alive.
On Sunday the 64-year-old characterized Wang Lijun’s testimony as “full of lies and fraud”.
Wang, who has been convicted of crimes related to the Neil Heywood murder cover-up, told the court on Saturday that Bo Xilai hit him when he told him his wife was a suspect in the killing.
“He suddenly struck me with his fist and hit my left ear. It was not merely a slap… I found the corner of my mouth was bleeding,” court reporting of Wang Lijun’s testimony said.
Bo Xilai has also denied receiving bribes from two Dalian-based businessmen and embezzling funds at his trial.
“On the matter of abuse of office, I made mistakes, this reflected badly on the image of the party and the state. I feel sorry for that,” Bo Xilai told the court on Saturday.
“However I do think the charges against me exaggerated my role in these incidents,” he added.
Two years ago Bo Xilai was seen as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s top decision-making body.
But in February 2012, as the country prepared for its once-in-a-decade leadership handover, questions emerged over the death of Neil Heywood. Gu Kailai is said to have killed him over a business deal gone wrong.
Bo Xilai’s downfall was seen as the biggest political shake-up to hit China’s ruling elite in decades.
Duck Dynasty’s Jase and Missy Robertson said in a recent interview that they chose to remain abstinent until marriage as per God’s desire, and also spoke about their family values and faith in God.
“We were both virgins when we got married until our wedding night,” Jase Robertson said in an interview, whose video recording has been posted on the website of the non-profit group Abstinence Clearinghouse.
“We decided to do it God’s way and basically had a godly agreement that we would help each other get to heaven,” he said.
The Duck Dynasty series revolves around the Robertson family-owned duck call business in Louisiana, Duck Commander, and their strong Christian faith. The company produces duck hunting products, including a duck call.
A staggering 11.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the premiere of the fourth season of the series earlier this month to make it the most watched reality show ever on cable television.
“What attracted us to each other was what we saw in each other in our faith,” Missy, Jase Robertson’s wife, said.
“We’ve been very happy for 22 years before the money started coming in,” she added.
Jase and Missy Robertson said they chose to remain abstinent until marriage as per God’s desire
Missy Robertson said they can now see the same commitment in their children.
“And what an influence we can have on our children with that testimony. Our oldest son has been dating a great girl for over a year and a half and they also have the same commitment,” she said.
“So it’s just such a wonderful joyous time as a parent to see that and the commitment they have as children wanting to do that also.”
Jase Robertson added the world will benefit if they followed God’s desire.
“A lot of people just think that that’s unreasonable or preposterous,” he said.
“But you know, if everybody chose to do it God’s way, the world would be a lot better off.”
Jase Robertson also shared why he believes fame and fortune are frivolous to him.
“…We were raised really poor, my brothers, we had one bed, one room. But nobody told us we were poor and I was just as happy,” he said.
“The reason is because we loved who we were with, with our family. That’s really the reason why we love to hunt. It’s not so much about what we get to eat or how many ducks we shoot, it’s about who we’re with.”
Jase Robertson stated that following God brings happiness in a family.
“It’s a great testimony because we’re like, ‘Look, we don’t do this because we’re representing some organization. We do it because we trust in God and we believe that His way is the better way, in all things in life,” he said.
“I’m going to use whatever God blesses me with as a platform to tell the world that God is for you. He proved it through sending Jesus down here to die for us and be resurrected. And for us that gives us second chances and it gives us hope, and so we spread that message everywhere.”
All the cast members of the series often display their Christian faith in the episodes and are seen at the end of each program engaging in prayer.
The men of the Robertson family, brothers Phil and Si, and Phil’s sons Jase, Willie, and Jep, have become popular for their signature beards. Phil Robertson started the business in a family shed and spent 25 years making duck calls from Louisiana cedar trees.
“Thanks to its authentic and engaging characters, Duck Dynasty has become more than just a reality show, it is a cultural phenomenon,” David McKillop, executive vice president, of A&E told Inside TV last week.
According to researchers in the US, a new way of screening for ovarian cancer is showing “potential”.
Tumors in the ovaries are hard to detect in the earliest stages meaning it can be too late to treat them effectively by the time they are found.
A trial of 4,051 women, reported in the journal Cancer, showed the method could identify those needing treatment.
But a huge study taking place in the UK will give a final verdict on the test when it is completed in 2015.
There is a survival rate of up to 90% when ovarian cancer is caught early, compared with less than 30% if it is discovered in the later stages.
Unlike other cancers, the symptoms, such as pelvic and abdominal pain or persistent bloating, are often put down to other common ailments and the tumor can be missed.
There is no mass screening programme to detect the cancer either.
A new way of screening for ovarian cancer is showing potential
Scientists already know that levels of a protein in the blood, called CA125, are often higher with ovarian cancer.
However, it is too unreliable on its own. It misses some patients and tells others they have the cancer when they are actually healthy.
Researchers are now testing the idea of using the blood test to sort patients in risk groups based on levels of CA125. Instead of going straight for surgery, low-risk patients are tested again in a year, medium-risk ones after three months and high-risk patients have an ultrasound scan to hunt for tumors.
The US study, at the University of Texas, followed post-menopausal women for 11 years on average.
Ten women had surgery based on their ultrasound scan and all the cancers detected were at an early stage.
Researcher Dr. Karen Lu said: “Clinical practice definitely should not change from our study, but it gives us an insight – we didn’t get a lot of false positives.”
She said the UK study of 50,000 people would give definitive results: “There are two big questions – do we see cancers at an earlier stage and do we decrease the number of deaths.”
Sarah Palin revealed she loves the Duck Dynasty fever sweeping America, suggesting that Republicans turn to the famous family to find their way through the political wilderness.
“[I]t’s time our politicians wake up and hear some Duck calls from far outside the beltway,” the former Alaska governor explained on Facebook, praising the show’s record ratings on cable.
Sarah Palin and her husband Todd with Willie Robertson at the 2013 NRA convention
“The self-made, hugely successful businessmen (and women) of Duck Dynasty made history this week with the ‘most watched non-fiction series’ in TV history.”
Sarah Palin also praised a video showing Phil Robertson delivering a speech against abortion rights that has gone viral on the internet.
“To our GOP leaders in Washington, especially – this is what Americans desire and deserve; we’re not rooting for your social truces. As Phil so rightly asks, <<What in the world has happened to us?>>” she added.
Sarah Palin posted a photo of herself and her husband Todd with Willie Robertson at the 2013 NRA convention.
“Kudos to these Duck dudes for speaking their minds, and for their boldness in living the American dream of LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – reminding us all that it’s only with freedom that anything is possible,” Sarah Palin concluded.
Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras has said the country may need a third bailout but would not accept new austerity measures.
Yannis Stournaras said: “If there is need for further support to Greece, it will be in the order of about 10 billion euros [$13.4 billion], or much smaller than the previous programmes.”
Greece has already received two bailouts totalling about 240 billion euros.
Meanwhile, Cerman Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned about writing down any more Greek debt.
She said a so-called haircut of Greek debt would be bad for the stability of the eurozone, which has seen a return in investor confidence after years of worrying about the future of the single currency following bailouts of several nations – most recently, Cyprus.
“I am expressly warning against a haircut,” Angela Merkel said.
Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras has said the country may need a third bailout but would not accept new austerity measures
“It could trigger a domino effect of uncertainty with the result that the readiness of private investors to invest in the eurozone again falls to nothing.”
Angela Merkel’s comments come after Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, said – for the first time – earlier this month that Greece will need another bailout to plug a forthcoming funding gap.
The issue of bailouts is a sensitive one in Germany, where Angela Merkel faces elections for a third term on September 22.
Many Germans feel they have already contributed enough to European bailouts.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) last month estimated Greece would need around 11 billion euros in 2014-15.
On Sunday, Yannis Stournaras told Greek newspaper Proto Thema that any further bailout would be smaller than the previous two.
But he also warned that Greece would not accept any more forced spending cuts from its partners.
“We are not talking about a new bailout but an economic support package without new [austerity] terms… until 2016, the targets – our obligations – have been set and other measures or targets cannot be required.”
The Greek economy has shrunk further than any other in Europe, with bailout money only released on condition that the government imposes cuts and implements restructuring.
It comes after most of the 18-member eurozone countries came out of recession earlier this year.
Greece’s troika of lenders – the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF – will review the aid programme in the autumn.
Elmore Leonard’s son Peter has said he hopes to complete his father’s last novel.
Elmore Leonard, whose books included Get Shorty and Out of Sight, died aged 87 on Tuesday after suffering a stroke.
The author did not finish his 46th novel Blue Dreams.
Peter Leonard, also an author, told BBC Radio 4 he had talked to other family members about completing it.
Elmore Leonard’s funeral was held in the author’s home town of Birmingham, Michigan, on Saturday.
Blue Dreams was to have featured the Stetson-wearing US marshal Raylan Givens, who has appeared in a string of Elmore Leonard’s stories.
Elmore Leonard died aged 87 after suffering a stroke
In an interview with Radio 4’s Broadcasting House that was aired on Sunday, presenter Paddy O’Connell asked Peter Leonard whether he would finish the book.
“I would, I think so,” he replied.
“It’s been discussed among family members and I’ve talked to Greg Sutter, Elmore’s longtime researcher.”
Peter Leonard added that he did not know how many pages his father had written.
At the funeral, another son, Bill Leonard, told mourners: “Everyone knows that Elmore was a great writer. But only a few of us know that he was a great father – funny, patient and incredibly generous.”
As well as the order of service, attendees were given a small card listing Elmore Leonard’s famous 10 Rules of Writing, which include “never open a book with weather” and “try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip”.
Following the service, Leonard, who served as a Navy seaman during World War II, was given military honors, which included the playing of taps and a flag-folding ceremony, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The Syrian government has allowed UN inspectors to investigate allegations of a suspected chemical weapon attack near Damascus.
The team is to begin work on Monday. Activists say Syrian forces killed more than 300 people in several suburbs east and west of the capital on Wednesday.
State media reported that chemical agents were found in tunnels used by rebel fighters, and also that soldiers suffered “suffocation” in fighting around the suburb of Jobar.
State TV is meanwhile reporting that the governor of the central district of Hama, Anas Abdul-Razzaq Naem, has been killed in a car bomb attack.
The Syrian foreign ministry statement broadcast on state television said an agreement to allow UN chemical weapons experts to “investigate allegations of chemical weapons use in Damascus province” had been concluded on Sunday with the UN’s disarmament chief, Angela Kane.
The agreement was “effective immediately”, the statement added.
The Syrian government has allowed UN inspectors to investigate allegations of a suspected chemical weapon attack near Damascus
A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon subsequently announced that the inspectors were “preparing to conduct on-site fact-finding activities”, starting on Monday. A ceasefire will be observed at the affected locations, the statement said.
Russia, a key ally of Syria, welcomed the decision to allow the inspectors in but warned the West against pre-empting the results.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Saturday that three hospitals it supports in the Damascus area had treated about 3,600 patients with “neurotoxic symptoms” early on Wednesday morning, of whom 355 died.
While MSF said it could not “scientifically confirm” the use of chemical weapons, staff at the hospitals described a large number of patients arriving in the space of less than three hours with symptoms including convulsions, pinpoint pupils and breathing problems.
UK’s PM David Cameron has discussed the situation in a telephone call with President Francois Hollande of France.
David Cameron agreed a similar response in a telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama on Saturday evening.
Later, Syria’s Information Minister, Omran Zoabi, warned that US military action in Syria would not be a “walk in the park”.
“If the US leads a military intervention, this will have dangerous consequences. It will bring chaos and the region will burn,” he said.
A year ago, President Barack Obama said that any attempt by Syria to use its chemical weapons would be a “red line” for the US, and change his administration’s “calculus” in the region.
Argentina has been ordered again to pay back more than $1.3 billion to a group of American investors – 11 years after its record debt default.
A New York appeals court unanimously rejected every Argentine argument against the payout.
The decision is the latest twist in the long-running legal saga.
Argentina refuses to pay anything to investors who declined to participate in a previous debt reduction deal involving most of the nation’s lenders.
“What the consequences predicted by Argentina have in common is that they are speculative, hyperbolic and almost entirely of the Republic’s own making,” the judges said in their decision.
Argentina refuses to pay anything to investors who declined to participate in a previous debt reduction deal involving most of the nation’s lenders
But the appeals court held off forcing Argentina to pay pending an appeal to the US Supreme Court – which is considered unlikely to hear the case, but puts off any decision to 2014, well after Argentina’s congressional elections in October.
The appeal came after a Manhattan court ruled last February that Argentina had violated its contractual obligation to treat all creditors equally. That meant the country would have to pay the bondholders, led by NML Capital and Aurelius Capital Management.
Argentina defaulted on some $100 billion of debts in 2002, and has since restructured its debt twice, cancelling around 75% of the nominal value of the bonds.
Almost 92% of the country’s bondholders agreed to write off most of the amount owed to them.
NML Capital and Aurelius are demanding 100% repayment of the $1.3 billion, plus interest.
The investors were so determined to get their money that they went to court to have an Argentinean ship, the Libertad, impounded in Ghana last year. After several weeks, the ship returned home.
Hosni Mubarak has appeared in court, three days after being released from prison and placed under house arrest.
The former Egyptian president is facing a retrial on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising.
Hosni Mubarak sat in the defendants’ cage along with his two sons, former interior minister, and six security chiefs.
Earlier, the separate trial of the Muslim Brotherhood’s general guide and his two deputies was adjourned.
The court convened briefly and made its decision because Mohammed Badie, Khairat al-Shater and Rashad Bayoumi were absent for security reasons.
Their presence was requested for the trial’s resumption on October 29.
The Brotherhood leaders face charges of inciting the murder of protesters who stormed the Islamist movement’s headquarters in Cairo on 30 June as millions took to the streets demanding the resignation of Hosni Mubarak’s democratically elected successor, Mohamed Morsi.
Mohamed Morsi was deposed by the military three days later.
Hosni Mubarak has appeared in court, three days after being released from prison and placed under house arrest
He is being detained while prosecutors investigate allegations related to his escape from prison during the uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak from power, including that he conspired with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
On Sunday, Hosni Mubarak, 85, appeared in the dock inside the high-security courtroom at the police academy on the eastern outskirts of Cairo sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a white tracksuit and dark sunglasses.
He was reportedly flown by helicopter to the court from a military hospital where he has been held under house arrest since his release from prison on Thursday. The hearing has been adjourned until September 14.
Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison in June 2012 after being found guilty of complicity in the killing of hundreds of protesters. His former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, also received a life sentence, but the security chiefs were acquitted.
The former president and his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were cleared of separate charges of corruption relating to a gas export deal at the same trial because of the statute of limitations.
In January 2013, the Court of Cassation accepted appeals against their convictions by Hosni Mubarak and Habib al-Adly and ordered a retrial of all the defendants. Their supporters had noted that the original trial judge had said there was no evidence linking Hosni Mubarak to the shooting of protesters.
Their retrial began in May but it has been repeatedly adjourned for various reasons, prompting claims from pro-democracy activists and representatives of the victims that the judges and defense team were dragging out proceedings to avoid a verdict.
On Thursday, Hosni Mubarak was moved from a prison cell to house arrest at the hospital in Maadi, ending more than two years of incarceration.
It came a day after a court ruled that he could no longer be detained in relation to a separate corruption case that alleges he accepted gifts from the state-run publisher, al-Ahram. He has already served the maximum time allowed in custody in connection to the complicity case.
Under President Mohamed Morsi, state prosecutors brought new charges when courts ordered Hosni Mubarak’s release to ensure he was kept in detention. Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are being held on multiple corruption charges.
According to new reports, Lamar Odom has gone missing.
TMZ claims that people close to Lamar Odom have been unable to find or contact him for the last 72 hours.
The reports come after it was alleged that Khloe Kardashian threw him out of the house on Wednesday.
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom have been subject to persistent rumors that their marriage is in trouble after Lamar allegedly cheated on Khloe with two different women.
But several sources have told TMZ the real reason behind their marriage crisis is that Khloe Kardashian, 29, reportedly believes that her husband has a drug problem.
“Really hard to sit here and listen to people talk s*** about my family! F*** you and shame on you! I’m too protective for this s***!” Khloe Kardashian tweeted on Sunday.
Earlier this week the Kardashian family allegedly staged an intervention to convince Lamar Odom, 33, to return to rehab, but he refused, reports the gossip website.
Lamar Odom goes missing after Khloe Kardashian kicked him out of the house
Khloe Kardashian urged Lamar Odom in August 2012 to go to rehab and after he entered a San Diego facility she hired private investigators to make sure he didn’t leave.
The NBA star reportedly constantly threatened to leave the rehab clinic and Khloe visited several times to convince him to stay, but he left after three weeks, sources said.
Lamar Odom, who won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, stayed clean and played well last season for the Los Angeles Clippers, but sources said he resumed using drugs after the season.
Khloe Kardashian was convinced of recent reports of Lamar Odom’s infidelity, but feels his drug abuse has been the main problem, the website reported.
Neither Khloe Kardashian nor Lamar Odom has contacted a divorce lawyer.
“Khloe is more concerned about saving Lamar than ending her marriage,” a source told TMZ.
Khloe Kardashian allegedly tossed Lamar Odom out of the house after the failed intervention, and he was pictured Wednesday as an associated loaded a number of large suitcases into his car in Calabasas, California.
Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian got married in 2009 about a month after meeting each other.
Khloe Kardashian has recently endured reports that Lamar Odom had an affair with Jennifer Richardson for a year until March 2013 and a six-week fling with lawyer Polina Polonsky at the start of the summer.
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are spending a romantic few weeks together in the South of France after being reunited on Thursday.
And despite the scandal that is still surrounding her divorce, Lauren Silverman, 36, looked the picture of happiness on Friday as she was spotted walking arm-in-arm with Simon Cowell, 53, while cupping her growing baby bump.
Wearing a short print sundress, Lauren Silverman grinned as she took photos of the music mogul, amid reports that they are planning to set up home together.
While neither have spoken out about their plans in the wake of Lauren Silverman’s split from husband Andrew, they seemed very much together as they had some fun in the St Tropez sunshine.
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are spending a romantic few weeks together in the South of France
Clearly unfazed by the recent rumors of an extra-marital affair, Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman were relaxed and happy as they headed to a go-karting track for the day.
But instead of racing, Lauren Silverman seemed satisfied with just taking photos of Simon Cowell as he sat in one of the cars with a huge grin on his face.
And she couldn’t seem to stop touching her blossoming bump, which was clearly visible through her flimsy print dress, which caught the wind.
Lauren Silverman added a hat over her mane of dark hair and sunglasses over her face, but theirs was no mistaking the fact that she was in high spirits as she breezed along.
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman were pictured sharing an intimate meal in St Tropez over the weekend and were even spotted kissing in public, reports The People.
“Simon and Lauren looked like any other happy couple enjoying their summer holiday,” a source told the paper.
“They laughed lots and were extremely tactile.
“The kiss was clearly a sign that things are indeed very real between them. They looked intimate and romantic.”
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman were reunited in Cannes on Thursday and are believed to be staying together in a lavish $8,000-per-night hotel.
And despite the fact that she’s only just split from her businessman husband, Lauren Silverman is reportedly already setting up a life and a home with Simon.
“Simon is delighted Lauren has flown to be by his side and he wants to show he is caring for her. It also sends out a clear signal that he is doing the right thing,” said an insider.
An Australian man is believed to have been killed by a crocodile in the Northern Territory while swimming in Mary River during a birthday party.
Police say he ignored signs to stay out of the water at a popular camping ground at Mary River, 65 miles from Darwin, the state’s capital.
The river has one of the highest crocodile populations in the area.
Onlookers watched in horror as the victim was suddenly attacked.
The man is believed to have been killed by a crocodile in the Northern Territory while swimming in Mary River during a birthday party
The victim and another man had gone swimming across the river, and were swimming back when the crocodile attacked, police say.
“Several of the group in the party witnessed the male being taken in the jaws of the croc for a period of time, and then he was out of sight,” Senior Sergeant Geoff Bahnert is quoted as saying by the AP news agency.
“The Mary River is known worldwide to have the greatest saturation of adult saltwater crocodiles in the world. You don’t swim in the Mary River,” he added.
Saltwater crocodiles can grow up 23ft long and weigh more than a tonne; they are a common feature of Australia’s tropical north.
“I want to live my sober life. I don’t want to die. I’m on the verge of dying, because I’m a vicious alcoholic,” Mike Tyson said on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
“I’m a bad guy sometimes. I did a lot of bad things, I want to be forgiven.”
Mike Tyson claims he is “on the verge of dying” from ongoing drug and alcohol problems
At the age of 20, in 1987, Mike Tyson held the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles.
But five years later he was convicted of raping Desiree Washington and sentenced to six years in prison.
He returned to the ring but retired from the sport in 2006 and in 2007 was sentenced to 24 hours in jail and 360 hours of community service for drug possession and driving under the influence.
Mike Tyson, who now works as a boxing promoter, added: “I hope they can forgive me. I want to change my life, I want to live a different life now.
“I haven’t drank or took drugs in six days, and for me that’s a miracle.
“I’ve been lying to everybody that thinks I was sober, but I’m not. This is my sixth day. I’m never going to use again.”
According to a recent research, eating too much red meat could trigger Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists found that a build-up of iron – abundant in red meat – could cause oxidant damage, to which the brain is particularly vulnerable.
Researchers say this could in turn increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Prof. George Bartzokis of UCLA said that more studies have suggested the disease is caused by one of two proteins, one called tau, the other beta-amyloid.
As we age, most scientists say, these proteins either disrupt signaling between neurons or simply kill them.
He and colleagues looked at two areas of the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s and they compared the hippocampus, which is known to be damaged early in the disease, and the thalamus, an area that is generally not affected until the late stages.
Using brain-imaging techniques, they found that iron is increased in the hippocampus and is associated with tissue damage in that area. But increased iron was not found in the thalamus.
Prof. George Bartzokis said that most research had focused on the buildup of the proteins tau or beta-amyloid that cause the plaques associated with the disease.
Eating too much red meat could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s
But he believes the breakdown occurs further “upstream”, and it is the protein’s destruction of myelin, the fatty tissue which enables nerve signals to be sent along fibres, which disrupts communication and promotes the build-up of the plaques.
These amyloid plaques in turn destroy more and more myelin, disrupting brain signaling and leading to cell death and the classic clinical signs of Alzheimer’s.
He points out that myelin is produced by cells called oligodendrocytes.
These cells, along with myelin itself, have the highest levels of iron of any cells in the brain, George Bartzokis says.
He adds that although iron is essential for cell function, too much of it can promote oxidative damage, to which the brain is especially vulnerable.
Hypothesizing that elevated iron in the tissues could cause tissue breakdown, he targeted the vulnerable hippocampus, a key area of the brain involved in the formation of memories, and compared it to the thalamus, which is relatively spared by Alzheimer’s until the very late stages of disease.
They found increased iron levels in patients with Alzheimer’s.
Prof. George Bartzokis said: “It is difficult to measure iron in tissue when the tissue is already damaged.”
But the MRI technology we used in this study allowed us to determine that the increase in iron is occurring together with the tissue damage.
“We found that the amount of iron is increased in the hippocampus and is associated with tissue damage in patients with Alzheimer’s but not in the healthy older individuals – or in the thalamus.
“So the results suggest that iron accumulation may indeed contribute to the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The link to iron could mean that dietary changes and surgical interventions could lower the chances of the developing the disease, he said.
He explained: “The accumulation of iron in the brain may be influenced by modifying environmental factors, such as how much red meat and iron dietary supplements we consume and, in women, having hysterectomies before menopause.”
Prof. George Bartzokis said drugs are already being developed to remove iron from tissue and the new study may allow doctors to determine who is most in need of such treatments.
Tony Abbott, the favorite to win next month’s Australian general election, has launched his campaign.
The conservative opposition leader has vowed to control government spending and build a stronger economy by putting “bulldozers on the ground and cranes into our skies”.
Opinion polls show Tony Abbott is poised to end six years of Labor rule.
Earlier this week, Tony Abbott faced electoral rival and PM Kevin Rudd in a second election debate.
Tony Abbott, the favorite to win next month’s Australian general election, has launched his campaign
Addressing a major rally of his Liberal Party in the city of Brisbane, eastern Australia, on Sunday, Tony Abbott said the country could not afford another term under the governing centre-left Labor.
“We’ll build a stronger economy so everyone can get ahead… I hope to be an infrastructure prime minister who puts bulldozers on the ground and cranes into our skies,” he said.
The first debate between the two election rivals on August 11, where Kevin Rudd had been expected to shine, was seen as a draw.
It remains unclear whether there will be a third debate.
Labor has switched prime ministers twice during the time it has been running the country.
Gerard Depardieu, who stirred up controversy by becoming a tax exile last year, has thrown a big housewarming barbecue in Belgium.
The 64-year-old actor invited some 200 people, including his new neighbors, to celebrate in the grounds of the five-bedroomed chateau he bought in Nechin in December.
Gerard Depardieu bought the property after France’s Socialist government proposed a 75% tax rate on high incomes.
The tax hike was later blocked by France’s highest court.
Since it was proposed last year, Gerard Depardieu has also taken on Russian citizenship, in a move much criticized in his home country.
Gerard Depardieu has thrown a big housewarming barbecue in Belgium
Hailed as one of the finest actors of his generation for films that include Cyrano de Bergerac, Gerard Depardieu told reporters he was a “citizen of the world”.
“I have worked around the world but I settled in Nechin,” he said.
Saturday’s feast reportedly featured T-bone steaks and suckling pig.
Earlier in the day, Gerard Depardieu was made an honorary citizen of Estaimpuis municipality, which includes Nechin.
Daniel Senesael, the mayor of Estaimpuis, said: “When he came to set up house here, he always told me that he wanted to do something nice with the neighbors.
“He kept his word. He bought his house, the neighbors were invited… and so I think it’s great when you keep your promises… and you can mingle with Depardieu, what more do you want?”
Gerard Depardieu told France’s Figaro magazine on Friday that the tax controversy had been “a big misunderstanding” and that he loved France “as much as ever”.
Bo Xilai has accused his ex-police chief Wang Lijun of lying over allegations of abuse of power.
Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai launched a scathing attack on Wang Lijun, his former associate in the central city of Chongqing, saying his testimony was “full of lies and fraud”.
The trial, in its fourth day in the city on Jinan, was later adjourned until Monday.
Bo Xilai, a former Communist Party chief in Chongqing, denies wrongdoing.
The scandals involving Bo Xilai’s family have captivated the country.
Many analysts assume the outcome of the trial has been predetermined with a guilty verdict, however, observers say Bo Xilai has put up a spirited defense.
Foreign media are not allowed into the trial, but the court in the eastern city of Jinan has been posting regular updates on China’s micro-blogging site Weibo (in Mandarin).
On Saturday the trial focused on accusations that Bo Xilai covered up the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in 2011.
Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, has already been convicted of murdering Neil Heywood.
Former police chief Wang Lijun testified against Bo Xilai on Saturday
Wang Lijun had been a key figure in court on Saturday, testifying that Bo Xilai had punched him after he told the politician his wife was responsible for the death of Neil Heywood
But Bo Xilai told the court on Sunday: “His character is extremely bad, he created rumors… and threw dust in the public’s eyes.
“It’s beneath legal credibility to present such a person as a key witness. Wang Lijun was lying during the trial and his testimony was not valid at all. His testimony was full of lies and fraud.”
He added: “He said I hit him with my fist instead of slapping him in the face. But the truth is I never learned the technique of Chinese boxing so I wouldn’t be able to have that power.”
On Saturday, Bo Xilai acknowledged he made “serious errors of judgement” but that the charges against him were “exaggerated”.
The abuse of office charge stems from accusations that Bo Xilai knew and covered up the fact that his wife murdered Neil Heywood.
Bo Xilai told the court he had discussed the accusations with her, and his wife told him that she was being framed for the murder.
He also described two difficult meetings he had with Wang Lijun on 28 and 29 January 2012.
Days after this confrontation, Wang Lijun fled to a US consulate to seek asylum, and the scandal became public knowledge.
Wang Lijun has already stood trial for his own actions and been jailed for 15 years, for defection, power abuse and bribe-taking.
Gu Kailai has also testified against her husband. On Friday, Bo Xilai described his wife as “insane” because she had implicated him in corruption.
She claimed that wealthy Chinese entrepreneur Xu Ming bought gifts for the family in order to gain favors.
Bo Xilai is also accused of embezzling 5 million yuan ($800,000) in 2000 which had been earmarked for a construction project in Dalian. Bo Xilai was the city’s mayor in the 1990s.
But at Saturday’s hearing Bo Xilai blamed his wife Gu Kailai for this, saying he had no knowledge that she had taken the money until later on.
North Korea has reacted angrily to Swiss decision to block a deal to sell ski lifts to the secretive communist country.
The equipment – which included chair lifts and cable cars – was for the Masik ski resort project which is currently under construction.
But the Swiss government said last week the equipment constituted luxury goods and so was subject to UN sanctions.
North Korea’s Skiers’ Association said such equipment should not be banned.
The resort, it said in a statement, was aimed at giving North Koreans “highly civilized and happy living conditions and make them enjoy all blessings.
“Cableway equipment for the ski resort do not produce any rocket or nuclear weapon,” it added.
North Korea has reacted angrily to Swiss decision to block a deal to sell ski lifts to the secretive communist country
The Masik ski resort site was believed to be a pet project of leader Kim Jong-un, who reportedly skied when he attended secondary school in Bern under an assumed name.
It is also being viewed as a response to South Korea hosting the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Work on the site had been delayed by heavy rains and landslides, but Kim Jong-un wanted the resort to be finished by the end of the year.
The North Korean leader has repeatedly visited the site and promoted it as an attempt to enhance the lifestyle of the nation’s citizens.
But Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) labeled the resort a “prestigious propaganda project for the regime”.
“It is inconceivable that this resort will be used by the general public,” SECO spokeswoman Marie Avet said.
The ski lift deal with Swiss company Bartholet Maschinenbau, valued at more than $7 million, is reportedly the third to fall through due to sanctions.
Austrian and French manufacturers also turned down deals, citing political reasons.
