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Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds split after less than three years of marriage

Lisa.Felice
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Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds split after less than three years of marriage

Rosie O’Donnell and her wife of less than three years, Michelle Rounds, have split, O’Donnell’s rep has confirmed.

She is also leaving The View daytime show after just six months. In July 2014, Rosie O’Donnell was rehired to join the ABC’s show as a co-host.

New reports claim that Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds have been living apart for months, and that O’Donnell feels she must leave The View to focus on her five kids.

Rosie O’Donnell’s publicists, Cindi Berger, confirmed the marital split, as well O’Donnell’s departure from The View, in a statement on February 6: “I can confirm that Rosie and her wife Michelle split in November. Rosie has teens and an infant at home that need her attention. This has been a very stressful situation. She is putting her personal health and family first. ABC has been wonderfully understanding and supportive of her personal decision to leave <<The View>>. Next week will be her last.”Rosie O'Donnell and Michelle Rounds split

The 52-year-old comedian married her second wife Michelle Rounds in private ceremony in June 2012.

In 2013, Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds adopted a baby girl, Dakota.

The comedian has three other older kids adopted before and during her marriage to Nickelodeon executive Kelli Carpenter. Another child was born to Kelli Carpenter through artificial insemination.

Rosie O’Donnell was married to Kelli Carpenter from 2004 to 2007.

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California storm 2015: Thousands of people without power and hundreds of flights delayed

Nancy Clayson
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California storm 2015: Thousands of people without power and hundreds of flights delayed

A powerful storm lashing the West Coast has delayed hundreds of flights and left thousands of people without power in California and Nevada.

Up to 10 inches of rain is expected this weekend in parts of the drought-stricken region, but the rainfall won’t make a significant dent in California’s historic drought.

However, the storm is a welcome change after six dry weeks in the Bay Area. For the first time in recorded history, there was no measurable rainfall in downtown San Francisco in January, when winter rains usually come.

It would take 150 percent of the average rainfall for California to recover from the dry period, state water resource officials say.

However, snow is more important than rain because snowpack supplies about a third of the water needed by residents, agriculture and industry.

About 26 miles west of Seattle, an overflowing river inundated at least a half dozen homes on the Olympic Peninsula. Rescuers went door to door in Brinnon to check homes on a road partially blocked by a mudslide, Jefferson County Emergency Management spokeswoman Keppie Keplinger said.

The threat of landslides will persist into the weekend, and weather officials warn of flooding in several rivers in western Washington. Oregon also saw flooding on roadways.

Photo AP
Photo AP

In the Sierra Nevada spanning California and Nevada, strong winds blinded drivers, causing multiple car crashes. The wind snapped massive trees, closed ski resorts around Lake Tahoe and knocked out power to thousands. A 134 mph gust recorded early Friday near the Mount Rose Ski Resort southeast of Reno led the facility and two others to close.

At least a dozen people were hurt in multiple crashes on Nevada highways. No deaths were reported, but nine people were hospitalized in a crash on a stretch of US Highway 95A that involved at least eight vehicles. Three other people were hospitalized with minor injuries after five cars crashed on US 395 north of Reno near the California line.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, power lines were snapped by falling trees and the wind ripped through freeway and street signs. More than 60,000 people lost power. By Friday evening, 9,000 customers remained without power, Pacific Gas & Electric said.

San Francisco International Airport saw delays of up to 90 minutes and about 175 flights canceled Friday.

The storm is expected to drop rain through February 8, and the National Weather Service issued a heavy-rain, high wind-gust and flash-flood warning for the region through February 9.

The heaviest downpours are forecast in the North Bay, where up to 7 inches of rain is expected to overwhelm waterways and roadway-drainage systems, leading to flash flooding.

Rain has been nearly nonexistent across much of California and Nevada since December 20, halting hopes for the drought to improve. California’s second snow survey this winter found the Sierra Nevada snowpack is far below normal after a dry, unusually warm January. A greater snowpack translates to more water for California reservoirs to meet demand in summer and fall.

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North Korea test-fires intelligent anti-ship rocket

Roy Siemens
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North Korea test-fires intelligent anti-ship rocket

The North Korean state media has released on February 7 new images showing that the secretive state has test-fired a new anti-ship cruise missile.

The images were released in the lead-up to US-South Korean military exercises this spring. North Korea routinely seeks to raise tensions ahead of the annual drills, although this year Pyongyang has also offered to suspend nuclear testing if Washington calls off the exercises.

Photo KCNA
Photo KCNA

The images, which were shown on the front page of the ruling Workers’ Party Rodong Sinmun newspaper, showed leader Kim Jong-un observing the missile being fired from a small naval vessel.

State media described it as a “new type of cutting-edge anti-ship rocket” developed by North Korean scientists that will “bring a great change in the navy’s defense of territorial waters”.

The missile appeared identical in design to a Russian anti-ship missile, the KH-35, which is capable of flying at high speeds meters above the sea.

North Korea has increased the number of air and naval military drills in recent weeks, ahead of the annual US-South Korean military exercises on the Korean peninsula.

Pyongyang regularly protests over the drills, which it says are a rehearsal for war.

North Korean officials have made frequent trips to Russia over the past year, where Kim Jong-un is scheduled to make his first official state visit this May.

Rosie O’Donnell quits The View for second time

Lisa.Felice
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Rosie O’Donnell quits The View for second time

Rosie O’Donnell is exiting ABC’s The View for a second time, her representative has confirmed.

Rosie O’Donnell will exit the talkshow next week to concentrate on her family, following a split from wife Michelle Rounds, according to her publicist.

“I can confirm that Rosie and her wife Michelle split in November. Rosie has teens and an infant at home that need her attention,” Rosie O’Donnell’s representative Cindi Berger said in a statement.

“This has been a very stressful situation. She is putting her personal health and family first. ABC has been wonderfully understanding and supportive of her personal decision to leave <<The View>>. Next week will be her last.”Rosie ODonnell leaves The View

The View has been in a state of turmoil since last May when founding anchor Barbara Walters signed off of the roundtable 11 a.m. talker and Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd also left the panel. Rosie O’Donnell was recruited back to the show, which she co-hosted between 2006 and 2007 with much turmoil behind the scenes, along with newcomers Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace. Whoopi Goldberg, the show’s moderator and only returning member of the panel this season, is said to have butted heads with Rosie O’Donnell behind the scenes, as well as on-air.

Rosie O’Donnell had been struggling with the stress related to her divorce as well as the pressure on The View set, sources close to the situation said. The show’s lineup opened strongly in the ratings in September but viewership quickly tailed off.

Nick Gordon is not by Bobbi Kristina Brown’s bedside

Lisa.Felice
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Nick Gordon is not by Bobbi Kristina Brown’s bedside

According to new reports, Nick Gordon only visited Bobbi Kristina Brown once, when she was initially admitted to North Fulton Hospital.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, has since moved to another Atlanta-area hospital for better neurological care.

“Nick hasn’t been to visit Bobbi since she moved to this hospital,” a source told Us Weekly.

“I think he’s banned from seeing her. Nick spent the entire first day with her, but hasn’t been back to see her.”

The fact of the matter is Nick Gordon is actually banned from having contact with much of the Houston family after Whitney Houston’s sister Marion Houston was granted a protective order against him last year.Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown

Nick Gordon is not allowed to be within 200 yards of Marion Houston or her “immediate family,” which applies to seeing Bobbi Kristina Brown in the hospital since Marion is there.

His absence comes as multiple reports reveal that he and Bobbi Kristina Brown were actually never married, despite pubic and social media claims by both of them that they were.

Nick Gordon reportedly gave Bobbi Kristina Brown CPR after she was found facedown and unresponsive in a bathtub on January 31.

On February 5, Cissy Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown’s grandmother and Whitney’s mother, arrived in Georgia to be with the family.

Though doctors have reportedly told Bobby Brown to take Bobbi Kristina off of life support, Bobby is apparently steadfast in his belief that a miracle will happen and that his daughter will pull out of it. Bobby Brown told a reporter on February 5 that the family was praying heavily.

Gauguin painting sells for record $300 million becoming most expensive artwork ever sold

Sonia Pantiss
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Gauguin painting sells for record $300 million becoming most expensive artwork ever sold

A Paul Gauguin painting of two Tahitian girls has been sold for record $300 million, making it the most expensive work of art ever sold.

Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?) was painted in 1892 and had been owned by a Swiss collector.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the painting was sold to a museum in Qatar.

Qatar paid the previous highest price for a painting, a work by Paul Cezanne which sold for $259 million.

Before its sale, the Gauguin artwork had been owned by Rudolf Staechelin, a collector from Basel.

For decades it had been on loan to the Kunstmuseum Basel but Rudolf Staechelin decided to sell the painting after a disagreement with the museum, the New York Times reported.Nafea Faa Ipoipo Paul Gauguin

Rudolf Staechelin told the New York Times he would not divulge the identity of the buyer.

It was not immediately clear where the sale had taken place.

However the paper, which first reported the sale, quoted sources saying the painting had been sold to Qatari buyers.

Officials in Qatar have not yet confirmed the purchase.

The sheikhdom’s royal family has in recent years spent vast amounts of money on Western art.

Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani, a former minister of culture who died last year, lavished more than $1 billion of the country’s money on artworks.

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Nicolas Maduro orders takeover of private supermarket chain Dia Dia

Clyde K. Valle
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Nicolas Maduro orders takeover of private supermarket chain Dia Dia

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the takeover of private supermarket chain Dia Dia by the state food agency.

During a TV address, Nicolas Maduro accused Dia Dia of hoarding food during huge shortages in the country.

This week, soldiers and government workers were sent to branches of Dia Dia supermarket and Farmatodo pharmacy chain to supervise sales.

Venezuela has been in economic crisis after the drop in oil prices.Venezuela takes over Dia a Dia supermarket

Analysts say currency controls that restrict the availability of dollars for imports have played a key role in creating the scarcity of many items.

Directors and executives from both Dia Dia and pharmacy chain Farmatodo were arrested on charges of destabilizing the economy.

President Nicolas Maduro did not say that the takeover of the Dia a Dia chain would be permanent.

He said the chain “was waging war against the population” and the national food distribution agency would take over its running.

Nicolas Maduro has said many businessmen are conducting an “economic war”, colluding with the political opposition to oust his government.

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Ukraine peace plan: Vladimir Putin held “constructive” talks with Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande

Diane A. Wade
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Ukraine peace plan: Vladimir Putin held “constructive” talks with Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held “constructive” talks with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on efforts to end the conflict in east Ukraine, a Kremlin spokesman says.

Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin, Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel met for more than five hours.

Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande had brought to Moscow a peace proposal whose details have not been released.

Russia is accused of arming pro-Russian separatists – a claim it denies.

The Kremlin also rejects claims by Ukraine and the West that its regular troops are fighting alongside the rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Clashes have left nearly 5,400 people dead since April 2014, the UN says.

A September ceasefire, signed in Minsk in Belarus, has failed to stop the violence. Since then the rebels have seized more ground, raising alarm in Kiev and among Ukraine’s backers.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

The peace proposal Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande took to Moscow on February 6 was crafted with the Ukrainian government the day before.

After the two leaders’ discussions with Vladimir Putin, French officials told AFP they had been “constructive and substantial”.

Dmitry Peskov said work was continuing on a joint document. Further talks will be held by phone on February 7, he added.

Earlier, Francois Hollande said the aim was not just a ceasefire but a “comprehensive agreement” – although Angela Merkel said it was “totally open” whether that could be achieved.

Major questions any plan would have to address include the route of any new ceasefire line – given the rebel advances of recent weeks – how to enforce it, and the future status of the conflict zone.

Moscow is still denying any direct role in the conflict, while Kiev insists above all that Ukraine must remain united, our correspondent says.

Washington is considering Ukrainian pleas for better weaponry to fend off the rebels, raising European fears of an escalation in the conflict and spurring the latest peace bid.

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Kayla Jean Mueller: ISIS claims American hostage was killed in Jordanian air strike in Syria

Roy Siemens
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Kayla Jean Mueller: ISIS claims American hostage was killed in Jordanian air strike in Syria

An American female hostage has been killed in a Jordanian air strike in Syria, Islamic State (ISIS) militants have said.

ISIS named the woman as aid worker Kayla Jean Mueller in statements online.

The group provided no other proof for the claim beyond pictures of the alleged site of the air strike, in Raqqa, the group’s stronghold in Syria.

The White House said it was “deeply concerned” by the reports but that it has yet to verify them. Jordan has questioned the ISIS claims.

A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Kayla Jean Mueller, 26, first came to the Turkish/Syrian border in 2012 to work with refugees.

She was abducted while working in Aleppo, Syria the following year.

The ISIS statement said she was killed in the building where she was being held. It did not provide images of a body.Kayla Jean Mueller killed by ISIS

If Kayla Jean Mueller’s death is confirmed, she would be the fourth American to die while being held by ISIS. Journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig were beheaded by the group.

The Jordanian foreign minister Nasser Judeh tweeted that the ISIS claims were: “An old and sick trick used by terrorists and despots for decades: claiming that hostages [and] human shields held captive are killed by air raids.”

Jordan said it carried out aerial bombardments on ISIS targets in Syria on February 5, including on Raqqa.

The strikes were carried out in response to the killing of Jordanian fighter pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh by ISIS militants.

A video of Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive in a cage was posted online by ISIS earlier this week.

Moaz al-Kasasbeh was captured by militants in December after his F-16 fighter jet crashed in Syria. The video is believed to have been filmed on January 3.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Thursday’s strikes were “upping the ante” against ISIS.

Thousands rallied in Jordan’s capital, Amman, on February 6 in support of their government’s military response. Among those marching was Jordan’s Queen Rania.

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Alicia Etheridge pregnant 2015: Bobby Brown’s wife expecting couple’s second child

Lisa.Felice
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Alicia Etheridge pregnant 2015: Bobby Brown’s wife expecting couple’s second child

Bobby Brown’s manager and wife of more than two years, Alicia Etheridge, is 4-month pregnant with the couple’s second child.

This will be Bobby Brown’s 6th child.

Bobby Brown, 46, already shares son Cassius, 5, with Alicia Etheridge and had sons Landon, 26, and Bobby Jr., 21, and daughter LaPrincia, 25, between 1986 and 1992 with ex-girlfriend Kim Ward.

The R&B singer and late Whitney Houston welcomed daughter Bobbi Kristina in 1993.Alicia Etheridge pregnant with second child

Bobby Brown is currently in Atlanta by Bobbi Kristina’s side as she struggles for her life after being found unconscious and face down in her bathtub on January 31.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, was placed in a medically-induced coma.

Alicia Etheridge joined Bobby Brown in Georgia to briefly celebrate his 46th birthday and to be at Bobbi Kristina’s bedside.

Drugs found at Bobbi Kristina Brown’s home in Atlanta

Lisa.Felice
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Drugs found at Bobbi Kristina Brown’s home in Atlanta

Roswell Police Department has launched an investigation after finding drugs at Bobbi Kristina Brown’s home.

Police is said to have discovered the narcotics shortly after Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, was discovered unresponsive in a bathtub at her Atlanta home on January 31, family sources have told TMZ.

Bobbi Kristina Brown is currently “fighting for her life” in Emory University Hospital.

Her husband Nick Gordon and her ex-boyfriend Max Lomas were the first to arrive at the scene. According to Fulton County Jail records, Maxwell Lomas, 24, was arrested early last year on suspicion of drug dealing and was charged with possession and intent to distribute cannabis as well as possession of Alprazolam.Drugs found at Bobbi Kristina Brown home

Max Lomas was also charged with possessing a firearm or knife while attempting to commit a crime.

While the police department originally reported they had found no traces of drugs in Bobbi Kristina Brown’s home, they have since revealed they believe she may have been under the influence when she was discovered in the bathroom.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, who is thought to have spent minutes underwater, has been placed in a medically-induced coma after being found with “no heartbeat”.

Whitney Houston’s daughter is said to have “opened and closed” her eyes a few times on February 2.

A source close to Bobbi Kristina Brown’s family said she remains on life support in the intensive care unit and doctors have warned that they won’t be able to tell if she has suffered brain damage until the sedatives can be reduced.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s relatives get into brawl at W Atlanta Midtown Hotel

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s relatives get into brawl at W Atlanta Midtown Hotel

Two members of Bobbi Kristina Brown’s family got into a brawl at W Atlanta Midtown Hotel on Friday morning, while Whitney Houston’s daughter remains on life support at Emory University Hospital.

Atlanta police confirmed they responded to a fight call at the W Atlanta Midtown Hotel, Billboard reported.

“Fight call was involving the family members of Pop Star Bobby Brown. One victim Shayne Brown was struck in the head with a bottle by suspect Tina Brown,” Officer Kim Jones told Billboard.Bobbi Kristina Brown family fight

Shayne Brown is Bobby Brown’s cousin; Tina Brown is Bobby Brown’s sister.

“Mr. Shayne Brown chose to drive himself to the hospital,” Kim Jones continued.

“Mrs. Tina Brown left the scene before police arrived. The motive of the fight is unclear at this time. Mr. Shayne Brown received lacerations to his head. “

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, was found face down in a bathtub over the weekend by Nick Gordon.

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Bobby Brown insists Bobbi Kristina should remain on life support

Lisa.Felice
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Bobby Brown insists Bobbi Kristina should remain on life support

Bobby Brown is insisting that doctors at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta keep his comatose daughter Bobbi Kristina on life support, believing that a miracle can save her, TMZ reports.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, has been in a medically induced coma since she was found submerged in a bathtub in her home on January 31.

But doctors have reportedly told the family there’s nothing more they can do to save Whitney Houston’s daughter.

However, Bobby Brown, 46, was refusing to say farewell to his stricken daughter and was praying for divine intervention, the gossip website said.

Meanwhile family sources told TMZ he could change his mind, but simply wasn’t able to handle making such a tragic decision on his birthday, which was on February 5.Bobby Brown and daughter Bobbi Kristina

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s cousin Jerod Brown said in an Instagram post that things did not look optimistic.

“Though it seems the odds are against her, though doctors don’t see any hope for change … though it looks impossible for her to stand again STILL PRAY FOR BK,” Jerod Brown said on Instagram, where he posts as yfkennedy.

The painful ordeal involving his only daughter with late pop diva Whitney Houston unfolded against another bit of news for Bobby Brown; his wife, Alicia Etheridge, is four months pregnant.

Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge already has one son together, 5-year-old Cassius.

According to E!, Brown and some 20 family members took a brief break from the vigil they were holding at Emory University Hospital on Thursday night to celebrate his birthday and the pregnancy at a nearby restaurant.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown spent up to 15 minutes underwater

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown spent up to 15 minutes underwater

According to new reports, Bobbi Kristina Brown might have been submerged for 15 minutes before being discovered in her bathtub.

Whitney Houston’s daughter is currently fighting for her life in an Atlanta hospital, but Roswell police continue to investigate the happenings that took place last Saturday morning that resulted in Bobbi Kristina Brown’s nearly drowning in her bathtub.

The E! News reported that while police aren’t considering this a criminal investigation just yet, they are actively looking into multiple people that might have been connected to Bobbi Kristina Brown.

Whitney Houston’s daughter received a visit on Saturday morning from a Comcast Xfinity cable technician, which prompted Max Lomas and Nick Gordon to go looking for her. Bobbi Kristina Brown bathtub drowning

Max Lomas apparently didn’t rush to the bathroom out of fear something was wrong with his friend’s girlfriend, but instead sought her out to get help for the cable guy. He entered when she didn’t respond to his knocks and calls.

“When Max found her he called for Nick,” a source told E! News.

Nick Gordon then proceeded to perform CPR on Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21. The source estimates that it could have been close to half-an-hour before any significant oxygen flow was returned into Bobbi Kristina Brown’s respiratory system when the paramedic arrived.

Max Lomas has told police that he doesn’t recall whether or not the bathroom door was locked at the time. But according to the source, investigators continue to press him on this because initially he had told them that the door was locked. Because he wasn’t sure if it was hard to open or actually locked, he allegedly changed his story to say he didn’t remember.

Investigators have interviewed both Maxwell Lomas and Nick Gordon multiple times and have been cooperating with authorities. The investigation has been “thorough and professional.” Police haven’t indicated any reason to believe foul play is involved.

Max Lomas and Nick Gordon partied together at an Atlanta nightclub the night before, but Bobbi Kristina Brown didn’t go with them, the source says. She was home when they returned around 6 a.m. Saturday morning. But police have been trying not only to piece together what happened after they came back but also what Bobbi Kristina Brown was doing and with whom in the hours prior.

Police have left open the possibility that someone was with her at home, and the source says it could have been Max Lomas’ girlfriend. The source also adds that police are skeptical to believe that only the cable guy, Max Lomas and Nick Gordon were in the house that morning, which is why they have been asking nearby employees whether or not they saw anyone hop Bobbi Kristina Brown’s fence.

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Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande arrive in Moscow for peace talks with Vladimir Putin

Diane A. Wade
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Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande arrive in Moscow for peace talks with Vladimir Putin

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are meeting Russia’s Vladimir Putin to try to end escalating fighting in Ukraine.

Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are taking to Moscow a peace proposal crafted in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on February 5, but details have not been released.

Meanwhile a truce has allowed civilians to leave Debaltseve, at the heart of the latest fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Russia is accused of arming pro-Russian separatists – a claim it denies.

The Kremlin also rejects claims by Ukraine and the West that its regular troops are fighting alongside the rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Clashes have left nearly 5,400 people dead since April 2014, the UN says.

A September ceasefire, signed in Minsk, Belarus, has failed to stop the violence. Since then the rebels have seized more ground, raising alarm in Kiev and among Ukraine’s backers.Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande in Moscow peace talks

Before he left for Moscow on February 6, Francois Hollande said the goal of his visit was not just a ceasefire, but a “comprehensive agreement” – though Angela Merkel said it was “totally open” whether that could be achieved.

Meanwhile Vice-President Joe Biden accused Russia of “continuing to escalate the conflict” and “ignoring every agreement”.

Joe Biden was speaking in Brussels, where he is meeting top EU officials.

He accused Vladimir Putin of continuing “to call for new peace plans as his tanks roll through the Ukrainian countryside”.

He said Russia could “not be allowed to redraw the map of Europe”.

Ukraine is also set to dominate an annual multi-lateral security conference in Munich.

The fighting has intensified in recent weeks after a rebel offensive, and a temporary truce was declared in Debaltseve on February 6, where Ukrainian forces are fighting to hold the town against surrounding rebels.

Convoys of buses travelled to the town on Friday to evacuate civilians who had been forced to shelter underground from the bombing.

They were escorted by monitors from the OSCE security watchdog, Reuters reported.

Washington is considering Ukrainian pleas for better weaponry to fend off the rebels, raising European fears of an escalation in the conflict and spurring the latest peace bid.

On February5, Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel examined the peace proposal with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, without releasing any details.

Moscow says it is ready for “constructive dialogue” – though still denying any direct role in the conflict – while Kiev insists above all that Ukraine must remain united.

A spokesman for the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin would discuss “the fastest possible end to the civil war in south-eastern Ukraine”.

Some 1.2 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since April 2014, when the rebels seized a big swathe of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

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Paris bans action movie shoots following terror attacks

Sonia Pantiss
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Paris bans action movie shoots following terror attacks

Paris authorities have restricted the filming of movie action sequences following last month’s attacks in the French capital.

“There’s a problem with these action-type scenes, as the actors in uniform could be targets for terrorists,” said police commander Sylvie Barnaud.

“Also, the actors could pose confusion for the general public – during this highly sensitive period.”

Sylvie Barnaud said the use of fake weapons and pyrotechnic effects were also banned.

Tensions remain high following the attacks in January which left 20 people dead, including three gunmen. Armed police and soldiers continue to guard sensitive sites, including synagogues, media offices and large shopping areas.

SylvieBarnaud said she did not know how long the filming ban could last, but added it was common sense: “I was shocked to hear witnesses of the Charlie Hebdo attacks say on television <<it seemed like a movie shoot to us>>”. Paris bans action movie shoots

Paris is a popular destination for film-makers, with its wide boulevards and dramatic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Louvre pyramid.

Official statistics provided by city authorities showed there were 930 film shoots in Paris in 2014, including approximately 20 international productions.

Recent box office hits which were filmed in Paris include Tom Cruise thriller Edge of Tomorrow, Luc Besson’s Lucy – starring Scarlett Johansson – and the first Taken film. Matt Damon’s visceral car chase in his 2002 film The Bourne Identity remains among Paris’ most memorable action sequences.

Agnes Nageotte of the Cinema Mission said the restrictions “could have an impact on the big American productions”.

“It’s not the right moment to do it – even if Steven Spielberg wanted to film a big scene with police and a shoot-out in the streets in January, I’m sure it would not have got made,” she said.

Olivier-Rene Veillon, who heads the Ile de France Film Commission, told the New York Times, there was “no impact on current productions”, adding it was a quiet period and the ban was “perfectly manageable”.

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Powerball jackpot jumps to nearly $360 million

Nancy Clayson
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Powerball jackpot jumps to nearly $360 million

Powerball jackpot may jump to nearly $360 million on Saturday, February 7.

The prize would rank as the seventh-largest Powerball jackpot annuity. The game’s record jackpot is a $590.5 million prize won in Florida in May 2013.

Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing brought luck to someone who stopped in to S&R Market on Second Avenue in Hazelwood and paid $2 for a Powerball ticket and an extra $1 for the Power Play option.

The unknown individual is holding a ticket worth $2 million.

“Usually, people when they hit, they don’t run right to the store,” said Stephen Gombas, owner of S&R Market for 23 years.

“They’ll go to the lottery for instructions on how to handle things.”Powerball jackpot February 2015

Stephen Gombas will receive a $10,000 check for selling that ticket.

The number of jackpots hit each year ranges from 11 to 18, meaning there tends to be a winner every three to four weeks. Drawings are held each Wednesday and Saturday night. But now, the country is in a Powerball dry spell of 10 weeks (19 drawings).

During this stretch, however, Pennsylvania Powerball players have won nearly $11.3 million, including four $1 million prizes from the December 6, December 17 and January 17 drawings and February 4’s mystery winner.

That person correctly matched all five white balls drawn — 24-36-51-52-56 — but not the red Powerball 22.

Luckily, that player chose the Power Play option, and doubled the $1 million prize.

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TransAsia plane crash: Both engines lost power two minutes after take-off

Diane A. Wade
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TransAsia plane crash: Both engines lost power two minutes after take-off

According to black box data from the TransAsia Airlines turbo-prop plane that crashed in Taiwan, power was cut to both engines, investigators say.

Taiwan’s Aviation Safety Council said the engines failed to produce enough thrust for two minutes after take-off.

Data suggest that the flight crew tried to stop and restart one of the engines, without success.

Flight GE235 carried 58 passengers and crew, at least 35 of whom died when the plane crashed into a river.

Fifteen people survived the crash.

According to investigators at a briefing in Taipei, the plane ran into trouble just 37 seconds after taking off from Taipei’s Songshan airport.TransAsia GE235 crash Taiwan

Thomas Wang, director of the Aviation Safety Council, said the pilot announced a “flame-out”, which can occur when the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted or when there is faulty combustion.

However, Thomas Wang said there was in fact no flame-out, and the right engine had actually shifted into idle mode without the oil pressure having changed.

“The plane flashed a flame-out signal for one of the two engines at 10:53:28 when the plane climbed to an altitude of 1,200ft, triggering a warning,” AFP quoted Thomas Wang as saying.

“Then the other [left] engine was shut down manually. The pilot tried to restart the engines but to no avail.

“That means that during the flight’s final moments, neither engine had any thrust. We heard <<Mayday>> at 10:54:35,” he added.

The plane, which had been bound for Taiwan’s Kinmen Island, crashed into the Keelung River just 72 seconds later.

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Pope Francis to become first ever pontiff to speak before US Congress

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis to become first ever pontiff to speak before US Congress

Pope Francis will be the first ever pontiff to address the US Congress, lawmakers in Washington have announced.

The Pope will make his historic speech on September 24, 2015.

“That day his holiness will be the first pope in our history to address a joint session of Congress,” said House Speaker John Boehner.

“I am very much looking forward to welcoming Pope Francis to the United States,” said President Barack Obama.

Around one in three members of Congress are Catholic, as are both the House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and Republican John Boehner.

Photo AFP
Photo AFP

“We’re humbled that the Holy Father has accepted our invitation and certainly look forward to receiving his message on behalf of the American people,” said John Boehner.

Pope Francis’ trip to the US is expected to include a White House meeting with President Barack Obama.

In addition the pontiff is due to make a speech to the United Nations in New York and attend a Catholic rally in Philadelphia.

Pope Francis has not refrained from airing his political views since being elected head of the Catholic Church in March 2013.

He has made support for immigrants a key plank of papal policy.

The Pope has also taken a traditionally Catholic line on contraception and abortion.

Pope Francis’ views may put him at odds with members of Congress, which is riven by deep political divisions on these and other issues.

The first Pope to visit the US was Paul VI during a 1965 trip at the height of the Vietnam War.

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New York train crash: Metro-North train was within speed limit

Nancy Clayson
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New York train crash: Metro-North train was within speed limit

The Metro-North train involved in the rail accident which killed six people near New York City was within the speed limit for that section of track, investigators say.

The train crash happened after a mother-of-three stopped her car on a level crossing north of the city.

She was killed in the subsequent inferno along with five train passengers.

Accident investigators also said there were no problems with the signals or barrier at the site of the collision.

But they remain unaware why the driver, 49-year-old Ellen Brody, became stranded on the crossing at Valhalla, about 20 miles north of New York City.

An official from the National Transportation Safety Board, the federal agency leading the probe, said on February 5 that a witness in a nearby car had seen Ellen Brody stop on the crossing in the moments before the train approached.New York Metro North train crash 2015

Investigator Robert Sumwalt said that the barrier was seen to come down on the rear of the car, a Jeep Cherokee, at which point Ellen Brody got out and appeared to inspect the damage.

He said that, according to both the witness and the train driver, after returning to the car she suddenly drove forward slightly – straight into the path of the oncoming train.

Data retrieved from the train’s recording device suggested it was travelling at 58mph an hour, added Robert Sumwalt – just below the 60mph speed limit for that section of track.

In addition to the six deaths there were 15 injuries, seven of them serious.

The electrified third rail of the track came through the front carriage of the train after the crash, setting it on fire.

Passengers had to escape from the rear carriages.

Metro-North, is the second-busiest rail system in the US, serving about 280,000 passengers a day in New York and Connecticut.

Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued rulings on five accidents that occurred on the network in 2013 and 2014, criticizing Metro-North while also finding conditions had improved.

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Eric Garner death: New York court asked to release grand jury records in chokehold case

Nancy Clayson
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Eric Garner death: New York court asked to release grand jury records in chokehold case

A New York judge is hearing arguments over whether to disclose records of the secret grand jury proceedings in the case of black man Eric Garner who was killed by a white police officer.

The panel declined to bring charges against Officer Daniel Pantaleo for putting Eric Garner in a chokehold that led to his death.

The prosecutor opposes the move, saying it will hamper witness co-operation.

Similar records were released for a Missouri grand jury investigating the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

St Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch released the records, with witness names redacted, after the jury declined to charge Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson.Eric Garner chokehold

Michael Brown and Eric Garner’s death sparked protests across the US about police killings and police relations with black and other minority communities.

Eric Garner, 43, was stopped by police for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes in Staten Island in August and placed in a chokehold by Mr Pantaleo.

In a witness video, Eric Garner, who had asthma, is heard saying “I can’t breathe”. A city medical officer later ruled the death a homicide stemming from the effects of the chokehold.

The US justice department has launched a civil rights investigation in the case.

The New York Civil Liberties Union and other groups who are suing cited the outcry over the Garner grand jury’s decision not to indict despite the video of the incident, as a compelling exception to the normal secrecy of the grand jury.

Disclosure is needed “to restore public confidence in our criminal justice system and to inform the current debate that has begun regarding the role of the grand jury as an instrument of justice or injustice” NYCLU argues in court documents.

The office of Richmond County District Attorney Daniel Donovan said grand jury witnesses in the case came forward to testify “with full assurances of secrecy”.

Making the records public, they argued, would bring an “inevitable result of harassment or retaliation” and a “chilling effect on the very type of witness cooperation that is most desired and the most difficult to obtain”.

Judge William Garnett will hear arguments in the case on Thursday.

The NYCLU cites the decision of Missouri prosecutors to release panel detail in the Wilson case as precedent, but Daniel Donovan says that was also the wrong decision.

News outlets, Daniel Donovan argued, compromised witness anonymity in Missouri by their reporting of the grand jury proceedings and the same could happen in New York.

Maxwell Lomas: Bobbi Kristina Brown’s friend claims he had nothing to do with incident

Lisa.Felice
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Maxwell Lomas: Bobbi Kristina Brown’s friend claims he had nothing to do with incident

Maxwell Lomas, the friend of Bobbi Kristina Brown who found her face down in a bathtub last week, had nothing to do with the incident and only wants to see her heal, his attorney says.

Maxwell Lomas, 24, was a frequent house guest of Bobbi Kristina Brown, and discovered the 21-year-old unresponsive in the bathroom of her suburban Atlanta home.Maxwell Lomas Bobbi Kristina Brown

“He’s very upset,” Maxwell Lomas’ attorney, Philip Holloway, told NBC News.

“He wants nothing more than to see Bobbi Kristina open her eyes, wake up and make a full and complete recovery.”

Maxwell Lomas was arrested and charged last month with weapons and drug offenses, and pleaded not guilty, Philip Holloway said. Police have previously said that no drugs were found inside the home Bobbi Kristina Brown shares with her partner, Nick Gordon.

Bobbi Kristina Brown not brain dead, says family

Lisa.Felice
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0
Bobbi Kristina Brown not brain dead, says family

A source close to Bobbi Kristin Brown’s family slammed rumors that they were gathering at the hospital for anything other than to keep vigil at her side, E! reported.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, the 21-year-old daughter of late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, was placed in a medically induced coma and has been breathing with the help of a ventilator, family and friends said.

“She is not brain dead and the Houstons and the Browns are not fighting,” the source told E! on February 5.

Whitney Houston’s only child is now at Emory University Hospital and is still fighting for her life, as a family statement said on February 2.

Nothing has changed, despite reports that are popping up and painting a more serious picture.

Fox News reported on February 4 that the situation is dire.Bobbi Kristina Brown not brain dead

“It’s now a matter of when the family wants to let go and accept that she’s pretty much not going to make it,” a source told FOX411.

“They’ve left it up to the family as to how long they want to keep her alive.”

People magazine is also reporting that a doctor told Bobbi Kristina Brown’s family on February 6 that nothing more could be done.

“Everyone is coming to the hospital to say goodbye,” said a family member.

The Daily Mail reported that Bobbi Kristina Brown has been taken off life support.

However, her father, Bobby Brown, issued a statement late Thursday denying these reports.

“If we issued a statement every time the media published a false report regarding this matter, that’s all we would be doing 24 hours a day. This is false, just as is the vast majority of the other reporting that is currently taking place,” Bobby Brown said, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Spain: At least 220 people trapped by snow on roads

Nancy Clayson
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Spain: At least 220 people trapped by snow on roads

At least 220 people have been rescued after being trapped by snow on roads in northern Spain.

Hundreds of cars were stuck for up to 17 hours overnight on roads between Cantabria and the province of Palencia.

Local media report temperatures of -15C (5F) and up 40cm (1.3ft) of snow.

Spanish police rescued several stranded in their vehicles shortly after arrival in Santander by ferry from Portsmouth.

Many tourists had come to Spain hoping for a warm-weather holiday, but ended up having to spend the night in the sports hall of a local school and the dining room of a hotel.Snow storm Spain 2015

Spain is in the middle of a cold spell that is expected to worsen over the next three days, with cold weather alerts issued for 20 provinces.

Its national weather service said in a statement that the unusually cold temperatures would last until February 10.

A large area of central Spain has seen an unusually high amount of snowfall in recent days.

Abandoned cars and overturned trucks have piled up on main roads near Santander.

Spanish police said that dozens of military vehicles and snow ploughs are being used to clear the area.

Local media said that many schools in northern Spain had been closed and that there had been numerous power cuts.

El Pais newspaper reports that at least four towns in the region of Cantabria were still without power on February 5.

Meanwhile, in Catalonia, winds of over 75mph have disrupted railway services.

Snowfall has also closed roads as far south as in Andalucia.

The freezing conditions are set to continue for several days, with the coldest temperatures expected on February 6 and 7, warned the national weather service.

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Japan’s 3B Junior singer in coma after inhaling helium for TV show

Lisa.Felice
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0
Japan’s 3B Junior singer in coma after inhaling helium for TV show

Japan’s TV Asahi has apologized to the family of a 12-year-old singer, who was left in a coma after inhaling helium for a TV show.

The girl, a member of the pop group 3B Junior, was taking part in a game that involved changing her voice when she fell unconscious on January 28.

It is thought she suffered an air embolism, restricting the blood supply to her brain. She has not been named.

According to Japan Today, as of February 5, the girl has regained consciousness.

However, she only has limited movement and cannot yet speak clearly.

3B Junior comprises more than 20 singers, all aged between 10 and 16.3B Junior singer in coma after inhaling helium

A statement on 3B Junior’s official website said the band were “praying for a quick recovery” for their co-star.

Speaking to the press on February 4, executives from TV Asahi apologized to the girl and her family.

They said the canister from which she had inhaled the gas was marked “for adult use only”, but producers had overlooked the warning.

Managing director Toru Takeda said he had delayed announcing the accident to the public because he expected the singer to make an earlier recovery.

He only revealed the information after doctors saw signs of improvement, and he sought the blessing of the girl’s parents first.

TV Asahi added that an internal investigation would be conducted into the case. Local media have reported that police will also look into it.

Toru Takeda said the TV show, entitled 3B Junior Stardust Shoji, was originally scheduled for broadcast on February 24 but may now be discontinued.

Although inhaling helium from balloons is a common parlor trick, it can prove fatal.

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