China Sentences Three to Death for Tiananmen Square Suicide Attack

People walk along the sidewalk of Chang'an Avenue as smoke raises in front of the main entrance of the Forbidden City at Tiananmen Square in BeijingReuters

China has sentenced three people to death for their involvement in the suicide attack at Beijing's Tiananmen Square last October.

The Xinjiang court in western China also sentenced another attacker to life while four others were given prison terms for their roles in the "violent terrorist attack", said the state-run CCTV.

Five people were killed and 40 injured when a car ploughed into a group and burst into flames on the northern edge of Tiananmen Square. Two of the victims were bystanders and the others were occupants of the car.

The Chinese authorities accused Uighur Islamists of the attack.

Some of the convicts are said to be from the Muslim Uighur community, which according to China, is engaged in a conflict seeking to establish an independent region. The Uighurs say they are under intense pressure from mainland China.

Chinese Woman Shares Home with 100,000 Cockroaches: 'They're Like My Children'

A Chinese woman has 100,000 cockroaches in her home for traditional Chinese medical curesGetty

Yuan Meixia of Fujian province in China has turned her home into a breeding ground for cockroaches and now has over 100,000 of the insects.

"These are all my children, my babies," she said to the Southern Metropolis News. Yuan lives at another house in Siqian county, but visits the breeding house every day.

Inside the house, there are zippered silk nets instead of doors and every crevice or hole is sealed shut with cement to keep the cockroaches in.

The cockroaches are fed every day at 6pm on a tasty meal of apples, bran and melons.

Like a loving mother, in hot weather Yuan cools down the house by sprinkling water on the walls. In the cold, she has a gas-fired stove to keep the insects warm.

Yuan is now a local celebrity for her hobby of raising Palmetto bugs, a large, winged cockroach species common in the United States. They thrive in damp conditions and have a preference for sweets and starch.

However, unlike a loving mother, she drowns them before leaving them out to dry, and then sells them to a pharmaceutical company.

The 37-year-old conceived the idea when she watched a TV show: "I saw people raise this kind of cockroach in Anhui. They said it can be food and also can be medicine," Yuan said. "So I took tens of thousands of yuan to learn [breeding them] for a week and spent more than 10,000 yuan [HK$12,600] to buy 20kg of live cockroaches."

Yuan believes components in the insects can fight cancer. "Dried Palmetto bugs can act as anti-cancer drugs," she said.

Researchers at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University said in a recent report that components in the insect have liver-boosting capabilities when consumed by mice with liver damage.

"The Palmetto bug and its extracts can protect liver functions when [the natural protein Concanavalin A] caused acute immunity hepatic injury among mice," they wrote.

Iraq Crisis: Isis Militants Claim Mass Killings of Iraqi Soldiers

Isis claimed to have executed 1,700 Iraqi soldiersIsis

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) has posted a series of photos online that it claims show its members carrying out mass executions of Iraqi soldiers.

The photos show groups of men lying face down in trenches, before and after the alleged killing.

Iraqi military spokesman Lt Gen Qassim al-Moussawi said the pictures were authentic and depicted events in Salahuddin province.

However, the pictures have not been independently verified.

Isis militants claimed to have executed 1,700 Iraqi soldiersIsis

Sunni militants have swept through swathes of northern Iraq after seizing the northern capital of Mosul. Isis, which was disowned by al-Qaida for its extreme brutality in the Syrian war, has led a coalition of Sunni insurgents that now control Tikrit, along with parts of Baiji and Samarra.

The Isis momentum appeared to be stalling over the weekend, though, as government-aligned forces launched a series of counter-attacks against the insurgents in the territorial belt surrounding the capital Baghdad.

The pictures allegedly show the fate of a group of soldiers at an army base in Tikrit after they surrendered to the Sunni extremists.

The group boasted on Twitter that they had executed 1,700 government soldiers, although there were no reports of mass funerals taking place in the region where they claimed to have carried out the mass killing.

If the claim is true, it would be the single worst atrocity in the country since the time of the US-led invasion of 2003.

Moreover, if proven, the attack would raise the spectre of sectarian violence, as Isis boasted that all victims were Shia Muslims.

Iraq Crisis: Air Strike Kills Kurds as Baghdad Pushes Back Against Isis

Members of Kurdish security forces on the move during clashes with Sunni militant group Isis on the outskirts of Diyala(Reuters)

At least six Kurdish troops have been killed in an air strike in north-eastern Iraq, as the Baghdad government stepped up its campaign against Sunni militants.

It was not clear whether the attack deliberately targeted the Kurdish fighters or whether the air force mistook the Kurdish troops for Sunni militants.

The six Kurdish Peshmerga troops were killed close to the town of Jalawla, which has witnessed heavy fighting in recent days between Iraqi security forces and Sunni militants linked with Isis (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.)

The secretary general of the Kurdish security forces, Jabber Yawar, told Reuters that only two people had died near Jalawla, describing the attack as a shelling. He said talks with Iraqi authorities were underway to ascertain what exactly happened.

The conflicting accounts reveal the chaotic and fast-changing security situation throughout the country, where disparate groups are vying for power and autonomy from the central government.

While local media reports suggested the air strike was a case of mistaken identity, the murkiness and lack of confirmation leave open the possibility of a deliberate attack.

The Kurds have been in a long-running dispute with the Baghdad over the right to export and market oil independently of the central government. While those in charge in the cities of Irbil and Baghdad view Isis as a threat, the two sides have yet to announce a formal alliance against the Sunni terror group.

Meanwhile, the Kurdish leadership has taken advantage of the Isis advance to seize control of additional territory. When Isis militants captured Mosul, Kurdish Peshmerga moved to secure nearby Kirkuk after national army and security forces fled the city.

The autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has long wanted oil-rich Kirkuk to be the capital of a future Kurdish state, although the city remains outside official KRG territory.

Iraq Crisis: UK's SAS On Way as West Considers Intervention

Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi Army to fight against predominantly Sunni militants, carry weapons during a parade in the streets in Baghdad(Reuters)

Senior SAS officials are on their way to Iraq after Britain and the US sent a "counter-terrorist" team to the oil-rich country, as Sunni jihadists continue their violent campaign to take control of Baghdad.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, senior British officers have been tasked with establishing potential targets as the US weighs up a possible bombing campaign against Sunni militant groups in the country.

Iraq has fallen into chaos after an extreme Sunni militant group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), took control of the country's second city of Mosul.

Located in the north of the country, Mosul fell after much of the regular Iraqi army dropped their weapons and fled in the face of Isis attacks.

Having seized Mosul, Isis and a coalition of radical Sunni militant groups took control of Tikrit and parts of Baiji, vowing to enter the Iraqi capital Baghdad next.

The rapid advance of the group, which espouses an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam, has spooked regional players.

US President Barack Obama said he is considering "options," while the US's long-term adversary Iran has sent thousands of troops and the head of its elite Quds force to run the Iraqi military operation against the rebels.

Writing in the Independent on Saturday, Colonel Lieutenant Richard Williams urged the United States and the United Kingdom to intervene in Iraq.

Williams, who led SAS undercover operations during the Iraq war, said the group pose a threat to national security in those countries. He advised against sending conventional troops but backed a modest presence of specialist forces.

"This is not something we can just leave the Iraqis to solve," he wrote. "The reason we are sending people to Iraq is to support the government, contain the situation because if the situation escalates, it will because it's al-Qaida connected, threaten the UK directly, our interests abroad and our interests in the Middle East."

Fifa World Cup 2014: Tony Blair's Son Nicky Turns Football Agent and Cashes In

Nicky Blair (far left) and the Blair Family outside 10 Downing Street in London after Labour's victory in the general election in 2005.REUTERS/Kieran Doherty

Nicky Blair, the son of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, is set to cash in on the World Cup bonanza by making millions from his Rio-based football agency business, it has been revealed.

Nicky, 28, is a Fifa-licensed agent and runs Magnitude Brazil Sports Ltd from an office in Rio de Janeiro. He is set to broker a string of lucrative moves for a number of South American starlets to major European clubs after the tournament in Brazil ends, the Sunday Mirror reports.

The South American stars on the company's books include midfield all-rounder Hector Herrera. Nicky Blair has already handled his £6.7 million transfer from Pachuca in Mexico's first division to Portuguese club FC Porto.

The deal made Herrera Mexico's most expensive player and established Magnitude, which Nicky founded with Oxford friend Gabriel Moraes and Brazilian business partners Rafael Fraga and Vinicius Marques, as a major player in the market for the talented South American players showcased during the World Cup.

Another promising player, Mexican midfielder Marco Fabian, 24, is valued at around £10m. Brokering a deal to a European club after the World Cup could earn Nicky the standard agent's fee of 10% - making the Oxford graduate £1m.

A fellow soccer agent told The Sunday Mirror: "The World Cup is obviously going to shine a light on South American football and Nicky looks to be in a great place to benefit from that. He's got loads of South American kids.

"Finding the next wonderkid is one thing, finding the next Brazilian wonderkid is quite ­another. The aura surrounding players from that country is as strong as ever, thanks to megastars like Neymar."

The success is a remarkable financial turnaround for Nicky, whose first business venture – computer games firm Magnitude Gaming – was dissolved in 2013. His mother, Cherie Blair QC, was a 20% stakeholder in Magnitude Gaming and is said to have been instrumental in setting up the football agency – making contacts and negotiating on behalf of her son.

Nicky's father Tony is also a shrewd businessman, and is reported to have amassed a £75m fortune through consultancy roles, appearances and public engagements, and investments.

Iraq Crisis: Islamists Execute Sunni Clerics for Non-Cooperation

Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi Army to fight against predominantly Sunni militants, carry weapons during a parade in the streets in Baghdad's Sadr cityReuters

Some Sunni clerics in the cities which are under the control of militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) have been executed by the insurgents for not showing allegiance to the extremist outfit.

The militants are said to have executed about 12 leading clerics in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Mosul, the second biggest Iraqi city, was the first city to be captured by the al-Qaida-linked militants, who are fighting against the Shiite-led Iraqi government in order to establish a separate state governed by hardline Sharia laws.

According to Al-Alam News, an imam in Mosul's Central Mosque was executed for refusing to join the insurgents in their mission.

Executions have also been reported from Tikrit in Salaheddin province.

The insurgents, who have taken to Twitter to brag about their executions, have tweeted footage of a security man being beheaded by them.

In one of the Twitter accounts, they have posted images of militants moving detained soldiers and security forces in trucks. The security men are then seen being forced to lie face down, with their hands tied, while a militant opens fire on their heads.

The group claims to have executed about 1,700 Shiite soldiers, but the numbers cannot be independently verified.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed grave concern over the reports of "summary executions and extrajudicial killings".

UN human rights spokesperson Rupert Colville earlier warned that the international organization had received reports of several civilian casualties in the conflict.

Colville said: "The full extent of civilian casualties is not yet known, but reports received by the UN Mission in Iraq suggest that the number of people killed may run into the hundreds and the number of wounded is said to be approaching 1,000."

Tapeworm Longer Than a Snake Lived in Woman's Stomach

Adult tapeworms can live for up to 20 years in a host.www.livescience.com

A Chinese woman unknowingly became host to an 8ft tapeworm after eating almost raw beef while on holiday in south-east Asia.

The woman, known only as Mrs Li, visited a doctor in Xiamen in China's Fujan province after becoming concerned about strange fluids in her stools.

The doctor diagnosed her with teniasis, an intestinal tapeworm infection, caused by eating undercooked meat.

The parasite lays its eggs in cysts which live in animals. If the meat is not cooked properly, the eggs hatch and grow in the human intestine.

The Chinese woman was able to pass the tapeworm through her system after being treated with traditional Chinese medicine.

However, she was horrified to learn what was causing her medical problems. "It's disgusting and almost makes me faint," Li said in a Mirror report.

The tapeworm is among the oldest known parasites in the world. They vary in size, from 6 inches to 26 feet long depending on the type of tapeworm infection.

Six types of tapeworms are known to infect people. They are usually identified by the animals they come from -- for example Taenia saginata from beef, Taenia solium from pork, and Diphyllobothrium latum from fish.

Often having tapeworms does not cause symptoms, but may cause abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea and loss of appetite. The only sign of tapeworm infection may be segments of the worms, possibly moving, in a bowel movement.

In rare cases, tapeworms can lead to serious complications, including blocking the intestine. If pork tapeworm eggs are accidentally swallowed, they can migrate to other parts of the body and cause damage to the liver, eyes, heart, and brain. These infections can be life-threatening.

Watch the video of tapeworm being removed from a human gut

Iraq Isis Crisis: PM Announces Death Penalty for Deserting Troops

Members of the Kurdish security forces pose for a picture as they take part in an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of Kirkuk(Reuters)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has announced that the troops will face the death penalty if they fail to fight the advancing Sunni militants in the country.

The announcement comes in the backdrop of desertions by security personnel even as the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) are posing a major threat to the Shiite-led administration.

"If soldiers who have left their bases don't rejoin the nearest unit, this will be considered a crime that could merit the death penalty," said the Iraqi premier.

The march by the Isis Islamists is said to have slowed down after Iran and the US vowed to thwart the militants' attempts to seize power.

"We have regained the initiative and will not stop at liberating Mosul from Isis terrorists, but all other parts," said Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesperson for the Iraqi military's commander-in-chief.

The Iraqi troops and police personnel have come under fire for not putting up a fight against the insurgents, allowing them to seize key towns.

The al-Qaida splinter group had even managed to capture the town of Diyala, about 100kms from Baghdad, as the Iraqi forces quickly withdrew.

The failure of the Iraqi forces also forced the Iraqi administration and senior Shiite clerics to call for civilian volunteers to take up arms.

About 750,000 people of various age groups are said to have sought arms to fight the militants.

The UN has also expressed serious concern about the sectarian conflict.