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Twins Reuben and Floren were born five years apart

Kathryn R. Bown
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Twins Reuben and Floren were born five years apart

5-year-old Reuben Blake and his seven-week-old sister Floren from UK are twins that arrive five years apart.

Both children were born from the same batch of embryos created during their parents’ IVF treatment.

While Reuben was successfully implanted in 2006, Floren was kept on ice until 2011.

Now their parents, Jody and Simon Blake, delight in telling well-wishers all about the incredible age gap between their “twins”.

“I tell everybody I can,” said Simon Blake, a business lecturer.

“People take an interest in a newborn baby and with Reuben around as well, I find it very difficult to resist the temptation to say <<Oh and by the way, they are twins>>.

“It’s almost just to see people’s response. They are really amazed and surprised.”

5-year-old Reuben Blake and his seven-week-old sister Floren from UK are twins that arrive five years apart
5-year-old Reuben Blake and his seven-week-old sister Floren from UK are twins that arrive five years apart

Jody Blake, a charity worker, added: “It does feel quite surreal.

“I think people are really, really surprised and it almost takes them a few minutes to get their heads around it.

“We obviously had nine months to get it straight and to think <<Gosh, we’re having Reuben’s twin>>, but it’s incredibly special.”

Jody Blake, 38, and her 45-year-old husband began fertility treatment in 2005.

During the medical process, five embryos were created and two implanted in Jody Blake, which resulted in the birth of Reuben on December 9, 2006.

The remaining three embryos were frozen until the couple, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, decided to try for another child in March 2011.

Only one of the embryos survived the defrosting process and 39 weeks later Floren arrived by Caesarean section.

Reuben is fascinated by his little sister. “He knows that she’s been in the freezer,” said Jody Blake.

“He likes to say she has been in the freezer with the chips and the chicken, so he is sort of aware that she is his twin, but obviously he doesn’t really understand how it’s all worked.

“They do look very similar. Reuben was just a bigger version of Floren when he was born, so certainly there are similarities physically.”

Recalling their decision to try for a second child, Simon Blake said: “We wanted to complete the family. We were aware the odds were long.

“You just can’t comprehend that a life could come from some material that’s been frozen for that length of time.”

Doctors who treated the Blakes at the Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine said the decision to freeze remaining IVF embryos was a safer way to have more than one child.

Lead clinician Dr. Valentine Akande said: “We very often recommend storing surplus embryos so that they can be used at a later date.

“Sadly, due to the chance work of nature, not everybody is able to have those surplus embryos and, of course, not everybody meets with success when they are used.”

Katy Perry speaks out for the first time since Russell Brand filed for divorce

Lisa.Felice
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Katy Perry speaks out for the first time since Russell Brand filed for divorce

Katy Perry has finally spoken out after keeping silence since it emerged that her 14-month marriage to Russell Brand was over.

Katy Perry, 27, has been somewhat forced into making an official statement over her impending divorce since speculation as to why she and Russell Brand, 36, split had gone into overdrive.

The singer made it crystal clear yesterday that she speaks for herself and she also took a swipe at her parents who had publicly given their opinion on their daughter’s troubles.

Katy Perry said on Twitter: “I am so grateful for all the love and support I’ve had from people around the world. You guys have made my heart happy again.”

The singer also put out a strong and stern warning to her fans to not listen to any rumors or information about her unless she says it herself.

Katy Perry said: “Concerning the gossip, I want to be clear that NO ONE speaks for me. Not a blog, magazine, <<close sources>> or my family.”

Katy Perry has finally spoken out after keeping silence since it emerged that her 14-month marriage to Russell Brand was over
Katy Perry has finally spoken out after keeping silence since it emerged that her 14-month marriage to Russell Brand was over

The tweet, which was Katy Perry’s first since December 26, will be a clear message to her evangelical parents who had spoken about the split earlier this week.

Pastors Keith and Mary Hudson spoke about their daughter’s divorce for the first time – from the pulpit of their evangelical church, which was unusually packed.

They suggested their daughter split with Russell Brand was a gift sent by God – to help them fill churches.

Mary Hudson, 63, preached to the Church on the Rise congregation in Westlake, Ohio: “I’m sure that Katy’s trending on the Internet was to get you here to church tonight.”

“I mean all over the world, who knows how God is bringing them in? The most important thing is you are here and God wants to put the fire in you in 2012.”

Russell Brand announced on December 30 that he was filing for divorce from Katy Perry and said: “Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I’ll always adore her and I know we’ll remain friends.”

It has also emerged Katy Perry will stay in the couple’s $6.5 million Hollywood Hills mansion and Russell Brand will move out.

Sources close to told TMZ the moving process is already under way and most of the camp comic’s belongings are already out of the home.

It seems Katy Perry and Russell Brand are still on reasonably good terms as the decision over the house went reasonably smoothly.

The couple had purchased the home together just a few months ago.

Friends said Katy Perry had asked Russell Brand to file the court papers last month to avoid upsetting her parents, who are strongly opposed to divorce.

The comments were revealed by biographer Chloe Govan, author of Katy Perry: A Life of Fireworks.

A friend said: “Russ was forever making lewd jokes at the dinner table and poking fun at her parents’ beliefs.

“He managed to restrain himself in the beginning – just. But as the marriage progressed, he got worse and kept winding up her family.”

Another friend said: “After the lust wore off, reality hit home about their differences and she was left thinking, <<What have I done?>>”

Other rumors say the split was because Katy Perry couldn’t keep up with Russell Brand’s appetite in the bedroom, and his disapproval of her party lifestyle.

Russell Brand, who Katy Perry affectionately called Rusty, has reportedly been uninvited from the People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday to avoid a confrontation with Katy, where she is expected to make an appearance.

Kim Jong-Un birthday documentary aired by North Korean television

Roy Siemens
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Kim Jong-Un birthday documentary aired by North Korean television

North Korean television has aired a documentary to honor what is reported to be the birthday of its new leader, Kim Jong-Un.

The footage shows Kim Jong-Un in his new role as supreme military commander – inspecting troops, saluting and sitting in a tank.

The documentary also confirms that Kim Jong-Un was being groomed for the role from 2009, showing footage of him from that time watching a rocket launch with his father, Kim Jong-Il.

Kim Jong-un’s age is not known but he is believed to be in his late 20s.

The death of Kim Jong-Il on 17 December left the threat of a dangerous vacuum in a society raised to venerate one supreme leader.

Less than a month on, North Korea’s unique media machine is already working to fill it.

The footage shows Kim Jong-Un in his new role as supreme military commander - inspecting troops, saluting and sitting in a tank
The footage shows Kim Jong-Un in his new role as supreme military commander - inspecting troops, saluting and sitting in a tank

The documentary shows Kim Jong-Un manoeuvring a tank, watching jet fighter and firing exercises and posing for photographs with soldiers.

The film also shows Kim Jong-Un with his father shaking hands with officials at a satellite control centre after scientists launched a rocket in April 2009.

“I had decided to wage a real war if the enemies shot down the rocket,” Kim Jong-Un is quoted as saying.

The documentary also shows him visiting factories, talking to officials and inspecting their work – all the things his father used to do.

Websites linked to the North Korean government have already begun describing the new leader as having the wisdom of great men, extraordinary competence and military brilliance.

Kim Jong-Un was named “supreme leader of the party, state and army” following the death of Kim Jon-Il.

The young leader has already pledged to continue with Kim Jong-Il’s “military first” policies.

Poet John Tottenham launches campaign against the word “awesome” in LA

Diane A. Wade
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Poet John Tottenham launches campaign against the word “awesome” in LA

John Tottenham, a British original poet, has launched a campaign to stamp out the word “awesome” claiming that it is “bogus”.

John Tottenham has created bumper stickers for his movement and is in the process of designing a t-shirt.

The poet now lives in Los Angeles and works at the Stories bookshop in Echo Park.

John Tottenham told the Los Angeles Times that saying the word within earshot is like “waving a crucifix in a vampire’s face”.

John Tottenham, a British original poet, has launched a campaign to stamp out the word “awesome” claiming that it is “bogus”.
John Tottenham, a British original poet, has launched a campaign to stamp out the word “awesome” claiming that it is “bogus”.

Local businesses have reportedly stuck the signs in their windows in support of John Tottenham’s campaign.

The mission statement reads: “Please try to restrict usage of this nauseatingly ubiquitous (and by now, completely meaningless) superlative to those of us who are under the age of 12.”

John Tottenham performed an “Anti-Awesome oration” along with some of his own poetry last month.

The word has its roots in Californian surf culture. Urbandictionary.com describes it as “something Americans use to describe everything… It is one the three words which make up most American sentences”.

7 Qantas passengers flying from London to Sydney injured, as the jet struck severe turbulence

Diane A. Wade
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Seven Qantas passengers flying from London to Sydney have been injured today when the A380 superjet struck severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean.

Four of them, who received cuts and bruises, were taken to hospital in Singapore for treatment, while the other three were treated at the medical centre in Changi airport.

According to Qantas, the turbulence was the result of severe thunderstorms over the Indian Ocean, in Indian air space, three hours before the jet was due to land in Singapore for refueling.

A Qantas spokeswoman said the seatbelt sign went on immediately the aircraft hit the turbulence but some passengers were still standing or making their way back to their seats.

“Striking bad weather is not unusual,” Qantas spokeswoman said.

“The aircraft diverted around most of it but it was the initial part of the storm that had the impact.”

She described the injuries as minor cuts and bruises.

Engineers carried out a thorough inspection of the jet, named after Australian aviation pioneer Charles Kingsford Smith, and declared that no damage had been caused and it was fit to return to the skies.

Qantas jet was due to arrive in Sydney late on Sunday.

Qantas has received 12 of the 20 A380 “double decker” supersets it has ordered.

Just last week the airline reassured passengers there was no risk to safety after cracks were found on the wings of several A380 jets owned by a number of airlines around the world.

Qantas said that minuscule cracking had been found in the wing ribs on one of its A380s but no immediate action was required because it presented no risk to flight safety.

2012 Palm Springs Film Festival Annual Awards

Diane A. Wade
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2012 Palm Springs Film Festival Annual Awards

Just one week before the Golden Globes and seven weeks before the Oscars, Hollywood began polishing its acceptance speeches Saturday night at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 23rd annual awards gala.

Palm Springs Film Festival gala is often a bellwether of Oscar nominations – 15 of last year’s attendees collected nominations for the 2011 Academy Awards.

Last night, Michelle Williams collected an award for Marilyn Monroe 50 years late, Octavia Spencer thanked some “white, very white” knights and George Clooney entreated his precocious 20-year-old “Descendants” costar Shailene Woodley to, some day in the future, “give a retired two-time Sexiest Man Alive a job… and then after you give Brad [Pitt] a job, maybe you’ll give me one.”

Michelle Williams, who was on hand to accept the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award, said her thoughts were on Marilyn Monroe, whom she plays in “My Week With Marilyn” and who, unlike Williams, struggled to be taken seriously as an actress.

“My only wish is that Marilyn herself could have experienced in her lifetime what I am experiencing tonight,” Michelle Williams said.

“When she did stretch beyond her pin-up picture, she was pushed back into her place. I accept this award on both our behalf.”

Seven weeks before the Oscars, Hollywood began polishing its acceptance speeches Saturday night at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 23rd annual awards gala
Seven weeks before the Oscars, Hollywood began polishing its acceptance speeches Saturday night at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 23rd annual awards gala

Though the gala is “black-tie optional,” according to the invitations, most of the celebrities are considerably more relaxed than at other awards events.

The Palm Springs gala isn’t televised and honorees already know that they’ve won, a fact that leads to some impromptu speeches.

Multiple attendees compared the crystal award they received to a bong – “I may smoke this later,” said International Star Award recipient Gary Oldman – and obscenities flew fast and furious.

“George Clooney closed the night with an f-bomb!” marveled the evening’s emcee, “Entertainment Tonight’s” Mary Hart.

Mock serious speeches abounded – Tom Hanks watched, bemused, as his 14-year-old “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” co-star Thomas Horn bested him in smooth teleprompter reading, and Jonah Hill took a crack at his “Moneyball” co-star Brad Pitt, who was on hand to accept the Desert Palm Acheivement Actor Award.

“Brad Pitt has constantly made choices that are risky,” said Jonah Hill.

“Look at the unconventional storylines of the two movies he’s being honored for this evening. <<Moneyball>> is about baseball statistics and <<The Tree of Life>> is about… I’m sorry, I’ve seen it three times and I still have no idea what <<The Tree of Life>> is about. But it was beautiful.”

Brad Pitt, who was using a cane after, he said, tripping and falling while carrying one of his twins skiing, walked a 300-foot red carpet into the gala alongside partner Angelina Jolie. Other stars in attendance included Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Glenn Close, Al Pacino, Olivia Wilde and Melissa McCarthy.

Octavia Spencer, who was on hand to accept the Breakthrough Performance Award for her work in “The Help,” thanked her dead parents who, she said, “sent me two white knights, very, very white in the form of [director] Tate Taylor and [producer] Brunson Green.” After acknowledging a phalanx of studio personnel and fellow honorees, including Brad Pitt and George Clooney, Octavia Spencer said: “I would be remiss if I didn’t say… I’m single, gentlemen. I just had to throw that in there.”

Later, “The Artist” director Michel Hazanavicius was presented with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award by his stars, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, who is also the mother of two of his children.

“Octavia,” Michael Hazanavicius said, “I’m married, but I’m French, so…”

According to organizers said the event raised $1.6 million for the nonprofit Palm Springs Film Society.

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“Finding Martin” Facebook campaign UPDATES. Martin was found, but is not single.

Diane A. Wade
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“Finding Martin” Facebook campaign UPDATES. Martin was found, but is not single.

Julia Cross’ attempt to use Twitter and Facebook to find the mysterious stranger with whom she enjoyed a brief but perfect flirtation beneath the Mediterranean stars ended in disappointment.

Julia Cross, 33, finally found her Prince Charming Martin, but he came forward to say: “Sorry, but I’ve got a girlfriend!”

It seems that PR consultant Julia Cross from UK might just have had a lucky escape, as Martin, the object of her affections, is a party-loving lad with a distinct eye for the ladies.

Julia Cross became obsessed with her mystery man after a brief encounter in an Ibiza nightclub in September.

They shared a kiss as they watched the sun come up – but lost contact because she mistakenly gave him the wrong phone number.

She frequently lamented the lost opportunity in the ensuing months, prompting her friends to launch a determined campaign to track down the man.

Julia Cross’ attempt to use Twitter and Facebook to find the mysterious stranger with whom she enjoyed a brief but perfect flirtation beneath the Mediterranean stars ended in disappointment
Julia Cross’ attempt to use Twitter and Facebook to find the mysterious stranger with whom she enjoyed a brief but perfect flirtation beneath the Mediterranean stars ended in disappointment

Julia Cross knew him only as Martin, a software developer working in North London and originally from Maidenhead.

The mystery hit the headlines around the world – but was solved yesterday when Martin O’Kane came forward to admit he was the man from the nightclub Space.

Martin O’Kane first broke cover when he tweeted: “Deal with this tomorrow … Cheers Julia! Hope your [sic] well.”

Martin then sent an email to the “Find Martin” Facebook campaign in which he said he was “flattered” by the attempts to track him down but revealed he was already taken.

He confessed he got back together with an ex-girlfriend after his holiday in Ibiza.

It seems that Julia Cross isn’t the first attractive girl to catch his eye, if the photographs on his Facebook page are anything to go by. Martin O’Kane is pictured with a string of good-looking girls, often with drink in hand.

Other shots display distinctly laddish tendencies, such as posing in heavy metal gear, grappling with a friend at a “flat destruction party” – and fashioning a lewd sculpture out of snow on a trip to the Alps.

Martin O’Kane is pictured with a string of good-looking girls, often with drink in hand
Martin O’Kane is pictured with a string of good-looking girls, often with drink in hand

In his email identifying himself, Martin O’Kane wrote: “I have to say I found this all hilarious and I’m obviously very flattered! I hope Julia isn’t too embarrassed by some of the negative comments.”

Martin said he had tried to get in contact with Julia after their holiday encounter, but was thwarted by the wrong number.

He wrote: “So about a week or so after I got back from Ibiza I dropped Julia a message but got no response. Didn’t really think too much more about it as these things happen. I guess it’s possible I took the number wrong.”

Martin added: “I’m definitely not married!” – but added that one of his friends might have given Julia’s pals the wrong idea.

He wrote: “Caroline (my friend whose wedding I was at in Ibiza) has told me that she’s been in contact with you via email to confirm it’s me. She also mentioned that she said I was single.

“Unfortunately this isn’t the case. I’ve just started seeing an ex-girlfriend again. (I hadn’t told Caroline this as I suspected that she’d probably disapprove!)

“Weirdly enough I actually thought I saw Julia in Clapham Old Town last Friday when I was on my way to The Sun [a pub].

“I have to say, it was a really good night in Space, some funny moments including stumbling around in the sea and swallowing lots of sea water, and chilling on the beach with my friends after sunrise. I had a fan-tastic time.”

In a subsequent email, Martin O’Kane discloses some information about the couple’s meeting to prove that he was the man they were looking for.

Martin wrote: “I know that Julia is part Mohican which she told me after I asked about her tattoo.

“I initially thought she was pronouncing Mexico like “me-hi-co” which produced a bit of confusion.”

Martin went on to reveal that his own girlfriend was being as understanding as possible in the circumstances. He wrote: “She already feels a bit odd that there’s a national campaign to set me up with someone else.”

Julia Cross friends’ search had divided opinion on Twitter and has been described as both “brilliant’ and “desperate”.

The Facebook page Julia Cross’ friends set up had stated: “This campaign has been set up to FIND MARTIN, lovely bloke my friend Julia met in Space in Ibiza in the summer of 2011.

“She accidentally gave him the wrong telephone number and has been lamenting <<what if>> ever since.

“This is what we know about Martin: Works for a software development company in Camden; is originally from Maidenhead; was in Ibiza for a friend’s wedding and was partying that night wearing a cycling helmet with glow sticks coming out of it.

“Please help us reunite Martin and Julia!!!!!!! Spread the word xxxx.”

Men always cheat and this is the norm, not the exception, a new study says

Kathryn R. Bown
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Men always cheat and this is the norm, not the exception, a new study says

According to a new study ran by sociologist Eric Anderson from University of Winchester, men who don’t cheat are setting themselves up for “socially-compelled sexual incarceration”.

Eric Anderson also says that men who cheat give them the best of both worlds.

Most of men who cheat still want to stay with their partner – they just want to have more sex on the side.

The American sociologist who teaches at the University of Winchester in England says monogamy has ostracized men from doing what they most want to do.

Eric Anderson writes in his new book “The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating”, that cheating is the norm, not the exception to it, and it’s high time that people start embracing “sexually open relationships that coexist without hierarchy or hegemony”.

In the study, Eric Anderson surveyed 120 undergraduate men – both gay and straight. The sociologist found that 78% of those with partners cheated, “even though they said that they loved and intended to stay with their partner”.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, Eric Anderson says men want to be emotionally monogamous, though their “body craves sex with other people somatically”.

Eric Anderson writes in his new book “The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating”, that cheating is the norm, not the exception to it
Eric Anderson writes in his new book “The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating”, that cheating is the norm, not the exception to it

For the purpose of raising a family, Eric Anderson says, it’s the emotional – and not the sexual factor – that counts.

Eric Anderson says: “Our physical desires don’t die; they just change from our partner to other people…When the sex dies, the relationship has just begun.”

To Eric Anderson, it’s better for men to cheat and repent for it, since telling their partner that they want sex outside the relationship is a tried-and-true relationship-ender.

“When men cheat for recreational sex – not affairs – they DO love their partners,” Eric Anderson tells the Huffington Post.

“If they didn’t, they would break up with them.”

Eric Anderson states that the feelings of betrayal many partners inevitably feel after a man cheats is simply because of a “socialized victimhood”.

The Huffington Post noted that in the study, men were perfectly alright with sex outside of a relationship for them, but not for their partners.

To this, Eric Anderson says it’s not necessarily fair, but he says monogamy often drives men to pursue sex with another in the future.

The sample size and targeted group is questionable to stand alone as a study, the Media Research Centre Network said, and asking undergraduate men about monogamy – in a time many are exploring and pushing boundaries.

In the article, the writer criticizes the idea that society is to blame for the issue and makes it an impossible standard for men to uphold.

Beyoncé gave birth to baby girl Blue Ivy Carter

Lisa.Felice
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Beyoncé gave birth to baby girl Blue Ivy Carter

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have welcomed a baby girl – their first child, it has been reported.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter has been named Blue Ivy Carter, according to eonline.com.

It was reported that Beyoncé, 30, gave birth to her daughter by caesarean section at Lenox Hill hospital in New York last night and the website said “multiple sources” have confirmed the news.

Meanwhile, celebrities have already started tweeting their congratulations to the couple with Russell Simmons and Rihanna were among the first.

Russell wrote: “Congrats to my good friends Beyonce and Jay-Z.”

Rihanna posted: “Welcome to the world princess Carter! Love Aunty Rih.”

Beyoncé gave birth to her daughter Blue Ivy Carter by caesarean section at Lenox Hill hospital in New York last night
Beyoncé gave birth to her daughter Blue Ivy Carter by caesarean section at Lenox Hill hospital in New York last night

The New York Daily News reported that Beyoncé checked into the Upper East Side hospital under the name Ingrid Jackson.

Beyoncé, who was spotted out with her mother on Thursday night, is said to have booked out the entire fourth floor spending $1.3million.

While a spokesperson for the power couple was not available for comment security is said to have been tightened at the hospital.

Hospital workers are being asked to turn in their mobile phones and security cameras have been covered, according to the news site.

Baby rumors reached fever pitch on December 30 with reports that Beyoncé had given welcomed a daughter called Tiana May Carter.

It came after reports suggested that staff at St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital – a private facility in New York – had been told to prepare for a VIP arrival.

However, Beyoncé’s sister Solange rebutted the rumors by telling fans that the singer had spent New Year’s Eve at her house party in Brooklyn.

The baby girl is the first child for Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z and the second grandchild for her parents Tina and Mathew Knowles.

Beyonce’s younger sister Solange, 25, has a 7-year-old son Daniel Smith JR.

The addition to the Knowles clan will be some welcome good news just weeks after her parents’ divorce became final.

Tina and Mathew had been married for 31 years.

Elder Efraim: ‘I am led into custody without any justification’

Diane A. Wade
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Elder Efraim: ‘I am led into custody without any justification’

Elder Efrem

This is what Elder Efrem said to the monks who met him to take his blessing according to agioritikovima.gr.

‘I am a monk and I have handed over my life to the hands of the Most Holy Lady from the beginning of my life’.

‘Most of the faithful perceive you as a confessor you is led into prison without any justification’ said the monks to him.

He replied: ‘From a young age I have given myself over to the Most Holy Lady. Where I am going now, I am also doing the same. Therefore, do not be scared. I have never pursued glory and neither have I done any heroic acts. Had I wished for these, I wouldn’t become a monk in the Holy Mountain. I have defended and will continue to defend the Holy Mountain and the property of our monastery which our forefathers have created’.

‘I am taken into custody without any justification’, he added.

 

via Pemptousia

The Holy Community of the Holy Mountain at the side of Abbot Efraim

Diane A. Wade
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The Holy Community of the Holy Mountain at the side of Abbot Efraim

 

The Holy Community of the Holy Mountain at the side of Abbot Efraim

Monday, 26 December 2011

Aimilios Polygenis

 

A few minutes ago, the members of the Holy Community of the Holy Mountain expressed their overwhelming support for Abbot Efraim of the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi.

According to information, today, Monday 26 December, 2011, a delegation from the Holy Community of the Holy Mountain visited Abbot Efraim in his cell in the monastery.

The members handed over a letter of support to the Abbot, stressing that the entire Community expressed its unstinting confidence in and respect for his person.

In their letter, the Representatives of the Holy Monasteries of the Holy Mountain emphasized that the decision to place Abbot Efraim in preventative detention was an affront to the religious sensibilities of the people, the most holy Church and Athonite monasticism.

The letter reads as follows:

SEAL OF THE HOLY COMMUNITY

Ref. No. Φ. 4/5/3069

The Very Reverend

Holy Abbot

of the H. M. of Vatopaidi

Archim. Efraim

and the honourable brotherhood with him

therein

                        We embrace Your Reverence in brotherhood in the Lord.

It is with profound sorrow and great astonishment that we have been informed of the issue of an arrest warrant for the immediate preventative detention of Your Reverence.

It causes us and the whole Athonite world deep pain that this hasty issue and dispatch of the above arrest warrant should have occurred on the days leading up to the glorious feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as do the inexplicable haste and immediate mobilization of a powerful force of police and the urgent delegation of a prosecutor, in disregard of Athonite procedures, for Your arrest, as if it were the case of an extremely dangerous malefactor. These actions are an affront to the religious sensibilities of the faithful, of our most holy Church and of Athonite monasticism.

Holy fathers and brethren, we share your profound pain at this unprecedented tribulation and the cross you are bearing during these holy days, when your Spiritual Father, known from his youth for his love of the Church and monasticism, as well as his contribution over many years to Your Holy Monastery and the Holy Mountain in general, has been dragged away and taken into detention. His treatment has been an offence against the whole Athonite fraternity.

In sharing the pain of Your trial, we express through this present letter, sealed with Our stamp, the unanimous support of Our Holy Community, encompassing the holy Abbot with Our undivided respect, trust and genuine love in Christ.

We pray from the depths of our hearts that Our Lord, Who became incarnate for Our salvation, through the intercessions of Our Lady the Mother of God, the guardian of this Holy Place, will strengthen all of You, will bring this trial to a satisfactory conclusion and will disperse the shafts of the enemy and of those who are against the Church.

With much love in the Lord and with brotherly affection, we remain

All the Representatives and Stewards

of the twenty Holy Monasteries of the Holy Mountain of Athos.

12-year-old Jessica Joy Rees, the NEGU founder, lost her battle with brain cancer after 10 months

Kathryn R. Bown
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12-year-old Jessica Joy Rees, the NEGU founder, lost her battle with brain cancer after 10 months

12-year-old Jessica Joy Rees lost her battle with brain cancer on Thursday, few days after her parents wrote on their blog about how they were excited for a great 2012 and being confident that the girl would reach her goal of making 50,000 of her “Joy Jars”.

Joy Jars were filled with candy and toys for sick children.

Jessica Joy Rees’ parents were exploring other medical treatments in Europe and out of reach of the FDA and they continued to pray and encouraged others to do the same.

Unfortunately, Jessica Joy Rees died after 10 months and 2 days of battle with the cancer.

“We have prayed and prayed and prayed for sweet Jessie to be healed here on earth but God’s plan was to use heaven for healing,” the parents wrote on Facebook when Jessica Joy Rees died on Thursday.

“Jessie earned her wings today and is with Jesus now!!! No pain..complete vision…spreading joy,” the post continued.

Calling on friends and fans to pray for their family, Eric and Stacey Rees told of their continued plans to help advance cancer research after Jessie lost her 10 month and 2 day battle.

 

Jessica Joy Rees died after 10 months and 2 days of battle with the brain cancer
Jessica Joy Rees died after 10 months and 2 days of battle with brain cancer

 

Tens of thousands of people responded by posting updates to the page in a show of support that includes “likes” and prayers.

By Friday afternoon the outpouring surpassed Jessica’s goal to get one “like” for each of the estimated 50,000 American children with cancer.

“Thank you all for honoring Jessie by helping her reach her 50,000 goal today. We will NEVER EVER GIVE UP spreading hope, joy and love to kids fighting cancer. Jessie’s dream is now our destination!” Jessica Joy Rees’ parents wrote on her Facebook page shortly after she died.

Jessica Joy Rees, the Orange County seventh-grader, called “Jessie” by family and friends, began her blog and Facebook page after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in March.

A second tumor was discovered in September.

While some of Jessica Rees’ posts discussed her struggles as she underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments, others urged readers in dozens of countries to support pediatric cancer research and to pray for other children with the illness.

Jessica Rees always signed her posts with the acronym “NEGU” [NEE’-goo], short for “never ever give up.”

Also, Jessie Rees and her parents started The NEGU Foundation, a nonprofit organization to raise awareness of pediatric cancer, support sufferers and raise money for research.

The foundation sold and provided thousands of “JoyJars” stuffed with candy and toys to sick children.

More than 3,000 were sold and distributed in 27 states last year, according to the NEGU website.

Co-host Ryan Seacrest also allowed her to announce country singer, and eventual winner, Scott McCreery.

Jessica Rees wrote on Facebook that her mission was “to encourage kids fighting cancer to Never Ever Give Up by spreading hope, joy and love. A cheerful heart is great medicine.”

After a particularly hard day in November, Jessica Rees took to her website, jessicajoyrees.com to admonish her pain and focus on her love for all that she did still have in her life.

“I love spreading joy to kids with our JoyJars. I love reading all of the posts on Facebook. I love having so many people praying for me. I love that people are supporting NEGU and allowing us to help kids. I love my family and all of my new friends,” Jessica Rees wrote.

A celebration service was scheduled for Wednesday at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, where her father, Erik Rees, is a pastor.

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Corey Feldman plans to reveal the names of two Hollywood paedophiles that abused him

Lisa.Felice
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Corey Feldman plans to reveal the names of two Hollywood paedophiles that abused him

Former teenage star Corey Feldman, who starred in some classic movies and became an 80’s Hollywood icon, admits he was preyed on by many men and he plans to reveal the names of two Hollywood perverts in a tell-all book.

On film sets such as The Goonies, Stand By Me and The Lost Boys, Corey Feldman, 40, claims to have been sexually abused by paedophiles.

The Dancing On Ice star explained how at age 14 he was being leached upon and used by men like vultures.

Corey Feldman told The Sun: “It was basically me laying there pretending I was asleep and them going about their business.”

The Canadian actor, who has been clean of drugs for 20 years, will write a book to chronicle all the abuse that he and other actors endured as children.

Corey Feldman decided it was time to open up about the seedy side of the industry after his Lost Boys co-star Corey Haim, 38, died and an agent was charged with child abuse.

He said that Corey Haim, who died from heart failure and pneumonia, was also sexually abused and the people who did it believe that they are above the law.

Corey Feldman says he and his Lost Boys co-star Corey Haim (right) were sexually abused as teenage actors
Corey Feldman says he and his Lost Boys co-star Corey Haim (right) were sexually abused as teenage actors

Corey Feldman feels Hollywood have used the pair as scapegoats and labeled them drug addicts and has-beens.

He said: “Even today people say about me, <<Eighties heartthrob; hasn’t done anything since>>. The truth is I haven’t stopped. Last year I did four films.

“Corey and I were pegged as the scapegoats… People need to know the reason Corey and I were swept under the carpet like the beaten dogs that were sent to the pound so no one had to deal with us anymore.”

The actor first spoke out about his troubled past last year and he believes that is the reason why an anonymous former child actor claimed he had been abused by talent agent Martin Weiss.

Corey Feldman said: ”I stood up and said there is a bigger problem, that I’d lost Corey and that I didn’t want to see any more kids lost to these sick perverts.”

Although Martin Weiss, 47, did not abuse Corey Feldman, he is still helping the detective in charge of the case with investigations.

Corey Feldman is aware of the danger he is putting himself and his family in by naming those who molested him but after losing his good friend Corey Haim he wants to protect his own son.

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Two-hour birthday party spent out in Dubai’s Cavalli Club totals $108,357.80

Diane A. Wade
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Two-hour birthday party spent out in Dubai’s Cavalli Club totals $108,357.80

A two-hour birthday party spent out in Dubai’s Cavalli Club managed to total a $108,357.80 bar tab (387,988 AED = Arab Emirates Dirham) according to the receipt published over Twitter this week.

The party took place at Cavalli Club on January 2 and featured a bottle of Cristal at $34,033 as well as a cheaper item of a $33 birthday cake.

Doubted by some viewers in authenticity, a manager of Cavalli Club confirmed that the receipt showed a figure regularly seen at their tables.

“Despite individuals and businesses feeling the effects of the downturn throughout 2011, Cavalli Club has seen high-spenders consistently frequent the venue,” David Lescarret, operations manager at the club told ArabianBusiness.com.

“Last year saw an average of two tables per month spend between AED 200,000 to AED 500,000 in one night, and we expect this trend to continue into the New Year,” David Lescarret said.

A two-hour birthday party spent out in Dubai’s Cavalli Club managed to total a $108,357.80 bar tab (387,988 AED), according to the receipt published over Twitter this week
A two-hour birthday party spent out in Dubai’s Cavalli Club managed to total a $108,357.80 bar tab (387,988 AED), according to the receipt published over Twitter this week

Other items on the guests’ receipt include one 3-liter Cavalli vodka at $1,347.70, two 3-liters of Cristal at $19,058.48, and 13 Roederer Cristals at $22,935.52.

It can be assumed that there was more than one person behind this bill but the manager of the club would not give specifics on their spenders.

Of the $108,357.80 total, the receipt reminded a 10% municipality and service charge fee would be added.

Those fees, together, would equal an extra $21,671.56.

 

World’s tallest suspension bridge opened in Mexico

Diane A. Wade
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World’s tallest suspension bridge opened in Mexico

Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge, the world’s tallest suspension bridge, was opened in Mexico Thursday, spanning a ravine higher than New York’s Empire State building and Paris’ Eiffel Tower.

Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge is 403 meters or 1,322 feet tall and connects between the northwestern states of Sinaloa and Durango in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains.

Officials with the Guinness Book of World Records were present as was President Felipe Calderon for the opening ceremony.

The world’s tallest bridge features four highway lanes celebrated for cutting transportation time between the two regions by an estimated six hours.

Without including the Empire State Building’s lightning rod, the bridge can easily fit its towering height from head to toe or the height of Paris’ Eiffel Tower which stands at 324 meters or 1063 feet.

Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge is 403 meters or 1,322 feet tall and connects between the northwestern states of Sinaloa and Durango in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains
Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge is 403 meters or 1,322 feet tall and connects between the northwestern states of Sinaloa and Durango in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains

After four years of construction, the Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge is priced at 2.18 billion pesos or 158.98522 million U.S. dollars.

The bridge is so named as the country celebrates it’s bicentennial independence from Spain which was in 1810.

The Durango-Mazatlan highway newly constructed to reach the bridge cost its own amount of over 20 billion pesos or 1.45858 billion U.S. dollars.

It had been deemed President Felipe Calderon’s most significant transportation project during his six-year term according to the country’s transportation ministry.

“With developments in infrastructure, we’ll continue to achieve the targets established during my term,” President Felipe Calderon said Thursday according to TheAge.com.

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27 faces of man’s ancestors, stretching back 7 million years, rebuilt by forensic anthropologists

James J. Williams
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27 faces of man’s ancestors, stretching back 7 million years, rebuilt by forensic anthropologists

Scientists have used forensic technology to recreate some of the most distant members of the human evolutionary “family”, ancestors stretching back seven million years, an presented the models at an exhibition in Dresden, Germany.

Forensic anthropologists created 27 model heads using fossil remains, and include a glimpse of sahelanthropus tchadensis, an ancestor dated to about seven million years ago, when our “hominid ancestors” first originated in Africa.

They use similar computer-assisted techniques to police teams attempting to reconstruct human remains – and the near-complete skulls of ancestors such as sahelanthropus tchadensis have allowed researchers to reconstruct lifelike faces of what ancestors might have looked like.

Salhelanthropus tchadensis dates to a time before humans and chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, became genetically separate, about seven million years ago.

“Using forensic anthropological methods, the various hominids were recreated not as characteristic ideals, but as individuals,” says the museum in Dresden.

“Each one tells its own story: where they lived, what they ate, their likely cause of death and much more.”

Salhelanthropus tchadensis dates to a time before humans and chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, became genetically separate, about seven million years ago
Salhelanthropus tchadensis dates to a time before humans and chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, became genetically separate, about seven million years ago

Some of the oldest spears ever found are also on display – dating back 400,000 years.

“There is little doubt that Africa is the cradle of humanity: this is where the most ancient remains of our ancestors were unearthed,” says the museum.

“The exhibition introduces you to the excavation sites in Africa where scientists are conducting research into the origins of mankind.

“Every step in the scientific process is clearly explained, showing exactly how conclusions are reached.”

Jason Derulo fractured his neck during rehearsal and cancelled the world tour

Lisa.Felice
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Jason Derulo fractured his neck during rehearsal and cancelled the world tour

R&B star Jason Derulo has narrowly avoided paralysis after falling directly on his head during a rehearsal for his world tour.

Jason Derulo, 22, was practicing a dance routine for his concert when the accident happened.

The singer landed badly and suffered an acute fracture to his vertebrae, miraculously avoiding paralysis.

Jason Derulo was rushed to a hospital in Pembroke Pines, Florida where he posted a photo of himself onto his Twitter page.

R&B star Jason Derulo has narrowly avoided paralysis after falling directly on his head during a rehearsal for his world tour
R&B star Jason Derulo has narrowly avoided paralysis after falling directly on his head during a rehearsal for his world tour

Doctors have ordered Jason Derulo to wear a neck brace for the next few months, meaning that he has had to cancel his world tour.

Jason Derulo told his Twitter followers: “I fractured my neck doing tumbling & acrobatics 4 tour!

“Always tryin 2 push boundaries 4 YOU!”

Perhaps in reference to his neck brace Jason Derulo then tweeted: “Like my new chain? ;)”

The singer later explained the injury to his fans on his Facebook page, saying: “My injury is called a <<Hang Man’s Break>> because it is the same bone that is broken when someone is hung!

“I am so blessed to still be here.

“95% of ppl [sic] with the same injury end up paralyzed or gone. Everything happens for a reason.

“Traumatic experiences can change you for the better.

“My outlook on life is so much clearer! Don’t forget what’s important.

“Life is short so do it today, tomorrow could be a day too late!”

Jason Derulo was preparing to kick off his Future History world tour, which was named after his album.

His world tour was supposed to begin in Glasgow on February 23.

Jason Derulo’s record label has issued a statement from him in the wake of the accident.

In the statement he says: “To all my fans who planned to come to the Future History world tour, the pain of letting you down cuts me way deeper than this injury I’ve sustained.

“My fans mean everything to me so I’m praying for a speedy recovery in order to perform for you in the near future.”

Jason Derulo has since been released from hospital.

“Bill Clinton had a scary appetite,” the former White House pastry chef remembers

Diane A. Wade
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“Bill Clinton had a scary appetite,” the former White House pastry chef remembers

Bill Clinton is known as a vegan now, though he was once a ravenous diner with an insatiable hunger, Roland Mesnier, the former White House pastry chef, revealed.

Roland Mesnier described former President Bill Clinton’s appetite as “scary” saying:

“He could eat five or six pork chops in a day.”

The former White House pastry chef added that his kitchen staff “had to be ready”.

Bill Clinton is known as a vegan now, though he was once a ravenous diner with an insatiable hunger, Roland Mesnier, the former White House pastry chef, revealed
Bill Clinton is known as a vegan now, though he was once a ravenous diner with an insatiable hunger, Roland Mesnier, the former White House pastry chef, revealed

Roland Mesnier, who has been making pastries for presidents for a quarter century, told the Washingtonian that cooking for the president was no easy feat.

For one thing, Bill Clinton is allergic to both flour and chocolate. For a pastry chef, this could be frustrating, Roland Mesnier said.

The former chef remembered one night he crafted a strawberry cake for the president. He said Bill Clinton devoured half of the cake – without help from Hillary or Chelsea – and then wanted a slice or two in the morning.

“No one could find the cake,” Roland Mesnier said.

“Clinton was pounding on the table and shouting, <<I want my goddamned cake.>>”

When the missing cake was nowhere to be found, there was only one conclusion to be made.

“We decided (Vice President Al) Gore must have eaten it,” Roland Mesnier told the Washingtonian.

Roland Mesnier served everyone from President Carter to President George W. Bush, but left before his second term.

The French chef is the author of three books, including his memoir, All the Presidents’ Pastries.

Bill Clinton, who is now 65, said his vegan diet is serving him well.

“I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now,” Bill Clinton said.

“It’s turning a ship around before it hits the iceberg, but I think we’re beginning to turn it around.”

While in office Bill Clinton, who has a family history of heart disease, was well known for gorging on fatty snacks like doughnuts, burgers and steaks as he worked long hours in the Oval Office.

But following a quadruple bypass in 2004 he has had to adjust his diet and lower his cholesterol intake.

Bill Clinton had to make more changes last year when doctors implanted two stents to open one of the veins from that surgery.

After taking advice from U.S. diet guru Dr. Dean Ornish, Bill Clinton appeared noticeably thinner last August at daughter Chelsea’s wedding, where he revealed he had lost 20 lbs.

Bill Clinton told CNN that he realized he had been playing “Russian Roulette” with his body because even though he had cut down on some unhealthy foods, he was still taking in too much cholesterol.

Actress Junie Hoang sues IMDb for revealing her age

Diane A. Wade
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Actress Junie Hoang sues IMDb for revealing her age

A Texas actress, who sued Amazon.com and its Internet Movie Database (IMDb) for revealing her age, was forced to unveil her identity.

The actress is Huong Hoang, who may be better known by her stage name, Junie Hoang.

Junie Hoang has appeared in such films as Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver and Hoodrats 2: Hoodrat Warriors.

She filed a million-dollar claim against Amazon, the Associated Press reports.

Junie Hoang says the company mined her account information on IMDB Pro, the professional part of the site, to learn her advanced age, which is 40.

It then posted it on her profile – causing her offers for roles to dry up.

Junie Hoang filed a million-dollar claim against Amazon for revealing her age on IMDb
Junie Hoang filed a million-dollar claim against Amazon for revealing her age on IMDb

Last month a federal judge in Seattle ordered the lawsuit dismissed, saying Junie Hoang had no grounds to proceed with an anonymous complaint.

The actress was given two weeks to file an amended complaint with her name included.

Junie Hoang refiled her lawsuit Friday under her real name, Huong Hoang.

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis split after 14 years of relationship?

Lisa.Felice
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0
Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis split after 14 years of relationship?

Rumours have been spread last night that Johnny Depp’s 14-year relationship with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis is on the rocks.

Johnny Depp, 48, is on the brink of a split because of the couple’s constant bickering, according to a report in the US.

A source told the RadarOnline: “People around him are worried about how Johnny is doing because he and Vanessa seem so fractured right now.”

RadarOnline report appears to contradict Johnny Depp’s claims in interviews about his enduring love for Vanessa Paradis, 39, the mother of his children, Lily-Rose, 12, and Jack, 9.

The website quoted a source close to the actor as saying: “Johnny isn’t handling anything well right now.”

Rumours have been spread last night that Johnny Depp’s 14-year relationship with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis is on the rocks
Rumours have been spread last night that Johnny Depp’s 14-year relationship with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis is on the rocks

RadarOnline also suggested Johnny Depp is seeking legal advice over the alleged unravelling of the 14-year relationship.

“Johnny has started reaching out to lawyers, probably to quietly discuss how to get out of the relationship.

“They’re not married but they’ve been together for years and have kids together so it isn’t as easy as just breaking up.

“Johnny is so talented at acting, but he doesn’t seem able to hide how badly things are going right now,” the unnamed source added.

There were claims of problems in the relationship last April when a French magazine splashed a photo on its front page of Johnny Depp appearing to kiss another woman.

The woman turned out to be the actor’s publicist Robin Baum who reportedly attended the unveiling of Penelope Cruz’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Johnny Depp while Vanessa Paradis was at home in France with their children.

At the time, Voici magazine wrote: “Are Johnny and Vanessa heading for a split?”

“Whenever Johnny and Vanessa are rumored to be having relationship problems, it’s Robin who as his press officer has to deny them.

“This woman is dangerous.”

France’s 24heuresactu website said: “Is Johnny cheating on Vanessa and splitting up one of the world’s best-known celebrity couples?”

Johnny Depp was most recently spotted on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles with Vanessa Paradis, their two children and a woman believed to be his mother, Betty Sue.

The actor was married briefly in the early Eighties to make-up artist Lori Anne Allison before his high-profile romances with actress Winona Ryder and supermodel Kate Moss.

Johnny Depp has been with Vanessa Paradis since 1998, when they met on the set of the Roman Polanski thriller, The Ninth Gate.

Speaking about their first meeting in an interview last year, Johnny Depp said: “She was wearing a dress with an exposed back and I saw that back and that neck, and then she turned around and I saw those eyes, and – boom! – my life as a single man was done.

“You have this feeling,” Johnny Depp added. “I can’t really explain what it was, but I had it when I met her.

“I saw her across a room and thought: <<What’s happening to me?>>”

Johnny Depp said the couple hadn’t seen the need for marriage.

“I never found myself needing that piece of paper. Marriage is really from soul to soul, heart to heart.

“You don’t need somebody to say: <<OK, you’re married>>.

“She and I have been together for nearly 14 years, and, well, I can hardly believe it.

“It only seems like yesterday that we met.”

Of his own parents’ broken marriage, Johnny Depp said: “I recall hearing my parents argue and thinking: <<Come on, this is torture. Just split!>>

“They stuck it out until I was 15, but I’d seen it coming for years. When they finally did divorce, I thought: <<OK, this is the right thing>>.”

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis split their time between their home in Meudon in the Paris suburbs, Los Angeles, Le Plan-de-la-Tour in the south of France and an island in the Bahamas.

New Zealand: 11 people died in a hot-air balloon crash in Wairarapa region

Diane A. Wade
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New Zealand: 11 people died in a hot-air balloon crash in Wairarapa region

Eleven people have died in a hot-air balloon crash in the Wairarapa region, about 80 km (50 miles) north-east of New Zealand’s capital Wellington.

Police and witnesses say the balloon struck power lines and burst into flames, before plunging to the ground.

The crash happened on farmland at Clareville, near the town of Carterton, in the Wairarapa region – an area that is popular with balloonists.

Five couples from the Wellington area were on board, plus the pilot. Nobody survived.

“We are deeply sorry to learn of this tragic accident and our hearts go out to those who are now mourning the loss of life,” Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee said, according to Associated Press news agency.

Eleven people have died in a hot-air balloon crash in the Wairarapa region, about 80 km (50 miles) north-east of New Zealand’s capital Wellington
Eleven people have died in a hot-air balloon crash in the Wairarapa region, about 80 km (50 miles) north-east of New Zealand’s capital Wellington

An investigation by New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission is under way.

Eyewitness Bevan Lambess, who was driving by, told Reuters news agency: “The wicker basket was on fire and I saw something holding it down – it looked like ropes but I got closer and it was actually the top (electric) power line that was holding the basket down.

“It probably still would have been 15m in the air. I slowed down and then the whole basket started to go up in flames.”

Police commander Mike Rusbatch said two people appeared to have jumped from the basket of the balloon as it came down.

Another witness, David McKinley, told the state broadcaster TVNZ he noticed part of the basket was on fire when it passed over his garden.

“It was just above the trees when I first saw it. It looked like he tried to raise it a bit higher. All of a sudden there was just 10 m of flames.

“It was like a rocket coming down,” David McKinley said.

The incident occurred in bright, clear conditions with little wind.

The only victim publicly identified so far is the pilot and balloon owner, Lance Hopping, reported AP.

Lance Hopping was considered an experienced and safety-conscious pilot who acted as safety officer for the Balloons over Wairarapa annual event – with organizer Jonathan Hooker quoted as saying he had more than 10,000 hours of commercial ballooning experience.

The incident is New Zealand’s worst air disaster since 1979, when an Air New Zealand sightseeing flight crashed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica, killing all 257 passengers on board.

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Pageant mother is doping her 6-year-old daughter for Toddlers&Tiaras show

Diane A. Wade
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Pageant mother is doping her 6-year-old daughter for Toddlers&Tiaras show

The latest shocking revelation from TLC’s controversial reality show Toddlers & Tiaras, which tracks the bizarre world of U.S. child beauty pageants, was aired yesterday, when a pageant mother described the means they use to get their children ready for the stage.

Alana Holler, 6, and her mother June, from McIntyre, Georgia, are the subjects of this week’s show.

June Holler, a self-proclaimed “Coupon Queen” told producers that she has tried various products to excite her daughter, including feeding her with Pixie Stix – tubes of powdered sugar referred to as “pageant crack” – but an unidentified “special juice” is her new secret weapon.

The mother says: “We had tried Pixie Stix… We went through fifteen bags at one pageant, and it just don’t do anything for her.”

With the sugared sticks failing to boost her child’s energy levels, June Holler resorted to making her own liquid concoction.

“A lot of pageant moms and people know what the <<special juice>> is – everybody has their different concoctions, <<special juice>> is to help her energize her.”

“A lot of moms say, <<Oh, well you’re doping up your child>>, well hey, no I’m not. I’m not hurting her”, June Holler continued.

“…She just drinks it for pageants, to give her that extra <<oomph>>. So, whatever works for your child, use it.”

A bystander explains: “They want their child to stand out, so you’ve got those moms that are going to do whatever is necessary to put their child in that light.”

June Holler told producers that she has tried various products to excite her daughter Alana, including feeding her with Pixie Stix, but an unidentified “special juice” is her new secret weapon
June Holler told producers that she has tried various products to excite her daughter Alana, including feeding her with Pixie Stix, but an unidentified “special juice” is her new secret weapon

No matter how safe June Holler claims her daughter’s “special” drink is, viewers have voiced their concern about its effects on the youngster’s behaviour.

No brand names are mentioned on the show, but many have speculated that the drink is Mountain Dew, a caffeinated soft drink. Others believe it even contains alcohol.

June Holler is filmed instructing Alana to take “two big gulps” from an unlabelled drinks bottle. Within seconds the change is apparent.

The young pageant contestant starts rapidly swinging her arms over her head and spinning around on the floor, exclaiming: “My go-go juice is kicking in right now!”

After her drink fix, Alana Holler takes to the stage in a plaid shirt displaying inches of stomach to perform a routine, inspired by sex symbol Daisy Duke.

Describing how the drink makes her feel, Alana Holler says smiling: “Go-go juice makes me laughy, and play-ey, and makes me feel like I want to pull my mommy’s hair.”

It seems Alana Holler is already a spirited child though. She has a bizarre speaking manner that is at once precocious and incoherent.

Alana Holler tells the camera: “Those other girls must be crazy if they think they’re gonna beat me, honey boo boo child!”

The 6-year-old girl reveals that she wants to win pageant to make money because “a dollar makes me holler, honey boo boo!”

But Alana Holler is not entirely enthusiastic about the pageant experience. She says: “Beauty is so boring, I don’t want to do it.”

The mother’s enthusiasm is more than evident though. As her daughter takes to the stage, she is filmed yelling encouragement, and instructing dance moves.

When she is not accompanying her daughter on the pageant circuit, June Holler says she spends her time collecting money-saving coupons and stockpiling hundreds of household products – a pursuit her daughter claims she wants to follow.

Footage taken inside the family home reveals rooms stocked with hundreds of items ranging from toilet paper to rolls of aluminium foil.

Toddlers & Tiaras show has caused outcry with many who believe that it could influence youngsters to adopt inappropriate behaviour and campaigners set up a Facebook group, “Take <<Toddlers And Tiaras>> off the Air!” in a bid to have the plug pulled on the show.

Previous series have featured children as young as three, emulating inappropriate characters including a prostitute from Pretty Woman and buxom country singer Dolly Parton.

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Jimmy Kimmel Christmas challenge: “I Gave My Kids a Terrible Present”

Diane A. Wade
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Jimmy Kimmel Christmas challenge: “I Gave My Kids a Terrible Present”

After his success with Halloween prank among kids, late night jokester Jimmy Kimmel did it again for Christmas. This time, his success on YouTube was even bigger and the commedian had to do a second part of Christmas prank.

The first Christmas present challenge – “I Gave My Kids a Terrible Present” – in which the comedian appealed to parents to post videos of their children opening one terrible Christmas present early, aired three weeks ago.

But even after the show aired with the clips, parents continued to post more videos on YouTube of their tortured children opening unwanted presents.

Before debuting the compilation, Jimmy Kimmel said: “Hundreds more videos were posted online, so once again we went through them and picked the best of the worst kids.”

After his success with Halloween prank among kids, late night jokester Jimmy Kimmel did it again for Christmas
After his success with Halloween prank among kids, late night jokester Jimmy Kimmel did it again for Christmas

From pickles to Barbie dolls, the reactions varied. Some children cried and some screamed, but other pranks backfired when the children actually liked their gifts.

“Pickles! Yuck! Put that away from me. I don’t want no pickles,” said one extremely disappointed girl when she discovered a glass jar.

Another girl, who opened up a stick of deodorant, was confused at first, but then proceeded to roll some on with a smile on her face.

Footage shows a girl, kicking and screaming, chanted: “No broccoli, no broccoli, no broccoli.”

Another girl, a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, throws her gift across the room and sobs to her mother after opening a Green Bay Packers jersey, then tells her father: “IT SUCKS.”

Two boys who got Barbie dolls as gifts had different, but negative reactions. One cried and told his mom: “You broke my heart,” while the other screamed in agony.

But stealing the show were two brothers with completely opposite reactions.

Both clad in Angry Birds pajamas, the boys open their gifts at the same time. The older brother, who wanted a Nintendo 3DS for Christmas instead got a chain with “3DS” on it.

The boy then cries, saying that his brother, who got a potato, received the best gift while he got the worst.

The latest video prank has more than 65,000 hits on YouTube in just two days. First part has collected more than 15 million views on the video-sharing site.

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Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge are expecting their first child

Lisa.Felice
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Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge are expecting their first child

Sienna Miller is expecting her first child with boyfriend Tom Sturridge.

Sienna Miller, 30, who has been dating actor Tom Sturridge for just over a year, is believed to have broken the news to friends and family just before Christmas.

The actress’ sister, Savannah Miller, tweeted today: “THRILLED.”

A source told Us Weekly that Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge “don’t have plans right away to marry, if at all”.

“Friends are really happy with her relationship with Tom. He’s younger, yes, but he’s mature and he’s a good guy,” the source added.

Sienna Miller who has been dating actor Tom Sturridge for just over a year, is believed to be pregnant and has broken the news to friends and family just before Christmas
Sienna Miller who has been dating actor Tom Sturridge for just over a year, is believed to be pregnant and has broken the news to friends and family just before Christmas

Allegedly Sienna Miller’s family were sick of the actress’ going back to actor Jude Law and are thrilled with the news.

Sienna Miller and Jude Law, 39, called time on their relationship in February.

The pair’s first split was in 2006 after two years of dating when Jude Law admitted to cheating on the star with his children’s nanny.

Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge’s friends reportedly said they were not surprised by the news of the pregnancy.

“They just spent the holidays in Paris together after they announced the news in London,” says the source.

A representative for Tom Sturridge tells Us Weekly: “We don’t comment on our client’s personal lives at all.”

Sienna Miller’s agent was not available for comment.

Chelsea Clinton’s NBC contract unlikely to be extended?

Diane A. Wade
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Chelsea Clinton’s NBC contract unlikely to be extended?
Rumours claim that Chelsea Clinton's much-hyped deal with NBC may already be coming to an end
Rumours claim that Chelsea Clinton's much-hyped deal with NBC may already be coming to an end

Chelsea Clinton was billed as one of the most “boring people of her era” while her performance was slammed as monochromatic and lacking charisma. Now rumours claim that Chelsea Clinton’s much-hyped deal with NBC may already be coming to an end.

Chelsea Clinton’s original contract with NBC was only for 90 days and sources say it is unlikely she will extend this.

According to the New York Post, NBC created “unrealistic expectations for Chelsea, who in turn signed the short contract to see if she liked it or not”.

The source said: “It’s possible she will do more for NBC in the future, [but] she doesn’t know if she’ll sign another contract.”

 

According to other sources, Chelsea Clinton, 31, was “set up for a fall”, merely used as a ratings grabber so that the network could announce her deal to become a full-time special correspondent to great fanfare.

There was huge anticipation in the run up to her December 12 debut but she was barely off the air before critics were slamming her as wooden, nervous and boring.

An NBC news spokesman has denied that Chelsea Clinton is already poised to leave the network.

“This is 100 per cent false,” NBC spokesman told New York Post.

“You will see more pieces from Chelsea. She has been warmly welcomed into this news division, and we can’t be more pleased with her work. We hope she will be with us for a long time. There was no over-hyping of her role.”

Chelsea Clinton’ spokesperson said: “She is only at the beginning of her contract, and when she gets closer to the end, discussions will begin about whether or not to renew.

“In the meantime she is very much enjoying her time there and looking forward to her next piece airing.”

In her first segment with NBC, Chelsea Clinton chatted with Rock Center host Brian Williams on the NBC sofa and did a segment on a non-profit organization.

Her first report was a feel-good piece from the Topps Center in the poverty-stricken Pine Bluff in Jefferson County, Arkansas.

Chelsea Clinton was filmed making cornbread and interviewing founder Annette Dove about the 500 children and young adults they serve.

The report was part of the network’s Making a Difference series. While her debut went smoothly it wasn’t met with enthusiasm by many.

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