Billy Connolly Diagnosed With Parkinson's

Comic and actor Billy Connolly has undergone surgery for prostate cancer, a spokeswoman for the star has confirmed.

He is also being treated for the "initial symptoms" of Parkinson's disease it has been revealed.

The 70-year-old star, who rose to fame on the Scottish folk music scene, will continue to work in TV and on stage.

His spokeswoman said: "Billy Connolly recently underwent minor surgery in America after being diagnosed with the very early stages of prostate cancer. The operation was a total success, and Billy is fully recovered.

"In addition, Billy has been assessed as having the initial symptoms of Parkinson's disease, for which he is receiving the appropriate treatment.

"Billy has been assured by experts that the findings will in no way inhibit or affect his ability to work, and he will start filming a TV series in the near future, as well as undertaking an extensive theatrical tour of New Zealand in the new year."

Connolly with his wife, Pamela

The Glasgow-born star, affectionately known as the Big Yin, began his working life in the Clyde shipyards but soon moved into entertainment with folk singing and comedy performances.

A string of appearances on Michael Parkinson's chatshow made him a household name and helped launch a career that saw him perform sell-out stand-up shows around the world, present a series of documentaries and become an in-demand character actor.

He is married to New Zealand-born actress and psychologist Pamela Stephenson, whose biography of her husband, simply called Billy, was a huge bestseller.

He is one of around 127,000 Britons with Parkinson's disease, which is caused by a loss of brain cells that produce a chemical messenger called dopamine.

Symptoms differ from case to case but often include a tremor or fine shake while the person is at rest, rigidity of muscles, slowness of movement and unsteady balance.

Other possible symptoms can include memory loss. Earlier this year, Connolly admitted he had started to forget his lines during performances.

He said at the time: "This is ******* terrifying. I feel like I'm going out of my mind."

Actor Bob Hoskins announced his retirement last year after being diagnosed with Parkinson's.

Michael J Fox was diagnosed with the disease more than 20 years ago and continues to act.

There is no cure for Parkinson's and scientists have been unable to work out why people get the condition.

Symptoms can be controlled using a combination of drugs, therapies and occasionally surgery, but often more care and support may be needed as they progress.

The disease was identified by - and named after - Dr James Parkinson who wrote An Essay On The Shaking Palsy in 1817 which established it as a recognised medical condition.

Connolly was made a CBE in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours and awarded the freedom his home city in 2010.

Steve Ford, chief executive at Parkinson's UK said: "Put simply Billy Connolly is a much loved comedy legend and we are sorry to hear that he is being treated for the early symptoms of Parkinson's.

"One person every hour will be diagnosed with Parkinson's in the UK, despite this it remains a little understood condition and we salute Billy's bravery in speaking out about his condition at this difficult time.

"There are 127,000 people in the UK, who like Billy, are living with Parkinson's. Many people, with the right medication, continue to live a full and active live with Parkinson's, but for some, it can be life changing and it is vital that Billy gets the support he needs to live with this complex condition.

"We wish Billy and his family all the best as they come to terms with this upsetting diagnosis."

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Grand Theft Auto V: 'Early' Sales Probe

Grand Theft Auto V maker Rockstar is investigating claims that copies of its eagerly anticipated new game have been sent out early to customers by the online retailer Amazon.

The game was not due to be released until Tuesday, with stores opening their doors at midnight for special launch events.

But it has been reported that copies had been dispatched by Amazon and received by enthusiastic fans, ahead of the official date.

In a statement given to industry website GamesIndustry International, the game developer Rockstar said: "We are in the process of investigating early 'sales' to determine how and why that is occurring."

Amazon has not yet responded to the claims.

It came after some people said they had already received the game and posted pictures on social media.

There have also been reports in other countries of retailers selling the game ahead of its official release.

However, this is likely to do little to dampen the clamour at the launch of Grand Theft Auto V, which has been trailed as the 'most exciting' event in the entertainment calendar.

Queues are expected to stretch around the block tonight with fans anxious to get their hands on the game.

Grand Theft Auto V could generate £1bn in the first year alone

Costing more to make than many Hollywood blockbusters and, in gaming circles, generating a similar amount of hype, Amazon has already sold out of pre-ordered copies of the game due to high demand.

Grand Theft Auto V reportedly cost around £170m to make and market - more than films such as Avatar.

Experts are tipping the game to smash sales records and estimates suggest it could generate £1bn during its first year on sale,  when gamers are predicted to snap up some 25 million copies.

Tom Butler, social media editor of gaming site IGN.com, said thousands of workers have taken the day off for the launch or plan on calling in sick.

"Grand Theft Auto V will be the biggest entertainment launch of the year and possibly all-time with levels of consumer anticipation outstripping Harry Potter and Twilight," he said.

"With gamers queuing at midnight to be among the first to play and the developer boasting thousands of hours of game play, there's no surprise that we're likely to see an outbreak of GTA flu this September."

The gaming site polled 10,995 readers to ask whether they would take time off work on Tuesday when the GTA V goes on sale.

According to its findings, 5,059 readers (46%) said they booked the day off as holiday.

Another 2012 (19%) said they would phone in claiming to be unwell while 3,884 (35%) said they would wait to get their hands on the game.

The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series has accumulated sales of 135 million copies since its 1997 debut. GTA IV has reportedly sold more than 25 million copies since its 2008 release.

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Australia: UK Footballers Accused Of Match-Fixing

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Two professional British footballers have been arrested and charged in Australia on suspicion of being involved in a multimillion-dollar match-fixing ring.

Joe Woolley, 23, and Reiss Noel, 24, were taken into custody in Melbourne by detectives investigating what is being described by local media as Australia's biggest ever scandal of its kind.

The pair had been playing for AFC Hornchurch, but according to the club's website both left in July to head to Australia to play for Southern Stars in the state of Victoria's Premier League.

Amongst the six men charged are Southern Stars' goalkeeper and coach.

Police allege the men were involved in match-rigging which netted more than AU$2m (£1.2m) of betting winnings by manipulating scores of the bottom-placed club.

Detectives say their investigation began in August and had been prompted by information received by the game's national body, the Football Federation of Australia.

One of those charged was Malaysian national Gerry Gsubramaniam, 45, who is accused of acting as a middle-man and instructing players in the Southern Stars team to either win or lose.

He faces 10 charges, including five counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts or could corrupt the outcome of a betting event, and five charges of facilitating conduct that corrupts or could corrupt the outcome of a betting event.

Acting Senior Detective Sergeant Scott Poynder told a court hearing Gsubramaniam had received payment for giving Southern Stars players information on how the games were to unfold.

Another of the accused leaving a police station

"He is the contact point," Mr Poynder said. "He receives phone calls. He is given advice on how the Southern Stars players are to perform."

Mr Poynder said at least five games had been identified as being "highly suspicious".

"Video showed some of the players were doing some unusually poor play," he said.

"For that work (Gsubramaniam) received payment. Some of the bets are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Woolley faces eight charges including four counts of engaging in conduct that could corrupt the outcome of a betting event, and four charges of facilitating conduct that could corrupt the outcome of a betting event.

Noel faces the same charges.

Colin McBride, chairman of AFC Hornchurch, the club for which the pair played in the Ryman Isthmian League last season, told Sky News he was "surprised" to hear of the allegations.

"They were with us for two seasons and they did very well," he said. "They were among our best performers, they were decent lads.

"Someone made me aware (of the news) and I was surprised. We just happen to be their last English club."

Both Woolley and Noel were released on bail to appear again in court on September 20.

Three other men, including the team's 36-year-old coach, were bailed to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to face the same set of charges as Noel and Woolley. More charges are expected in coming days.

Four other men arrested on Sunday morning were released pending further enquiries.

The Stars have played 21 games this season, losing 16 and drawing four.

Their only win was a 1-0 victory over top side Northcote City on August 18.

The Stars had lost their previous four matches, conceding a total of 13 goals and not scoring any.

The English Football Association said it was in contact with both the Australian authorities and Football Federation Australia and would co-operate fully with their enquiries.

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Beyonce Pulled Off Stage By Fan At Brazil Gig

Beyonce sparked up such a fan frenzy at a gig in Brazil that she was pulled from the stage by a shirtless man.

The excited fan managed to clamber onto an elevated platform in the middle of the crowd and yanked the pop diva - mid-performance - into his arms.

Footage of the moment was captured by another concertgoer, as two of Beyonce's security guards leapt up from the crowd on to the stage to haul the singer back up from the fan's embrace.

Dressed in a sequined, blue jumpsuit, she appeared unfazed by the episode at the Estadio do Morumbi stadium in Sao Paolo.

"It's all right," the mother-of-one told the crowd. "I love you all," she added, before continuing with the gig.

The 32-year-old is currently on the South American leg of her Mrs Carter Show world tour.

She is married to rapper and hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z, with whom she has an 18-month-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter.

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India: Girl, 4, 'Raped On School Bus'

Police are questioning a cleaner on suspicion of raping a four-year-old girl on a school bus in India.

The 26-year-old man was arrested after the girl claimed he asked her to come to the back seat of the bus to show her some magic tricks before assaulting her.

According to the police complaint filed by the girl's parents, she and her friend were the first to board the bus after school in the district of Thane in north Mumbai while the man was still cleaning it.

A series of rapes have prompted large-scale protests in India

Although the girl screamed and her friend went to help her, the man allegedly threatened to kill them both if they told anyone, according to police.

Inspector SK Mohite said: "The cleaner called her to the back seat on the pretext of showing her some tricks.

"He then caught the girl and raped her."

He added: "There was no woman attendant on the bus at that time."

Mr Mohite said the girl has undergone a medical examination and doctors confirmed she had been sexually assaulted.

"Medical details and investigations into the cleaner's past are being gathered," he added.

Local reports say this is the second such incident reported this year.

In February the cleaner of a school bus was arrested by police in Malad for allegedly molesting a three-year-old girl.

News of the alleged assault comes days after four men were sentenced to death over the gang-rape of a student in Delhi in December.

The victim died from the brutal assault, which led to weeks of protests over the treatment of women and girls in India.

Mumbai has also been recently rocked by the gang rape of a photographer in August while she was on assignment in the city with a male colleague.

Five suspects have been arrested over the allegations and are expected to be charged this week.

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Muslim Woman Must Remove Veil In Court

Browne Lobs Conference Grenades

Updated: 3:34pm UK, Monday 16 September 2013

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Jeremy Browne, the Lib Dem Home Office Minister, was accused by one commentator of lobbing headline-grabbing "grenades" at the party conference.

His first hit was on Saturday after he compared immigration of Romanians into the UK with British retirees with villas in Spain or France.

This time he chose an even more controversial subject - whether Muslim girls should be banned from wearing the veil.

This is a contentious issue that pitches those who think freedom of expression should never be restricted against others who claim women subject to peer pressure are unable to make a free choice.

Mr Browne said he believed there should be a national debate about the issue, particularly regarding those under 18.

Society deemed children too young to make decisions over issues such as marriage, he said.

So how could it be sure that girls are making an informed choice about making the veil, he asked, and not being forced into the situation?

Nick Clegg was quick to response in a robust way, declaring it un-British to issue any central edict banning people from expressing their religion.

It is the obvious liberal position.

But it is interesting that the Deputy Prime Minister spoke of two possible exceptions.

He said that women should have to reveal their faces when passing through airport security, and he claimed there was an issue for teachers in the classroom.

Mr Clegg questioned whether covering a child's face might interfere with her education and that is an argument that is gaining traction.

The Prime Minister has already said he would support a ban on veils at a school attended by one of his children.

Others on his back benches want to go further.

Tory MP Dr Sarah Wollaston warns of "serious consequences" if women's faces are hidden from view in courts.

Facial expression is a key part of communication, she has claimed.

Coming after a college was forced to overturn a ban on the veil when it triggered widespread protests, all the politicians know that their views are controversial - not least Mr Browne.

He has called for a debate despite saying that his own instinct was against any legislation.

Did he simply want to make a story? And if so, what grenade might he lob next?

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Costa Concordia: Ship Heaved Off Rocky Seabed

By Tom Kington, in Giglio

Crews attempting to right the Costa Concordia have successfully detached the wrecked cruise liner from the rocks on which it was impaled.

The salvage operation got under way this morning, after a three-hour delay due to bad weather.

Engineer Sergio Girotto said the crippled vessel would not budge for some three hours after the operation began.

After 6,000 tons of pressure was applied, the vessel was pulled free from the rocks.

Mr Girotto said: "We saw the detachment."

The rescue effort will see the giant ship gradually rotated and hauled 65 degrees back to upright position for eventual towing.

The operation just outside the small Italian island of Giglio, off the Tuscan coast, is expected to last up to 12 hours, taking it into Monday evening.

Engineers say the lifting can continue after darkness falls.

The Costa Concordia hit granite outcrops on the night of January 13, 2012

As it rose, an ever wider strip of rusted hull has emerged from the sea.

The cruise liner capsized in shallow water 20 months ago after smashing into rock, prompting the chaotic evacuation of 4,200 passengers and crew, and causing the deaths of 32 people.

Two bodies are still missing, and officials said they saw no sign of them as the ship was detached from the rocks.

The first two hours were considered critical in the €600m (£503m) "parbuckling" operation.

"Images show the lifting is happening as planned," said Italian Civil Protection Agency chief Franco Gabrielli, who added that no pollutants had been seen escaping from the vessel as it rose.

"There is significant deformation of the side of the vessel, showing the parbuckling operation needed to happen as soon as possible."

Parbuckling is a proven method to raise capsized vessels, notably used by the US military to right the USS Oklahoma in 1943 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

A storm hit Giglio on Sunday night, delaying the start of the operation

But the 114,000-ton Concordia has been described as the largest cruise ship ever to require the rotation, making this one most complex and costly maritime salvage operations ever attempted.

Engineers are using remote controls to guide a synchronised leverage system of pulleys, counterweights and huge chains looped under the Concordia's carcass to delicately lift the ship upright.

They started the operation by applying bursts of pressure on the pulleys, which are attached to the underwater platform and to towers on the landward side of the ship.

The ship will continue to be pulled upright by the pulleys, Mr Girotto said, "but we will get to a point when we need less pressure".

Ship captain Francesco Schettino is on trial

Soon, massive tanks attached to the exposed side of the ship will touch the water, providing buoyancy.

About 29,000 tons of water will pour out of the ship as it is pulled upright, and an even greater amount, 43,000 tons, will enter the ship.

What does come out will be polluted water that has swilled inside the ship for months in a mix of residual fuels, heavy metals and rotten food, including more than three tons of melon, 500 litres of olive oil, 14,000 packets of cigarettes, 18,000 bottles of wine, eight tons of beef and over 11 tons of fish.

But officials say the risk of an environmental damage is limited.

The Concordia's captain is on trial on the mainland for alleged manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship during the evacuation.

Francesco Schettino says the reef was not on the nautical charts for the liner's week-long Mediterranean cruise.

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Syria: Chemical Weapons Were Used, UN Says

UN inspectors have said there is "clear evidence" chemical weapons have been used on a "relatively large scale" in Syria.

The team of inspectors, who visited the site of an attack in Damascus last month, published the results of their findings, saying they had been left with the "deepest concerns".

A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he expressed his "profound shock and regret" at the findings, adding: "He condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons and believes this act is a war crime."

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Washington Navy Yard Shooting: Several Dead

Police are hunting two gunmen dressed in military uniform after an attack on a US naval base, which left at least six people dead.

Police say three men launched an attack on the US Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters at the naval yard in Washington, killing a number of people and injuring others.

One of the gunmen has been shot dead but police are now hunting another two, who are said to be dressed in military uniforms.

The men launched their attack on one of the biggest naval command buildings in the US in the early morning rush as people started work.

Navy officials say at least six people have been killed in the attack, a number of others are being treated for gunshot injuries in local hospitals.

A helicopter lifts a person from the roof at the navy yard

Washington DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier said that one officer had been hit in a shoot-out with the gunmen and one of the gunmen had been killed.

She said: "The big concern for us at the moment is that we potentially have two other shooters."

Police Chief Lanier said one of the men was white and dressed in a khaki, tan navy-style uniform with a beret, while the second man was black, aged around 50 and wearing olive drab uniform.

However, she said there was no indication that the men were actually military personnel.

She said that there had been multiple victims of the shootings but would not confirm an exact number.

The President is being regularly briefed on the rapidly unfolding situation.

Witnesses described a gunman opening fire from the fourth floor, aiming down on people in the first-floor cafeteria. Others said a gunman fired at them in a third-floor hallway.

Patricia Ward, who works at the command centre, and witnessed the attack said: "It just happened so fast."

She said that a gunman had been shooting into the atrium and added: "but I didn't pay any attention to that, I just kept on running."

Responding to questions about the level of security at the base Ms Ward said: "It's not secure enough for me."

SWAT teams on the roof at Navy Sea Systems Command

She said that staff had to have a card to get on to the complex and that without one it would be difficult to pass security.

Todd Brundidge, an executive assistant with Navy Sea Systems Command, said he and other co-workers encountered a gunman in a hallway of their building on the third floor. 

"He just turned and started firing," he said.

Terrie Durham, an executive assistant, said she also saw the gunman firing toward her and Mr Brundridge.

Teams on the ground at America's oldest navy yard

"He aimed high and missed," she said. "He said nothing. As soon as I realised he was shooting, we just said, 'Get out of the building.'"

Officials at MedStar Washington Hospital Center said two shooting victims had been brought there.

Sky News US Correspondent Greg Milam said: "If it is confirmed there is more than one gunman it suggests a level of coordination, of planing, maybe something more than just domestic issues, maybe you start then to question whether there is a terrorist motivation."

Tim Jones, a journalist with Sky News radio, said that when he visited the navy yard in April this year, he had found there were very few security checks to get on  to the base.

He said: "I showed my passport at the security gate, and got waved through. No scanners, no pat-downs, nothing.

I was only there to visit the museum, but got totally lost on the site, and was never challenged. My impression is there's a very significant civilian workforce on this base."

A helicopter in the skies above the naval base

One of the gunmen, has been described as black, wearing dark clothing and around 5ft 10ins. They were said to have been carrying AR-15 rifles.

The weapon is the country's best selling rifle and the same weapon used in the both the Aurora cinema shooting where 12 were killed and the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut last year, where gunman Adam Lanza killed 20 children.

A Navy statement said: "An active shooter was reported inside the ... building on the Washington Navy Yard at 8:20 am Eastern Time.

"Emergency personnel remain on scene and a 'shelter in place' order has been issued for Navy Yard personnel."

Secretary of the navy Ray Mabus said: "I'm deeply shocked and saddened by the shooting this morning at the Navy Yard.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I have complete confidence in our first responders, and I continue to be completely focused on this very difficult situation."

Naval Sea Systems Command is the largest of the Navy's five system commands and accounts for a quarter of the Navy's entire budget.

It builds, buys and maintains the Navy's ships and submarines and their combat systems.

:: US Navy Base Shooting: Live Updates

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Marin Cilic Suspended Over Doping

Croatian tennis player Marin Cilic has been suspended from playing for nine months for breaking doping laws.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) says the suspension was back-dated to May 1 so he will be able to return to the tennis circuit on January 31 2014.

Cilic tested positive for nikethamide, a stimulant that affects the user's respiratory cycle, in Munich.

The ITF says an independent tribunal found Cilic "ingested the nikethamide inadvertently as a result of taking Coramine glucose tablets, and did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so."

The 24-year-old has not played since withdrawing from his second-round match at Wimbledon in June.

He was ranked as high as number nine in the world in early 2010 after reaching the semifinals at that year's Australian Open. Cilic is currently ranked 24 in the world.

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