A gust of wind blows away Pope Francis’ skull cap, or zuchetto, as he delivers his message during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Wednesday.
Pope Francis battled the elements today to deliver his sermon to crowds outside the Vatican, as the wind whipped his mantle around his face, and blew his skull cap from his head.
A gust of wind blows away Pope Francis’ skull cap, or zuchetto, as he delivers his message during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican
The Pontiff was delivering his weekly address to well-wishers and crowds in St Peter’s square.
Pope Francis did not appear to be bothered by the interruption, and reacted calmly as his aides ran after his cap, and helped him untangle his robes from around his face.
Professional wrestler Nelson Frazier Jr. – best known as Big Daddy V, Mabel or Viscera – died on February 18 after suffering a heart attack, according to reports.
Wrestling agent Eric Simms shared the news on his Facebook page: “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I just got off the phone with Big Daddy V’s wife. He had a massive heart attack and passed away today.”
Nelson Frazier Jr. just celebrated his 42nd birthday on Valentine’s Day.
Big Daddy V wrestled in both the WWF and WWE, and he was the 1995 King of the Ring
Big Daddy V wrestled in both the WWF and WWE, and he was the 1995 King of the Ring.
Many remember Nelson Frazier Jr. best when he was Mabel wrestling in WWF back in the mid-’90s.
Big Daddy V was an imposing figure best known for his enormous size – he stood 6 ft 9 and weighed around 500 pounds.
A member of the Wisconsin National Guard was suspended from honor guard duties after she apparently posted to social media a photograph of soldiers mugging around an empty, flag-draped casket.
The picture, taken at a National Guard training facility in Arkansas, sparked a furor on Facebook, in military chat rooms and other social media, where people saw it as disrespectful of veterans and those killed in action. The National Guard said it was taking steps to protect the soldier who posted the photograph after she received death threats.
The image, originally posted on Instagram, shows about a dozen soldiers clowning around a casket draped in a flag. Several hug playfully. One flashes a peace sign. Another has his back turned and is pointing off in the distance.
The caption reads: “We put the FUN in funeral – your fearless honor guard from various states.”
A member of the Wisconsin National Guard was suspended from honor guard duties after she apparently posted this photo to social media
The photo was posted from an account belonging to Spc. Terry Harrison, of the Madison, Wisconsin-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, according to the National Guard.
That account has since been closed, but others have reposted the picture and Terry Harrison’s comments on multiple social media sites.
Judy Vincent, of Poteau, Oklahoma, said she saw the picture when a friend reposted it on Facebook.
“It was like somebody slapped me in the face. I’ve never in my life seen such disrespect for the fallen or the families,” said Judy Vincent, whose son died in Iraq in 2004.
Terry Harrison, a full-time member of the National Guard, has been suspended from Wisconsin’s honor guard and assigned to other duties while an investigation is ongoing, said Maj. Paul Rickert, the Wisconsin National Guard’s director of public affairs.
Wisconsin officials also have notified the National Guard Bureau because the other soldiers in the photograph were from other units, Paul Rickert said
French billionaire and senator Serge Dassault has been detained for questioning over alleged vote-buying in a Paris suburb.
Police are questioning the industrialist about his activities in Corbeil-Essonnes, where he was mayor between 1995 and 2009.
The parliamentary immunity of Serge Dassault, 88, was lifted on February 12 at his own request, the French daily Le Monde reports.
Dassault Aviation is a major producer of jets, including the Rafale fighter.
Serge Dassault, a senator in the centre-right UMP party, requested the lifting of his parliamentary immunity in order to defend himself against the vote-buying allegations and prove that he had acted correctly, Le Monde reports.
Police are questioning Serge Dassault about his activities in Corbeil-Essonnes, where he was mayor between 1995 and 2009
He is ranked as France’s fourth-richest man, with an estimated fortune of 13 billion euros ($18 billion).
The Gaullist UMP was the political launchpad for former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac.
An ally of Serge Dassault, who succeeded him as mayor – Jean-Pierre Bechter – was charged last month.
Two other aides – Cristela de Oliveira and Younes Bounouara – were also charged.
Cristela de Oliveira is suspected of allocating council flats to families who agreed to vote for Serge Dassault or Jean-Pierre Bechter.
The 2008 election result was annulled by the Council of State – a top legal advisory body. It found evidence of vote-buying, and investigators are now considering whether to prosecute Serge Dassault, the AFP news agency reports.
Magistrates are examining suspicious transfers of millions of euros between France and Lebanon in connection with the affair, Le Monde reports.
Sharon Stone admits that growing older has been a struggle as she appears on the cover of Shape magazine’s March issue.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Sharon Stone, 55, told the fitness mag.
“There was a point in my ’40s where I went into the bathroom with a bottle of wine, locked the door, and said, <<I’m not coming out until I can totally accept the way I look right now>>.”
Sharon Stone went on to explain how much of a dark tumultuous time it was.
“I examined my face in the magnifying mirror, and I looked at my body, and I cried and cried and cried,” she confessed.
“Then I said to myself, <<You’re going to get old now. How do you want to do that?>>”
Sharon Stone appears on the cover of Shape magazine’s March issue
“I thought, <<I’d like to age like a dancer>>. I want to keep my body in shape like that. I want to do the work. I like to dance and stretch. And I’m going to the gym,” Sharon Stone said.
“Every time I exercise, I do something different based on which areas need to get in motion,” she revealed of her fitness routine, which includes stretches, yoga and dance.
Sharon Stone’s diet, meanwhile, consists of steak – lots of it.
The actress, who has been genetically blessed with “low cholesterol and low blood pressure,” told the magazine that she enjoys porterhouse, rib eyes and New York strip, but also eats fish and cheese.
“I like clean food prepared as simply as possible,” she said.
“I used to love wine, but I don’t drink at all now,” Sharon Stone admitted.
“I think, at a certain point, it’s better for women not to have any alcohol because it can make your face, breasts and midsection get very bloated.”
March issue of Shape magazine will hit stands on February 24.
Warm Bodies actress Teresa Palmer gave birth to a baby boy on February 17.
The actress shared all the details, including the baby’s weight and name, on Instagram.
“Thank you God for blessing us with the most divine gift of our baby son,” Teresa Palmer wrote on Tuesday, alongside a photo of her newborn’s hand.
Teresa Palmer gave birth to a baby boy on February 17
“Introducing Bodhi Rain Palmer born safely, lovingly and naturally last night. 8lbs even.”
Teresa Palmer, who is married to Mark Webber, went on to explain the meaning behind her son’s name: “Bodhi means <<Enlightened one>> Rain means <<Abundant Blessings From Above>> and we chose Palmer as his last name as Mark’s son Isaac didn’t take his dads name either.”
Teresa Palmer concluded: “Thanks for all the blessings and love everyone.”
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he is “a little more than halfway” to his weight loss goal.
Chris Christie, 51, underwent lap band surgery in June. The surgery makes the stomach smaller, limiting the amount of food it can hold.
Before surgery, Chris Christie’s weight was estimated to be about 350 lbs.
Before surgery, Chris Christie’s weight was estimated to be about 350 lbs
The governor told CNN he sleeps better since losing the weight: “I didn’t feel badly at my previous weight, but I didn’t realize how poorly I slept until how well I’ve been sleeping.”
Chris Christie said weight loss is hard work but he’s hopeful.
“For the first time in 25 years I feel like I’ve got a pathway, which is really nice. Really nice not to be as frustrated as I was before,” Chris Christie said.
Australian missionary John Short has been detained in North Korea, his wife says.
John Short, 75, was making his second trip to North Korea with a tour group when he was detained in Pyongyang.
His wife told journalists that he had been open about his work and was carrying religious material translated into Korean.
An Australian foreign affairs spokesperson said that the government was aware of John Short’s arrest.
Australian missionary John Short has been detained in North Korea
John Short and his wife Karen have been living in Hong Kong, where he owns a Christian book publishing house.
“He was carrying Korean literature on his person and that could be the reason, but again I don’t know,” Karen Short told the Associated Press news agency.
She said he knew North Korea was not a tourist destination “but he cares about the people and he wants to help”.
Australia has no diplomatic representation in North Korea.
“We are in close contact with Swedish officials in Pyongyang to seek their assistance in confirming the well-being of Mr. Short and to obtain more information,” the Australian foreign affairs spokesman said.
Religious activity is restricted inside North Korea and the authorities have arrested missionaries on multiple occasions in the past.
Jimmy Fallon’s debut as the host of The Tonight Show was a ratings hit for NBC network.
Viewing-figures firm Nielsen said 11.3 million people watched Jimmy Fallon taking over the show on Monday evening.
But the audience fell short of the 14.6 million viewers who saw Jay Leno sign off as host of the program.
The figures do not necessarily take account of those who watched segments of the show online via services such as YouTube or Hulu.
Jimmy Fallon, 39, will compete against late-night shows hosted by David Letterman on CBS and Jimmy Kimmel on ABC.
Jimmy Kimmel, 46, has proved popular with the key 18-49 demographic.
Jimmy Fallon’s debut as the host of The Tonight Show was a ratings hit for NBC network
“I really don’t know how I got here,” Jimmy Fallon, who rose to fame as a cast member on the comedy show Saturday Night Live, told Monday night’s cheering studio audience.
“I just want to do the best I can, and take care of the show for a while. If you guys let me stick around long enough, maybe I’ll get the hang of it.”
Jimmy Fallon’s guests included a parade of celebrities such as Robert De Niro, Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Mike Tyson, plus a performance from the rock band U2.
Jay Leno stepped down for a second time as host of the six-decades-old show on February 6. He originally took over from Johnny Carson in 1992.
Jay Leno briefly retired in 2009, handing over to comedian Conan O’Brien.
But he Leno came back when Conan O’Brien quit amid an attempt by channel executives to reschedule The Tonight Show to later in the evening.
Jimmy Fallon’s debut, coming after the broadcaster’s nightly Olympics program, gained two million more watchers than Conan O’Brien’s debut.
Coca-Cola shares saw their biggest fall in two years after the company’s profit fell due to slowing sales in the US and Europe.
Coca-Cola’s fourth-quarter net income fell 8.4% from a year earlier to $1.7 billion, missing analyst estimates.
Revenue also fell, partly due to currency fluctuations and the sale of its bottling operations in Brazil and the Philippines last year.
Its stock lost as much as 4.3% in US trading after its earnings release.
Coca-Cola chief executive Muhtar Kent said they were looking to “restore momentum” to its business this year.
“While we move forward in what remains an uncertain global economy, the long-term fundamentals driving our business and industry have not changed,” Muhtar Kent said in a statement.
Coca-Cola shares saw their biggest fall in two years after the company’s profit fell due to slowing sales in the US and Europe
“A rising middle class, greater urbanization and increasing personal consumption expenditures in markets around the world will continue to drive greater demand for our beverages.”
Coca-Cola plans to increase its spending on advertising to spur sales, while simultaneously looking to save $1 billion in annual costs by 2016.
The Atlanta-based company has also been branching out into other drink options, such as juices, teas and water.
Last month, Coca-Cola also bought a 10% stake in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for about $1.25 billion.
Rival PepsiCo has also been struggling with weak sales of carbonated soft drinks, and announced plans last week to close plants and increase automation to save money.
Sister Megan Rice, an elderly Catholic nun, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for damage caused while breaking into a US nuclear defense site.
Sister Megan Rice, 84, and two other protesters cut fences and entered the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, facility, which processes and stores uranium.
The other two, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed, were sentenced to more than five years in prison.
The July 2012 incident prompted security changes at the Y-12 site.
“Please have no leniency with me,” Sister Megan Rice told the court at Tuesday’s hearing in Knoxville.
“To remain in prison for the rest of my life would be the greatest gift you could give me.”
During the trial Sister Megan Rice, from Washington DC, said her only regret was waiting so long to take action.
Sister Megan Rice and Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed cut fences and entered the Oak Ridge facility, which processes and stores uranium
The peace activists, members of the group Transform Now Plowshares, had initially faced up to 20 years in prison after their conviction last May.
Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed received tougher sentences because they had longer criminal histories.
The trio were also found guilty of causing more than $1,000 of damage to government property.
After cutting a fence to enter the site, the three walked around, spray-painted graffiti, strung out crime-scene tape and chipped a wall with hammers.
They spent two hours inside.
The trio also sprayed the exterior of the complex with baby bottles containing human blood.
When a guard approached, they offered him food and started singing.
US lawmakers and the Department of Energy later launched an inquiry and uncovered “troubling displays of ineptitude” at the facility.
Top officials were reassigned, including at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
WSI, the company providing security at the site, was dismissed and other officers were sacked, demoted or suspended.
Europe’s second-largest carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen has signed a rescue deal with China’s Dongfeng Motors and the French government that will see its founding family cede control of the company.
Dongfeng Motors and the French government will each invest about 800 million euros in return for 14% stakes.
Another 1.4 billion euros will be raised from existing investors in Peugeot.
The deal is still subject to a shareholder vote but will provide much-needed cash to keep Peugeot afloat after government guarantees expire.
Should the deal be approved, the Peugeot family’s 25.4% stake will be diluted to 14%, matching that of the French government and Dongfeng Motors.
Peugeot also announced its latest financial results on Wednesday, warning that it may face losses until 2016.
The carmaker said its net loss narrowed to 2.32 billion euros last year, compared to a 5 billion-euro loss in 2012.
Sales also fell by 2.4% from a year earlier to 54.1 billion euros, due to tepid demand for new cars in Europe.
PSA Peugeot Citroen has signed a rescue deal with China’s Dongfeng Motors and the French government that will see its founding family cede control of the company
Reports say the deal is likely to be formally signed in March.
In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, Dongfeng said the deal is meant to “expand and deepen their current cooperation” with Peugeot.
It also said the venture would “strengthen overseas cooperation to achieve the objective of selling 1.5 million vehicles under the Dongfeng, Peugeot SA and Citroën brands per year starting from 2020”.
Peugeot already has a joint venture with Dongfeng, which is one of China’s newer car brands and is known for its heavy trucks and “Fengshen” line of vehicles.
However, the new arrangement is expected to bring an increase in production and a new research and development centre.
Dongfeng is also expected to promote the Peugeot brand in the fast-growing car markets in South East Asia.
The deal also makes Dongfeng the latest Chinese carmaker to buy into a Western competitor.
Peugeot was founded 200 years ago and is one of France’s oldest industrial dynasties.
The company began in 1810 as a maker of tools and coffee mills, which are still marketed under its name.
However, it has faced financial difficulties and shrinking market share over the last few years.
Peugeot signed an investment deal with General Motors in 2012, but the US carmaker offloaded its stake in the loss-making company in December.
Ji Wenlin, a senior official linked to Chinese former security chief Zhou Yongkang, is being investigated, state media say.
Ji Wenlin, the vice-governor of Hainan province, was being investigated for “suspected serious violation of discipline and laws”, the Communist Party disciplinary body said.
No other details were given of the probe, which comes amid a crackdown on corruption by President Xi Jinping.
There are ongoing rumors that Zhou Yongkang is under investigation.
Zhou Yongkang was until 2012 a member of the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, with oversight of China’s security apparatus.
There has been no official comment on any investigation, but in recent months several business and political associates of Zhou Yongkang have come under scrutiny.
Ji Wenlin, the vice-governor of Hainan province, is being investigated for suspected serious violation of discipline and laws
Ji Wenlin worked with Zhou Yongkang when he was land resources minister. Ji Wenlin was also an aide to Zhou Yongkang when he was party secretary in Sichuan province.
He then served as deputy director in the general office of the ministry of public security from April 2003 to December 2008, the People’s Daily newspaper said. Zhou Yongkang was the minister of public security from 2002-2007.
Unconfirmed reports have been circulating for months that Zhou Yongkang is under virtual house arrest.
Several other top officials linked to him are facing investigations, including Sichuan officials Li Chuncheng and Li Chongxi, and former energy chief Jiang Jiemin.
Zhou Yongkang was also the patron of jailed former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai.
Bo Xilai was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, and sentenced to life imprisonment in September. Bo Xilai’s supporters, however, believe he is the victim of a political purge.
President Xi Jinping has warned that corruption could topple the Communist Party, and launched an anti-corruption campaign he said would target both “tigers and flies” – high and low ranking officials in the government.
If Zhou Yongkang was charged it would send shockwaves through the ruling elite, who generally are not investigated once they retire.
It is not clear whether China’s leaders will decide to press ahead with the case against Zhou Yongkang. Any trial would run the risk of embarrassing revelations being made public that could damage the standing of the party.
At least 25 people died in Kiev as the Ukrainian police have launched a fresh attack on anti-government protesters.
The new attempt to uproot the protest stronghold came as President Viktor Yanukovych blamed opposition leaders for the worst violence in months of unrest.
After failed overnight talks, Viktor Yanukovych urged them to distance themselves from radical forces.
Activists say the violence has been stoked by the authorities.
Police launched their latest assault on Independence Square, also known as the Maidan, shortly after 04:00 local time. Several tents were set ablaze, and water cannon was later used.
Police had taken control of a corner of the square for the first time since December.
The clashes spread to surrounding streets and police launched a first attack on Independence Square on Tuesday evening.
In a statement, the health ministry said on Wednesday the number of dead on both sides had risen to 25. Nine of those killed were police, the interior ministry says. A journalist has also died.
At least 25 people died in Kiev as the Ukrainian police have launched a fresh attack on anti-government protesters
Hundreds of people have been treated in hospital for injuries and there are fears the number of deaths could rise still further.
Explosions are taking place, fireworks are being thrown and large fires can been seen.
But the protesters appear to have been able to hold their defense lines, burning tires on the barricades.
Thousands of policemen have been surrounding the Maidan since Tuesday, although reports suggest that many anti-government activists are heading to join the camp.
President Viktor Yanukovych said in statement on Wednesday morning: “The opposition leaders have disregarded the principle of democracy according to which one obtains power not on the streets or maidans – but through elections.”
“They have crossed the line by calling for people to take up arms,” he said, warning that those responsible for violence would face the law.
The president added that there was a “better and more effective way” to solve the crisis – through dialogue and compromise.
“It is not too late to stop the conflict,” Viktor Yanukovych said.
Security forces had given the protesters a deadline of 18:00 on Tuesday to leave the square, the scene of a mostly peaceful protest camp since November.
When the deadline expired, riot police advanced with an armored vehicle, dismantling barricades and firing stun grenades and water cannon.
Protesters have been resisting, throwing missiles from behind piles of burning tires.
In speeches from the main stage through the night, protest leaders urged people already on the Maidan to stand firm, and called on Ukrainians elsewhere to come to the square.
“This is an island of freedom and we will defend it,” said Vitaly Klitschko, the leader of the Udar (Punch) party.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who heads the Fatherland party, appealed to President Viktor Yanukovych to “stop the bloodshed and call a truce”.
Earlier on Tuesday, police blocked protesters from marching on parliament, where lawmakers had been due to debate proposed changes to the constitution.
The debate did not take place. Arseniy Yatsenyuk said President Viktor Yanukovych was blocking the reforms and that his allies “show no desire whatsoever to end the political crisis”.
According to new reports, Paul McCartney used to dye his own hair with drugstore box coloring before ex-wife Heather Mills forced him to go to a high-end salon.
TheNew York Daily News revealed the exclusive hair salon in Manhattan has fallen out with Paul McCartney over its secret formula for his hair dye.
Paul McCartney, 71, started visiting Guy Thomas in New York in 2004 after his then-wife Heather Mills allegedly criticized his hairdo.
Paul McCartney used to dye his own hair with drugstore box coloring
Guy Thomas said Paul McCartney liked to save paying salon prices of at least $200 by dying his hair himself with a product from a chemist but Heather Mills was worried as “people were making fun of the color”.
The stylist started cutting Paul McCartney’s hair but claimed he was later asked for the formula for a special hair dye developed for the rock legend – who started going elsewhere.
Guy Thomas told the New York Daily News: “The color is a mess. People ask us, <<Is that your work?>>”
Curitiba will remain a venue for this year’s World Cup in Brazil but world governing body FIFA said progress must continue at the “highest pace”.
The Arena da Baixada in the south of the country was one of six venues to miss an initial December 31 deadline.
Organizers brought in hundreds of extra workers to meet building requirements and avoid being the first ground to be dropped from a World Cup.
The 40,000 stadium will stage four group matches at the tournament.
Last month FIFA warned that Curitiba could be excluded unless work speeded up, with secretary-general Jerome Valcke commenting that operations were seriously behind schedule.
The Arena da Baixada in Curitiba was one of six World Cup venues to miss an initial December 31 deadline
However, after financial guarantees for the improvement works were provided, the home of Brazilian top-flight club Atletico Paranaense was cleared to continue.
Jerome Valcke said: “It is essential that the works are maintained at the required levels and that a collective effort by all the stakeholders involved in Curitiba continues.
“It is a race against a very tight timeline and will require regular monitoring, but we are counting on the commitment made by Atletico Paranaense, the city and the state of Curitiba.”
At least 1,500 workers are now expected on site, and is it hoped the stadium will be completed by mid-May.
Ricardo Trade, chief executive of the local organizing committee, said: “There is still a lot to be done but we have always been confident that Curitiba will deliver.
“The necessary measures to finish the stadium in time for proper testing are implemented, but close monitoring is key because we have no time to lose.
“Soon it will be time to look forward and plan for the test events and finish operational details for the competition.”
Devo guitarist Bob Casale died from health complications which led to heart failure, according to his brother Gerald.
Bob Casale passed away on Monday at the age of 61.
Devo guitarist Bob Casale died from health complications which led to heart failure
A post on Devo’s Facebook page from Gerald Casale reads: “As an original member of Devo, Bob Casale was there in the trenches with me from the beginning. He was my level-headed brother, a solid performer and talented audio engineer, always giving more than he got. He was excited about the possibility of Mark Mothersbaugh allowing Devo to play shows again. His sudden death from conditions that lead to heart failure came as a total shock to us all.”
Bob and Gerald Casale formed Devo in the early 1970s with brothers Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Alan Myers.
Venezuela’s protest leader Leopoldo Lopez has handed himself over to the National Guard, witnesses say.
It comes as pro- and anti-government protesters take part in rival rallies in the capital, Caracas.
Leopoldo Lopez, who is wanted on charges of inciting violence, had said he would lead the anti-government march before handing himself in to the authorities.
Tensions have been running high in the deeply polarized country; at least three people have died in clashes.
The three – two anti-government protesters and one government supporter – died of bullet wounds sustained during demonstrations last Wednesday.
Participants in a protest in the eastern city of Carupano said another student was killed when he was run over by a car during a march on Monday night.
Leopoldo Lopez got into an armored vehicle after giving a speech to an opposition rally in Caracas to give himself in on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Ahead of the rallies, Caracas Mayor Jorge Rodriguez warned that he had not authorized Tuesday’s opposition march.
Venezuela’s protest leader Leopoldo Lopez has handed himself over to the National Guard
Police and members of the National Guard are out in force. Opposition activists have accused them of trying to prevent them from attending the anti-government rally.
The anti-government demonstration was called by Leopoldo Lopez, leader of the opposition Popular Will party and former mayor of Chacao district in eastern Caracas.
Earlier, Leopoldo Lopez urged his supporters to join the march but asked them to stop short of the Interior Ministry, which is located in a pro-government area of Caracas and where he was planning to hand in a petition.
“I will walk alone. I won’t put any Venezuelan lives at risk. Go Venezuela!” he wrote on Twitter.
In a video statement released on Sunday, Leopoldo Lopez said he had not committed any crime and insisted allegations that he had incited violence were untrue.
Leopoldo Lopez also promised to hand himself in at the end of Tuesday’s march.
“If there is a decision to legally throw me in jail, I’ll submit myself to this persecution,” he said.
Thousands of people have gathered in the east of Caracas in support of Leopoldo Lopez.
He had been expected to join the march and lead it towards the Interior Ministry.
The US state department earlier denied that it was helping to organize the anti-government protests.
“The allegation that the United States is helping to organize protesters in Venezuela is baseless and false,” spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said.
The statement came a day after Venezuela announced it would expel three US diplomats for allegedly meeting students who had been leading marches.
Pussy Riot members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who were arrested on Monday near the Winter Olympics resort of Sochi, have been released.
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were being held on suspicion of theft.
They were convicted of hooliganism over a protest song against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow’s largest cathedral.
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova staged the protest along with other band members and were only released from jail in December.
The two band members and two other women emerged from the police station in Sochi wearing their trademark ski masks after their brief detention.
The group of women then ran down the street outside the police station singing: “Putin will teach you to live the motherland” – a new song which correspondents say sarcastically lampoons the president’s leadership.
Pussy Riot members and two other women emerged from the police station in Sochi wearing their trademark ski masks after their brief detention
“Now there is an occupation of this territory, because the city is under total police and security control,” Nadezhda Tolokonnikova told reporters.
“We have arrived here on Sunday [and] we are being detained all the time. Even when we were driving our car and walking in the street. So they are looking for any reasons to arrest us.”
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said they were detained for 10 hours by police on Monday after arriving “to make a political claim about the Sochi Olympics”.
“There is no space for political protest here,” she said.
“If you want to say something critical you will be detained.”
Maria Alyokhina said that the pair were going to release a new song and prepare a video “on the basis of what has happened to us during this day-and-a-half”.
Earlier this month, six members of Pussy Riot signed an open letter insisting that Maria Alyokhina and Nadezdha Tolokonnikova should no longer be described as members of the punk rock collective.
Duck Dynasty’s Jessica Robertson will be a special guest at the Southern Women’s Show in Savannah.
The show on February 21-23 and will feature more than 200 exhibitors from all areas of food, fashion, health and beauty.
Jessica Robertson will be a special guest at the Southern Women’s Show in Savannah
At 1 p.m. on February 22, Jessica Robertson will share stories about life in Louisiana and the importance of family and faith, which are core values of Duck Dynasty reality show.
Jessica Robertson is the wife of Jeptha “Jep” Robertson, the youngest Robertson son.
Pete Wentz has confirmed reports that his model girlfriend Meagan Camper is pregnant.
The Fall Out Boy bassist uploaded a photo of himself and Meagan Camper kissing on his Instagram page on Monday, and then posted a tweet revealing the happy news.
Pete Wentz wrote: “We’re super excited to announce we’re expecting a baby!”
The new baby will be Pete Wentz’s second child.
Pete Wentz has confirmed reports that his model girlfriend Meagan Camper is pregnant
Pete Wentz first became a father when he was married to Ashlee Simpson in 2008. Bronx Mowgli Wentz is now 5 years old.
Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz split in 2011 and he went on to date model Meagan Camper later that year.
Pete Wentz and Meagan Camper’s baby news emerges one month after Ashlee Simpson announced plans to wed her boyfriend Evan Ross, the son of soul icon Diana Ross.
David Crosby has reportedly undergone heart surgery after his doctor discovered a blocked artery.
The cardiac catheterization procedure took place last week and rock legend David Crosby, 72, is expected to make a full recovery, but he has been forced to postpone a string of upcoming California shows to concentrate on his health.
David Crosby has reportedly undergone heart surgery after his doctor discovered a blocked artery
David Crosby says: “I am very glad that I listened to my doctors and my family. It seems I am once again a very lucky man. I’m sorry to have to move the dates, but I promise the music will be good when we do play them.”
Crosby, Stills & Nash’s upcoming tour, which is scheduled to begin early next month, is expected to continue as planned.
