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Bobbi Kristina Brown pictured smoking out of a bong in March 2011

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown pictured smoking out of a bong in March 2011

Bobbi Kristina Brown has been having a difficult time as she struggles to come to terms with the death of her mother Whitney Houston, but it seems the teen has been troubled for quite some time.

Bobbi Kristina Brown can be seen smoking what appears to be marijuana out of a bong in an image taken from a video filmed in March 2011.

The incident reportedly took place at a party in Statesboro, Georgia, just days after the youngster turned 18.

In a video obtained by the National Enquirer, Bobbi Kristina Brown is seen lighting the bong and inhaling the smoke deeply as she takes one hit followed by another.

It appears almost too much for her as she then can’t stop coughing as she passes the bong to a friend.

A source at the party told Radar Online: “Bobbi Kristina was staying with friends at the school and she brought along a big bag of pot for the party.

“The party was well underway by the time I got there around 11 p.m. When I left at 6 a.m. the next day, she was still partying hard.”

The source went on to state that they don’t believe the wild party was a rare occurrence for the daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown.

The informant said: “Between tokes, Bobbi was drinking shots of Grey Goose and Skyy Blue vodka, and sipping a mixed vodka drink.

“She’s obviously a seasoned partier. With the amount of pot and alcohol she was using, I would have passed out, but she was still going strong.”

Bobbi Kristina Brown is seen smoking what appears to be marijuana out of a bong in an image taken from a video filmed in March 2011
Bobbi Kristina Brown is seen smoking what appears to be marijuana out of a bong in an image taken from a video filmed in March 2011

Last year, around the time this shocking photo was taken, rumors surfaced that Bobbi Kristina Brown had her own problems with cocaine, a drug that contributed to her mother’s death on February 11.

The unearthed video comes as it has been reported Bobbi Kristina Brown is set to star in her own reality TV show.

Apparently Bobbi Kristina Brown went against her family’s wishes by agreeing to do the show, and is set to finalize things in writing in the near future.

“This show is being done against her family’s advice,” a source told Radar Online.

However, sources say that despite Bobbi Kristina Brown’s insistence on participating, her own reported issues with substance abuse are likely to cause problems and appear to already be doing so.

In a recent meeting with the TV network, insiders told the website that the teen appeared to be “impaired”.

“She was slurring her words and said: <<I will show the world I am NOT my mother and will NOT walk in her shoes down her path>>, then seconds later would mutter, <<My mother was just normal, completely normal, someone who did normal things. She just listened to all the wrong people – and did the wrong things>>.”

Parts of the reality show are reported to show her relationship with “adoptive brother” Nick Gordon.

Nick Gordon recently confirmed on Twitter that he and Bobbi Kristina Brown have a romantic relationship, tweeting: “Yeah we got a little closer and what!”

The idea of the reality show was said to have been cultivated last year, long before Whitney Houston’s untimely death.

Bobbi Kristina Brown is said to agree with producers at the network that the timing is now perfect to go ahead with the show on account of all of the curiosity surrounding her.

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Mr. Big Chris Noth married long-time partner Tara Wilson

Lisa.Felice
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Mr. Big Chris Noth married long-time partner Tara Wilson

Actor Chris Noth, who played Sex and the City character Mr. Big, avoided commitment for a long time, but he eventually came to his senses.

Chris Noth, 57, last week married his long-term partner Tara Wilson, 30, in an intimate Hawaiian setting.

The happy couple tied the knot in a sunset ceremony in Maui on April 6, according to the National Enquirer.

The nuptials took place in a luxurious oceanfront estate on Makena Beach in front of just 10 people.

Their four-year-old son Orion served as the ringbearer.

A source told the National Enquirer: “Chris and Tara married in the most romantic way possible. Tara was beaming, and Chris had a smile on his face the entire time.”

Chris Noth last week married his long-term partner Tara Wilson in an intimate Hawaiian setting
Chris Noth last week married his long-term partner Tara Wilson in an intimate Hawaiian setting

Chris Noth wore a charcoal double-breasted suit while his blushing bride looked stunning in a sleeveless white dress and lace veil, carrying a bouquet of local flowers.

Another insider told the magazine: “After the ceremony, they held their reception at the award-winning Gannon’s restaurant nearby.

“Guests dined on crab cake with a sweet chilli sauce, baby romaine lettuce, macadamia-crusted island fish with mango ginger beurre blanc and braised short ribs with mashed potatoes.”

After exchanging vows in a ceremony officiated by a local priest, Chris Noth and Tara Wilson headed to the Four Seasons hotel on Maui for their honeymoon.

Chris Noth and Tara Wilson met in 2002, when she was working at Chris’s New York bar The Cutting Room.

Tara Wilson gave birth to Orion in January 2008 and the pair confirmed their engagement in October 2009.

 

 

Matt Groening spills The Simpsons’ Springfield secret

Sonia Pantiss
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Matt Groening spills The Simpsons’ Springfield secret

Matt Groening, the creator of the iconic cartoon sitcom The Simpsons has finally revealed the inspiration behind the show’s fictional town of Springfield.

Matt Groening told Smithsonian magazine he based the town on Springfield, Oregon, but since it is such a common US place name he knew many would think it was their own Springfield.

The Springfield question is one of the best-kept secrets in TV history.

The Simpsons is the longest-running show in the US, on air since 1989.

Characters in the show have often joked about hiding Springfield’s real location.

“In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought: <<This will be cool, everyone will think it’s their Springfield>>. And they do,” Matt Groening said.

There are thought to be at least 34 towns or cities called Springfield in the US.

Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons has finally revealed the inspiration behind the show's fictional town of Springfield
Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons has finally revealed the inspiration behind the show's fictional town of Springfield

Matt Groening also said he was inspired by the TV show Father Knows Best, which was set in a place called Springfield.

But the Springfield in Oregon is just 100 miles (160 km) south of Portland, the city where Matt Groening grew up.

The Simpsons has sometimes given false answers to the question of Springfield’s true location, leaving open the possibility that Matt Groening’s latest comments are a continuation of the joke.

“Whenever people say it’s Springfield, Ohio, or Springfield, Massachusetts, or Springfield, wherever, I always go: <<Yup, that’s right>>,” Matt Groening said.

In one episode, Marge and Homer Simpson’s precocious daughter Lisa points to Springfield on a map, but the audience’s view is obscured by Bart Simpson’s head.

It appears that the town of Springfield, Oregon, has known of its connection to the sitcom since 2007, when Matt Groening visited before the release of The Simpsons Movie.

“Oh, okay, we knew that,” a community relations manager told the Associated Press when she heard about Matt Groening’s latest comments.

 

US Department of Justice sues Apple and major publishers over e-books prices

Nancy Clayson
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US Department of Justice sues Apple and major publishers over e-books prices

US Department of Justice sues giant tech Apple and major publishers over pricing of e-books.

The US accuses Apple and book publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Penguin of colluding on prices of books on the iPad.

This lawsuit is over the agency model where publishers set the prices of e-books, rather than sellers.

The lawsuit comes a day after Apple surpassed $600 billion in value.

The increase affirmed its position as the world’s most valuable firm.

The US accuses Apple and book publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Penguin of colluding on prices of books on the iPad
The US accuses Apple and book publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Penguin of colluding on prices of books on the iPad

“Apple facilitated the publisher defendants’ collective effort to end retail price competition by coordinating their transition to an agency model across all retailers,” according to papers filed in New York’s Sourthern District court on Wednesday morning.

Electronic books are sold according to a different formula from that governing the sales of physical books.

For most physical books publishers set a wholesale price, often about half the cover price, and then let a retailer decide how much they actually want to charge for the title.

This model was initially adopted for e-books but has since been changed for what is known as an agency model.

Under this scheme, publishers set the price of a book and the agent selling it gets a 30% cut. This model was adopted by publishers largely at the prompting of the late Steve Jobs.

The shift to agency pricing was also seen as a protective measure to head off attempts by Amazon to corner the market in e-books. It had been aggressively cutting prices to win customers over to its Kindle e-book reader.

Amazon once tried to apply the wholesale model on book publishers – but was rebuffed by the publishers.

 

Apple tackles the Flashback Trojan that infected more than half a million Mac computers

Nancy Clayson
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Apple tackles the Flashback Trojan that infected more than half a million Mac computers
Apple announces that is developing a tool to "detect and remove" the Flashback Trojan that is said to have infected more than half a million Mac computers
Apple announces that is developing a tool to "detect and remove" the Flashback Trojan that is said to have infected more than half a million Mac computers

Apple announces that is developing a tool to “detect and remove” the Flashback Trojan that is said to have infected more than half a million Mac computers.

The giant tech company said it is working with internet service providers (ISPs) to disrupt the command network being used by hackers to exploit the malware.

Trojans are infections that can expose computers to control by hackers.

It is Apple’s first statement on the threat. It issued patches to prevent the malware’s installation last week.

The two security updates were released eight weeks after Java’s developer Oracle issued a fix for other computer systems.

In a message posted on Apple’s website’s support section, the company said it had fixed a “Java security flaw for systems running OS X v10.7 and Mac OS X v10.6”.

It suggested users of Macs running earlier versions of its system software should disable Java in their web browser preferences.

 

In addition, Apple said it was working with ISPs to shut down networks of servers hosted by the malware authors, which the code – known as Flashback – relies on “to perform many of its critical functions”.

Russian anti-virus firm Dr Web, which has tracked the scale of the botnet, said it believed around 650,000 machines had now been infected.

According to a timeline of events posted on its website, Dr Web said activity surrounding the virus began as far back as February.

Traditionally, Apple has promoted the fact that its Macintosh line is largely free from viruses and other similar threats due to the fact almost all malicious software is designed to exploit computers running on Microsoft Windows.

McAfee Labs’ Dave Marcus told the AFP news agency: “All the stuff the bad guys have learned for doing attacks in the PC world is now starting to transition to the Mac world.”

“Mac has said for a long time that they are not vulnerable to PC malware, which is true: they are vulnerable to Mac malware.”

The security firm F-Secure has posted detailed instructions about how to confirm if a machine is infected and how to manually remove the Trojan.

 

Indian Ocean tsunami warning declared after two major quakes struck Indonesia has been lifted

Diane A. Wade
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Indian Ocean tsunami warning declared after two major quakes struck Indonesia has been lifted

The tsunami alert declared after two major earthquakes struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province has now been cancelled, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) says.

Two hours after the quakes – one with a magnitude of 8.6, the other measuring 8.3 – the centre says “the threat has diminished or is over for most areas”.

The alerts caused panic as people fled buildings and made for high ground.

There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

India and Sri Lanka have also lifted their own tsunami warnings.

The region is regularly hit by earthquakes. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 170,000 people in Aceh alone and some 250,000 around the region.

The US Geological Survey (USGS), which documents quakes worldwide, said the first Aceh quake was centred at a depth of 33 km (20 miles), about 495 km from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital.

It was initially reported as 8.9 magnitude but was later revised down to 8.6 by the USGS. Quake officials said a tsunami had been generated and was heading for the coast of Aceh.

A PTWC alert said that sea level readings indicated a tsunami was generated and that it “may already have been destructive along some coasts,” without specifying where.

A Thai disaster official said a 10cm wave had been recorded on Koh Miang island, off Phang Nga.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had told reporters in the capital, Jakarta, that there had been no tsunami reports so far, “but we remain vigilant”.

“Our warning system is working well, and I have ordered the national relief team to fly immediately to Aceh to ensure the situation is under control and to take any necessary action,” he said.

Tsunami alert caused panic among Indonesian people who fled buildings and made for high ground
Tsunami alert caused panic among Indonesian people who fled buildings and made for high ground

A few hours later, the PTWC renewed its warning after a major aftershock measuring 8.2 struck 16 km (10 miles) beneath the ocean floor and 615 km from Banda Aceh.

An AFP correspondent in Banda Aceh said the aftershock lasted four minutes.

“People are panicking and running outside their home and from buildings,” he said.

The PTWC issues advisory alerts across the region, which state authorities can use to issue their own emergency procedures. Indonesia straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of major seismic activity.

Sutopo, a spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, said electricity had been cut in Aceh and there were traffic jams to access higher ground.

“Sirens and Koran recitals from mosques are everywhere,” he told Reuters.

Tremors were felt as far away as Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India. The French island of Reunion was also on alert.

Along the eastern coast of Africa, Kenya and Tanzania issued their own tsunami warnings.

“There was a tremor felt by all of us working in the building,” said a man called Vincent in Calcutta, India.

“All just ran out of the building and people were asked not to use the elevator. There was a minute of chaos where all started ringing up to their family and asking about their well-being.”

Tsunami warning sirens, set up in many vulnerable areas after the 2004 disaster, were heard in Phuket, Thailand, where correspondents said people were calmly following evacuation routes to safe zones.

Roger Musson, a seismologist from Britain’s Royal Geological Survey, said the quakes were unlike those seen off Indonesia in recent years, where ground had been pushed under the continental plate, “flipping up” the seabed.

“It seems to be a large earthquake within the Indian Plate and the plate has broken in a sort of lateral way,” he said.

“It’s a sort of tearing earthquake, and this is much less likely to cause a tsunami because it’s not displacing large volumes of water.”

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Kevin Costner reveals Princess Diana was in talks for Bodyguard 2

Lisa.Felice
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Kevin Costner reveals Princess Diana was in talks for Bodyguard 2

Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston’s producer and co-star in her debut movie, The Bodyguard, has revealed that he had been in talks with Princess Diana to cast her as the lead in Bodyguard 2.

Kevin Costner, 57, who produced and starred in the original flick that garnered the late Whitney Houston critical acclaim, said he was willing to craft a role especially for the Princess of Wales in the follow-up.

The actor told this to Anderson Cooper in an interview airing on Anderson in May to promote Kevin Costner’s History Channel mini-series Hatfields and McCoys.

“Diana and I had been talking about doing Bodyguard 2… I told her I would take care of her just the same way that I took care of Whitney,” Us Weekly quoted him as saying.

Kevin Costner has revealed that he had been in talks with Princess Diana to cast her as the lead in Bodyguard 2
Kevin Costner has revealed that he had been in talks with Princess Diana to cast her as the lead in Bodyguard 2

“She wanted me to write it for her. I said: <<I’ll tailor it for you if you’re interested>>. She goes, <<I am interested>>,” Kevin Costner said.

In a 2003 interview, Kevin Costner told ABC that the film’s sequel would feature his character shielding the People’s Princess from paparazzi and stalkers before the duo became involved in a torrid affair.

In an ironic twist, Kevin Costner – who delivered the eulogy at Whitney Houston’s February funeral – received a draft of the script for Bodyguard 2 on August 30, 1997 – the day before Princess Diana perished in a Paris car crash aged 36.

 

Bobbi Kristina Brown is planning to star in a reality TV show

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown is planning to star in a reality TV show

Bobbi Kristina Brown, Whitney Houston’s daughter, is currently in talks to take part in a show with cameras following her 24/7.

Although Bobbi Kristina’s family are appalled at the plan, the teenager hopes it will show the public that she is very different from her mother Whitney Houston, who died in February after abusing illegal and prescription drugs for years.

A source told RadarOnline.com: “This show is being done against her family’s advice

“Bobbi is scared the world will label her just like her mother.

“[During one meeting] she said: <<I will show the world I am not my mother and will not walk in her shoes down her path. My mother was just normal, completely normal, someone who did normal things. She just listened to all the wrong people – and did the wrong things.>>”

Bobbi Kristina Brown is currently in talks to take part in a show with cameras following her 24/7
Bobbi Kristina Brown is currently in talks to take part in a show with cameras following her 24/7

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, is said to have told pals: “Something good might as well come out of all this bad stuff.”

Whitney Houston died from accidental drowning due to the effects of heart disease and cocaine use on February 11 aged 48. She had a long history of substance abuse and had admitted to Oprah Winfrey she took cocaine in a candid 2009 interview.

 

Man sending text on the street walks into a bear

Diane A. Wade
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Man sending text on the street walks into a bear

A TV helicopter crew in California managed to capture the image of a man who was using his mobile phone and walking into the path of a 500 lb black bear.

The homeowner calmly walks towards the giant animal, engrossed in his mobile.

However, just feet before he reaches it, he notices the huge bear – and turns and runs in the nick of time.

Residents of La Crescenta, California, were warned to be on the lookout for the bear, which was only finally contained in a back garden this morning.

A TV helicopter crew in California managed to capture the image of a man who was using his mobile phone and walking into the path of a 500 lb black bear
A TV helicopter crew in California managed to capture the image of a man who was using his mobile phone and walking into the path of a 500 lb black bear

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies received a call of a bear sighting at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday in the 2800 block of Manhattan Avenue, KTLA-TV reported.

La Crescenta station sheriff’s deputies and the Glendale Police Department responded, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Mark Slater.

“We did locate about a 500, 600-pound bear in this immediate area,” Sgt. Mark Slater said.

“He’s been wandering through the residential area for the last several hours.”

“Department of Fish and Game is en route,” Mark Slater said.

“They have ultimate responsibility over it. Our role right now is if the bear is docile and just hunkering down, we’ll let him continue that until Fish and Game gets here.”

A police helicopter has been tracking the bear, which is believed to be the same animal that broke into a garage and pried open a refrigerator to snack on some frozen meatballs last month.

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Indonesia: tsunami alert after 8.9 eartquake has struck under the sea off Aceh province

Diane A. Wade
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Indonesia: tsunami alert after 8.9 eartquake has struck under the sea off Aceh province

A major earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.9 has hit under the sea off Indonesia’s northern Aceh province.

The quake triggered a tsunami warning across the Indian Ocean region.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it was not yet known whether a tsunami had been generated, but advised authorities to “take appropriate action”.

The region is regularly hit by earthquakes. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 170,000 people in Aceh.

A major earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.9 has hit under the sea off Indonesia's northern Aceh province
A major earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.9 has hit under the sea off Indonesia's northern Aceh province

The US Geological Survey, which documents quakes worldwide, said the Aceh quake was centred 33 km (20 miles) under the sea about 495 km from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital.

The tsunami centre’s warning said quakes of such a magnitude “have the potential to generate a widespread destructive tsunami that can affect coastlines across the entire Indian Ocean basin”.

Reuters reports that people in the region were making their way to higher ground.

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China urges support for its probe into disgraced leader Bo Xilai

Diane A. Wade
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China urges support for its probe into disgraced leader Bo Xilai

China has urged support for its probe into disgraced leader Bo Xilai, a day after news of his dismissal and the detention of his wife over the death of British businessman Neil Heywood shocked the country.

A widely-published piece in party newspaper People’s Daily praised the “correct decision”, saying it showed respect for the rule of law.

Bo Xilai’s removal from key party posts was announced late on Tuesday.

It followed weeks of speculation over the former Chongqing party chief.

Bo Xilai, 62, was once tipped as a future leader. But he has now been removed from his posts on the Communist Party’s hugely powerful 25-member Politburo, and the 300-member Central Committee.

His wife, Gu Kailai, is being investigated in connection with the death of Neil Heywood, Chinese authorities have also announced.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the news.

“The Chinese are doing as we asked them to do and we now look forward to seeing those investigations take place and in due course hearing the outcome of those investigations,” William Hague said.

Wang Feng of the Brookings-Tsinghua Centre for Public Policy described the scandal as “almost unprecedented in China’s political history”.

“For the last 30 years this is the biggest scandal we can think of,” he said.

Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, is being investigated in connection with the death of British businessman Neil Heywood
Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, is being investigated in connection with the death of British businessman Neil Heywood

The news of the action against Bo Xilai and his wife emerged late on Tuesday.

”The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has decided to suspend his membership of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and the CPC Central Committee,” said an announcement by state news agency Xinhua.

Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai has been “transferred to the judicial authorities on suspected crime of intentional homicide” together with Zhang Xiaojun, an orderly who worked for the Bo family, another Xinhua report said.

The subsequent front-page People’s Daily commentary, entitled “Firm support for correct decision” and republished in the main Chinese newspapers, said that the right action had been taken.

”Bo has seriously violated the party discipline, causing damage to the cause and the image of the party and state,” the commentary said.

”Whoever has broken the law will be handled in accordance with law and will not be tolerated, no matter who is involved.”

China’s internet censorship now appears to have kicked into action. Microblogging site Sina Weibo and online forum Baidu Tieba were both filtering posts containing the words ”Bo Xilai” on Wednesday.

Bo Xilai’s fall from grace began after his police chief Wang Lijun spent a day holed up in the US consulate in Chengdu in early February. It was rumored that Wang Lijun had been attempting to defect.

The suggestion was that he had been demoted by an angry Bo Xilai after the officer had alerted him to the fact that his family was the subject of a police investigation linked to Neil Heywood’s death.

While in the consulate Wang Lijun alleged that Gu Kailai had been involved in murdering Neil Heywood, Xinhua reported.

The 41-year-old was found dead in Chongqing in November 2011. Police initially said that he died from excessive drinking.

The allegations led to a second investigation. Xinhua said Gu Kailai and her son were in “conflict” with Neil Heywood over “economic issues”.

“According to reinvestigation results, the existing evidence indicated that Heywood died of homicide, of which [Gu Kailai] and Zhang Xiaojun, an orderly at Bo’s home, are highly suspected,” the news agency reported.

The exact nature of Neil Heywood’s role and his relations with the family are unclear and have been the subject of much speculation inside and outside China.

 

Rick Santorum ends his bid for the White House

Diane A. Wade
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Rick Santorum ends his bid for the White House

Republican Rick Santorum has ended his bid for the White House, leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee.

The former Pennsylvania senator made the announcement at a news conference in the city of Gettysburg.

“While this presidential race is over for me, we are not done fighting,” said Rick Santorum, a social conservative.

Rick Santorum had been campaigning in Pennsylvania, his home state, ahead of its primary on 24 April.

But he was far behind Mitt Romney in terms of funding and was in danger of losing the state for the second time in six years, analysts said.

In 2006 Rick Santorum lost his Pennsylvania Senate seat by an 18-point margin.

In the current race for the Republican nomination, Rick Santorum lags far behind Mitt Romney in terms of the number of delegates needed to seal the nomination at the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida, in late August.

Rick Santorum’s children and his wife Karen stood behind him in Gettysburg as he made the announcement that he was suspending his campaign.

He had taken time off the campaign trail in recent days as his 3-year-old daughter Isabella, who has a rare genetic disorder, was admitted to hospital.

Republican Rick Santorum has ended his bid for the White House, leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee
Republican Rick Santorum has ended his bid for the White House, leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee

Rick Santorum proved to be the most resilient of the Republican rivals challenging Mitt Romney’s front-runner status.

In his statement Rick Santorum said he had surpassed expectations, adding that “against all odds, we won 11 states, millions of voters, millions of votes”.

“We were winning in a very different way,” Rick Santorum said.

“We were touching hearts.”

Rick Santorum remembered some of the volunteers he worked with during the campaign.

Without the help of people like Wendy in Iowa, who made 5,000 phone calls or the girls in Tulsa, Oklahoma, whose song “Game On” became an internet sensation, the campaign would not have come as far as it did, Rick Santorum said.

He mentioned his visit to the factory of the Minnesota manufacturer of his sweater vests, which became known as the former Senator’s signature outfit.

Rick Santorum won a total of 11 primaries and caucuses, and picked up additional delegates in states that awarded them proportionally.

He emerged on the national scene on the night of the Iowa caucuses in January, eventually winning the state by a whisker after victory was initially handed to Mitt Romney.

His old-fashioned, hard-working campaign style saw him visit every one of the Iowa’s 99 counties in the months preceding the vote, and won him the respect and support of many in the state.

Rick santorum continued to garner strong support in the Midwest and in the South, halting Mitt Romney in a swathe of states from Minnesota to Alabama and as far west as Colorado and North Dakota.

In conceding that he could not win the nomination Rick Santorum made no specific mention of Mitt Romney, and did not say whether he planned to endorse the front-runner.

However, he reportedly telephoned the former governor to concede shortly before speaking to reporters.

In a statement, Mitt Romney congratulated Rick Santorum on his campaign, calling him an “able and worthy competitor”.

“He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation,” the former Massachusetts governor said.

Meanwhile, fellow candidate Newt Gingrich said Rick Santorum had run a “remarkable campaign”, adding that “his success is a testament to his tenacity and the power of conservative principles”.

Newt Gingrich, though, insisted that he would remain in the race in an effort to broaden the policy discussion and offer a conservative alternative to Mitt Romney.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul congratulated the former senator on running a “spirited campaign”. Ron Paul has the fewest delegates but, like Newt Gingrich, has refused to pull out of the contest.

Despite them remaining in the race, many analysts quickly characterized Rick Santorum’s decision as the moment the general election campaign effectively began.

Mitt Romney, who made his fortune in a private equity firm is now seen as the man to take on Democratic President Barack Obama, a former law professor and community organizer, in November’s election.

 

 

Gu Kailai, Bo Xilai’s wife, suspected over murder of Neil Heywood

Diane A. Wade
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Gu Kailai, Bo Xilai’s wife, suspected over murder of Neil Heywood

The wife of Bo Xilai, the Chinese politician once tipped as a future leader, has been detained over the suspected murder of British Neil Heywood.

Gu Kailai has been “transferred to the judicial authorities” as part of an investigation into the death of Neil Heywood, state news agency Xinhua said.

Bo Xilai, former mayor of Chongqing, has now been stripped of key posts in the ruling Communist Party.

He had been one of China’s most popular politicians.

The news that his wife is now a suspect in a murder investigation only intensifies the rumors swirling around him.

Bo Xilai, 62, suffered a spectacular fall from grace last month when he was sacked as party chief in Chongqing.

Gu Kailai, Bo Xilai’s wife, has been detained over the suspected murder of British Neil Heywood
Gu Kailai, Bo Xilai’s wife, has been detained over the suspected murder of British Neil Heywood

This came after his police chief Wang Lijun spent a day holed up in the US consulate in Chengdu.

It was rumored that Wang Lijun had been attempting to defect.

The suggestion was that he had been demoted by an angry Bo Xilai after the officer had alerted him to the fact that the mayor’s family was the subject of a police investigation linked to Neil Heywood’s death in November.

While in the consulate Wang Lijun alleged that Gu Kailai had been involved in murdering 41-year-old Neil Heywood in Chongqing, Xinhua reported.

Police said after Neil Heywood’s death that he had died from excessive drinking and his body was cremated. However, his friends said he did not drink that much.

The new allegations led to a second investigation. Xinhua says this showed that Gu Kailai and her son were in “conflict” with Neil Heywood over “economic issues”, and these had intensified despite them being friends.

Bo Xilai has been dismissed from the Communist Party’s hugely powerful 25-member Politburo, and the 300-member Central Committee due to suspected “serious discipline violations”, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

The exact nature of Neil Heywood’s role and his relations with the family are unclear and have been the subject of much speculation inside and outside China.

“According to reinvestigation results, the existing evidence indicated that Heywood died of homicide, of which [Gu Kailai] and Zhang Xiaojun, an orderly at Bo’s home, are highly suspected,” the news agency reported.

News of the reinvestigation was welcomed by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, who had recently called on the Chinese authorities to look again at Neil Heywood’s death.

“The Chinese are doing as we asked them to do and we now look forward to seeing those investigations take place and in due course hearing the outcome of those investigations,” he said.

Bo Xilai, who made his name taking on corruption in Chongqing, had been expected to be elected to the Politburo’s standing committee later this year – as the party prepares for a once-in-a-decade change of leadership.

 

Relatives of Titanic victims throw roses off Southampton dockside

James J. Williams
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Relatives of Titanic victims throw roses off Southampton dockside

Relatives of victims of the Titanic today threw roses off the Southampton dockside in memory of their loved ones during a moving 100th anniversary memorial service.

A minute’s silence was also held today in remembrance of the 1517 passengers and crew who lost their lives on the famous liner’s ill-dated maiden voyage.

The south coast city has special reason to mark the Titanic disaster, as 538 of the 714 crew who died on the ship hailed from Southampton.

At the time it was said that almost every person in the city was either related to or knew someone who died.

Events began just before midday when nine wreaths were thrown into the Ocean Docks at Southampton, Hants, where most of the crew had lived.

Relatives of victims of the Titanic threw roses off the Southampton dockside in a moving 100th anniversary memorial service
Relatives of victims of the Titanic threw roses off the Southampton dockside in a moving 100th anniversary memorial service

The minute’s silence was concluded by a haunting recording of the Titanic’s whistle which was sounded three times around the port.

Every vessel in the port then proceeded to sound their whistles in sombre acknowledgement.

Shortly after, a re-enactment of the ship’s departure from berth 44 at Ocean Dock on April 10, 1912, was staged.

A flotilla of craft followed the tug tender Calshot, which was built in the same era as the legendary liner, as it sailed towards the Solent.

Guests were then invited to throw their own rose off the dockside in memory of loved ones who lost their lives.

One of many to throw a rose into the water at the dock was Alan Stote, who was paying respects to his great uncle Thomas Instance.

Pensioner Alan Stote, 76, from Totton near Southampton, Hampshire, said: “My grandfather’s brother was only 31 when he lost his life.

“He was a fireman aboard the Titanic. Although very upsetting, today’s event was well organized and very professional.

“I feel lucky to have been able to be a part of the day and pay my respects.”

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Titanic Memorial Cruise forced to turn round after a passenger became unwell on board

James J. Williams
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Titanic Memorial Cruise forced to turn round after a passenger became unwell on board

Titanic Memorial Cruise has been forced to turn round just hours after leaving the dock, having set sail to retrace the doomed liner’s voyage across the Atlantic.

MS Balmoral – carrying relatives of Titanic victims among its 1,309 passengers, the same number as on the doomed ship – was forced to turn around and head towards the Irish coast after a passenger became unwell on board.

A spokesperson for the Titanic Memorial Cruise, which had earlier been battered by 30 ft waves as it crossed the Irish Sea, said the ship turned around and headed 20 nautical miles east so the passenger could be picked up by a Coastguard helicopter and flown to hospital for medical attention.

Earlier on its historic voyage the MS Balmoral had been delayed by two hours before docking at Cobh on the south coast of Ireland, the Titanic’s last port of call before its journey into the North Atlantic.

This afternoon reports indicated it was forced to turn round because of a medical emergency on board. It is believed it is heading closer to the mainland so a helicopter could land onboard.

A spokesman for the Met Office in UK said this afternoon that sea conditions off the coast of southern Ireland were “rough or very rough”.

There were 15 ft high waves and 20 mph winds in the area which would not affect a ship of that size.

Titanic Memorial Cruise has been forced to turn round just hours after leaving the dock
Titanic Memorial Cruise has been forced to turn round just hours after leaving the dock

A statement from the Titanic Memorial Cruise this afternoon said the liner had to turn round after a passenger was taken ill on board.

The statement said: “A guest has been taken ill on board the Titanic Memorial Cruise taking place on the Fred. Olsen cruise ship Balmoral.

“The ship is turning around and heading approximately 20 nautical miles east to bring it nearer to the coast and within reach of a helicopter.

“Fred. Olsen and Titanic Memorial Cruises are working with the Irish Coastguard to co-ordinate the relevant arrangements, and making sure that all agencies involved are being kept informed.

“The ship is currently travelling en route to New York and departed Southampton on 8 April 2012.

“At Fred. Olsen and Titanic Memorial Cruises the safety and well-being of all guests and crew is paramount, and this decision has been made in conjunction with Titanic Memorial Cruises, as charterer of Balmoral for this voyage.

“Once the guest is off the ship for medical treatment the cruise will resume as scheduled.”

Passengers making the journey came from more than 20 countries, including the U.S., and include relatives of survivors, authors, historians and people who are fascinated by the Titanic story.

The cruise set sail from Southampton on Sunday and aims to reach the Titanic’s wreck site for a memorial ceremony to mark the moment the liner struck an iceberg on April 14 100 years ago.

But bad weather delayed its arrival yesterday at Cobh, where it was reported a lifeboat was on hand in case of problems.

A passenger said after docking: “There is a bad feeling on board that maybe the voyage is doomed by bad luck.”

The Balmoral was due to continue its journey late last night.

From the wreck site, the memorial cruise was due to go to Nova Scotia, where some of the Titanic’s victims are buried, and then on to New York, the destination the ship never reached.

Once there, passengers will leave wreaths and family artifacts in memory of those who died.

During the 12-night cruise passengers were due to eat meals from the Titanic’s original menu and attend lectures given by historians and experts.

A five-piece band will recreate the soundtrack from the era for passengers.

The Titanic hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and sank the following morning, claiming 1,517 lives.

On the anniversary, passengers will gather on deck for a memorial ceremony at 11:40 p.m., the exact time the ship hit the iceberg, exactly 100 years on.

Another service will be held at 2:20 a.m. to mark the moment it sank.

Speaking before the delays Philip Littlejohn, grandson of survivor Alexander James Littlejohn, and the only Titanic relative to have made the dive to the wreck site, said: “I’m sure my grandfather, a 1st Class Steward on RMS Titanic, would be proud to know his story will be shared with the passengers on this historic cruise.

“It will be an emotional moment when we are over the wreck site, where I dived in 2001, and where my grandfather left Titanic rowing Lifeboat 13.”

Passengers have paid up to £6,000 ($9,500) to join the commemorative voyage.

Miles Morgan, managing director of Miles Morgan Travel, which chartered the journey, said: “This cruise has been five years in the making and we have sought to make it authentic to the era and a sympathetic memorial to the passengers and crew who lost their lives.”

Dozens of artifacts from the world’s most famous ship have emerged since it sank on April 15, 1912.

Numerous events have also taken place in the lead up to the 100th anniversary of its sinking.

The Belfast shipyard where the Titanic was built has been revitalized in time for the landmark date, while an eye-catching, dockside centre opened just weeks before the 100th anniversary of the ship’s sinking.

 

ImMucin, the breakthrough cancer vaccine, shows promising results in human safety trial

Kathryn R. Bown
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ImMucin, the breakthrough cancer vaccine, shows promising results in human safety trial

ImMucin, a breakthrough vaccine that targets a molecule in 90% of all cancers has been tested on humans for the first time.

Results from the safety trial – on patients with blood cancer – found all had greater immunity to the disease after receiving the vaccine. Three of the seven patients who have completed the treatment are now free of the condition.

The therapeutic vaccine developed by Vaxil Biotheraputics and Tel Aviv University is designed to be given to patients to help their bodies fight cancer rather than the majority – known as prophylactic vaccines – that aim to prevent disease in the first place.

Researchers believe the jab could also tackle breast, prostate, pancreatic, bowel and ovarian cancers.

Even tumors that resist treatment with the best medicines on the market, including the breast cancer “wonder drug” Herceptin, may be susceptible to the vaccine.

 

ImMucin, a breakthrough vaccine that targets a molecule in 90% of all cancers has been tested on humans for the first time
ImMucin, a breakthrough vaccine that targets a molecule in 90% of all cancers has been tested on humans for the first time

If all goes well, ImMucin could be on the market by 2020.

Rather than attacking cancer cells, like many drugs, ImMucin harnesses the power of the immune system to fight tumors.

The search for cancer vaccines has until now been hampered by fears that healthy tissue would be destroyed with tumors.

Researchers from the drug company Vaxil Biotheraputics and Tel Aviv University have focused on a protein called MUC1 that is made in bigger amounts in cancerous cells than in healthy ones.

Not only is there more of it, but a sugar that it is “decorated” with has a distinctive shape.

The vaccine “trains” the immune system to recognize the rogue sugar and turn its arsenal against the cancer.

The misshaped MUC1 sugar is found in 90% of all cancers. There have been “dramatic” results in tests on mice with breast tumors.

Now, Vaxil Biotheraputics have announced promising results in a human safety trial.

Ten patients suffering from multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, have now received the vaccine received the vaccine at the Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem.

Seven of the patients have finished the treatment and Vaxil reported that all of them had greater immunity against cancer cells compared to before they were given the vaccine. Of the seven, three patients are reportedly free of detectable cancer.

None of them have reported suffering side-effects apart from minor irritation.

A statement from Vaxil Biotheraputics said: “ImMucin generated a robust and specific immune response in all patients which was observed after only 2-4 doses of the vaccine out of a maximum of 12 doses.

“In some of the patients, preliminary signs of clinical efficacy were observed.”

Years of large-scale human trials will be needed before the drug is judged safe and effective for widespread use in hospitals.

It could then be used with existing drugs to boost treatment and given to prevent tumors from coming back after surgery.

Men and women known to be at high risk of cancer because of their genes could also be vaccinated in an attempt to stop tumors from appearing.

 

Anders Breivik declared sane after a second psychiatric evaluation

Diane A. Wade
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Anders Breivik declared sane after a second psychiatric evaluation

Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been found sane enough to face trial and a jail term after a second psychiatric evaluation.

The findings contradict a previous evaluation, published in November, that found him legally insane.

Anders Breivik, 33, is due to stand trial on Monday over a bomb attack and shooting spree last July that killed 77 people.

He insists he is mentally stable and was “pleased” with the new assessment, his lawyer said.

Geir Lippestad told reporters his client would defend his actions during his 10-week trial, adding, “he will also regret that he didn’t go further”.

Both reports will be considered by the court when it decides, at the end of the trial, whether he should be sent to a psychiatric ward or jail.

If Anders Breivik is deemed to have been sane at the time of the killings then he could face 21 years in prison with the potential for indefinite extensions to his term as long as he is considered a danger to the public.

Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been found sane enough to face trial and a jail term after a second psychiatric evaluation
Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been found sane enough to face trial and a jail term after a second psychiatric evaluation

The second evaluation was approved by a court in January following widespread criticism of last year’s assessment that concluded he was psychotic at the time of the attacks and diagnosed him as a paranoid schizophrenic – meaning he would most likely be detained in psychiatric care.

Many of his surviving victims believed he was sane, and that the only proper punishment would be a prison sentence.

“Our conclusion is that he was not psychotic at the time of the actions of terrorism and he is not psychotic now,” psychiatrist Terje Toerrissen, who carried out the second assessment with fellow psychiatrist Agnar Aspaas, told the Associated Press.

The full report is confidential, and the two psychiatrists will give their reasons for arriving at a different conclusion to the first team of experts when they testify during the trial, AP reports.

Anders Breivik was charged with terror offences last month.

Prosecutors said at the time they were prepared to accept that he was criminally insane and would therefore seek compulsory psychiatric care, but they reserved the right to alter that view if new elements emerged about his mental health.

Anders Breivik has always admitted carrying out the attacks, saying they were an atrocious but necessary part of a “crusade” against multi-culturalism and Islam. He denies charges of terrorism.

In a recent letter to Norwegian tabloid Verdans Gang, Anders Breivik said being sent to a psychiatric ward would be a “fate worse than death”.

“To send a political activist to an asylum is more sadistic and more evil than killing him!” he wrote.

The attacks on July 22, 2011, were the worst act of violence Norway has seen since World War II, and have had a profound impact on the country.

Anders Breivik disguised himself as a police officer to plant a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in Oslo, killing eight people and wounding 209.

Still in uniform, he then drove to the island of Utoeya, where a summer youth camp of Norway’s governing Labour Party was being held.

In a shooting spree that lasted more than an hour, he killed 67 people – mostly teenagers – and wounded 33, while a further two people died falling or drowning.

According to prosecutors, nearly 900 people were affected by the two attacks – 325 in Oslo and 564 on Utoeya.

• Eight people killed and 209 injured by bomb in Oslo

• 69 people killed on Utoeya, of them 34 aged between 14 and 17

• 33 injured on Utoeya

• Nearly 900 people affected by attacks

 

Golden retriever puppy rescued from drowning by its mother

Diane A. Wade
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Golden retriever puppy rescued from drowning by its mother

A golden retriever puppy was rescued from drowning into a backyard pool by its mother.

It didn’t take long for the adorable pooch to realize there was no way out after it appeared to be thrown into the pool.

Its mother immediately dived in and swam to the rescue, pushing her pup above the water with her snout

At the edge of the water but unable to reach its little paws out, the pup’s mother climbed out and grabbed it by its scruff.

Appearing to teach her little one a lesson, the mother pulls the puppy around for nearly 10 seconds before coming to a stop and letting it go.

 

A golden retriever puppy was rescued from drowning into a backyard pool by its mother
A golden retriever puppy was rescued from drowning into a backyard pool by its mother

 

The video that captured the moment, uploaded to YouTube on April 4, has already earned an astounding 120,000 hits.

And while some viewers cooed at the adorable puppy and her lifeguard mom, others did not have kind words for the dogs’ owners, likening their actions to animal abuse.

Criticizing the cameraman for not coming to its aide, user PrincessLorie wrote: “Disgusting owner trying to get their 15 min. of fame by endangering poor, helpless animals.”

Others defended their actions, and offered some reasoning.

“This is how we trained our K-9 German Shepherds to swim and rescue,” user Inventour1 wrote.

“We would toss them into the pool or ocean and let them figure it out. Dogs are tough and they can handle a little water now and then.”

 [youtube BtAeLOOPDhs]

 

Mirlande Wilson is not the Maryland Mega Millions winner as three public school employees claimed their prize

Diane A. Wade
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Mirlande Wilson is not the Maryland Mega Millions winner as three public school employees claimed their prize

Maryland Mega Millions jackpot winners have been identified as three public school employees who pooled their money to play.

While they have chosen to stay anonymous, Maryland Lottery director Stephen Martino revealed the winners were a special education teacher, an elementary school teacher and a school administrator.

The winners – a woman in her 20s, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 50s – have worked together for years in Maryland public schools, and told lottery officials they plan to remain in their jobs.

The announcement means that Mirlande Wilson, the McDonald’s worker who hit headlines for claiming she had won the mega payout but had lost the ticket, was not telling the truth about her win.

Maryland Mega Millions jackpot winners have been identified as three public school employees who pooled their money to play
Maryland Mega Millions jackpot winners have been identified as three public school employees who pooled their money to play

The Maryland ticket holders won more than $218 million of the record $656 million jackpot that was drawn ten days ago. Two other winning tickets were sold in Kansas and Illinois.

Each of the Maryland winners had contributed $20 and one then bought 60 tickets from three different shops, Stephen Martino said at the press conference. It was the first time they had pooled their cash.

They will now each receive a lump sum payment of $35 million after taxes. One planned to backpack throughout Europe, while another said they could now pay for their daughter’s college education.

The winners, who call themselves “The Three Amigos” and used the name across their winning check, also said they would buy new homes.

Despite their mega win, the teachers said they would not be retiring.

“They said, <<I can’t give up my kids>>,” Stephen Martino said.

It also emerged that two of the winners worked other jobs to help ends meet. One holds two full-time jobs, while another holds two other jobs, Stephen Martino said.

“They were modest, and humbled,” he said, a day after the winnings were claimed.

“These are precisely the people you would want to see win the lottery.”

They know each other through work but do not work in the same school. Lottery officials would not say which district they worked in.

One of the winners said she frequently played the lottery, while the others were less interested – one occasionally bought scratch tickets while the third only bought tickets if the jackpot was high.

On Monday, Maryland Lottery spokeswoman Carole Everett said the winners claimed the prize at lottery headquarters with a ticket matching all six numbers: 2-4-23-38-46 and the Mega Ball, 23.

Maryland does not require lottery winners to be identified.

The claim means that McDonald’s worker Mirlande Wilson did not win the jackpot, despite publicly announcing she had won the money – but had misplaced the ticket.

 

Jeremy Wuitschick, 13, took the wheel of school bus when driver passed out and save his colleagues

Diane A. Wade
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Jeremy Wuitschick, 13, took the wheel of school bus when driver passed out and save his colleagues

Jeremy Wuitschick, a brave seventh grader from Milton, Washington, said he was “acting on instinct” when he jumped up to stop his school bus after the driver passed out behind the wheel.

Jeremy Wuitschick, 13, was on his way to school with about 15 other students yesterday when he realized something was wrong.

The boy told KOMO News: “[The driver] looked funny. His eyes were bulging and he was sitting back and his hands were kind of just flapping around uselessly.”

When the bus started veering toward the curb, the teen sprung into action.

Jeremy Wuitschick told the network: “I just went up, grabbed the wheel and turned it right and took the keys out of the ignition.

“And yeah, the bus stopped. It was pretty scary.”

Jeremy Wuitschick, 13, took the wheel of school bus when driver passed out and save his colleagues
Jeremy Wuitschick, 13, took the wheel of school bus when driver passed out and save his colleagues

The teen said he shouted for anyone on the bus to call 911.

That’s when another seventh-grader, Johnny Wood, told Jeremy Wuitschick that he knew CPR, and performed chest compressions on the driver.

Video from the bus’ surveillance camera shows Jeremy Wuitschick and the other students acting in an extremely calm manner.

Jeremy Wuitschick told KOMO News: “I was just acting on instinct. It was all happening really quickly and it wasn’t like the movie ones when they scream and stuff.”

Local authorities said they were planning to reward Jeremy Wuitschick for his quick-thinking.

Milton Police Chief Bill Rhodes told ABC News: “I’ll tell you, I’ll give the kid credit for fast thinking. He did the right thing and we’re going to do something for him. The kid definitely deserves credit.”

ABC News reported that the bus driver, who was not identified, was rushed to nearby St Francis Hospital in grave condition.

 [youtube _tQ9RiyEBpg]

How to control what you dream

Kathryn R. Bown
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How to control what you dream

Scientists have begun a study at the Edinburgh International Science Festival to see if it is possible to influence what we dream about.

They have designed a smartphone app which plays sounds such as birds in woodland or waves lapping against the shore.

The idea is that the noises should direct pleasant dreaming.

Prof. Richard Wiseman, who is launching the trial as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, wants thousands of people to take part.

Rather than recruiting people directly, the “mass participation” trial relies on members of the public volunteering.

The sounds are played around 20 minutes before participants say they want to wake up.

Scientists have begun a study to see if it is possible to influence what we dream about
Scientists have begun a study to see if it is possible to influence what we dream about

The Dream:ON app monitors movements to sense when the sleeper has started dreaming. It then plays the sounds.

When it senses the person has stopped dreaming, the alarm goes off. The person is then asked to send a description of the dream to the “Dream Catcher” database.

Prof Wiseman said: “Getting a good night’s sleep and having pleasant dreams boosts people’s productivity, and is essential for their psychological and physical well-being.

“Despite this, we know very little about how to influence dreams – this experiment aims to change that.”

 

Glee returns on Fox with Whitney Houston tribute episode

Lisa.Felice
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Glee returns on Fox with Whitney Houston tribute episode

TV series Glee returns on Fox today with new episodes, one of which just happens to be the big Whitney Houston tribute episode.

A couple duets to a quintessential Whitney Houston song, a new Glee Project contestant pops up, and frenemies come together in what looks to be a pretty intense musical number.

In “Saturday Night Glee-ver”, airing April 17, the Glee club will page homage to the movie Saturday Night Fever with disco-infused numbers. Plus, Glee Project runner-up Alex Newell makes his big debut. He has been described as “the love child of Kurt and Mercedes and will turn to them for much advice.” Jonathan Groff can’t be far behind, because Murphy revealed earlier this season that Alex and Groff would share “many scenes” together leaving up the big Nationals face off.

Glee returns on Fox with new episodes, one of which is Whitney Houston tribute episode
Glee returns on Fox with new episodes, one of which is Whitney Houston tribute episode

In the April 24 episode, titled “Dance With Somebody“, New Directions will pay tribute to the late great Whitney Houston by covering her chart-toppers. And it looks like Brittany (Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera) get the honor of performing the episode title song.

 [youtube 0cay2dnuhcs]

North Korea poised to complete preparations for rocket launch

Roy Siemens
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North Korea poised to complete preparations for rocket launch

A Pyongyang official has announced that North Korea is poised to complete preparations for its rocket launch scheduled for later this week.

A satellite will be installed on the Unha-3 rocket by the end of Tuesday, the official told foreign journalists in a rare press conference.

The official dismissed concerns that the launch was a cover for developing missile technology as “nonsense”.

Three Asian airlines have made changes to flight paths to avoid the rocket.

“We are expecting to complete assembly by today,” said Ryu Kum-Chol, deputy director of the space development department at the Committee of Space Technology.

North Korea is poised to complete preparations for its rocket launch scheduled for later this week
North Korea is poised to complete preparations for its rocket launch scheduled for later this week

Ryu Kum-Chol said the launch was part of the peaceful development of North Korea’s space programme.

North Korea also says it will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of its late leader Kim Il-Sung.

But opponents of the move fear it is a disguised test of long-range missile technology.

The Philippine Airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have announced changes to the flight paths several affected routes ahead of the launch period between 12-16 April.

 

Disabled land rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin jailed in China

Diane A. Wade
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Disabled land rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin jailed in China

Disabled Chinese land rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin have been jailed a year after they were detained.

Ni Yulan was sentenced to two years and eight months, while her husband was handed a two-year term.

The couple is known for providing legal help to people whose homes have been seized by the government.

They were jailed on charges of “picking quarrels, provoking trouble and willfully destroying private and public property”, a court spokesman said.

Ni Yulan and Dong Jiqin were detained last April as authorities rounded up scores of activists amid online calls for protests similar to those taking place at the time in the Arab world.

Disabled Chinese land rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin have been jailed a year after they were detained
Disabled Chinese land rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin have been jailed a year after they were detained

Their trial took place in December 2011, with the hearing closed to the press and foreign diplomats.

Their supporters said charges were meant to silence them and the trial was a sign of China’s growing intolerance of dissent.

Their daughter, Dong Xuan, told reporters then that the trial had been “a very abnormal legal process”.

“This is completely unfair, I urge the government to release my parents,” Dong Xuan told AFP news agency after the sentencing on Tuesday.

“Both my parents looked very thin. I was unable to see my mother’s face, she didn’t turn around. She was in a wheelchair and looked very weak. My father saw me and asked me how I was. He told me that he was OK.”

Ni Yulan’s fight against land grabs began in 2002 after her home in central Beijing was requisitioned and later demolished.

She has been banned from working as a lawyer but she and her husband have continued to advise others whose land has been seized.

Ni Yulan, 51, was sentenced to a year in jail in 2002 for “obstructing official business” and to two years’ imprisonment in 2008 for “harming public property”.

She uses a wheelchair – a consequence, she and her supporters say, of mistreatment by police.

Amnesty International said Ni Yulan’s kneecaps and feet were broken during her detention in 2002. She has also described the ill treatment by authorities in media interviews, saying that she was pinned down and kicked until she was not able to walk.

 

Beyoncé and Jay-Z on the beach in St Barts

Lisa.Felice
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Beyoncé and Jay-Z on the beach in St Barts

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are spending their first holiday as a family beside their baby Blue Ivy during a sun-filled stay in St Barts.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z spent yesterday on the beach where they lay on the sand and soaked up the sunshine.

The superstar couple has had very hectic schedules since the birth of their first child so appear to be making the most of their Caribbean getaway.

And they seem to be taking to parenthood like ducks to water as they make sure they have some quiet time as a couple as well as doting on their little one.

The pair both opted for black swimwear with Beyoncé, 30, sporting a one-piece and 42-year-old Jay-Z wearing swimming trunks.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are spending their first holiday as a family beside their baby Blue Ivy in St Barts
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are spending their first holiday as a family beside their baby Blue Ivy in St Barts

They certainly seemed to be winding down as an ice bucket rested behind them which contained a bottle of wine and several bottles of water, while Jay-Z also sipped juice from a coconut.

Beyoncé was clearly feeling the heat as she then took a dip in the sea to cool off after lounging in the sunshine.

The singer kept her sunglasses on as she splashed around in shallow waters and prevented her hair from getting wet by tying it in a bun.

On Sunday the pair was seen toting little Blue Ivy as they made their way onto a waiting boat.

Beyoncé cradled her precious cargo as she made her way aboard the yacht.

The holiday comes as Beyoncé and Jay-Z are reported to have renewed their wedding vows in celebration of their fourth anniversary earlier this week.

The power couple is also understood to have exchanged new rings as they stood before celebrity guests including Oprah Winfrey, according to MediaTakeOut.com.

The website reports that the pair said “I do” again in a “moving” ceremony which happened at midnight on their wedding anniversary, April 4.

 

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