HIV's Ability to Cause AIDS Is Weakening Over Time, Study Says

Rapid evolution of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is slowing its ability to cause AIDS, according to a study of more than 2,000 women in Africa.

Scientists said the research suggests a less virulent HIV could be one of several factors contributing to a turning of the deadly pandemic, eventually leading to the end of AIDS.

"Overall we are bringing down the ability of HIV to cause AIDS so quickly," Philip Goulder, a professor at Oxford University who led the study, said in a telephone interview.

"But it would be overstating it to say HIV has lost its potency — it’s still a virus you wouldn’t want to have."

Some 35 million people currently have HIV and AIDS has killed around 40 million people since it began spreading 30 years ago.

But campaigners noted on Monday that for the first time in the epidemic’s history, the annual number of new HIV infections is lower than the number of HIV positive people being added to those receiving treatment, meaning a crucial tipping point has been reached in reducing deaths from AIDS.

Goulder’s team conducted their study in Botswana and South Africa — two countries badly hit by AIDS — where they enrolled more than 2,000 women with HIV.

First they looked at whether the interaction between the body’s natural immune response and HIV leads to the virus becoming less virulent or able to cause disease.

Previous research on HIV has shown that people with a gene known as HLA-B*57 can benefit from a protective effect against HIV and progress more slowly than usual to AIDS.

The scientists found that in Botswana, HIV has evolved to adapt to HLA-B*57 more than in South Africa, so patients no longer benefited from the protective effect. But they also found the cost of this adaptation for HIV is a reduced ability to replicate — making it less virulent.

The scientists then analysed the impact on HIV virulence of the wide use of AIDS drugs. Using a mathematical model, they found that treating the sickest HIV patients — whose immune systems have been weakened by the infection — accelerates the evolution of variants of HIV with a weaker ability to replicate.

"HIV adaptation to the most effective immune responses we can make against it comes at a significant cost to its ability to replicate," Goulder said. "Anything we can do to increase the pressure on HIV in this way may allow scientists to reduce the destructive power of HIV over time."

England's King Richard III identified with DNA

LONDON (AP) — Scientists say there is "overwhelming evidence" that a skeleton found under a parking lot is that of England's King Richard III, but their DNA testing also has raised questions about the nobility of some of his royal successors.

The bones of the 15th-century king were dug up in the city of Leicester in 2012, and experts have published initial data suggesting they belong to Richard, including an analysis of his curved spine and the injuries that killed him.
Richard was the last English monarch to die on a battlefield, in 1485.
In the new study — probably the oldest forensic case ever solved — scientists compared DNA from the skeleton to living relatives and analyzed DNA data identifying eye and hair color, which they matched to the earliest known portrait of the king.
"The probability that this is Richard is 99.999 percent," said Tu
ri King, a geneticist at the University of Leicester who led the research. When she and colleagues compared the skeleton's DNA obtained from the ground-up powder of one tooth and a leg bone to samples provided by a 14th cousin on Richard's maternal side, they found a perfect match.

Based on the skeleton's DNA, King and colleagues hypothesized that Richard had blue eyes and blond hair in childhood, which darkened with age. With no contemporary paintings of the king available, they compared their findings to the earliest known painting of him, which depicts the monarch with light brown hair and blue eyes, painted about 25 years after his death.

The research was published Tuesday in the journal, Nature Communications.

Scientists also compared the skeleton's DNA to samples from living relatives on Richard's father's side. They found no match, a discovery that could throw the nobility of some royals into question.

While researchers weren't able to say where on the family tree the adultery occurred, they said the findings potentially raise questions about the legitimacy of Henry V, Henry VI and the entire Tudor dynasty, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Still, Kevin Schurer, pro vice chancellor of the University of Leicester and another study author, said claims to the throne are based on more than simply having royal blood and also rest on other things such as battlefield victories and royal marriages.

He said England's current royal family — which has a line of descent from the House of Tudor — should not be worried. "We are not in any way indicating that Her Majesty (Elizabeth II) shouldn't be on the throne," Schurer said.

Researchers said it was the first time there was scientific evidence that questioned medieval lines of succession in the monarchy.

Other academics said history is littered with claims and counter-claims of royal legitimacy.

"When Richard took the throne, he said his brother Edward should never have been king because he was illegitimate," said Steven Gunn, a tutor in history at Oxford University.

Gunn said it was unlikely anyone would ever learn the truth behind the most damaging rumors about Richard — that he murdered his young nephews to hang onto his crown. Still, Gunn said, a more complex picture of the king is now emerging.

"This opens up a new posthumous discussion about Richard's legacy," the historian said. "He has been misrepresented as just a king with scoliosis."

Walking Dead Ahead, Season 5 Episode 7

by TV In No Time 1:22 mins

With only two episodes left until the midseason break, "Walking Dead Ahead" takes a look at what we might be able to expect when Rick and the group go to rescue Beth and Carol in the upcoming Season 5, Episode 7: Crossed.

A Taste OF Class From ''Executives'' Nicki MinAJ Vs C.J Wilson

C.J. Wilson pitches for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team Vs  Rapper Nicki Minaj caused a stir by painting a $400,000 Lamborghini Aventador in her trademark shade of pink, which debuted along with the launch of her fashion line at Kmart. Filty Nicki Rich.

Nigerian extremist says kidnapped girls married

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — With a malevolent laugh, the leader of Nigeria's Islamic extremists tells the world that more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls have all been converted to Islam and married off, dashing hopes for their freedom.

"If you knew the state your daughters are in today, it might lead some of you ... to die from grief," Abubakar Shekau sneers, addressing the parents of the girls and young women kidnapped from a remote boarding school more than six months ago.

In a new video released late Friday night, the Boko Haram leader also denies there is a cease-fire with the Nigerian government and threatens to kill an unidentified German hostage.

"Don't you know we are still holding your German hostage (who is) always crying," he taunts. "If we want, we will hack him or slaughter him or shoot him."

A German development worker was kidnapped at gunpoint in Gombi, a town in Nigeria's northeast Gombi in July. Police reported he was ambushed as he drove to work.

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier last week told reporters in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, that he had no new information about a German abductee.

In the new video, Shekau wears a camouflage tunic and pants and the black and white flag of al-Qaida is by his side. He is flanked by masked and armed fighters standing in front of four military pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns. Boko Haram has looted many weapons and vehicles including armored cars from Nigeria's military.

The military has several times claimed to have killed Shekau, and says any new videos are made by a look-alike. But the United States has not removed a $7 million ransom on the head of the extremist leader.

On Oct. 17, Nigeria's military chief, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, announced that Boko Haram had agreed to an immediate cease-fire to end a 5-year insurgency in which thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have been driven from homes in northeast Nigeria. And government officials said they expected the Chibok girls to be released any day.

But Shekau denies in the video that he has agreed to any truce and says he is dedicated to fighting and dying a martyr's death to guarantee him a place in paradise.

"You people should understand that we only obey Allah, we tread the path of the Prophet. We hope to die on this path ... Our goal is the garden of eternal bliss," he says.

He said Boko Haram is interested only in "battle, hitting, striking and killing with the gun, which we look forward to like a tasty meal," he said.

The fighting and abductions have continued, with Boko Haram seizing the commercial center of Mubi this week and fighting raging Friday around nearby Vimtin, the village where Badeh was born.

And the only news of the girls has come from Shekau, who appeared to dash hopes that they would be released in an exchange for detained Boko Haram fighters.

"The issue of the girls is long forgotten because I have long ago married them off," Shekau says with a chortle. The extremist fighters have ordered girls to stay out of Western-style schools and get married. Boko Haram is a nickname meaning "Western education is sinful" in the Hausa language.

An earlier video in May showed some of the kidnapped girls, including two explaining why they had converted to Islam. Unconfirmed reports have indicated the girls have been divided into groups and that some have been carried across borders, into Cameroon and Chad. There also have been reports that they were forced to marry fighters who paid a nominal bride price equivalent to $12.ome 276 girls and young women were kidnapped in the early hours of April 15 from a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok. Dozens escaped on their own in the first couple of days but 219 remain missing.

The plight of the girls attracted international outrage, with demands that Boko Haram free them. The Nigerian government and military's failure to secure their release has brought criticism that President Goodluck Jonathan is uncaring of their fate.

Shekau in August announced that Boko Haram wanted to establish an Islamic caliphate, along the lines of the IS group in Syria and Iraq. Fleeing residents have reported that hundreds of people are being detained for infractions of the extremists' version of strict Shariah law in several towns and villages under their control.

Shekau's video announcement further discredits the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian southerner who on Thursday formally announced his candidacy for elections on Feb. 14, 2015, in Africa's most populous nation. Nigeria's 160 million people are divided almost equally between Muslims who dominate the north and Christians in the south. The West African nation is the biggest oil producer on the continent and has its biggest economy.

James Rodriguez scores with stunning volley into the far corner

is doing a quality job of proving that the €80 million Real Madrid spent to acquire him after his strong showing at the World Cup was money well spent and that his Ballon d'Or nomination was richly deserved. In the 31st minute of Real Madrid's match against Granada,Karim Benzema flicked the ball up to James at the edge of the box, setting him up for a gorgeous volley into the far corner of the net.

Naturally,Cristiano Ronaldo had already scored at this point, notching his 22nd goal of the season in just the second minute. He has now scored in 12 consecutive matches for the first time of his career.

Rodriguez went on to score a second goal late in the second half as Real Madrid won 4-0.

Nigeria may seek death penalty against child bride

Gezawa (Nigeria) (AFP) - A 14-year-old Nigerian girl accused of murdering her 35-year-old husband by putting rat poison in his food could face the death penalty, Nigerian prosecutors said Thursday.

The trial of Wasila Tasi'u, from a poor northern Nigeria family, has sparked a heated debate on the role of underage marriage in the conservative Muslim region, especially whether an adolescent girl can consent to be a bride.

Prosecutors at the High Court in Gezawa, outside Nigeria's second city of Kano, filed an amended complaint that charged Tasi'u with one count of murder over the killing of Umar Sani two weeks after their April wedding in the village of Unguwar Yansoro.

Lead prosecutor Lamido Abba Soron-Dinki said that if convicted, the charge is "punishable with death" and indicated the state would seek the maximum penalty.

Nigeria is not known to have executed a juvenile offender since 1997, when the country was ruled by military dictator Sani Abacha, according to Human Rights Watch.

Tasi'u entered the court wearing a cream-coloured hijab and was escorted by two policemen.

Sani Garba, 55, stands in the abandonned bedroom of his 14-year-old daughter-in-law Wasila Tasi' …

Activists, including in Nigeria's mainly Christian south, have called for Tasi'u's immediate release, saying she should be rehabilitated as a victim and noting the prospect that she was raped by the man she married.

But in the north, Islamic law operates alongside the secular criminal code, a hybrid system that has complicated the question of marital consent.
The affected families have denied that Tasi'u was forced into marriage, arguing that girls across the impoverished region marry at 14 and that Tasi'u and Sani followed the traditional system of courtship.
According to Nigeria's marriage act, anyone under 21 can marry provided they have parental consent and so evidence of an agreement between Tasi'u and her father Tasiu Mohammed could undermine claims of a forced union.
But defence lawyer Hussaina Aliyu has insisted the case is not a debate about the role of youth marriage in a Muslim society.
Instead, she has argued that under criminal law a 14-year-old cannot be charged with murder in a high court and has demanded that the case be moved to the juvenile system.
Nigeria defines the age of adulthood as 17 but the situation is less clear in the 12 northern states under Islamic law, where courts theoretically have the right to consider people under 17 as legally responsible.
Guidelines for how courts should blend Islamic and secular legal codes have not been well defined.

Clashes erupt as Israeli police kill Palestinian suspected of shooting Jewish far-rightist

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli police on Thursday shot dead a 32-year-old Palestinian man suspected of having tried hours earlier to kill a far-right Jewish activist, leading to fierce clashes in East Jerusalem and fears of a new Palestinian uprising.

The Al-Aqsa compound, or Temple Mount, a holy site at the heart of the latest violence, was shut down for almost an entire day to all visitors as a security precaution. It was the first full closure of the site, venerated by both Jews and Muslims, in 14 years. Late on Thursday Israeli police reopened the complex.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Israel's actions as "tantamount to a declaration of war" and his Fatah party called for a "day of rage" on Friday. It was not clear if Al Aqsa would be opened to Muslims on their holy day.

Moataz Hejazi's body lay in blood among satellite dishes and a solar panel on the rooftop of a three-storey house in Abu Tor, a district of Arab East Jerusalem, as Israeli forces sealed off the area and repelled stone-throwing Palestinian protesters.

Hejazi was suspected of shooting and wounding Yehuda Glick, a far-right religious activist who has led a campaign for Jews to be allowed to pray at the Al-Aqsa compound.

Glick, a U.S.-born settler, was shot as he left a conference at the Menachem Begin Heritage Centre in Jerusalem late on Wednesday. His assailant escaped on the back of a motorcycle.

A spokesman for the center said Hejazi had worked at a restaurant there. Glick, 48, remains in serious but stable condition with four gunshot wounds, doctors said.

Residents said hundreds of Israeli police were involved in the pre-dawn search for Hejazi. He was tracked down to his family home in the hilly backstreets of Abu Tor and eventually cornered on the terrace of an adjacent building.

"Anti-terrorist police units surrounded a house in the Abu Tor neighborhood to arrest a suspect in the attempted assassination of Yehuda Glick," Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. "Immediately upon arrival they were shot at. They returned fire and shot and killed the suspect."

Locals identified the man as Hejazi, who was released from an Israeli prison in 2012 after serving 11 years. Israeli police fired stun grenades to keep back groups of angry residents, who shouted abuse as they watched from surrounding balconies.

WWE Confirms Daniel Bryan Needs Yet Another Surgery, How Long Could He Be Out For?

In a sad report, it appears that WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan will be out even longer. The former WrestleMania headliner went out with an injury this past summer. He ended up having a very low risk neck surgery that would allow him to get issues repaired. Surgeons found a few problems, but they were able to help Bryan with the issue. The problem wasthat this surgery seemed to cause Bryan an issue with his UCL.
The Ulna collateral ligament is a big part of one’s arm. It helps us in picking things up, and when damaged, it can affect our strength and motion in our arm. The best and really only surgery to have for this issue is Tommy John Surgery. The surgery is popular among baseball pitchers who throw out their arm. Bryan had issues with his UCL more than he should have after the surgery so doctors, who didn’t want to put Bryan through another surgery, sent him to physical therapy where he had reportedly done well, according to his wife. Bryan’s wife, Brie, told people a few months ago that Bryan’s strength was returning, but he had a bit of time to go. The issue is that nothing has returned to complete normalcy for the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion despite the therapy. Due to this, he has to have yet another surgery. Most likely, the Tommy John Surgery. WWE confirmed the need for a surgery on WWE SmackDown this week. The Big Show came out at the top of the show and told the world about it.
Show then led the crowd in a “YES!” Chant to support Bryan.

Ebola puts Ghana's bush meat traders out of work

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Yaa Kyerewaa cuts a lonely figure beside a pile of animal parts: the jaws of a giant rodent, the hooves of wild pigs, snails. This bush meat was once considered a delicacy and fetched premium prices. But Ebola has frightened away customers and Kyerewaa hasn't sold anything in days.

Accra's busy Agbogbloshie market used to have several bush meat vendors but now she is the only one.

The 53-year-old says her earnings from bush meat keep her four children in school and she laments the sudden loss of business as public health officials warn that bush meat may be contaminated with the dreaded Ebola virus.

"Bush meat is healthy. I usually eat it as a special food on Sundays," she said. "We have been consuming for years only for it to be made unpopular by these needless rumors flying around. No one wants to buy our products now. It is sad."
Many restaurants in Ghana's capital no longer serve bush meat, of which a large rodent known as a "grasscutter" was the most popular offering. Hunters trap them in the wild or rear them at home for their meat, which is said to taste like chicken.

Health experts believe the initial cases in many Ebola outbreaks start from people eating or handling Ebola-infected animals. Then they spread it to other people through contact with bodily fluids. Fruit bats, as well as primates such as chimpanzees, are frequently cited as potential reservoirs of the Ebola virus — animals many Africans hunt for their meat.

Human infections in Africa have been linked to hunting, butchering and processing meat from infected animals, although none from eating cooked bush meat, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in Congo and has caused periodic outbreaks there and in other African countries. This is West Africa's first outbreak — and the most deadly ever — and the World Health Organization warns it could get worse before the situation improves. More than 4,500 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, have died.

While stemming human-to-human transmission is the main focus for governments and international health agencies, African communities that hunt wild animals for their meat "risk future spill-over from species that can carry the virus," including fruit bats, some primates, and small antelopes called duikers, the Food and Agriculture Organization warns. Hunting animals that are sick or behaving strangely, or collecting dead animals for sale, is risky, the U.N. agency says.
Despite the dangers, bush meat is a source of protein for many West Africans, and for some it is a special treat. The soup of a roasted fruit bat, for example, is highly sought after.

Kyerewaa said she once had clients from all walks of life. That has changed with Ebola sweeping through West Africa and health officials stepping up campaigns to educate the public about how to avoid catching it.

"I am the only surviving bush meat seller in this market," said Kyerewaa, who said she has been a bush meat trader for years. "I can't stop coming because I have to look for ways to support myself and my family."

At her stall the parts of the great cane rat —smoked and salted for preservation — fetch as much as $30. That's out of reach for many in Ghana, where many live on less than $2 a day.
Rebecca Ackwonu, a Ghana Health Service Commission official, said it's hard to enforce any kind of bush meat ban in a country where many people grew up on it.

"We have advised our people to suspend eating bush meat in the meantime because of the risks," she said.

Some have heeded the call.

Theodor Semi, who operates a popular downtown restaurant called Semi's Place, said he won't serve bush meat until all of West Africa is declared free of Ebola.

"It has affected business, of course," he said. "It has become slow because most Ghanaians like bush meat, especially grasscutter."

Maradona 'withdraws theft complaint against ex' after video leak

Buenos Aires (AFP) - Former Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona on Tuesday withdrew a theft complaint against his ex-girlfriend, after a video surfaced that allegedly showed him hitting her, news reports said.

"I spoke to Diego and he withdrew the complaint," the former girlfriend, Rocio Oliva, told Argentine television.
Maradona in March had accused Oliva in Dubai of stealing jewelry and other valuable items.
Oliva, 22, had a turbulent relationship with 53-year-old Maradona, who lives in Dubai and works as a sports promoter.
Argentine television channels have released a short video supposedly shot by Oliva in a room in Maradona's home.
In the blurry footage, Oliva can be heard saying "Stop, stop" as if she is trying to stop an attack.
Maradona has said he had knocked the phone from her hands but denies hitting Oliva, a female footballer.

Oliva said she was not responsible for the video being released and instead blamed an unnamed "nephew" of Maradona.

The couple had been a staple of Argentina's tabloid and celebrity press.

A Girl Walks on 24 meter Giant Frying Pan

A girl walks on the handle of a 24 meter giant frying pan by Australian artist Andrew Hankin in Sydney, a competitor shows her tattoos at the MBK Tattoo Contest in a shopping mall in Bangkok and a raccoon eats out of a hollowed pumpkin at the zoo in Hanover.

Nurse Nina Pham Ebola-free, meets Obama

DALLAS — After nearly two weeks in isolation, Ebola patient Nina Pham walked out of a Maryland hospital on Friday free of the deadly disease that has seized the nation’s attention.

“She has no virus in her,” said Dr. Tony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Health. “She is cured of Ebola, let's get that clear.”

Fauci's boss' boss got the message. President Barack Obama invited Pham and her family to the White House where he gave the Ebola survivor a big hug.

Pham — one of two Texas nurses to contract the disease while caring for the country’s first Ebola patient — was hopeful and humble as she left the hospital Friday morning.

“I am on my way back to recovery even as I reflect on how many others have not been so fortunate,” Pham said. “I do not know how I can ever thank everyone enough for their prayers and their expressions of concerns, hope and love.”
Still, the 26-year-old acknowledged the ordeal “has been very stressful and challenging for me and my family.”
“Although I no longer have Ebola, I know it may be a while before I have my strength back,” Pham said.
Pham and her colleague, Amber Vinson, were among 50 to 70 health care workers involved in the treatment of Liberian citizen Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8.
Duncan arrived in Texas from Ebola-ravaged Liberia on Sept. 20. The disease, which kills more than half the people it infects, has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people in West Africa in 2014, the World Health Organization estimates. There is no known cure.

Duncan, 42, was the first person to ever be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. Investigators have not determined how Pham and Vinson specifically contracted the disease from Duncan, who died on his 10th day of intensive care  at Texas Health Presbyterian. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids and secretions, including blood, mucus, feces and vomit of an ill or deceased person.

Pham, a nurse for four years, was the first hospital employee to become ill. She reportedly felt a fever while at home two days after Duncan's death and drove herself to the hospital's ER. Her Ebola was confirmed on Oct. 12. It was the first time the deadly virus has been transmitted in the United States. Vinson was diagnosed on Oct. 14.
Both nurses were initially treated by their employer in Dallas before being flown last week to separate facilities with specialized units trained in treating Ebola.

Key Gbagbo ally arrested in Ivory Coast

Abidjan (AFP) - A former defence minister and key ally of ex-Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested in Abidjan, his lawyer said Saturday.

Moise Lida Kouassi, an official of the opposition Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party, was detained on Thursday evening, his lawyer Felix Bobre told AFP.

The authorities did not reply to requests for information about the arrest, according to the lawyer and a member of Kouassi's family.

"Despite my efforts, I don't know why he was arrested nor where he is being held," Bobre said.

The lawyer said it was rumoured that Kouassi was being held for a breach of state security.

He said an Ivorian magistrate and relative of Kouassi, Noel Kouadjene, had also been detained.

A government spokeswoman declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Kouassi belongs to a hardline wing of the FPI, created by Gbagbo, that calls for the release of the former president -- who has been in detention awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for more than two years.

The former defence minister was involved in a punch-up during a party meeting in July with a member of a moderate faction that wants the party to take part in 2015 elections.

Kouassi fled to Togo after post-election violence in 2010-11 that left 3,000 dead, and was extradited to Ivory Coast in June 2012 for allegedly taking part in "subversive activities

US-led aircraft pound IS group with 23 air strikes

Washington (AFP) - The US-led military coalition pounded the Islamic State group Friday and Saturday, with 22 air strikes in Iraq and one in Syria, the Pentagon said.

Eleven of the bombings in the heavy barrage targeted IS units, buildings, positions and vehicles near the strategic Mosul Dam, US Central Command, which is overseeing the air war against the jihadists, said in a statement.

The IS militants briefly held Mosul dam in August, but Kurdish forces and Iraqi army troops -- backed up by US air strikes -- succeeded in retaking the dam later that month.

The large dam in northern Iraq is a crucial piece of infrastructure and IS has repeatedly tried to seize it back.
The dam is the country's largest and, if destroyed or dismantled, it could unleash major flooding of the city of Mosul and the capital Baghdad.

A further four strikes hit near Fallujah, while others targeted Bayji, Qurayat al Hajjaj and other locations in Iraq.

These raids were carried out by US and coalition partners, using bombers, fighter jets, and unmanned drones.

The sole strike in Syria, near Kobane, destroyed an artillery piece, Centcom said, and was conducted by US aircraft.

"The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project power and conduct operations," Centcom said.

Kurdish forces, backed by US air power, have been holding out against an IS offensive around Kobane for weeks.

Arsenal beats Sunderland 2-0 with Sanchez brace

Saturday's win is encouraging, but there were also nervous moments for Arsenal before Sanchez's second goal with Sunderland putting the visitors under pressure while searching for an equalizer

"I believe we were quite in control as long as we could score the second goal," Wenger said. "Of course you (can) concede a goal and drop points, but we didn't do it today — we were focused."

While Sunderland didn't endure the same 8-0 humiliation it faced against Southampton last week, the home side never controlled the match at the Stadium of Light as Arsenal dominated with nearly 60 percent possession.

Poyet said he was a bit angry about the two defensive mistakes, because he thought his team fought hard otherwise and responded well to last week's embarrassment.

"Normally it takes you I don't know how many games to commit one of those mistakes, and we made two in the same game,

Barca beaten by Real Madrid on Suarez debut

Madrid (AFP) - Luis Suarez's Barcelona debut ended in defeat as Real Madrid cut the gap on the La Liga leaders to just a point as they came from behind to win El Clasico 3-1 on Saturday thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Karim Benzema.

Playing for the first time in a competitive game since being handed a four- month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, Suarez's Barca career had got off to a flying start as he set up Neymar to slide home the opening goal after just three minutes.

However, Real responded like European champions as Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot before second-half goals from Pepe and Benzema handed them a deserved ninth consecutive victory in all competitions.

"I am very happy to return to playing, it is a great relief to have this time behind me," said Suarez, who was substituted after 68 minutes.

"The feeling is bittersweet because of the result but this team has lifted itself many times before."

Barca boss Luis Enrique insisted he didn't regret his decision to start the Uruguayan.

"I don't regret it at all," said Enrique. "He did more than I expected. He played more and with rhythm. We brought him off because it is very difficult to play the 90 minutes after such a long time."

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, lauded his side's reaction to conceding early on.

"We didn't lose our head after losing the early goal," he said.

"I liked many things about the team, above all the high tempo we played with. The team recovered well with just two days rest after Wednesday and played very well."

Suarez proved his worth within three minutes as his cross-field pass was taken down by Neymar who skipped inside Dani Carvajal and Pepe before sliding the ball into the far corner for his 11th goal in as many games this season.

The goal sparked Madrid into life as Benzema failed to find the target from a narrow angle as he was pressured by Claudio Bravo before the Frenchman crashed a header off the bar from Ronaldo's cross.

Both Messi and Neymar were booked for late challenges on Toni Kroos and Carvajal as the hosts upped the pressure in search of an equaliser.

However, they were thankful to captain Iker Casillas midway through the half as he spread himself to stop Lionel Messi becoming the joint top goalscorer in La Liga history from a tempting cross from Suarez.
Just when Barca had appeared to have taken the sting out of Madrid's pressing, though, they gifted the hosts a route back into the game as Marcelo's low cross was blatantly handled inside the area by Gerard Pique.
Ronaldo stepped up and confidently buried the resulting spot-kick to become the first man to score against Barcelona in nine league games this season.

The home side could even have gone in at half-time in front as James Rodriguez's header drifted just wide from another Marcelo cross.

It took Ancelotti's men just five minutes to go in front after the break as Kroos's out-swinging corner was powered past Bravo by Pepe.
Barca came close to opening up the Madrid defence a couple of times as Suarez slipped after turning Sergio Ramos in the box before Ramos made a last-ditch tackle to prevent Messi turning home Neymar's cut-back.
Casillas then produced another stunning save to prevent Jeremy Mathieu's rising drive finding the top corner.

However, in their haste for an equaliser, Barca were caught on the counter-attack from their own corner as Isco, Ronaldo and Rodriguez combined to play in Benzema to fire home his seventh El Clasico goal.

Suarez's debut was then brought to a premature end as he made way for Pedro Rodriguez and matters got even worse for the visitors when Andres Iniesta hobbled off to be replaced by Sergi Roberto.

Madrid comfortably saw the game out in the final 20 minutes to inflict Barca's first league defeat of the season.

Tyga Slams Drake, Nicki Minaj, Talks Kylie Jenner Dating Rumors

Talkative Tyga! The "Rack City" rapper, 24, sounded off in a big way in a new interview with Vibe magazine, touching on both his enemies and his rumored female companion. 

Speaking to the mag in promotion of his upcoming studio album The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty, Tyga gave his opinion on everyone from Drake to Nicki Minaj to Kylie Jenner. 

"I don't really get along with Drake," the performer said bluntly, speaking about his Young Money labelmate."I don't like Drake as a person," Tyga explained. "He's just fake to me. I like his music; you know what I'm saying? I think his music is good, but we're all different people. We were forced together and it was kinda like we were forcing relationships together."

He then targeted another Young Money comrade, Nicki Minaj, adding, "I don't really get along with Nicki."

"I think being signed to Young Money, everybody felt like they had to force a relationship cause [Lil] Wayne put us together," he explained. "At the end of the day, the reason why I signed to Young Money is because of Wayne. Not because of Drake, not because of Nicki. It was because of Wayne and my relationship with him. I try to be cool with everybody, but sometimes, everybody just has different personalities, motives, and different characters. When you realize that, you realize that’s not a place where you want to continue to grow."

Bombing at Nigeria bus station kills 5

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - A bomb blast at a bus station in a north Nigeria area previously targeted by Boko Haram killed five people, police said Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest crack in the government's purported ceasefire with the Islamists.

Police in Bauchi state confirmed overnight witness reports of a huge explosion at the terminal in the town of Azare at 9:45 pm (2045 GMT).

Area resident Musa Babale said the blast "shook buildings" and sent locals rushing for shelter.

"The whole place was a mess," he told AFP after visiting the site late Wednesday.
Bauchi police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the bomb killed five people, leaving them "burnt beyond recognition," and that 12 others were injured.
Several witnesses said they believed the bomb had been embedded in a parked car and was detonated remotely, but police did not give details on the nature of the explosive device.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Bauchi has been one of the hardest hit areas in Boko Haram's five-year uprising against the Nigerian state.
Bus station bombings have also become something of a hallmark for the insurgent group after twin attacks at a terminal on the outskirts of the capital Abuja earlier this year killed nearly 100 people.
The station in Azare, a town roughly 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital Bauchi city, is a widely used transit point by travellers coming from Nigeria's embattled northeast, which has been under a state of emergency since May of last year.
- Previous target -
Babale said locals were fortunate the blast went off later at night, as the Azare station is packed with commuters earlier in the evening and the toll could have been much higher.
Azare saw a series of attacks blamed on Boko Haram through 2012, while Bauchi has been consistently targeted throughout the uprising, including through church bombings, coordinated gun raids and notably a massive prison raid in 2011.

Any indication that the latest explosion was tied to Boko Haram will further undermine the government's claim to have negotiated a ceasefire with the extremist group.

The surprise deal was announced by the presidency and military on Friday but there are already strong signs that the pact was hollow.
Violence raged through the weekend in the northeast and the credibility of the so-called Boko Haram negotiator has been widely questioned.
A top aide to President Goodluck Jonathan also said the Islamists had agreed to release the 219 schoolgirls held hostage since their April 14 abduction in the northeast town of Chibok.

Like with the ceasefire, there has so far been no sign that the hostage release deal is legitimate.

Nigerian negotiators were reportedly set to resume talks with Boko Haram envoys in neighbouring Chad next week, but further questions will likely be asked about the identities of the so-called rebel negotiators.

Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria, is a fractured group with an unclear command structure.
Analysts doubt that the individuals in talks with Nigeria have the influence to enforce a blanket ceasefire.

Rwanda cancels Ebola screenings for US, Spain

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Rwanda's minister of health is reversing a decision she made to require visitors who had been in the U.S. or Spain during the previous 22 days to report their medical condition to Rwandan authorities daily.

Dr. Agnes Binagwaho said on Twitter late Wednesday that the decision to screen travelers from the U.S. and Spain was solely her decision and not the government's. She apologized for any inconvenience.

A posting on President Paul Kagame's Twitter account said the measures instituted by Binagwaho weren't necessary and that his health minister sometimes acts first and thinks later.

No Ebola cases have been reported in Rwanda. The U.S. Embassy says that Rwanda is not allowing visitors who have recently traveled to Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, or Sierra Leone. T

Messi aims for record vs. Ronaldo in clasico

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Saturday's game between Real Madrid and Barcelona will last 90 minutes like any other, but this clash between the Spanish giants promises to be a classic among clasicos and provide the stuff of memories.

Barcelona and Madrid almost always offer scintillating contests, and this one is set up to offer so much more.

Not only can Lionel Messi equal or surpass the Spanish league's all-time leading scorer on the pitch of his archrivals, new teammate Luis Suarez could play his first minutes since being banned for biting an opponent at the World Cup.

Toss in Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo both aiming to extend their record starts to the Spanish league, and you have one of the most highly anticipated games of the season in any league.

Here are some things to know about the ninth round of the Spanish league:

MESSI AND RONALDO: Again taking center stage will be the two stars who have divvied up the world player of the year award for the past six years.

While Ronaldo leads Madrid with 20 goals through 13 games this season, Messi has improved his passing skills with each year, and threatens both to score and set up his teammates, particularly Neymar.

Messi and Ronaldo arrive in spectacular form, and with their own personal challenges beyond leading their teams to victory.

Messi needs to score once to equal Telmo Zarra's league record of 251 goals that has stood untouched for almost 60 years.

Ronaldo can extend the best scoring start to a season, having netted 15 through the first eight rounds.

As usual, the two played down their individual duel.

"I am not going to play against Messi, I am going to play against Barcelona," Ronaldo said. "It is going to be a tough game because Barcelona is playing well."

BETTER BARCELONA: The return of former player Luis Enrique as coach has reaped immediate benefits, and has Barcelona leading the league by three points over Sevilla with Madrid another point back.
The team is attacking more fluidly than at the end of last season under Gerardo Martino, and its defense is so improved that its run of eight clean sheets to start the league with newcomer Bravo in goal is a record.
Luis Enrique has moved Neymar from the left wing nearer to the area where he can work in close quarters with Messi, and the two have formed a powerful scoring duo with both finding the net for the past five matches after each scored in a 3-1 win over Ajax on Tuesday.
The biggest question of all is whether Luis Enrique will give Suarez his first minutes in an official game for Barcelona.
"We are assimilating well what our coach is asking us to do," said Barcelona right back Dani Alves, who added that the clasico is the game "we live to play."
"There is nothing like this game. This game is what marks the difference between a Barcelona player and a player who just aspires to play for Barcelona."
REAL GOOD: Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid has forgotten its early stumbles and is on a run of eight straight victories after a 3-0 win at Liverpool on Wednesday thanks to two goals by Karim Benzema and another from Ronaldo.
Madrid has outscored its opponents 35-5 during the winning streak.
Madrid mesmerized Anfield late in the first half with exquisite passing more reminiscent of the best days of Barcelona.
With Gareth Bale doubtful after missing the Liverpool match due to a muscle pull in his buttocks, Ancelotti could again give the nod to Francisco "Isco" Alarcon and deploy a trio of finesse midfielders along with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who may dare to challenge Barcelona for possession.
"We are arriving in good form to the clasico, as is Barcelona," Ancelotti said.
POLITICAL OVERTONES: Clasicos have long been seen as a symbolic staging of the rivalry between the team's cities, but the match in the Spanish capital arrives with Catalonia's secessionist movement in full force.
The Catalan government plans to hold a mock referendum on Nov. 9 on whether the region's 7 1/2 million residents would like to become an independent state separate from the rest of Spain.
Chants of "Independence" are common at Camp Nou in recent years, while last year's Copa del Rey final in Valencia saw the neutral Mestalla Stadium speckled with Catalan flags on the one side and Spanish flags on the other.
5 ON TOP: Overshadowed by the big game, the other 18 teams are in action with Sevilla, Valencia and Atletico Madrid all trying to stay at the top.

If Barcelona loses, Sevilla can pull level on points with a win over Villarreal on Sunday that would establish a best start to a season in club history.

Zuckerberg speaks Chinese, Beijing students cheer

Facebook co-founder, CEO Zuckerberg thrills Chinese students with 30 minutes of Mandarin

BEIJING (AP) -- China may ban Facebook, but not its co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who delighted an audience of students in Beijing with a 30-minute chat in his recently learned Mandarin Chinese.

There was no explicit discussion of China's ban on the social media site, which has been in place since 2009, though an indirect reference to it drew laughter during the question-and-answer session Wednesday at the prestigious Tsinghua University. Both Zuckerberg and the university posted video clips of the Q&A online.

Zuckerberg, whose company has long sought to enter the Chinese market, noted that the social media giant already helps some Chinese companies in foreign markets, citing computer maker Lenovo's ads on Facebook in India.

"Speaking of China, I have a more difficult question for Mark, which I hope will not get me fired. What are Facebook's plans in China?" asked the forum facilitator and Facebook employee Wei Xiaoliang, to laughter and applause from the audience.
"We are already in China," Zuckerberg said in Chinese, to more laughter. "We help Chinese companies gain customers abroad."
"We want to help the rest of the world connect to China."

Beijing promotes Internet use for business and education but bans material deemed subversive or obscene and blocks access to foreign websites run by human rights and Tibet activists and some overseas news and social media sites.

On China's social media, many microbloggers noted the irony that Zuckerberg's famous creation is blocked in China.
Designer David Wang, in an interview in downtown Beijing, said he would be happy if Facebook was allowed across the so-called Great Firewall of China.
"Because now we have to use software to jump the Wall if we want to access Facebook," he said.
Zuckerberg visited Beijing this week as a newly-appointed member to the advisory board for Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management. He met Tuesday with Tsinghua President Chen Jining to discuss cooperation in education, according to a statement by Tsinghua.
Zuckerberg's Chinese pronunciation was far from fluent and some native speakers said it was a "challenge" to understand him. But he was able to maintain intelligible conversation for a half-hour and the students responded with warm cheers for his effort and laughter at his humor.
Zuckerberg married Chinese-American Priscilla Chan in 2012, and set himself the goal of learning Mandarin in 2010. He said Wednesday that he wanted to learn the language partly because his wife's grandmother only speaks Chinese. He recalled informing the grandmother of the upcoming marriage.
"Priscilla and I decided to get married, so I told her grandmother in Chinese, and she was very surprised," Zuckerberg said.
He said China is a great country and hopes that learning the language will help him learn its culture. "The Chinese language is difficult, and I speak English, but I like challenges," Zuckerberg said.

Li Qin, a computer programmer from the eastern city of Hangzhou, said in an online chat that she could barely understand Zuckerberg's Chinese.

"It was a challenge for Chinese listening comprehension. But even though Facebook cannot enter the Chinese market, Mark is still making a fighting effort to learn," she said. "It was quite a funny scenario."

Kanye West, Kim Kardashian Hang With Chris Brown, Karrueche Tran at Teyana Taylor Bash: Pictures

Is Kanye West messing with his own clique? The rapper and wife Kim Kardashian were spotted hanging with some unlikely friends -- Chris Brown and girlfriend Karrueche Tran -- at Teyana Taylor's listening party in Hollywood on Monday, Oct. 20, the eve of Kardashian's 34th birthday.

Yeezy, 37, was on hand to toast Taylor's debut album, VII, which is being released by West's record label, G.O.O.D. Music, and Island Def Jam Music Group. Brown and Tran were among those in the crowd, which also included Big Sean, Nelly, and YG.

The "Bound 2" rapper and his reality star wife, who turned 34 on Oct. 21, posed with Rihanna's ex, 25, and his on-again girlfriend, 26, inside the event. West and Brown have collaborated in the past -- most notably on the "Deuces" remix in 2010 -- but it's been a while since the last time they were seen hanging out.

Jennifer Hudson Basically Wears a Bra on the Red Carpet: See Her Crazy-Hot Outfit!

Well, hello there, J-Hud! 

Jennifer Hudson left very little to the imagination in a slinky ensemble she wore to the W Hotels Turn It Up For Change Ball in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The “I Can’t Describe,” singer, 33, supported the event benefitting LGBT equality in a black satin wrap dress that resembled a robe with a scandalously high slit. She left the front plunged open to expose most of her black bra on the red carpet. 

How Do You Launch America's Newest $360M Ship ''Like A Toy In A Bathtub''

The USS Detroit got launched on Saturday, a 3,500 ton littoral combat ship built at a cost of around $360 million. Lockheed Martin dropped the ship into the water like a toy into a bathtub.

Of course, a sideways launch for a ship this size is the norm rather than the exception,as we've seen for years.

Still, it's kind of awesome to see the Navy's newest pride hitting water like it was made of plastic. Deployment is expected next year.

The beast with the behemoth arms: A dinosaur mystery is solved

Scientists said on Wednesday two almost complete skeletons of the bizarre 70-million-year-old creature, Deinocheirus mirificus (meaning "unusual horrible hand"), show it boasted a combination of unorthodox traits, including the famous arms, never before seen in a single dinosaur.
At 36-feet-long and 6.4 tons, it was the largest known member of a group of bird-like dinosaurs called ornithomimosaurs ("ostrich mimics"), the researchers said.
Its back was topped with long spines that supported a sail-like structure whose function remains
enigmatic. It had fused tail vertebrae to support tail feathers.
Thriving in an river region, it was an omnivore, eating fish and plants with a beaked, toothless snout that flared out to the sides like the herbivorous duckbilled dinosaurs. It had broad feet with toes ending in squared-off hooves that may have helped it stand on wet ground.
Deinocheirus had wide hips and moved slowly but was capable of defending itself thanks to its sheer size and its three ripping claws on each hand. It was virtually as big as the apex predator in the neighborhood, Tyrannosaurus rex's cousin Tarbosaurus.

I'm sure scientists planted those fossils since the Earth is only 6000 years old.

• Ronald214
  at 4:27 PM October 22, 2014

Scientists had speculated for decades about Deinocheirus. It was accurately recognized as a type of theropod, the dinosaur branch that includes giants like T. rex but also the lineage that evolved into birds - but what type?

"Deinocheirus has remained one the most mysterious dinosaurs in the world. We found almost (complete) skeletons of Deinocheirus and know now how it looked, how big it was and what it ate," said paleontologist Yuong-Nam Lee, director of Geological Museum at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources in Daejeon, South Korea.
University of Maryland paleontologist Thomas Holtz, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study in the journal Nature, said no one could have predicted its astonishing array of attributes.
"I've literally waited my whole life to see Deinocheirus finally unveiled," Holtz said.
Some bad luck almost prevented the unveiling. The two new skeletons were found in 2006 and 2009 at Gobi sites in Mongolia. Both suspiciously were missing their heads and other key parts. The scientists realized those had been poached by illegal fossil collectors, with parts sold off to private collectors.
The missing parts from the 2009 excavation ended up with a collector in Germany but fortuitously were seen by Belgian paleontologist Pascal Godefroit, who recognized what they were and informed Lee and other scientists.
Lee said the researchers persuaded the collector to donate the fossils because of their importance to science. The fossils were returned to Mongolia in May. But Lee said the 2006 fossils remain missing.

Ex-Barcelona & Brazil Star Ronaldinho Caught Getting Cosy With Sexy Mexican Trio

Former Barcelona and Brazil star Ronaldinho absolutely loves the ladies, with the talented playmaker even revealing that the reason he moved to Mexico was, “I want to win titles and girls here.”The titles may come, but it seems he’s already got the girls. Pictures have surfaced of the Brazilian with a triumvirate of beautiful women as he starred in a music video for Trio Ternura.

Microsoft Releases New Windows 10 Preview with a Notification Center

Microsoft released its First Windows 10 Technical Review just three weeks ago, and the software maker is now ready to issue a fresh update. If you’re already testing Windows 10, then a new preview build (9860) is available from the update and recovery section of PC Settings. While the initial release included a new Start menu, virtual desktops, new snap views, and an overall focus on the desktop, the latest test build refines a few features as Microsoft continues to develop Windows 10. Microsoft says it has made nearly 7,000 changes to this latest Windows 10 Technical Preview.

Action Center (Notification Center) is a new addition in build 9860, available in the system tray. We got an early look at Action Center thanks to a video leak in September and it looks very similar in today’s latest Windows 10 Technical Preview. The Windows 10 Action Center collects toast and alerts from traditional Windows applications and system notifications, alongside those generated from Windows 8-style apps. Toast and notifications are then grouped in the Action Center by app and time. The Action Center in Windows 10 lacks any actionable notifications right now, meaning you can’t reply to messages within the feature itself. That could change by the time Windows 10 ships next year, especially as Microsoft works to tweak the user interface more and more.

Serena Williams Slams "Racist," "Sexist" Joke Against Williams Sisters

Serena Williams has little tolerance for distasteful insensitivity. 

The famed tennis player, 33, and her racket-swinging sister Venus Williams were the butt of a joke made by Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev earlier this month. When asked on Russia's Evening Urgant talk show about his experience with the impressive pair, Tarpischev teased that the two women are actually the "Williams brothers," as he spoke about their appearances.

Most popular men's Halloween costumes of 2014

If you love Halloween but hate trying to decide what outfit would perfectly display your panache and personality, we have made your October woes a little easier. We’ve surveyed the most popular men’s costumes on Yahoo search, from cartoon characters to superheroes, these clever costumes will ensure that you’re a Halloween hit whether you’re handing out candy or eating it at a party.

Most popular character costumes

Between these two cartoon character costumes you should find a way to delight either the child you were at eight or the part of you that cried at the end of Frozen.

Olaf, the enchanted snowman from Frozen, is a fan favorite and will give you a good reason to say ridiculous statements (like “I haven’t got a skull…or bones”) as well as to burst out into song.
A more classic option is the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. Equally notorious for the ludicrous things he says, the Mad Hatter is a character with an edge and makes for a great throwback costume.

Man Warns Obama: 'Don't Touch My Girlfriend'

President Obama found himself in an unusual situation Monday.

As he was casting his ballot early in Chicago, minding his own business behind the voting booth, a young man, Mike Jones, walked by and warned him "don't touch my girlfriend."

The girlfriend, Aia Cooper, who was voting in the booth next to Obama, was humiliated, to say the least. "I really wasn't planning on it," Obama joked with the woman. "There's an example of a brother just embarrassing you, just for no reason whatsoever."
"And now you'll be going back home and talking to your friends; what's his name?" the president asked.
"Mike," Cooper said.
"'I can't believe Mike. He's such a fool,'" Obama said, impersonating the woman.
"He really is," she agreed.

Obama continued: "'I was just mortified. But, fortunately, the president was nice about it. So it's all right.'"

"I am freaking out right now," she said, laughing.

The president got the last laugh, though.
"Give me a kiss and give him something to talk about," the president said, as he gave Cooper a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Now he's really jealous."
But Cooper downplayed the moment.

Nigeria declared Ebola-free; 'spectacular success'

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Water laced with salt and sugar, and gallons of the nasty-tasting stuff.

Doctors who survived Ebola in Nigeria credited heavy doses of fluids with saving their lives as the World Health Organization declared the country Ebola-free Monday, a rare victory in the battle against the disease that is ravaging West Africa.

In the end, Nigeria — the most populous country in Africa, with 160 million people — had just 20 cases, including eight deaths, a lower death rate than the 70 percent seen elsewhere across the stricken region.
Officials are crediting strong tracking and isolation of people exposed to the virus, and aggressive rehydration of infected patients to counter the effects of vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms.

Nigeria's containment of Ebola is a "spectacular success story," said Rui Gama Vaz, WHO director for Nigeria.

Survivor Dr. Adaora Igonoh said the treatment is not easy. It entails drinking, as she did, at least five liters (1.3 gallons) of the solution every day for five or six days when you have mouth sores and a sore throat and feel depressed.

"You don't want to drink anything. You're too weak, and with the sore throat it's difficult to swallow, but you know when you have just vomited, you need it," she told The Associated Press. "I had to mentally tell myself, 'You have got to drink this fluid, whether it tastes nice or not.'"

Some 9,000 people have been infected with Ebola, and about 4,500 have died, mostly in hard-hit Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, with the number of cases expected to increase exponentially in the coming weeks.

Dr. Simon Mardel, one of the world's leading experts on viral hemorrhagic fevers, said the number of deaths could be cut in half if infected people were taught to properly hydrate themselves and do not take anti-inflammatory drugs, which can actually harm Ebola victims.

In other developments:

— About 120 people in the U.S. are being monitored for symptoms because they may have had contact with one of Dallas' three Ebola victims. More than 40 others have been given the all-clear after the 21-day maximum incubation period for the virus ended.

— The European Union stepped up efforts to raise nearly $1.3 billion to combat the outbreak.

— President Barack Obama is working the phones with world leaders, appealing to them to join the fight.

— WHO director Margaret Chan said that an internal WHO report obtained by the AP that said the U.N. agency bungled efforts to control the outbreak was "a work in progress," and "the facts have not been fully checked."
Mardel, of Britain's University Hospital of South Manchester, called rehydration a low-tech approach that has been neglected by a medical system focused on groundbreaking research.

Nigeria's outbreak began in Lagos with a single infected Liberian diplomat who flew in in July, bringing the terrifying disease to Africa's biggest city, with 21 million people.

Many feared the worst in a city with large numbers of people living in crowded and unsanitary conditions in slums.
"The last thing anyone in the world wants to hear is the two words, 'Ebola' and 'Lagos,' in the same sentence," U.S. consul general Jeffrey Hawkins noted at the time, saying the development raised the specter of an "apocalyptic urban outbreak."
Instead, with swift coordination among state and federal health officials, the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with ample financial and material resources from Nigeria's government, isolation wards were constructed and Ebola treatment centers designated.
Health workers tracked down nearly 100 percent of those who had contact with the infected, paying 18,500 visits to 894 people.
The eight deaths included two doctors and a nurse.
Monday's announcement came 42 days — twice the incubation period — since the last case in Nigeria tested negative.

"The outbreak in Nigeria has been contained," WHO's Vaz said. "But we must be clear that we only won a battle. The war will only end when West Africa is also declared free of Ebola."

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan said the success shows what Nigerians can achieve when they set aside their differences. He urged his people to replicate "the unity of purpose and all-hands-on-deck approach" in other areas of national life.

There is no licensed treatment for Ebola, so doctors focus on hydration and supportive care, even in developed countries. In some cases, doctors have been surprised that keeping patients hydrated has been enough to save them.
To improve survival rates, Mardel said, it is time to designate packaged rehydration solutions as part of the cure. He said more needs to be done to make the fluids palatable, such as making the solutions weaker or flavoring them.
Igonoh said she sometimes added orange juice.