| Minimum Wage Raises Coming To 18 States On New Year’s Day Posted: 31 Dec 2017 05:00 AM PST  Minimum wage workers in 18 states will get a pay hike next week when higher wage floors go into effect around the country for 2018.
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| Social media companies ignoring pleas over extremism could face tax hikes Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:00 PM PST  Internet companies could simply move their money abroad if the Government introduces a potential terror tax to crackdown on the spread of extremist material online, critics fear. Keith Simpson, a senior Tory MP and member of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, said taxing companies if they fail to cooperate with efforts to fight terrorism was an "attention grabber headline" but would be difficult to enforce. Ben Wallace, the Security Minister, said "patience is running out fast" with web companies. He accused them of putting profit before public safety and that "if they continue to be less than co-operative, we should look at things like tax as a way of incentivising them or compensating for their inaction". He also suggested web companies were "ruthless profiteers" - a remark which prompted an angry response from Facebook with the internet giant saying he was "wrong to say that we put profit before safety". Any levy could be similar to the windfall tax imposed on excess profits of privatised utilities by the Blair government in 1997, or the charge Margaret Thatcher's government placed on banks in 1981. The amount of tax paid in the UK by internet companies relative to their overall profits has provoked widespread fury in recent months and has prompted questions about how effective any new charge would be. The likes of Facebook and Twitter have been warned they could face tax hikes Credit: LOIC VENANCE/AFP Mr Simpson told The Telegraph: "Part of me says 'well, good luck' if you think that this can persuade them and raise money. "I suspect that it will be incredibly difficult." He said companies could react to any attempt to impose a new levy by moving their money away from the UK. "It is convenient to use the UK for many reasons but they might decide to go to another European country or somewhere else," he said. "It is incredibly difficult to do this but that is not to say that we shouldn't try to do this. "I did think this was a bit of an attention grabber headline." Mr Simpson said he believed the "broad mass of the public would agree" with such a windfall tax being introduced "but merely making promises is not enough". Mr Wallace said in an interview with the Sunday Times that obstruction and inaction by social media companies is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds as law enforcement agencies pick up the cost of tackling radicalisation. Simon Milner, of Facebook, said: "Mr Wallace is wrong to say that we put profit before safety, especially in the fight against terrorism. We've invested millions of pounds in people and technology to identify and remove terrorist content." Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for YouTube said the video website is "doing more every day to tackle these issues" while Twitter said 95 per cent of terrorist content was removed proactively from the site.
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| New moms in Puerto Rico face a health care crisis Posted: 30 Dec 2017 08:13 AM PST  Since Hurricane Maria, public health experts say Puerto Rico is facing a growing crisis, and with many doctors having left the island, expectant mothers must turn to the few still-open clinics.
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| Christians in shock after deadly attack on Coptic Church in Egypt Posted: 30 Dec 2017 12:27 PM PST ![Christians in shock after deadly attack on Coptic Church in Egypt]( "Christians in shock after deadly attack on Coptic Church in Egypt") By Mostafa Salem CAIRO (Reuters) - At an hour that Sama'an Farag usually spends leisurely sipping his morning tea, the doorman at the Mar Mina Coptic Church near Cairo found himself springing up to close the doors upon hearing gunshots and the sound of ricocheting bullets. Inside, dozens of children at Sunday school, held on Friday morning to coincide with Egypt's weekend, were rushed upstairs out of the range of the gunfire. God forbid if he (gunman) had entered the church - there would have been many more victims," said churchkeeper Saad Saeed.
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| Iran protests: Donald Trump warns 'oppressive regimes cannot endure forever' and touts US military power Posted: 30 Dec 2017 11:23 AM PST  US President Donald Trump took to Twitter again to comment on the ongoing protests in Iran, this time to warn that "oppressive regimes cannot endure forever."
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| China Shuts Down Domestic Ivory Trade In Effort To Fight Poaching Posted: 30 Dec 2017 01:20 PM PST  WASHINGTON — China, one of the world's largest markets for elephant ivory, will close out 2017 by shutting down its domestic ivory trade in an effort to curb poaching and ensure a future for the imperiled species.
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| Police Rescue Adorable Baby Seal Found Waddling on the Road Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:12 AM PST  He was 2 miles from the ocean.
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| 2 dead, 1 hurt in shooting at Southern California law firm Posted: 29 Dec 2017 06:13 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man walked into the Southern California law firm where he worked and shot two men Friday before turning the gun on himself, police said.
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| Tiny Bird Found In Cockpit Forces Delta Flight To Make A U-Turn Posted: 31 Dec 2017 02:49 PM PST  A Delta pilot traveling from Detroit to Atlanta turned back when he found a small-winged creature flapping around his large-winged aircraft on Saturday.
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| Merkel eyes social cohesion as she presses for new government Posted: 30 Dec 2017 03:16 PM PST ![Merkel eyes social cohesion as she presses for new government]( "Merkel eyes social cohesion as she presses for new government") By Andrea Shalal BERLIN (Reuters) - Conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, under pressure after three months of failing to form a new ruling coalition, on Sunday vowed to address growing social divisions as she worked rapidly to build a stable German government. "And Germany will only prosper if its success serves all people and improves and enriches our lives." Merkel, seeking a fourth term in office, is trying to persuade the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) to extend the "grand coalition" that ruled for the past four years despite big losses suffered by both political blocs in the Sept. 24 polls. The alternative would be a minority government or new elections that could hand further gains to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which entered parliament for the first time amid concerns about Merkel's decision in 2015 to welcome over a million mainly Muslim migrants to Germany.
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| Catelynn Lowell Of 'Teen Mom OG' Heads Home After Treatment For Suicidal Thoughts Posted: 30 Dec 2017 09:45 PM PST  "Teen Mom OG" reality star Catelynn Lowell Baltierra is heading back home to Michigan after six weeks in a treatment center following a struggle with suicidal thoughts.
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| Guinea massacre suspects to go before criminal tribunal Posted: 30 Dec 2017 09:24 AM PST  Fourteen suspects held over a 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea which killed 157 people are to go before a criminal tribunal after a legal investigation concluded, the country's justice minister said. "I am happy to announce to you that the judicial investigation into the 2009 Conakry stadium massacre ended on December 29. At least 157 people were killed and 109 women raped by troops during a massive opposition protest in the stadium on September 28, 2009 against the rule of then junta chief Moussa Dadis Camara after his security forces opened fire on the crowd.
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| For reproductive rights campaigners 2017 felt like the calm before the storm Posted: 30 Dec 2017 03:00 AM PST  Activists protest against the Trump administration and rally for women's rights during a march to honor International Woman's Day on 8 March 2017 in Washington. The year 2017 was supposed to be when reproductive health battles simmering in the states boiled over into national policy. Not only did Republicans retain control of Congress in last year's election, Donald Trump stocked his administration with people opposed to not only abortion but everything from sex education to insurance coverage for contraception.
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| Mass pro-government rallies in Iran after protests Posted: 29 Dec 2017 11:58 PM PST  State television showed huge crowds of black-clad supporters gathering in the capital Tehran, second city Mashhad and elsewhere to mark the anniversary of the end of "the sedition" -- the last major unrest that followed disputed elections in 2009. The pre-planned rallies came just after anti-government protests, which had spread from Mashhad on Thursday to numerous towns across the country. Initially aimed against high prices, the anti-government protests quickly turned against the Islamic regime as a whole.
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| Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Colorado Shooting Posted: 31 Dec 2017 11:17 AM PST  The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says that a deputy has died following a shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colo.
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| Activist Erica Garner, Daughter Of Eric Garner, Dead At 27 After Heart Attack Posted: 30 Dec 2017 07:34 AM PST  Activist Erica Garner, the eldest daughter of police chokehold victim Eric Garner, died Friday morning, less than a week after suffering a heart attack.
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| German police union chief slams NYE 'safe zone' for women Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:19 AM PST  BERLIN (AP) — A German police union boss has criticized organizers of Berlin's annual open-air New Year's Eve party for designating a special "safety area" for women, saying it suggests they aren't safe from assault elsewhere.
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| Alleged 'Nigerian Prince' Email Scammer Arrested In Louisiana Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:51 AM PST  Police in Slidell, Louisiana, have arrested a man who allegedly helped scam people out of thousands of dollars in "Nigerian prince"-style email schemes.
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| No winner in Powerball drawing, jackpot soars to $440 million Posted: 30 Dec 2017 11:12 PM PST ![No winner in Powerball drawing, jackpot soars to $440 million]( "No winner in Powerball drawing, jackpot soars to $440 million") The estimated $440 million prize, with a cash value of $278 million, marks the ninth largest jackpot in the game's history, according to figures on the Powerball website. The winning numbers for Saturday's drawing were: 28, 36, 41, 51, 58 and the Powerball of 24. The odds of a single ticket hitting all six numbers are 292 million to one, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.
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| 'Shaking' 2-Year-Old Girl in Diaper Found Wandering Into Traffic on Frigid Day Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:37 AM PST  A two-year-old girl wearing only a diaper was found in Massachusetts
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| Houston Police Arrest 'Drunk' Man With Stash Of Weapons In Hotel Room Posted: 31 Dec 2017 07:37 AM PST  Houston police arrested an intoxicated man with a cache of weapons in his hotel room early Sunday, according to local media reports.
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| Meghan Markle Says No New Year's Resolution For Her Posted: 31 Dec 2017 09:49 AM PST  While most people are creating long lists of New Year's Resolutions, Meghan Markle says she has given them up!
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| Turkey rages after 'coup' officer granted asylum in Greece Posted: 30 Dec 2017 05:35 PM PST  The Turkish foreign ministry on Saturday slammed a decision in Greece to grant asylum to a Turkish helicopter co-pilot, who fled the country after last year's failed coup, as "politically motivated" and warned of a negative impact on bilateral relations. The co-pilot -- who flew seven other Turkish military officers to Greece -- was granted asylum after Greek authorities ruled that his human rights would be at risk, despite repeated requests for his extradition by Ankara. The decision "once again reveals that Greece is a country that protects and embraces plotters," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that the ruling was "politically motivated".
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| Russian court upholds ban on Navalny running against Putin in 2018 Posted: 30 Dec 2017 04:06 AM PST ![Russian court upholds ban on Navalny running against Putin in 2018]( "Russian court upholds ban on Navalny running against Putin in 2018") Russia's Supreme Court on Saturday dismissed an appeal by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a decision by the country's central election commission to bar him from taking part in next year's presidential election. The commission this week barred Navalny from taking part in the March 18 vote because of a suspended prison sentence he says was trumped up. Navalny, who did not attend the Supreme Court hearing, wrote on Twitter that he and his supporters "will not recognize elections without competition" and renewed calls for a boycott of the vote.
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| Yeah, All Of This Really Happened In 2017 Posted: 31 Dec 2017 05:00 AM PST  Some might call the last year a turning point or a culmination of bottled feelings, but one thing we can agree on is that 2017 was a wild ride with some of the craziest news cycles in recent history.
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| From sniper to saint, showing Iraqi Shiite militias' power Posted: 30 Dec 2017 07:57 AM PST  BASRA, Iraq (AP) — In his martyrdom, he has virtually become a new saint for Iraq's Shiites. His poster adorns shop windows, men and women wear his image as badges. Poems praise his valor. His sniper's rifle, with which he's said to have killed nearly 400 Islamic State group militants, is now enshrined in a museum in the holiest Shiite city.
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| New Year Kicks Off With Supermoon Lunapalooza Posted: 30 Dec 2017 05:43 PM PST  On Jan. 1, the full Moon will be at or near its closest point in its orbit around Earth, making it a supermoon.
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| Colombia ships 50 tonnes of holiday ham to Venezuela Posted: 30 Dec 2017 01:48 PM PST  Colombia has shipped around 50 tonnes (55 tons) of ham to Venezuela after protests broke out over shortages of the traditional holiday staple, an official said Saturday. The first two trucks of ham arrived in Venezuela on Friday night, a source from Colombia's national tax and customs office told AFP. The transport ministry said it had issued a firm a "special permit" to transport the ham to Barinas, western Venezuela.
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| New Year's resolutions for big tech: how Silicon Valley can be better in 2018 Posted: 30 Dec 2017 11:00 PM PST  New Year's resolutions are crap. It is in that spirit that we have created a list of New Year's resolutions for the tech industry. Tech companies have been promising to improve their hiring of women and underrepresented minorities for nearly two decades.
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| 2 men charged in deaths of women, children found in home Posted: 30 Dec 2017 04:19 PM PST  TROY, N.Y. (AP) — Two men were arrested Saturday on murder charges in the deaths of two women and two children who were found dead in their upstate New York apartment.
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| When Is an Extended Car Warranty Worth It? Posted: 31 Dec 2017 04:00 AM PST  My car salesman was pushing me to buy an extended warranty because I put a lot of miles on my car per year. Is it worth it? "You might be tempted to roll the cost of an extended warranty into you...
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| Ex-Catalan leader demands regional govt be reinstated Posted: 30 Dec 2017 01:10 PM PST  Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont on Saturday demanded Madrid reinstate his regional government, which was deposed after an independence referendum that Spanish courts judged illegal, as part of a political settlement. Puigdemont's administration followed up the October 1 referendum by declaring independence but Madrid promptly sacked him and his team and, facing arrest, he fled into Belgian exile while colleagues were arrested and jailed.
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| George Papadopoulos Helped Spur Russia Probe By Spilling Secrets To Diplomat: NYT Posted: 30 Dec 2017 02:12 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat in May 2016 that Russia had political dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
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| Dozens of militants evacuated from southern Syria Posted: 30 Dec 2017 06:55 AM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — Dozens of Syrian militants and their families departed aboard buses from an area besieged by government forces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights early Saturday, part of a deal to clear yet another district of insurgents.
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| Western Canada ice storms cause power outages during bitter cold spell Posted: 30 Dec 2017 12:35 PM PST ![Western Canada ice storms cause power outages during bitter cold spell]( "Western Canada ice storms cause power outages during bitter cold spell") By Jim Finkle TORONTO (Reuters) - Some 36,000 homes and businesses in British Columbia lost power due to ice storms in western Canada on Saturday, and workers rushed to restore service before nightfall as forecasters predicted extremely cold temperatures across the nation. Electric utility BC Hydro warned on Twitter that conditions remained hazardous in the affected area of southwestern British Columbia, which is known as Fraser Valley, due to downed power lines. Canada is suffering from the same blast of Arctic air that sent much of the U.S. Northeast and Midwest into a record-breaking deep freeze.
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| Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s 4 Pillars Plan: Make a few easy changes for a slimmer, healthier and happier 2018 Posted: 30 Dec 2017 01:04 PM PST  Of all the GPs at Dr Rangan Chatterjee's previous surgery, he was the only one to eschew the Tannoy system when calling his patients in. Rather charmingly, he walked to the waiting room to fetch each one. "It's more personal," he says. "It's really nice to go and shake someone's hand, look them in the eye and watch them walk to your consultation room. The dynamic starts there. It also got me out of my chair 45 times a day. It's just a small thing that I think the patients really liked and had a lot of benefits for me." This "small thing" he's recounting across the kitchen island at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, goes to the heart of Dr Chatterjee's philosophy. As he points out, it enabled him to build extra movement into his daily routine without much trouble. But perhaps more importantly, it signalled a resetting of the doctor-patient relationship; making a connection that enabled the physician to see the bigger picture. Our lifestyles can be our best medicine! ���� Over 16 years of seeing tens of thousands of patients has taught me this. When you get the fundamentals of food, movement, sleep and relaxation right, it is amazing how good we can feel. ���� This is what I wrote my book, The Four Pillar Plan. To give people simple, practical information, as well as a little bit of inspiration ��, to live as well as they possibly can. (Link to pre-order in my bio above!) ���� Who agrees that our lifestyles can be our best medicine? Type 'YES' below if you agree! ���� #the4pillarplan #healthylifestyle #bookstagram #selfcare #lifestylemedicine #livebarefoot #vivobarefoot #food #healthykids A post shared by Dr Rangan Chatterjee (#health) (@drchatterjee) on Dec 22, 2017 at 8:17am PST The handsome 40-year-old father-of-two, star of BBC One'sDoctor in the House, is at the forefront of a new generation of social-media-savvy medics who are all about making connections – sharing everything from the quick vegetable coconut curry he whipped up for his kids with his 12.5k followers on Instagram, to his Tedx talk on how he helps patients reverse type-2 diabetes without medication, which has amassed more than 850,000 views on YouTube. And he has a very big picture in mind: overhauling the way the NHS operates. "Our whole model is about diagnosing and giving a pill," he tells me. "That's what we're very good at and that model of care works very well for acute problems." Many chronic conditions, often viewed as inevitable evils of modern life, could be cured with a series of straightforward tweaks to our daily routines It is clearly working less well for tackling chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and depression, which have reached genuine crisis levels in Britain, despite our ever increasing intake of pharmaceutical products. A record number of antidepressants were dispensed last year, according to NHS Digital, while spending on diabetes drugs reached £984.2m as the number of Britons diagnosed with the condition has more than doubled to nearly 3.5 million in the past 20 years. What truly empassions Dr Chatterjee – so much so that he regularly springs from his chair to emphasise his point – is that most of these conditions, often viewed as inevitable evils of modern life, could be cured with a series of straightforward tweaks to our daily routines. He is more likely to write lifestyle prescriptions – a diet high in healthy fats, some meditation and more physical activity – to tackle the root causes of a patient's depression, than a mood-altering drug to suppress their symptoms. "The way we are collectively living our modern lives is having a negative impact on our health," he says, simply. "I want to strip it all back – and give people the blueprint." Which is exactly what he does in his first book, The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move, Sleep your way to a Longer, Healthier Life, published this Thursday and serialised in The Daily Telegraph from tomorrow. Following a six-way auction among publishers, the simple health revolution looks set to become a 2018 bestseller. The way we are collectively living our modern lives is having a negative impact on our health. I want to strip it all back – and give people the blueprint A whole-life plan rather than another quick-fix gimmick, Dr Chatterjee advocates making five small and easily achievable changes in each of the four broad areas outlined by the titular 'pillars': rest, diet, movement and sleep. In practical terms, that might mean prioritising at least 15 minutes of me-time a day; introducing daily micro-fasts; building more walking into your regular routine; and setting a bedtime alarm that kicks off a 'no-tech' 90 minutes before sleep that will give you more energy the following morning. It is striving for balance, with a couple of changes across all four pillars rather than 20/20 perfection, that will lead to the biggest improvements and, crucially, ones that can be sustained, even when our optimistic New Year's resolutions are a distant memory. 'People think about calories, they think of fat and carbs. That's too short-sighted,' says Dr Chatterjee, pictured here in his kitchen in Wilmslow, Cheshire Credit: Andrew Fox/The Telegraph It's a revelation Dr Chatterjee took several years to arrive at. Having grown up in a medical family in the North West - his father moved to Britain from Calcutta in the early 1960s to work in the NHS - he studied at Edinburgh Medical School, sat exams in immunology, and worked in the city for two years. When his father fell ill with lupus, he returned to Cheshire to help care for him, continuing to do so -– in tandem with his busy job as a GP – for the 15 years Dr Chatterjee Snr was on dialysis, until his death almost five years ago. "A huge part of me has been defined by being a carer for my dad," he says. "I understand what it's like for patients when they're sick." A huge part of me has been defined by being a carer for my dad. I understand what it's like for patients when they're sick But the real turning point came seven years ago, when his then six-month-old son almost died on a family holiday in the French Alps, as he and his wife relaxed in their friend's chalet, one evening. "She suddenly screamed out to me, 'His arms went back and he's not moving!'" recalls Chatterjee. "I froze. He had been very phlegmy throughout the day so I thought maybe he'd blocked his airway. I was trying to clear it and I couldn't." At the nearest A&E he was given diazepam to stop his convulsions, then rushed down the mountain by ambulance to the main hospital. "I was freaking out," says Chatterjee. "He ended up in a foreign hospital for five nights." The problem? A simple vitamin deficiency. "His calcium level in his blood was really low and the reason was he was low in vitamin D." My workout yesterday afternoon. Clearing up leaves with my 2 little 'helpers'. Loads of brushing, raking, lifting and a ton of fresh air. Was it cardio, HIIT or strength training?? Doesn't really matter and probably a combination of all 3! What are you doing this weekend to get moving? #Autumn #instagood #photooftheday #fashion #like4like #picoftheday #happy #photography #instagram #followme #style #travel #life #cute #fitness #nature #girl #fun #photo #me #lifestyle #follow4follow #friends #food #like #followforfollow #Family #l4l #igers #hair A post shared by Dr Rangan Chatterjee (#health) (@drchatterjee) on Nov 12, 2017 at 2:08am PST That his son nearly died from a preventable condition which his father, a doctor, knew nothing about, had a profound effect on Chatterjee, who is only just learning to relinquish his guilt. "It ate me up," he says. "I became obsessed. I started to read about vitamins, nutrition, the gut microbiome and gut health, and I was coming across all this science that with all my [medical] training I hadn't heard about." He spent tens of thousands of pounds of his own money travelling to conferences in the US to develop his understanding of the interconnectedness of human health. "I was going to get my son sorted, and I have: he's thriving." I became obsessed. I started to read about vitamins, nutrition, the gut microbiome and gut health - all this science that with all my [medical] training I hadn't heard about The cornerstone of his solution was a change in his family's diet, incorporating foods to promote gut health. "People think about calories, they think of fat and carbs. That's too short-sighted. I think about food in terms of its impact on our gut microbes and how it impacts on our immune system. Because 80 per cent of your immune system lives in your gut." Central to his dietary advice is a redefinition of our five-a-day, shifting the focus to five different coloured vegetables, rather than any old combination of fruit and veg. He practises what he preaches: on his fridge is a rainbow-coloured chart and each night his wife, a former criminal barrister, seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter tick off the colours they've managed that day. Dr Chatterjee advocates eating five different coloured vegetables a day Credit: Maximilian Stock Ltd/ Getty Images Contributor "The different colours help promote the growth of different gut bugs so the more colours you have, the more health benefits you're going to get," he explains. "We made it into a fun game at home." He jumps off his seat again to show me the step he keeps on the kitchen floor ("it drives my wife crazy"), on which he performs the glute exercises that have cured the chronic back pain he suffered for 10 years, in the time it takes his morning coffee to brew. "I build it in to be part of my life. I want to inspire people and say 'look, it's not about joining that expensive gym. You don't need any equipment, you can do press-ups here," – he demonstrates against the island. "I've got 80-year-old patients who are doing a strength workout in their kitchen every day." We're walking around feeling tired, needing coffee to get us through, an alarm clock to get us up, working from deadline to deadline. I want to help people understand how quickly they could feel well From the patient whose panic attacks improved by 80 per cent to the menopausal woman whose symptoms dramatically reduced by following The 4 Pillar Plan, he reels off success stories with the enthusiasm and excitement of one who has seen the light. Upon reading the book, I felt I had too. "People these days don't know how good they could feel. We're walking around feeling tired, needing coffee to get us through, an alarm clock to get us up, working from deadline to deadline. I want to help people understand how quickly they could feel well," he says. "For all chronic health conditions, 10 per cent of our health outcome is down to our genes. A whole 90 per cent is down to our environment and how we live our lives." He wants to help us tackle the 90 per cent. I'm starting tomorrow. Tomorrow: the first part of Dr Chatterjee's four pillar plan: Relax (and lose weight) The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life by Dr Rangan Chatterjee is published by Penguin Life (£16.99). To order your copy for £14.99 plus p&p call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk. Dr Chatterjee will appear at the Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival
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| Daughter takes on ruling that may let mom's killer go free Posted: 30 Dec 2017 09:38 PM PST  On a spring day in 1994, a retired German couple who'd traveled to California to see their daughter were sightseeing in the San Jacinto Mountains when they were robbed and shot by three young men. Gisela Pfleger, 64, died in the attack. Her husband, 62-year-old Klaus, was severely injured.
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| Serbia launches probe after toxic waste dumped near Belgrade Posted: 30 Dec 2017 03:27 AM PST  The mayor of a Belgrade suburb said Saturday that a large-scale investigation will be launched following the discovery of 25 tonnes of toxic waste found dumped in a private field. "This is just the beginning of a major operation that will take place on our territory and in Serbia," Obrenovac mayor Miroslav Cuckovic told state television (RTS). The environment ministry announced Friday the dumped waste had been found, and analysis is under way to determine if the surrounding soil has been polluted.
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| Israeli pipeline, once a link to Iran, will remain a mystery Posted: 31 Dec 2017 04:49 AM PST ![Israeli pipeline, once a link to Iran, will remain a mystery]( "Israeli pipeline, once a link to Iran, will remain a mystery") An oil pipeline company established decades ago by Israel and Iran, and a new Israeli company that is meant to replace it, can continue to operate secretly, an Israeli parliamentary committee ruled on Sunday. The Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co (EAPC) was a joint venture set up in 1968, when the two nations were friendly, to transport Iranian oil via Israel to the Mediterranean. Ties were cut after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, and the enemies are now locked in arbitration that could be worth billions of dollars.
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| Fireworks, prayers as revelers around the world ring in 2018 Posted: 31 Dec 2017 03:04 PM PST  From spectacular fireworks in Hong Kong and Australia to a huge LED lightshow at the world's tallest building in Dubai, a look at how revelers around the world are ringing in 2018:
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| 6 Of The Most Bizarre News Stories In 2017 Posted: 31 Dec 2017 04:00 AM PST  2017 was a huge year in news: The United States got a new president.
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| Russian security agency arrests supermarket bombing suspect Posted: 30 Dec 2017 08:58 AM PST  MOSCOW (AP) — A man was arrested Saturday in connection with a St. Petersburg supermarket bombing that wounded 18 people, Russia's main domestic security agency said.
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| Egyptian mummy can 'live forever' after development in scanning technique Posted: 31 Dec 2017 02:58 PM PST  An 3,000 year old Egyptian mummy can "live forever" after his name was discovered written on his sarcophagus, a curator has claimed. The desicated remains of the man formerly known as Irethoreru are held by Chiddington Castle, Kent, but his precise identity had always remained a mystery - until now. His name, which means "The eye of Horus is against them", and is thought to date from between 664 BC and 30 AD, was discovered thanks to a scanning technique developed by British researchers from University College London and the University of Manchester along with collaborators in the United States. They were able to read hitherto invisible hieroglyphics painted on scraps of papyrus used to make the case for the mummified body by shining light of various frequencies onto them. The new technique was developed using fabricated scraps designed to mimic the 'waste' ancient materials, including ancient shopping lists and tax returns, which were recycled into sarcophagi. They were previously regarded as illegible, however, because the writing was obscured by the paste and plaster that holds the mummy together. The mysterious mummy of Chiddingstone castle Credit: BBC News Prof Adam Gibson of University College London, who led the project said: "Because the waste papyrus was used to make prestige objects, they have been preserved. "These masks constitute one of the best libraries we have of waste papyrus that would otherwise have been thrown away so it includes information about these individual people about their everyday lives" Irethoreru's name was discovered on a footplate of his coffin. Until now, researchers would have had to destroy the sarcophagus in order to read it. Castle curator Maria Esain said: "There is a saying from Ancient Egyptian times - "To speak a man's name is to restore him to eternal life." Therefore, if we were able to determine the name written in hieroglyphs on the 'foot' of the coffin then we would be enabling that person to live forever."
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| Revellers welcome 2018 in Europe Posted: 31 Dec 2017 05:41 PM PST  Countless revellers switched into party mode Sunday across Europe to ring in 2018 after Sydney and Hong Kong earlier welcomed New Year on the other side of the globe with dazzling firework displays. In London more than 100,000 ticket-holders gazed up at a spectacular pyrotechnics display from the banks of the river Thames, before dancing to Auld Lang Syne. Keeping with tradition, the Big Ben bell in the Houses of Parliament rang in Britain's new year -- the chimes having been turned back on especially for the celebrations as the famous clock tower is undergoing renovation and encased in scaffolding.
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| Serena Williams plays first match since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Posted: 30 Dec 2017 06:50 AM PST  The 23-time grand slam champion took part in an exhibition match on Saturday, her first match back since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia less than four months ago in September.
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| Arrest Made in 'Swatting' Prank That Led to Fatal Shooting Posted: 31 Dec 2017 12:14 PM PST  Police in Los Angeles have arrested a man they suspect made a hoax emergency call that resulted in a SWAT police officer fatally shooting a man at the door of his own home in Kansas, a law enforcement official said Saturday.
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