Ron Lester, an actor best known for playing Billy Bob in the 1999 high school football movie “Varsity Blues,” died Friday of heart and liver failure. He was 45. He had been moved from a Dallas hospital to hospice care earlier on Friday, and his agent Dave Bradley confirmed the news of his passing on his Facebook page. The actor had long struggled with obesity and had been hospitalized for issues related to his kidney and liver for several months. Also Read: Paul Walker’s Daughter Wins $10.1 Million Settlement Over Father’s Deadly Crash The son of a truck driver and an artist who.
Tricks for the stock market
Investing in penny stocks always involves accepting a high level of risk, and this tends to be even more the case when the stock market is volatile or uncertain. Penny stock investing is not for the faint of heart, but rather only for investors with a healthy dose of risk tolerance.
The overall market is uncertain as it faces the prospect of an impending interest rate hike going into 2016, and substantial gains may be difficult to come by investing in larger companies, many of which have already attained record highs in recent years. Penny stocks offer the opportunity to invest in largely unrealized potential, as with a small biotech firm still in the research and development phase. The risk, of course, is that the potential may remain unrealized. However, investing in small companies that eventually do break through to become hugely profitable firms offers investors the chance at returns on investment (ROI) that usually can’t be found in more mature stocks.
To increase the odds of making a good penny stock investment, investors are wise to search out stocks operating in market sectors evidencing strong growth and to identify those companies in the healthiest financial positions.
1) Curis Inc.
Curis Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS) is a small biotechnology firm engaged in developing therapeutic drugs for treating cancer and neurological and dermatological diseases. The company pursues research both in-house and through strategic joint ventures with other biotech or pharmaceutical firms, and has several drug candidates in research and development. The company’s most advanced drug project is a small molecule inhibitor designated as CUDC-907. CUDC-907 has reached the stage of completing the dose escalation segment of phase 1 clinical studies.
The company has substantially increased its investment in research and development (R&D), from $3.3 million in 2014 to $5.9 million in 2015. Curis has not reached the point of profitability, but despite its level of R&D investment, it has a healthy debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio of 0.27.
The company suffered a setback in revenue from $4.8 million in the second quarter of 2014 to $2.1 million in the second quarter of 2015, largely due to a license fee decrease resulting from a $3 million payment the company received in 2014.
The company’s stock price tumbled throughout most of 2014, but it bottomed out around $1.20 per share near the end of the year. In 2015, the company’s stock rose sharply to $3.75 in the first part of the year before retracing to near the $2 price level. As of November, the share price is around $2.50, which represents an increase of roughly 70% for the year. The consensus estimate for the stock price in 2016 is approximately $3.10 per share.
2) First Majestic Silver
A stock to consider in light of the fact that many market analysts believe precious metals prices have bottomed out in 2015 is First Majestic Silver (NYSE: AG). Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, First Majestic is in the business of acquisition or exploration, development and production of silver mines in Mexico.
The company owns five silver mines that are already producing and has two mining projects in the exploration and development phase. The company estimates final 2015 production figures to be in the neighborhood of 12.5 million ounces.
The argument for investing in First Majestic is based primarily on a projection for rising silver prices and secondly on the company’s proven ability to reduce production costs. Managing production costs is a very important factor in making mining operations profitable, and First Majestic has shown its ability to do this by reducing per ounce production costs approximately 20%, from $18.18 in 2014 to $14.49 in 2015. Additionally, the company has maintained an extremely low D/E ratio of just 0.02.
The company’s stock price, trading at $3.11 per share as of November 2015, bottomed around the $2.80 level three times in 2015. The 2016 consensus estimate for First Majestic, which traded as high as $25 a share in 2011, is $3.80 to $4.
3) Avon Products Inc.
Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP) is a leading manufacturer of beauty products. In addition to cosmetics and fragrances, the company markets jewelry, apparel, home decorative items, nutritional products and housewares. Avon operates in more than 60 countries worldwide.
The company, and its stock price, have suffered a decline in recent years, falling all the way from nearly $30 a share down to $2.50 a share. As of November 2015, the stock price stands at $2.72. Avon might be worth investing in simply because of its extremely low share price, given the fact that the company has a long, established history and strong brand name recognition, and it operates over such a large global marketplace. Even at its current low share price, the company still has a market cap of over $1 billion. The company also offers a very generous dividend yield of 9.02%.
4) Genetic Technologies Ltd.
Australia-based Genetic Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: GENE) was the first company to obtain patents giving it the intellectual property rights to specific uses of non-coding DNA for the purpose of genetic analysis. The company manufactures testing and assessment tools for managing women’s health, specifically to improve techniques for breast cancer screening.
The company’s current lead product is the BREVAGgenplus test, an improvement over its already successful test product, BREVAGen, which was launched through its U.S. subsidiary company, Phenogen Sciences Inc. BREVAGenplus enables substantially expanded testing for clinical risk factors and genetic markers correlated with non-hereditary breast cancer.
Genetic Technologies has received a boost from recent breast cancer screening guideline changes by the American Cancer Society and from the completion of additional validation studies of BREVAGenplus. The release of those study findings, scheduled for the first quarter of 2016, could propel the stock significantly higher.
At $2.41 a share, the company’s stock price has increased more than 30% in 2015. With an all-time high price of over $50 per share, the stock potentially has a long way to run on the upside. The company has an attractively low price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 1.74.
5) Groupon Inc.
Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) has been in relative freefall since its 2011 initial public offering (IPO) at $26 per share. Nonetheless, the company’s earnings per share (EPS) have been on a steady climb recently, and the projected EPS growth for 2016 is 22.5%.
Groupon is an online discount website that serves as a marketing tool for businesses by offering a variety of discounts on goods and services. The company has expanded rapidly since it was founded as a local operation in Chicago in 2008, and it currently operates in more than 500 local markets worldwide.
Although the company missed 2015 third quarter revenue estimates, it beat third quarter EPS estimates impressively, posting a gain of 0.02 EPS against estimates of a 0.04 EPS loss.
The last time the company’s stock reached this low price level, in 2012, it rebounded to over $12 a share in less than a year.
Brexit would make Britain like Guernsey, says French minister
Leaving the European Union would make the UK as significant as Guernsey, France’s economy minister has said.
Emmanuel Macron told Le Monde newspaper that Britain would become “a little country on the world scale [that] would isolate itself… at Europe’s border”.
He said the EU should send “a very firm message” about the consequences of a British vote to leave the bloc.
Vote Leave said French ministers wanted Britain to stay in the EU and carry on paying millions to it.
‘Complicated’ choice
Mr Macron’s comments were published after remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who suggested Prime Minister David Cameron, who favours staying in the EU, may have called the referendum to “blackmail” or “scare” Europe.
The Russian leader would not say whether he wanted Britain to leave the EU and said voters faced a “complicated” choice.
The UK votes next Thursday in an in-out referendum.
In other developments:
- The IMF has said Brexit could mean the UK misses out on up to 5.6% of GDP growth by 2019
- Field Marshal Lord Guthrie, a former chief of defence staff, has switched sides to Leave, saying he is worried by the prospect of “a European army”
- The Times newspaper has said it supports Remain
- The Remain and Leave groups have suspended their campaigning until Sunday following MP Jo Cox’s death
Mr Macron told Le Monde: “Leaving the EU would mean the ‘Guernseyfication’ of the UK, which would then be a little country on the world scale. It would isolate itself and become a trading post and arbitration place at Europe’s border.”
And he said the European Council would have to deliver an ultimatum to the UK about its intentions and that France’s President Hollande would be very clear.
“If the UK wants a treaty of commercial access to the European market, the British will have to contribute to the European budget like the Norwegians or the Swiss. If London doesn’t want that, then the exit will have to be total,” Mr Macron said.
‘New trade deals’
In other comments, made to French radio, Mr Macron said the British referendum marked the end of an era for the EU.
“I believe in Europe, but in its reorganisation,” he told RTL radio. “It’s the end of an ultra-liberal Europe that has lost its political direction. The European project cannot only be a system of abolishing rules.”
- EU referendum: All you need to know
- Issue by issue: What both sides claim
- Reality check: Would Brexit knock 5.6% off the UK economy?
He said the debate in Britain was about correcting the effect of ultra-liberal policies “that they pushed us into”.
In the event of Brexit, Europe should “act fast to avoid other countries starting a similar process”, he said.
“There must be no question of Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, deciding they want the same status.”
Vote Leave said Mr Macron’s comment “sums up the Remain campaign”, which it said had “nothing positive to say about Britain”.
A spokesman added: “Of course French ministers want Britain to stick in the EU so we can continue to hand Brussels £350m every week.
“Instead of subsidising French farmers we should take back control and spend our money on our priorities like the NHS.”
Meanwhile, the IMF said Brexit was the “largest near-term risk” to the UK economy, in its annual report on the UK’s economic outlook.
It added that the net economic effects would probably be “negative and substantial”.
But campaign group Economists for Brexit said the consensus that a UK exit would be bad for the economy was “based on flawed EU-centric models”.
Airlines face review over extra charges for passengers
The Civil Aviation Authority is to investigate extra fees charged by airlines on top of basic ticket prices.
The review will decide whether airlines are “open and clear” with passengers about what they are paying for.
After the “headline price” of a ticket, customers may have to pay to change a name on their booking, re-issue boarding passes or check in at the airport rather than online.
Ministers say the CAA will examine whether any charges are “unfair”.
Additional charges can add a significant amount to the basic ticket price and have long been the subject of complaints by passengers.
Changing the name on a ticket costs £160 at the airport or by phone with Ryanair, up to £120 with Monarch, up to £70 with Thomas Cook and up to £50 with Easyjet.
Checking in for a flight at the airport rather than online costs £45 with Ryanair, and is not available at all with Easyjet.
Re-issuing a boarding pass at the airport costs £15 at Ryanair and £17.50 at Jet2.
The CAA says “anything that is an additional charge will be looked at”, suggesting it will also look into the transparency of charging for in-flight meals, advance seat selection, paying by credit card and putting bags into the hold.
Court action
BBC correspondent Jane-Frances Kelly says that while airlines are within their rights to make these charges, the CAA wants to make sure they are fully transparent and not hidden away until it is too late for customers to go elsewhere.
The watchdog has the ultimate sanction of taking court action, under the recently introduced Consumer Rights Act, which is aimed at protecting customers from charges and conditions hidden in small print.
It also publishes a list of individual airline charges on its website.
Aviation minister Robert Goodwill said this week: “The government and the CAA continue to emphasise to the airlines the importance of compliance with ticket transparency obligations, ensuring that terms and conditions – including any administration fees and charges – are clear to passengers when they choose between airlines.
“To enhance consumer protection in this area, the CAA will start work on unfair contract terms with the airlines this summer.
“The work will include a review of the airlines’ terms and conditions with the aim of ensuring the rights and obligations of the consumers and businesses are fair and balanced and consumers are not being penalised by unfair contract terms.”
The CAA says its review will take “a few months” at the end of which it will publish its findings.
Legal website CaseHub has been preparing a class action legal case against Ryanair, arguing that the airline’s fees to check in at the airport, re-issue boarding passes and change names are unfair and against EU consumer law.
Ryanair says its optional fees are transparent and allow it to hold down ticket prices, while other terms and conditions are set out clearly on its website.
French authorities stop aid convoy at Dover
A convoy of aid intended for migrants in Calais has been stopped at the Port of Dover by the French authorities.
The 250 vehicles including lorries, cars and motorcycles, which earlier set off from Westminster, had hoped to board a ferry at 14:00 BST.
Kent Police said it had been notified by the French authorities the convoy had been refused entry to France.
“No agency within the United Kingdom has any grounds to challenge this decision,” it said in a statement.
The convoy, organised by a number of campaign groups including the People’s Assembly and Stop the War Coalition, made the decision to set off from outside the Houses of Parliament at 09:00 BST, despite a public order injunction being taken out by the authorities in Calais.
A spokesman for the People’s Assembly said the convoy was separated from the rest of ferry traffic when it arrived in Dover.
“A few cars have made it to France but they are being stopped there apparently,” said Steve Sweeney.
Mr Sweeney said organisers had been told the ban was to do with heightened security in France.
He said they had been organising the convoy for six months and accused Kent Police of colluding with their French counterparts to prevent them from crossing.
“Kent Police were taking down our number plates when we stopped on the way here,” he said.
“We’re now holding a rally.”
The People’s Assembly said a 38-tonne truck loaded with aid was allowed on to a EuroTunnel shuttle.
A Kent Police spokesman said however, the refusal of entry to France was a matter for the French authorities.
“Kent Police is working with partner agencies in planning a policing response to minimise any disruption to the community, businesses and the public,” he said.
The Port of Dover said the protesters later began heading back to their vehicles and returning to London after the stand-off with the French border authorities.
The People’s Assembly tweeted: “Convoy now reassembling and heading for the French Embassy in London for mass protest”.
My Shop: TokyoToys in Glasgow draws a range of customers
The world of Japanese manga comics is loud, colourful and bombastic.
‘O.J.: Made in America’: 5 Things We Learned From Part 5
[Warning: This story contains spoilers for Part 5 of Espn’s O.J.: Made in America.] The fifth and final installment of O.J.: Made in America takes us from the controversial not-guilty verdict in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial to the present day, where Simpson is serving time in a Nevada prison for his role in a bungled armed robbery. After the not-guilty verdict in 1995, Simpson attempted to pick up his charmed life right where he left off … but he quickly found that wasn’t so easy. Here are five things we learned about the O.J.
UK astronaut Tim Peake returns to Earth
After exiting the capsule, Tim Peake said the “smells of Earth are just so strong”UK astronaut Tim Peake is back on Earth after a historic six-month stay on the International Space Station.
A Soyuz capsule carrying Major Peake and two other crew members touched down in Kazakhstan at 10:15 BST.
He called the journey back “the best ride I’ve been on ever”, adding: “The smells of Earth are just so strong.”
Maj Peake is the first person to fly to space under the UK banner since Helen Sharman in 1991 and made the first spacewalk by a UK astronaut.
During the 186-day mission mission, Maj Peake also remotely steered a robot on Earth and ran the London Marathon.
Just before 15:00 BST, Maj Peake landed by helicopter on the runway at Karagandy airport.
But neither he nor his American colleague Tim Kopra made it to the subsequent press conference. They were presumed to be tired after their gruelling return journey.
Later on Saturday, a Nasa gulfstream jet is due to fly Tim Peake to Norway. He will then go on to Cologne, Germany, where the European Astronaut Centre is based.
Cameras captured the moment the Soyuz capsule touched down in Kazakhstan
The Soyuz capsule was left charred by the extreme temperatures on the descent
Maj Peake was helped through the airport at Karagandy in KazakhstanHis mission has taken him on about 3,000 orbits of Earth, covering a distance of about 125 million km.
Asked how he felt after landing, Maj Peake said: “Truly elated, the smells of Earth are just so strong, just so good to be back on Earth. I’ll look forward to seeing the family.”
The spacecraft turned over several times after it landed relatively hard due to the wind speed on the Kazakh steppe. An official from Russia’s Yuri Gagarin training centre said this was why they looked “a little green” after coming out of the capsule.
LIVE: Tim Peake returns from space
In pictures: Tim Peake’s journey home
Living on the International Space Station
Explore the world with Tim’s pictures (non-BBC)
“It is going to be quite tricky for me to adapt. It’s probably going to take me two or three days before I feel well,” Maj Peake said in his last news conference before the return.
“It will take me several months before my body fully recovers in terms of bone density. And it will be interesting to see any lasting changes to eyesight etc.
“But generally speaking in two or three days I should be fairly comfortable back on Earth.”
In 2009, Maj Peake was chosen from a pool of 8,000 applicants to join the European Space Agency (Esa) astronaut training programme, along with five other recruits.
“He’s done an amazing job,” said the agency’s director of human spaceflight, Dr David Parker. “He’s exceeded all expectations, certainly in terms of the impact that he’s had back in the UK.”
Media player help
On Friday, Colonel Tim Kopra handed over command of the ISS to his Nasa colleague Jeff Williams.
At about 03:35 BST on Saturday, Maj Peake, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Col Kopra made their farewells and entered the Russian Soyuz TMA-19M space capsule to return home from the International Space Station.
After undocking at 06:53 BST, the Soyuz performed two separation burns to distance the spacecraft from the orbiting outpost.
The vehicle then fired its engines again at 09:22 for a duration of four-and-a-half minutes to begin the re-entry through the atmosphere.
The Soyuz capsule undocked from the ISS at 06:53 BST
As the vehicle plummeted to Earth, parachutes opened to further slow its descent
The crew members were carried out of the capsule and placed in chairs to recoverScreaming towards Earth at 25 times the speed of sound, the Soyuz was enveloped in a fiery ball of superheated plasma. During this phase, the crew members inside can be subjected to forces of about 5Gs – a level at which some people pass out.
As it neared the ground, the capsule deployed its parachutes to slow the descent, firing engines to cushion its landing on the steppe, near the Kazakh city of Dzhezkazgan at 10:15 BST.
Dr Simon Evetts, from the UK’s Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, said: “During re-entry, Tim will undergo significant strain on his body and will also feel the effects of his landmark mission for weeks to come.
“Upon arrival, Tim will feel weaker due to muscle loss and reduced cardiovascular fitness, and will feel heavy in Earth’s gravity.”
Tim Peake in space: Want to know more?
Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video
ISS guide: What’s it like to live on the space station?
Video: How the view from space affects your mind
Explainer: The journey into space
Timeline: How Tim Peake became a British astronaut
On 15 January this year, just a month after arriving at the station, Maj Peake participated in the first spacewalk for a UK astronaut. He and Tim Kopra set out to change a faulty component on the outside of the ISS, along with other tasks.
They completed the primary goal, but the walk had to be called off early when water began to leak into Col Kopra’s helmet – a matter that is still under investigation.
In April, he secured himself to a treadmill on the ISS to run the distance of the London Marathon, completing the event in three hours, 35 minutes.
He also participated in a programme of experiments in medical science, radiation physics and materials.
Historic Orthodox council stalls after Russia pulls out
This was to be the first meeting of all Orthodox leaders since the year 787The Russian Orthodox Church has rejected a last minute appeal to attend what was billed as the first meeting of fellow Church leaders since 787.
Russia says it cannot participate in the Holy and Great Council, on the Greek island of Crete, as not all churches will be present.
The Churches of Antioch, Bulgaria and Georgia had previously refused to take part after disputes about the meeting.
The gathering, due to start on Sunday, has been 55 years in preparation.
Fourteen Churches representing over 300 million faithful had been originally invited.
Experts say the decision by the Russian Church, which represents some 100 millon followers, highlights longstanding divisions among Orthodox Christians.
There is also a struggle for power between Russia and the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, considered the spiritual head and “first among equals”.
He is the driving force behind the meeting.
The disagreements ranged from seating plans to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican.
Moscow also fears that Patriarch Bartholomew will give support to the Ukrainian branch of the Church, fuelling what one Russian state-owned newspaper has called “a simmering religious war”.
Russian Patriarch Kirill said he considered the Crete gathering a preparatory session for a synod that will unite all the Churches “without exception.”
Orthodox Christians
Image copyrightAP- There are 300 million Orthodox Christians, who are members of 14 national Churches
- The denomination split from western Christianity – in the form of what is now Roman Catholicism – in 1054 amid disputes about the power of the Vatican
- Unlike the Roman Catholics, the Orthodox Churches are independent and have their own leadership
- Orthodox clergy are distinguished by their elaborate headgear and bushy facial hair, which they wear because they take literally some of the words of the Old Testament, which prohibit shaving
Arrest after teen dragged from Pizza Hut and stabbed
Image copyrightGOOGLEA man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a teenage girl was dragged out of a Pizza Hut and stabbed.
Surrey Police said a man assaulted a member of staff at the Waterloo Road restaurant in Epsom on Friday, before taking the 17-year-old victim outside.
A suspect was arrested a short time later at Court Recreation Ground off Pound Lane.
The girl suffered a stab wound to the abdomen and was taken to hospital.
Her condition is described as serious but not life threatening.
A 32-year-old man from Epsom has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnap, rape and grievous bodily harm.
‘Pre-planned attack’
Det Insp Nick Chambers said the girl and the man knew each other.
“This appears to have been a violent and pre-planned attack which took place in a very public location,” he said.
“Epsom on Friday night is a busy place so I’m sure passers-by and motorists must have seen this incident unfolding.
“I would like to hear from anyone who saw anything out of the ordinary in or around Pizza Hut or Court Recreation Ground.”
The staff member, who tried to intervene when the man entered the restaurant, suffered injuries to his arm which are not believed to be serious.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Turkey’s ruthless president
In Turkey, little doubt can be left now as to who is in charge. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s formidable and ruthless president, has pushed out the Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, and looks set to replace him with a candidate more inclined to do his bidding.
The surprise move follows a campaign by Mr Erdogan, who is supposed to hold a largely ceremonial role, to consolidate power in his office, and a period in which the president has waged war on journalists, critics, and the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The 61-year-old and his AK Party enjoy a fierce and loyal support among Turkey’s conservative, Muslim base, while outside the country outrage grows over his silencing of critics, often by force.
Turkish journalists have been investigated and put on trial, foreign journalists have been harassed and deported. Last month, police raided Turkey’s biggest newspaper, Zaman. Its staff emerged bloodied and cowed.
Zaman’s last independent edition said Turkey’s press had seen one of its “darkest days”. Its first edition under state control carried unabashedly pro-government articles.
And Mr Erdogan’s authoritarian approach is not confined to Turkey’s borders. His bodyguards harassed reporters in the US, and a German satirist is under investigation in his home country for offending the Turkish president on TV.
Mr Erdogan came to power in 2002, a year after the formation of the AK Party. He spent 11 years as Turkey’s prime minister before becoming the country’s first directly-elected president in August 2014 – a supposedly ceremonial role.
In June 2015 the AK Party suffered a dip in the polls and failed to form a coalition. But a snap election in November, after Turkey’s worst suicide bombing prompted Mr Erdogan to escalate his war against the PKK, gave the party a convincing majority.
Erdogan’s rise to power
Image copyrightEPA1970s-1980s – Active in Islamist circles, member of Necmettin Erbakan’s Welfare Party
1994-1998 – Mayor of Istanbul, until military officers made power grab
1998 – Welfare Party banned, Erdogan jailed for four months for inciting religious hatred
Aug 2001 – Founds Islamist-rooted AKP with ally Abdullah Gul
2002-2003 – AKP wins solid majority in parliamentary election, Erdogan appointed prime minister
Aug 2014 – Becomes president after first-ever direct elections for head of state
Challenging the military
Image copyrightAFPIn the decades before the AKP’s rise to power, the military had intervened in politics four times to curb Islamist influence.
In 2013 Mr Erdogan triumphed over the military elite when senior officers were among 17 people jailed for life, convicted of plotting to overthrow the AKP in what was known as the “Ergenekon” case.
Hundreds of other officers were also put on trial, along with journalists and secularist politicians, in that investigation and a similar one called the “Operation Sledgehammer” case.
When more than 200 officers were detained in the Sledgehammer investigation in 2011, the heads of Turkey’s army, navy and air force resigned in protest.
Critics accused Mr Erdogan of using the judiciary to silence political opponents, and there were many allegations of trumped-up charges.
But his supporters applauded him for taking on previously untouchable establishment figures, who saw themselves as guardians of the state created by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Gezi Park protests
Image copyrightREUTERSMr Erdogan also unleashed the power of the state to crush mass protests in Istanbul in June 2013, focused on Gezi Park, a green area earmarked for a huge building project.
The protests spread to other cities, swelled by many secularist Turks suspicious of the AKP’s Islamist leanings.
A major corruption scandal battered his government in December 2013, involving numerous arrests, including the sons of three cabinet ministers.
Mr Erdogan raged against “plotters” based outside Turkey, condemning supporters of Fethullah Gulen. He also lashed out against social media, vowing to “wipe out” Twitter.
He has a combative charisma that many Turks in the teeming cities and small Anatolian towns love.
But his reputation took a hit in May 2014 when he reacted coldly to a mine disaster in Soma, western Turkey, which killed 301 people.
Muslim revival
Image copyrightAFPMr Erdogan has denied wanting to impose Islamic values, saying he is committed to secularism. But he supports Turks’ right to express their religious beliefs more openly.
That message goes down particularly well in rural and small-town Anatolia – the AKP’s traditional heartland. Some supporters nicknamed him “Sultan” – harking back to the Ottoman Empire.
In October 2013 Turkey lifted rules banning women from wearing headscarves in the country’s state institutions – with the exception of the judiciary, military and police – ending a decades-old restriction.
Mr Erdogan’s wife Emine wears a headscarf to official functions, as does the wife of his long-standing AKP ally Abdullah Gul, who was president before him.
Critics also pointed to Mr Erdogan’s failed bid to criminalise adultery, and hisattempts to introduce “alcohol-free zones”, as evidence of his alleged Islamist intentions.
Palatial ambitions
Mr Erdogan’s political opponents saw a lavish new presidential palace as a symbol of his alleged authoritarian tendencies.
Perched on a hill on the outskirts of Ankara, the 1,000-room Ak Saray (White Palace) is bigger than the White House or the Kremlin and ended up costing even more than the original £385m ($615m) price tag.
Image copyrightEPAMr Erdogan owes much of his political success in the past decade to economic stability, with an average annual growth rate of 4.5%.
Turkey has developed into a manufacturing and export powerhouse. The AKP government kept inflation under control – no mean feat, as there were years in the 1990s when it soared above 100%.
But in 2014 the economy began flagging – growth fell to 2.9% and unemployment rose above 10%.
On the international stage he has bitterly condemned Israel – previously a strong ally of Turkey – over its treatment of the Palestinians. The policy not only galvanised his Islamic base, but also made him a hugely popular leader across the Middle East.
He has backed Syria’s opposition in its fight against Bashar al-Assad’s government in Damascus.
But his tentative peace overtures to the Kurds in south-eastern Turkey soured when he refused to help Syrian Kurds battling Islamic State militants just across the border.
Islamic education
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESBorn in 1954, Recep Tayyip Erdogan grew up the son of a coastguard, on Turkey’s Black Sea coast.
When he was 13, his father decided to move to Istanbul, hoping to give his five children a better upbringing.
As a teenager, the young Erdogan sold lemonade and sesame buns on the streets of Istanbul’s rougher districts to earn extra cash.
He attended an Islamic school before obtaining a degree in management from Istanbul’s Marmara University – and playing professional football.
While at university, he met Necmettin Erbakan – who went on to become the country’s first Islamist prime minister – and entered Turkey’s Islamist movement.
In 1994, Mr Erdogan became the mayor of Istanbul. Even his critics admit that he did a good job, making Istanbul cleaner and greener.
But in 1999 he spent four months in jail after a conviction for religious incitement.
He had publicly read a nationalist poem including the lines: “The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers.”
In 2001 Mr Erdogan launched the AKP with allies, having broken away from the Virtue Party, which had been banned.
His rise to power was complete when the AKP won a landslide election victory in 2002 and he became prime minister.
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