China says new bird flu cases found in central China

BEIJING |
Sat Apr 13, 2013 10:17pm EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) – Two people in the central Chinese province of Henan have been infected by a new strain of avian influenza, the first cases found in the region and bringing the total number nationwide to 51, Xinhua state news agency said on Sunday.

One of the victims, a 34-year old man in the city of Kaifeng, is now critically ill in hospital, while the other, a 65-year old farmer from Zhoukou, is stable. The two cases do not appear to be connected.

A total of 19 people in close contact with the two victims were under observation but had shown no signs of infection, Xinhua said.

On Saturday, the China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a seven year-old child in the capital of Beijing had been infected by the H7N9 bird flu virus, the first case to be reported outside of eastern China, where the new strain emerged last month.

The child’s parents work in the poultry trade.

Investigators are trying to ascertain the source amid fears that it could cause a deadly pandemic similar to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which killed about one in 10 of the 8,000 people it infected worldwide.

But authorities say there is still no indication of human-to-human transmission of the virus, which has already killed 11 people in Shanghai and the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui.

(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Attention, Second-Guessers: Golf Takes Calls (and Texts)

Woods, who had been three strokes off the lead, was assessed a two-stroke penalty Saturday for hitting from the wrong spot on Friday, a violation first flagged by a television viewer. Woods could have been disqualified from the Masters, but officials instead invoked a rarely applied two-year-old rule that spares offending players in exceptional cases.

The catalyst for the rules controversy began with a short and simple text message.

A friend of a Masters rules official saw something on television that looked improper â€" an illegal drop by Woods after his ball plunked into a pond at the 15th hole.

Masters officials would not reveal the identity of the texter, but the claim was brought before the Masters rules committee, which decided there was no violation. Then, about an hour later, Woods inadvertently implicated himself, saying he had taken two steps back before dropping his ball, which was not permitted under the circumstances.

The process for Saturday’s ruling might have been especially delicate because removing Woods from the Masters could have ruined television ratings and deprived the world’s top-ranked player of his best chance in several years to win his 15th major championship. But Masters officials said neither Woods’s popularity nor his pursuit of history was a factor. They had absolved him of wrongdoing on Friday; a day later, they said they could not impose the harsh penalty that goes with signing an incorrect scorecard because their earlier decision diluted his culpability.

Unheard-of in other sports, communication between viewers and tournament officials happens nearly every week on the professional golf tours.

At the Masters, officials said hundreds of viewers contacted the club with suspected rules infractions. Most often, they call the club, whose phone number is easy to find on the Internet.

“There are a lot of people out there that know a lot about the rules, or think they know a lot about the rules,” said Fred Ridley, the Masters chairman for competition committees. “It creates more work for us, but we do look at every one of these.”

The defending Masters champion, Bubba Watson, said Saturday that PGA Tour players were approached about viewer-generated rules investigations with such frequency it was shrugged off in the players’ locker room.

“Our sport is the only one you’d ever allow viewers to do that,” Watson said. “They’re definitely not calling about missed balls and strikes during a baseball game or if someone’s getting away with holding during a football game.”

Asked why it happens in golf, Watson answered, “Maybe it’s because our sport is so slow, people have time to call.”

Television viewers also routinely have more than one phone number to call. Many try contacting the network broadcasting the event. Many go directly to the United States Golf Association because it oversees the rules of golf in this country. And others contact the PGA Tour itself, whose phone number is easily accessed.

“They must have a lot of time on their hands,” Watson said. “Because I don’t know the phone number to call, and I’m playing in the golf tournament.”

At Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the Masters, any rules infraction phone call coming through the main switchboard is sent to the tournament headquarters office. The details of the call are recorded and documented with the specifics of the suspected violation scrupulously noted and then passed on to the Masters rules committee. Each case is investigated, which can involve interviewing the player or players involved, until the situation is resolved as groundless or worthy of a penalty.

“The players are under a microscope, and people watch their golf closely,” Ridley said. “And when they contact us, we make a determination.”

Two new bills aim to strengthen mental health help

An Indiana lawmaker has introduced two bills aimed at improving mental health coverage for service members.

Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat who had two military mental health bills signed into law in 2011, now proposes improved mental health assessments for service members returning from contingency operations and better notice of what mental health services are available.

The goal, he said, is to reduce suicides by improving access to mental health services and providing notice throughout a military career that mental health services are available and that there is nothing wrong with seeking help.

Both bills were introduced Wednesday.

The Military Suicide Reduction Act, HR 1463, would improve the mental health assessments already provided to troops when they return from deployments on contingency operations. Better screening might help identify people who need counseling, Carson said.

“We are quick to diagnose and treat service members who are injured in combat, with medics rushing to those who are struck by enemy IEDs or gunfire,” he said. “When it comes to the mental health challenges placed on our service members, we abandon them through months of deployment to deal with post traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidal thoughts.”

The Military Mental Health Empowerment Act, HR 1464, tries to encourage more people to seek mental health counseling if they need it by providing notice, beginning in the first days of military training, about the availability of help and by attempting to eliminate the perceived stigma associated with seeking help by strengthening privacy policies.

“Seeking help shouldn’t be something our service members have to second guess,” Carson said. “They shouldn’t have to fear drawing unwanted attention to themselves or derailing their careers.”

Sheen Talks to Leno About Lohan's Braceletgate

Charlie Sheen is finally speaking out about those rumors of diva-esque behavior on the part of Lindsay Lohan during her guest shot on Anger Management recently.

When asked by Jay Leno on The Tonight Show Wednesday whether LiLo was repeatedly late to work and caused production delays, as the tabloids reported, the erstwhile Warlock cleared the air.

“Not on day one,” Sheen answered. “Day one was fabulous. She was on time. Hit every mark. Made us look off our game, which we weren’t.”

VIDEO: Lindsay Lohan jokes about rehab to David Letterman

But then came day two, which Charlie admitted didn’t go nearly as smoothly.

“It was as though she had us held hostage because she gave us half the show,” he said. “No, she had an ‘ear ache’”â€" Sheen does some air quotes hereâ€"”and was a little bit…four hours late. No, she was a couple of hours late. She was really not feeling well. We just worked around it.”

After a brief pause, Sheen added with a laugh: “She was late, what can I say!”

NEWS: Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen’s Scary night

As for reports that Lohan left while wearing bracelets from the set (celeb watchers were quick to reference her 2011 pilfering of a $2,500 necklace from a Venice, Calif. jewelry store), the thesp said the troubled starlet had set the record straight herself.

“It’s true but it’s not true. Nothing further your honor,” he quipped, then noted, “She borrowed some stuff and then was told they would take it out of her paycheck, and she said fine and that’s all it was.”

Both Sheen and Lohan are scheduled to attend tonight’s Hollywood premiere of their new flick, Scary Movie 5, though a source tells E! News they’ll walk the red carpet separately.

PHOTOS: Lindsay Lohan on Anger Management

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Ready for Love's Tim Lopez Reveals His "Awkward" Past With Leah—Watch Now!

Ready For Love did less than Take It All did when that latter debuted on December 10, 2012 with a 2.2/5, and less than Stars Earn Stripes' 1.7/5 on August 13, 2012. NBC won the night among Adults 18-49 but CBS took the viewership top spot with 12.834

The rocker confesses to getting nervous while filming in front of a live audience, telling THR: “You never know what the girls are gonna throw at you.”

Executive producer Eva Longoria offers an answer to ABC's.

Awkward alert! NBC's new reality hit Ready for Love, hosted by Giuliana and Bill Rancic, premiered just this week and it already has the Twitterverse buzzing. Why? Because one of the series' bachelors, Plain White T's rocker Tim Lopez, knew one of his

Awkward alert! NBC's new reality hit Ready for Love, hosted by Giuliana and Bill Rancic, premiered just this week and it already has the Twitterverse buzzing. Why? Because one of the series' bachelors, Plain White T's rocker Tim Lopez, knew one of his

Kate Upton and Sean Combs heat up as she leaves pitcher Justin Verlander ...

Call them Diddyup!

Here’s a duo that’ll make your heads spin â€" Kate Upton and Sean “Diddy” Combs are hot and heavy.

PHOTOS: KATE UPTON BRINGING CURVES BACK 

After the 20-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl said she was single on Valentine’s Day and had broken up with star Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, she was spotted a little over a month later, on March 24, sucking face with Diddy, 43, at club LIV in Miami Beach.

“They were kissing, they weren’t hiding it,” an eyewitness tells Confidenti@l.

AFP / Francois Guillot

Sean “Diddy” Combs is 23 years older than Kate Upton — but age is only a number, right? 

Earlier that night, Diddy, hosting a bash at the club, had tweeted: “Miami … Ain’t no party like a @iamdiddy party … Meet me at Club Liv 2nite #CIROCBOYZ in the building!!!”

The curvy Upton soon joined him in the VIP section and she and the hip-hop mogul stayed together, partying late into the night.

Following their hot hookup in South Beach, the duo met up again in New York, sharing an intimate dinner together at Gemma in the Bowery Hotel on Thursday.

“They were having dinner together,” a source tells us.

Upton, silent on Twitter that day, the next morning tweeted: “Cuddling with my favorite tiger ” an obvious diss to Verlander, because she linked to a picture of her holding an actual tiger cub in a Bazaar magazine shoot.

Diddy, who has been linked to Cameron Diaz and most recently singer Cassie, was spotted with the latter house-hunting in Beverly Hills in January. The relationship has appeared to have since cooled off.

Cassie, whose last album was released in 2006, posed last year in a GQ spread labeled “Diddy’s Girl.” Last summer she frolicked topless on a yacht with the rapper while on vacation in St. Tropez. Diddy publicly acknowledged their relationship last September, tweeting a picture of her and writing, “I’m a very lucky man #knowthat.”

Upton, the object of every straight man’s desire, spent New Year’s Eve with Verlander at the Ritz-Carlton on St. Thomas.

In other sports crushes, Michigan’s Spike Albrecht hoped to get Upton into his own personal Final Four. The freshman backup, who electrified the crowd at the Georgia Dome in Monday night’s NCAA title game, tweeted afterwards:

“@KateUpton hey saw you at the game last night, thanks for coming out!” Hope to see you again

In the game, Albrecht clearly had his eyes on Upton, who was clad in a V-neck T-shirt there.

A rep for Upton says, “They met once a year ago and there’s no further relationship at this point.”

Skip Bolen/AP

Howard Stern, left, won’t vote on the performance of his gastroenterologist, whose ventriloquist act is on ‘American Idol.’ It’ll be up to remaining judges Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel.

‘TALENT’ ACT’S A GAS FOR STERN

Howard Stern found himself identifying with a puppet a little too much on Monday.

At a taping of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” at Hammerstein Ballroom, the shock-jock judge got a big jolt when his gastroenterologist auditioned for the nationally televised talent show where Stern is a judge.

“Wait, the guy that sticks his finger up you is a ventriloquist?” fellow judge Howie Mandel said to Stern upon hearing the news.

Mandel then turned to show producers to see if it was fair that Stern be asked to judge a man with whom he has a very personal relationship. Stern recused himself from the voting process. That means his doctor, whose name was withheld, would need two thumbs-up votes from the remaining three judges (Heidi Klum, Mel B and Mandel) to advance in the competition and go to Las Vegas. “AGT” lawyers also weighed in to keep things on the level.

PHOTOS: HEIDI KLUM HANGS UP HER ANGEL WINGS

“It kind of disturbed me when I learned he was a ventriloquist,” Stern admitted. “I have been on this table nude, with my knees up in the air … I have shared incredibly intimate moments … and it’s disturbing to see him on stage.”

SETH CHARLIZE GO A LONG WAY BACK

No, we’re not together. Model/actress Charlize Theron and funnyman Seth McFarlane were all smiles walking out of Beverly Hills’ Matsuhisa restaurant Tuesday night. Until they saw the cameras. The pair could’ve taken home Razzies for worst supporting actors as they suddenly started walking far apart and looking like they’d never met. Until recently, MacFarlane had been linked to “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke.

‘GRACE’ IS A CLOSE CALL

It’s fitting that Glenn Close’s next project is called “The Grace That Keeps This World.” At a party following the premiere of “Disconnect,” the Oscar- and Grammy-nominated, Tony- and Emmy-winning actress could’ve pulled the diva card, but instead served herself and didn’t make a fuss. “Glenn was completely low key,” said our spy. “She even waited on the buffet line for food.” After filling her plate with mini-sliders and crudités, Close ducked into a banquette and chowed down.

BEADLE WILL COLLAR HELP FOR ASPCA

Bark, bark for Beadle! The ASPCA has named NBC’s “The Crossover” host Michelle Beadle as celebrity ambassador. The animal lover (and fun WWE superfan) will help the group with their campaigns and fund-raisers. “As a pet parent and life-long animal lover, I’ve experienced firsthand the incredible impact animals can have on our lives,” Beadle says. “I am so proud to be working with the ASPCA to help support their life-saving work for animals across the country and further their mission to prevent animal cruelty.”

Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS

Lindsay Lohan got together with David Letterman on his show Tuesday.

LILO STILL THE LATEST THING

Best known for her late-night antics, Lindsay Lohan stopped by the Ed Sullivan Theater for a Tuesday taping of “The Late Show With David Letterman.” When Letterman pressed LiLo on her upcoming trip to rehab, she awkwardly said, “We didn’t discuss this in the pre-interview.”

PHOTOS: LINDSAY LOHAN GOES FROM ACTRESS TO MODEL

KIMSANITY!

Kim Kardashian managed to go from disaster to diva in a matter of hours Tuesday. She was spotted earlier in the day in Los Angeles, makeup-free, looking both bumpy and sloppy. But later she had cleaned up well, heading out in a billowy blouse, black pants and red shoes to visit an office complex in West Hollywood.

KRAVIS WRANGLES A LUNCH DEAL

Billionaire investor and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Co. co-founder Henry Kravis took a stroll through the lobby of the SLS hotel on Collins Ave. in South Beach on Sunday, appearing to be hunting for a lunch spot. After a quick cruise through the lobby and pool area, Kravis and his impeccably dressed third wife, philanthropist Marie-Josée Kravis, left the hotel without eating. The duo were spotted again Monday, lunching at an outdoor table at the Setai Miami Beach, where Kravis drank bottled water and dined on a hearty-looking lobster with lots of lemons on the side.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Model Miranda Kerr is getting out of the Angel biz with Victoria’s Secret.

KERR CAN’T KEEP THE SECRET

Miranda Kerr has shed her angel wings. The most popular Victoria’s Secret gal is walking away from the lingerie brand after demanding a “massive” contract and having too many international commitments, a source tells us, adding that there had been rumblings she was planning to leave. Us Weekly first reported that Kerr’s $1 million, three-year contract was not renewed. “She will always be an angel to me,” says VS president Ed Razek. Kerr will still walk the runway in this year’s show.

ROCKEFELLERS’ BIG CATCH

Being a Rockefeller has its perks, but at Monday’s Oceana Inaugural Ball at Christie’s, Susan Cohn Rockefeller says the surname she acquired in 2008 comes with responsibilities, too. “My husband is David [Rockefeller], and it’s his family legacy, and we both live with a lot of humility because there’s so much to be done,” she said, citing overfishing of the oceans as one of her concerns. “The name can open doors, but it’s really the work that you do that counts.”

HARRY BACK FOR MANE EVENT

Prince Harry’s returning to America, but will he keep his pants on this time? This visit he’ll officially be horsing around on May 15 at Connecticut’s Greenwich Polo Club. Harry will lead the Sentebale Land Rover team against Nacho Figueras and Peter Brant’s St. Regis team at the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup. At stake will be blue-blood bragging rights. Grace Torquhil Ian Campbell, the 13th duke of Argyll, is expected to attend the prestigious invite-only event.

KCNA/AFP/Getty Images

Dennis Rodman is back from Pyongyang, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, conducted roundball diplomacy last month.

ENVOY RODMAN THIRSTY FOR A ROLE

A day after being fired from “Celebrity Apprentice,” self-appointed U.S. ambassador to North Korea Dennis Rodman took time away from international diplomacy to party at lower East Side club DL. After taping “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on Monday, Rodman rolled into the tri-level hotspot and immediately hit the bar. He “requested a drink right when he walked in called Three Wise Men,” said our insider. The cocktail is a mix of Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker whiskies. That ought to make him a lot wiser indeed.

DNA pioneer Francis Crick letter sells for $5.3m at New York auction

11 April 2013
Last updated at 06:50 ET

Crick wrote to his son in 1953 including a sketch of the DNA structure

A letter written by scientist Francis Crick describing his discovery of the double helix shape of DNA has been sold for $5.3m (£3.45m).

An anonymous buyer purchased it at a New York auction on Wednesday.

Crick wrote to his 12-year-old son Michael in March 1953 describing the discovery and including a sketch.

The Nobel Prize medal given to Crick for the breakthrough is expected to fetch between $500,000 (£325,000) and “several million” at auction later.

Professor Crick, who died aged 88 in 2004, helped discover the “secret of life” at Cambridge University in 1953.

‘Stained lab coat’

The letter described Crick and Watson’s “beautiful” discovery

In the seven-page letter Crick told how he and James Watson found the copying mechanism “by which life comes from life”.

It was written more than a month before the pair officially published their work.

The letter began: “My dear Michael, Jim Watson and I have probably made a most important discovery.

“We have built a model for des-oxy-ribose-nucleic-acid (read carefully) called DNA for short.”

He described it as a “beautiful” structure and included a sketch of it, underneath which he wrote: “The model looks much nicer than this.”

The letter concluded: “Read this carefully so that you will understand it. When you come home we will show you the model.

“Lots of love, Daddy.”

The letter was expected to fetch about $1m (£652,000), a spokesman for Christie’s said.

It was a record for a letter sold at auction, he added.

Crick, along with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins, was given the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for “discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material”.

The medal will be sold later at Heritage Auctions in New York together with the cheque and diploma Crick received as part of the prize and one of his lab coats, which has “various stains on it”.

His family will donate 20% of the profit to researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London.

Crick received the medal in 1962

The scientist’s granddaughter, Kindra Crick, said the medal had been locked away for most of the time since it was awarded.

She said: “This marks the 60th anniversary of the historic discovery of the structure of DNA and 50 years have passed since Francis Crick was awarded the Nobel Prize.

“Our hope is that, by having it available for display, it can be an inspiration to the next generation of scientists.”

Crick was born in 1916 in Weston Favell near Northampton and educated at Northampton Grammar School. The twice-married scientist died in July 2004 in San Diego.

Rosalind Franklin also played a key role in the discovery of DNA but died in 1958, before the prize was awarded.