Prince Andrew breaks his silence over sex scandal to publicly deny claims he slept with underage teenager

Prince is tonight hosting entrepreneur event at World Economic Forum 

Denies sex claims and tells Davos conference: 'My focus is on my work' 

It's the first time Duke of York has made public statement on allegations 

He has faced mounting pressure to speak on claims he slept with girl

She claims they had sex three times, in the UK, America and Caribbean

Virginia Roberts's lawyers served Prince letter over sexual allegations

It asks for 'voluntary cooperation' for Prince to be questioned under oath

Buckingham Palace refused to sign for post and sent it back to Florida

New Zealand PM John Key: 'People are innocent until proven guilty'

The Duke of York today for the first time publicly denied allegations he had underage sex with a teenager, 'reiterating and reaffirming' Buckingham Palace statements that rebutted the claims.

Prince Andrew was in Davos, Switzerland, to meet the world's most rich and powerful people as he faced growing pressure to testify on oath about his contacts with the alleged ‘sex slave'.

The 54-year-old, who is fifth in line to the throne, said: 'Firstly, I think I must want for the record to refer to the events that have taken place in the last few weeks.

‘And I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements which have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace. My focus is on my work.'

Virginia Roberts claims she had sex three times with the Duke of York including at an orgy on a Caribbean island involving eight other young girls.  

In Davos: Prince Andrew looked resolute and calm as he spoke for the first time to deny the sex accusations

In good spirits: The Duke of York spoke this evening to 'reiterate and reaffirm' Buckingham Palace statements

Putting on his glasses: Andrew arrived at the World Economic Forum event with business leaders to host his first official public engagement since he was accused of having sex with an underage girl

Buckingham Palace has issued strong denials on the Prince’s behalf.  

He arrived at the World Economic Forum event with business leaders to host his first official public engagement since he was accused of having sex with Miss Roberts.

Andrew looked relaxed and at ease as he joined around 200 guests at an exclusive hotel in the Swiss resort to promote promising British entrepreneurs. 

Miss Roberts also lodged fresh documents at a Florida court saying her lawyers had served an extraordinary letter on the Duke last week requesting he answer questions – but he ‘refused’ to accept it.

Meanwhile John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, said today: ‘He is very well respected in New Zealand - that is all I can talk of. And people will have to put up a case.

‘And I would not want to prejudge that because I don't have any intimate knowledge of that, but in New Zealand we treat people totally as innocent until proven guilty.’

Denial: Prince Andrew (pictured with Virginia Roberts in 2001) fiercely denies ‘any form of sexual contact or relationship’ with her

Today the Prince arrived at the forum in Davos, nine miles from his chalet in Klosters, and gave a keynote speech at an event for entrepreneurs in the evening.

I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements which have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace. My focus is on my work

Prince Andrew, Duke of York 

As he arrived at the event this morning security asked journalists to stop filming so he could get on with his work and meet delegates. 

The Duke was hosting a reception tonight at the exclusive gathering of the rich and powerful in the Swiss ski resort. Some 200 guests were invited to tonight’s Pitch@Palace.

It was due to feature short presentations by three start-ups companies, and promote British entrepreneurship.

During his visit to the mountain village, the Duke will also attend panel debates and bilateral meetings as he has done in previous years.

Andrew stepped down as the UK’s trade envoy in July 2011 following controversy over his friendship with hedge fund tycoon Epstein.

Miss Roberts’ lawyers sent Buckingham Palace a letter (above) requesting his ‘voluntary cooperation in answering question about his sexual interactions’ with her

Last night Miss Roberts also issued a stinging attack on ‘false and hurtful’ denials of her claims made by Andrew in the tumultuous past three weeks.

Denials: Buckingham Palace has issued strong denials on the Prince’s behalf - but he is expected to address the sex allegations for the first time in a speech to business leaders tonight

She claimed his police bodyguards left her alone with him the first time he had sex with her and that she was involved in an orgy with the prince and eight other young girls. 

Buckingham Palace has strenuously rejected claims the Duke had any ‘sexual contact or relationship’ with Miss Roberts.

Last week, Miss Roberts’ lawyers made an unprecedented move and sent a couriered letter by FedEx addressed to ‘His Royal Highness The Duke of York’ at Buckingham Palace requesting his ‘voluntary cooperation in answering question about his sexual interactions’ with her.

The letter offered to interview the prince under oath ‘at a time and place of your choosing’. But her lawyers stated: ‘Federal Express has informed us that the letter has been refused by the recipient.’

The latest documents filed at Palm Beach court house in Florida make plain Miss Roberts’s determination to pursue the Prince – who she said ‘I just called “Andy”.’

She alleges she was a sex slave loaned out by paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein to his friend Andrew when she was aged 17 in 2001, claiming: ‘Whatever Prince Andrew wanted, I was to make sure he got.’ 

The Prince, who is today due to give a much-anticipated speech to business leaders, was sitting down with his advisers when details of the papers began to drop last night.

In her latest court salvo, Miss Roberts states: ‘I have seen Buckingham Palace’s recent “emphatic” denial that Prince Andrew had sexual contact with me. That denial is false and hurtful to me. I did have sexual contact with him as I have described…under oath.

Pages from a detailed document filed in Florida by Virginia Roberts included this photo to show how young she was at the time of the allegations

Virginia Roberts included four photos of herself in the new court filing to illustrate her connection to the places in New Mexico mentioned in the court documents

‘Given what he knows and has seen, I was hoping that he would simply voluntarily tell the truth about everything. I hope my attorneys can interview Prince Andrew under oath about the contacts and that he will tell the truth.’

DOES ANDREW HAVE LEGAL IMMUNITY BECAUSE HE'S A ROYAL?

It is not known whether Prince Andrew is covered by legal immunity simply by being a royal because this has never been tested in international law.

However, the prince may be entitled to diplomatic immunity against questioning in any criminal inquiry because some of the allegations relate to when he was a Whitehall-sanctioned business envoy. 

Diplomatic immunity protects foreign diplomats from legal action in the country where they work.

Extradition lawyer Karen Todner said the prince could be formally asked to give evidence ‘only in criminal proceedings’.

If he refused to co-operate, he could in theory be banned from entering America.

She said she had directed her lawyers ‘to pursue all reasonable and legitimate means to bring criminal charges against these powerful people for the crimes they have committed against me and other girls.’

She added: ‘If a judge wants me to present my information in more detail, including more specific descriptions of the sexual activities with the men Epstein sent me to, I could do so.’

She also denies having sex with former US President Bill Clinton.

The letter served on Andrew was written by lawyer Jack Scarola, dated January 14, and included the now-notorious photo of the Prince posing next to Miss Roberts.

He told the Prince: ‘This letter is a formal request…to interview you, under oath, regarding interactions that you had with Jane Doe No. 3 [the name used by Miss Roberts in legal proceedings] beginning in approximately early 2001. Jane Doe No. 3 was then 17 years old. Among other things, I would like to discuss events that occurred at the time that the photograph below was taken — and shortly thereafter.

The letter offered to interview the prince, pictured on a skiing holiday on January 4 after the initial allegations were revealed, under oath. But her lawyers said the letter had been 'refused by the recipient'

In new documents, Miss Roberts (left) also launched a stinging attack on the Duke's (right) denials of her allegations. She claims they had sex when she was 17

‘I would also like to discuss Jane Doe 3’s claims of your subsequent interactions with her in New York City, New York later that year.

I have seen Buckingham Palace’s recent “emphatic” denial that Prince Andrew had sexual contact with me. That denial is false and hurtful to me. I did have sexual contact with him as I have described… under oath

Virginia Roberts 

‘Details of those claims have been widely reported in the British press (with varying degrees of accuracy) as have your denials of the claims , so I assume that it is unnecessary for me to be any more specific about the proposed areas of our inquiry.

‘The interview could be conducted at a time and place of your choosing, and with your cooperation,’

The letter tops a damaging three weeks for Andrew since he was sensationally accused in U.S. court papers of abusing Miss Roberts when she 17.

She alleged that under the orders of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, she was ‘forced’ to have sex with him three times in 2001 - in London, New York and on Epstein’s Caribbean island.

Andrew, 54, fiercely denies ‘any form of sexual contact or relationship’ with Miss Roberts and has consulted top criminal QC William Clegg.

Saudi King Abdullah Is Dead

Saudi Arabia's 91-year-old King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died, according to multiple reports.

Last week he was admitted to the hospital in Riyadh for "medical checks" at the end of December.  

Next in the line of succession is Abdullah's half-brother, Salman, who is 79 and has been making appearances and speeches on behalf of King Abdullah for the last couple of months.

According to Reuters, "King Salman has called on the family's Allegiance Council to pay allegiance to Muqrin as his crown prince and heir." Muqrin bin Abdulaziz is Abdullah's half-brother and is 69 years old.

More to come ...

George Lucas Don't Blame Me If the New 'Star Wars' Sucks ... It Wasn't My Idea!

Disney thinks the Force is no longer strong with George Lucas ... because the legendary filmmaker says all his ideas for the new "Star Wars" film were tossed out the nearest airlock.

In an interview with Cinema Blend, Lucas was asked if he had come up with any ideas for "Episode VII" before he sold LucasFilm to Disney back in 2012. He told the interviewer, "The ones that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn't really want to do those. So they made up their own. So it's not the ones that I originally wrote."

Now while Lucas' writing credits are spectacular -- the first three "Star Wars" movies and the first three "Indiana Jones" movies, to name a few -- the last three "Star Wars" films and the final "Indiana Jones" movie were all ... well, you know.

They sucked.

Perhaps this is for the best, George.

Rihanna: Have A Fun, Fabulous Fling With Leonardo DiCaprio

Rihanna and Leonardo DiCaprio seem to be taking their alleged relationship to the next level! The ‘Stay’ singer wants the actor to go with her to Barbados to meet her family, a new report claims. Is an engagement right around the corner?!

Leonardo DiCaprio, 40, and Rihanna, 26, have allegedly been hooking up for a weeks, a new report claims, and it’s getting pretty serious. Rihanna’s actually very “smitten” with the Titanic star and she’s reportedly ready to take him home to meet her family!

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Meeting Rihanna’s Family — She Invited Him To Barbados

“Rihanna doesn’t bring a guy home unless she really likes him,” a source told InTouch magazine. “This is a sign she adores him.”

Rihanna more than adores Leonardo, though, the magazine claims.

“She’s always thought he was cute. She loves his look, his sweet smile and his little nose,” the source said.

Rihanna, you’re a strong, self-aware young woman. If you want to have sexy hookups with Leonardo DiCaprio, then why not? Go for it and enjoy!

Rihanna, every woman can understand why you’d want to have a little Leonardo DiCaprio — the man is sexy, talented and charming. What’s not to like? At 40, Leonardo is at the top of his acting game, he’s as A-List as they come and he’s also seriously single — just like you.

Rihanna: You Should Have A Fun, Fabulous Fling With Leonardo DiCaprio!

And if Leo is looking for his match career-wise, he couldn’t find a woman who’s any more accomplished than you.

At 26, you have oodles of hit records to your name, you’ve dipped your toes into acting withBattleship, and you seriously have never looked better.

Rihanna, we hear that you find yourself “madly attracted” to Leo, and that you’re completely enjoying a “friends with benefits” relationship with him.

You’re not interested in trying to “chain him down” nor in either of you being exclusive.

You also have finally put on-and-off loveChris Brown, 25, firmly in your rearview mirror, and you are equally done withDrake, 28, who bailed out of a relationship just as you two were finally starting to get serious.

And Rihanna, we hear that you couldn’t be happier to leave those two dudes behind. “She’s switched lanes. She’s playing with the grown and sexy men these days and the ride feels so much better,” a source close to you told HollywoodLife.comexclusively.

“It’s just fun and… she’s enjoying the moment,” says our insider source. Leo is “funny, honest and authentic. He holds a good conversation, but the one thing that makes her weak every time she looks at him are his eyes. That alone makes her knees tremble,” adds the source.

Now for his part, we hear that Leo is totally into you, Rihanna, because, “Rihanna is the definition of sexy and… Leo wants to be the best of everything and deal with the best, so having a friends with benefits type of relationship with Rihanna is exactly right up his alley,” another insider source tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively.

Rihanna: Enjoy Your New Relationship With Leo

Now, apparently you two have been attracted to each other for years and have hooked up off and on for years when you were both single, according to Us Weekly.

But since Leo split from girlfriend Toni Garrn, and you’re solo at the moment, your sexy late night hookups have become more frequent, and you were even spotted together on New Year’s Eve.

Rihanna, you’re having a blast enjoying being an adult woman in a relationship that’s only aboutthe now — no need to worry about the future.

You don’t care one whit that Leo isn’t ready to give up his bachelor status any time soon.

Good for you! That’s a very mature, empowered attitude. At HollywoodLife.com, we salute you! Have fun!

readers, do you think it’s cool that Rihanna is having a blast in a friends with benefits relationship with Leo DiCaprio? Let me know.

Olympian Shannon Miller’s Ex Husband Arrested: Linked To Chemical Weapons Threat

The ex husband of Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller was arrested on Jan. 21 for allegedly having a connection to a chemical weapons threat in Nova Scotia, which caused many to evacuate their homes in Canada.

Christopher Phillips, the ex-husband to United States Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller, was arrested by The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Jan. 21 as a suspect in a dangerous chemical weapons threat in Nova Scotia.

Shannon Miller Husband Arrested: Olympian’s Ex Linked To Chemical Weapons

Though Royal Canadian Mounted Police wouldn’t officially identify the suspect, Shannon’s business manager confirmed the suspect was her ex-husband, according to the Daily Mail.

Authorities had been searching for Christopher, an American biochemical weapons expert, after police found dangerous chemicals at two Nova Scotia homes. Though the chemicals were not disclosed, police evacuated two Halifax neighborhoods along with an Ottawa hotel.

Christopher’s current wife went to the police, warning them that he was on his way to Ottawa, possibly carrying even more dangerous chemicals in his van. She also mentioned patterns of his irregular behavior, hinting to alleged mental health issues.

His van was nevertheless spotted in the parking lot of an Ottawa hotel on Jan. 20, and he was arrested early in the morning on Jan. 21.

However, there were no chemicals found inside the hotel or in his van. Christopher has not yet been charged with a crime.

“I’m thankful that the brave men and women of the Ottawa police department and other law enforcement agencies were able to apprehend him and (defuse) the situation without incident,” Shannon said in a statement released by her manager, according to Newsok.com.

Shannon and Christopher divorced in 2006 after seven years of marriage.

– Julianne Ishler

Stick your BLUE tongue out for Betty the Instagrammy: Pensioner who died from cancer inspired craze after grandson posted image online

 Daily Mail

She was the grandmother battling cancer whose cheeky pictures images sparked a online craze of taking selfies sticking your bluetongue out.

But despite her death more than five months ago, the Instagram account for Betty Jo Simpson is still growing as her family continue to post her trademark upbeat pictures.

list of celeb men Claudia Jordan allegedly slept with

For those who don't know her, Claudia Jordan is a reality TV personality and Real Housewives of Atlanta star. Some mischievous 'person'(s) yesterday released a list of her alleged sexual conquests and the list is making its way around the internet. They allege that the 41 year old even slept with some of these celebrity men when they were married. Is the list Genuine? Nobody knows really but Claudia hasn't said anything about it yet. See the rest after the cut...

'Hero' Muslim employee who saved lives at Kosher supermarket in Paris praised for his courage as he is granted citizenship by France

Mali-born Lassana Bathily, 24, saved lives during Paris attacks

Kosher grocery employee turned off freezer and hid shoppers

He then sneaked out and helped police outside free the hostages

Bathily was granted French citizenship and praised for his 'heroism

The Muslim kosher supermarket employee who saved several shoppers lives during the Paris attack has been granted French citizenship.

Lassana Bathily, 24, was praised for his 'courage and heroism' by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve during a ceremony in the presence of Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

Mr Cazeneuve said Mali-born Bathily's 'act of humanity has become a symbol of an Islam of peace and tolerance.'

Scroll down for video 

Selfless: When gunman Amedy Coulibaly entered the shop, Lassana Bathily turned off the freezer and hid shoppers inside before sneaking out and helping police free the hostages

Hero: Shop clerk Lassana Bathily who guided six shoppers to safety during the attack on the Paris Kosher grocery where he was working, has been granted French citizenship

Proud moment: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, left, and French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, center, award citizenship to Lassana Bathily during a ceremony in Paris

'Tonight I'm very proud and deeply touched,' Mr Bathily, who went to school in Paris, said with tears in his eyes.

He humbly stressed that he does not consider himself a hero, saying: 'I am Lassana. I'll stay true to myself.'

'People are all equal to me and skin color isn't a matter. France is the country of human rights,' he added.

Mr Bathily was in the store's underground stockroom when gunman Amedy Coulibaly burst in to the Hyper Cacher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes, Paris, on January 9 and killed four people.

The 24-year-old guided terrified customers to safety in a supermarket chiller and has since been praised around the world for his quick-thinking and bravery.

Malian Muslim Lassana Bathily is given French citizenship

Humble: Mr Bathily, a Mali-born Muslim who has been living in France since 2006, stressed that he is not a hero during his emotional acceptance speech

Their saviour: This image, taken by one of the hostages themselves, shows the scene inside a freezer to where shoppers, including several children, had been guided by Mr Bathily

Departure: The hostages escape the supermarket after police storm the building during the attack

Bloody end: This was the moment police stormed the supermarket, killing fanatic Amedy Coulibaly who had an AK-47 and a bulletproof vest

Mr Bathily, who reportedly led six people to safety, told BFMTV: 'When they ran down, I opened the door [of the freezer].

'There are several people who came to me. I turned off the light, I turned off the freezer.

'When I turned off the cold, I put them [hostages] in, I closed the door, I told them to stay calm.'

Using a goods lift he escaped and was able to give the police valuable information about what was happening inside and where the hostages were hiding.

Shy and reluctant to tell his story, Mr Bathily, who went to school in Paris, admitted that after the shoot-out many of the customers came to shake his hand and thank him for what he did.

Bathily has lived in France since 2006, attending school in the capital

He had filed an application for French citizenship last year.

Bravery recognised: Mr Bathily meets the US Secretary of State John Kerry after a press conference at Paris City Hall last week

Darren Shahlavi Dead: ‘Arrow’ Actor Dies At 42

So sad. Actor and martial artist Darren Shahlavi, who appeared in hit shows ‘Arrow’ and ‘Mortal Kombat: Legacy’, was found dead from an apparent drug overdose on Jan. 14. He was just 42 years old.

Darren Shahlavi died in his Los Angeles home on Jan. 14, reportedly after overdosing on prescription medication. Darren, a stuntman and renowned martial artist, had an incredible career in Hollywood. Click to take a look back at his life in pictures.

Darren Shahlavi Dead: ‘Arrow’ & ‘Mortal Kombat: Legacy’ Actor Dies At 42

Darren, who is thought to have overdosed on prescription meds at his home in L.A., unfortunately had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, according to a report from 3m360. The official cause of his death will be determined from toxicology tests from the Los Angeles County Coroner.

Arrow star Stephen Amell tweeted the news about his former co-star’s death. “RIP Darren Shahlavi. 1st guy I ever fought on Arrow. He was a great dude & a patient, thoughtful partner. Fight looked good because of him.”

Darren’s most famous works include Mortal Kombat: Legacy, a web series anthology developed from the Mortal Kombat video game franchise, as well as appearing on CW’s first season of Arrow.

The famed stuntman began martial arts training when he was just 7 years old, according to our sister site, Variety. In the early ’90s Darren moved to Hong Kong to a pursue a career in martial arts and appeared in tons of kung fu films. It didn’t take long for him to be discovered by director Yuen Woo Ping, who jumpstarted Darren’s successful Hollywood career, leading to his other successful roles in film including “The Final Cut” with Robin Williams and “I Spy” with Eddie Murphy.

Our thoughts go out to Darren’s family and friends during this difficult time.

‘American Sniper’ Fake Baby: Real Reason They Had To Use Plastic Doll

‘American Sniper’ was the highest grossing movie at the box office this past weekend, which is an amazing achievement, but the only thing moviegoers have been talking about is the fake baby that was used in a scene with Bradley Cooper! Thankfully, the plastic doll has finally been explained.

Bradley Cooper and his American Sniper co-star, Sienna Miller, tried really hard to make a plastic doll look like a real baby on screen, but many critics pointed out the fake. To be honest, it was hard to miss. Because of this, a script writer revealed why they used a fake baby for the movie.

‘American Sniper’ Fake Baby Explained — Why They Used Plastic Doll In Movie

“Hate to ruin the fun but real baby #1 showed up with a fever,” script writer Jason Hall recently 

“Real baby #2 was no show. (Clint voice) Gimme the doll, kid,” Jason added in a message published by 3m360

The fake baby was used in at least two scenes. The most notable moment came when Chris (Bradley Cooper) and Taya (Sienna Miller) talk about him leaving the family and returning to war. (Watch the video above!)

In another scene, when Chris and Tanya welcomed their baby boy into the world, the fake is also pretty obvious.

Critics Poke Fun At Fake Baby In Reviews

Critics actually poked fun at the prop in a number of reviews.

“I get so distracted by the baby… the entire rest of the scene, that’s all I can look at,” reviewer Drew McWeeny wrote on HitFix. “Neither one of them looks like they are comfortable holding it. Cooper in particular looks like he’s just plain never held a baby.”

Well, at least someone explained the situation. Next time we watch the movie, we’ll just pretend it never happened

Couple Who Got Married December 2014 Died January 2015

Newlywed South African couple, Wamukelwa Memela and Wendy Campbell who got married this past December 2014 were killed by intruders at their home in Bryanston, South Africa on Thursday January 15th. The couple were strangled to death by the bandits who carted away only their electronic devices.

According to the father of the husband, Sandile Memela, police investigations carried out so far suggests that his 29 year old son argued with the intruders, who then hit him with a garden tool, dragged him to his bedroom and tied him up along with his wife. After ransacking their house and stealing their electronics, they then murdered the couple.

During the commotion, Memela’s cousin who lives in a cottage on the premises – heard noises, but thought the couple were arguing. He went back to sleep.

“The cousin told me that when he woke up to go into the house, he saw that the electronic items were missing, He then saw the blood and rushed into the main bedroom where he was confronted by the bodies. He first thought they were unconscious, but found they were dead.” the father said

The father said he and his son had taken time out last week to set their goals for this year. Meanwhile police investigations into the murder is ongoing

Graphic Photo:Woman screams her innocence before being beheaded in Saudi Arabia for murdering 6yr-old step-daughter

A woman beheaded in a Saudi street for killing her husband's 6yr old daughter screams her innocence in graphic footage of the execution uploaded to the Internet. An executioner in Mecca, the holy city, took two swings to hack off Layla bint Abdul Mutaleb Bassim's head, after she was found guilty of beating the girl and raping her with a broomstick. 

The incident has sparked outrage in the country, but not because of the brutal punishment meted out. Rather Saudis are up in arms that the execution was filmed and posted online, where the woman's family might see it.

Now Saudi authorities have arrested someone for filming the execution, local media reports. But it was not clear what crime he has been arrested for.

The video of Bassim's execution shows how she begged for her life, protesting her innocence right up until the executioner dealt his first blow.

'I did not kill. There is no God but God. I did not kill,' cries Bassim, who is dressed entirely in black and is kneeling on the pavement circled by police officers.

'Haram. Haram. Haram. Haram. I did not kill ... I do not forgive you ... This is an injustice,' she screams in the video, which was posted online on Saturday.

The executioner, dressed in a white robe, forces her to lie down on the ground.

'I did not,' she continues before a final scream as the executioner swings his curved sword into her neck. His first blow fails to sever Bassim's head entirely and he has to swing again before she is decapitated.

A voice then reads out her crime.

It is a traditional execution for the kingdom, which carries out death sentences in public.

Many Twitter users protested the video being circulated on the internet because it could be seen by the woman’s family, but did not object to the beheading itself.

Bassim was one of 10 people beheaded In Saudi Arabia so far this year. Saudi Arabia executed 87 people last year, up from 78 in 2013.

The kingdom had the third-highest number of recorded executions in 2013, behind Iran and Iraq, Amnesty International says.

The official Saudi Press Agency said last week that Bassim's execution came after she was found guilty of the rape and murder of Kalthoum bint Abdul Rahman bin Ghulam Gadir, her husband's daughter. 'Investigations led to her trial which proved she was guilty,' the interior ministry was quoted by SPA as saying.

A United Nations special rapporteur has said trials leading to the death penalty in Saudi Arabia are 'grossly unfair'.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are punishable by death in the oil-rich Gulf state, which is a close ally of Washington and a regular customer of both American and British arms companies.

Saudi authorities identified Bassim as holding Burmese nationality but did not specify if she was from its Rohingya Muslim community. The United Nations describes Rohingya as one of the world's most persecuted minorities.

Buddhist-majority Burma views its population of 800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and denies them citizenship.

Burma's embassy said that without seeing her passport, it could not confirm whether or not she was a citizen.

Tiger Woods is Making Headlines for Getting One of His Front Teeth Knocked out by a Photographer

Tiger Woods loses tooth watching Lindsey Vonn compete in Italy

Tiger Woods lost a tooth after being hit in the face by a camera while watching girlfriend Lindsey Vonn secure her 63rd World Cup Alpine ski win.

The former world number one golfer decided to surprise Vonn, who was competing in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

"During a crush of photographers at the awards' podium, a media member with a shoulder-mounted video camera pushed and surged towards the stage, turned and hit Tiger Woods in the mouth," his agent Mark Steinberg said. "Woods's tooth was knocked out by the incident."

Pro Golfer Tiger Woods’ missing tooth is all everyone is talking about.

The 39-year-old golf legend mistakenly got one of his front teeth knocked out by a photographer in Italy yesterday morning as he made his way in between a crowd to watch his girlfriend Lindsey Vonn accept her 63rd World Cup title.

According to his agent, Mark Steinberg, “During a crush of photographers as the awards podium at the World Cup event in Italy, a media member with a shoulder-mounted video camera pushed and surged toward the stage, turned and hit Tiger Woods in the mouth. Woods’ tooth was knocked out by the incident.”