A post-mortem examination into the cause of George Michael's death has proved "inconclusive", according to Thames Valley Police.
The 53-year-old singer was found dead at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on Christmas Day.
George Michael's partner Fadi Fawaz said he found the star dead in bed when he arrived to wake him.
He described Michael as a "beautiful person" and a "kind and generous man".
:: Celebrity deaths: The big names mourned in 2016
The singer's publicist said his family and friends had been "touched beyond words" by the "incredible outpouring of love" from fans.
He also added there were no suspicious circumstances around the star's death.
After carrying out a post-mortem examination on Thursday, authorities said on Friday "further tests will now be carried out".
They added that "the results of these tests are unlikely to be known for several weeks".
"Thames Valley Police will prepare a file for the Oxfordshire Coroner," Police said.
"Mr Michael's death is still being treated as unexplained but not suspicious."
The Careless Whisper singer was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in 1963.
He sold more than 100 million albums throughout his career, firstly as a member of Wham, then as a solo artist.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Arctic air will reach the UK as 2017 arrives after a wet New Year's Eve
We're in for a cold start to 2017 as Arctic air pushes in from the north but before that a band of rain will affect the UK.
This means means there are three scenarios for your New Year celebrations.
:: Scenario 1 - Ahead of the rain band
This is the situation for central and southern parts of Britain. It will be mainly dry, relatively mild but cloudy. So perhaps not great viewing conditions for fireworks.
:: Scenario 2 - Behind the rain band
This is the case for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the earlier rain will have cleared to much colder conditions and some wintry showers. Wrap up warm if you're first footing on Hogmanay!
:: Scenario 3 - In the rain band
The exact timing of the band of rain as it pushes southeast may change but it looks likely that much of Ireland, north and west Wales and northern England will have spells of rain around midnight.
During New Year's Day the band of rain will continue its journey southeastwards, lingering for a time over southeast England.
Elsewhere it will be a much colder but sunny day thanks to a blast of air that originated in the Arctic.
:: The latest forecast
Wintry showers of hail, sleet and snow are likely for places exposed to the northerly flow, typically northern and eastern Scotland, Northern Ireland and eastern England.
The first day of January will end with a widespread frost and a very cold night.
This means means there are three scenarios for your New Year celebrations.
:: Scenario 1 - Ahead of the rain band
This is the situation for central and southern parts of Britain. It will be mainly dry, relatively mild but cloudy. So perhaps not great viewing conditions for fireworks.
:: Scenario 2 - Behind the rain band
This is the case for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the earlier rain will have cleared to much colder conditions and some wintry showers. Wrap up warm if you're first footing on Hogmanay!
:: Scenario 3 - In the rain band
The exact timing of the band of rain as it pushes southeast may change but it looks likely that much of Ireland, north and west Wales and northern England will have spells of rain around midnight.
During New Year's Day the band of rain will continue its journey southeastwards, lingering for a time over southeast England.
Elsewhere it will be a much colder but sunny day thanks to a blast of air that originated in the Arctic.
:: The latest forecast
Wintry showers of hail, sleet and snow are likely for places exposed to the northerly flow, typically northern and eastern Scotland, Northern Ireland and eastern England.
The first day of January will end with a widespread frost and a very cold night.
Putin: No expulsions in response to US sanctions
Vladimir Putin has rejected plans to expel US diplomats in a tit-for-tat retaliation against Washington - and instead invited their children to visit the Kremlin.
The surprise announcement from the Russian President comes hours after foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said he would be asking Mr Putin to declare 35 US officials in Moscow and St Petersburg as "persona non grata" - the same number being expelled by the US.
Mr Putin condemned the US action and said Russia had "all the grounds for a comparable response" but added: "We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone."
He said he reserved the right to retaliate but would wait and see how Donald Trump acts when he succeeds President Barack Obama next month.
The Russian President said he would not stoop to the level of "kitchen irresponsible diplomacy" and even extended an invitation to the children of American diplomats to a festive party at the Kremlin.
His unexpected response comes after President Obama reignited simmering diplomatic tensions with Moscow just three weeks before he leaves the White House.
Mr Obama took action in response to cyber attacks blamed on Russia that disrupted the US presidential election, and claims of harrassment of US diplomats in Russia. The Kremlin has denied the allegations.
The US has ordered the expulsion of diplomats based in Washington and San Francisco as well as sanctions against Russian intelligence services.
It also plans to shut Russian compounds in New York and Maryland, while the FBI has published 'wanted' posters of alleged Russian hackers.
Mr Putin said the moves were a "provocation aimed to further undermine Russian-American relations" and that he regretted that Mr Obama's administration would end in this way.
His announcement comes despite Mr Lavrov earlier saying that the US "stunts" could not go unanswered.
The foreign minister ridiculed the idea that the Russian compounds to be closed were "nests of spies", saying they were used for children's holidays.
But Mr Putin rejected Mr Lavrov's proposals to shut similar sites in Moscow.
Earlier, Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev called the US sanctions the "anti-Russian death throes" of the outgoing leadership.
The Russian embassy in the UK tweeted that "everybody, incl (the American) people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm" together with a picture of a "lame duck".
Mr Trump does not share the current President's hostile outlook towards Russia.
The Kremlin has said that, with Mr Obama only in office for three more weeks, it would refrain from acting like a "bull in a china shop".
President Obama said in a statement announcing the measures against Russia that they were a "necessary and appropriate response" after repeated warnings to Russia over "efforts to harm US interests".
He said the alleged hacking "could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government", adding: "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions."
Mr Trump, who has been dismissive about the hacking claims against Russia, issued a statement saying it was "time for our country to move on to bigger and better things".
However, he said he would meet intelligence officials next week to be "updated on the facts".
Mr Trump will be able to reverse Mr Obama's actions when he takes office, should he wish.
The surprise announcement from the Russian President comes hours after foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said he would be asking Mr Putin to declare 35 US officials in Moscow and St Petersburg as "persona non grata" - the same number being expelled by the US.
Mr Putin condemned the US action and said Russia had "all the grounds for a comparable response" but added: "We will not create problems for American diplomats. We will not expel anyone."
He said he reserved the right to retaliate but would wait and see how Donald Trump acts when he succeeds President Barack Obama next month.
The Russian President said he would not stoop to the level of "kitchen irresponsible diplomacy" and even extended an invitation to the children of American diplomats to a festive party at the Kremlin.
His unexpected response comes after President Obama reignited simmering diplomatic tensions with Moscow just three weeks before he leaves the White House.
Mr Obama took action in response to cyber attacks blamed on Russia that disrupted the US presidential election, and claims of harrassment of US diplomats in Russia. The Kremlin has denied the allegations.
The US has ordered the expulsion of diplomats based in Washington and San Francisco as well as sanctions against Russian intelligence services.
It also plans to shut Russian compounds in New York and Maryland, while the FBI has published 'wanted' posters of alleged Russian hackers.
Mr Putin said the moves were a "provocation aimed to further undermine Russian-American relations" and that he regretted that Mr Obama's administration would end in this way.
His announcement comes despite Mr Lavrov earlier saying that the US "stunts" could not go unanswered.
The foreign minister ridiculed the idea that the Russian compounds to be closed were "nests of spies", saying they were used for children's holidays.
But Mr Putin rejected Mr Lavrov's proposals to shut similar sites in Moscow.
Earlier, Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev called the US sanctions the "anti-Russian death throes" of the outgoing leadership.
The Russian embassy in the UK tweeted that "everybody, incl (the American) people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm" together with a picture of a "lame duck".
Mr Trump does not share the current President's hostile outlook towards Russia.
The Kremlin has said that, with Mr Obama only in office for three more weeks, it would refrain from acting like a "bull in a china shop".
President Obama said in a statement announcing the measures against Russia that they were a "necessary and appropriate response" after repeated warnings to Russia over "efforts to harm US interests".
He said the alleged hacking "could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government", adding: "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions."
Mr Trump, who has been dismissive about the hacking claims against Russia, issued a statement saying it was "time for our country to move on to bigger and better things".
However, he said he would meet intelligence officials next week to be "updated on the facts".
Mr Trump will be able to reverse Mr Obama's actions when he takes office, should he wish.
Russia to expel diplomats in tit-for-tat retaliation against US
Russia has announced plans to expel 35 US diplomats in a tit-for-tat response after the same number of its officials were expelled by Washington.
Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov described America's actions as "stunts" and dismissed the notion that two Russian compounds in the US that are to be shut down are "nests of spies".
He said the foreign ministry has requested that President Vladimir Putin declare 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats at its consulate in St Petersburg as "persona non grata".
The US on Thursday ordered officials at the Russian embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco to leave the country within 72 hours.
Its measures also included sanctions against Russia's GRU and FSB intelligence services and the release of FBI wanted posters of alleged Russian hackers.
President Barack Obama took action after Russia was blamed for cyber attacks that disrupted the US presidential election and was also accused of harrassing US diplomats.
Russia says the claims are unfounded.
Mr Lavrov, announcing retaliatory plans, said: "We of course cannot leave these stunts unanswered."
Russia's foreign ministry is also seeking to ban diplomats from using a holiday home in western Moscow and a warehouse in the north of the city, after the US said it would shut down Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.
Mr Lavrov said these compounds were used for children's holidays and ridiculed the idea that they were "nests of spies".
Russia had warned that the US measures could "destroy" relations between the two countries and unleashed a barrage of colourful rhetoric against what was described as the "lame duck" administration.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described called them the "anti-Russian death throes" of the outgoing leadership.
But plans for retaliation are complicated by the imminent arrival in the Oval Office of Donald Trump - who has adopted a much less hostile tone on Russia.
The Kremlin has said that, with Obama only in office for three more weeks, it would refrain from acting like a "bull in a china shop".
Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, took to Facebook to call the Obama administration "a group of foreign policy losers, angry and ignorant".
The Russian embassy in the UK tweeted that "everybody, incl (the American) people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm" together with a picture of a "lame duck".
President Obama said in a statement announcing the measures against Russia that they were a "necessary and appropriate response" after repeated warnings to Russia over "efforts to harm US interests".
He said the alleged hacking "could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government", adding: "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions."
Mr Trump, who has been dismissive about the hacking claims against Russia, issued a statement saying it was "time for our country to move on to bigger and better things".
However, he said he would meet intelligence officials next week to be "updated on the facts".
Mr Trump will be able to reverse Mr Obama's actions when he takes office, should he wish.
Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov described America's actions as "stunts" and dismissed the notion that two Russian compounds in the US that are to be shut down are "nests of spies".
He said the foreign ministry has requested that President Vladimir Putin declare 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats at its consulate in St Petersburg as "persona non grata".
The US on Thursday ordered officials at the Russian embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco to leave the country within 72 hours.
Its measures also included sanctions against Russia's GRU and FSB intelligence services and the release of FBI wanted posters of alleged Russian hackers.
President Barack Obama took action after Russia was blamed for cyber attacks that disrupted the US presidential election and was also accused of harrassing US diplomats.
Russia says the claims are unfounded.
Mr Lavrov, announcing retaliatory plans, said: "We of course cannot leave these stunts unanswered."
Russia's foreign ministry is also seeking to ban diplomats from using a holiday home in western Moscow and a warehouse in the north of the city, after the US said it would shut down Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.
Mr Lavrov said these compounds were used for children's holidays and ridiculed the idea that they were "nests of spies".
Russia had warned that the US measures could "destroy" relations between the two countries and unleashed a barrage of colourful rhetoric against what was described as the "lame duck" administration.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described called them the "anti-Russian death throes" of the outgoing leadership.
But plans for retaliation are complicated by the imminent arrival in the Oval Office of Donald Trump - who has adopted a much less hostile tone on Russia.
The Kremlin has said that, with Obama only in office for three more weeks, it would refrain from acting like a "bull in a china shop".
Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, took to Facebook to call the Obama administration "a group of foreign policy losers, angry and ignorant".
The Russian embassy in the UK tweeted that "everybody, incl (the American) people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm" together with a picture of a "lame duck".
President Obama said in a statement announcing the measures against Russia that they were a "necessary and appropriate response" after repeated warnings to Russia over "efforts to harm US interests".
He said the alleged hacking "could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government", adding: "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions."
Mr Trump, who has been dismissive about the hacking claims against Russia, issued a statement saying it was "time for our country to move on to bigger and better things".
However, he said he would meet intelligence officials next week to be "updated on the facts".
Mr Trump will be able to reverse Mr Obama's actions when he takes office, should he wish.
Real reason Thatcher tried to ban acid house parties revealed
Margaret Thatcher tried to stop the "new fashion" of acid house parties after an all-night rave shattered the tranquillity of a Tory MP's uncle, newly released official papers show.
The Prime Minister asked to be briefed on what powers the police had to control the parties and months later legislation was introduced to tackle unlicensed gatherings.
However, she was warned by then Scotland Secretary Malcolm Rifkind that proposed laws should not affect "innocent events" such as barn dances.
Mrs Thatcher was alerted to the burgeoning rave culture after a party held in Bentley, Hampshire, in August 1989.
Archie Hamilton, MP for Epsom and Ewell, forwarded the Prime Minister a letter from his uncle Gerald Coke, who said he was "very disturbed" by the party which had lasted until 7.30am.
Mr Coke, a former magistrate, said there was a "feeling of collective anger and helplessness" that police could do nothing because it was a private party.
In a handwritten note on the letter, Mrs Thatcher was asked if the Home Office should provide a briefing on what powers police had to control the gatherings.
She replied: "Yes if this is a new 'fashion' we must be prepared for it and preferably prevent such things from starting."
The rise of acid house in the late 1980s saw huge outdoor raves take place across Britain - accompanied by the use of recreational drugs such as ecstasy.
Cabinet Office papers released by the National Archives show how, by the time of dance music's 'summer of love', concern about raves had spread to the highest level of Government.
But a memo in October 1989 from Carolyn Sinclair of the Number 10 policy unit showed officials were more concerned with "nuisance caused by the noise" than the growing use of ecstasy.
She said: "Drugs are not the main issue. The parties are a form of unlicensed public entertainment for which people buy tickets.
"What is needed is a way of hitting at the profits made by the organisers. This should discourage the craze."
By 1990 legislation was introduced heightening punishments for those organising parties without licences.
Changes to the law contributed to a shift in dance music culture that saw parties move from vast outdoor raves to clubs which could be more easily policed, licensed and monitored.
The newly released official documents also show how Mrs Thatcher was threatened with a fine for failing to register for the poll tax - despite it being her own highly controversial flagship policy.
But in 1989 a bureaucratic wrangle between Westminster City Council and the Cabinet Office saw the council threaten to impose a penalty after a registration form for the new community charge was not filled in.
The Prime Minister asked to be briefed on what powers the police had to control the parties and months later legislation was introduced to tackle unlicensed gatherings.
However, she was warned by then Scotland Secretary Malcolm Rifkind that proposed laws should not affect "innocent events" such as barn dances.
Mrs Thatcher was alerted to the burgeoning rave culture after a party held in Bentley, Hampshire, in August 1989.
Archie Hamilton, MP for Epsom and Ewell, forwarded the Prime Minister a letter from his uncle Gerald Coke, who said he was "very disturbed" by the party which had lasted until 7.30am.
Mr Coke, a former magistrate, said there was a "feeling of collective anger and helplessness" that police could do nothing because it was a private party.
In a handwritten note on the letter, Mrs Thatcher was asked if the Home Office should provide a briefing on what powers police had to control the gatherings.
She replied: "Yes if this is a new 'fashion' we must be prepared for it and preferably prevent such things from starting."
The rise of acid house in the late 1980s saw huge outdoor raves take place across Britain - accompanied by the use of recreational drugs such as ecstasy.
Cabinet Office papers released by the National Archives show how, by the time of dance music's 'summer of love', concern about raves had spread to the highest level of Government.
But a memo in October 1989 from Carolyn Sinclair of the Number 10 policy unit showed officials were more concerned with "nuisance caused by the noise" than the growing use of ecstasy.
She said: "Drugs are not the main issue. The parties are a form of unlicensed public entertainment for which people buy tickets.
"What is needed is a way of hitting at the profits made by the organisers. This should discourage the craze."
By 1990 legislation was introduced heightening punishments for those organising parties without licences.
Changes to the law contributed to a shift in dance music culture that saw parties move from vast outdoor raves to clubs which could be more easily policed, licensed and monitored.
The newly released official documents also show how Mrs Thatcher was threatened with a fine for failing to register for the poll tax - despite it being her own highly controversial flagship policy.
But in 1989 a bureaucratic wrangle between Westminster City Council and the Cabinet Office saw the council threaten to impose a penalty after a registration form for the new community charge was not filled in.
Just a second! Extra time to be added to final minute of 2016
Counting down to the New Year is going to take a little longer than usual tomorrow, as international time experts are delaying midnight by one second.
Scientists say the "leap second" is needed to compensate for a slowdown in the Earth's rotation.
While your trusty living room clock normally goes from 23:59:59 to 00:00:00, the extra second is being added in between - and hi-tech digital clocks will record that time as 23:59:60.
Peter Whibberley, a senior research scientist at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, said: "Leap seconds are needed to prevent civil time drifting away from Earth time.
"Although the drift is small - taking around 1,000 years to accumulate a one-hour time difference - if not corrected it would eventually result in clocks showing midday before sunrise."
The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service in Paris decides when leap seconds are needed, and they are always announced about six months in advance.
That is because the extra second can be a nightmare for communication networks, financial systems and other applications that rely on precise timing, so they need to be programmed into computers to prevent mistakes.
This is the 27th time a leap second has been introduced since 1972.
Although they are normally added every two or three years, the last leap second was inserted just 18 months ago.
It's also possible for seconds to be removed, but this has never happened.
The leap seconds are usually introduced in the final minute of June or December, but they can be implemented in March or September on rare occasions.
Scientists say the "leap second" is needed to compensate for a slowdown in the Earth's rotation.
While your trusty living room clock normally goes from 23:59:59 to 00:00:00, the extra second is being added in between - and hi-tech digital clocks will record that time as 23:59:60.
Peter Whibberley, a senior research scientist at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, said: "Leap seconds are needed to prevent civil time drifting away from Earth time.
"Although the drift is small - taking around 1,000 years to accumulate a one-hour time difference - if not corrected it would eventually result in clocks showing midday before sunrise."
The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service in Paris decides when leap seconds are needed, and they are always announced about six months in advance.
That is because the extra second can be a nightmare for communication networks, financial systems and other applications that rely on precise timing, so they need to be programmed into computers to prevent mistakes.
This is the 27th time a leap second has been introduced since 1972.
Although they are normally added every two or three years, the last leap second was inserted just 18 months ago.
It's also possible for seconds to be removed, but this has never happened.
The leap seconds are usually introduced in the final minute of June or December, but they can be implemented in March or September on rare occasions.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
10 Most Purchased Brands in the World
From soda to toothpaste
Many American consumers are still having a Coke and smile.
Though soda sales are generally on the decline, Coca-Cola was ranked the most popular brand by Kantar Worldpanel, a consumer research firm, Business Insider reported. Kantar Worldpanel studies how many households around the world are buying each brand and how often. In its analysis of shopper behavior between October 2014 and October 2015, it examined 300 billion shopper decisions, encompassing 15,00 brands in 44 countries.
Here’s a ranked list of the most popular brands:
10. Dove: Owned by Unilever, Dove added 31 million households compared to the number of households it added last year.
9. Knorr: Also owned by Unilever, Knorr sells stock cubes, flavor pots and powder mixes.
8. Indomie: The Asian instant-noodle brand ranks as the number-one brand in Indonesia. It’s recently expanded to Turkey.
7. Nescafé: The Nestlé-owned coffee brand is still popular, but fell from its ranking of 6th place in the 2014 ranking.
6. PepsiCo: The soda maker’s popularity is bolstered by Egypt, one of the few parts of the world where people choose Pepsi more often than Coke.
5. Lays: Also owned by PepsiCo, Lays added 25 million households to its reach over the year.
4. Maggi: This Nestlé-controlled company makes instant soups, sauces, stocks and noodles.
3. Lifebuoy: This soap brand added disinfecting devices to shopping cart handles in the UAE and Indonesia. It also created a warning system to remind people to wash their hands thoroughly.
2. Colgate: The toothpaste brand—already being bought by two-thirds of households worldwide—added 40 million households to its customer base this year, the largest gain of all brands in the analysis.
1. Coca-Cola: The red-bottled cola was ranked as the most popular brand of the past year. It’s built its notoriety by supplying local stores with branded refrigerators for its drinks.
Many American consumers are still having a Coke and smile.
Though soda sales are generally on the decline, Coca-Cola was ranked the most popular brand by Kantar Worldpanel, a consumer research firm, Business Insider reported. Kantar Worldpanel studies how many households around the world are buying each brand and how often. In its analysis of shopper behavior between October 2014 and October 2015, it examined 300 billion shopper decisions, encompassing 15,00 brands in 44 countries.
Here’s a ranked list of the most popular brands:
10. Dove: Owned by Unilever, Dove added 31 million households compared to the number of households it added last year.
9. Knorr: Also owned by Unilever, Knorr sells stock cubes, flavor pots and powder mixes.
8. Indomie: The Asian instant-noodle brand ranks as the number-one brand in Indonesia. It’s recently expanded to Turkey.
7. Nescafé: The Nestlé-owned coffee brand is still popular, but fell from its ranking of 6th place in the 2014 ranking.
6. PepsiCo: The soda maker’s popularity is bolstered by Egypt, one of the few parts of the world where people choose Pepsi more often than Coke.
5. Lays: Also owned by PepsiCo, Lays added 25 million households to its reach over the year.
4. Maggi: This Nestlé-controlled company makes instant soups, sauces, stocks and noodles.
3. Lifebuoy: This soap brand added disinfecting devices to shopping cart handles in the UAE and Indonesia. It also created a warning system to remind people to wash their hands thoroughly.
2. Colgate: The toothpaste brand—already being bought by two-thirds of households worldwide—added 40 million households to its customer base this year, the largest gain of all brands in the analysis.
1. Coca-Cola: The red-bottled cola was ranked as the most popular brand of the past year. It’s built its notoriety by supplying local stores with branded refrigerators for its drinks.
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