function formatDate(newsDate) {

    var strFormattedDate = "";
    var dtNow = new Date();
    var dtNews = new Date(newsDate.substr(0, 4), newsDate.substr(5, 2) - 1, newsDate.substr(8, 2), newsDate.substr(11, 2), newsDate.substr(14, 2), 0);
    var year = newsDate
    try {
        //dtNews.setFullYear(newsDate.substr(0, 4), newsDate.substr(5,2) - 1, newsDate.substr(8, 2), newsDate.substr(11,2), newsDate.substr(14,2), 0);
        // dtNews.setTime(newsDate.substr(11,5));

        if ((dtNow.getFullYear() == dtNews.getFullYear()) && (dtNow.getMonth() == dtNews.getMonth())
            && (dtNow.getDate() == dtNews.getDate()) && (dtNow.getHours() == dtNews.getHours())
            && ((dtNow.getMinutes() - dtNews.getMinutes()) < 59)) {

            strFormattedDate = (dtNow.getMinutes() - dtNews.getMinutes()) + " minutes ago";
        }
        else if ((dtNow.getFullYear() == dtNews.getFullYear()) && (dtNow.getMonth() == dtNews.getMonth())
            && (dtNow.getDate() == dtNews.getDate()) && ((dtNow.getHours() - dtNews.getHours()) < 6)) //added hours - may wish to change
        {
            if ((dtNow.getHours() - dtNews.getHours()) == 1)
                strFormattedDate = "1 hour ago";
            else
                strFormattedDate = (dtNow.getHours() - dtNews.getHours()) + " hours ago";
        }
        else if ((dtNow.getFullYear() == dtNews.getFullYear()) && (dtNow.getMonth() == dtNews.getMonth())
            && (dtNow.getDate() == dtNews.getDate())) {
            if (dtNews.getMinutes() < 10)
                strFormattedDate = "Today, " + dtNews.getHours() + ":0" + dtNews.getMinutes();
            else
                strFormattedDate = "Today, " + dtNews.getHours() + ":" + dtNews.getMinutes();
        }
        else if ((dtNow.getFullYear() == dtNews.getFullYear()) && (dtNow.getMonth() == dtNews.getMonth())
            && ((dtNow.getDate() - 1) == dtNews.getDate())) {
            if (dtNews.getMinutes() < 10)
                strFormattedDate = "Yesterday, " + dtNews.getHours() + ":0" + dtNews.getMinutes();
            else
                strFormattedDate = "Yesterday, " + dtNews.getHours() + ":" + dtNews.getMinutes();
        }
        else
            strFormattedDate = dtNews.toDateString(); //"dddd dd MMMM  yyyy, HH:mm");
    }
    catch (E) {
        alert(E.message);
    }
    return strFormattedDate;
}