John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman has been denied parole for the ninth time since the former Beatle's murder stunned the world in 1980.
The New York state Board of Parole announced its decision in relation to Chapman, 61, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is serving a sentence of 20 years to life in western New York's Wende Correctional Facility.
The parole board noted that Chapman - who shot and killed the star outside New York's Dakota building - has described the murder as "selfish and evil".
But it concluded that his contrition and other factors supporting his release were outweighed by the premeditated and "celebrity-seeking" nature of the crime.
Former Beatle John Lennon was gunned down outside his luxury apartment block
The board said: "Your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society and would so deprecate that seriousness of the crime as to undermine respect for the law."
Chapman will be eligible to seek parole again in 2018.
He was last denied parole in 2014, when he said he still received letters about the pain he caused in his pursuit of notoriety.
"I am sorry for causing that type of pain," he said.
"I am sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory."
In a 1992 interview Chapman told of the moment when Lennon got out of a limousine and approached him after he asked for an autograph.
Chapman said: "I heard this voice - not an audible voice, an inaudible voice - saying over and over, 'Do it, do it, do it'.
"I thought that by killing him I would acquire his fame."
At a 2010 hearing, Chapman said he had considered shooting Johnny Carson or Elizabeth Taylor instead, but settled on Lennon because the ex-Beatle was more accessible as his century-old apartment building by Central Park "wasn't quite as cloistered".
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
'Funny Doing Something And Nothing': Gene Wilder Celebrated
Co-stars, directors and admirers have been remembering Gene Wilder, the beloved actor who has died at the age of 83 after suffering complications linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Among those mourning the comedy legend's passing are the actors who played the five lucky Golden Ticket winners in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.
Julie Dawn Cole, who was just 12 years old when she played spoilt Veruca Salt in the 1971 film, described him as a "father figure" to the cast who was "quiet, gently, funny and patient".
Cole said her four child co-stars in the movie, who she continues to see once every year, were "very, very sad" to hear of his death. They had last heard from Wilder in 2015, when he sent them "lots of love".
Wilder was also celebrated for his collaborations with director Mel Brooks, who said: "He blessed every film we did together with his special magic and he blessed my life with friendship."
The daughter of the late Richard Pryor, with whom Gene Wilder created several box office hits, said "nothing could beat their magic on screen nor ever will".
Countless household names in TV and film have also described how they were inspired to pursue comedy after seeing Wilder on the stage and screen.
Actor Rob Lowe said: "Gene Wilder was one of my earliest heroes. Blazing Saddles, Willy Wonka, are CLINICS on comic acting. Sad to hear of his passing."
"Gene Wilder was one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to take a human form. If there's a heaven, he has a Golden Ticket," Jim Carrey wrote.
Russell Crowe tweeted: "I saw Blazing Saddles seven times at the cinema with my school friends. George St. Cows outside. Gene Wilder you were a genius."
The director Edgar Wright asked for a moment of silence for Wilder, describing him as the master of the comedic pause.
"Gene Wilder: funny doing something and funny doing nothing," Wright added.
Eric McCormack, who played Will Truman in the long-running sitcom Will And Grace, said Wilder was "a genius I stole from constantly".
In 1997, Wilder won an Emmy for his guest appearance in the show - and McCormack added that he was "humbled and thrilled" to have worked with him.
Josh Gad, known appearing in Book Of Mormon and Frozen, described Wilder as "a supernova of unmatched energy on screen" - adding: "He dared you to take your eyes off him and we the audience always lost the bet."
Also paying tribute was the actor and writer Stephen Fry, who thanked Gene Wilder for "all those happy happy hours" in a tweet accompanied by a picture of Wilder as Willy Wonka.
Among those mourning the comedy legend's passing are the actors who played the five lucky Golden Ticket winners in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.
Julie Dawn Cole, who was just 12 years old when she played spoilt Veruca Salt in the 1971 film, described him as a "father figure" to the cast who was "quiet, gently, funny and patient".
Cole said her four child co-stars in the movie, who she continues to see once every year, were "very, very sad" to hear of his death. They had last heard from Wilder in 2015, when he sent them "lots of love".
Wilder was also celebrated for his collaborations with director Mel Brooks, who said: "He blessed every film we did together with his special magic and he blessed my life with friendship."
The daughter of the late Richard Pryor, with whom Gene Wilder created several box office hits, said "nothing could beat their magic on screen nor ever will".
Countless household names in TV and film have also described how they were inspired to pursue comedy after seeing Wilder on the stage and screen.
Actor Rob Lowe said: "Gene Wilder was one of my earliest heroes. Blazing Saddles, Willy Wonka, are CLINICS on comic acting. Sad to hear of his passing."
"Gene Wilder was one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to take a human form. If there's a heaven, he has a Golden Ticket," Jim Carrey wrote.
Russell Crowe tweeted: "I saw Blazing Saddles seven times at the cinema with my school friends. George St. Cows outside. Gene Wilder you were a genius."
The director Edgar Wright asked for a moment of silence for Wilder, describing him as the master of the comedic pause.
"Gene Wilder: funny doing something and funny doing nothing," Wright added.
Eric McCormack, who played Will Truman in the long-running sitcom Will And Grace, said Wilder was "a genius I stole from constantly".
In 1997, Wilder won an Emmy for his guest appearance in the show - and McCormack added that he was "humbled and thrilled" to have worked with him.
Josh Gad, known appearing in Book Of Mormon and Frozen, described Wilder as "a supernova of unmatched energy on screen" - adding: "He dared you to take your eyes off him and we the audience always lost the bet."
Also paying tribute was the actor and writer Stephen Fry, who thanked Gene Wilder for "all those happy happy hours" in a tweet accompanied by a picture of Wilder as Willy Wonka.
Twin Girls Who Were Conjoined At Birth To Start School In Kent
Twins girls who were given a slim chance of survival after being born conjoined are preparing for their first day at school.
Rosie and Ruby Formosa, aged four, were joined at the abdomen and shared part of the intestine when they were born in 2012.
Parents Angela and Daniel Formosa, from Bexleyheath in Kent, could only wait and hope as their daughters underwent a five-hour operation at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
Thankfully it was successful - and Mrs Formosa said the girls had now met their teacher and were "very excited" to be following big sister Lily, who is nine, to school.
The girls were born joined at the abdomen and shared part of the intestine
She said: "Four years ago it wasn't in my mind that this would ever happen.
"When I was pregnant I didn't think I'd ever see their first day at school so it is really amazing and all thanks to GOSH really."
Mrs Formosa said it was "heartbreaking" when she discovered the girls had the rare medical condition - it accounts for one in every 200,000 live births.
She went on: "At 16 weeks they sent me to King's College Hospital and it was there that they discovered the connection between the girls.
"It was heartbreaking, really - I was already worried that they were monoamniotic (where twins share an amniotic sac), and conjoined was the worst-case scenario.
"I was really, really, really scared and really upset because at that point I was told that there was a high possibility that the girls wouldn't survive the pregnancy.
"And if they did survive the pregnancy they might not survive the birth, then they might not survive surgery.
"They couldn't tell what was connecting them.
"I didn't prepare to bring them home. It wasn't until they were in hospital and they'd had their operation that my husband started painting the bedroom and getting everything ready for them."
Mrs Formosa, 35, said it felt like "a million years" ago since she was waiting for the girls to come out of their surgery.
"The time has just flown by, I can't believe how fast it has gone."
GOSH's Professor Paolo De Coppi said: "Over the last 30 years we have treated 27 sets of conjoined twins.
"It's always a joy to witness patients' progress and to hear that they are reaching new milestones - this makes the job we do all the more rewarding."
The Formosa family are supporting GOSH's Back To School Campaign - which raises funds to support the hospital.
Anyone want to support the campaign can donate £3 by texting SCHOOL to 70020.
Rosie and Ruby Formosa, aged four, were joined at the abdomen and shared part of the intestine when they were born in 2012.
Parents Angela and Daniel Formosa, from Bexleyheath in Kent, could only wait and hope as their daughters underwent a five-hour operation at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
Thankfully it was successful - and Mrs Formosa said the girls had now met their teacher and were "very excited" to be following big sister Lily, who is nine, to school.
The girls were born joined at the abdomen and shared part of the intestine
She said: "Four years ago it wasn't in my mind that this would ever happen.
"When I was pregnant I didn't think I'd ever see their first day at school so it is really amazing and all thanks to GOSH really."
Mrs Formosa said it was "heartbreaking" when she discovered the girls had the rare medical condition - it accounts for one in every 200,000 live births.
She went on: "At 16 weeks they sent me to King's College Hospital and it was there that they discovered the connection between the girls.
"It was heartbreaking, really - I was already worried that they were monoamniotic (where twins share an amniotic sac), and conjoined was the worst-case scenario.
"I was really, really, really scared and really upset because at that point I was told that there was a high possibility that the girls wouldn't survive the pregnancy.
"And if they did survive the pregnancy they might not survive the birth, then they might not survive surgery.
"They couldn't tell what was connecting them.
"I didn't prepare to bring them home. It wasn't until they were in hospital and they'd had their operation that my husband started painting the bedroom and getting everything ready for them."
Mrs Formosa, 35, said it felt like "a million years" ago since she was waiting for the girls to come out of their surgery.
"The time has just flown by, I can't believe how fast it has gone."
GOSH's Professor Paolo De Coppi said: "Over the last 30 years we have treated 27 sets of conjoined twins.
"It's always a joy to witness patients' progress and to hear that they are reaching new milestones - this makes the job we do all the more rewarding."
The Formosa family are supporting GOSH's Back To School Campaign - which raises funds to support the hospital.
Anyone want to support the campaign can donate £3 by texting SCHOOL to 70020.
Apple Ordered To Pay €13bn In Irish Taxes
US technology giant Apple has been ordered to pay up to €13bn (£11bn) in back taxes to Ireland after a European probe.
Apple faces the record bill after the European Commission (EC) ruled that a special scheme to route profits through Ireland was illegal state aid.
The tech giant's tax arrangements enabled it to pay a tax rate of as little as 0.005% on its European profits in 2014, according to the probe.
That is just €50 (£43) in taxes on every €1m (£850m) of profit.
Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan said he disagreed "profoundly" with the decision and would seek Cabinet approval for an appeal.
The sum to be paid by Apple is 40 times bigger than any previous demand by the EC in such a case.
It could be reduced if other countries seek more taxes themselves from the US tech giant.
Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: "Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies - this is illegal under EU state aid rules..
"The Commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years."
Apple said it was confident of winning an appeal and that the ruling would have a "profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe".
The EC's tax crackdown on multinationals has prompted criticism in Washington, which accuses it of targeting US companies.
Online retailer Amazon and fast food giant McDonald's face probes over their tax arrangements in Luxembourg while coffee chain Starbucks has been ordered to pay up to €30m (£26m) in the Netherlands.
Apple faces the record bill after the European Commission (EC) ruled that a special scheme to route profits through Ireland was illegal state aid.
The tech giant's tax arrangements enabled it to pay a tax rate of as little as 0.005% on its European profits in 2014, according to the probe.
That is just €50 (£43) in taxes on every €1m (£850m) of profit.
Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan said he disagreed "profoundly" with the decision and would seek Cabinet approval for an appeal.
The sum to be paid by Apple is 40 times bigger than any previous demand by the EC in such a case.
It could be reduced if other countries seek more taxes themselves from the US tech giant.
Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: "Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies - this is illegal under EU state aid rules..
"The Commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years."
Apple said it was confident of winning an appeal and that the ruling would have a "profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe".
The EC's tax crackdown on multinationals has prompted criticism in Washington, which accuses it of targeting US companies.
Online retailer Amazon and fast food giant McDonald's face probes over their tax arrangements in Luxembourg while coffee chain Starbucks has been ordered to pay up to €30m (£26m) in the Netherlands.
Calls To Improve Diabetes Care As Amputations Hit Record High
The number of diabetes-related amputations in England has reached an all-time high of 20 a day, according to new analysis.
Diabetes UK says there is an alarming difference in quality of care seen across the country and while the best-performing areas have consistently reduced their amputation rates, the worst-performing areas have made no improvements.
Experts estimate that up to 80% of diabetes-related amputations are preventable. Most are caused by foot ulcers, which are avoidable and easy to treat if detected early.
Using Public Health England figures, the charity discovered there are now 7,370 amputations a year - considerably more than the earlier figure of 7,042.
Diabetes UK wants the Government and the NHS to improve diabetes foot care, especially in areas where amputation rates are stagnant or getting worse.
Data suggests some NHS trusts are 10 times more likely than others to resort to an amputation than others.
Diabetes UK says there is an alarming difference in quality of care seen across the country and while the best-performing areas have consistently reduced their amputation rates, the worst-performing areas have made no improvements.
Experts estimate that up to 80% of diabetes-related amputations are preventable. Most are caused by foot ulcers, which are avoidable and easy to treat if detected early.
Using Public Health England figures, the charity discovered there are now 7,370 amputations a year - considerably more than the earlier figure of 7,042.
Diabetes UK wants the Government and the NHS to improve diabetes foot care, especially in areas where amputation rates are stagnant or getting worse.
Data suggests some NHS trusts are 10 times more likely than others to resort to an amputation than others.
Apple May Be Fined Billions In Europe's Largest Tax Penalty
American tech firm Apple is expected to be hit with Europe's largest tax penalty later following claims it received preferential treatment from Ireland.
The company could be forced to pay back billions of euros to Dublin as state tax aid is illegal under European Union rules.
Last week the US Treasury attacked Europe's tax avoidance crackdown - which also includes firms such as Amazon and Fiat Chrysler.
It said the probe by the European Commission (EC) undermines the international tax system, while the companies under investigation say their arrangements are legal.
If Europe recovers billions in taxes from US firms it could mean less revenues collected by Washington.
Robert Stack, the US Treasury's deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs, said: "US taxpayers could wind up eventually footing the bill."
The US acknowledged the problem of alleged state aid being given by countries such as Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg in the form of lucrative tax breaks.
But it criticised the EC's approach in planning to apply new rules to companies retroactively, and also accused it of overstepping its powers.
The EC denied it was targeting US companies and said it was a "standard feature" of European rules that companies would have to pay any benefits from tax breaks found to be illegal.
Ireland has stood by its actions.
Junior finance minister Eoghan Murphy said on Sunday: "We don't believe we gave any state aid to Apple."
He reiterated the government's stance that it would appeal any decision that found against Ireland in the matter.
The company could be forced to pay back billions of euros to Dublin as state tax aid is illegal under European Union rules.
Last week the US Treasury attacked Europe's tax avoidance crackdown - which also includes firms such as Amazon and Fiat Chrysler.
It said the probe by the European Commission (EC) undermines the international tax system, while the companies under investigation say their arrangements are legal.
If Europe recovers billions in taxes from US firms it could mean less revenues collected by Washington.
Robert Stack, the US Treasury's deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs, said: "US taxpayers could wind up eventually footing the bill."
The US acknowledged the problem of alleged state aid being given by countries such as Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg in the form of lucrative tax breaks.
But it criticised the EC's approach in planning to apply new rules to companies retroactively, and also accused it of overstepping its powers.
The EC denied it was targeting US companies and said it was a "standard feature" of European rules that companies would have to pay any benefits from tax breaks found to be illegal.
Ireland has stood by its actions.
Junior finance minister Eoghan Murphy said on Sunday: "We don't believe we gave any state aid to Apple."
He reiterated the government's stance that it would appeal any decision that found against Ireland in the matter.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Explosion reported near Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan
An explosion has occurred around the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek, reports Interfax news agency citing a local emergency ministry's representative.
There are no confirmed casualty figures yet.
"The exact number is being verified," the representative said.
AFP news gency reports that a car exploded after ramming into gate at the embassy, according to local police.
Local medics said the driver of the car was killed while two embassy staff and a woman were injured in the blast.
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