Charlie Murphy, the older brother of actor Eddie Murphy, has died of leukaemia.
The 57-year-old was a stand-up performer in his own right - and was perhaps best known for his sketches in the Chappelle Show, which sent up Hollywood stars including Rick James and Prince.
Murphy also worked extensively with his younger brother Eddie, co-writing the films Norbit and Vampire In Brooklyn.
In a statement, his family said "their hearts are heavy with loss".
They added: "Charlie filled our family with love and laughter and there won't be a day that goes by that his presence will not be missed.
"Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and prayers."
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Donald Trump ordered Syria strikes while eating 'the most beautiful cake'
Donald Trump has revealed he ordered the strikes on a Syrian airfield while eating "a beautiful piece of chocolate cake" with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The US President said he and his Chinese counterpart were having dinner at his Florida resort when he gave orders to fire 59 cruise missiles at the airfield where a chemical attack was allegedly launched.
The chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April killed 87 people, many of them children.
:: US: 'We can't have this relationship with Russia' amid tensions on Syria
Speaking to Fox Business Network, Mr Trump said: "We had finished dinner, we were now having dessert and we had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake you have ever seen. President Xi was enjoying it.
"I was given the message from the generals that the ships are locked and loaded, what do you do? We made a determination to do it, so the missiles were on the way.
"I said, 'Mr President, let me explain something to you' - this is during dessert.
"'We have just fired 59 missiles, all of which hit by the way, unbelievable, from hundreds of miles away.'
"It's so incredible, it's brilliant, it's genius."
Mr Trump had said the missiles were heading towards Iraq but corrected himself when the interviewer prompted him.
When he was asked how the Chinese President reacted, Mr Trump said: "He paused for 10 seconds and then he asked the interpreter to please say it again. I didn't think that was a good sign.
"Then he said to me... 'Anybody that was so brutal and uses gas to do that to young children and babies - it's okay. He was okay with it."
The US President said he and his Chinese counterpart were having dinner at his Florida resort when he gave orders to fire 59 cruise missiles at the airfield where a chemical attack was allegedly launched.
The chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April killed 87 people, many of them children.
:: US: 'We can't have this relationship with Russia' amid tensions on Syria
Speaking to Fox Business Network, Mr Trump said: "We had finished dinner, we were now having dessert and we had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake you have ever seen. President Xi was enjoying it.
"I was given the message from the generals that the ships are locked and loaded, what do you do? We made a determination to do it, so the missiles were on the way.
"I said, 'Mr President, let me explain something to you' - this is during dessert.
"'We have just fired 59 missiles, all of which hit by the way, unbelievable, from hundreds of miles away.'
"It's so incredible, it's brilliant, it's genius."
Mr Trump had said the missiles were heading towards Iraq but corrected himself when the interviewer prompted him.
When he was asked how the Chinese President reacted, Mr Trump said: "He paused for 10 seconds and then he asked the interpreter to please say it again. I didn't think that was a good sign.
"Then he said to me... 'Anybody that was so brutal and uses gas to do that to young children and babies - it's okay. He was okay with it."
As Jacob Zuma dances on his 75th birthday, thousands demand his resignation
Tens of thousands of South Africans have marked the 75th birthday of President Jacob Zuma by holding a mass protest against him in Pretoria while he partied in Johannesburg.
The march, to government headquarters at Union Buildings, was organised by rival opposition parties ahead of a no confidence vote on Mr Zuma in the country's parliament on Tuesday, which he is expected to survive.
It followed similar nationwide rallies last week, which the president dismissed as "racist," prompted by the recent sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan.
The groundswell of opposition to Mr Zuma has grown in recent years, due to government corruption scandals, record unemployment and slowing economic growth.
The president is accused of being in the pocket of the wealthy Gupta business family, allegedly granting them influence over government appointments, contracts and state-owned businesses.
The march, to government headquarters at Union Buildings, was organised by rival opposition parties ahead of a no confidence vote on Mr Zuma in the country's parliament on Tuesday, which he is expected to survive.
It followed similar nationwide rallies last week, which the president dismissed as "racist," prompted by the recent sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan.
The groundswell of opposition to Mr Zuma has grown in recent years, due to government corruption scandals, record unemployment and slowing economic growth.
The president is accused of being in the pocket of the wealthy Gupta business family, allegedly granting them influence over government appointments, contracts and state-owned businesses.
From Munich to Paris: Terror attacks in sports
Following the arrest of an "Islamist" suspect over the Borussia Dortmund team bus explosions, Sky News looks back at other sporting events across the globe that were targeted by terrorists.
5 September 1972Munich
Image:A West German security official guards the quarters of the Israeli Olympic team during the stand-off
At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September storms the Olympic Village where the Israeli team is housed.
After a stand-off of several hours and a failed rescue attempt by German forces, 11 athletes and one German police officer are killed.
27 July 1996Atlanta
Image:A memorial after the attack at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta 1996
A pipe bombing rocks the Centennial Olympic Park, the town square at the Olympic Games.
The bag containing the bombs is spotted by a security guard, Richard Jewell, who alerts police and starts clearing the area.
The bag explodes minutes later, killing a woman, while another person dies of a heart attack. Dozens are injured.
The perpetrator is white supremacist Eric Rudolph, who says he wanted to stop the Olympics.
5 April 1997Grand National
Image:The Grand National was delayed in 1997
The Grand National is suspended after two coded bomb warnings are received from the IRA.
The threat - one of many amid the 1997 election campaign - forces the evacuation of some 60,000 people from Aintree, stranding many for hours.
The race is eventually held two days later.
3 March 2009Cricket attack
Image:Victims of an ambush on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009
A bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team - on their way to play Pakistan - is attacked by a dozen gunmen.
Six members of the team are injured; six members of the Pakistani police escorting the bus are killed, along with two civilians.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni militant group active in Pakistan.
15 April 2013Boston
Image:The attack targeted the finish line of the 2013 event
Two bombs created with pressure cookers are detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring dozens more.
Two Chechen-American brothers, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, are identified as the terrorists.
As the brothers seek to escape a police manhunt, they kill an MIT officer and exchange fire with police.
Tamerlan is killed; Dzhokhar is captured, tried, convicted and sentenced to death.
13 November 2015Paris
Image:The attack on the Stade de France kicked off a night of horror in Paris
Three suicide bombers blow themselves up outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, where France and Germany are playing a friendly.
President Francois Hollande, in the stadium for the match, is escorted to safety.
The attack kicks off a night of terror in the French capital that saw gunmen open fire on restaurants across the city and at the Bataclan nightclub, killing 130 people.
The attack is claimed by Islamic State.
5 September 1972Munich
Image:A West German security official guards the quarters of the Israeli Olympic team during the stand-offAt the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September storms the Olympic Village where the Israeli team is housed.
After a stand-off of several hours and a failed rescue attempt by German forces, 11 athletes and one German police officer are killed.
27 July 1996Atlanta
Image:A memorial after the attack at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta 1996A pipe bombing rocks the Centennial Olympic Park, the town square at the Olympic Games.
The bag containing the bombs is spotted by a security guard, Richard Jewell, who alerts police and starts clearing the area.
The bag explodes minutes later, killing a woman, while another person dies of a heart attack. Dozens are injured.
The perpetrator is white supremacist Eric Rudolph, who says he wanted to stop the Olympics.
5 April 1997Grand National
Image:The Grand National was delayed in 1997The Grand National is suspended after two coded bomb warnings are received from the IRA.
The threat - one of many amid the 1997 election campaign - forces the evacuation of some 60,000 people from Aintree, stranding many for hours.
The race is eventually held two days later.
3 March 2009Cricket attack
Image:Victims of an ambush on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009A bus carrying the Sri Lankan national cricket team - on their way to play Pakistan - is attacked by a dozen gunmen.
Six members of the team are injured; six members of the Pakistani police escorting the bus are killed, along with two civilians.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni militant group active in Pakistan.
15 April 2013Boston
Image:The attack targeted the finish line of the 2013 eventTwo bombs created with pressure cookers are detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring dozens more.
Two Chechen-American brothers, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, are identified as the terrorists.
As the brothers seek to escape a police manhunt, they kill an MIT officer and exchange fire with police.
Tamerlan is killed; Dzhokhar is captured, tried, convicted and sentenced to death.
13 November 2015Paris
Image:The attack on the Stade de France kicked off a night of horror in ParisThree suicide bombers blow themselves up outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, where France and Germany are playing a friendly.
President Francois Hollande, in the stadium for the match, is escorted to safety.
The attack kicks off a night of terror in the French capital that saw gunmen open fire on restaurants across the city and at the Bataclan nightclub, killing 130 people.
The attack is claimed by Islamic State.
United passenger David Dao takes legal action over forceful removal
Lawyers for the passenger dragged violently from a United plane appear to be launching legal action against the airline.
Footage of a bloodied Dr David Dao, 69, being dragged off an overbooked flight by airport security officers on Sunday nightquickly went viral.
On Wednesday, his lawyers filed an emergency request with an Illinois court to make sure that United preserves evidence such as videos, cockpit voice recordings, passenger and crew lists and other materials related to United Flight 3411.
The papers, filed in Cook County courthouse, said: "After being duly processed by the ticket agent, checked in by the attendant and seated in his assigned passenger seat, Petitioner was forcibly dragged and removed from the said aircraft by City employees, sustaining personal injury."
A spokesman for Corboy & Demetrio, one of the firms acting on behalf of the doctor, said he is still being treated in hospital but one of his relatives is expected to give a news conference on Thursday in Chicago.
Videos of Mr Dao's treatment caused millions of dollars to be wiped off the value of the United's parent company United Continental Holdings and social media users from around the world called for a boycott of the airline.
Much of the outrage centred on the fact that Mr Dao was a paying passenger who had been removed from the Chicago to Louisville flight to make way for additional crew members.
United's chief executive Oscar Munoz apologised on Wednesday and said that police would not be used to remove passengers from overbooked flights in future.
He said he had not spoken to Mr Dao but added: "I do look forward to a time when I can, as much as I'm able to, apologise directly to him for what has happened."
Mr Munoz was criticised for his initial response to the incident, where he said the passenger had "defied" authorities and "compounded" the situation.
PR Week, which named Mr Munoz its US communicator of the year just last month, described his response as "tone deaf" and framing the event "purely in terms of its effect on United, rather than the injured passenger".
Mr Munoz also promised every passenger on board the flight would get the price of their ticket refunded.
Three airport security officers have now been put on leave following the incident.
Footage of a bloodied Dr David Dao, 69, being dragged off an overbooked flight by airport security officers on Sunday nightquickly went viral.
On Wednesday, his lawyers filed an emergency request with an Illinois court to make sure that United preserves evidence such as videos, cockpit voice recordings, passenger and crew lists and other materials related to United Flight 3411.
The papers, filed in Cook County courthouse, said: "After being duly processed by the ticket agent, checked in by the attendant and seated in his assigned passenger seat, Petitioner was forcibly dragged and removed from the said aircraft by City employees, sustaining personal injury."
A spokesman for Corboy & Demetrio, one of the firms acting on behalf of the doctor, said he is still being treated in hospital but one of his relatives is expected to give a news conference on Thursday in Chicago.
Videos of Mr Dao's treatment caused millions of dollars to be wiped off the value of the United's parent company United Continental Holdings and social media users from around the world called for a boycott of the airline.
Much of the outrage centred on the fact that Mr Dao was a paying passenger who had been removed from the Chicago to Louisville flight to make way for additional crew members.
United's chief executive Oscar Munoz apologised on Wednesday and said that police would not be used to remove passengers from overbooked flights in future.
He said he had not spoken to Mr Dao but added: "I do look forward to a time when I can, as much as I'm able to, apologise directly to him for what has happened."
Mr Munoz was criticised for his initial response to the incident, where he said the passenger had "defied" authorities and "compounded" the situation.
PR Week, which named Mr Munoz its US communicator of the year just last month, described his response as "tone deaf" and framing the event "purely in terms of its effect on United, rather than the injured passenger".
Mr Munoz also promised every passenger on board the flight would get the price of their ticket refunded.
Three airport security officers have now been put on leave following the incident.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Trump U-turn: NATO 'no longer obsolete' as he declares commitment to alliance
Donald Trump has declared NATO is "no longer obsolete", saying he was committed to the military alliance.
Shortly before taking office in January, Mr Trump questioned its relevance, saying the organisation, established after World War Two, was "obsolete because it was designed many, many years ago".
And "the (member) countries aren't paying what they're supposed to pay", he said.
But now the President has made a U-turn, describing the alliance as a "bulwark of international peace and security".
He has again called on alliance members to spend 2% of their GDP on defence within a decade, following White House talks with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
"If other countries pay their fair share rather than relying on the United States to make up the difference, we will all be much more secure," Mr Trump told reporters.
He said: "The secretary general and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism.
"I complained about that a longer time ago and they made a change and now they do fight terrorism.
"I said it was obsolete, it's no longer obsolete."
So far, only five of the 28 NATO members, including the UK, spend 2% of their GDP on defence, but the number is expected to rise next year.
Mr Stoltenberg said NATO provides crucial support to the coalition fighting Islamic State, as well as help training soldiers and intelligence sharing.
He says NATO has committed to do more in the global fight against terrorism and is committed to ensuring defence costs are split more fairly.
Shortly before taking office in January, Mr Trump questioned its relevance, saying the organisation, established after World War Two, was "obsolete because it was designed many, many years ago".
And "the (member) countries aren't paying what they're supposed to pay", he said.
But now the President has made a U-turn, describing the alliance as a "bulwark of international peace and security".
He has again called on alliance members to spend 2% of their GDP on defence within a decade, following White House talks with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
"If other countries pay their fair share rather than relying on the United States to make up the difference, we will all be much more secure," Mr Trump told reporters.
He said: "The secretary general and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism.
"I complained about that a longer time ago and they made a change and now they do fight terrorism.
"I said it was obsolete, it's no longer obsolete."
So far, only five of the 28 NATO members, including the UK, spend 2% of their GDP on defence, but the number is expected to rise next year.
Mr Stoltenberg said NATO provides crucial support to the coalition fighting Islamic State, as well as help training soldiers and intelligence sharing.
He says NATO has committed to do more in the global fight against terrorism and is committed to ensuring defence costs are split more fairly.
Top US diplomat Rex Tillerson meets Putin over Syria crisis
US secretary of state Rex Tillerson is having talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin amid tensions over an American strike on Syria.
The meeting at the Kremlin comes hours after Donald Trump's top diplomat faced his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Mr Lavrov said Moscow was trying to understand the "real intentions" of the Trump administration.
He said Russia has lots of questions about the "very ambiguous" and "contradictory" ideas coming from Washington.
Russia has also accused the US of "primitive and loutish" rhetoric over Syria.
The Russian foreign minister said last week's cruise missile strike on a Syrian government airbase was an unlawful attack against President Bashar al Assad's forces.
Mr Lavrov said: "We consider it of utmost importance to prevent the risks of replay of similar action in the future."
The US claimed the strike was in retaliation for the Syrian regime's deadly chemical attack on civilians - which was believed to have been launched from the targeted airfield.
Russia backs Mr Assad in his fight against rebels, including Islamic extremists, in the country's six-year-old civil war.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated in the early months of the Trump presidency, according to Mr Putin.
He said: "It can be said that the level of trust at the working level, especially at the military level, has not become better but most likely has degraded."
Mr Tillerson has admitted the two countries had "sharp differences" which have got in the way of cooperation but he expressed optimism their talks could narrow those differences.
"We both have agreed our lines of communication shall always remain open," Mr Tillerson said.
Mr Trump has claimed the US had no plans to become more deeply involved in Syria and only did so last week because of the toxic gas attack that killed more than 80 people.
UK analysis of samples from the attack has detected sarin or a sarin-like substance, said Britain's UN ambassador.
The Putin-Tillerson meeting was believed to be the first between the Russian President and a top member of Mr Trump's administration since the US businessman took office in January.
It is not the first time Mr Putin and Mr Tillerson have had talks.
The Russian leader has previously met the American when he was head of US oil giant ExxonMobil.
The meeting at the Kremlin comes hours after Donald Trump's top diplomat faced his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Mr Lavrov said Moscow was trying to understand the "real intentions" of the Trump administration.
He said Russia has lots of questions about the "very ambiguous" and "contradictory" ideas coming from Washington.
Russia has also accused the US of "primitive and loutish" rhetoric over Syria.
The Russian foreign minister said last week's cruise missile strike on a Syrian government airbase was an unlawful attack against President Bashar al Assad's forces.
Mr Lavrov said: "We consider it of utmost importance to prevent the risks of replay of similar action in the future."
The US claimed the strike was in retaliation for the Syrian regime's deadly chemical attack on civilians - which was believed to have been launched from the targeted airfield.
Russia backs Mr Assad in his fight against rebels, including Islamic extremists, in the country's six-year-old civil war.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated in the early months of the Trump presidency, according to Mr Putin.
He said: "It can be said that the level of trust at the working level, especially at the military level, has not become better but most likely has degraded."
Mr Tillerson has admitted the two countries had "sharp differences" which have got in the way of cooperation but he expressed optimism their talks could narrow those differences.
"We both have agreed our lines of communication shall always remain open," Mr Tillerson said.
Mr Trump has claimed the US had no plans to become more deeply involved in Syria and only did so last week because of the toxic gas attack that killed more than 80 people.
UK analysis of samples from the attack has detected sarin or a sarin-like substance, said Britain's UN ambassador.
The Putin-Tillerson meeting was believed to be the first between the Russian President and a top member of Mr Trump's administration since the US businessman took office in January.
It is not the first time Mr Putin and Mr Tillerson have had talks.
The Russian leader has previously met the American when he was head of US oil giant ExxonMobil.
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