Newborn Baby Killed In Bed By Family's Pit Bull

A newborn baby boy has been killed by the family dog in his parent's bed.

The youngster was attacked after the American Staffordshire terrier-Great Dane cross breed, similar to a pit bull, was startled by the boy's mother coughing.

The three-day-old baby and the dog were with the boy's parents, who were sitting in bed watching TV, at the time in their home on the outskirts of San Diego, California.

Sergeant Tu Nguyen, of San Diego police, said the coughing caused the dog to unexpectedly bite the baby.

He said the parents were able to pull the animal off the child and take him to hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Sgt Nguyen, a member of the child abuse unit, said: "At this time, we're looking at this as nothing more than a tragic incident."

A post mortem examination is under way to determine the cause of death. 

The dog, a two-year-old named Polo, is being held in quarantine to determine whether it has rabies.

Deputy director of the county Department of Animal Services Dan DeSousa said it will be up to the owners to decide its fate.

Barmy For The Bard: Dame Judi On Her 'Passion'

Dame Judi Dench has described Shakespeare as "the man who paid the rent" as the world marks the 400th anniversary of the bard's death.

Dame Judi told Sky News the playwright is her passion and is still as relevant today as ever.

"He was known in our family as the man who paid the rent because Michael and I only ever did Shakespeare for the first five years of my career and he's my passion.

"He's totally relevant to everything I believe.

"We use expressions that he has written every day and he knew everything about love, jealousy, anger, ambition - everything."

The centrepiece of celebrations will be the Globe Theatre in London, where 37 screens will line the banks of the Thames each showing a specially made film shot in an international location.

Sir Kenneth Branagh, whose theatre company has recently staged a production of The Winter's Tale starring both himself and Dame Judi, believes this anniversary has only increased creativity.

"He's a man who understood human nature so profoundly and it keeps reinventing itself.

"However much we say he was fusty, dusty, dowdy... you celebrate something like his passing 400 years ago and the creative energy that's unleashed is amazing."

The commemorations will continue at the British Library where the reason for Shakespeare's iconic status will be examined by looking at 10 key productions and how they have been interpreted by generations throughout history.

Zoe Wilcox, the lead curator, says it shows how the bard has always been reinvented and re-imagined over the years ensuring his relevance.

"What's so important about the exhibition is we look at the first moment a woman acted in a Shakespeare play in 1660 and the first moment a black actor played Othello in 1825.

"It's because we have a diversity of voices performing Shakespeare now that his works are relevant to us because the stories are being told by so many people all around the world."

Events are taking place across the globe to mark the anniversary including celebrations in Stratford-upon-Avon and a unique tour by the Royal Shakespeare Company of Midsummer Night's Dream which combines professional actors with amateurs from around the country.

Blockade of southern Philippines hurts families

The Malaysian government has imposed a naval blockade to prevent attacks in the southern Philippines after the US state department issued a travel warning urging Americans to avoid the area due to threat of attacks, kidnapping and insurgency.

Malaysia's government says the action has been taken to stop a series of kidnappings in its territorial waters, which it blames on the armed group Abu Sayyaf, based in nearby Mindanao in southern Philippines.

But for some famillies in the Philippines, the blockade is having a devastating effect.

Abdulhamil, a resident of the southern Philippine region of Tawi-tawi, wanted to take his son to the hospital.

Reaching the nearest hospital, which is located in Malaysia, would require them to get on a boat and cross the Sulu Sea. But that is not possible due to the naval blockade.

For centuries, this has been the most important trading route between the two countries, and rights groups say the blockade is affecting trade and transit routes for thousands who regularly cross between Sabah in Malaysia and Tawi-tawi in Mindanao.

And its close proximity to Sabah means more than 70 percent of its economy is dependent on its trade with the state.


The Malaysian embassy in Manila said it will not release an official statement about the blockade.

As the situation worsens, Tawi-tawi's governor is asking the Philippines to do more.

In September, members of the Group - listed by the US and Philippines as a terrorist organisation - kidnapped a Filipino woman, two Canadians and a Norwegian from a popular resort island in the south.

The fighters threatened to behead the foreign hostages on April 25 if a $19.5m ransom is not paid.

Stage set for return of South Sudan's Riek Machar

Machar's expected return on Saturday sets the stage for the formation of a unity government under President Salva Kiir, a crucial step in ending the country's civil war.

Machar was due to arrive to Juba on Monday, but a prolonged disagreement with the government - over the number of troops travelling with the rebel leader and weapons they were allowed to carry - prevented his return.

According to a statement from Festus Mogae, JMEC chairperson, Machar is expected to arrive in Juba on Saturday, and a unity government is to be immediately formed.

"No further delay is tolerable," said Mogae.

Since December 2013, the government and opposition have been engaged in a brutal conflict that has killed more than 50,000 and displaced more than two million people.

Both sides of the conflict have been accused of committing war crimes.

A peace agreement between the government and opposition was signed in August but has yet to be fully implemented.

Diplomats have worked overtime to bring Machar back to Juba.

On Thursday, a coalition of countries and international organisations in South Sudan delivered an ultimatum, saying that Machar should be allowed to travel with 195 troops, in addition to 20 PKM machine guns and 20 rocket-propelled grenades.

The opposition accepted the deal, but the government initially objected to allowing the additional weapons.

On Friday, the government agreed to the international community's demands, according to the statement from JMEC, setting the stage for Machar's much anticipated return.

Machar was last in Juba in December 2013, when an internal rift in the presidential guard sparked fighting, according to an African Union report in October.

"Dinka members of the presidential guard and other security forces targeted Nuer soldiers and civilians," the report said.

On Friday, Mogae said he did not know if government forces had partially demilitarised Juba, as agreed to between both sides in the peace process.

A spokesperson for the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism said the process of verifying the government demilitarisation of Juba is continuing.

Prince George Wore a Tiny Robe to Meet President Obama and Now You Can Fall Over From Delight

In the most adorable part of Barack and Michelle Obama’s Friday rendezvous Friday with the British royal family, Prince George greeted the President of the United States in a mini white robe at Kensington Palace.

The two-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton “was allowed to stay up late” to meet the Obamas, said Jason Knauf, the spokesperson for Will and Kate, according to a White House pool reporter. The report also described Prince George as “smartly attired for bedtime in a light-colored robe and pajama pants.” The youngster also showed off a rocking horse that was a gift from the Obamas.

No word on whether toddler-sized white robes have been selling out worldwide yet — a trait that he gets from his mother.

After Marine One landed on the Windsor Castle golf course Friday morning, the 94-year-old Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip drove the Obamas to a 90th birthday lunch for Queen Elizabeth, where he and the First Lady presented the longest-reigning British monarch with photo album of her meetings with American leaders throughout the years. Then he went to London and held a press conference with David Cameron, where he urged Britons not to vote to leave the European Union in an upcoming referendum. Then the Obamas dined at Kensington Palace with Will and Kate, as well as Prince Harry.

Prince Philip Drove the Obamas and the Queen Around Like It’s No Big Deal

Prince Philip drove Queen Elizabeth II and Barack and Michelle Obama to lunch at Windsor Castle Friday morning. The photo shows the VIPs arriving at the Sovereign’s Entrance in the quadrangle of the royal residence after Marine One landed on its golf course.

The visit from the American president and First Lady comes one day after the longest-reigning British Monarch’s 90th birthday, so they gave her a present: “a custom photo album chronicling her visits with U.S. Presidents and First Ladies” that “highlights the enduring close ‎friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom,” according to the White House.

Skull Buzz Could Replace Your Online Passwords

The buzz of your skull could be used to identify you in place of a password login.

A prototype system called SkullConduct picks up on the way sound waves change as they pass through a person's skull.

Because everyone's skull is different, each person's sound is unique, meaning it can be used as a form of biometric identification.

The headset uses two bone-conducting plates that sit on the cheekbones, next to the ears.

A team from the University of Stuttgart sent and received identical sound waves through the skulls of 10 different people.

The tiny differences between the sound waves after they had passed through the head could be used to identify the individuals with 97% accuracy.

The researchers say that the system could be implemented in a virtual Google Glass-style headset, so that people could log onto online services without having to remember a password.

The prototype was tested without any background noise, so making the system work effectively in an everyday environment will be the team's next task.

The sound - some white noise - could also be annoying to users, and may need to be replaced with a short piece of music or a jingle, the researchers added.

The team's work will be presented at the  Conference for Human-computer Interaction in San Jose, California next month.