Famous May-December couples, February is the perfect month to highlight romance. In keeping with the season, we look at the May-December unions of famous couples such as Rep. Barney Frank, 71, who recently announced his plans to marry partner Jim Ready, 42 The age gap isn’t holding back these May-December couples.
Woody Allen & Soon-Yi Previn
Despite their rocky beginnings, Woody Allen, 75, and Soon-Yi Previn went on to adopt two daughters and are still together today.
Tiki Barber & Traci Johnson
The 36-year-old former New York Giants running back allegedly hooked up with Johnson when his now ex-wife was pregnant with twins. What’s holding up their wedding plans?
Eric Clapton & Melia McEnery
Guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton, 66 , tied the knot with young graphic artist Melia McEnery (how old is she?) in a surprise ceremony.
Jim Clark & Kristy Hinze
Netscape founder Jim Clark, 67 and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kristy Hinze were married in 2009.
Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones
Oscar winners Michael Douglas, 67, and Catherine Zeta-Jones have two kids together . Zeta-Jones was with Douglas throughout his cancer battle, and he's been by her side through a high-profile struggle with mental illness
Edwin Edwards & Trina Scott Edwards
Ex-convict and former Gov. Edwin Edwards ied the knot with a bride more than 50 years his junior. (See pictures.) Not surprisingly, it wasn't the 84-year-old's first time down the aisle.
Bryan Ferry & Amanda Sheppard
Roxy Music lead singer Bryan Ferry, 67, tied the knot last month with his son’s ex-girlfriend Amanda Sheppard This is the first marriage for the bride. Ferry and his first wife, Lucy Helmore, divorced in 2003 after 21 years of marriage.
Harrison Ford & Calista Flockhart
Whoever would have guessed that Indiana Jones and the 47-year-old actress who played Ally McBeal would end up together?
Newt & Callista Gingrich
Former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, 68 married his younger wife, Callista, in 2000. They began dating while he was still married to his second wife.
Doug Hutchison & Courtney Stodden
The 51-year-old "Green Mile" star and the aspiring teen singer put the spotlight on their controversial marriage with a series of bizarre interviews.
Larry & Shawn King
Larry King, 78, and his wife, Shawn called off their divorce last year and seemed to be a happy family during the TV host's last CNN show
Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, 65, and his statuesque British wife turn plenty of heads when they're on the campaign trail
Rush Limbaugh & Kathryn Rogers
Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, 61 and his new bride began dating a few years after he divorced his second wife.
Nelson Mandela & Graca Machel
The Nobel Peace Prize winner and the widow of another African leader surprised everyone with their wedding on his 80th birthday.
John & Cindy McCain
Arizona's Sen. McCain, 75, and his heiress wifemarried the same year he divorced his first wife.
Paul McCartney & Nancy Shevell
Former Beatle Paul McCartney, 69, wed Nancy Shevell, his girlfriendof four years in a civil ceremony in London in October. McCartney had exchanged vows at the venue decades before
Les Moonves & Julie Chen
The 62-year-old CBS president married the much-younger "Big Brother" host shortly after he divorced his first wife.
Rupert Murdoch & Wendi Deng
The embattled media mogul, 80, and his Chinese-born wife are in the spotlight for his company's phone-hacking scandal and her pie-blocking skills.
Prince Albert & Charlene Wittstock
The 53-year-old longtime bachelor -- already a father of two -- married his Olympian girlfriend (how old is she?) in a lavish ceremony last summer.
President Nicolas Sarkozy & Carla Bruni
The French president and his 43-year-old model-singer wife married in a hush-hush ceremony after a whirlwind romance.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum & Princess Haya
The 37-year-old princess and Olympic equestrian is the junior wife of the much older prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.
Rod Stewart & Penny Lancaster-Stewart
Rocker Rod Stewart, 67, and his model wife (how old is she?welcomed their second child last February.
Sam Taylor-Wood & Aaron Johnson
Director Sam Taylor-Wood, 44 , and actor Aaron Johnson welcomed their second child in January.
Fred & Jeri Thompson
Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson, 69 who starred in a long-running prime-time drama, married his much younger political consultant wife
Donald & Melania Trump
The former presidential contender and star of "The Apprentice" (how old is he? and Slovenian model Melania Trump, now 41, married in 2005 and had a son in 2006.
Saturday 28 January 2012
2012 January product recalls
January recalls
We're only a month into 2012 and it already has been a busy year for recalls. From sunflower seeds to high chairs to bike helmets, we're taking a look at the products pulled from shelves in January.
Food products
Pepin Heights Orchards is asking consumers to discard half-gallon jugs of its Honeycrisp apple cider. Why?
Additional recalls:
Two sizes of Central Market Classics Tres Leches cakes . What's the problem?
Nearly 700 cases of Hill Country Fare dry lasagna dinner mix after an unexpected ingredient was found.
Bags of BIGS dill pickle sunflower seeds due to a labeling error.
Blount Fine Foods Rip Roarin' crab soup because of undeclared ingredients. Which ones?
Ten cases of Laromme brand vanilla rugelach. Why?
Rich Products' quarter-sheet vanilla-flavored presoaked sponge cake sold at bakeries nationwide. What is the possible hazard?
Packages of Safeway Snack Artist's Sugar Free Bite-Sized Chocolate Chip Cookies . What is the problem?
Several varieties of Green Valley Food Corp. sprouts and greens due to possible contamination.
Four kinds of Alpine Slicing & Cheese Conversion Co. shredded and grated cheese. Why?
Enhorabuena! Guava Sticks after the packages were mislabeled.
Eight-ounce bags of Nordic Creamery Grumpy Goat Shreds . What is the problem?
Children's gear
Land of Nod recalled about 1,600 of its Blake bed frames sold online and in stores due to an entrapment hazard. Was anyone injured?
Additional recalls:
About 44,000 Chariot Carriers bicycle trailers due to hitch problems. How many injuries have been reported?
About 30,400 Triple Eight bike helmets Why?
About 169,000 Ikea Antilop high chairs . What is the problem?
Children's toys & clothing
About 3,000 children's chairs and stools have been recalled due to high levels of lead, which poses this risk.
Pharmaceutical products
Novartis described a recall of several of its over-the-counter products as a "precautionary measure."What is the problem?
Additional recalls:
One lot of Rexall Calcium 1200 mg plus 1000IU Vitamin D3 softgels (see the label). Where were they sold?
All lots of Duet TRS Universal Straight and Articulating Single Use Loading Units (find out more) used in thoracic surgeries. How many deaths have been reported?
Three lots of Bedford Laboratories injectionsafter possibly hazardous particulate matter was found.
Meat & seafood products
Price Chopper Supermarkets recalled its gourmet stuffed clams sold from Sept. 30 to Dec. 30 due to a labeling error.
Additional recalls:
Approximately 3,104 pounds of diced beef products due to possible foreign materials. What program was using them?
Sliced herring fillets sold in the New York City area due to possible contamination.
Electrical items
Honeywell recalled approximately 19,000 of its Surround Select portable electric heaters due to a possible burn hazard. Where were they sold?
Vehicles
BMW is recalling 235,535 Mini Coopers worldwide after several reports of water pump failures, which led to bigger problems in some cases.
Additional recalls:
About 300 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 vehicles. Why?
Approximately 450,000 Ford Escape SUVs, Ford Freestar minivans and Mercury Monterey minivans. What is the problem?
About 21 2012 model year Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SUVs due to a faulty part.
Consumer products
Target recalled about 55,000 of its six-piece LED flashlight sets due to possible burn hazards. How many injuries have been reported?
Additional recalls:
About 11,000 Steelcase desk chairs What could go wrong?
Approximately 900 2012 model year Giant bicycles due to a potential fall hazard.
About 43,700 Big Lots five-light floor lamps (see photos). What's the problem?
Nearly 5,500 Carruth Candleholder tea light sets (see a photo). Why?
About 10,000 cases of Sterno tea lights due to potential fire hazard. Where were they sold?
Deen Castronovo arrested, Drummer for the band Journey, Deen Castronovo, 46, was arrested after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend. According to police, the two got into a heated argument, and Castronovo was booked into jail with a list full of charges . He posted more than $50,000 bail and was released later
Oh great! Another story of a man assaulting his girlfriend… soo gross! According to the police, Deen Castronovo allegedly assaulted his girlfriend last weekend in a fight that escalated a little too high! The current touring drummer for Journey was booked for the alleged assault as well as coercion, criminal mischief, getting in the way of making a report, and being a harasser. Ick! And get this!! Sources say his girlfriend even ran out of the house to call her dad, but Deen caught her and yanked the phone right out of her hand!! Boo!!! Of course, he didn't stay at the jail house for too long. He posted his $50k bail and got the hell outta there!!
Journey drummer Deen Castronovo spent a night behind bars at the weekend after being arrested on a string of charges related to a domestic disturbance.
He’s accused of coercion, fourth-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief, interfering with making a report and harassment following an incident on Saturday night.
Cops were called to the Keizer, Oregon, home of Castronovo, 46, after an argument with his partner turned physical.
She ran out of their house to call her father, but the drummer is alleged to have followed her out, taken her phone from her and refused to let her make the call.
After spending a night in jail Castronovo posted bail and returned home.
A spokesman for the musician tells TMZ: “It was a misunderstanding that should not have been escalated to such a level in the frusta place.”
Castronovo joined Journey in 1998 and has played on five records including last year’s album Eclipse.
Chris Rock Newt Gingrich Chris Rock reportedly flips out, While partying in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival, comedian Chris Rock reportedly was ambushed by a “citizen journalist” who shoved a camera in his face and asked him a question about a GOP presidential candidate Rock supposedly responded by smashing the videographer’s camera “so hard, it broke into pieces” Don’t ask Chris Rock about Newt Gingrich. The comic destroyed a videographer’s camera at Tao at Sundance, the scene of a Google bash and Jonny Lennon’s 4am Funday soiree, in the early hours of Monday when he was ambushed with a string of political questions after being asked to pose for a picture. A spy tells us, “A guy walked up to Chris and his entourage and said, ‘Hey, could I get a photo of you with my girlfriend?’ When he turned around, he found a video camera in his face, asking him about Gingrich.” Another spy said: “Chris pushed the interviewer and grabbed the camera. He smashed it so hard, it broke into pieces. He cursed the guy for filming when he had asked them to stop.” Another witness said that after smashing the camera, Rock asked him, “Did you get your shot?” Security escorted the video guy out, and Rock left peacefully, we’re told. Rock’s rep declined to comment last night.
If you ask Chris Rock about Newt Gingrich, he will destroy your expensive equipment.
At an event at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, Rock was posing for photos when a videographer asked him a question about the GOP candidate, the New York Post reports.
The comedian was none too pleased about the line of political questioning.
“Chris pushed the interviewer and grabbed the camera. He smashed it so hard, it broke into pieces. He cursed the guy for filming when he had asked them to stop,” a witness told the paper.
Maybe he prefers to answer questions about Mitt Romney?
The reporter was escorted out of the area, while Rock went on his way.
It appears that, bushy haired Chris Rock doesn’t like Newt Gingrich; or at least being asked questions about him.
Maybe it was the fact that it was 4AM? As part of the Sundance festivities Rock was at a late night event at Tao when he was unexpectedly hit with a bunch of political questions. The New York Post reports,
“A guy walked up to Chris and his entourage and said, ‘Hey, could I get a photo of you with my girlfriend?
When rock turned around there was a video camera in his face, and someone asking him about Newt Gingrich. The Post reports then that,
“Chris pushed the interviewer and grabbed the camera. He smashed it so hard, it broke into pieces. He cursed the guy for filming when he had asked them to stop. ”Hmmm…… 4AM, you trick me into turning around, I’m probably a little drunk.
Sajak Wheel drunk Pat Sajak: I hosted ‘Wheel’ drunk, In an extremely candid interviewPat Sajak, the longtime host of game show “Wheel of Fortune,” says that, in the ‘80s , he used to have so much free time between tapings that he and right-hand woman Vanna White would skip out for “three or six” alcoholic beverages, then come back and finish the show drunk
"Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak admits he and co-star Vanna White drank alcoholic beverages before taping episodes of the U.S. game show in the early 1980s.
Sajak, 65, began presenting the program in 1981.
"When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things," TVGuide.com quoted Sajak as saying in an interview for the ESPN chat show "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable."
"We had a different show then," he said.
Sajak said he and White would go to a nearby Mexican restaurant in Burbank, Calif., during their 2 1/2-hour dinner breaks.
"Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six [drinks] and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet. They're really great tapes to get a hold of," Sajak said. "I had a great time. I have no idea if the shows were any good, but no one said anything, so I guess I did OK. ... I would be hesitant to have anything to drink now."
The "Wheel of Fortune" wasn't the only thing spinning for Pat Sajak and Vanna White back in the day.
Sajak said in an interview on ESPN2 this week that the long-time game show team would occasionally walk over to a nearby restaurant for "two or three or six" margaritas during a break in taping early "Wheel of Fortune" shows in California. Sajak has hosted the show since 1981, and White joined him a year later.
Although he joked that he had "trouble recognizing the alphabet" for shows taped after the margarita stops, no one ever said anything to them.
school slave game - Alleged ‘slave game’ outrages parents, A schoolyard game supposedly involving students pretending to be “slaves” and “slave catchers” has some parents in the Georgia town of Liburn outraged. The parents say they’re mostly upset because of whom the students say organized the game. Students at an elementary school in Gwinnett, Georgia have claimed that a teacher organized a tag-like game of slave/slave catcher during recess.
The school admits that the students played “slave/slave catcher,” but deny that a teacher participated.
Some children at a Gwinnett elementary school played a tag-like game as slaves and slave catchers at recess, and a teacher allegedly participated, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The incident happened at Camp Creek Elementary School in Lilburn last week, the report said.
Three children and their parents told Channel 2 that a teacher organized and participated in the game.
The school’s spokesperson said that there was a game, but the teacher did not participate.
The school district released a statement to Channel 2 saying, “The school district looked into concerns regarding four students who participated in a playground activity. The district determined that the activity was student initiated and that allegations regarding the teacher’s involvement were unfounded.”
Ericka Lasley told Channel 2 that her 8-year-old daughter said she was a slave and other students were slave catchers during a game similar to tag. The third-grade student said the teacher proposed the game based on what the class is learning.
“She would sit on the bench and the slave catchers would come up to the door and ask did she have any slaves,” the girl said. Whether the game was organized by a teacher or not, what in the hell is going on in that school such that kids would think that slave/slave catcher is an appropriate game to play? And why were the kids allowed to play in the first place? Where was the teacher or recess monitor or whomever?
Fran Drescher aliens, Fran Drescher: I was abducted by aliens, Fran Drescher, former star of “The Nanny” has a small scar on her hand. Her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson , says the scar is from either a drill bit or a hot cup of coffee. But Drescher says the scar actually marks the spot where the aliens who once abducted her and Jacobson implanted a microchip Drescher, who is best known for her roles on "The Nanny" and her new series "Happily Divorced," also believes that her ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson was abducted.
"You know, it's funny because Peter and I both saw [aliens] before we knew each other, doing the same thing, driving on the road with our dads," Drescher told the Huffington Post recently. "We were both in junior high. A few years later, we met, and we realized that we had the same experience. I think that somehow we were programmed to meet. We both have this scar. It's the exact same scar on the exact same spot."
According to the entertainment site, Jacobson is slightly more skeptical about the incident, explaining that Fran's scar is likely from a drill bit or burn.
"I said to him, that's what the aliens programmed us to think," Drescher said. "But really, that's where the chip is."
Drescher's rep had no immediate comment regarding the quotes.
Drescher's TV Land series "Happily Divorced" was officially renewed for a second season on July 20. The network ordered another 12 episodes of the comedy, which is scheduled to premiere on March 7, 2012. The show, which premiered on June 15, has averaged over 2.2 million total viewers.
In the series, the actress plays a Los Angeles florist named Fran who is forced back into the dating pool after learning her husband of 18 years, Peter (John Michael Higgins), is gay. Since neither of them can afford to move out of their home, they're stuck living together which makes moving on difficult.
The show also stars Tichina Arnold as Fran's best friend and Rita Moreno and Robert Walden as her parents.
The storyline for the show was inspired by Drescher's real-life marriage of 21 years to Peter Marc Jacobson, who came out of the closet after their divorce in 1999. Jacobson and Drescher co-created the series and also worked together on "The Nanny" and "Living With Fran."
Initially, Drescher planned to only write and produce "Happily Divorced," but she eventually decided to star in the series as well. TV Land ordered 10 episodes of the series in March. Like early episodes of "The Nanny," the show was taped before a live studio audience.
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Fran Drescher is a survivor of an alien UFO abduction, “The Nanny” star tells news. Fran Drescher thinks aliens abducted her, scarred her, and returned to earth so she could go on to appear in 1990s TV sitcoms. The bizarre revelation by Fran to news comes with a chip and ex-husband added to the mix.
Fran Drescher tells news today, with sincerity, that she believes she was abducted by aliens as a teenager. She claims that he was abducted while a junior high student. She claims she was driving down the road with her father when the abduction occurred.
Years later, Fran Drescher met her ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson. Fran claims that Peter told her that he was abducted by aliens as teenager as well, also while driving with his father. She tells the HuffPost today “A few years later, we met, and we realized that we had the same experience. I think that somehow we were programmed to meet.”
Fran thinks aliens were to blame for her marrying her husband. Fran also claims that she and her ex-husband had the same scar. “We both have this scar. It’s the exact same scar on the exact same spot . . . that’s where the chip is.”
But Fran tells news that Peter Marc Jacobson denied the chip tale. He told her during her marriage that it’s simply a scar they both had from their youth. Fran said to him, however, “that’s what the aliens programmed us to think… But really, that’s where the chip is.”
In 2010, Fran made the revelation to news that her husband was gay. The couple met at age 15. The two split in 1999. “We love each other dearly … [We] still have a caring, loving relationship. Love is what we’re all about” she told news at the time.
Peter Marc Jacobson was the executive producer of The Nanny from 1993 to 1999 delivering nearly 143 episodes of the hit sitcom. He would last year executive produce Teaste. Jacobson also appeared as an actor in bit parts for Murphy Brown, Booker, Matlock and Beverly Hills 2010.
teen bus driver heart attack Teen saves school bus, A Philadelphia teen is being praised after she saved a school bus full of students when the driver collapsed at the wheel . Graceann Rumer, 17, reportedly grabbed the steering wheel of the moving bus and made a U-turn . She apparently couldn't reach the brake, so she put the bus in park to make it stop The 17-year-old senior at Calvary Christian Academy in northeast Philadelphia had been driving herself to school recently for practice, but on Tuesday she opted for the bus. Rumer and about three dozen other students were riding the bus home when 51-year-old driver Charles Duncan suddenly crumpled to the floor at about 3:30 p.m. Duncan died soon after. With the driver obstructing the brake pedal, Rumer acted quickly -- grabbing the wheel of the moving bus and making a U-turn to slow it down and change direction, as it was heading into oncoming traffic, witnesses say. With still no access to the brake pedal, Rumer put the bus into park and successfully and safely stopped it, according to witnesses and bus company officials. "I usually panic at like everything but I just reached over... grabbed the wheel and I pulled it over to the side and got off the road," Rumer said.
Graceann Rumer just started driving two weeks ago. She used the few driving skills she had to save a school bus full of students by grabbing the steering wheel as the driver collapsed from a heart attack Tuesday afternoon. The bus driver died soon after.The 17-year-old senior at Calvary Christian Academy in Northeast Philadelphia had been driving to school for practice a lot lately, but, luckily for all, on Tuesday she happened to take the bus.
Rumer and about three dozen other students were riding the bus home when 51-year-old driver Charles Duncan suddenly crumpled to the floor at about 3:30 p.m. With Duncan obstructing the brake pedal, Rumer acted quickly – grabbing the wheel of the moving bus and making a U-turn to slow it down and change direction, as it was heading into oncoming traffic, witnesses say. With still no access to the brake pedal, Rumer put the bus into park and successfully and safely stopped it, according to witnesses and bus company officials.
Stacey Irvine nugget Girl hospitalized after 15 years of chicken nuggets, Seventeen-year-old Stacey Irvine says that since she was two years old, she’s eaten little else besides McDonalds Chicken McNuggets . and other fast-food chicken nuggets . Her doctors, meanwhile, reportedly say that the crispy processed fowl is killing her. The teen was recently hospitalized with difficulty breathing, swollen tongue veins and anaemia.
Stacey Irvine, 17, has been hooked on chicken since her mother bought her some at a McDonald’s restaurant when she was just two.
To be honest she has not eaten anything other than chicken nuggets for 15 years has been warned by doctors that the junk food is going to kill her. Makes us wanna asked this question “is Your Daddy name Mr. Black…LOL!
Doctors were shocked to learn of her habit when the factory worker, from Castle Vale, Birmingham, collapsed and was taken to hospital after struggling to breathe.
Stacy Irvine, prefers to eat McDonald’s treats but also enjoys KFC’s, she went on to say: ‘I am starting to realize this is really bad for me.’ HERE ARE THE FACTS: A diet based solely on chicken nuggets and fries has dangerous amounts of fat and salt. It also contains few vitamins and other nutrients that are vital for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Sasha Watkins, of the British Dietetic Association, said: ‘Such a limited diet will be low in important nutrients like calcium, fibre, antioxidants and good fats.
Parents should never force a child to eat something but always keep offering new foods.’ That greasy chicken will kill you girrrrrrl stop it…LOL!
utty News UK – Chicken nugget fan Stacey Irvine has been warned they are killing her because the 17-year-old has eaten practically nothing else since the age of two. Horrified doctors learned of the teenager’s chronic 15-year addiction after she collapsed and was rushed to hospital struggling to breathe. Factory worker Stacey, who has never touched greens or fruit, was found to have anaemia and swollen veins in her tongue.
French breast implant arrest Arrest made in French ‘breast-implant disaster’, Jean-Claude Mas, the former head of a large French breast-implant company , is in jail facing serious criminal charges for what’s been described as a 'breast-implant disaster' . Police say that the company, which was founded in 1991, used cheap, non-medical-grade silicone that could potentially leak into people’s bodies ean-Claude Mas, the Frenchman who sparked a global health scare by selling substandard breast implants, was arrested on Thursday as Marseille prosecutors build a case against him for manslaughter. In the first arrests since the two-year-old scandal made headlines worldwide in Dec, Mas and a second executive at his now defunct company Poly Implant Prothese were seized at their homes in southern France shortly after dawn. The detention could lead within hours to Mas being placed under formal investigation on suspicion of manslaughter and causing bodily harm. That could in due course lead to criminal charges. , which would carry longer sentences than those he now faces in a fraud case expected to be tried around October. Women who have been campaigning against PIP since French authorities banned its products nearly two years ago welcomed the move as giving them a sense that the law was now in action: “It’s been too long,” said Murielle Ajellio, who heads an association for women with implants. Up to now, she said: “You feel like you’re fighting against the wind.” French authorities have been criticized for being slow to react to a case that has sown fear among tens of thousands of women who carry PIP implants. French inspectors ordered them off the market in March 2010, due to concerns over their quality. But only last month did officials in Paris recommend their surgical removal, drawing attention to the problem for patients worldwide who had been fitted with products from the company, which was at one time the third biggest global supplier. Lawyers for women in France who have filed complaints over PIP implants welcomed the arrests and said there must be no escaping justice for the 72-year-old Mas, who has been quoted as deriding those suing him as being motivated only by money. “This is a comfort for the victims,” said Laurent Gaudon, whose clients are pursuing PIP and surgeons who used its implants for fraud. “It’s the feeling that justice is advancing and they have not been forgotten. It’s the assurance that the guilty are at last going to be held accountable.” Philippe Courtois, who represents 1,300 people with PIP implants, said Mas should not be freed pending any trial. Mas and PIP’s former chief executive Claude Couty were questioned at home, as police conducted searches. They were then moved to police custody in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, under the orders of prosecutor Jacques Dallest. PIP enjoyed years of success with international sales, but behind the scenes employees, and Mas himself, have admitted to hiding from certification agencies the fact they were using cheap, industrial silicone, not approved for medical use. Health authorities in France and elsewhere have stressed that PIP’s products carry no proven link to cancer, but surgeons report that they have abnormally high rupture rates. Responses to the problem have varied among different foreign authorities. Thursday’s arrests follow an investigation opened in Marseille, close to PIP’s former premises, on December 8 after the death from cancer in 2010 of a woman with PIP implants. Mas and Couty can be held for up to 48 hours while a judge decides whether to open a formal probe and, if so, what bail conditions, if any, to set. A trial date could be years away, given the extent of inquiry required, but the graver manslaughter case could make it harder for Mas to avoid appearing in court later this year on other charges of fraud and deception. That latter case targets half a dozen former PIP executives and could also carry prison terms for them of several years. It has dragged on as investigators have had to quiz up to 2,700 women who have filed complaints over PIP implants. Mas, who sold some 300,000 implants around the world, has acknowledged that he used unapproved silicone but dismissed fears that it constituted a health risk. Earlier in January, leaks from a police document showed Mas admitting to lying about the quality of PIP’s implants and describing the women filing complaints against him as just seeking money. The comments sparked public anger against him. PIP closed down in March 2010 after regulators discovered it was using a non-approved, industrial silicone gel, and pulled its implants off the market. Last month, the French government advised women with PIP implants to have them removed, and said it would pay for the operations in France, sparking alarm around the world. Officials in several other countries, including Britain and Brazil, have asked women to visit their doctors for checks. France has called for tighter European Union regulations on medical devices in wake of the PIP affair, saying suppliers of prosthetics should require the same sort of authorization as manufacturers of prescription medicines. This news was published in print paper.To access the complete paper of this day. Click here
A French judge on Friday charged Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of the PIP breast implant company at the heart of a global health scare, with “involuntary injuries,” his lawyer said.
More than 400,000 women around the world are believed to have received implants made by Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), which shut down in 2010 after it was revealed to have been using substandard, industrial-grade silicone gel.
Mas, 72, was arrested Thursday on the orders of an investigating judge, Marseille prosecutor Jacques Dallest told AFP.
His lawyer, Yves Haddad, said Mas was later charged with “involuntary injuries” during a late-night hearing in the southern port city of Marseille, and released on bail pending further investigation.
Mas was grilled by investigators and answered hundreds of questions, Haddad said, describing his client as “very cooperative,” outlining the responsibilities of all company officials and his links with suppliers.
Prosecutors said police had also arrested Claude Couty, another former executive at the now-defunct PIP, in southern France.
Fears over PIP implants spread globally late last year after French health authorities advised 30,000 women to have theirs removed because of an increased risk of rupture.
Between 400,000 and 500,000 women in 65 countries are believed to have received implants from PIP, once the world’s largest silicone implant producers.
A number of countries, including Germany and the Czech Republic, followed France in recommending that the implants be removed as a precaution but Britain has said it will not follow suit.
Thirteen countries in Europe and Latin America have also urged women to have a checkup.
French officials have said that cancer, including 16 cases of breast cancer, had been detected in 20 French women with the implants, but have insisted there is no proven link.
Mas was arrested at his partner’s home in the south of France. Dallest said police searched the residence, in the town of Six-Fours-les-Plages, for evidence.
During earlier questioning, Mas has confirmed the implants were made with a non-authorized silicon gel but rejected any suggestion that they posed a health risk.
“I knew that the gel wasn’t approved, but I did it knowingly, because the PIP gel was cheaper ... and of much better quality,” Mas said, according to the minutes of a police interview conducted in October, and seen by AFP.
Philippe Courtois, a lawyer representing women who received the PIP implants, said he was encouraged by Mas’ arrest but did not expect his story to change.
“Considering the outrageous statements he has made in regards to all the victims, we do not expect very much from this hearing,” Courtois said.
Representatives of two groups campaigning for women who received the implants were to appear before the investigating judge on Friday.
Along with the manslaughter investigation, prosecutors in Marseille have already concluded an aggravated fraud case in the implant scandal that is expected to be brought to court by the end of the year.
Marseille prosecutors have received more than 2,500 complaints in the case, which has sparked calls for wider European regulation and monitoring of medical devices such as breast implants.
Mas, a former traveling salesman who got his start in the medical business by selling pharmaceuticals, founded PIP in 1991 to take advantage of the booming market for cosmetic implants.
He reportedly told investigators that he used fake business data to fool health inspectors.
The substandard gel was in 75% of PIP breast implants, saving the company about one million euros ($1.3 million) annually, according to an ex-company executive.
