Iain Banks: Award-Winning Scottish Author Dies

Author Iain Banks has died aged 59 after a battle with cancer, his publisherhas said. The award-winning Scottish writer had posted on his website in April thathe was in the final stages of gall bladder cancer and was unlikely to live beyond a year. His publisher Little, Brown Book Group released a statement confirming he had died. It said: "On behalf of Iain's wife, Adele,it is with enormous sadness that Little, Brown announces the death of Iain Banks. "Banks has been one of the country'sbest loved novelistsfor both his mainstream and science fiction books. "After his own recent announcement of his cancer Iain Banks was hugely moved by the publicsupport for him via his website. "Just three weeks ago he was presented with finished copies of his last novel, The Quarry and enjoyed celebration parties with old friends and fans across the publishing world. "Iain Banks' ability to combine the most fertile of imaginations with his own highly distinctive brand of gothic humour madehim unique. He is an irreplaceable part ofthe literary world." In the last few weeks he had written a series of blogs about his health and feelings about life. Some of his experiences of illness are expectedto have been put into the pages of The Quarry, which isdue out on June 20. He is best known for books like The Wasp Factory and The Crow Road, which was made into a TV series. Writing under the name Iain M Banks, he also wrote a series of science fiction books. He won a range of accolades for his science fiction and also a handful for his traditional novels. In 2008, The Times named him as one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. As of March 2013, he had published 26novels, several of which have been adapted for TV, radio and theatre. He was involved in arange of political and social causes. He was an HonoraryAssociate of the National Secular Society, had spokenin favour of Scottish independence, and had written and spoken about Britain's involvement in the 2003 Iraq War and the situation in the Palestinian Territories. He was married twice. He met his first wife Annie in London before the release of his first book in 1984, but the couple separated in 2007. The Scotsman newspaper reported in April that he had married his partner Adele Hartley, in a Humanist ceremony,after asking her to be his "widow". The couple were then said to have taken a honeymoonin Italy. Many fans reacted quickly to the news of his death on Twitter. Among those who left tributes were bookshop Waterstones, who said: "Very sad to hear of Iain's passing this morning - a great Scottish writer who will be sadly missed." Comedian and broadcaster John O'Farrell said: "So sad to hear of death of brilliant and charming Iain Banks. The Wasp Factory was the first book I finished and then immediately read again." Comedian and writer Andrew Collins said: "Hands up who *hasn't* read The Wasp Factory? Exactly. Iain Banks touched a lot of people in hisunfairly foreshortened life. RIP." Scottish cyclist ChrisHoy said: "Rest in peace Iain Banks. Such sad news."

FDA finds fungus in drugs from Tennessee pharmacy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials say they have found bacteriaand fungus in drug vials from a Tennessee specialty pharmacy that recalled all of its injectable medicines last month. The Food and Drug Administration said in an online posting Friday that it identified the growths in two unopened vials of a steroid injection distributed by the Main Street Family Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Newbern, Tenn. Theagency said it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify the exact species of fungus and bacteria. State and federal officials began investigating the pharmacy last month after seven patients in North Carolina and Illinois reported skin abscesses after being injected with methylprednisoloneacetate, a steroid used to treat inflammation, joint pain and respiratoryissues. The same steroid was involved in a deadly fungal meningitis outbreaklast year that has killed 58 people and sickened more than 740 others. The FDA said it is not aware of any cases of meningitis associated with Main Street Family Pharmacy's products. Last month the pharmacy recalled its entire stock of sterile products manufactured afterDec. 6, 2012. A spokesman for the Main Street Family Pharmacy said its owners are aware of the FDA's findings. "In addition to the recall, our efforts have also included comprehensive, aggressive outreach to everyone who couldbe affected. We continue to fully cooperate with state boards of health and pharmacies, the FDAand CDC to protect patients and resolve any lingering concerns," said spokesman JoeGrillo, in a statement. The company's steroid was shippedto medical facilities in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennesseeand Texas. The Main Street Family Pharmacy's license was placed on three-year probation in March and its owners werefined $25,600 after a pair of inspectionsfound various problems at the facility. According to a consent order, the 2011 inspection found out-of-date medications on the pharmacy's shelves that were being used in drug manufacturing. It also found a technician who had been working without proper registration for more than four years. When inspectors returned in November 2012 they found 109 out-of-date or deteriorated medications on the shelves, as well as other problems.

NelsonMandela remains in hospital

JOHANNESBURG (AP)— Former South African President Nelson Mandela wasreceiving medical treatment for a lung infection on Sunday after spending a second night in a hospital. There was no official update on 94-year-old Mandela's condition,described in a government statement on Saturday as"serious but stable." The office of President Jacob Zuma had said that Mandela was taken to a Pretoria hospital after his condition deteriorated at around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. It described the lung infection as recurring. The anti-apartheid leader has now been taken to a hospital four times since December, with the last discharge coming onApril 6 after doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and drained fluid from his lung area. Worshippers at a Sunday church service in the Johannesburg township of Sowetoprayed for the recovery of Mandela, who was freed in 1990 after 27 years as a prisoner of white racist rule and won election to the presidency in all-race elections in 1994. At the Regina Mundichurch in Soweto, Father Sebastian Rousso said Mandela, seen by many as a symbol of reconciliation, played a key role"not only for ourselves as South Africans, but for theworld." Welcome Tempa, a construction worker, said he prayed daily for Mandela, who retired from public life years ago and had been receiving medical care at his Johannesburg homeuntil his latest transfer to a hospital. "When I was still a kid, we used to prayfor him," said Tempa, who is 63 years old. On April 29, state television broadcast footage of a visit by Zuma and other leaders of the ruling African National Congress to Mandela's home. Zuma said at the time that Mandela was in good shape, but the footage - the first public images of Mandela in nearly a year - showed him silent and unresponsive, even when Zuma tried to hold his hand. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his long imprisonment. The bulk of that period was spent on Robben Island, an outpost off the coast of Cape Town where Mandela and other prisoners spent part of the time toiling in a stone quarry.

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