Russell Brand files for divorce from Katy Perry BBC Report

Russell Brand has announced he has filed for divorce from US singer Katy Perry after 14 months of marriage.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry married in October 2010.

The couple met in 2008 and married in October 2010 at a resort inside a tiger reserve in India.

The comedian filed divorce papers in the Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences.

In a statement the 36-year-old said: "Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."

The announcement comes after speculation in the press about the state of their relationship.

The couple spent Christmas apart, Brand was pictured in Cornwall while Perry was seen spending it with friends in Hawaii - neither was wearing a wedding ring.

Brand made his US breakthrough presenting the MTV awards in 2008, causing outrage when he branded then-President George W Bush "a retarded cowboy fella" who "wouldn't be trusted with scissors" in England.

Despite the controversy, he was asked back in 2009 and went on to score acting roles in Hollywood comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

This year Brand played the animated heir to the Easter Bunny's throne in the family film "Hop" and took on the title role in "Arthur", a reimagining of the 1981 Dudley Moore classic.

Perry's run of No. 1 singles earned her the distinction of becoming MTV's first artist of the year earlier this month.

When she hosted the US comedy show "Saturday Night Live" on December 10 she gave no indication the couple was in trouble.

Firework Displays Mark The Start Of 2012 Sky News Report

New Zealand, Samoa and Australia have become the first countries to mark the end of 2011 and celebrate the start of a new year.

Crowds took to the streets of Auckland in New Zealand to watch a fireworks display over the Sky Tower.

Heavy rain over most of the country put a damper on parties, with two major celebrations in the North Island cancelled due to the weather.

But in Australia more than 1.5 million people were estimated to have massed at vantage points along Sydney Harbour to watch a spectacular fireworks show.

The display went on for over 10 minutes and could be seen from across the whole city.

It was designed around the theme "Time to Dream" - a nod to the eagerness many felt in moving forward after a rough year.

Tourists and locals in Samoa became the first in the world to welcome in the new year.

The South Pacific nation used to be the last country in the world to celebrate the new year after being aligned with the American side of a date line that zigzags vertically through the Pacific Ocean.

A firework explodes over the Sky Tower in Auckland

People in Japan were expected to spend Saturday visiting shrines and temples, offering their first prayers for the year. The giant hanging bells at temples will ring 108 times to purify the world of evil and bring good luck.

In Hong Kong, more than 400,000 people were estimated to have watched a 4-minute, $1m display of fireworks that shot off from 10 skyscrapers, lighting up Victoria Harbour.

Elsewhere across the globe, people prepared to say goodbye to a year that was marked by upheaval and mass protests in several Arab countries, economic turmoil and a seemingly endless string of devastating natural disasters.

World leaders evoked the year's events in their New Year's messages. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who starts his second term on New Year's Day, said he wants to help ensure and sustain the moves toward democracy protesters sought in the Arab Spring.

German prime minister Angela Merkel said the new year would be more difficult than 2011 but that dealing with Europe's debt crisis would bring the countries closer.

Alzheimer's: Diet 'can stop brain shrinking' BBC Report

Diet affected tests of memory and thinking skills

A diet rich in vitamins and fish may protect the brain from ageing while junk food has the opposite effect, research suggests.

Elderly people with high blood levels of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids had less brain shrinkage and better mental performance, aNeurology study found.

Trans fats found in fast foods were linked to lower scores in tests and more shrinkage typical of Alzheimer's.

A UK medical charity has called for more work into diet and dementia risk.

The best current advice is to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, not smoke, take regular exercise and keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check, said Alzheimer's Research UK.

The research looked at nutrients in blood, rather than relying on questionnaires to assess a person's diet.

US experts analysed blood samples from 104 healthy people with an average age of 87 who had few known risk factors for Alzheimer's.

They found those who had more vitamin B, C, D and E in their blood performed better in tests of memory and thinking skills. People with high levels of omega 3 fatty acids - found mainly in fish - also had high scores. The poorest scores were found in people who had more trans fats in their blood.

Trans fats are common in processed foods, including cakes, biscuits and fried foods.

The researchers, from Oregon Health and Science University, Portland; Portland VA Medical Center; and Oregon State University, Corvallis, then carried out brain scans on 42 of the participants.

They found individuals with high levels of vitamins and omega 3 in their blood were more likely to have a large brain volume; while those with high levels of trans fat had a smaller total brain volume.

Study author Gene Bowman of Oregon Health and Science University said: "These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet."

'Strong potential'

Co-author Maret Traber of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University said: "The vitamins and nutrients you get from eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables and fish can be measured in blood biomarkers.

"I'm a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your brain and make it work better."

Commenting on the study, Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said:

"One strength of this research is that it looked at nutrients in people's blood, rather than relying on answers to a questionnaire.

"It's important to note that this study looked at a small group of people with few risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and did not investigate whether they went on to develop Alzheimer's at a later stage.

"There is a clear need for conclusive evidence about the effect of diet on our risk of Alzheimer's, which can only come from large-scale, long-term studies."

Youngest MCP Aarifa Karim hospitalised

LAHORE - Aarifa Karim, a Pakistani girl from Faisalabad who became the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in 2004 at the age of nine, is in a critical condition in a hospital in Lahore.
Karim’s father told a private channel that she had an epileptic attack on December 22 which damaged her heart and her brain.
Doctors said that she is on a ventilator and they might have to unplug her machines as there are hardly any chances of saving her, but they cannot take any decision against the family’s will.
After the news of Karim’s condition emerged, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of it and announced providing economic support to the family, but Karim’s family refused to take the money.
Karim had also earned the Fatima Jinnah gold medal and Salam Pakistan Youth Award in 2005 over her achievement, and was also invited to the Microsoft Headquarters in the US by Bill Gates for being the World’s youngest MCP.
Karim earned her first flight certificate by flying a plane at a flying club in Dubai at the age of 10, and was invited by Microsoft in 2006 to be a key-note speaker at the Tech-Ed Developers Conference, where she was the only Pakistani among over 5,000 developers.
She is currently 16-year-old and is studying at Lahore Grammar School Paragon Campus.

China bullet train crash 'caused by design flaws' BBC Report

China's cabinet has received the official report into the crashA bullet train crash which killed 40 people in China in July was caused by design flaws and sloppy management, the Chinese government says.

Almost 200 people were injured in the crash near the south-eastern city of Wenzhou.

"Missteps" by 54 officials led to the disaster, the long-awaited official report says.

The crash led many Chinese to accuse the government of putting development and profit before safety.

It also triggered a wave of popular anger against officials who were accused of trying to cover up the seriousness, and causes, of the crash.

Lightning strike

After receiving the report, China's cabinet criticised the railways ministry for lax safety standards and poor handling of the crash, according to Reuters.

Premier Wen Jiabao was presented with the official investigation's conclusions at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The accident occurred after one train stalled following a lightning strike, and then a second high-speed train ran into it. Four carriages were thrown off a viaduct.

The report found that serious design flaws in control equipment and improper handling of the lightning strike led to the crash.

More serious penalties could follow for some of the 54 officials criticised in the report.

Among the officials singled out was the former railways minister, Liu Zhijun, who was sacked before the crash, accused of corruption.

Liu "has the main leadership responsibility for the accident," the report says.

Following the accident, the authorities called a temporary halt to new high-speed rail projects and placed speed restrictions on trains.

High-speed ambitions

China had planned to lay 16,000km (10,000 miles) of high-speed track by 2015, which would make it the biggest high-speed rail network in the world.

It had hoped to make its rapidly developing railway technology an export success: Chinese train companies were aspiring to compete with Germany's Siemens and Canada's Bombardier by selling their technologies to foreign companies.

The railways ministry said on Friday that it planned to invest 400 billion yuan ($63bn; £40bn) in infrastructure construction in 2012, which is lower than the figure for this year.But after July's crash that looks less likely.

The current minister, Sheng Guangzu, said that rapid railway development should be maintained, as it "plays an important role in the country's social and economic development, especially in boosting domestic demand," according to the Chinese government's website.

China aspires to export its high-speed rail technology

Amla leads fightback after early blows

DURBAN: Hashim Amla led South Africa's fightback after Sri Lanka struck three early blows on the second day of the second Test match at Kingsmead on Tuesday.

South Africa were 100 for three at tea in reply to a Sri Lankan first innings of 338 in which Thilan Samaraweera made a century and Marchant de Lange took seven wickets on debut.

Amla struck a fluent 52 not out and dominated an unbeaten third wicket stand of 73 with AB de Villiers (23 not out). The pair came together after South Africa lost their first three wickets for 27 runs.

De Lange's figures of seven for 81 were the best recorded by any bowler in Test matches in 2011 and put him at the top of an extraordinary crop of eight bowlers who have taken five or more wickets in an innings in their first Test match this year.

Samaraweera made 102 before he was last man out. He became only the second Sri Lankan to hit a Test century in South Africa, joining Hashan Tillekeratne, who made 104 at Centurion in 2002-03.

Samaraweera and Rangana Herath frustrated the South African bowlers at the start of the day, adding 46 to the overnight total of 289 for seven, with Samaraweera batting watchfully to reach his 13th Test century off 265 balls.

After Samaraweera reached his hundred, Herath top-edged a slog against De Lange and was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for 30. He had an escape on seven when he played a similar shot against Morne Morkel and was caught by the bowler, only for Morkel to be no-balled after umpire Richard Kettleborough asked for a review. It was the second time in the series Morkel was denied a wicket after a check on where his front foot had landed.

The tall, strongly-built De Lange quickly wrapped up the innings, having Chanaka Welegedera caught at short leg fending off a vicious bouncer before Samaraweera was caught at deep cover.

Only two South Africans have achieved better figures on debut than De Lange, who was a late replacement for the injured Vernon Philander, who also made an exceptional start to his Test career, with four five- wicket hauls in his first three matches, including five for 15 on debut against Australia.

The best figures by a South African on debut are eight for 64 by Lance Klusener against India in Kolkata in 1996-97.

Chanaka Welegedera had a hand in all three South African dismissals, which came at a cost of five runs. South Africa reached 22 for no wicket without Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph looking in any trouble before Rudolph played a loose hook against Thisara Perera and was caught at long leg by a diving Welegedera.

Welegedera then struck twice with his left-arm pace bowling, having South African captain Graeme Smith caught behind for 15 and Jacques Kallis caught at second slip without scoring.

Amla and De Villiers had to rebuild but Amla did so with sweetly-timed strokes, mainly on the off side, as he reached 50 off 69 balls with ten fours. (AFP) 
AFP

More time at school 'boosts IQ' BBC Report

Spending more time at school may increase intelligence, according to a study of Norwegian men.

The research, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggested that an extra year in the classroom could boost IQ by nearly four points.

The authors said that extra schooling had a "sizeable effect" on IQ in early adulthood.

But they do not know if this applies to all children, or just those in this study.

A link between a higher IQ and more education has already been established, the authors say.

However, determining whether spending more time in school actually improves IQ is more difficult, as it is possible that children with a naturally higher IQ are those who choose to spend more time in the education system.

'Sizeable effect'

Researchers from Statistics Norway, which publishes official government data, and the University of Oslo took advantage of a natural experiment in the Norwegian education system and its effect on 107,223 pupils.

Between 1955 and 1972 regional governments in Norway increased compulsory schooling from seven to nine years. It meant pupils left school at 16 instead of 14.

The effect of this forced increase in schooling was measured at the age of 19, when the military gave all men eligible for drafting an IQ test.

The researchers reported that: "An unusually large increase in both average education and average IQ is apparent at the same time as the reform was introduced."

They said one additional year in school raised IQ by 3.7 points.

They added: "By exploiting the increase in schooling induced by a comprehensive compulsory schooling reform, this study is able to uncover a statistically significant and sizeable effect of middle school education on IQ scores in early adulthood for Norwegian men."

The statisticians caution against drawing too many conclusions, as they admit that the effect may only apply to Norwegian society or its education system at the time.

However, they argue that it may be possible to improve intelligence in adolescence.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol leads US cinemas BBC Report

The fourth instalment in the Mission: Impossible franchise has taken the number one spot at the US box office over the four-day Christmas weekend.

Ghost Protocol, starring Tom Cruise, made $46.2m (£29.5m) and pushed Sherlock Holmes into second spot.

The action movie came in third place last week after making its debut at a limited number of screens.

Steven Spielberg's Tintin and War Horse entered the chart at five and seven respectively.

The director's motion capture version of the Belgian boy adventurer, which has proved a box office hit around the world, made a modest $16.1m (£10.2m) on its Christmas opening in North America.

Meanwhile, Spielberg's adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's book about a horse who is sent to fight during World War I, began business on Sunday and took $15m (£9.5m).

But both films were outshone by the US version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, with entered the chart at number four.

The gritty film, directed by David Fincher and based on the first book of late Swedish novelist Stieg Larsson's trilogy, made $19.4m (£12.4m), despite not being feel-good Christmas fare.

But the movie was beaten to third place by family animation Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, which raked in a total of $20m (£12.7m).

Other new movies inside the top 10 were We Bought a Zoo - starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson - in sixth place, and Darkest Hour at eight.

Syria unrest: Homs residents confront Arab League team BBC Report

BBC's Jim Muir: "The Arab observers were eagerly awaited especially in Homs"

Angry protesters have confronted visiting Arab League monitors in Syria's restive city of Homs, demanding international protection.

The observers are verifying compliance with an Arab League plan to end the government's violent crackdown.

Tens of thousands protested in Homs as the monitors arrived. The Arab League said the first day was "very good".

Tanks reportedly withdrew before the monitors arrived but activists say some were simply deployed out of sight.

The UN says more than 5,000 people have been killed in protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule since March.

'Where is the world?'

The BBC's Jim Muir in neighbouring Lebanon says it was a baptism of fire for the monitors who, after visiting the governor of Homs, travelled to the flashpoint district of Baba Amr.

There, our correspondent says, the monitors were besieged by angry residents eager to show the damage to the city and the pools of blood, as gunfire rang out in the background.

Video footage showed residents arguing with the monitors, trying to get them to go further inside Baba Amr to see the victims.

The residents in the video shout: "We want international protection" and "Where is the world?"

One of the monitors says that he is not authorised to speak.

There were reports of continued violence in Homs while the monitors were there. The Local Coordination Committees in Syria said 13 people were killed.

The head of the monitors was upbeat about the visit.

Sudan's Gen Mustafa Dabi told Reuters news agency: "Today was very good and all sides were responsive."

He added: "I am returning to Damascus for meetings and I will return tomorrow to Homs. The team is staying in Homs."

However, our correspondent says the results were mixed at best, and the visit brought home how complex the situation is.

Abdul Omar, a spokesman for the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the BBC he had hoped for better results from the mission and that 10 observers for Homs was never going to be enough.

He said tens of thousands of people had come out onto the streets to demonstrate in one district of Homs but that the monitors did not go there.

Omar Shakir, an eyewitness in Homs, said Syrian forces were still attacking the city

Mr Omar said the Syrian government was playing cat-and-mouse with the protesters by withdrawing tanks from parts of the city.

He called on the Arab League to raise the Syrian situation immediately with the UN Security Council to obtain a meaningful resolution against the government.

Eyewitness Abu Rami told the BBC the security forces had changed clothes to appear like normal civilians.

Correspondents say there are also reports of another large protest in the city of Hama, with security forces opening fire on demonstrators in the central square.

Elsewhere in Syria, the Local Coordination Committees said 20 people had been killed, including in Damascus, Deraa and Latakia.

Casualty figures and other information are hard to verify from Syria as most foreign media are banned from reporting.

The Syrian government says it is fighting armed gangs and that hundreds of members of the security forces have been killed as well.

The Arab League mission, which may rise to 200-300 monitors, is to assess an initiative agreed with the Syrian government requiring all armed forces to withdraw from areas of conflict.

Damascus has pledged to allow the monitors full freedom of movement.

Man Utd 5 - 0 Wigan BBC Report

Berbatov was the Premier League's top goalscorer last season

Dimitar Berbatov scored a hat-trick as Manchester United thrashed 10-man Wigan to move level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Park Ji-sung coolly slotted the hosts into an early lead before Wigan striker Conor Sammon was harshly sent off for catching Michael Carrick in the face.

Berbatov fired United 2-0 ahead and netted the third after the break with a neat turn and powerful finish.

Antonio Valencia rifled into the corner before Berbatov scored from the spot.

United form coming at right time - Ferguson

Wigan were enraged by referee Phil Dowd's decision to award the penalty for an Antolin Alcaraz challenge on Park which took place just outside the box.

But the scoreline did not flatter United, who have now hit 16 goals in four successive league victories to reignite their title challenge.

City's 0-0 draw at West Brom means both teams have 45 points, with City's lead on goal difference now cut to only five.

And United's victory was all the more impressive given the makeshift nature of a team depleted by illness and injuries.

Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia lined up in defence, Darron Gibson in midfield and Berbatov was handed a rare opportunity alongside Javier Hernandez up front.

ATHLETIC AGONY

Continue reading the main story

Wigan have now lost all 14 of their matches against Manchester United

For their part, Wigan came into the game off the back of impressive draws with Chelsea and Liverpool but, after conceding an early goal, their chances of getting anything out of the game were effectively ended by the dismissal of Sammon.

The striker's flailing arm caught Carrick in the face, but there appeared to be little aggressive intent in the incident.

The red card ended any chance of a contest, but in truth United had shown plenty of menace even before Park's early strike.

The goal was brilliantly created by Patrice Evra on the left, who skipped past two Wigan players and cut the ball back for Park to side-foot precisely into the net.

It was 15 minutes before Wigan enjoyed any sort of sustained possession, but when they did it prompted a great chance for Sammon.

Red card was wrong call - Martinez

Ronnie Stam's cross from the right was inviting for the lone striker but he inexplicably failed to get any sort of header on the ball.

United were soon back on the offensive with a Nani cross sparking mayhem in the Wigan box and Gibson, Ryan Giggs and Berbatov trying their luck from long range.

Stam remained Wigan's brightest spark, getting in behind Evra on the right and delivering a succession of crosses which Wigan's forwards were unable to make the most of.

The momentum swung back United's way as Sammon's controversial red card was swiftly followed by Berbatov's second goal in as many games.

A Gibson cross was flicked on by Hernandez to the Bulgarian, who held off Alcaraz and lashed home with his left foot.

United almost extended their advantage at the start of the second half, but Park's free header was directed straight at Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi.

Hernandez then had a penalty appeal turned down despite being wrestled to the ground by Maynor Figueroa.

FESTIVE CHEER

Continue reading the main story

United have won their last eight Boxing Day matches

United's sense of grievance was short-lived as Berbatov collected a pass from Valencia and fired past Al Habsi.

Valencia then made it 4-0 with a rasping drive across Al Habsi after a corner was cleared straight to Carrick.

Then came the penalty incident which presented Berbatov with the chance for his hat-trick, an invitation the Bulgarian gratefully accepted by passing the ball into the corner of the net.

Wigan never gave up but could not create a clear opportunity as United keeper Anders Lindegaard maintained his 100% Premier League clean sheet record.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez: "The red card is a shocking decision. There was a little bit of a fight, as there was every time the two players went for the ball. None of them should have been a red card. None of them were malicious. There was no intent.

"If you want to show a red card using those standards, do it, then you will end up with six men each.

"Anyone who has been on a football pitch knows that incident was a normal action.

"I was surprised when he gave the free-kick. To see the red card, I was gobsmacked."

Five dead in Iraq interior ministry suicide attack

BAGHDAD: A suicide attacker driving a car bomb killed at least five people when he detonated his payload at the interior ministry in central Baghdad on Monday, medical officials said.

At least 27 others were wounded in the 7:30 am (0430 GMT) attack in the Bab al-Sharji neighbourhood. The nearby Neurological Hospital took in five dead and 13 wounded, while al-Kindi Hospital treated 14 injured, officials at the two hospitals said.

The attacker took advantage of interior ministry guards opening the compound's main gates to allow in electrical maintenance workers to ram his explosives-packed car through and set it off, a ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The blast came after violence across Baghdad on Thursday killed 60 people.

Iraq is mired in political dispute with authorities calling for the arrest of Sunni Arab Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on charges he ran a death squad, accusations Hashemi denies.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has also called for the sacking of his Sunni deputy Saleh al-Mutlak, who has denounced the premier as a dictator "worse than Saddam Hussein".

The Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, to which both Hashemi and Mutlak belong, has boycotted the cabinet and parliament.
AFP

Syria: Fresh violence 'leaves 23 dead' in Homs BBC Report

Homs has reportedly been a focal point of recent crackdown by the government

Gunfire and shelling in the volatile city of Homs has claimed 23 lives, according to the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The violence comes ahead of the arrival of Arab League observers in Damascus.

Opposition activists have urged the observers, arriving as part of a deal to try to end the violence gripping the country, to visit Homs.

Damascus says it is fighting armed gangs. The clampdown has killed more than 5,000 people, says the UN.

The latest bloodshed is reported to have taken place largely in the Baba Amr district of Homs, which is reportedly besieged by government forces. The Observatory says that area alone saw 15 deaths on Monday.

A number of people have been killed in the city by mortar shelling and machine gun fire over the last few days, activists say. It is expected to be one of the first destinations for the Arab observer mission.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says that Homs may well prove to be a test case for the observer mission in terms of ascertaining whether they truly have unrestricted access and whether there is any peace for them to monitor.

Protests against the government of President Bashar al-Assad first erupted in March.

Casualty figures are hard to verify as most foreign media are banned from reporting in Syria.

Graphic footage

About 50 Arab League monitors are expected to arrive on Monday - several days after a nine-member advance team landed in Damascus.

"We are in Damascus now and have started our mission and will head to other cities faster than you think," Sudanese General Mustafa Dabi, head of the mission, told Reuters. He had arrived as part of the advance team.

"Our Syrian brothers are co-operating very well and without any restrictions so far," he added.

The observers will split up into smaller groups and, according to the agreement, should be free to go wherever they want to see what is happening.

The observer mission will eventually have up to 200 members, and it plans to meet both government officials and the opposition.

On Sunday, the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), the main umbrella group of Assad opponents, urged monitors to go to Homs without delay, "specifically to the besieged neighbourhoods, to fulfil their stated mission".

Graphic footage purporting to show the aftermath of heavy shelling in Baba Amr has been posted on the internet. It shows the bleeding corpses of four young men and a woman screaming for help from the international community, our correspondent says.

On Friday, two suicide car bombings in Damascus killed 44 people and left more than 150 injured, Syrian officials said. They blamed al-Qaeda, but the opposition suggested security forces were behind the blasts.

With a solid security presence, Damascus had largely escaped the violence and protests that have flared in central and northern provinces, although there have been protests in suburbs.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said he expects the monitors to back the government's claim that armed gangs were behind the continuing violence