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Iran is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme, says Hassan Rouhani

Roy Siemens
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Iran is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme, says Hassan Rouhani

Iran’s President-elect Hassan Rouhani says his country is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme.

In his first news conference since Friday’s vote, Hassan Rouhani also described as unfair sanctions imposed on the country over the issue.

The president said Tehran would not suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

The West suspects Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons. Tehran says its programme is solely for peaceful purposes.

At the news conference, which covered a wide range of issues, Hassan Rouhani also said his government would work towards “constructive interaction with the world”.

He thanked Iranians for “choosing moderation”, saying he would not forget his election promises.

Hassan Rouhani, a long-standing political figure in Iran, won just more than 50% of the vote in the election, avoiding a run-off vote.

Iran's President-elect Hassan Rouhani says his country is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme
Iran’s President-elect Hassan Rouhani says his country is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme

Iran’s president has limited powers, with key policy decisions being taken by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Our nuclear programmes are completely transparent,” Hassan Rouhani told a packed hall in the capital Tehran.

“But we are ready to show greater transparency and make clear for the whole world that the steps of the Islamic Republic of Iran are completely within international frameworks,” he said.

But he stressed that he would oppose halting Iran’s uranium enrichment – a key stumbling block in the continuing talks between Tehran and world powers.

Last month, the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had installed hundreds of new centrifuges at its Natanz plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) again expressed concern about the “possible military dimensions” of Iran’s nuclear programme.

But it said there had not been much growth of the most sensitive nuclear material – uranium enriched to 20%.

Iran has been the target of four rounds of UN sanctions and numerous UN Security Council resolutions calling on it to cease enrichment work.

Israel has threatened to carry out air strikes on its long-time foe if its enrichment activities do not stop.

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Turkish government may use army to end Gezi Park protests

Diane A. Wade
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Turkish government may use army to end Gezi Park protests

The Turkish government has announced it could use the army to end nearly three weeks of unrest by Gezi Park protesters in Istanbul and other cities.

The government would use “all its powers” and the armed forces if necessary, Deputy PM Bulent Arinc said on state-run television.

It is the first time the Islamist-rooted ruling party has raised the prospect of deploying the armed forces.

The issue is sensitive as the army is seen as a bastion of secularism.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan told hundreds of thousands of supporters at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday that the protesters were manipulated by “terrorists”.

Trade unions have called a strike to protest against the police crackdown on demonstrators which has seen some 500 people arrested.

Medical officials estimate that 5,000 people have been injured and at least four killed in the unrest.

The protests began on 28 May against a plan to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park, on the city’s central Taksim Square, but it snowballed into nationwide anti-government protests after the perceived high-handed response of the authorities under their three-term prime minister.

The Turkish government has announced it could use the army to end nearly three weeks of unrest by Gezi Park protesters in Istanbul and other cities
The Turkish government has announced it could use the army to end nearly three weeks of unrest by Gezi Park protesters in Istanbul and other cities

Bulent Arinc told state-run TV that “the innocent demonstrations that began 20 days ago” had “completely ended”.

Any further demonstrations would be “immediately suppressed”, he added.

“Our police, our security forces are doing their jobs,” he said.

“If it’s not enough then the gendarmes will do their jobs. If that’s not enough… we could even use elements of the Turkish armed forces.”

The deployment of gendarmes – a military unit under control of the interior ministry in peacetime – shocked some protesters in Istanbul this weekend.

In a separate interview, Interior Minister Muammer Guler stressed that he had not called on the army to help police the protests.

But he argued that the use of the gendarmerie was “quite normal”, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reports.

Bloggers reacted with skepticism to news that the army might be deployed.

“And this coming from the same people who always claim they liberated Turkish democracy from army intervention,” one wrote.

In Turkey’s capital, Ankara, riot police could be seen facing off with trade union activists on Monday.

Police officers used megaphones to order workers to stop their march towards the central Kizilay district, reports Reuters news agency.

“Those of you on the streets must stop blocking the streets,” they said.

“Do not be provoked. The police will use force.”

Union marches were also being planned for Istanbul, where police evicted protesters from their camp in Gezi Park over the weekend.

The Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions (KESK) and Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK), along with three professional organizations, announced a one-day work stoppage to demand an end to “police violence”.

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Alan Robertson and his wife Lisa join Duck Dynasty cast for Season 4

Sonia Pantiss
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Alan Robertson and his wife Lisa join Duck Dynasty cast for Season 4

Fans of the hit reality series Duck Dynasty are going to see the only clean-shaved Robertson brother featured on the show’s next season.

Alan and his wife Lisa Robertson will be joining the cast for the upcoming 4th season.

Alan Robertson, Duck Commander’s oldest son, likes to joke about his beardlessness as he’s chosen to stay behind the scenes and off the cameras.

He likes to think of himself as the original, after Phil Robertson of course. Alan has spent the past 22 years as a pastor but recently rejoined the team, with his primary responsibility being the one who schedules the cast’s seemingly endless public appearances.

Alan Robertson said: “It’s hard ’cause my thing has kinda been the different one, to not have to do that. The feeling is that once you go the long hair and the beard there’s no going back from that.”

Via the family’s official business they describe Alan Robertson this way: “Alan is the oldest son of the Duck Commander. He grew up hunting and fishing and helping build the foundation of the family business in the 1970’s & ’80’s. Back in the day, he and Phil would travel around Louisiana and Arkansas selling duck calls to stores right out of the truck! The sales pitch back then was the same as today: <<These calls are the best ‘cause they sound just like a duck!>>.

Alan Robertson and his wife Lisa join Duck Dynasty cast for Season 4
Alan Robertson and his wife Lisa join Duck Dynasty cast for Season 4

“He left the duck call business when he received the call for full time ministry in 1988 and now serves as a senior pastor in West Monroe, LA. Alan is still a part of the family’s commitment to spreading the gospel of Christ through their love of hunting and the great outdoors. He calls himself a Jacob in a family of Esaus.”

Alan Robertson also stated: “It’s like a sasquatch in reverse, cause you know, instead of the hairy sighting, I’m like the clean sighting.”

In a recent piece on 20/20, Willie Robertson stated that before the show Duck Commander sold around 60,000 of their patented duck calls a year. Now he says that number is way over 300,000. Taking that kind of growth into consideration, it’s obvious the Robertsons can use all the family help they can get – beard or not.

Via the Duck Commander Twitter page, a great photo of the ladies of the Duck empire was posted which includes Lisa Robertson.

A&E has reportedly been leery about including Alan Robertson because of how identifiable the beards are with the brand. But like the family says, it’s “Faith, Family, Ducks”.

Duck Dynasty: All four Robertson brothers pictured without beard

Sonia Pantiss
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Duck Dynasty: All four Robertson brothers pictured without beard

Duck Dynasty’s bearded brotherhood is the most popular family in reality TV right now but one member of the family has been left out, until now.

Who could have predicted that excess facial hair would become a phenomenon with nearly 4 million viewers?

“Used to, we would just have the beards during hunting season. That was the tradition where that got started. Then we would shave after hunting season. Now we’re filming, so you just have it year round,” said Jase Robertson.

The Robertsons say beards are good for business. It makes the family more recognizable for all of the Robertson boys, except one.

“Can’t you tell I look like a Robertson? Just imagine, you wonder what they look like underneath the beard. This is it,” said Alan Robertson, the oldest son of Duck Commander Phil.

Alan Robertson is the oldest of the four Robertson children. He likes to call himself the original.

Oldest Robertson brother Alan, who isn't featured on the show, stands over his younger brothers Willie, Jep, and Jase
Oldest Robertson brother Alan, who isn’t featured on the show, stands over his younger brothers Willie, Jep, and Jase

He spent the past 22 years as a pastor until just recently, when he decided to join the family business, where he helps schedule appearances.

Alan Robertson never really got into this whole beard thing.

“It’s like a sasquatch in reverse, cause you know, instead of the hairy sighting, I’m like the clean sighting,” he said.

The show’s network, A&E, is reportedly leery about adding a brother who doesn’t have a beard, saying it could take away from some of the mystery.

It has been that way for most of the company’s projects in the past.

“We went to Wal-Mart to sell them Duckmen 9 and Alan didn’t have a beard and they said the buyers said, <<Y’all are gonna have to put one on him>>. I was like, <<What?>> So that’s photoshopped,” said Missy Robertson, Alan’s sister-in-law.

“It’s hard ’cause my thing has kinda been the different one, to not have to do that,” said Alan Robetrtson.

“The feeling is that once you go the long hair and the beard there’s no going back from that.”

Do not be surprised if you see a little more skin in the coming seasons with the introduction of the abnormal brother of the Robertson clan.

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Duck Dynasty family: Alan Robertson, the only Duckman without a beard

Sonia Pantiss
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Duck Dynasty family: Alan Robertson, the only Duckman without a beard

Alan Robertson, the oldest son of Duck Commander Phil Robertson, is not featured in A&E’s hit reality series Duck Dynasty.

He grew up hunting and fishing and helping build the foundation of the family business in the 1970’s & ’80’s.

Back in the day, Alan and Phil Robertson would travel around Louisiana and Arkansas selling duck calls to stores right out of the truck! The sales pitch back then was the same as today: “These calls are the best ‘cause they sound just like a duck!”

Alan Robertson pictured with his brothers Willie and Jase, father Phil, uncle Si, brother Jeptha and duck call makers Justin Martin and John Godwin
Alan Robertson pictured with his brothers Willie and Jase, father Phil, uncle Si, brother Jeptha and duck call makers Justin Martin and John Godwin

Alan Robertson left the duck call business when he received the call for full time ministry in 1988 and now serves as a senior pastor in West Monroe, Louisiana.

He is still a part of the family’s commitment to spreading the gospel of Christ through their love of hunting and the great outdoors.

Alan Robertson calls himself a Jacob in a family of Esaus.

After 20 years in the pulpit, Alan Robertson stepped down as one of the 1,200-member congregation’s ministers. The clean-shaven member of the clan left to help run the family business, which has exploded with growth since Duck Dynasty premiered.

Alan Robertson works for the company on occasion, but is not featured on their reality show, Duck Dynasty.

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Apple discloses details of data requests from US authorities

Nancy Clayson
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Apple discloses details of data requests from US authorities

Apple has decided to publish details of data requests from the US authorities.

Apple is the latest tech firm to disclose the US government requests and said it received demands for information linked to between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices between December 2012 and the end of May 2013.

It said the demands included “national security matters” among other information. Microsoft and Facebook published similar numbers last week.

But Google and Twitter have said that such disclosures are not helpful.

“We have always believed that it’s important to differentiate between different types of government requests,” said a statement by Google published on Saturday.

“Lumping the two categories together would be a step back for users.”

A tweet from Twitter’s legal director, Benjamin Lee, added: “We agree… it’s important to be able to publish numbers of national security requests – including FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] disclosures – separately.”

Apple has decided to publish details of data requests from the US authorities
Apple has decided to publish details of data requests from the US authorities

Tech firms have been under pressure to disclose information about data passed to the National Security Agency (NSA) since The Guardian and Washington Post newspapers revealed the existence of PRISM – a programme giving the NSA access to user data held on the servers of tech firms including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, and Apple.

The NSA later confirmed the existence of the surveillance scheme as well as a separate phone records programme which it said had helped it thwart terrorist plots in the US and more than 20 other countries.

However, privacy activists and some politicians have raised concerns that the efforts went beyond what was intended under powers granted by the Patriot Act following the 11 September 2001 terror attacks.

Following the revelations, several of the tech firms involved said they had asked the US government to allow them to disclose information which would help them address concern about the scale of information that had been handed over.

On Friday, Facebook and Microsoft announced they had been given permission to reveal the number of data requests from US officials in aggregate, and Apple has now followed with its own statement.

“We first heard of the government’s <<PRISM>> program when news organizations asked us about it on June 6,” it said.

“We do not provide any government agency with direct access to our servers, and any government agency requesting customer content must get a court order.”

Facebook added that between 1 December 2012 and 31 May 2013 it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from US law enforcement for customer data, involving between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices. It did not say with how many it had complied.

It said the “common form of request” came from police who were investigating crimes such as robberies, trying to find missing children and patients with Alzheimer’s disease, or hoping to prevent suicides.

It noted that it would not have been able to decode encrypted conversations which took place over its iMessage or Facetime chat software on behalf of the authorities, nor did it store “identifiable” data related to Apple Map searches or requests made to its voice-controlled Siri service.

“Regardless of the circumstances, our legal team conducts an evaluation of each request and, only if appropriate, we retrieve and deliver the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities,” it added.

Kim Kardashian’s baby name to be revealed soon, says Khloe Kardashian

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian’s baby name to be revealed soon, says Khloe Kardashian

Kim Kardashian’s younger sister Khloe finally confirmed the safe arrival of her new niece on Sunday, who was born five weeks premature in Los Angeles on Saturday morning.

Khloe Kardashian, 28, also assured Keeping Up with the Kardashians fans that more news about the baby, including her name, which is rumored to begin with the letter K, will be revealed soon.

Writing on Twitter on Sunday, Khloe Kardashian said: “I can not even begin 2 describe the miracle that is now apart of our family. Mommy/baby are healthy & resting. We appreciate all of the love.”

The reality star added: “More info will come when the time is right! Thank you all for understanding! We love you all dearly! Overwhelmed with love right now.”

The messages were re-tweeted by her mother Kris Jenner, who also wished the rapper well for his first Father’s Day.

Kim Kardashian’s younger sister Khloe confirmed the safe arrival of her new niece
Kim Kardashian’s younger sister Khloe confirmed the safe arrival of her new niece

Kris Jenner wrote: “HAPPY FATHERS DAY @kanyewest!!!!!!”

The family matriarch later posted a collage of photos, featuring Kanye West, 36, her husband Bruce Jenner, her son-in-law Lamar Odom, her daughter Kourtney’s boyfriend Scott Disick and her late ex-husband Robert Kardashian, with the caption: “Well hello boys!!! Happy Fathers Day to the most wonderful men in the world!!! Thank you for being incredible Daddy’s I love you @letthelordbewithyou @reallamarodom @kanyewest Bruce and Our beloved Robert!!!”

Kanye West previously vowed to protect the privacy of his baby girl and is said to have urged Kim Kardashian, 32, to take a step back from the limelight for the sake of their daughter.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s baby, who was born at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, weighed in at just “under five pounds” at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and was almost one month premature.

The reality star was initially given July 12 as her due date – the same birthday of Kanye West’s departed mother, Donda West.

The baby was delivered at the same hospital where her sister Kourtney Kardashian and her partner Scott Disick had their two children Penelope and Mason.

Proud father Kanye West, who skipped out on a listening party for his latest album in Los Angeles on Friday, was at Kim Kardashian’s side during the birth when the baby was delivered naturally and without any complications.

Bruce Jenner buys a gun to protect his family

Lisa.Felice
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Bruce Jenner buys a gun to protect his family

During last episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians members of the clan focused on guns and protecting the famed family.

Bruce Jenner brought up the subject after saying police officers had advised him to get protection.

“There are a lot of wacko people in the world out there and I think I should have a gun in the house to protect me and my family,” said Bruce Jenner over a family dinner.

“The other day we had heavily armed police officers in our house after we were swatted. That is a good reason to get a gun in my house.”

Bruce Jenner insisted that he would use the gun with deadly force if anyone broke into his home armed.

“Yeah I’d blow his ass away,” he said.

Bruce Jenner and Rob Kardashian took their firearm safety course
Bruce Jenner and Rob Kardashian took their firearm safety course

But Kim Kardashian was against the idea: “I would never want a gun in my own home, that is really scary to me, I do not believe in them.”

Momager Kris Jenner was also opposed, saying: “No one is having guns in my house.”

But her husband Bruce Jenner told her he was taking a gun safety course and wanted his young daughters, Kylie and Kendall, to be trained in using weapons.

“It is a one in a million possibility but if it happens I want us to be ready. It is my responsibility to protect my family.”

Bruce Jenner and Rob Kardashian then took their firearm safety course, before Bruce took Kendall to the gun range with Scott Disick and Rob.

Despite being “freaked out” Kendall Jenner got her shots in, but Scott Disick was kicked off the gun range for waving a pistol about in an unsafe way.

Kris Jenner flew into a rage when she discovered her daughter had been to the gun range, but Bruce was not fazed.

“A gun is going in the house,” he said.

Daughter Kylie Jenner sided with her mother and refused to get involved with Bruce’s gun plans.

In the end, despite the disagreements Bruce Jenner won out and bought a gun for the house.

North Korea high-level talks offer receives cool response from US and South Korea

Roy Siemens
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North Korea high-level talks offer receives cool response from US and South Korea

The United States and South Korea have responded coolly to North Korea’s offer of high-level talks with Washington.

North Korea will be judged “by its actions and not its words”, a US spokeswoman said.

The North proposed talks on “regional peace” with the US on Sunday, but said there should be no “preconditions”.

Last week, planned talks between Pyongyang and Seoul fell through following disagreement over which delegates should attend.

Regional tensions were raised earlier this year after Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test and threatened to attack South Korean and US targets in the region.

In recent weeks rhetoric from Pyongyang has softened, but US officials appeared skeptical of its offer.

The US and South Korea have responded coolly to North Korea's offer of high-level talks with Washington
The US and South Korea have responded coolly to North Korea’s offer of high-level talks with Washington

“Our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans, but those talks must involve North Korea living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, and ultimately result in denuclearization,” US National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said.

North Korea had to live up to its obligations on nuclear proliferation, Denis McDonough, chief of staff to the US president, told US broadcaster CBS news.

“We’ll judge them by their actions, not by the nice words that we heard yesterday,” Denis McDonough said.

“They’re not going to be able to talk their way out of very significant sanctions they’re under now,” he added.

North Korea’s powerful National Defense Commission had also suggested that any talks on reducing nuclear weapons would need to include American weapons as well as North Korean ones.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said its stance on talks was the same as the US.

“The window of dialogue is open but that the North should take concrete steps first,” ministry spokesman Kim Hyung-seok said.

North Korea has reneged on deals with the US on several occasions in the past. In February 2012, it agreed to a partial freeze in nuclear activities and a missile test moratorium in return for US food aid.

However, it announced plans for a rocket launch in March that year – something the US called a disguised test of banned missile technology – leading the US to suspend its plans for food aid.

The US, Japan and South Korea are scheduled to meet in Washington on Wednesday to discuss resuming six-party talks on nuclear disarmament with North Korea.

The six party talks are the agreed forum for discussing North Korean denuclearization, but have been stalled since 2009.

The US also wants a commitment to denuclearization to be a precursor to negotiations with North Korea.

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Czech PM Petr Necas to resign over Jana Nagyova corruption and spying scandal

Diane A. Wade
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Czech PM Petr Necas to resign over Jana Nagyova corruption and spying scandal

Czech PM Petr Necas has announced that he will resign on Monday after days of political turmoil.

Petr Necas’ ruling coalition will try to form a new government led by someone nominated by his Civic Democratic Party (ODS).

Pressure had been growing on Petr Necas to quit since prosecutors on Friday charged his chief of staff Jana Nagyova with corruption and abuse of power.

Two former MPs, an ex-minister and the current and former heads of military intelligence have also been detained.

All except one have been remanded in custody.

President Milos Zeman has said the charges, brought after armed police raids on government and private offices on Wednesday, are “serious”.

Up to 150 million koruna ($8 million) in cash, tens of kilograms of gold and large quantities of documents were seized during the raids.

Detectives have said Jana Nagyova was suspected of bribing the former MPs with offers of posts in state-owned firms. It is alleged this was in exchange for them giving up their parliamentary seats.

Jana Nagyova – a close colleague of Petr Necas for nearly a decade – is also suspected of illegally ordering military intelligence to spy on three people.

Czech PM Petr Necas will resign over Jana Nagyova corruption and spying scandal
Czech PM Petr Necas will resign over Jana Nagyova corruption and spying scandal

Czech media reported that the targets included Petr Necas’s wife, Radka Necasova.

Petr Necas announced this week that they were divorcing.

The prime minister has rejected all the accusations against Jana Nagyova and the other five accused, saying: “I am personally convinced that I did not do anything dishonest and that my colleagues have not done anything dishonest either.”

However, Petr Necas told a televised briefing in Prague when announcing his resignation on Sunday evening: “I am aware of my political responsibility.”

“I will tender my resignation as prime minister tomorrow.” he said. “The entire government will therefore resign with me.”

The opposition Social Democrats had warned they would press for a no-confidence motion in parliament unless Petr Necas stepped down, and the two other parties in his centre-right coalition had signaled that they could no longer support him.

The prime minister said the coalition would try to form a new government, led by a different person, to rule until elections scheduled for June 2014. He is expected to stay on as caretaker until it is installed.

Under the Czech constitution, President Milos Zeman – a political rival – is under no obligation to respect the coalition’s wishes, and could name his own candidate to head an interim government until early elections are held,

Petr Necas also said on Sunday he would resign as his party’s chairman.

“I am fully aware how the twists and turns of my personal life are burdening the Czech political scene and the Civic Democratic Party,” he told the briefing.

The admission is the closest the prime minister has come to confirming that the woman at the heart of this scandal – Jana Nagyova – is more than just a colleague.

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Tom Stilwell survives 15th floor fall in New Zealand

Nancy Clayson
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Tom Stilwell survives 15th floor fall in New Zealand

Tom Stilwell from UK has survived a fall from the 15th floor of a building in New Zealand, local media report.

Tom Stilwell fell from his neighbor’s balcony in his apartment block in Auckland at 02:00 local time on Sunday, reports said.

Police said the 20-year-old man discovered he was locked out of his 14th floor unit in the Volt Apartment building in downtown Auckland.

He had been trying to lower himself onto his balcony, which was directly below his neighbor’s.

Geraldine Bautista on the 15th floor balcony from which she tried unsuccessfully to save Tom Stilwell who fell 13 floors outside the Volt apartment block in downtown
Geraldine Bautista on the 15th floor balcony from which she tried unsuccessfully to save Tom Stilwell who fell 13 floors outside the Volt apartment block in downtown

Tom Stilwell decided to try and scale down the outside of the building from an apartment directly above his. Police said he was trying to land on his balcony when he fell, landing on the roof of an adjacent building far below.

He was at first listed in critical condition but had improved Monday to a satisfactory condition.

Tom Still’s friends said that he had bone fractures and internal injuries, but was “fine” and “a very lucky man”.

He is said to be in New Zealand on a working holiday.

Tom Stilwell discovered he was locked out of his flat early on Sunday, and asked a neighbor if he could climb down from her balcony into his flat, his friends said.

The neighbor, Geraldine Bautista, told the New Zealand Herald that Tom Stilwell was “a little tipsy” but polite.

“I wasn’t scared of him – he just requested <<Can you please let me jump off from the balcony? I will not bother you, just let me use your balcony>>.”

“I never thought he would really do that. In my mind I thought <<Okay, I’ll just let you see that it’s really impossible>>. I didn’t think he’d jump, because it’s really scary.”

However, he quickly pulled himself over the balcony railing before she could stop him, Geraldine Bautista said.

Tom Stilwell’s fall was broken by the roof of an adjacent building, reportedly some 13 floors below.

Dr. Tony Smith, a medical director at St John, an emergency healthcare organization, told the New Zealand Herald that a person’s chances of survival were increased if they were able to break their fall on something.

However, “survival from falls of that height are extraordinarily unusual”, but that the roof of the low-rise building far below likely broke Tom Stilwell’s fall enough to save his life, he said.

Kim Kardashian suffers severe pain from stomach infection before giving birth

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian suffers severe pain from stomach infection before giving birth

Kim Kardashian gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Saturday, but the latest episode of her reality TV show proved her pregnancy was far from easy.

Kim Kardashian, 32, was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe stomach pain in Sunday’s episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Viewers saw distraught Kim Kardashian reduced to tears and in agony as she jetted into Los Angeles amid fears she had appendicitis.

And the pain was so extreme Kim Kardashian even said she did not want to go through another pregnancy.

“It was a really painful flight, it hurt so badly. I can hardly walk,” a tearful Kim told mother Kris Jenner on the show.

“I just don’t understand it just hurts so bad, it kills,” said Kim Kardashian as she was examined by her doctor.

“It feels like I am in labor. Why is this happening to me? I hate it, I can never do this again.”

Kim Kardashian was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe stomach pain in Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Kim Kardashian was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe stomach pain in Sunday’s episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians

But all was well as the doctor found the baby with a healthy heartbeat.

“I am just so relieved the baby is okay,” said Kim Kardashian.

After blood tests doctors told Kim Kardashian that she could have appendicitis and that she might face a risky operation.

But a second battery of tests revealed that she just had a stomach infection.

“For her to be in this much pain scares me so much. I want her to relish this pregnancy it is the most amazing experience and I feel she is just not having that yet,” said Kris Jenner.

“If labor is worse than this I will hang myself, I will literally take a knife and s**t my throat” said Kim Kardashian.

In the episode Kim Kardashian finally managed to get her deposition done for her divorce to Kris Humphries.

“My divorce has definitely been dragging on for a while now and Kanye and I want it to be done by the time the baby gets here,” admitted a frustrated Kim Kardashian.

“I really do not want to be married while I give birth to our baby. I have been trying to get it done for a year-and-a-half now.

“I am just so bothered and sad over this situation.”

Before her deposition Kim Kardashian revealed she still cares about Kris Humphries, despite not talking him for so long.

“At our lunch break I am going to want to talk to him and say: <<It literally never had to get like this>>,” said Kim Kardashian.

“I like, loved you, I still do, you were a big part of my life. But you know we are not meant to be together, you weren’t happy, I wasn’t happy, we should have never rushed into it. It doesn’t mean we can’t like be friends.”

“I have not spoken to Kris for a year and a half, I am anxious see Kris, I hope this will maybe give him and I an understanding of his feelings and my feelings as we have not spoken in so long.”

But Kris Humphries did not show up and Kim Kardashian was “relieved” she was moving forward with the divorce.

Istanbul mass rally for PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid new clashes

Diane A. Wade
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Istanbul mass rally for PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid new clashes

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rallied tens of thousands of supporters in Istanbul, telling them it was his duty to clear a city square that has been the focus of anti-government unrest.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied he was a dictator, criticized foreign media and vowed to “identify one by one those who have terrorized the streets”.

Unrest has continued in Ankara and Istanbul, with police firing tear gas.

Two trade union groups have called a one-day nationwide strike for Monday.

Baki Cinar, a spokesman for one of the groups, Kesk, told AFP news agency: “Our demand is for police violence to end immediately.”

The protests in Turkey began on May 28 against a plan to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park, but snowballed into nationwide anti-government protests after the perceived high-handed response of the authorities under their three-term prime minister.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rallied tens of thousands of supporters in Istanbul
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rallied tens of thousands of supporters in Istanbul

Medical officials estimate that 5,000 people have been injured and at least four killed since the protests began.

The rally in support of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), was held in the Kazlicesme district, about 6 miles from central Istanbul.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended Saturday’s police action to clear Istanbul’s Taksim Square and nearby Gezi Park, saying: “I said we were at an end. That it was unbearable. Yesterday the operation was carried out and it was cleaned up. It was my duty as prime minister.”

He criticized the international press and social media for the coverage of the unrest, urging them to be ethical and honest.

“If the international media want a picture of Turkey, the picture is here,” he said.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied being an authoritarian leader and said the protests had been manipulated by “terrorists”.

He said: “They say <<you are too tough>>, they say <<dictator>>. What kind of a dictator is this who met the Gezi Park occupiers and honest environmentalists. Is there such dictator?

“The attitude across Turkey with the pretext of Taksim’s Gezi Park is not sincere. It is nothing more than the minority’s attempt to dominate the majority… We could not have allowed this and we will not allow it.”

Gezi Park ctivists have called on protesters to return to Taksim Square but it is now cordoned off by police.

There have been sporadic clashes in surrounding areas, with police firing tear gas and water cannon.

Istanbul’s governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said the public would not be allowed into the square, adding that it would be “unsafe” for protesters to try to gather.

One protester, Mey Elbi, said the demonstrators would not give up.

She told AFP: “We’re angry, this is not over. The world has seen that together, we can stand up to Tayyip.”

Unrest spread to other parts of Istanbul.

Protesters ripped up paving stones near the Galata bridge and police fired water cannon in the upmarket Nisantasi district.

As night fell, barricades were being erected in a number of city neighborhoods as youths faced off against police.

Some 1,000 riot police officers earlier arrived at Ataturk Airport from regions as far away as Diyarbakir and Sirnak, local media reported, to try to curb the Istanbul unrest.

Riot police could be seen leaving the city’s airport and getting on to coaches bound for the city.

At least 350 police on duty at the airport were also deployed to the city centre in case of possible clashes, Turkey’s Dogan news agency reports.

Police also fired tear gas and water cannon to clear demonstrators in Ankara’s Kizilay Square on Sunday afternoon.

At least four people were injured.

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Amanda Bynes spotted doing jumping jacks as she plays slots at Atlantic City casino

Lisa.Felice
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Amanda Bynes spotted doing jumping jacks as she plays slots at Atlantic City casino

On Saturday Amanda Bynes tried her luck at a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey – but not before turning a few heads.

Fellow casino-goers spotted the former child star at Revel Resort as she sat by her lonesome at the slots.

Amanda Bynes, 27, dressed in a long white lace maxi gown, wearing her sunglasses at night as she hid behind her favorite rumpled platinum blonde wig.

According to the NY Daily News, Amanda Bynes had a dog with her and was still wearing store tags on her dress.

The actress’ wild look made her easily stand out from the crowd, many noting her bizarre behavior and some claiming that she reeked of alcohol.

“Amanda Bynes was doing jumping jacks on the casino floor I’m done,” Twitter user @SunniLuke said, adding that she was “running around with messy hair and all white on..basically dreads”.

Few photos released of her on her fun night out with reports that she even attempted to call security on a man who attempted to take a picture.

Amanda Bynes was spotted doing jumping jacks as she plays slots at Atlantic City casino
Amanda Bynes was spotted doing jumping jacks as she plays slots at Atlantic City casino

“She started yelling at my dad and lunging at him,” a source told celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.

“She just freaked out screaming, <<he can’t take my picture>>.”

According to Twitter user @madhousezarry, Amanda Bynes has been hunkered down in the shore side city for days.

“Amanda Bynes is staying overnight at the casino my dad fixes computers at,” she said on Thursday afternoon.

Amanda Bynes was also spotted at the casino the night before, even making her way to the Borgata resort nearby.

Friend Jonathan Jaxson posted Saturday evening about Amanda Bynes’s big win.

He wrote: “Go @AmandaBynes for hitting a jackpot at the casino tonight!!! Whoop!!!”

When asked how she achieved success, Jonathan Jaxson added: “Rolling lots of dice. I have faith! ;)”

“You play and you hope to win. Girl won and did a dance! I would too!”

Earlier on Saturday Amanda launched a diatribe on her Twitter against the recent criticism she’s received.

“If I don’t like you I don’t want you to be happy and I’ll go out of my way to hurt you,” the Twitter spree started.

“When people say I need help, it says nothing about me. They aren’t getting any response from me.

“My real friends know I don’t need help. It makes me crazy to even have to respond to any type of rumor. I need to deny any false statement because I care about how I look.”

Kim Kardashian’s baby: Jonathan Cheban picks up peonies and white roses bouquet for the new mother

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian’s baby: Jonathan Cheban picks up peonies and white roses bouquet for the new mother

Kim Kardashian’s best friend Jonathan Cheban was seen picking up a bouquet of pink peonies and white roses to take to the new mother.

Jonathan Cheban stopped off at the Empty Vase in West Hollywood, California to get the flowers and then delivered them to Kim Kardashian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Kim Kardashian's best friend Jonathan Cheban was seen picking up a bouquet of pink peonies and white roses to take to the new mother
Kim Kardashian’s best friend Jonathan Cheban was seen picking up a bouquet of pink peonies and white roses to take to the new mother

The baby girl has been in the world for less than a full day yet Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s new baby daughter already takes after her reality star mother in the looks department.

The new born is said to pay a strong resemblance to Kim Kardashian and looks less like her rapper father.

A source close to the couple has revealed that the little girl is truly a Kardashian Mini-Me.

“She has dark hair,” the source revealed to E News.

“She looks just like Kim.”

The news of the baby bearing a striking resemblance to Kim will no doubt delight the Kardashian clan and their army of fans around the world.

Kim Kardashian’s baby name will start with K

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian’s baby name will start with K

Kim Kardashian gave birth to a healthy girl on June 15 and now it’s time for the big question – what name did they give this little girl?!

Kim Kardashian, 32, and Kanye West, 36, became first-time parents on Saturday when she delivered a healthy baby girl. It appears that the little one is a splitting image of Kim Kardashian, but what did they name her?

Kim Kardashian has reportedly told friends that her baby girl’s name will start with a K
Kim Kardashian has reportedly told friends that her baby girl’s name will start with a K

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star’s network E! confirmed the birth of the baby girl, and added that though the couple has not released the name of their daughter just yet, Kim Kardashian has reportedly told friends that the girl’s name “will start with a K”.

That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise – every Kardashian girl in the family has names that begin with that letter.

As for the baby’s middle name, it could be Donda in honor of Kanye West’s late mother, People reports. This seems like a very sweet arrangement – it keeps the Kardashian legacy going while also remembering Kanye West’s mother, who he was extremely close with, in a tasteful, heartwarming way.

After feeling sick late on June 14, Kim Kardashian rushed to the hospital and had the baby early in the morning, according to Us Weekly. The baby reportedly weighed in at just under 5 pounds, and both mother and child are doing well after the birth.

Friends and family flocked to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where Kim Kardashian delivered the baby, to celebrate the big day. Kim Kardashian’s best friend Brittny Gastineau was seen entering the medical center with her mother. And on June 16, her other good friend Jonathan Cheban was spotted buying a beautiful bouquet of flowers, likely for Kim Kardashian, according to Mail Online. The bouquet was a gorgeous mix of pink roses and peonies.

Pope Francis blesses bikers in Sunday Mass for Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary

Nancy Clayson
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Pope Francis blesses bikers in Sunday Mass for Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary

Pope Francis blessed crowds of motorcyclists at the Vatican for the 110th anniversary of Harley-Davidson.

Leather-clad bikers lifted their arms to greet the pontiff as he was driven up the avenue leading to St Peter’s Square to celebrate mass and give his Sunday angelus. Some had “Papa Francesco” (Pope Francis) flags fixed to their bikes, which were parked all the way down the Via della Conciliazione among the trinket shops and snack stands.

Pope Francis blessed crowds of motorcyclists at the Vatican for the 110th anniversary of Harley-Davidson
Pope Francis blessed crowds of motorcyclists at the Vatican for the 110th anniversary of Harley-Davidson

Later, after celebrating a mass attended by men and women in Harley vests among the faithful, many of whom were involved in a two-day anti-abortion event, Pope Francis greeted the “numerous participants” of the anniversary festivities. In a nod to the other large contingent in the crowd, he also offered prayers for “every human life, especially the most fragile, defenceless and threatened.”

Emmanuele Jaconi, an Italian biker, said he saw nothing strange in the juxtaposition. “Just because we’re motorcyclists doesn’t mean we’re not Catholics,” he said.

Marcel Taschenhofer, who had come from Rostock in northern Germany, said he was not religious and was a little disappointed not to be able to ride his bike right into St Peter’s Square. He added: “It’s just a hobby. We like to drive our bikes around, and if the pope thinks it’s good then all the better.”

Rome was invaded by thousands of motorcyclists for the four-day celebration, during which Pope Francis – in something of a marketing coup for the Wisconsin-based manufacturer – was given two white Harley-Davidsons for the Vatican police force, as well as a black leather vest with an eagle on the back.

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Turkey protests: clashes continue in Istanbul after Gezi Park raid

Diane A. Wade
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Turkey protests: clashes continue in Istanbul after Gezi Park raid

Gezi Park protesters have clashed with Turkish police in Istanbul, after riot squads used tear gas and water cannon to eject demonstrators from the park.

The protesters quickly fled the park, but later erected barricades across nearby streets and lit bonfires.

Witnesses said it was one of the worst nights of unrest since the park was occupied 18 days ago.

Police blocked off the Bosphorus Bridge to stop demonstrators reaching Taksim Square, where the park is located.

Gezi Park protesters have clashed with Turkish police in Istanbul, after riot squads used tear gas and water cannon to eject demonstrators from the park.
Gezi Park protesters have clashed with Turkish police in Istanbul, after riot squads used tear gas and water cannon to eject demonstrators from the park.

Clashes continued into Sunday morning in the streets around the square, eyewitnesses say. On the square itself, bulldozers went to work, clearing away the protesters’ abandoned barricades.

Thousands of people also took to the streets of the capital, Ankara, to express support for the protests.

The Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions (KESK) also said it would call a nationwide strike on Monday, while another union grouping is deciding whether to join the action.

Medical officials estimate that 5,000 people have been injured and at least four killed since protests began in earnest on May 31.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to hold a rally in Istanbul later on Sunday.

The protests began as a local protest against a plan to redevelop Gezi Park, but snowballed into nationwide anti-government protests after the perceived high-handed response of the authorities.

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Kim Kardashian’s baby girl weighs just under 5 lbs, has dark hair and looks just like her mother

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian’s baby girl weighs just under 5 lbs, has dark hair and looks just like her mother

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s new baby daughter is said to pay a strong resemblance to her striking brunette mother and looks less like her rapper father.

A source close to the couple has revealed that the little girl is truly a Kardashian Mini-Me.

“She has dark hair,” the source revealed to E News.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's new baby daughter is said to pay a strong resemblance to her striking brunette mother and looks less like her rapper father
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s new baby daughter is said to pay a strong resemblance to her striking brunette mother and looks less like her rapper father

“She looks just like Kim.”

The news of the baby bearing a striking resemblance to Kim will no doubt delight the Kardashian clan and their army of fans around the world.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s baby weighed in at just “under five pounds” at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles this morning and was almost one month premature.

It’s understood that the little girl is perfectly healthy but that no name has been released yet although the same source confirmed to E that it will start with a K.

The baby was delivered at the same hospital where her sister Kourtney Kardashian and her partner Scott Disick had their two children Penelope and Mason.

Proud father Kanye West, who skipped out on a listening party for his latest album in Los Angeles on Friday, was at Kim Kardashian’s side during the birth when the baby was delivered naturally and without any complications.

An insider told UsMagazine.com that Kanye West wouldn’t have missed the arrival of their first child for anything, saying: “Of course, Kanye was there with Kim when she went to the hospital and had the baby.

“She started to feel sick late last night [Friday] and was having contractions.”

Amanda Bynes labels Jason Biggs and Dr. Drew Pinsky ugly in her latest string of bizarre Twitter attacks

Lisa.Felice
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Amanda Bynes labels Jason Biggs and Dr. Drew Pinsky ugly in her latest string of bizarre Twitter attacks

Just one day after eating her words against rapper Drake on Twitter, Amanda Bynes is back on the offensive.

Amanda Bynes, 27, spent much of the day calling random followers ugly, telling them she doesn’t care about them and lodging threats those she believes to be enemies, like: “If I don’t like you I don’t want you to be happy and I’ll go out of my way to hurt you” and “If you steal from me you’ll pay a price.”

However, when actor Jason Biggs finally weighed in on Amanda Bynes’ ramblings, the insults started flying again.

It all began when Amanda Bynes wrote: “If you’re not hot I don’t care about you.”

Amanda Bynes labels American Pie actor Jason Biggs ugly in her latest string of bizarre Twitter attacks
Amanda Bynes labels American Pie actor Jason Biggs ugly in her latest string of bizarre Twitter attacks

The American Pie star responded to her random tweet with: “This self-hatred really must stop, Amanda.”

To which Amanda Bynes retorted: “@JasonBiggs you’re so ugly I won’t talk to you.”

Shortly thereafter amanda Bynes ramble-tweeted: “You get turned on but what you are not by what you’re not.”

To which Jason Biggs responded again with this hilarious tweet: “Are you having a stroke?”

However, Amanda Bynes didn’t find it funny, responding both to Jason Biggs and another follower who had apparently crossed her with: “@TwitFlickR @JasonBiggs what a joke you both are good luck getting laid by anything with a vagina.”

Then celebrity therapist Dr. Drew Pinsky weighed in on Amanda Bynes’ condition: “I think it may be time to leave @AmandaBynes alone. She will get help if she wants it & if she needs it, hopefully before serious consequences.”

Not surprisingly, Amanda Bynes responded in her usual, childish way: “@drdrew WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? What kind of help are you referring to? You’re ugly and I want you to leave me alone!”

Longboardstroller: Quinny baby buggy mounted on a skateboard

Nancy Clayson
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Longboardstroller: Quinny baby buggy mounted on a skateboard

Longboardstroller, the coolest invention for adventurous new mothers is here.

Parents could soon be able to take their toddlers out on skateboarding trips with them – as a pushchair has been invented that combines the two.

The wacky contraption consists of an elongated skateboard, known as a longboard, which has the seat section of a child’s buggy attached to the front of it.

Children between the ages of nine months and 4-and-a-half years old can comfortably sit in the buggy while their parents can hop on the back and propel it along.

The bizarre product dubbed the Longboardstroller has also been enhanced with a brake at the back and handlebars for steering behind the seat section.

The baby buggy will also mean parents will be able to take their children out on much longer “walks” they can with a normal stroller.

The product has been created by design studio Studio Peter Van Riet in Antwerp, Belgium, for buggy brand Quinny.

Longboardstroller, the coolest invention for adventurous new mothers is here
Longboardstroller, the coolest invention for adventurous new mothers is here

Inventors behind the Longboardstroller hope it will be an environmentally friendly alternative to travelling in cities and that parents will choose it over a car or bus.

Around eight prototypes of the product have been invented and it is currently being tested and evaluated for health and safety measures.

Peter Van Riet, 42, owner of Studio Peter Van Riet, said: “Last year we were approached by Quinny and they had an idea to make a stroller you could stand on.

“We met with parents o talk about it and came up with the idea of a stroller combined with a long board.

“With just a stroller alone you can travel maybe half a mile and this offers a solution to go further without having to use a car or another form of transport.

“It’s also environmentally friendly which is one of the main points behind it.

“To make the prototype we used part of an existing stroller and had a longboard made out of wood and fibreglass to make it stronger.

“It can hold children from about nine-months-old up to four-and-a-half years, with a maximum weight of around 35 lbs.

“Adults stand on the back and use the handles to steer or they can lean from side to side which also changes the direction.

“We are currently thinking about safety features such as what kind of brake it needs, how to attach the children and board sizes.

“It is difficult to say how much it will cost as it is not for sale yet but a good longboard costs up to £300 [$500] so it will be a bit more than that with the extra parts.”

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M&S Drop a Dress Size Collection promises to make you look a whole size slimmer

Lisa.Felice
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M&S Drop a Dress Size Collection promises to make you look a whole size slimmer

Marks & Spencer has unveiled the Drop a Dress Size Collection and is marketing its selection of figure-skimming designs as “a stylish way to look slimmer in seconds”.

Each dress in the range is constructed with a seamed Secret Support lining, which works to help shape your figure, define your waist and create a smooth silhouette.

M&S Drop a Dress Size Collection promises to make you look a whole size slimmer
M&S Drop a Dress Size Collection promises to make you look a whole size slimmer

It’s the same technology as the famous M&S firm control shapewear – the inner slip is darted at the waist to cinch and shape, while smoothing out lumps and bumps.

Available in sizes 8-22, the £59 ($93) designs are simple day-to-eveningwear M&S says will look great now and last well into autumn 2013.

According to M&S: “Targeted reinforcement gives the wearer a more supported and streamlined silhouette thus giving the illusion of a slimmer shape in seconds.”

But M&S isn’t the only brand making the most of new bodyshaping technology.

Body Frock also design dresses engineered to enhance a women’s finest features.

Complete with special control lining, the dresses are designed be a simple solution to looking slim and feeling smooth and Holly Willoughby, Kym Lomax and Kimberley Walsh are all fans of the slimming style.

“The inside lining should fit slim and taught like a corset,” claims the brand.

Designed by Melanie Davis, one of the UK’s leading designers of young fashion and the founder of Pamplemousse back in the late 80′s and 90’s, the brand pride themselves on 28 years of experience designing dresses to make women feel great.

In April this year, the “S” dress (the letter stands for “shape”) was unveiled by fashion label Mooi and claimed to help its wearer drop a dress size, while being made of machine-washable, crease-resistant material.

Each of the garments are made with 28% elastane, which creates a slimming effect and the garment is designed to appear a size smaller.

Bandage-style dresses have attracted a following from celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria for their figure-hugging designs.

Comboco Breakfast Gelato: Toast and scrambled eggs ice cream

Lisa.Felice
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Comboco Breakfast Gelato: Toast and scrambled eggs ice cream

The UK’s first-ever breakfast gelato menu has launched at Comboco in Soho, London.

There’s cereal milk gelato flavour, inspired by the sweet, starchy milk Americans are fond of adding to their breakfast bowls.

Then there is the unusual pancakes and maple syrup flavor, as well as toast with whipped butter.

For those on a diet, frozen yoghurt with granola may be the ideal option, and for those nursing a hangover, there are few more bracing starts to the day than a Bloody Mary gelato. The cocktail is re-imagined as an ice cool tomato sorbet, spiked with Tabasco and a heady hit of Worcestershire Sauce.

Customers can put some rocket fuel into their day with a rich coffee ice cream, the double espresso gelato.

Depending on the recipe and the person making it, dairy-based gelato contains around 16-24% sugar and 100g of the sugary treat packs around 216 calories.

However, while the breakfast ice cream may not aid dieters, it is said to help cure hangovers.

The cold effect causes more blood to be sent to the brain as a defense mechanism to try to keep the brain warm.

Comboco launched Breakfast Gelato menu
Comboco launched Breakfast Gelato menu

The increased circulation is said to help your brain recover from the dreaded booze-fuelled night before.

Also on offer for £3 ($5) a scoop at Comboco are other eccentric varieties such as the rich avocado, pear and gorgonzola, the mind-boggling scrambled eggs and, for those with more expensive taste, the opulent truffle oil and mushroom gelato, alongside more traditional flavors, such as bronte pistachio, kentish strawberry and Madagascan vanilla.

Comboco was founded by ex-City worker, Ashish Saggar, and have previously created special flavors for Pacha’s launch for River Island.

Speaking about their innovative new offering, the Comboco team said: “Our Breakfast Gelato Menu is a bit of fun to cheer up the Capital after this dull start to the summer.

“Every flavor is made using the finest organic milk but we don’t recommend that city dwellers enjoy this indulgent treat every day…it’s just for special occasions!”

Comboco quirky breakfast flavors on offer:

Cereal Milk Gelato
Pancakes & Maple Syrup Gelato
Toast with Whipped Butter Gelato
Frozen Yoghurt with Granola
Bloody Mary Sorbet
Double Espresso Gelato

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ hair for sale at Bonhams auction house

Sonia Pantiss
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Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ hair for sale at Bonhams auction house

Not only their music has been making millions for 50 years, now the hair of Rolling Stones pair Mick Jagger and Keith Richards is also worth a fortune.

A lock of Mick Jagger’s hair is up for sale at auction house Bonhams next month with a guide price of between $2,400 and $3,000. Meanwhile, a clump of Keith Richards’s mop has just sold for $1,400.

Mick Jagger’s hair was snipped from his mane in the early 1960s and kept by relatives of one of his first girlfriends, Chrissie Shrimpton, a Covent Garden secretary he famously dated while a student at the London School of Economics.

Their romance marked a period when Mick Jagger lived with fellow Stone Keith Richards in Mapesbury Road, Kilburn, and then Holly Hill, Hampstead. Chrissie Shrimpton, sister of model Jean Shrimpton, lived with the two rockers.

The lovers got engaged and moved into a mansion block in Regent’s Park before Sir Mick – just plain old Mick Jagger back then – backed away and they split up without reaching the altar.

The guide price for the lock of hair is between $2,400 and $3,000. It is among a large collection of music and movie memorabilia, amassed from different sources, being sold by the famous auction house in Knightsbridge.

Not only their music has been making millions for 50 years, now the hair of Rolling Stones pair Mick Jagger and Keith Richards is also worth a fortune
Not only their music has been making millions for 50 years, now the hair of Rolling Stones pair Mick Jagger and Keith Richards is also worth a fortune

The brown hair comes in “a small paper envelope” with a statement of provenance to reassure doubters.

Bonhams’ catalogue guide says: “The statement from Chrissie Shrimpton confirms that, unbeknown to her at the time, this lock was saved by her grandmother when Mick and Chrissie were staying at her parents’ farm.

“Apparently, on her grandmother’s death, the hair passed to Chrissie’s aunt.

“When she died, the hair was returned to Chrissie by a cousin taking care of personal effects.”

Money raised from the sale of the hair will go to Changing Faces, a charity which supports people with disfigurements.

Also among the lots is an “automated” tweeting birdcage which Mick Jagger gave to Chrissie Shrimpton on her 21st birthday. The relationship with Chrissie Shrimpton, now 67, ran from 1963 to 1966. The auction in Knightsbridge is on July 3.

The clump of Keith Richards’s hair was cut from his head by 16-year-old fan Maggie Richardson in the Stones’ dressing room in Preston, Lancashire, in 1964.

Yahoo had refused to join PRISM spying program but was forced by secret court

Nancy Clayson
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Yahoo had refused to join PRISM spying program but was forced by secret court

It was revealed that Yahoo’s top lawyers had a courtroom showdown with the National Security Agency after it had demanded information on certain foreign users without a warrant, but the tech giant lost and was forced to hand over the data.

Court documents obtained by the New York Times show that Yahoo had initially refused to join the PRISM spying program, insisting that the broad national security requests seeking users’ personal information were unconstitutional.

However, the secret court operating under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) sided with the NSA and forced Yahoo’s hand.

Information about Yahoo’s legal battle against the NSA first emerged in a heavily redacted court order, but the name of the company involved had not been released until now.

It was claimed that besides Yahoo, a number of major Silicon Valley companies became part of PRISM, among them Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, YouTube, Skype, AOL and the lesser known Internet company PalTalk, which has hosted a lot of traffic during the Arab Spring and the on-going Syrian civil war.

However, only Facebook and Google have been shown to have worked toward creating “online rooms” in which to share data with the government.

Information about the classified program was leaked last week by NSA systems administrator Edward Snowden, 29, who smuggled the files concerning PRISM on a thumb drive.

Yahoo fought against NSA's warrantless spying program but lost and was forced by secret court to join PRISM
Yahoo fought against NSA’s warrantless spying program but lost and was forced by secret court to join PRISM

In 2008, Yahoo argued that NSA’s requests seeking to obtain its users’ private data violated their Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures, but the judges on the FISA court disagreed with the company’s assessment, calling their concerns “overblown”, the Times reported.

“Notwithstanding the parade of horrible trotted out by the petitioner, it has presented no evidence of any actual harm, any egregious risk of error, or any broad potential for abuse,” the court said, adding that the government’s “efforts to protect national security should not be frustrated by the courts”.

Yahoo’s defeat in court reportedly left other top players in the industry more reluctant to challenge the NSA on surveillance request.

So far, Yahoo, Google and Facebook have all denied their involvement in PRISM.

“Yahoo! has not joined any program in which we volunteer to share user data with the U.S. government,” Yahoo General Counsel Ron Bell wrote in a Tumblr post Saturday.

“We do not voluntarily disclose user information. The only disclosures that occur are in response to specific demands.”

In the wake of the unwarranted spying scandal, a number of top Silicon Valley companies, among them Facebook, Google and Microsoft, have asked the government to overturn a gag order allowing them to publicly disclose national security requests.

Google Inc was the first to go public with its demand for greater transparency, releasing an open letter asking the U.S. Department of Justice for permission to disclose the number and scope of data requests each receives from security agencies, including confidential FISA requests.

Microsoft Corp and Facebook Inc soon followed with similarly worded statements in support of Google.

Last year, the US government issued more than 1,850 FISA requests and 15,000 National Security Letters, which refers to requests filed by the FBI to collect information about Americans.

Between 2008 and 2012, only two of more than 8,500 FISA requests were rejected by the secret court, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a non-profit research group.

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