Dennis Farina: Law & Order Star Dies Aged 69

Dennis Farina, the ex-cop who went on to play a police officer in Law & Order, has died at the age of 69.

He died on Monday morning at a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, after suffering a blood clot in his lung, his representative Lori De Waal said.

Born in February 1944 in Chicago, Farina was a city police officer before turning to acting in his late 30s, specialising in roles as cops and gangsters.

He started out with a small role in the Michael Mann film Thief, and went on to appear in films including Get Shorty, Saving Private Ryan, Midnight Run, Snatch and Out Of Sight.

He played Detective Joe Fontana in Law & Order, and before that he starred in the 1980s period police drama Crime Story, produced by Mann.

He also played a private detective in the short-lived series Buddy Faro.

In recent years, he co-starred in the HBO drama Luck, another Mann project, and guest-starred on New Girl, where he played the father of Jake Johnson's character Nick.

Law & Order executive producer Dick Wolf said: "I was stunned and saddened to hear about Dennis' unexpected passing this morning.

"The Law & Order family extends sympathy and condolences to his family. He was a great guy."

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LaGuardia Plane Crash: Ten People Injured

Ten people have been injured after a plane's landing gear collapsed as it touched down at an airport in New York.

The accident left the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 with its nose resting on the runway at LaGuardia.

It forced the temporary closure of the airport, which mostly handles flights to and from other US cities.

Some 150 people were on board at the time.

The airline confirmed the emergency services had helped with the evacuation of the passengers and crew of Flight 345 from Nashville.

Thomas Bosco, the acting director of aviation at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the nose gear of the plane collapsed when it landed at 5.40pm.

Investigators are examining the potential cause of the crash

"The aircraft skidded down the runway on its nose and then veered off and came to rest in the grass area," he said, adding that there was no advance warning of any possible problem before the landing.

Television images showed the plane with its nose angled down to the ground and its evacuation slides out. The fuselage was surrounded by emergency vehicles.

Passengers on board the plane saw sparks flying as the nose scraped along the runway, according to accounts given to waiting relatives and friends.

One passenger, Anniebell Hanna, said the flight had been delayed leaving Nashville. Passengers had heard an announcement saying "something was wrong with a tyre".

She said of the landing at LaGuardia: "When we got ready to land, we nosedived. I hit my head against the seat in front of me."

The 43-year-old was among the first to get off the plane, and could smell something burning when she slid down the chute to the tarmac.

Planes scheduled to fly to LaGuardia were held at their origin airports, while those already en route were diverted to New York's other hubs, Newark and JFK, contributing to long delays.

All take-offs were suspended for more than two hours after the accident, but the airport's two runways were fully functional on Tuesday.

The incident came 16 days after Asiana Flight 214 crash-landed at San Francisco's international airport. Three Chinese teenagers died as a result of the Boeing 777 crash, with dozens more people injured.

AskthePilot.com's Patrick Smith said landing gear incidents are not high on the list of worries for pilots.

"It doesn't happen very often, but I need to emphasise just how comparatively minor this is and how far, far down the hierarchy it is," he said.

"From a pilot's perspective, this is nearly a non-issue. They make for good television, but this is far down the list of nightmares for pilots."

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Pope In Brazil: Thousands Mob Pontiff's Car

Thousands of Brazilians mobbed the Pope's car after his driver went the wrong way down a street in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio transportation secretary Carlos Osorio said the Fiat that Francis was riding in from the airport to the city centre turned into the wrong side of the 12-lane Avenida Presidente Vargas.

Instead of taking the left lanes that were free of traffic, the car turned into the right lanes cluttered with buses and taxis, forcing the pontiff's car to stop, he said.

Thousands who had lined the streets then rushed the car, reaching into the Pope's open window, many taking photos of him.

His secretary was not happy during the incident

Vatican spokesman the Reverend Federico Lombardi acknowledged that the Pope's motorcade took a wrong turn, but said the pontiff was never concerned for his safety, even if his secretary, who was sitting with him in the car, was.

"His secretary was afraid, but the Pope was happy, with his hand out the window waving," Rev Lombardi said.

"There are no concerns for security. The concerns are that the enthusiasm is so great that it's difficult to respond to so much enthusiasm for the Pope. But there is no fear and no concern."

The Pope later toured round the main streets In Rio

Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, who is on a seven-day trip to his home continent, then switched to an open-air Popemobile as he toured the main streets in central Rio.

At the official welcoming ceremony, Pope Francis said he had come "to meet young people from all over the world" attracted by the messages of Jesus.

During his stay, the 76-year-old will meet young Catholics gathering for the Church's World Youth Festival in Rio.

Police fire rubber bullets at protesters

More than one million people are expected to pack the white sands of Copacabana for ceremonies presided over by Pope Francis. He will also visit a tiny chapel in a slum and make a side trip to venerate Brazil's patron saint, Our Lady of Aparecida.

The Pope will be hoping his visit will galvanise support for the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil.

In 1970 some 90% of Brazilians identified themselves as Catholic, but a poll at the weekend suggested that number was now down to 57%, with an increasing number of people joining evangelical groups.

Pope Francis meeting Brazil president Dilma Rousseff

Police and anti-government protesters earlier clashed outside the palace hosting the Pope's welcoming ceremony.

About an hour after the Pope concluded his short speech, police began cracking down on the protests, firing rubber bullets in an effort to disperse the crowd.

The protests, the latest in a series of demonstations in Brazil over the past few weeks, focused on government corruption and the cost of Pope Francis' visit, said to be in the region of £33m.

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Boy Buried Alive In Sand Dune Recovering Well

A six-year-old boy who survived being buried alive after a sand dune collapsed around him is recovering well and could be released soon.

Nathan Woessner, who was initially in a coma after becoming trapped in the dune in Indiana, is "listed as in good condition and continues to improve" at Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago.

His doctor, Diana Mitchell, said he had returned to a regular diet and can leave his room to visit the playroom.

Nathan was buried for more than three hours on July 12 at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, about 40 miles southeast of Michigan City.

He is expected to make a full neurological recovery, but may suffer lingering lung problems from inhaling sand.

Rescuers dig in the sand to save Nathan on July 12

He was removed from a ventilator last week. But he is now minus two front teeth - which had been loose - after they were knocked out when he was intubated.

"We're saving them for him, and they're going to put them under his pillow at some point," his grandfather Don Reul told The LaPorte County Herald-Argus newspaper.

Nathan suffered scrapes on his face and a cut on his head that required more than 20 staples, and both his corneas were scratched by the sand, his grandfather said.

"The ophthalmologist has been in, and they don't see anything (serious). His motor skills are good so there doesn't seem to be any damage in that area.

"He's coming along at a rapid rate in his recovery, so we're just really happy about where things are and how they're progressing."

The boy from Sterling in Illinois has not mentioned his ordeal, the grandfather added.

"He hasn't had any recollection so far that he's told us about, and we're hoping that he has none," he said.

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School Meal Deaths: 'Acute Poisoning' Blamed

By Neville Lazarus, Asia Producer

The results of tests on blood samples from four children who are in a critical condition after eating contaminated school meals indicate "acute poisoning".

The food, served at the school in Bihar as part of an Indian government scheme, contained a toxic substance, according to the tests carried out at a clinic in Mumbai.

An unnamed government official said: "The poisonous substance was more than five times the commercial preparation available on the market."

Twenty-three children died and 30 others are still recuperating in hospital after eating the free school lunch on July 16.

A forensic report earlier showed the oil that the food was cooked in contained the pesticide monocrotophos at very high levels.

Thirty children are still in hospital

The World Health Organisation said it had asked India to ban the toxic substance as far back as 2009.

It also warned that pesticide containers were not being disposed of properly in India and were being used by the poor to store water and food.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the headmistress of the school, Meena Devi, and her husband, who supplied groceries for the meal.

Their home was raided and five empty packets of insecticides were found. The couple went on the run soon after the tragedy.

Angry villagers subsequently attacked the house, which is now under police guard.

The children who died were between the ages of four and 10.

Some of them were buried near the entrance of the school, as a mark of their parents' protest.

Groceries for the meal were provided by the headmistress

State education minister PK Shahi said it was impossible to give an assurance that such an incident would not occur again.

"As a minister, how can I guarantee that in 72,000 schools across the state, there won't be any poison in the food if somebody is hell bent on doing so?" the minister said.

The tragedy has provoked a national debate on the world's largest school-feeding programme and how it is implemented.

More than 120 million children are being fed a cooked meal through the scheme, which started in the 1960s.

It has been adopted at all government schools in India as a way of enrolling more children into schools and tackling malnutrition.

India has more than twice as many malnourished children as sub-Saharan Africa.

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China In Ban On 'Glitzy' Official Buildings

Chinese authorities have ordered a five-year suspension of the construction of new official buildings, state media reported.

It is the latest move by President Xi Jinping to crack down on extravagance and pervasive corruption that blights the world's most populous nation.

The decision was "made in accordance with the country's frugality campaign", official news agency Xinhua said.

Some structures built in violation of regulations had tainted the image of the Communist Party and stirred vehement public disapproval, the agency said.

"The directive called on all party and government bodies to be frugal and ensure that government spending goes toward developing the economy and boosting people's wellbeing," it added.

The ban also covered "glitzy structures" built as training centres, hotels or government motels, it said.

Numerous scandals in recent years have centred on extravagant expenditure on new government buildings by officials, often in poverty-struck inland regions.

A building belonging to the state-owned Harbin Pharmaceutical Group

Some local governments have embezzled poverty-alleviation and disaster-relief funds to build offices and other facilities for themselves that sometimes resemble high-end resorts.

Mr Xi, who took office in March, has made the fight on graft a key objective of his administration, and the party has already targeted everything from the use of government cars to liquor served at official banquets.

Corruption is so bad it could hurt the party's grip on power, Mr Xi has warned.

But so far few high-level officials have been caught in his dragnet and the party has shown no sign of wanting to set up an independent graft-fighting body.

Similar orders in the past to rein in construction of over-the-top government buildings have had little apparent effect.

Some international observers believe that an apparent crackdown on foreign pharmaceutical firms over kickbacks is an early phase of turning the heat up on domestic wrongdoers.

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Crete Stabbing: 18 Britons Held After Killing

Dozens of Britons were involved in a brawl that resulted in a teenage British tourist being stabbed to death on the Greek island of Crete, police have said.

According to a police statement the fight broke out among a group who were holidaying in the popular party resort of Malia.

The Briton suspected of the stabbing has been arrested, along with 17 others thought to have been involved in the fighting.

Police have said they are still searching for 12 other Brits.

The 19-year-old victim was found outside a closed bar on a pedestrian street at 3am local time in the town, which is renowned for its nightlife.

He had been stabbed in the chest.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Malia, Greece on July 23.

"We stand ready to provide consular assistance to the family."

Malia is one of the top five destinations for hundreds of thousands of young British tourists who travel to Greece every year.

Tourism accounts for nearly a fifth of the economy in Greece, which is visited by about 16 million people a year.

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Haiku-Writing 'Serial Killer' Hunted In Japan

Detectives are hunting a poetry-writing suspected serial killer in western Japan.

A murder investigation was launched after the bodies of five people were found in a tiny mountain village in Yamaguchi province.

Three bodies were found in two houses that had been burned to the ground.

Two more people found nearby had been battered to death.

All five victims were in their 70s or 80s, police said.

The chief suspect is a 63-year-old villager, whose name has not been released.

Police said they found a haiku poem - a traditional Japanese three-line verse - stuck to the window of his home.

It read: "Setting a fire - smoke gives delight - to a country fellow."

The man has a reputation as a troublemaker in the village, Japan's popular Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said.

He once boasted to neighbours that he would escape prosecution if he killed people because he is on medication, the report added.

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Royal Baby: Reaction From Around The World

New grandparents the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have popped the bubbly as world leaders and celebrities toast the birth of the new Royal baby.

The pair were met by cheering crowds of well-wishers on a visit to the village of Bugthorpe in East Yorkshire.

Prince Charles said he was "thrilled and very excited" after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby boy and told how he had celebrated the news.

One resident in the flag and bunting-draped village told Charles: "We popped a bottle of bubbly last night at our house. I hope you did too."

The Prince replied: "Yes. But just a little bit."

The US leader said the prince had been born in a time of new opportunity

Messages of congratulations have been sent from around the world, with Barack Obama saying the new prince had been born "at a time of promise and opportunity" between Britain and America.

The US President said he and First Lady Michelle Obama wished Prince William and his wife "all the happiness and blessings parenthood brings".

US entertainer Ellen DeGeneres added her congratulations

US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who was recently informed by the New England Genealogical Society that she is a distant relative of the Duchess, tweeted her congratulations.

"It's a boy! So happy for my cousin Kate and the future King of England," she wrote.

Other celebrities also offered their best wishes on Twitter.

Comedian Joan Rivers said: "Congratulations to Kate & William on the birth of their baby boy! So relieved that his name won't include the words Ivy or Apple."

Actor Stephen Fry poked fun at how news of the Royal baby was announced outside Buckingham Palace, tweeting: "The official easel. We really are a marvellously bonkers country."

Cheryl Cole said she was delighted at the news

TV star Cheryl Cole wrote: "Congratulations to William and Kate!! So happy they have a healthy baby and everyone is good. Can't wait to see him now."

In the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Parliament Hill was illuminated with blue lights - as were the country's famous Niagara Falls.

Canada's Governor General was among the first international dignitaries to congratulate the couple as their first day of parenting began.

He used Twitter to send a message to Clarence House, saying: "Wonderful news!"

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the arrival of a future sovereign of Canada was a "highly anticipated moment for Canadians given the special and warm relationship that we share with our Royal Family".

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also offered his congratulations, saying: "This is bright and and wonderful news for both England and the world."

Australian PM Kevin Rudd welcomed the Royal "bub" in a statement

A spokesman for the Russian President said: "Vladimir Putin congratulated the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Elizabeth II on the birth of her grandson and wished her good health of the newborn, the Duchess of Cambridge and all the members of the Royal Family."

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: "I think all Australians at the bottom of their hearts wish the Royal bub all the best, and certainly wish the new parents all the best as well.

"When a new bub comes into the world, any old day, any part of the world, it is frankly a time for rejoicing."

He also announced the country's quirky gift to the baby prince - a research project examining the bilby, an Australian marsupial.

"In terms of cute and cuddly toys, it'll be a cute and cuddly bilby," he said.

The story led many of the US news networks' bulletins

Royalist group Monarchy New Zealand said it had organised a lightshow, with 40 buildings lit up in blue, including Sky Tower in Auckland, and the airport in Christchurch.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said: "It's a fabulous day for the young couple. They'll be very excited as new parents as indeed I think New Zealanders will be very excited on their behalf.

"I mean, this is a future king of New Zealand. I think it's a moment to stay for them and we'll be celebrating alongside them as they bring their new one into the world."

Residents in Jamaica and Barbados, both members of the Commonwealth, also congratulated the couple.

"Well it's good to know that a baby is born and it's of royalty. It means a lot to us, not only to me, but I guess to most of the Jamaican people," said Kingston resident Pauline Wilson.

Media outlets around the world have been gripped by the arrival of the Royal baby.

Britain's biggest selling newspaper changed its name in honour

The story has featured highly on most foreign news channels and websites, with many focusing on the image of a town crier announcing the birth in London.

It also sparked a frenzy of excitement on Twitter which spread rapidly across the world.

There have been more than two million mentions of the baby's arrival on the site, with the hashtag #RoyalBaby being used more than 900,000 times.

A spike in conversation on Twitter came at 8.37pm, in the minutes following the initial announcement, with more than 25,300 tweets per minute.

Andy Murray's historic win beat Royal baby news on Twitter

But it failed to generate the same flurry of activity as Andy Murray's historic Wimbledon victory, which amassed 120,000 tweets per minute, or the election of Pope Francis, which sparked a massive 132,000 tweets per minute.

A Twitter spokesman said the Royal baby reaction may not yet have reached its peak, with a surge expected when the Duke and Duchess show their son to the world and announce his name.

The topic is also dominating social media in China, with 185,000 comments posted on the country's Twitter-style Sina Weibo site.

According to social media monitoring firm Synthesio, the royal birth is currently the most talked about foreign topic in the country.

It has also created an "online buzz" in areas as far away as Antarctica, Kiribati, Burkina Faso, Azerbaijan and Aruba, Synthesio added.

Meanwhile in India, the dabbawalas of Mumbai are celebrating the birth with the Indian tradition of handing out sweets.

The baby may become the head of state of 16 countries, including Britain, Australia and Canada, and possibly the head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations.

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Earth Picture Taken From Saturn Released

The Cassini spacecraft has captured a rare image of Earth taken hundreds of millions of miles away from the outer Solar System.

The picture was captured on July 19 by the probe's wide-angle camera from a distance of 900 million miles.

Magnifying the image five times reveals not only the Earth but also the Moon, a fainter smudge to the right of the planet.

Dr Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist at the American space agency Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, US, said: "We may not be able to see individual continents or people in this portrait of Earth, but this pale blue dot is a succinct summary of who we were on July 19.

The grey dot on the right is the Moon as it circles the Earth

"Cassini's picture reminds us how tiny our home planet is in the vastness of space, but also testifies to the ingenuity of the citizens of this tiny planet to be able to send a robotic spacecraft so far away from home to take a picture of Earth and study a distant world like Saturn."

It is only the third time the Earth has ever been photographed from the outer Solar System. Previous pictures were taken by Nasa's Voyager-1 spacecraft in 1990 and Cassini in 2006.

The new image marked the first time people on Earth knew in advance that their planet's portrait was being taken from interplanetary distances.

Nasa invited members of the public to acknowledge the occasion by either finding Saturn in their part of the sky and waving, or simply smiling and celebrating. At least 20,000 people participated in the event.

Such pictures are rare because seen from so far away Earth is very close to the bright Sun. Looking directly at the Sun can damage sensitive camera sensors, just as it can the retina of the eye.

But on July 19, the Sun had moved behind Saturn from Cassini's standpoint, allowing the probe to capture the image safely.

The image was taken using a combination of red, green and blue lens filters to create a natural colour view.

The robotic spacecraft entered into orbit around Saturn in 2004 after launching from Cape Canaveral in 1997.

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