A genetic flaw may explain why some people get more ill with flu than others, say scientists.
Published in Nature, the research found that a variant of the IFITM3 gene was much more common in people hospitalized for flu than in the general population.
It controls a malformed protein, which makes cells more susceptible to viral infection.
Experts said those with the flaw could be given the flu jab, like other at-risk groups.
Researchers removed the gene from mice. They found that when they developed flu, their symptoms were much worse than those seen in mice with the gene.
Evidence from genetic databases covering thousands of people showed the flawed version of the gene is present in around one in 400 people.
The scientists, who came from the UK and US, then sequenced the IFITM3 genes of 53 patients who were in hospital with flu.
Three were found to have the variant – a rate of one in 20.
The researchers say these findings now need to be replicated in bigger studies. And they add it is probably only part of the genetic jigsaw that determines a person’s response to flu.
A genetic flaw may explain why some people get more ill with flu than others, say scientists
Professor Paul Kellam of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, who co-led the research, said: “At the moment, if someone is in a more vulnerable group because of co-morbidity [another health problem], they would be offered the flu vaccine.
“This is the idea here.”
But he said having this variant would not make any difference to how people were treated.
Prof. Paul Kellam added: “Our research is important for people who have this variant as we predict their immune defences could be weakened to some virus infections.
“Ultimately as we learn more about the genetics of susceptibility to viruses, then people can take informed precautions, such as vaccination to prevent infection.”
Professor Peter Openshaw, director of the Centre for Respiratory Infection at Imperial College London, said: “This new discovery is the first clue from our detailed study of the devastating effects of flu in hospitalized patients.
“It vindicates our conviction that there is something unusual about these patients.”
Sir Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust, said: “During the recent swine flu pandemic, many people found it remarkable that the same virus could provoke only mild symptoms in most people, while, more rarely, threatening the lives of others.
“This discovery points to a piece of the explanation: genetic variations affect the way in which different people respond to infection.
“This important research adds to a growing scientific understanding that genetic factors affect the course of disease in more than one way. Genetic variations in a virus can increase its virulence, but genetic variations in that virus’s host – us – matter greatly as well.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown was spotted looking understandably forlorn after Whitney Houston’s cause of death was revealed last week.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, stepped out in Atlanta with her boyfriend Nick Gordon, who appeared to comfort her.
The teenager appeared subdued as she visited a supermarket and kept close to Nick Gordon.
The couple held hands and Nick Gordon, who moved in to Whitney Houston’s home ten years ago, was also seen putting his arm around Bobbi Kristina’s shoulder comforting her.
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon held hands as they stepped out to visit a supermarket in Atlanta
Last week, the LA County Coroner released details on the cause of Whitney Houston’s death.
The pop icon had cocaine in her system when she drowned in a hotel bathtub on February 11, according to the official report.
Whitney Houston sunk into the bathwater after suffering a massive heart attack caused in part by her prolonged drug abuse.
Following the news, Whitney Houston’s family released a statement that says: “We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure.”
And her mother Cissy Houston is reported to be “shocked” to learn that her daughter was still using drugs at the time of her death.
According to TMZ, Cissy Houston believes her daughter began taking drugs again due to stress over her comeback, but thought Whitney to be sober as she filmed the movie Sparkle.
Kenya has announced discovery of oil for the first time in the country after exploratory drilling by Anglo-Irish firm Tullow Oil.
President Mwai Kibaki said the discovery was made in the country’s north-western Turkana region.
Mwai Kibaki said it was “the first time Kenya has made such a discovery” and called it a “major breakthrough”.
Kenya is a regional business and tourist hub with the largest economy in East Africa, although its relative wealth is not based on mineral riches.
The Kenyan president said Tullow would drill more wells to establish the commercial viability of the oil.
“It is… the beginning of a long journey to make our country an oil producer, which typically takes in excess of three years. We shall be giving the nation more information as the oil exploration process continues,” Mwai Kibaki said.
Kenya has announced discovery of oil for the first time in the country after exploratory drilling by Anglo-Irish firm Tullow Oil
Tullow Oil, which also struck oil in neighboring Uganda, said the Kenyan find had exceeded their expectations.
“This is an excellent start to our major exploration campaign in the East African rift basins of Kenya and Ethiopia,” said Angus McCoss, the company’s exploration director.
“To make a good oil discovery in our first well is beyond our expectations and bodes well for the material programme ahead of us.”
Tullow has found oil in, or off the coast of, a number of African countries, including Ghana and Sierra Leone.
Veterinarians and biologists say that cats’ remarkable ability to survive falls from great heights is a simple and predictable matter of physics, evolutionary biology, and physiology.
“This recent story isn’t much of a surprise,” says Jake Socha, a biomechanist at Virginia Tech University.
“We do know that animals exhibit this behavior, and there have been lots of records of these cats surviving.”
With scientists unwilling to toss cats off buildings for experimental observation, science has been unable systematically to study the rate at which they live after crashing to the ground.
In a 1987 study of 132 cats brought to a New York City emergency veterinary clinic after falls from high-rise buildings, 90% of treated cats survived and only 37% needed emergency treatment to keep them alive. One that fell 32 stories onto concrete suffered only a chipped tooth and a collapsed lung and was released after 48 hours.
From the moment they’re in the air to the instant after they hit the ground, cats’ bodies are built to survive high falls, scientists say.
They have a relatively large surface area in proportion to their weight, thus reducing the force at which they hit the pavement.
Cats reach terminal velocity, the speed at which the downward tug of gravity is matched by the upward push of wind resistance, at a slow speed compared to large animals like humans and horses.
For instance, an average-sized cat with its limbs extended achieves a terminal velocity of about 60 mph (97 km/h), while an average-sized man reaches a terminal velocity of about 120 mph (193 km/h), according to the 1987 study by veterinarians Wayne Whitney and Cheryl Mehlhaff.
Veterinarians and biologists say that cats' remarkable ability to survive falls from great heights is a simple and predictable matter of physics, evolutionary biology, and physiology
Cats are essentially arboreal animals: when they’re not living in homes or in urban alleys, they tend to live in trees.
Sooner or later, they’re going to fall, biologists say. Cats, monkeys, reptiles and other creatures will jump for prey and miss, a tree limb will break, or the wind will knock them over, so evolution has rendered them supremely capable of surviving falls.
“Being able to survive falls is a critical thing for animals that live in trees, and cats are one of them,” says Dr. Jake Socha.
“The domestic cat still contains whatever suite of adaptations they have that have enable cats to be good up in trees.”
Through natural selection, cats have developed a keen instinct for sensing which way is down, analogous to the mechanism humans use for balance, biologists say.
Then – if given enough time – they are able to twist their bodies like a gymnast, astronaut or skydiver and spin their tails in order to position their feet under their bodies and land on them.
“Everything that lives in trees has what we call an aerial righting reflex,” says Robert Dudley, a biologist at the animal flight laboratory at the University of California – Berkeley.
Cats can also spread their legs out to create a sort of parachute effect, says Andrew Biewener, a professor of organismal and evolutionary biology at Harvard University, although it is unclear how much this slows the rate of descent.
“They splay out their legs, which is going to expand their surface area of the body, and that increases the drag resistance,” Prof. Andrew Biewener says.
When they do land, cats’ muscular legs – made for climbing trees – act as shock absorbers.
“Cats have long, compliant legs,” says Jim Usherwood of the structure and motion lab at the Royal Veterinary College.
“They’ve got decent muscles. In that they’re able to jump quite well, the same muscles divert energy into decelerating rather than breaking bones.”
The springy legs increase the distance over which the force of the collision with the ground dissipates, says Prof. Andrew Biewener.
“The impact forces are much higher in stiff collisions,” he says.
“If they can increase the collision time over a longer period that reduces the impact force.
“And a cat’s legs are angled under the body rather than extended downward, like human or horse legs.”
“You’re not transmitting the forces really directly,” says Dr Socha.
“If a cat was to land with its legs directly under him in a column and hold him stiff, those bones would all break. But they go off to the side and the joints then bend, and you’re now taking that energy and putting it into the joints and you’re getting less of a force at the bone itself.”
However, house cats in urban or suburban areas tend to be overweight and in less than peak physical condition, warns Steve Dale, a cat behavior consultant who is on the board of the Winn Feline Foundation, which supports cat health research.
“That detracts from their ability to right themselves in midair,” Steve Dale says.
Jessica Simpson, whose first child is due on April 20, was caught in a downpour with fiancé Eric Johnson yesterday while leaving the Boneyard Bistro in Los Angeles.
Jessica Simpson, 31, who was obviously expecting better weather, was soaked through in a brightly covered maxi dress that clung to her large bump and was wearing flip-flops and sunglasses.
She has not been shy when it has come to discussing her pregnancy or showing off her burgeoning belly.
Recently, Jessica Simpson refuted claims that she was carrying twins and explained the cause of her huge belly on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show.
Jessica Simpson told Jimmy Kimmel: “Apparently I have a lot of amniotic fluid, so whenever my water breaks it will be like a fire hydrant!”
Heavily pregnant Jessica Simpson was caught in a downpour with fiancé Eric Johnson while leaving the Boneyard Bistro in LA
She also appeared naked on the cover of April’s Elle magazine and said that the Demi Moore inspired photo was all her idea.
“They didn’t even ask me to do that,” Jessica Simpson said on Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM radio show.
“It was my idea. It kind of just seemed a natural thing for me to do.
“I’m like 170 pounds and I wanted to pose nude.”
“I try to be like 110 pounds. It’s funny to be at your heaviest and feel the most confident. I just take such pride in being a mom! I just love my body more than ever now.”
Former US Vice-President Dick Cheney is accused of favoritism over his heart surgery, as he was too old to receive a heart transplant on Friday.
Critics are complaining that 71-year-old Dick Cheney was given special consideration because of his position.
Though they do not think that Dick Cheney was moved up the transplant list, he was given the organ that could have gone to thousands of younger recipients who would have more years to live with it.
“Most centers wouldn’t put somebody on at Cheney’s age,” said University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Art Caplan, who has testified before many panels on organ sharing issues.
“I’ve been arguing for a long time that the system should pay more attention to age because you’ll get a better return on the gift because younger people are more likely to live longer with a donor organ,” Art Caplan said.
Dick Cheney’s case reopens debate about whether rules should be changed to favor youth over age in giving out scarce organs.
As it stands now, time on the waiting list, medical need and where you live determine the odds of scoring a new heart – not how many years you’ll live to make use of it.
Former US Vice-President Dick Cheney is accused of favoritism over his heart surgery, as he was too old to receive a heart transplant
Dick Cheney, who served as President George W. Bush’s vice president for both terms, from 2001 to 2009, received the transplant Saturday at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, the same place where he received an implanted heart pump that has kept him alive since July 2010.
It appears the former vice president went on the transplant wait list around that time, 20 months ago.
Dick Cheney had severe congestive heart failure and had suffered five heart attacks over the past 25 years.
He has had countless procedures to keep him going – bypasses, artery-opening angioplasty, pacemakers and surgery on his legs. Yet Dick Cheney must have had a healthy liver and kidneys to qualify for a new heart, doctors said.
“We have done several patients hovering around age 70 although that’s about the upper limit for a transplant,” said Dr. Mariell Jessup, a University of Pennsylvania heart failure specialist and American Heart Association spokeswoman.
“The fact he waited such a long time shows he didn’t get any favors.”
More than 3,100 Americans are waiting now for a new heart, and about 330 die each year before one becomes available.
When one does, doctors check to see who is a good match and in highest medical need. The heart is offered locally, then regionally and finally nationally until a match is made.
“You can’t leapfrog the system,” said Dr. Allen Taylor, cardiology chief at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
“It’s a very regimented and fair process and heavily policed.”
That said, there is no formal rule disqualifying anyone above the age of 70 from receiving a new heart, though many hospitals enforce an unstated version of the rule in an effort to allow younger patients access to the lifesaving procedure.
“The ethical issues are not that he had a transplant, but who didn’t?” tweeted Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at Scripps Health in La Jolla, California.
Preferential treatment to wealthy patients is also a hot topic when it comes to transplants because they often are able to sign up to more than one transplant list in an effort to be considered ‘local’ in more places.
In order for that to work, the patient has to have the ability to fly to the hospital in question on very short notice.
Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was one example of that, as he was on a transplant list in Tennessee and received a new liver at a hospital there in 2009 even though he lived in California.
A group of US scientists hail plain popcorn as a great diet food for its low calorie content and claim it may even top fruits and vegetables in antioxidant levels.
Antioxidants – known as polyphenols – have huge health benefits as they help fight harmful molecules that damage cells.
Popcorn was found to have a high level of concentrated antioxidants because it is made up of just 4% water while they are more diluted in fruits and vegetables because they are made up of up to 90% water.
Researchers discovered one serving of popcorn has up to 300 mg of antioxidants – nearly double the 160 mg for all fruits per serving.
They also found that the crunchy hulls of the popcorn have the highest concentration of antioxidants and fiber.
The scientists from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania unveiled their discovery at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego.
Popcorn was found to have a high level of concentrated antioxidants because it is made up of just 4 per cent water while they are more diluted in fruits and vegetables which are made up of up to 90 per cent water
Researcher Joe Vinson said: “Those hulls deserve more respect. They are nutritional gold nuggets.”
But Joe Vinson warned that people can’t forgo their five-a-day in favor of popcorn – as it doesn’t contain vital vitamins and nutrients found in fruit and vegetables.
Although he added that popcorn has many other health benefits, stating: “Popcorn may be the perfect snack food.
“It’s the only snack that is 100% unprocessed whole grain.
“All other grains are processed and diluted with other ingredients, and although cereals are called <<whole grain>>, this simply means that over 51% of the weight of the product is whole grain.
“One serving of popcorn will provide more than 70% of the daily intake of whole grain.
“The average person only gets about half a serving of whole grains a day, and popcorn could fill that gap in a very pleasant way.”
The scientists warned that preparation is key to culling popcorn’s health benefits.
Joe Vinson added: “Air-popped popcorn has the lowest number of calories while microwave popcorn has twice as many calories as air-popped.”
Speaking ahead of Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, which aimed at reducing the risk of nuclear terrorism, US President Barack Obama says he is pushing for “a world without nuclear weapons”, making direct appeals to North Korea and Iran.
Barack Obama also pledged to work with Russia and China.
He emphasized the US’s unique position to seek change but said “serious sustained global effort” was needed.
The meeting is being attended by representatives from some 50 countries.
Speaking to students at Hankuk University, Barack Obama reiterated the commitment of the US as ”the only nation to have ever used nuclear weapons” to reducing its nuclear arms stockpile.
The US president also spoke, he said, as a father who did not want to see his daughters growing up in a world with nuclear threats, a comment which drew applause from his student audience.
Barack Obama said he was looking forward to meeting newly-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin in May to discuss further nuclear arms cuts.
He would seek to follow on from the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) pact he struck in 2010 with outgoing Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, he said.
The New START deal agreed between Washington and Moscow was intended to replace its lapsed predecessor, START.
It trims US and Russian nuclear arsenals to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads – a cut of about 30% from a limit set previously.
The treaty would also allow each side visually to inspect the other’s nuclear capability, with the aim of verifying how many warheads each missile carries.
In addition, there will be legally binding limits on the number of warheads and missiles that can be deployed on land, on submarines, and on bombers, at any one time.
President Barack Obama said he is pushing for "a world without nuclear weapons" ahead of Seoul Nuclear Security Summit
In Asia, Barack Obama said, the US has invited China to work with Washington and ”that offer remains open”.
The US president also addressed North Korea’s nuclear ambitions directly in his speech, saying that the US has ”no hostile intent” towards the country, but ”there will be no rewards for provocation”.
Barack Obama warned Pyongyang that its planned long-range missile launch would only increase its isolation.
Pyongyang says it is preparing to launch a long-range missile which it says will put a satellite in orbit.
”You can continue with the road you are on but we know where that leads,” Barack Obama said, addressing the North Korean leaders directly.
”Today, we say: Pyongyang, have the courage to pursue peace.”
Earlier, Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said North Korea risked further sanctions and isolation if it did not cancel its launch plans.
The launch will contravene an agreement Pyongyang reached last month which would have seen it receive food aid in exchange for a partial freeze on nuclear activities and an end to ballistics tests.
The North also agreed to allow UN inspectors in, the US said.
The invitation comes three months after Kim Jong-Un came to power following the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il.
The North said the launch – between 12 and 16 April – would mark the 100th birthday of former leader Kim Il-Sung.
South Korea has warned it will shoot down the rocket if it strays over its territory.
“We are preparing measures to track the missile’s trajectory and shoot it down if it, by any chance, deviates from the planned route and falls into our territory,” a defense ministry spokesman said.
The launch site is in north-western North Korea, not far from the Chinese border.
Addressing Iran, Barack Obama said there was still time to resolve the impasse over its nuclear programme through diplomacy.
“But time is short,” Barack Obama warned.
”Iran must act with the seriousness and sense of urgency that this moment demands.”
Iran insists there is no military element to its programme but Western powers fear it is constructing nuclear weapons.
“Today, I’ll meet with the leaders of Russia and China as we work to achieve a resolution in which Iran fulfils its obligations,” Barack Obama added.
Despite lofty announcements it may prove difficult to achieve significant progress at the summit.
The summit agenda is to be expanded to include a wide variety of radiological materials which terrorists could use to make a dirty bomb – one that spreads radiological contamination rather than initiating a nuclear explosion
But experts say there is unlikely to be agreement on converting all nuclear power stations to use low-enriched fuel.
Nor will there be agreement on common standards for nuclear security.
Some countries see this whole process as highly intrusive.
And there is still no common appreciation of the level of threat posed by nuclear terrorism.
James Cameron has triumphantly resurfaced from the Earth’s deepest point – Mariana Trench – where only two men have ever been before.
James Cameron, Avatar and Titanic film director, used a specially-designed submarine to descend nearly seven miles to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, an area 200 miles southwest of the Pacific island of Guam.
As James Cameron, 57, hit the bottom, he tweeted: “Just arrived at the ocean’s deepest pt. Hitting bottom never felt so good. Can’t wait to share what I’m seeing w/ you.”
James Cameron returned to the surface of the Pacific Ocean on Monday morning local time, according to Stephanie Montgomery of the National Geographic Society, where the director is an explorer-in-residence.
He spent a little more than three hours under water after reaching a depth of 35,756 feet before he began his return to the surface.
James Cameron had planned to spend up to six hours on the sea floor.
James Cameron’s return aboard his 12-ton, lime-green sub called Deepsea Challenger was a “faster-than-expected 70-minute ascent”, according to National Geographic.
He began the dive earlier Monday at approximately 5.15 a.m. local time.
“RELEASE, RELEASE, RELEASE!” were the last words James Cameron uttered before beginning the dive, according to a Twitter post from the expedition.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appeared in Cameron’s Terminator films, showed his support for the director via Twitter: “Congrats to my great friend on the deepest solo dive ever. Always a pioneer.”
Richard Branson and Jessica Alba were just a couple of the other celebrities who got behind James Cameron’s journey.
James Cameron has triumphantly resurfaced from the Earth's deepest point, Mariana Trench
The scale of the Mariana Trench is hard to grasp – it is 120 times larger than the Grand Canyon and more than a mile deeper than Mount Everest is tall.
It was expected to take James Cameron 90 minutes to reach the bottom aboard Deepsea Challenger.
Once there, James Cameron planned to spend six hours collecting samples for biologists and geologists to study.
While it didn’t need it, the submarine James Cameron helped design has the capability to support life for a 56-hour dive.
The first and only time anyone dove to these depths was in 1960.
Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Capt. Don Walsh took nearly five hours to reach the bottom and stayed just 20 minutes.
They didn’t have much to report on what they saw there, however, because their submarine kicked up so much sand from the ocean floor they couldn’t see much.
One of the risks of a dive so deep is extreme water pressure. At 6.8 miles below the surface, the pressure is the equivalent of three SUVs sitting on your toe.
James Cameron said earlier this month that, after a 5.1 mile-deep practice run near Papua New Guinea, the pressure “is in the back of your mind”.
The submarine would implode in an instant if it leaked, James Cameron said.
But while he was a little apprehensive beforehand, James Cameron wasn’t scared or nervous while underwater.
“When you are actually on the dive you have to trust the engineering was done right,” James Cameron said.
The latest dive site, which is at the deepest point in the Mariana Trench, is named Challenger Deep after the British naval vessel HMS Challenger that used sound to first measure its depth.
James Cameron has been an oceanography enthusiast since childhood and has made 72 deep-sea submersible dives.
Thirty-three of those dives have been to the wreckage of the Titanic, the subject of his 1997 hit film.
Scientists at the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos, Switzerland, are helping specialists from Nestle to study how ice cream’s structure changes when it is stored in a household freezer.
Samples of ice cream have been scanned with an X-ray machine more typically used to study the ice crystals which are key to avalanche formation.
Nestle is hoping to reveal the exact conditions under which ice crystals merge and grow.
When the crystals get big enough they change the texture of ice cream and alter how it feels when it is eaten.
The X-ray tomography machine at the institute is one of the few that can take images of tiny structures at sub-zero temperatures.
“Previously, we could not look inside ice cream without destroying the sample in the process,” said Nestle food scientist Dr. Cedric Dubois.
Via the research, summarized in a paper published in the journal Soft Matter, Nestle hopes to find a way to combat the gradual degradation of taste ice cream often suffers. As with many foods, the structure of ice cream is the key to the way it tastes.
Nestle hopes to find a way to combat the gradual degradation of taste ice cream often suffers, as its structure is the key to the way it tastes
Dr. Cedric Dubois said the research had revealed that the white frost of ice crystals found on ice cream forms as a result of the temperature changes it undergoes as it is transported, sold and stored.
“Most home freezers are set at -18C, but the temperature doesn’t remain constant,” said Dr. Cedric Dubois.
“It fluctuates by a couple of degrees in either direction, which causes parts of the ice cream to melt and then freeze again.”
Time-lapse images of ice crystals only a few microns across were gathered during the study which cycled samples through a small range of temperature changes.
This showed that as water froze out it formed ice crystals that affected the structure of the ice cream and made it chewy. This could also make the dessert icier, hard to scoop, and less pleasurable to eat.
The study has started to reveal the “life cycle” of the crystals and the conditions which trigger some of them to merge, enlarge and significantly alter the texture of the ice cream.
“We already know the growth of ice crystals in ice cream is triggered by a number of different factors,” said Dr. Cedric Dubois.
“If we can identify the main mechanism, we can find better ways to slow it down.”
New reports claim that Kim Kardashian wants to make sure her flour assailant gets her just deserts by pressing charges against the anti-fur campaigner.
Kim Kardashian doesn’t want the mystery woman who covered her in flour at a Hollywood red carpet event on Thursday to avoid punishment, and thinks she should be her accountable for her actions.
An insider has claimed that Kim Kardashian decided against press charges that night because she didn’t want to take herself away from the event, which was for charity.
Kim Kardashian, 31, will go to the police in the next few days to inform them formally of her decision to press charges.
The reality star wants to send the message people are entitled to their opinion, but should not resort to violence.
The decision is a major U-turn for Kim Kardashian, who said on Thursday she was wasn’t going to pursue the matter.
However she later told E! News she was considering reversing herself.
Kim Kardashian said: “I said earlier no I wasn’t [going to file a complaint].
“I am just going to think about it, because I don’t want someone to think they can really get away with that. So we are going to handle that.”
Kim Kardashian reacted with a surprising amount of calm after being doused in flour by an assailant on a Hollywood red carpet last night.
On Thursday it emerged that the as-yet-unnamed a woman is believed to have shouted the words “fur hag” at Kim Kardashian before dousing her with the cooking powder.
New video footage shows the unidentified woman throwing a bag of the white powder over the reality star, who then stormed off in shock.
Kim Kardashian opted to go back to the event following the fracas, and the assailant – an unidentified Asian woman – was arrested by police who were called to the scene.
The fire department was also called to the scene to inspect the substance, which after several minutes they determined as cooking flour.
Kim Kardashian wants to make sure her flour assailant gets her just deserts by pressing charges against the anti-fur campaigner
According to E! Online, the woman ran off after she threw the flour, but didn’t get very far when Kim Kardashian’s representation intercepted her and held onto her before security took over.
Kim Kardashian was attending the launch of her new perfume True Reflection at The London Hotel in West Hollywood.
TMZ reports that after the attack, Kim Kardashian, who arrived at the hotel with her mother Kris Jenner, was ushered into a private room where she removed her doused jacket and brushed the flour off the rest of her outfit and long brunette locks.
After she returned to the event Kim Kardashian laughed off the ordeal and even made a joke in light of the incident.
“That probably is the craziest, unexpected, weird thing that ever happened to me,” Kim Kardashian told E! Online.
“Like I said to my make-up artist, I wanted more powder and that’s a whole lot of translucent powder right there.”
Kim Kardashian had earlier arrived dressed-to-the-nines, wearing a black blazer, leather trousers and a bright blue blouse, but within minutes she looked more like a dowdy housewife after a kitchen mishap.
The reality star has not pressed charges over the incident and the unidentified woman has been released, according to a press release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Kim Kardashian’s whole back and shiny hair was covered in the substance, which was later determined as cooking flour.
The attack may have quite possibly have come from a protester opposing Kim Kardashian’s love affair with fur.
Animal rights group PETA denied it was behind the assault – despite the organization’s public campaign against Kim Kardashian’s love of fur clothing.
However, a spokesman noted that whoever did throw the flour may managed to send a message out to the reality star.
A spokesman told TMZ: “PETA has tried everything from polite letters to public protests, but Kim Kardashian has not been moved by the news that animals are beaten, electrocuted, and even skinned alive for real fur garments.
“Whoever threw that flour may reach her when our polite appeals did not.”
Kim Kardashian defended wearing fur as a “personal decision”, telling TMZ: “What I choose to do in my personal life I think is a personal choice.
“We don’t use real fur in our clothing lines anymore.”
Kim Kardashian went on to thank her security team and said she would be “stepping up” her protective detail for future events after labeling the flour assassin a “bully”.
“Whatever your beliefs are, to do something in a violent way, to do something that’s illegal, it’s not okay and it’s bullying,” Kim Kardashian said.
“I don’t promote that. You just have to laugh it off.”
Kim Kardashian also told TMZ why she was not going to press charges against the assailant, joking: “Don’t I have one two many lawsuits going on?”
The reality show star received support from her family, including her mother Kris Jenner who wrote on her blog: “I am so proud of my daughter for handling this situation so professionally and with such poise!
“Kim wasn’t phased (sic) by the attack and simply walked away from the red carpet, brushed herself off and headed right back out!!”
Kim Kardashian’s little sister Khloe immediately took to her Twitter account to express both her outrage and praise for her sister’s dignified reaction after the flour pelting.
Khloe Kardashian wrote: “I’m proud of how Kim handled the situation.”
She then later added in defense: “I wish I was with my sister tonight. I bet you that woman wouldn’t have dared tried a thing…”
Naomi Campbell is to be dragged into Vladimir Doronin’s messy divorce case.
Billionaire Vladimir Doronin’s estranged wife Ekaterina is planning to cite his relationship with Naomi Campbell as the reason for the end of her marriage.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, 41, might be one step closer to marrying the Russian, but sources close to the couple say she is devastated because Vladimir and Ekaterina Doronin had been separated for ten years before she started dating him in 2008.
Vladimir Doronin, 49, had a 7-year long relationship with another woman before he met Naomi Campbell.
“Naomi is pleased that Ekaterina has finally agreed to give Vladimir a divorce, but she is upset she is planning on blaming her for the marriage breakdown. She is no homewrecker,” says a friend.
“The truth is that Vladimir had been separated from her for a very long time when he and Naomi got together.”
Naomi Campbell started dating tycoon Vladimir Doronin after meeting him at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008
Ekaterina Doronin has been married to property mogul Vladimir for 24 years and they have a daughter, Katia, 15. She is believed to want a substantial slice of his huge fortune.
Ekaterina Doronin has said of her husband’s romance: “It’s a ridiculous affair. Vladimir is married to me and we are still a couple. Naomi is deluding herself if she thinks she can take my husband.”
Naomi Campbell, who is the face of Vladimir Doronin’s property company, started dating the tycoon – dubbed the Russian Donald Trump – after meeting him at the Cannes Film Festival.
“Vladimir and Naomi are very much in love and are happy together,” says a friend.
“But this is going to cause them both a fair amount of stress. It’s ridiculous that Naomi is being dragged into this.”
Ekaterina Doronin has been married to property mogul Vladimir for 24 years and they have a daughter, Katia, 15
Naomi Campbell has left the UK to set up home with Vladimir Doronin in Moscow and is said to be taking lessons in Russian. He gave her Van Cleef black earrings two years ago, but has yet to propose.
Once boasted of being a future Bond girl, but Ana Araujo has had quite a fall from grace since she parted from Rolling Stone rocker Ronnie Wood.
During their two-year romance, which ended last October, the 30-year-old Brazilian was seen at the very best showbusiness soirees. But now she is working as a waitress in Holland Park, West London.
“It’s a case of how the mighty have fallen,” says an associate. Ana has told pals she wants to find another wealthy bachelor.
Lourdes Leon, Madonna’s teenage daughter, appears to already have picked up a bad nicotine habit after she was pictured smoking a cigarette on Friday.
Lourdes Leon, 15, was seen puffing away as she loitered around with male friends in New York.
The eldest daughter of Madonna had the cigarette in her hand as a pal lighted it for her and seemed very comfortable with it. The legal age for smoking in America is 18.
Wearing a black and white mini dress with matching shoes, Lourdes Leon, a 10th grade schoolgirl, wore dark shades and her long hair loosely around her shoulders.
At one point Lourdes Leon even sneakily tried to hide the cigarette in her hand by holding it upside down as she walked along.
Lourdes Leon, Madonna's teenage daughter, was pictured smoking a cigarette at the age of 15
She is following in her mother’s footsteps in many ways including her passion for fashion with the family’s clothing line Material Girl.
But as Madonna was seen seductively posing with a cigarette in her latest music video Girl Gone Wild, it appears it may be a bad habit picked up closer to home.
Madonna’s rep had denied the singer had started smoking again after pictures surfaced of her with what looked like a cigarette in hand while shooting her movie W.E. in 2010.
But regardless of whether Madonna was just posing with it or does still smoke, it may not be the best example to set for her four children.
Lourdes Leon will reportedly join her mother’s backing dancers when she kicks off her 50-country world tour in Israel in May.
“It is the first time Lourdes will have appeared on stage with her mum,” says a source.
“There are risqué dancers and some blatantly sexual dance routines – but Madonna is really excited about Lourdes making an appearance.”
James Cameron begins an attempt to become the first person in 50 years to visit the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Pacific Ocean.
Film director James Cameron is travelling 11km (6.8 miles) down to the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, where he hopes to spend six hours exploring and filming.
James Cameron, 57, is making the dive in a specially designed and cramped one-man submarine, the Deepsea Challenger.
The journey has been delayed several times by bad weather.
James Cameron begins an attempt to become the first person in 50 years to visit the Mariana Trench
A manned descent to the trench was last attempted in 1960, by US Navy Lt. Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard.
They spent about 20 minutes on the ocean floor but their landing kicked up silt, meaning their view was obscured.
“Jim is a remarkable guy who’s never trained as an engineer but has an intuitive grasp of engineering details that far surpass a lot of the professionals I’ve known,” Don Walsh told the Telegraph.
“He hasn’t wasted a lot of time trumpeting to the world, <<We’re going to do this>>. He wants to make sure he’s got it right and then he’ll tell the world. He’s a pretty high-profile person and he doesn’t want to screw up royally.”
Tania Head became famous after she claimed she was a 9/11 survivor, one of only nineteen people to escape death above the point of impact in the South Tower.
Tania Head’s survival story was made all the more harrowing as she tragically lost her fiancé who was killed in the North Tower.
America took Tania Head into their hearts both as a victim and as the woman who publicly fought for the cause of the 9/11 survivors.
But in 2007 Tania Head became infamous as the woman who made it all up.
People were left stunned as the woman confessed to the lies before the New York Times could beat her to it with their exposé.
And the extent of her cruelty continues to be revealed.
As part of the fantasist’s web of lies Tania Head forced a genuine survivor to relive her trauma and mocked her when she found it difficult, as revealed in a new book, The Woman Who Wasn’t There, to be released next month.
Tania Head became infamous as the woman who made the 9/11 survival story up
Spinning her story to a wounded nation, Tania Head rose to become president of the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network with politicians, media, fellow survivors and the families of those who died in the attacks all being inspired by her tale of tragedy and triumph.
Inevitably, Tania Head also became friends with fellow survivors, including her closest friend Linda Gormley.
The fraudster convinced Linda Gormley that they should be leaning on one another to get through their trauma and implored Linda to help her with her therapy.
Linda Gormley was reluctant to talk in depth about the terror but couldn’t say no to her forceful friend who, she believed, had suffered more than she had in the attacks.
Linda Gormley had seen people die but Tania Head had been badly burnt, nearly lost an arm and lost the love of her life, Dave, in the North Tower.
Tania Head told Linda Gormley that she had was undergoing an intense form of treatment to help deal with her post traumatic stress.
The treatment involved Tania Head reciting the terrible incidents of the attacks – and recording them.
Tania Head told Linda Gormely that, as part of the therapy, she had to then listen back to the tape until her fear receded and to enlist the help of a friend if she needed support.
So Tania Head asked her “fellow” survivor to listen to the graphic recital with her but Linda wanted to avoid reliving the nightmare – and tried to postpone it.
“You’re scared! Ha! Why should you be scared? I’m the one who went through hell. All you have to do is listen to a tape with me,” Tania Head taunted.
And trapped in Tania Head’s apartment Linda Gormley, who had herself seen people die in the attacks, was forced to listen to the tape which brought back the terror of her own ordeal.
The Woman Who Wasn’t There will be released next month
The genuine survivor was made to listen to Tania Head talk about looking at the lifeless body of her secretary who has been almost decapitated.
“She has no head!” Tania Head cries in the tape.
“Oh, my God! I can’t breathe! My skin is burning! They’re all dead, Everyone is dead!”
Linda Gormley is desperate to turn off the tape but doesn’t dare to stand up to Tania – whose forceful nature she was already aware of.
Tania Head’s tape shines light on the minute detail that Tania went into to fool the entire nation into believing she was a survivor.
The tape starts with Tania Head talking about and her future husband, Dave, having breakfast – two sunny side up eggs for her and three over easy for him before they go to work together in the Twin Towers.
Tania Head, whose real name is Alicia Esteve Head, was in fact thousands of miles away at business school in Barcelona.
The Woman Who Wasn’t There reveals the intricacy of the web of lies which allowed Tania Head to become the face of the survivors, the woman who gave Rudy Giulani and Michael Bloomberg a tour around Ground Zero and who fooled the nation with her story.
A marriage guide book for Muslim couples written by Maulavi Ashraf Ali Thanvi has sparked outrage by advising men on the best ways to beat their wives.
A Gift For Muslim Couple tells husbands that they should beat their wives with “hand or stick or pull her by the ears”.
But the book has faced a backlash from moderate Muslims who claim that it encourages domestic violence.
The 160-page book claims to be a “presentation for newlyweds” or couples who have been together for some years.
The book author, Maulavi Ashraf Ali Thanvi, is understood to be a prominent Islamic scholar.
The guide’s blurb says: “The book… deals with the subject of marriage and after marriage relationship, as well as the various pitfalls of marriage, causes of breakdown and their causes.”
It also claims to give “real life incidents” and advises on “different aspects of family life and how to run the institution of marriage successfully”.
A Gift For Muslim Couple tells husbands that they should beat their wives with “hand or stick or pull her by the ears”
But within the book’s opening pages it states that “it might be necessary to restrain her with strength or even to threaten her”.
It continues: “The husband should treat the wife with kindness and love, even if she tends to be stupid and slow sometimes.’”
The author then gives the “rights of the husband”. According to the book, these include his wife’s inability to leave “his house without his permission”.
The wife must then “fulfill his desires” and “not allow herself to be untidy … but should beautify herself for him”.
Worryingly, the book advises men that they should scold their wives. According to the book, they may also “beat by hand or stick, withhold money from her or pull (her) by the ears”.
However, it adds that men should “refrain from beating her excessively”.
The book came to light after going on sale in a Canadian book store. It is understood to have sold out there.
However, it is widely available from Islamic online book stores.
Canadian political campaigner Tarek Fatah said that the shop should be banned from stores.
“I wouldn’t say it’s hate, but it is inciting men to hit women,” Tarek Fatah told the Toronto Sun.
Researchers at Boston University have found that two cups of tea a day may help boost a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant.
The study found that women were 27% more likely to become pregnant if they regularly drank tea compared with those who did not.
However, the same research found consuming two cola-style fizzy drinks daily seems to reduce a woman’s prospects of conceiving – and it makes no difference if the cola is a diet or sugary version.
Women who drank these soft drinks at least twice a day reduced their chances of becoming pregnant by 20%.
There was no effect on the chances of pregnancy for women who preferred to drink coffee.
The findings were based on a group of 3,600 women who were actively trying to have a baby.
The study’s author, Professor Elizabeth Hatch, wanted to determine if caffeine intake had any effect on women trying for a baby. While there have been other studies on the subject, their results have not been conclusive.
They have also used methods which are thought to be unreliable, based on interviews with pregnant women who were asked to remember the amounts of tea, coffee and soft drinks they consumed before they conceived.
Instead, Prof. Elizabeth Hatch monitored each of the volunteers for a year.
Danish women were chosen for the research because every Danish citizen is given a civil registration number at birth, allowing health officials to recruit and then screen individuals through the internet.
The women, with an average age of 28, formed the largest group ever studied to evaluate a link between caffeine consumption and pregnancy.
Researchers at Boston University have found that two cups of tea a day may help boost a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant
Prof. Elizabeth Hatch said: “We found that women who drank tea two or three times a day did have a 27% increased chance of becoming pregnant. We don’t know how they took the tea or if they added milk or lemon, but they had this increased chance of getting pregnant over women who did not drink tea at all.
“It may be linked to caffeine but clearly there may be other factors linked with the women’s lifestyle or there may be beneficial properties in tea itself.
“I think drinking two or three cups of tea a day for anyone wishing to get pregnant will be fine. I would love to say tea is a miracle cure to get pregnant but that is not realistic. There may be other factors. The tea drinkers tended to be older women and there may be something else in their diet or lifestyle that helped.”
Green tea has previously been linked with increasing women’s chances of becoming pregnant.
However, in this study women were asked to record their consumption of green or herbal tea in the same section and no link with increased chance of pregnancy was found.
Further research will seek to identify whether drinking green tea helps women became pregnant.
Follow-up work will establish more about the health and size of the babies born to the tea-drinking mums and if the women endured shorter or longer pregnancies or suffered miscarriages.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is returning to Cuba for further radiotherapy treatment for cancer.
Hugo Chavez had surgery in Cuba last month to remove a tumor in his pelvic area after a recurrence of cancer first treated last year.
His illness has cast doubt on his ability to campaign for re-election in October.
Hugo Chavez will coincide in Havana with Pope Benedict, who is due to fly to Cuba on Monday.
“Tonight I leave for Havana. I have decided on the recommendation of my medical team and my political team to begin the radiation treatment on Sunday,” Hugo Chavez said during a televised meeting with his cabinet.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is returning to Cuba for further radiotherapy treatment for cancer
Hugo Chavez, 57, said the treatment was a complement to the surgery he had a month ago, from which he says he is recovering well.
Last year Hugo Chavez had surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba, after a baseball-sized growth was detected in his pelvic region.
The Venezuelan leader has never revealed the exact nature of his cancer, fuelling speculation that his health may be worse than officially stated.
Hugo Chavez has told Venezuelan to ignore rumors he says are aimed at destabilizing the country.
In October’s election, he is facing a strong challenge from opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski.
Hugo Chavez, who has been in power since 1999, is seeking another six-year term to continue his programme of “socialist revolution”.
Families of the Afghan people who lost their lives in the Kandahar massacre have been paid compensation.
The US military gave $46,000 for each person killed, and $10,000 for each person injured, Afghan officials and tribal elders say.
US staff sergeant Robert Bales was charged on Friday with 17 counts of premeditated murder.
Meanwhile, eight Afghan police officers and an ISAF foreign soldier have been killed by a bomb in Kandahar province.
They were on patrol when they were hit by an improvised explosive device late on Saturday, officials said.
“Four Afghan local police and three national police, one ISAF soldier and one Afghan interpreter were killed,” Shah Mohammad, administrator for Arghandab district, said.
Family members attended a private meeting with personnel from the US military and the NATO-led ISAF forces at the offices of Kandahar’s governor.
The families were told that some witnesses would be flown to the US to give evidence – and others would be able to participate by videolink – when Staff Sgt. Robert Bales stands trial over the deadly night-time rampage in Panjwai district on 11 March.
Sgt. Robert Bales had been formally charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, nine Afghan children and eight adults
The US army said on Friday that Sgt. Robert Bales had been formally charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder – nine Afghan children and eight adults.
Afghan officials and villagers say 16 died – 12 in Balandi and four in Alkozai – and the US military has not explained the discrepancy.
Sgt. Robert Bales, 38, was also charged with six counts of attempted murder over attacks on a man, a woman and four children.
The soldier is currently being held at a military jail in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he is being held in solitary confinement after being flown out of Afghanistan last week.
His lawyer, John Henry Browne, who has played down reports that his client was drunk on the night of the killings, has said Sgt. Robert Bales remembers “very little” of the incident.
John Henry Browne said there were “no forensic evidence” against him and “no confession”.
Sgt. Robert Bales is the only known suspect in the killings – despite repeated Afghan assertions that more than one American was involved.
His trial could take years, contrasting with Afghan demands for swift and decisive justice, and he could face the death penalty if convicted.
The shooting spree has further undermined relations between Kabul and Washington. The Taliban called off peace talks in the wake of the deadly rampage.
CY Leung is the newly elected leader of Hong Kong after an unusually turbulent campaign.
Self-made businessman CY Leung, 57, was elected by a committee of 1,200 business leaders and other influential citizens, mostly loyal to Beijing.
The Chinese government switched its support to CY Leung late in the campaign after a string of scandals rocked early frontrunner Henry Tang.
Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters gathered outside the convention centre where the vote took place.
The tumultuous campaign has fuelled calls by pro-democracy activists for Hong Kong’s 7.1 million residents to be able to directly elect their own leader, something China has promised will happen in 2017.
CY Leung was declared Hong Kong’s new chief executive after securing 689 votes. With most of the votes counted, Henry Tang had 285 and pro-democracy candidate Albert Ho 76, election officials said.
CY Leung is the newly elected leader of Hong Kong after an unusually turbulent campaign
Before the vote, CY Leung had told reporters he would work hard to “get rid of people’s negative perception about this election”.
The son of a policeman, he had originally been seen as having only an outside chance of securing the leadership.
But Beijing’s early choice, Henry Tang, was wounded by a series of gaffes and scandals. The heir to a textile fortune confessed to cheating on his wife and building an illegal underground basement, which was reported to have housed an entertainment suite, jacuzzi and wine cellar.
Albert Ho’s outspoken pro-democracy stance meant he was widely seen as being unacceptable to Beijing.
CY Leung will replace Donald Tsang, who served two terms and could not run for the post again.
Hong Kong, a British colony until 1997, has been enjoying high degree of autonomy from Beijing.
But Communist leaders in Beijing have resisted public pressure for full democracy in Hong Kong.
President Barack Obama has visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating South Korea from North Korea, amid rising tensions over the North’s planned rocket launch.
Barack Obama went to an observation post on the volatile border, and met US troops. The president will hold talks in Seoul later.
The US has voiced concern that the North Korea’s rocket launch due in April is a pretext for a missile test. Pyongyang says it wants to put a satellite into orbit.
On Monday, Barack Obama will attend a security summit in Seoul.
The conference in the South Korean capital will be attended by leaders from more than 50 nations.
The summit main focus will be preventing criminal or militant groups from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Pyongyang’s nuclear programme is not officially on the agenda. But American officials have made it clear that President Barack Obama will be discussing the programmes of both North Korea and Iran in bilateral meetings with the Chinese and Russian presidents, our correspondent says.
North Korea is not taking part in the summit.
President Barack Obama has visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating South Korea from North Korea, amid rising tensions over the North's planned rocket launch
It was Barack Obama’s first visit to the DMZ, which has bisected the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
The president told US troops serving there that they were protecting “freedom’s frontier”.
Earlier this week, Japan said it was readying its anti-missile defenses ahead of North Korea’s launch, expected between 12 and 16 April.
Pyongyang says the rocket – which would mark the 100th birthday of its late Great Leader Kim Il-Sung – would take a new southern trajectory instead of a previous route east over Japan.
US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has said an area between Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines could be affected by the flight path.
North Korea has shown a growing mastery of ballistic technology during its three previous long-range tests.
However, experts say none has succeeded in reaching orbit, and debris has fallen to earth at various stages during the launches.
Last month North Korea offered a deal involving the freezing of its nuclear and long-rang missile programmes in return for US food aid.
John and Frances Canning, a delighted British couple, have told how their wedding day was given the royal seal of approval when Queen Elizabeth walked in on the ceremony.
John and Frances Canning could hardly believe their eyes when Queen Elizabeth accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh walked into the room moments after they had tied the knot at Manchester Town Hall.
The royal couple had been attending a lunch with 200 local volunteers in an adjacent room, and the Queen had asked if she could pop in to congratulate the bride and groom.
Delighted bride Frances Canning said: “It was bizarre that she knew our names. She said: <<Hello John, Hello Frances>>.”
Around 40 guests watched in amazement as the Queen, Prince Philip, and several royal dignitaries lined up to congratulate the couple.
Groom John Canning, 48, from Prestwich, a big fan of the royal family, described the Queen’s visit as the “icing on the cake”.
Businessman John Canning said: “She commented on how beautiful Frances looked in her dress and wished us all the best for the future.”
John and Frances Canning could hardly believe their eyes when Queen Elizabeth accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh walked into the room moments after they had tied the knot at Manchester Town Hall
He chatted with Prince Philip while his bride posed with the Queen for a few photos.
John Canning added: “He was lovely man. He even asked where in Italy we were going on our honey moon.”
The couple had booked the town hall for their civil wedding in 2011 and were told they would be sharing the venue with an “V.I.P.”.
When they discovered who it was John Canning, jokingly wrote to Buckingham Palace to invite the them to the celebration, but had received a reply politely declining the offer.
But the Palace decided to make their dream come true and got in contact with Manchester City Council to arrange the surprise.
Frances Canning told the Manchester Evening News: “We never dreamt we would be able to meet her.
“When we had our ceremony, the staff asked us to wait for a moment in the corridor and just a few minutes later the Queen arrived.
“She knew both our names and apparently we had been especially added to her rota.’”
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary in November last year.
They wed at Westminster Abbey in 1947 with the ceremony broadcast by BBC radio to 200 million people around the world.
During her day in Manchester and Salford the Queen visited four hospitals and toured the BBC’s new headquarters at MediaCityUK.
Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has finally had a heart transplant on Saturday after waiting more than 20 months on the transplant list, his office said.
Dick Cheney, 71, is now recovering in hospital
The major surgery had been carried out on Saturday at the Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia.
Dick Cheney has had heart problems for much of his adult life, suffering five heart attacks since the age of 37.
He served as former President George W. Bush’s deputy from 2001 to 2009.
Dick Cheney was a lightning rod for criticism during George W. Bush’s presidency, accused by opponents of often advocating a belligerent U.S. stance in world affairs during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has finally had a heart transplant on Saturday after waiting more than 20 months on the transplant list
“Although the former vice-president and his family do not know the identity of the donor, they will be forever grateful for this lifesaving gift,” Dick Cheney’s aide, Kara Ahern, said in a statement.
Kara Ahern also revealed that Dick Cheney had been waiting for a transplant for more than 20 months.
A Japanese fishing vessel swept away by the March 2011 tsunami has been spotted bobbing in the seas near British Columbia in western Canada.
The trawler is part of the 5 million tons of debris that were swept into the ocean by the devastating tsunami when a magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck Japan.
The 23ft wall of water struck the east coast of the island nation following a 9.0 earthquake, sweeping everything from cars to houses into the ocean leaving a wake of devastation.
A Canadian military air patrol spotted the vessel – 4,703 miles away from where it was originally moored – floating towards the shore.
It has been determined that the boat has been adrift without anybody at the helm since March 11 last year.
The 50-foot-long (15-meter-long) vessel was recently about 160 miles (260 kilometers) west of Haida Gwaii, islands off the north-coast of British Columbia, slowly drifting toward shore.
The Japanese trawler is part of the 5 million tons of debris that were swept into the ocean by the last year tsunami
A maritime warning has been issued because the vessel could pose a navigational hazard.
The Japan Coast Guard identified the owner of the fishing trawler after being contacted by Canadian officials, who were able to provide the identification number on the hull of the ship.
The vessel, which was used for squid fishing, was moored at Hachinohe in the Aomori prefecture when the tsunami hit, said Toshiro Yoshinaga, a Coast Guard official.
Canada’s transport ministry is monitoring the vessel for marine pollution and to see if it becomes an obstruction though there are no reports of leaks from the vessel.
The tsunami last March generated more than 25 million tons of debris, say researchers at the University of Hawaii. Between four and eight million tons were washed into the ocean, with one to two million tons still floating on the surface.
The main mass of the debris is not expected to make landfall in North America until March 2014.
Maria Cantwell, US senator for Washington state, said the boat was expected to drift slowly south.
“On its current trajectory and speed, the vessel wouldn’t make landfall for approximately 50 days,” Senator Maria Cantwell said in a statement.
The earthquake, which struck about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo, was the largest in the country’s history.
Thousands of people were killed when the earthquake triggered the tsunami and other giant waves that devastated cities and rural areas.
According to the official toll, the disasters left 15,839 dead, 5,950 injured, and 3,642 missing.
Batman was pulled over earlier this week after Montgomery police saw he had no tags on his black Lamborghini.
Lenny B. Robinson, the man dressed as Batman, was heading to a local children’s hospital, according to Montgomery County Captain Paul Starks.
According to Capt. Paul Starks, a man dressed as Batman was pulled over on Interstate 29 in Montgomery, Maryland, outside of Washington, DC.
“An officer on routine patrol saw a Lamborghini with the rear plate – it was the Batman symbol for the show. He pulled him over and said, <<what’s going on?>>”
However, Lenny B. Robinson had both front and back plates with him.
“The car was registered, and the man explained that he goes to hospitals and does work with kids (while in costume),” Capt. Paul Stark explained.
But it would appear he was short for a changing room – the Lamborghini is usually the vehicle of choice for Batman’s alter-ego, Bruce Wayne.
Lenny B. Robinson, the man dressed as Batman, was heading to a local children’s hospital
Capt. Paul Stark said that Lenny B. Robinson was not charged.
“They had a discussion about the law, and he let him fly so to speak,” he said.
“The police officer and Batman had a discussion, and he said next time, get it right,” Capt. Paul Stark said.
The precinct released pictures of the unusual event on both their Facebook and Twitter pages.
As for the reason why he didn’t have plates in? Capt. Paul Stark speculated that Lenny B. Robinson didn’t want to “ruin the effect” of being Batman – thus going completely method.
A tipster told Jalopnik that the plate’s screws simply would not fit with the luxury car.
The Montgomery police tweeted that the “batmobile was not towed”.
Lenny B. Robinson, it seems, loves showing up in public dressed as the Dark Knight.
From the look of his Facebook page, the business owner often makes appearances, and especially loves brightening young children’s days.
This isn’t the first issue the erstwhile Batman has faced. Last Halloween, his car got a flat tire as he was again driving to a Washington-area hospital to visit sick children.
He posed with Howard County Police Department’s Brandon Stickles, one of the officers who responded to the call.
Lenny B. Robinson still managed to get to the hospital, thanks to a ride from a friend.
