ACTOR AND COMEDIAN ROBIN WILLIAMS DEAD AT 63

Tributes have been pouring in for Robin Williams, as Alastair Leithead reports

US actor and comedian Robin Williams has been found dead, aged 63, in an apparent suicide.

Marin County Police in California said he was pronounced dead at his home shortly after officials responded to an emergency call around noon local time.

Williams was famous for such films as Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society and won an Oscar for his role in Good Will Hunting.

His publicist said he had been "battling severe depression".

In the past he had talked, and even joked, about his struggles with alcohol and drugs.

Williams had recently returned to a rehabilitation centre to "fine-tune" his sobriety, the Los Angeles Times reported in July.

The local Sheriff's office said Williams was found unconscious and not breathing at his home near Tiburon, north of San Francisco.

"At this time, the Sheriff's Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made," police said in a statement.

His wife Susan Schneider asked that he be remembered for the joy he brought to the world

In a statement, Williams's wife, Susan Schneider, said she was "utterly heartbroken".

"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken," she said.

"On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.

Watch key moments from the career of Robin Williams

Williams had three children from previous marriages.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1951, Williams joined the drama club in high school and was accepted into Juilliard School in New York, the prestigious American academy for the arts.

There, he was encouraged by a teacher to pursue comedy.

The actor was first known for his zany portrayal of an alien in the 1970s TV show Mork and Mindy, a character first seen in the sitcom Happy Days.

He was a regular stand-up comedian while continuing to act in such films as Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Mrs Doubtfire and as the voice of the genie in Aladdin.

While many of his roles were in comedies, Williams won the Oscar in 1998 for best supporting actor as a therapist in Good Will Hunting.

In a 2009 interview, the actor told Reuters his children often referenced his own struggles with alcohol when he told them off for bad behaviour.

"They went: 'And you had a three-year drunken relapse'. Ah, thank you for bringing that back, my little happy creatures," Williams joked.

In his final Instagram post two weeks ago, he published a photo of himself and his daughter as a toddler with the message: "Happy Birthday to Ms Zelda Rae Williams! Quarter of a century old today but always my baby girl. Happy Birthday @zeldawilliams Love you!"
Williams' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has become a makeshift memorial

Tributes have also been left outside the house in Boulder, Colorado used in Mork and Mindy's title sequence

Fellow comedian Steve Martin tweeted he "could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul."

Martin and Williams appeared on stage together during an 1988 Broadway revival of Waiting for Godot.

Comedian and talk show host Ellen de Generes tweeted: "I can't believe the news about Robin Williams. He gave so much to so many people. I'm heartbroken."

Actor Danny DeVito, who worked with Williams in Death To Smoochy, said: "So sad to think about this. Hard to speak. Hard to say. Hard to take.

"All I can think about is what a joy he was to be with. I'm devastated. My heart is broken by this news."

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GAME OF THRONES ACTOR DEAD

Veteran actor dies after filming first Game of Thrones scenes

JJ Murphy had joined the cast of Game of Thrones as the oldest member of the Night's Watch

A veteran actor who had just filmed his first scenes for Game of Thrones has died.

JJ Murphy, 86, died suddenly on Friday at his home in Belfast.

Mr Murphy had joined the cast for series five of the HBO series recently, which is largely filmed in Northern Ireland.

He had been cast as Ser Denys Mallister of the Night's Watch. The character was due to appear throughout series five.

Mr Murphy had been expected to film more scenes this summer.

He also had a role alongside fellow Game of Thrones actor, Charles Dance, in the upcoming Hollywood film, Dracula Untold.

The movie was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2013 with a budget of £100m, and is due to be released in October.

Dracula Untold was not Mr Murphy's first experience of Bram Stoker's creation. He played Van Helsing in a 1980 production of The Death of Dracula at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.

He was well known in Northern Ireland for his stage work having trained at the Old Group Drama School in the 1940s, and as a member of the Lyric Players Theatre.

Belfast born Mr Murphy leaves behind wife Mary, and two children, Joseph and Jane, and granddaughter Sarah-Jane.

His funeral will be held in Belfast on Wednesday.

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WOMAN HANGS HERSELF IN FESTIVAL TOILET

Up to 38,000 people attended the four-day event at Matterley Bowl near Winchester

A woman who died at a music festival in Hampshire was found hanging in a campsite toilet, an inquest has heard.

Lisa Williamson, from Bromyard, Herefordshire, was found unconscious at the BoomTown Fair site near Winchester, on Saturday afternoon.

The 31-year-old, who was at the event with her husband, was treated by medical staff on site and taken to hospital but unfortunately, died later.

The inquest, which was adjourned, heard the cause of death was hanging.

Up to 38,000 people attended the four-day event at Matterley Bowl near Winchester.

Last year, Ellie Rowe, 18, also died after taking the drug ketamine during the festival.

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IRAQ CRISIS: RAF TORNADOS TO BE READY TO JOIN AID EFFORT

Iraq crisis: RAF Tornados to be ready to join aid effort

The RAF Tornado jets, similar to this one, would not have a combat role

RAF Tornado jets are to be sent for possible use in the aid operation in northern Iraq, where many thousands of people are fleeing Islamist fighters.

The Ministry of Defence said the planes would leave RAF Marham in Norfolk within the next 48 hours.

The bombers will not have a combat role, but could carry out surveillance to assist delivery of aid supplies.

Here, the prime minister is resisting pressure to recall Parliament to debate a military role in the Iraq crisis.

David Cameron's spokeswoman said a recall was "not on the cards", while Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond ruled out a combat role for the UK amid growing calls for military involvement.

Aid drops
Islamic State (IS) fighters have seized territory across Iraq and Syria in the past few months, with continuing reports of the slaughter of Iraqi religious minority groups.

"way or another, these maniacs, these medieval maniacs in the so-called Islamic State have got to be defeated", Jack StrawFormer foreign secretary said.

Among those reportedly being targeted by fighters are Christians and Yazidis in the north of Iraq, where thousands of Yazidi civilians are trapped in the Sinjar mountains without food and water.

Downing Street said helping the trapped civilians was its "immediate priority".

"We have decided to pre-position a small number of Tornados in the region so that they could, if required, use their excellent surveillance capability to gather better situational awareness to help with humanitarian effort," No 10 said, following a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee.

It said this would be similar to the role Tornados played during floods in the UK earlier this year.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the jets, which will be operational by the end of the week, would not be used in a combat role.

"They would be equipped with hi-tech imaging equipment to pinpoint exactly where refugees were so aid drops could be targeted", the MoD said.

Dehydrated, starving and frightened: The BBC's Caroline Wyatt meets Yazidi refugees from Sinjar

The RAF has made one drop of aid to the Sinjar mountains - but aborted a second on Sunday over concerns for the safety of those on the ground. The next is likely to be carried out within the next 24 hours.

No 10 said it would work with Iraqi, Kurdish and international representatives in the area "to mitigate safety concerns".

The UK would also look at how it could play a role in getting equipment to Kurdish forces so they were better able to counter IS, No 10 added.

Many people from religious minority groups in the north of Iraq have been fleeing Islamist militants

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the IS militants' advance

The UK has spent £13m in total in aid for the displaced in Iraq but the PM has ruled out military intervention

Former Labour Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said sending the jets was a "step in the right direction" but urged the government to look at what further military assistance could be provided.

"One way or another, these maniacs, these medieval maniacs in the so-called Islamic State have got to be defeated," he told ITV News.

The UK government is facing calls to reconvene Parliament to debate the UK's response to the unfolding crisis.

But speaking after the Cobra meeting, Mr Hammond said: "I don't think that's necessary at this time. We are talking about a humanitarian intervention."

He added: "We don't envisage a combat role at the present time."

Mr Cameron, who is on holiday in Portugal, remains "very much engaged" with decision-making on Iraq, his spokeswoman said.

"Our focus is very much on the humanitarian effort at the moment. As such, recall is not on the cards," she said.

'Worth trying'

The US has carried out four rounds of air strikes targeting IS fighters near Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Conservative MP Conor Burns, who has written to the speaker of the House of Commons asking him to recall MPs, said he did not know whether they would support military action but it was "worth trying".

"These people are being beheaded by people from IS, and our only response is to drop some food or water on them," said the MP for Bournemouth West.

Former British army commander Col Tim Collins: "The Islamic State are slaughtering their way through communities and must be stopped"

He said he thought the UK should be involved in air strikes and UK special forces should be deployed.

Tory MP Andrew Rosindell said "air strikes are absolutely correct", while Tory MPs Nick de Bois and David Burrowes have written to Mr Cameron also urging a recall of MPs.

Ex-army chief Lord Dannatt added his voice to the calls, saying it was "not the moment for decision-makers to be on holiday".

Kurdish fighters are trying to hold off the advance of IS militants

He said UK troops might be needed on the ground to help support US military air strikes.

Labour MP John Mann said there was no need to recall Parliament "at this stage" but MPs must continue to follow developments closely.

The US has begun supplying weapons to the Kurdish Peshmergas who are fighting the militants, senior US officials have told the Associated Press.

Mr Burns said the UK should be "answering positively" requests from the Kurds to arm them, and that asylum should be offered in the UK.



Iraq's minorities

Christians
The majority are Chaldeans, part of the Catholic Church

Numbers have fallen from around 1.5 million since the US-led invasion in 2003 to 350,000-450,000

In Nineveh province, they live mainly in towns such as Qaraqosh (also known as Baghdida), Bartella, al-

Hamdaniya and Tel Kef

Yazidis
Secretive group whose origins and ethnicity are subject to continuing debate

Religion incorporates elements of many faiths

Belief that God's will is carried out by seven angels

Most important among them is the Peacock Angel, considered by some Muslims and Christians to be the devil but who Yazidis say was redeemed

Because of this, Yazidis are viewed by some as devil worshippers

There are estimated to be around 500,000 Yazidis worldwide, most living in Iraq's Nineveh plains

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KOKOMASTER FINALLY READY TO PROPOSE TO BILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER

Lovers of the Koko Master, brace yourself because he may be off the market soon. As much as we would have loved to see superstars D’banj and Genevieve Nnaji tie the knot, it unfortunately did not work out. Bangalee has moved on and so has Genny. In 2012, D’banj was rumoured to be dating Adama Indimi, the daughter of Alhaji Mohammed Indimi – Chairman of Oriental Energy Resources. The pair later made it official to a few friends and family, but later separated. Adama is the CEO of a travel agency – Kauna Solutions. D’bama (D’banj & Adama) are now back together. A source exclusively reveals to KD BLOG that the music star has bought an engagement ring and he is ready to pop the big question.



Recently, the couple were spotted at D’banj’s mother Florence Oyebanjo‘s intimate 61st birthday party. Guests at the family affair were D’banj’s father, his twin brother and sister Kay Switch and Taiwo Oyebanjo-Kayode as well as OAP Dotun Kayode. When the couple make arrangements to wed, it will be a grand affair and trust KD BLOG to bring all the scoop – Congratulations in advance.

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EBOLA: NIGERIANS BEG OBAMA TO GIVE INFECTED LAGOS NURSE THE VACCINE

Nigerians on different social media platforms on Saturday asked President Barack Obama to give a vaccine, ZMapp, being developed in the United States to treat a Nigerian nurse, Justina Ejelonu, reportedly infected with Ebola.

 On such websites as Facebook and Twitter, the petitioners begged Obama to release the vaccine to Ejelonu and other Africans suffering from the virus. The petitions were made on the White House website. Ejelonu, who is one of those that were infected with the Ebola virus after treating the Liberian victim, Patrick Sawyer, has said she did not have direct contact with Sawyer’s body fluids. The deadly virus, which leads to death in humans within days from infection, is transmitted through sweat, urine, blood, and other fluids from the body. Ejelonu recounted her encounter with Sawyer in a report on a website, www.southeastnigeria.com.

 According to the website, she said she had checked his vitals and helped him with food because he was too weak, and that the mode of transmission could be from touching the same surfaces as the Liberian. She said, “I never contacted his fluids. I checked his vitals, helped him with his food (he was too weak). I basically touched where his hands touched and that’s the only contact — not directly with his fluids. “At a stage, he yanked off his infusion and we had blood everywhere on his bed. But the ward maids took care of that and changed his linens with great precaution. Every patient is treated as high-risk. If it were air borne, by now wahala for dey (there would have been trouble). I still thank God.” Ejelonu added that the workers’ uniforms and Sawyer’s bedding were burnt afterwards, saying the staff were under surveillance and off-duty till August 11. She said, “Our samples have long been taken by the World Health Organisation and so far, we have been fine. Kudos to my hospital management because we work professionally with every patient considered as high-risk — that’s the training.” The health worker noted that if it were a public hospital, the outcome might have been different, adding that she was however grateful to the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government for their support.

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RAIN AND HIGH WIND SET TO BATTER UK

Remnants of Hurricane Bertha to batter UK with rain and high winds

A driver was trapped in his car for more than an hour because of flooding in Cambridgeshire on Friday

High winds and heavy rain are expected to lash much of the UK as remnants of what was Hurricane Bertha reach the country early on Sunday.

The stormy weather is expected to hit southern England first, before heading north and battering Scotland on Sunday evening and into Monday.

The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for some regions.

The Environment Agency urged holidaymakers to check flood warnings before setting off in their cars.

Hurricane Bertha hit Caribbean islands on Monday before dissipating over the central Atlantic.

Homes in Cambridgeshire were flooded after heavy rain

The storm heading towards the UK is a low-pressure system which has picked up moisture and energy left over from Bertha.

Rain had begun arriving in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Wales on Saturday evening ahead of the forecast storms, BBC Weather said.

Parts of the country are expected to see between half an inch and an inch of rain on Sunday.

Wind gusts of 30-40 mph are expected inland and could reach 40-50 mph in coastal areas.

The Red Cross has mobilised hundreds of volunteers who are on stand-by amid fears that people will need to be evacuated from their homes.

Flash floods

Yacht race organisers have re-routed the course of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, which starts in Cowes on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, to try to avoid the worst of the bad weather.

The Royal Racing Club said it had decided to reverse the course and sail anticlockwise.

In a statement, the club said it hoped the move would "provide a more enjoyable race for all the yachts in the fleet".

Craig Woolhouse, the Environment Agency's flood risk manager, said the heavy rain on Sunday could cause flooding in some areas.

Rescue crews tried to restart cars which had stalled in the floods

He said: "On Sunday and Monday a combination of high spring tides and strong westerly winds brings a risk of large waves and spray and possible flooding to the south-west coast of England and along the Severn estuary.

"If you're travelling to or from holiday then check your flood risk before setting off and don't drive through flood waters."

More than a month's worth of rain fell in some areas

As the storm moved northwards, southern England would be left with brighter, showery weather later on Sunday, a BBC Weather spokeswoman said.

On Friday night, flash floods hit parts of eastern England, causing power cuts; a number of homes had to be evacuated.

Power cuts

In some parts of Britain, more than a month's rain fell, while the Red Cross said it was "on standby" to help anyone affected by the deluge.

Fire crews in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire worked through the night to pump water out of homes.

Power cuts hit 1,400 properties, but most were reconnected by 02:00 BST on Saturday morning.

A spokeswoman for BBC Weather said the conditions were not atypical for the time of year, but could prove a shock coming after a lengthy spell of warm weather.

Environment minister George Eustice said: "We are working closely with the Flood Forecasting Centre, the Environment Agency, local authorities and emergency services to ensure we are prepared for any potential flooding this weekend."

The regions affected by the yellow weather warnings are: Central, Tayside & Fife, East Midlands, East of England, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, London & South East England, North East England, North West England, Northern Ireland, Orkney & Shetland, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, South West England, Strathclyde, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber.

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