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Michelle Obama to deliver weekly presidential address to condemn Nigerian girls’ abduction

Diane A. Wade
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Michelle Obama to deliver weekly presidential address to condemn Nigerian girls’ abduction

Michelle Obama is to deliver Barack Obama’s weekly presidential address to condemn last month’s abduction of Nigerian girls.

First ladies normally refrain from outspoken foreign policy remarks, but Michelle Obama has been a vocal campaigner for the release of more than 200 girls.

Fifty-three of the schoolgirls escaped soon after being seized in Chibok on April 14 but many more remain captive.

Islamist militant group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack.

Michelle Obama is to deliver Barack Obama's weekly presidential address to condemn last month's abduction of Nigerian girls
Michelle Obama is to deliver Barack Obama’s weekly presidential address to condemn last month’s abduction of Nigerian girls

The United Nations Security Council expressed outrage over the abductions in north-eastern Borno state, and demanded the immediate release of the students.

It said it would consider “appropriate measures” against Boko Haram. The US is seeking to have UN sanctions imposed on the group.

Michelle Obama is due to make the address ahead of Mother’s Day, which the US marks on Sunday.

“As the mother of two young daughters, Mrs. Obama is taking up the opportunity to express outrage and heartbreak the president and she share over the kidnapping,” White House deputy spokesman Eric Schultz said.

“The first lady hopes that the courage of these young girls serves as an inspiration… and a call to action for people around the world to fight to ensure that every girl receives the education that is their birthright,” he added.

Michelle Obama has often appeared alongside her husband during the weekly address, which is broadcast on radio with a video version available online. This is the first time she will deliver the speech alone.

Earlier this week, she tweeted a picture of herself in the White House holding a sign with the message “#BringBackOurGirls”.

President Barack Obama has described the kidnapping as “heartbreaking” and “outrageous”.

A small number of US and British experts have now started arriving in Nigeria to assist the government’s rescue efforts.

A senior US official said Washington was also considering a Nigerian request for surveillance aircraft.

But analysts have pointed out the difficulty of using aerial reconnaissance in the region’s rugged forests.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said on Friday he believed the schoolgirls were still in his country and had not been moved to neighboring Cameroon.

Boko Haram has admitted capturing the girls, saying they should not have been in school and should get married instead.

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Alan and Si Robertson at Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home fundraising event in Ruston

Sonia Pantiss
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Alan and Si Robertson at Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home fundraising event in Ruston

Duck Dynasty’s Alan Robertson will join his uncle Si Robertson in the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home fundraising event in Ruston on Friday, May 9.

According to the press release, all proceeds of the event will benefit the Children’s Home.

Alan and Si Robertson will share the stage as they entertain the crowd with stories of faith, family and their life on television’s Duck Dynasty.

Alan Robertson will join his uncle Si Robertson in the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home fundraising event in Ruston
Alan Robertson will join his uncle Si Robertson in the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home fundraising event in Ruston (photo Duck Commander)

Sometimes referred to as the “beardless brother” because he’s the only clean shaven Robertson, Alan joined the cast of Duck Dynasty for the premier of the fourth season, an episode which broke several cable television ratings records.  Previously a local pastor for twenty years, Alan Robertson joined the show and the family business so he could expand his ministry and share the word of God with a larger audience.

“I’m so excited Alan is joining our event,” said Rick Wheat, CEO of Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home.

“Alan and Si make a great team and I expect we’ll all hear an entertaining message about the importance of family and faith.  I can’t wait for the event and I’m encouraging everyone to join us for a fun evening.”

The program begins at 6:30 p.m. at Louisiana Tech University’s Thomas Assembly Center.  General admission tickets to the program with Alan and Si Robertson are $25 for adults, $15 for youth/students, and $12.50 each for groups of 15 or more.

There are also tickets remaining to the special “meet and greet” reception with Alan and Si Robertson beginning at 5:00pm.  The reception includes a professional photo with Si and Alan Robertson, silent and live auction, refreshments, and reserved seating at the main event.  Tickets to the reception are $275 each or $500 for two.

Sponsorships are still available and companies are encouraged to consider sponsoring the event or purchasing a block of tickets for employees and customers.  Current event sponsors include WildHorse Resources, Brennan Dodge, Bank of Ruston, Argent Financial, Princeton Place, Arbor Lakes, Leslie Lakes Retirement Center, Red Peach Radio, The Radio People, Graphic Industries, Children’s Home board member Jeanne Browning, and Aramark.

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Amnesty International: Nigerian authorities failed to act on warnings of Chibok school raid

Roy Siemens
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Amnesty International: Nigerian authorities failed to act on warnings of Chibok school raid

According to Amnesty International, Nigeria’s military had advance warning of an attack on Chibok, where some 270 girls were kidnapped but failed to act.

The human rights group says it was told by credible sources that the military had more than four hours’ warning of the raid by Boko Haram militants.

Fifty-three of the girls escaped soon after being seized in Chibok on April 14 but more than 200 remain captive.

Nigeria’s authorities say they “doubt the veracity” of the Amnesty report.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said on Friday that he believed the schoolgirls were still in his country and had not been moved to neighboring Cameroon.

Fifty-three of the girls escaped soon after being seized in Chibok on April 14 but more than 200 remain captive
Fifty-three of the girls escaped soon after being seized in Chibok on April 14 but more than 200 remain captive

“There are stories that they have moved them outside of the country. But if they move that number of girls to Cameroon, people will see, so I believe they are still in Nigeria,” Goodluck Jonathan told journalists at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Abuja.

Amnesty International says it was told by several people that the military in Maiduguri, capital of the north-eastern Borno state, was informed of the impending attack on Chibok town soon after 19:00 local time.

It says that a local official was contacted by herdsmen who said that armed men had asked them where the Government Girls’ Secondary School was located in the town.

Despite the warning, reinforcements were not sent to help protect the town in the remote area, which was attacked at around midnight, Amnesty International says.

One reason, the rights group says, was a “reported fear of engaging with the often better-equipped armed groups”.

Amnesty’s Africa Director Netsanet Belay said it amounted to a “gross dereliction of Nigeria’s duty to protect civilians”.

Boko Haram has admitted capturing the girls, saying they should not have been in school and should get married instead.

In a video released earlier this week, leader Abubakar Shekau threatened to “sell” the students.

Teams of experts from the US and UK – including military advisers, negotiators and counselors – have arrived in Nigeria to help locate and rescue the abductees.

Seven American military officials arrived on Friday, with more expected to come on Saturday, including three FBI personnel.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden” in the Hausa language, began its insurgency in Borno state in 2009.

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Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernandez caught on camera groping journalist Mercedes Guzman

Nancy Clayson
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Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernandez caught on camera groping journalist Mercedes Guzman

Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernandez is in trouble for groping journalist Mercedes Guzman at a public event.

In a video that’s gone viral, the mayor of Bolivia’s largest city is seen placing his hand on the thigh of Mercedes Guzman on April 30.

The UNO network journalist is first seen on the video greeting the mayor in the traditional Latin-American style, with a kiss on the cheek. When she sits down in her assigned seat next to him, Percy Fernandez, 75, puts his hand on her leg. For a brief moment, there’s a bit of a struggle as the journalist tries to get the mayor’s hand off her thigh. The video was aired by Gigavision, a Bolivian TV network.

It’s not the first time Percy Fernandez’s advances have been seen on video.

In 2012, Percy Fernandez was caught on camera – also at a public event – touching city council President Desireé Bravo’s bottom twice.

Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernandez is in trouble for groping journalist Mercedes Guzman at a public event
Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernandez is in trouble for groping journalist Mercedes Guzman at a public event

Lupe Cajías, president of the La Paz Association of Journalists, denounced the latest incident and strongly criticized the mayor.

“On one hand, I think it reflects the arrogance of power; and on the other hand, a lack of control of (the mayor’s) own actions. The two things are probably related. If you think there’s no boundaries because you’re above good and evil, then you can grab a journalist’s leg or talk with double-meaning in front of the camera without shame,” Lupe Cajías said.

After a public outcry and complaints by Mercedes Guzman’s family, the mayor’s office sent a video to Santa Cruz media in which Percy Fernandez apologizes for the incident.

“I’m worried that I might’ve disrespected you while you were performing your duties. I apologize again to you and your dignified family,” Percy Fernandez says on the video.

Mario Espíndola, Mercedes Guzman’s husband, accepted the apology but said Percy Fernandez’s behavior is going well beyond just unpleasant and embarrassing moments.

“We all obviously want Percy Fernandez to stop doing that because ultimately him, as mayor, is the one who loses the most,” Mario Espíndola said.

But some say the apology was not enough, that it was forced and insincere.

Opposition lawmaker Marcela Revollo filed a complaint accusing Fernandez of s**ual harassment, s**ual violence and discrimination.

“We consider this an expression of violence against all Bolivian women, considering that the mayor’s actions have happened before,” Marcela Revollo said after filing the complaint.

It’s not yet known if prosecutors will call Percy Fernandez to answer to the charges.

Percy Fernandez is one of the country’s most popular mayors. First elected in 2010 to represent the city of 1.5 million people, Percy Fernandez is expected to run for another five-year term in 2015.

Pagina Siete, a Bolivian newspaper, published a survey Monday showing that the Santa Cruz leader is at the top of a list of popular mayors in Bolivia.

In February, President Evo Morales called Percy Fernandez “the best mayor in Bolivia” and appeared with him at a public event.

There has been no reaction from the president’s office regarding the latest incident and no indication of whether President Evo Morales still endorses the embattled mayor.

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Vladimir Putin visits Crimea for first time since annexation

Diane A. Wade
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Vladimir Putin visits Crimea for first time since annexation

Vladimir Putin is making his first visit to Crimea since Russia annexed it from Ukraine.

The Russian president told crowds marking the 1945 Soviet victory over the Nazis that Crimea had shown loyalty to a “historical truth” in choosing to be part of Russia.

The Kiev government protested at the visit, calling it a “gross violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty”.

Kiev also reported that more than 20 people had died in a security operation against separatists in Mariupol.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that about 20 pro-Russian protesters and one Ukrainian security officer had been killed in the southern port.

Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists had clashed at the police headquarters, which was set on fire.

Vladimir Putin is making his first visit to Crimea since Russia annexed it from Ukraine
Vladimir Putin is making his first visit to Crimea since Russia annexed it from Ukraine

In the Crimean port of Sevastopol, Vladimir Putin thanked the armed forces for their role in World War Two and hailed the incorporation of the peninsula into the Russian Federation.

He watched a fly-by of Russian aircraft and addressed seamen on naval vessels, as crowds gathered on cliffs overlooking the harbor.

Vladimir Putin said: “I am sure that 2014 will go into the annals of our whole country as the year when the nations living here firmly decided to be together with Russia, affirming fidelity to the historical truth and the memory of our ancestors.”

He earlier addressed thousands during a huge, hour-long military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, vowing to defend the “motherland”.

Vladimir Putin told the crowd that May 9, known as Victory Day in Russia, was a “day of grief and eternal memory” and stressed how the “iron will of the Soviet people” had saved Europe from slavery.

“It is a holiday when an overwhelming force of patriotism triumphs, when all of us feel particularly acutely what it means to be loyal to the motherland and how important it is to defend its interests,” he said.

NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Vladimir Putin’s visit to Crimea was “inappropriate”, adding: “We consider the Russian annexation of Crimea to be illegal, illegitimate and we don’t recognize it.”

US National Security Council spokesperson Laura Magnuson said: “We do not accept Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. Such a visit will only serve to fuel tensions.”

Ukraine’s interim authorities held subdued memorials to mark the Soviet victory.

A brief veterans’ ceremony was held in Kiev’s main park, in front of PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk and several former presidents.

The authorities feared pro-Russian activists would try to stoke violence if there were any higher profile celebrations.

Nazi Germany invaded the USSR – which included Ukraine – in June 1941 and advanced almost as far as Moscow before being driven back to Berlin.

Crimea was put under Ukrainian administration in 1954.

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia maintained a large military presence on the peninsula, and more than half of the region’s population identified themselves as ethnic Russian.

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Morrissey’s early life to be turned into film

Sonia Pantiss
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Morrissey’s early life to be turned into film

Morrissey’s early life is being turned into a film by the team behind Oscar-nominated short The Voorman Problem.

The former Smiths frontman’s biopic, provisionally entitled Steven, will focus on the singer’s life “pre-Smiths”, growing up in Manchester.

The early life of Morrissey is being turned into a film by the team behind Oscar-nominated short The Voorman Problem
The early life of Morrissey is being turned into a film by the team behind Oscar-nominated short The Voorman Problem

“It’s as much a film for non-Morrissey fans as it is for die-hard devotees,” said director Mark Gill

“But I can’t deny that this is a love letter to Steven Patrick Morrissey and the dark satanic mills of Manchester.”

Mark Gill, whose dark comedy The Voorman Problem starred Martin Freeman and Tom Hollander, said his project would be “more of a portrait than a conventional biopic”.

He will co-write the script with William Thacker. Shooting is scheduled to begin at the end of the year.

It is not known whether Morrissey, 54, has given his blessing to the project.

The singer wrote extensively about his childhood in his recent memoirs, which were published last year.

Morrissey also used his autobiography to criticize the UK legal system and the music business.

Glastonbury 2014: Metallica to headline Saturday night slot

Sonia Pantiss
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Glastonbury 2014: Metallica to headline Saturday night slot

Metallica has been announced as the Saturday night headliners on the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury festival.

Metallica will join the previously announced headliners Arcade Fire and Kasabian at the event in Somerset on June 25-29.

Metallica has been announced as the Saturday night headliners on the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury festival
Metallica has been announced as the Saturday night headliners on the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury festival

It marks Metallica’s debut appearance at Worthy farm and it is the first time a heavy metal band have headlined the event.

Tickets for this year sold out in just one hour and 27 minutes in October.

The news of Metallica’s booking echoes that of the announcement in 2008 that Jay Z was to become the first rapper to fill the coveted Pyramid Stage headline slot.

The rapper won over critics with his exuberant performance, cheekily taking to the stage with a guitar and singing along to Oasis’ song Wonderwall.

Other artists playing this summer include Dolly Parton, De La Soul, Manic Street Preachers and Ed Sheeran.

Hundreds of other acts will play across more than 100 stages at the festival in Somerset.

Oscar Pistorius sells Pretoria house where Reeva Steenkamp died

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius sells Pretoria house where Reeva Steenkamp died

A ballistics expert called by Oscar Pistorius’ defense team at his murder trial in Pretoria has questioned the state’s version of how he shot his girlfriend.

Defense witness Tom Wolmarans says wounds show Reeva Steenkamp may have been standing when first shot.

Oscar Pistorius, 27, denies intentionally shooting Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.

The prosecution alleges he shot her dead after a row and that she was cowering from him in the toilet.

He says he accidentally shot her through the toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.

Oscar Pistorius has sold his home in the Silverwoods Estate where Reeva Steenkamp died
Oscar Pistorius has sold his home in the Silverwoods Estate where Reeva Steenkamp died

Tom Wolmarans, a former police officer, says all four shots hit Reeva Steenkamp.

The state alleges one missed and ricocheted off a wall and injured her back and that the final bullet hit her hand and head as she was sitting in a defensive position.

But Tom Wolmarans said splinter evidence showed the model was leaning forward towards the door when the first bullet hit her hip.

The next bullet hit Reeva Steenkamp’s arm, the third bullet her hand and the last bullet hit her head as she was falling backwards, he said.

On Thursday the court heard evidence about when Reeva Steenkamp may have eaten her last meal.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Oscar Pistorius has sold his home in the Silverwoods Estate where Reeva Steenkamp died.

He put the house on the market at the end of March in order to fund his legal costs, one of his lawyers said at the time.

An estate agent confirmed to South Africa’s Beeld newspaper that a sale was under way.

Oscar Pistorius trial started at the beginning of March and was expected to last five weeks. The defense has said that it hopes to wrap up its case by May 16.

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Mother’s Day of Duck marathon: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Duck Dynasty

Sonia Pantiss
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Mother’s Day of Duck marathon: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Duck Dynasty

The Robertson family has launched a photo contest for this year’s Mother’s Day of Duck marathon.

The Robertson family has launched a photo contest to celebrate this year’s Mother’s Day
The Robertson family has launched a photo contest to celebrate this year’s Mother’s Day

Duck Dynasty cast wrote on their Facebook page: “Tweet, Instagram or upload a photo of you and your mom with #MothersDayofDuck for your chance to see your image on TV this #MothersDay! #DuckDynasty www.bit.ly/1k4lp4S“

This year’s Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 11.

Si and Christine Robertson’s vows renewal at 43rd wedding anniversary

Sonia Pantiss
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Si and Christine Robertson’s vows renewal at 43rd wedding anniversary

Duck Dynasty’s Uncle Si Robertson and his wife Christine clebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in West Monroe.

Si Robertson and his wife Christine clebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in West Monroe
Si Robertson and his wife Christine clebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in West Monroe (photo Us Weekly)

The happy couple celebrated the event in a ceremony attended by by their daughter and son, Trasa Cobern and Scott Robertson, with their families.

Si Robertson wrote on his Facebook page: “Hey Jack! Check out this issue of @usweekly @KixBrooks It’s got pictures of #MeandMySmokinHotHoney in it from this weekend when we renewed our vows in West Monroe! Yep, been in love with Christine for over 43 years now!”

Duck Dynasty wives in salad commercial: Zaxby’s Zensation Zalad spot

Sonia Pantiss
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Duck Dynasty wives in salad commercial: Zaxby’s Zensation Zalad spot

Duck Dynasty wives – Korie, Missy and Jessica Robertson – are out trying to find their zen while hunting have the Zaxby’s Zensation Zalad to help them.

Korie, Missy and Jessica Robertson are out trying to find their zen while hunting have the Zaxby's Zensation Zalad to help them
Korie, Missy and Jessica Robertson are out trying to find their zen while hunting have the Zaxby’s Zensation Zalad to help them

Hopefully their husbands – Willie, Jase and Jep Robertson – don’t mind that they remodeled a bit.

Publicis and Omnicom call off proposed $35 billion merger deal

Clyde K. Valle
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Publicis and Omnicom call off proposed $35 billion merger deal

Two of the world’s biggest advertising companies – Publicis and Omnicom – have called off their planned merger.

The merger, announced last year, would have created the world’s biggest ad company worth $35.1 billion.

Publicis and Omnicom said they called off the deal as there were challenges that “remained to be overcome” and the slow pace of progress was creating uncertainty that would be “detrimental” to both of them.

They agreed to terminate the proposed deal with no break-up fee.

Last July, Omnicom’s chief executive John Wren was pictured signing the deal on the roof of the Paris headquarters of Publicis with its CEO Maurice Levy.

Last July, Omnicom's chief executive John Wren was pictured signing the deal on the roof of the Paris headquarters of Publicis with its CEO Maurice Levy
Last July, Omnicom’s chief executive John Wren was pictured signing the deal on the roof of the Paris headquarters of Publicis with its CEO Maurice Levy

“The challenges that still remained to be overcome, in addition to the slow pace of progress, created a level of uncertainty detrimental to the interests of both groups and their employees, clients and shareholders,” the two chief executives said in a joint statement released on Friday.

“We have thus jointly decided to proceed along our independent paths,” they said.

The advertising industry has seen big changes is recent years and is now having to adapt to the growth of social media platforms such as Facebook.

The proposed merger was expected to help the two companies respond to these changes.

Publicis and Omnicom had said that the deal would help them make savings of around $500 million through pooling their resources, and also give them access to a wider range of clients.

Some analysts had also suggested that they might be able to negotiate better contracts, not least because the merger would have made them the biggest operator in the sector.

However, others had warned that the merger would create a conflict of interest between clients of the two companies – as they represented rival firms in many sectors.

Publicis and Omnicom said they would continue to “remain competitors, but maintain a great respect for one another.”

Frequent family rows linked to premature death

Kathryn R. Bown
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Frequent family rows linked to premature death

According to Danish researchers, having frequent arguments with partners, friends or relatives can increase the risk of death in middle-age.

Writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, they said men and those not in work were most vulnerable.

Dealing with worries and demands from close family was also linked to a higher mortality risk, the study said.

An individual’s personality and ability to deal with stress is likely to play a role in the findings.

Although the research team, from the University of Copenhagen, calculated that constant arguing increased a man or woman’s mortality risk by two or three times the normal rate, they could not fully explain the factors behind it.

Previous research suggests people with high levels of anxiety and demands from partners and children, and those who often argue with close family members, could be at a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.

Having frequent arguments with partners, friends or relatives can increase the risk of death in middle-age
Having frequent arguments with partners, friends or relatives can increase the risk of death in middle-age

Past studies also suggest that a good social support network and a wide network of friends have a positive impact on health, while personality determines, to a large extent, how we perceive and react to social situations and relations.

In this study, the researchers said physiological reactions to stress, such as high blood pressure and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, were most likely to explain the increased mortality risk.

The study said: “Men respond to stressors with increased levels of cortisol, which may increase their risk of adverse health outcomes.”

Data on 9,875 men and women aged between 36 and 52 was used to explore the relationship between stressful social relations and premature death.

They had all taken part in the Danish Longitudinal Study on Work, Unemployment and Health, from 2000.

The study found that frequent worries or demands generated by partners and children were linked to a 50%-100% increased risk of death from all causes.

Being out of work seemed to increase the negative impact of stressful social relationships. Those who were unemployed were at significantly greater risk of death from any cause than those who had a job, the study said.

Men seemed to be particularly vulnerable to the worries and demands generated by their female partners, with a higher risk of death than that normally associated with being a man.

Dr. Rikke Lund, from the University of Copenhagen’s department of public health, said worries and arguments were part of life.

But she added that people who were always or often involved in conflicts were at greatest risk, and could be helped.

“Intervening in conflicts, particularly for those out of work, may help to curb premature deaths associated with social relationship stressors,” she said.

Russia holds huge parade to mark Victory Day

Diane A. Wade
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Russia holds huge parade to mark Victory Day

Russia held a huge parade to mark 69 years since the Soviets defeated the Nazis, amid a surge of patriotism over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin said it was a day when an “overwhelming force of patriotism triumphs”, and vowed to defend the interests of the motherland.

Unconfirmed reports say Vladimir Putin will visit a parade in Crimea later.

Festivities in Ukraine will be muted amid fears of provoking further violence in the south and east.

Moscow denies fomenting pro-Russian separatist unrest in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin did not mention Ukraine in his speech, instead stressing how the “iron will of the Soviet people” had saved Europe from slavery.

He told the crowd that May 9, known as Victory Day in Russia, was a “day of grief and eternal memory”.

Russia held a huge parade to mark 69 years since the Soviets defeated the Nazis
Russia held a huge parade to mark 69 years since the Soviets defeated the Nazis

“It is a holiday when an overwhelming force of patriotism triumphs, when all of us feel particularly acutely what it means to be loyal to the motherland and how important it is to defend its interests,” Vladimir Putin said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it would be a pity if Vladimir Putin were to use the commemorations to visit Crimea.

The parade in Moscow traditionally features a display of military hardware and a show of patriotic fervor on Red Square.

The scope of this year’s event was bigger than usual:

  • The parade lasted 59 minutes, compared with its usual 45 minute running time
  • Fifty more military vehicles were on display compared with last year
  • The Sevastopol-based Black Sea Fleet played a larger role

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s interim authorities have discouraged public gatherings amid fears that pro-Russian activists might try to stoke violence.

“Roadblocks have been set up around our capital, where serious checks are being carried out, because we expect that provocative actions may occur on May 9,” said Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov.

A low-key wreath-laying ceremony is planned in Kiev.

In south and eastern Ukraine, pro-Russian separatists have said they will go ahead with independence referendums on Sunday.

Vladimir Putin had called for the referendums on autonomy to be postponed to create the conditions for dialogue.

Activists remain in control of many official buildings across the south and east despite a military operation by Kiev to remove them. Dozens of people have been killed in the unrest.

Ukraine is preparing for elections on May 25 following the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February by pro-Western protesters.

Nazi Germany invaded the USSR – which included Ukraine – in June 1941 and advanced almost as far as Moscow before being driven back to Berlin in some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

Russia estimates that 26.6 million Soviet citizens were killed in the war, about 8.7 million of them members of the armed forces.

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Apple in talks to acquire Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion

Nancy Clayson
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Apple in talks to acquire Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion

According to various media reports, Apple is in talks to buy headphone maker and music-streaming service provider Beats Electronics.

The reports claim Apple could pay as much as $3.2 billion and a deal could be announced next week.

If completed, the deal will be Apple’s biggest ever acquisition.

The deal is being seen as move by Apple to get a stronger foothold in the phone and music accessories business and bolster its online music offerings.

Beats Electronics was founded by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre and until recently was best known for its headphones
Beats Electronics was founded by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre and until recently was best known for its headphones (photo Getty Images)

The two areas are expected to see fast growth in the coming years.

The Financial Times cited a source as saying the firms were still negotiating the details.

Beats was founded by music producer Jimmy Iovine and hip-hop star Dr. Dre and until recently was best known for its headphones.

It started a subscription-based music streaming service earlier this year.

However, Apple already has its own iTunes store which is the world’s largest music download service. It also launched iTunes Radio last year.

That has made some industry watchers question the move.

The reported price is also a huge premium on Beats’s previous valuation.

Beats was valued at just $1 billion after its last funding round in September, which saw it get a $500 million investment from the Carlyle Group.

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Donald Sterling new tapes: “I’m not a racist”

Clyde K. Valle
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Donald Sterling new tapes: “I’m not a racist”

Donald Sterling has said he is not a racist and will not sell the Los Angeles Clippers.

In a recording obtained by RadarOnline, a man who is reportedly Donald Sterling is heard saying he does not believe he can be forced to sell.

Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA for life after he was recorded making racist remarks.

The NBA advisory panel has agreed to begin the process of selling the team.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said a forced sale would require 75% of NBA owners, and believes he has the votes.

However, Donald Sterling, 81, could oppose the sale in the courts, according to sports lawyers.

Donald Sterling has said he is not a racist and will not sell the Los Angeles Clippers
Donald Sterling has said he is not a racist and will not sell the Los Angeles Clippers (photo Forbes)

In the recording of what appears to be a phone conversation between Donald Sterling and another man, the Clippers owner says: “You think I’m a racist? You think I have anything in the world but love for everybody? … You know I’m not a racist!”

“How can you be in this business and be a racist?” Donald Sterling asked.

“Do you think I tell the coach to get white players or to get the best player he can get?”

He also told the other man: “You can’t force somebody to sell property in America. I’m a lawyer. That’s my opinion.”

Donald Sterling explains his background growing up in East Los Angeles would make him accepting of others.

“I was the president of the high school there. I mean, and I’m a Jew! And 50% of the people there were black and 40% were Hispanic.

“So I mean, people must have a good feeling for me.”

RadarOnline does not identify the other man or how they received the recording.

The most recent recording emerged as Donald Sterling’s estranged wife, Rochelle, told US media she will fight for a controlling stake of the team.

Rochelle “Shelly” Sterling is a co-owner of the Clippers through a family trust.

Her lawyer, Pierce O’Donnell, said in a statement she “will not agree to a forced or involuntary seizure of her interest”.

Pierce O’Donnell added Shelly Sterling has been separated from her husband for the last year and is considering divorce. Rochelle Sterling also said through her lawyer she has no interest in managing the Clippers.

“The Sterlings may share the same last name, but she does not share his values on race,” Pierce O’Donnell said.

“The sins of the husband cannot be imputed to the wife or children.”

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Silvio Berlusconi begins community service at nursing home

Diane A. Wade
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Silvio Berlusconi begins community service at nursing home

Silvio Berlusconi is due to start a year of community service at a care home near Milan.

The former Italian prime minister was sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud last year, commuted to four hours work a week with elderly dementia patients.

The Catholic care home says Silvio Berlusconi, 77, will be treated like any other assistant.

The billionaire has been embroiled in a string of court cases.

His conviction last year was in connection with the purchase of TV rights by his firm, Mediaset, in the 1990s.

Silvio Berlusconi is due to start a year of community service at a care home near Milan
Silvio Berlusconi is due to start a year of community service at a care home near Milan

Silvio Berlusconi was spared prison because the Italian legal system is lenient to the over-70s.

He chose community service rather than house arrest to serve out his commuted sentence.

This will enable him to continue to lead his centre-right party, Forza Italia, in the European elections, although he has been forced to resign his seat in the upper house of parliament.

Silvio Berlusconi has also had to surrender his passport and his travel within Italy is severely restricted.

He also has to observe a nightly curfew at his palatial home near Milan.

Silvio Berlusconi is said to have been studying Alzheimer’s disease in preparation for his community service. He was due to arrive at the San Pietro care home in Cesano Boscone at 09:45 local time.

Massimo Restelli, head of care services there, told La Repubblica newspaper that Silvio Berlusconi’s introduction would be “gradual” so that he and the elderly patients could get used to each other.

“It will be small steps so as not to make any mistakes, and then he could do all sorts of things. He could help with meals, which are tricky because sometimes you have to ‘remind’ the patient that they are eating,” he said.

He said Silvio Berlusconi would be accompanied at all times by a medical worker specialized in Alzheimer’s.

“We’ll see if Berlusconi’s presence creates some kind of close bond, if he is a reference for anyone,” he added.

Silvio Berlusconi has always denied the charges against him, accusing left-wing judges of a witch-hunt.

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Polar Music Prize 2014: Chuck Berry and Peter Sellars awarded music’s Nobel Prize

Sonia Pantiss
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Polar Music Prize 2014: Chuck Berry and Peter Sellars awarded music’s Nobel Prize

Chuck Berry and theatre director Peter Sellars have been named as 2014 Polar Music Prize laureates.

Chuck Berry and Peter Sellars will be presented with their awards by King Carl XVI of Sweden at a ceremony in Stockholm on August 26.

The million kronor prize ($131,000) was founded 25 years ago by Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, the publisher, lyricist and manager of Abba.

Chuck Berry and Peter Sellars have been named as 2014 Polar Music Prize laureates
Chuck Berry and Peter Sellars have been named as 2014 Polar Music Prize laureates

The first Polar Music Prize laureate was Paul McCartney.

The aim of the award is to “break down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music”.

In a career spanning seven decades, Chuck Berry has released a string of classic songs such as Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B Goode.

The award committee said in a statement: “In the course of three minutes he conjures up an image of the everyday life and dreams of a teenager, often with the focus on cars. Chuck Berry, born in 1926, was the first to drive up onto the highway and announce that we are born to run.”

Acclaimed opera, theatre and festival director Peter Sellars is known for his re-interpretations of classic works.

Peter Sellars is working with the English National Opera later this year for the world stage premiere of John Adams’s latest work, The Gospel According to the Other Mary.

He is, said the award organizers, “a living definition of what the Polar Music Prize is all about: highlighting the music and presenting it in a new context”.

Previous Polar Music Prize laureates include Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, BB. King, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

South Africa elections results 2014: ANC wins commanding victory

Diane A. Wade
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South Africa elections results 2014: ANC wins commanding victory

South Africa’s ANC (African National Congress) has won a commanding victory in the country’s general election, partial results show.

With about 80% of the results in, the ANC has 63% of the vote, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 22%.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party is in third place with 5%.

The electoral commission said voting passed off peacefully in most areas, with turnout at just over 72%.

The ANC victory in South Africa’s general elections would return President Jacob Zuma for a second five-year term
The ANC victory in South Africa’s general elections would return President Jacob Zuma for a second five-year term (photo Reuters)

The elections are the first since the death in December of Nelson Mandela – the country’s first black president – and mark 20 years since the end of white-minority rule.

Dissatisfaction with the government has been growing over high levels of unemployment, a lack of basic services and allegations of widespread corruption.

The ANC is likely to use its impressive mandate to try to drive through its National Development Plan – rejecting nationalization, and emphasizing investment and infrastructure.

The business-friendly plan has alarmed South Africa’s powerful unions – some of which may soon break away to form their own party, he says.

He adds that, on 5%, the EFF are no threat to the ANC but their aggressive populism will keep ministers on their toes, and South African politics more abrasive than ever.

The DA has increased its share of the vote from 17% in the last election to 22%, according to the latest results.

Early on Thursday, DA leader Helen Zille told AFP news agency that she expected her party’s final vote to be around the 23% margin.

“We’ll see how it goes. Of course, we hope it will be more. We did as much as we could,” she is quoted as saying.

The DA has been trying to make inroads into the black electorate – its support is mainly concentrated in the Western Cape which has a large white and mixed-race population.

Those born after the end of apartheid in 1994 were able to cast their ballots for the first time, although only a third of those entitled to do so had registered to vote.

The ANC victory would return President Jacob Zuma for a second five-year term. He was dogged by allegations of corruption in the build-up to the election after an independent inquiry found he had “unduly benefited” from an expensive government-funded upgrade to his private residence.

Speaking as he cast his vote on Wednesday, Jacob Zuma said he thought “the results will be very good”, but added that the campaign had been “very challenging”.

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James Blake mansion fire: No suspect in Florida deadly fire

Clyde K. Valle
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James Blake mansion fire: No suspect in Florida deadly fire

Florida police have announced they are not looking for suspects in the case of four bodies found in James Blake’s burned home in Tampa.

The four victims have been identified by relatives as a family who rented the home from tennis star James Blake.

They spent $650 on fireworks days before the fire destroyed their home.

Police officers say they believe the fire was started on purpose but would not say how or who was responsible.

James Blake, 34, was not at the home inside a wealthily Tampa neighborhood at the time of the fire.

He was one of the top-ranked tennis players in the world in 2006, retiring from competition in 2013 after a 14-year career.

James Blake had rented the $1.5 million home in Tampa to the Campbell family for the past two years.

James Blake had rented the $1.5 million home in Tampa to the Campbell family for the past two years
James Blake had rented the $1.5 million home in Tampa to the Campbell family for the past two years

Darrin Campbell had been an executive for several high-profile companies around the US and his wife Kimberly, was a stay-at-home mom. They had two children, Colin, 19, and Megan, 15.

Firefighters were called on Wednesday morning to the home. Neighbors told police they heard explosions coming from the house.

Kimberly Campbell’s father, Gordon Lambie, told the Associated Press news agency the family had been close-knit and successful.

Darrin Campbell had moved to Tampa more than 10 years ago to take a job with a glass container manufacturer, Gordon Lambie said, and held a few additional positions before he had taken the past year off work.

On Thursday, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Col. Donna Lusczynski described the fire as unusual and said there were “various fireworks” throughout the home.

Two victims suffered from upper-body trauma, she added, but did not indicate whom. She also said no weapons had been found.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office said medical exams of the deceased were under way on Thursday.

“We are not looking for any suspects, not at this point in the investigation,” Debbie Carter said.

William Weimer, vice-president of Phantom fireworks, confirmed Darrin Campbell had bought fireworks on Sunday, describing them as the kind of fireworks usually set off in backyards.

He said the fireworks could have started a fire but that it would have spread slowly.

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6.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Mexico City

Nancy Clayson
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6.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Mexico City

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has hit Mexico, causing buildings to sway in the capital, Mexico City.

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was centered near the town of Tecpan de Galeana in southern Guerrero state, about 190 miles south-west of Mexico City.

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has hit Mexico, causing buildings to sway in the capital
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has hit Mexico, causing buildings to sway in the capital

The earthquake was also felt in the resort city of Acapulco, the Associated Press says.

There are no reports of any damage or injuries but frightened office workers ran into the streets in the capital.

Mexico lies on top of three continental plates and is regularly shaken by tremors.

Finance Minister Luis Videgaray was mid-speech at the National Palace in Mexico City when the latest quake struck, Reuters reports.

“I think we’d better take a pause if you don’t mind,” the news agency quoted him as saying.

The quake had a depth of 15 miles.

The US Geological Survey downgraded the magnitude from an earlier figure of 6.8.

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Jordanian journalists fight with studio table on live TV

Nancy Clayson
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Jordanian journalists fight with studio table on live TV

Two Jordanian journalists having a televised debate about the civil war in neighboring Syria literally turned — and overturned — the desk on each other during an on-air brawl.

Journalists Shaker al-Johari and Mohammad al-Jayousi were debating the conflict on Jordan’s Seven Stars program on Thursday.

Mohammad al-Jayousi accused Shaker al-Johari of supporting the revolution in Syria, and was in turn accused of backing President Bashar al-Assad in exchange for money
Mohammad al-Jayousi accused Shaker al-Johari of supporting the revolution in Syria, and was in turn accused of backing President Bashar al-Assad in exchange for money

Mohammad al-Jayousi accused Shaker al-Johari of supporting the revolution in Syria, and was in turn accused of backing President Bashar al-Assad in exchange for money.

The two men, obviously carried away by the debate, stood up and grabbed the edge of the studio table they had been seated at, and tried to fight each other.

In the scuffle, the top of the table broke off and the rest of it toppled as the moderator and studio workers tried to stop the fight and finally separated the two journalists.

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Pro-Russian separatists to go ahead with independence referendum in eastern Ukraine

Roy Siemens
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Pro-Russian separatists to go ahead with independence referendum in eastern Ukraine

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have decided to go ahead with an independence referendum on Sunday, despite a call from Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone it.

The move was announced by separatist leaders after consulting supporters.

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin called for a postponement to create the conditions necessary for dialogue.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have decided to go ahead with an independence referendum on Sunday
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have decided to go ahead with an independence referendum on Sunday (photo Reuters)

Ukrainian authorities say they will disregard the results and that “anti-terror” operations will continue.

Millions of ballot papers have been prepared for the referendum.

The question put to voters is: “Do you support the act of proclamation of independent sovereignty for the Donetsk People’s Republic?”

The decision to press ahead with the vote was announced by separatist leaders in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The leader in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, said the decision had been unanimous.

“We just voice what the people want and demonstrate through their actions,” he said.

A spokesman for the Kremlin said there was “little information” and that it needed to analyze the situation further.

Moscow has vowed to protect the rights of Ukraine’s Russian-speaking population against what it calls an undemocratic government in Kiev.

Ukrainian authorities have rejected activist demands for greater autonomy and troops have been battling to regain official buildings occupied by rebels in the east.

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Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus honored at annual Hope Awards dinner

Nancy Clayson
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Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus honored at annual Hope Awards dinner

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been honored at the annual Hope Awards dinner of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Tuesday.

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were kidnapped as teens and tormented for years until their escape from Ariel Castro’s house of horrors in Cleveland on May 6, 2013.

They spoke only briefly, with Amanda Berry’s voice muffled by her infectious tears. But her message was clear: “Never give up hope.”

It was one year to the day when Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, were freed from what authorities described as a real-life horror chamber. Ariel Castro, a school bus driver, often kept the women in ropes and chains, torturing them physically and emotionally for more than a decade in his white-frame house with boarded-up windows on Seymour Avenue.

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been honored at the annual Hope Awards dinner of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been honored at the annual Hope Awards dinner of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Michelle Knight was 21 when abducted and now is 33. Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus are also adults now but were honored Tuesday with Hope Awards by the missing children’s center because they were teenagers when kidnapped. Amanda Berry was taken in April of 2003, a day before she turned 17. Gina DeJesus disappeared in January 2004, when she was 14.

Hours before being presented their awards, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus had lunch at the White House and met Vice President Joe Biden. President Barack Obama stopped by to meet them while they were talking with Joe Biden, according to the missing children’s center and the White House.

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have guarded their privacy, and although their appearance at the Hope Awards drew attention from network and Cleveland broadcasters, there was little certainty that they would do more than nominally address the ballroom audience of 500 Center for Missing and Exploited Children supporters.

The women appeared flanked by family members, and Amanda Berry, standing center, appeared uncertain of what to say.

“It’s an honor to be here tonight,” Amanda Berry began after hesitation.

“It is really special to be here with Gina and our families. It means more than you’ll ever know.”

Gina DeJesus then spoke, appearing equally uncertain.

“I’m glad to be here with you guys to accept this award,” she said.

“And always believe in hope, even though sometimes it is hard. … Just pray to God” for hope, she said.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight escaped from Castro with the help of Seymour Avenue neighbors on the eve of the missing children’s center Hope Awards last year, when the center’s president and CEO, John Ryan, was fairly new.

Amanda Barry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight have been recognized in other ways this week. Officials announced that more than 10,000 donations had been made to help them, totaling $1.4 million and divided evenly in trusts for their current and future needs.

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been working with Mary Jordan, a Washington Post reporter and Cleveland native, to tell their story in a book expected to be released in 2015.

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Michelle Knight on Dr. Phil: A year after escaping Ariel Castro’s Seymour Avenue home

Nancy Clayson
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Michelle Knight on Dr. Phil: A year after escaping Ariel Castro’s Seymour Avenue home

Michelle Knight made an emotional return to the syndicated Dr. Phil show on Wednesday.

The Cleveland survivor said the horrific memories of being held captive and brutalized by Ariel Castro don’t fade with time.

“No, they never go away,” Michelle Knight told Dr. Phil McGraw.

“They stay there, but you know you’re able to live your life.”

Michelle Knight shared many painful and disturbing memories during a highly rated two-part interview aired on Phil McGraw’s daytime talk show in November. A year after escaping Ariel Castro’s Seymour Avenue home, she reunited with Phil McGraw, this time in front of a studio audience.

Airing a day after the publication of her memoir, Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, A Life Reclaimed, this was her fourth national television appearance in four days.

Michelle Knight was interviewed by NBC’s Savannah Guthrie Sunday night for the lead story on Dateline. She again spoke to Guthrie Monday morning, this time for a segment of NBC’s Today show. That night, she was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

Writing the book was “a healing experience” Michelle Knight told Phil McGraw on Wednesday’s episode of Dr. Phil.

“It helped me go through all the emotions that I couldn’t do on my own,” said Michelle Knight, who has changed her name to Lilian Rose Lee.

Phil McGraw introduced Michelle Knight as “an inspiring young woman” and “one of my favorite people that I admire so much.”

“One year after being rescued, Michelle is stronger, happier and finally free,” he told his audience.

Dr. Phil episode aired a day after the publication of Michelle Knight’s memoir, Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, A Life Reclaimed
Dr. Phil episode aired a day after the publication of Michelle Knight’s memoir, Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, A Life Reclaimed (photo Dr. Phil)

When asked what she hoped people would take away from her book, Michelle Knight replied: “I want them to know that everybody survives in their own personal way.”

Michelle Knight was the first of three Cleveland women abducted by Castro. She disappeared in August 2002. She was 21 at the time.

Throughout the interview, Michelle Knight refused to refer to Ariel Castro by name. She called him “the Dude”.

She told Phil McGraw that Ariel Castro would rape her as many as “six, seven times a day.” There were five pregnancies.

What did Ariel Castro do when he learned she was pregnant?

“Beat me, starve me, push me down stairs, punch me, jump on my stomach,” Michelle Knight said. The torture continued until the baby was aborted.

Michelle Knight also recalled Castro looking at a news report about murdered 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, saying “he wished he got to her first”.

Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus escaped from the Seymour Avenue home on May 6, 2013. Castro pleaded guilty to more than 900 criminal counts that included kidnapping, rape and aggravated murder. As part of a plea bargain, Ariel Castro was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 1,000 years, without the chance of parole.

Ariel Castro was found dead on September 3, hanging by a bedsheet in his cell at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, south of Columbus.

Unlike Berry and DeJesus, who returned to loving families, Michelle Knight spent time at a hospice facility.

“I felt really alone, that nobody really understood,” she said.

Phil McGraw wanted to know if Michelle Knight had any desire to reunite with her family.

“No,” she said.

“I feel that if I do, they’re going to treat me the same way they did before.”

Ariel Castro kept Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus imprisoned in the same room. Phil McGraw asked if she talks to Gina DeJesus.

“Well, it’s just like they all say: relationships with friends come and go,” Michelle Knight said.

“She was there for a little while, and now she’s doing her own thing. I still care and I still love her, and she could always reach me anytime.”

Phil McGraw asked Michelle Knight how did it go when she was reunited with Berry and DeJesus in February when Gov. John Kasich presented them Ohio Courage medals.

“Awkward because we haven’t talked for a real long time and the relationship with us started to go downhill,” she said.

Michelle Knight spoke about her decision not to fight for custody of her son, Joey. He was adopted during her 11 years of captivity, and she thinks he’s with loving parents.

“All I want is the best for him,” she said.

At the end of the episode, Phil McGraw presented Michelle Knight with a Dr. Phil Foundation check for $431,630.

The program included scenes shot in Michelle Knight’s Cleveland apartment, where she keeps a Christmas tree up year round.

“It feels like I’m free,” she said.

“I don’t feel like I’m trapped in a cage.”

Dr. Phil also presented Michelle Knight to culinary school and on a shopping trip to Macy’s.

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