Tens of thousands of Italians have protested in Naples against illegal dumping of toxic waste blamed on the local mafia.
Demonstrators carried photos of relatives who they said had died of cancer as a result of the pollution.
Locals call the area between Naples and Caserta the “Triangle of Death” because of toxic fumes after waste burning.
Some 10 million tonnes of industrial waste has reportedly been dumped in the region over the past 20 years.
Tens of thousands of Italians have protested in Naples against illegal dumping of toxic waste blamed on the local mafia
Environmental group Legambiente, which organized Saturday’s protest, said nearly 440 businesses in central and northern Italy had been taking part in the illegal activity.
“It is essential that in addition to waste we find also the truth about who is responsible,” Legambiente’s director Rossella Muroni was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The demonstrators also demanded an immediate clean-up of the contaminated land.
As more and more illegal dumps are found, the Italian government says it is starting an extensive project of cleaning the contaminated area.
The local mafia, the Camorra, is suspected of securing lucrative contracts to dispose of waste and then dumping much of it illegally.
Two decades ago doctors noticed that incidences of cancer in towns around Naples were on the rise.
Since then, the number of tumors found in women has risen by 40%, and those in men by 47%.
Khloe Kardashian was in London this week to promote the Kardashian Kollection Lipsy range which the Kardashian sisters are launching in the UK.
Khloe Kardashian, 29, was spotted outside the posh Langham Hotel on Thursday as she arrived with a massive collection of luggage in tow.
Khloe Kardashian was in London this week to promote the Kardashian Kollection Lipsy range which the Kardashian sisters are launching in the UK
Running her fingers all over the keyboard of her snazzy tweet-producing device, Khloe Kardashian wrote: “Launch party time for kardashiankollection for lipsylondon. I am SOOOO excited!!!!”
Khloe, Kourtney and Kim announced they were coming to the UK with the Kardashian Kollection earlier this year.
On the launch, Khloe Kardashian said earlier this year: “We’re so excited to announce the launch of Kardashian Kollection for Lipsy in the UK, Ireland, Russia and the Middle East…
“We’re collaborating with Lipsy to bring a fresh new range of pieces and I can’t wait for the new line to hit stores.”
Miss Kay Robertson presents a Thanksgiving special: Aunt Judy’s Cranberry Salad.
Aunt Judy was Phil Robertson’s older sister. She loved to cook and used it as a way to relax. Aunt Judy was an administrative nurse and passed away in 2006.
Ingredients (8-10 servings):
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups) rinsed and dried
Cranberry Salad
1 cup sugar
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 container (16 ounces) whipped topping
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
In a food processor, pulse de cranberries and sugar together until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a container with a cover and refrigerate overnight. If you don’t have a food processor, use a mallet or fork to crush the cranberries.
The next morning, put the cranberries in a colander and drain off the juice. Transfer the cranberries to a large mixing or serving bowl and add the pineapple, marshmallows, whipped topping, and pecans and mix well.
President Barack Obama will visit JFK’s grave on November 20 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the former president’s assassination, the White House has announced.
Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will be joined by their predecessors former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony Wednesday afternoon, as first reported by the Associated Press.
The actual anniversary falls on Friday.
Barack Obama will also be honoring one of John F. Kennedy’s last initiatives, presenting this year’s awards for the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Wednesday, the highest civilian awarded by the US.
Former prominent recipients of the medal will join the president in a tribute to JFK, who established the modern version of the medal months before his death.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary that President John F. Kennedy signed the Executive Order establishing the medal.
Barack Obama will visit JFK’s grave on November 20 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the former president’s assassination
JFK was assassinated just two weeks before he could honor the award’s first recipients. Since then, more than 500 people have been given the award, according to the White House.
The medal is presented to those who have made “especially meritorious” contributions to the security or national interests of the US, to world peace, or cultural and other public and private endeavors, according to the White House.
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives to enriching ours. This year’s honorees have been blessed with extraordinary talent, but what sets them apart is their gift for sharing that talent with the world,” Barack Obama said in a White House statement announcing this year’s recipients in August.
“It will be my honor to present them with a token of our nation’s gratitude.”
This year, Barack Obama named 16 recipients for the award from the worlds of politics and science to the worlds of music and sports. Those to be honored include Bill Clinton, women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem, Oprah Winfrey, the late American female astronaut Sally Ride, country singer Loretta Lynn and Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks.
Barack Obama has planned a speech on JFK’s legacy of service at the Smithsonian American History Museum at a dinner with former medal recipients including astronaut Buzz Aldrin, singer Aretha Franklin and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
He will also meet privately on Friday at the White House with leaders and members of the Peace Corps, another program President John F. Kennedy established.
The Peace Corps dates back to 1960, when JFK, then a senator, called on students at the University of Michigan to serve two years in volunteer service to help people in countries of the developing world, according to the Peace Corps web site.
Within weeks of his inauguration as president, JFK signed an Executive Order to establish the Peace Corps on a temporary pilot basis in March 1961. Since then, more than 210,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries working on issues ranging from health and education to environmental preservation.
Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin and costume designer Piero Tosi will accept Oscar statuettes at the film academy’s Governors Awards ceremony Saturday night in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles.
Angelina Jolie, 38, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while the others will accept honorary Academy Awards for their distinguished careers.
Angelina Jolie will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
The black-tie dinner ceremony is untelevised to preserve a sense of intimacy and allow for ample tributes to each honoree.
This is the fifth year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has presented its honorary awards at a separate ceremony. Clips from the event may be included in the March 2 Oscar telecast.
The 2013 Leonid meteor shower will be at its best Saturday (November 16) night,and NASA will have a live webcast of the celestial fireworks.
The annual Leonid meteor shower is made of debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, and peaks every year in November.
It is typically one of the most dependable meteor displays of the year. Astronomers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will provide a live views of the night sky over Huntsville, Ala., beginning at nightfall.
This year, the bright moon may interfere with the meteor display, scientists say.
“Unfortunately the full moon in the sky will likely wash out all but the very brightest Leonids,” NASA officials explained in a skywatching guide.
“Meteor rates, normally 10-20 per hour, are predicted to be less than 10 per hour. The shower should be visible from any populated area on the planet with clear dark skies, though Northern Hemisphere observers are favored due to the radiant’s location in the constellation Leo.”
The Leonid meteor shower doesn’t require a telescope to view, though a dark sky without city lights will make for better viewing.
The 2013 Leonid meteor shower will be at its best Saturday night
“For optimal viewing, find an open sky because Leonid meteors can appear in any part of it,” NASA added in a statement.
“Lie on the ground and look straight up into the dark sky. Again, it is important to be far away from artificial lights. Your eyes can take up to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, so allow plenty of time for your eyes to dark-adapt.”
NASA’s webcast is one of two online Leonid viewing events this weekend. On Sunday, the online community telescope Slooh will host a webcast double feature to stream live views of the Leonids and the potentially dazzling Comet ISON, which is now visible in the pre-dawn sky to the unaided eye.
The Slooh Leonid webcast will begin Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST and last 45 minutes. The Comet ISON webcast will begin at 9 p.m. EST. You can also watch both webcasts via Slooh’s iPad app and at the website Slooh.com.
The Leonid meteor shower, which is made of rocky bits of debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, peaks every year in November. The icy comet is circling the sun and is slowly being melted by the sun’s heat. It reaches the solar system once every 33 years and its long, slow disintegration has left a rocky trail millions of miles wide and hundreds of millions of miles long.
“We can predict when Earth will cross a debris stream with pretty good accuracy,” NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said in a statement.
“The intensity of the display is less certain, though, because we don’t know how much debris is in each stream.”
Some of that rocky trail drifts into Earth’s orbit every November. When the comet debris collides with Earth’s atmosphere, about 50 miles to 80 miles above the planet, the rocks are vaporized in a flash and fireballs seem to be exploding out of the constellation Leo, leaving bluish white, glowing trails in their wake.
Every 33 years, the Leonid shower is truly breathtaking, with more than 1,000 meteors lighting up the sky per hour, NASA officials said. Unfortunately, that display won’t happen again until 2034, they added.
Former PM Silvio Berlusconi has relaunched Forza Italia (Go Italy) party as his People of Freedom (PDL) party split between his supporters.
“I am happy that we have returned to this name, the one we all still have in our hearts: Forza Italia,” Silvio Berlusconi said at a party conference in Rome before hundreds of delegates, who voted unanimously to the name change of the party with the 77-year-old leader again at its helm.
Silvio Berlusconi supporter, Senator Vincenzo Gibiino, said: “Forza Italia is reborn thanks to Berlusconi who has decided to throw himself into the fray for all our sakes.”
At least 250 delegates, however, were not present. This faction, led by former PDL deputy leader Angelino Alfano, previously said they would not attend the PDL party conference, announcing the formation of breakaway party called Nuovo centrodestra (New Centre Right).
Silvio Berlusconi has relaunched Forza Italia party as his People of Freedom party split between his supporters
Composed of between 56 and 60 parliamentarians, the Alfano group would be large enough to ensure the survival of the prime minister‘s government should Berlusconi supporters drop out of the ruling coalition under the leadership of centre-left PM Enrico Letta.
At the centre of PDL split is how the party would react to the possible expulsion of Berlusconi from parliament over a tax fraud conviction.
The possibility of parliamentary expulsion, the decision for which is to take place on November 27, is seen as likely because the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), the PDL‘s main coalition partner, is unwilling to let the scandal-prone politician keep his seat.
On Saturday, Silvio Berlusconi repeated his allegation that it was impossible for his party to remain in parliament with people who wanted the death of the one of the party‘s leaders.
The Alfano group, however, has argued the good of the country necessitated the continuance of the Letta government.
Negotiations within the PDL to prevent a party split continued until the last minute, with Alfano demanding in addition to remaining in the governing coalition an increase of democracy within the party and other issues.
In a 30-minute-long speech, Silvio Berlusconi appeared to signal his readiness to enter the opposition, criticizing the Letta government, accusing it of failed economic policies and lacking political will within Europe.
Silvio Berlusconi thundered against taxes and maintained that when he was head of government, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French former president Nicolas Sarkozy never liked him because he had “the experience and the will to say no to many of their suggestions.”
At least 10 Afghans have been killed and more than 20 injured in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul.
The bomb went off near a compound where tribal elders are expected to gather next week to discuss a security pact with the US.
No group has said it carried out the attack.
The security pact governs the status of US military personnel staying in Afghanistan beyond the withdrawal of most international forces in 2014.
It will be discussed next week by Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga, the traditional council of elders.
Those killed in Saturday’s attack include a police officer. Many of the other casualties appear to have been civilians.
Police say the attacker crashed a vehicle filled with explosives into an Afghan army vehicle when soldiers identified it as a threat and opened fire.
At least 10 Afghans have been killed and more than 20 injured in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul
Although no group has said it was behind the blast, correspondents say suspicion is likely to fall on the Taliban, which opposes the foreign military presence in Afghanistan and has carried out previous attacks in Kabul.
The blast occurred less than 100m from a large tent where more than 2,000 prominent Afghans will gather on Thursday to debate the security pact with the US.
The security agreement must be approved by the Loya Jirga and parliament before it can come into force.
Among other issues, the pact covers the key issue of whether US military personnel will enjoy immunity from prosecution in Afghanistan.
Hours before the blast, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said negotiators had completed a draft of the accord, the Associated Press news agency reports. But he added that there were “still some differences”.
The president also called on the Taliban to attend the Loya Jirga.
“We invite them, please come to this national Jirga of Afghanistan, raise your voice, raise your objection.”
Between 5,000 and 10,000 US military personnel are due to remain in the country beyond the end of 2014, when most of the Nato-led international force is due to have left Afghanistan.
The US is expected to focus on training and mentoring Afghan security forces as well as combating al-Qaeda.
According to near-final results, Abdulla Yameen has won the presidential election run-off vote in the Maldives.
Abdulla Yameen had 51.3% of the vote compared with 48.6% for ex-President Mohamed Nasheed, with 98% of ballots counted, the Election Commission said.
Mohamed Nasheed had won 47% in the first round this month, just short of the 50% needed for outright victory, in an election process mired in controversy.
Abdulla Yameen is half-brother to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled for 30 years in Maldives
Abdulla Yameen is half-brother to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled for 30 years.
Imad Masood, a spokesman for outgoing President Mohamed Waheed, told Reuters there were “four more boxes yet to be counted, but they won’t make any difference to the final results”.
There have been months of legal and political wrangling over the election, causing concern among foreign diplomats.
One result was annulled and two votes cancelled by the courts.
Mohamed Nasheed had been seeking to regain power after he was forced to resign in 2012.
Thousands of people in San Francisco have turned out to help 5-year-old Miles Scott recovering from leukaemia fulfill his wish to be Batman for a day.
Miles Scott participated in events across the city including fighting mock crimes and receiving an honor from the mayor.
Make-A-Wish Foundation, which organized the event, received pledges from more than 10,000 people to lend a hand.
Miles Scott, in treatment for several years, is now said to be in remission.
According to local television, Miles Scott thought he was just on his way to get a Batman costume so he could dress like his favorite superhero.
But then he heard a broadcast from San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr appealing for help from “Batkid”.
Next, Batkid saved a “damsel in distress”, tied to cable car tracks along a major urban street.
A San Francisco Chronicle live blog of the day’s events showed hundreds of people cheering Miles Scott on during the “rescue”.
Thousands of people in San Francisco have turned out to help 5-year-old Miles Scott recovering from leukaemia fulfill his wish to be Batman for a day
Miles Scott was ferried from events in one of two “Batmobiles”, or black Lamborghinis with Batman removable stickers, which were escorted by police.
Later, the little boy foiled a faux robbery in the city’s financial district with the help of an adult Batman impersonator.
Authorities who participated in the day’s events pretended to apprehend the villain, the Riddler.
Miles Scott also travelled to AT&T Park to rescue the San Francisco Giants baseball team mascot by disarming a fake bomb planted by another classic Batman baddie, the Penguin.
The US justice department even prepared an indictment for the Riddler and the Penguin.
Towards the end of the day San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee gave Miles a key to the city.
President Barack Obama praised the mini-caped crusader in a video from the White House, saying: “Way to go, Miles! Way to save Gotham.”
An estimated 7,000 people turned up to help make Miles Scott’s wish come true.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation said the event was “on the scale of a military operation”.
In real life, Miles Scott has defeated an enemy even more ruthless than Batman’s nemeses – he is presently recovering from leukaemia, with which he was diagnosed at 18 months old.
Miles Scott’s mother, Natalie, said Friday was a “celebration” of her son’s completion of treatment in June.
“This wish has meant closure for our family and an end to over three years of putting toxic drugs in our son’s body,” Natalie Scott wrote in a statement on the foundation’s website.
Miles’ father, Nick Scott, thanked the charity and everyone else who took part.
“All the doctors, nurses and all the other parents that have to deal with the same thing we’re going through, I hope they get a conclusion to their illnesses like we’re getting,” Nick Scott told KGO-TV.
Spanish professional pianist Laia Martin is on trial in Girona after her family’s downstairs neighbor, Sonia Bosom, accused her of causing psychological harm.
Prosecutors are seeking a 20-month prison sentence for Laia Martin whose former neighbor is suing over alleged noise pollution.
They are also demanding that the 27-year-old be banned from professional piano playing for six months.
A verdict is expected within two weeks.
Prosecutors are seeking a 20-month prison sentence for Laia Martin whose former neighbor is suing over alleged noise pollution
Laia Martin’s parents are also being sued and face a fine if found guilty.
Sonia Bosom alleges that the pianist – a conservatoire student at the time – practiced her piano for eight hours, five days a week from 2003-2007.
The alleged victim said she now has such a horror of pianos, she cannot stand even seeing them in films, reports say.
Sonia Bosom’s lawyer said she had endured “four years of suffering,” the Associated Press news agency reports.
In their defense, the Martin family said they had tried to soundproof the room, and that the practice had not been as constant as claimed.
The public prosecutor had initially sought a jail term of over seven years for Laia Martin.
3 – large eggs, beaten
3/4 – cup granulated sugar
4 – tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 – teaspoon salt
1 – teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 – cup light corn syrup
1/2 – cup honey
1 1/2 – cups chopped pecans
1 – 9 inch store bought deep dish pie crust, unbaked
Miss Kay Robertson shares Thanksgiving recipes from Duck Commander kitchen
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until fluffy (about 8 minutes).
In a separate large mixing bowl stir together the sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and syrups. Gently fold in the eggs. Gently fold in the pecans.
Pour filling into the pie crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes , until the filling is almost set (You still want the filling to jiggle just a bit in the center) because the pie will continue to set up as it cools.
Let pie cool completely before cutting. Pecan Pies are best made the morning of or a day before you want to serve them (to give them time to set up completely).
JP Morgan has agreed to pay $4.5 billion to investors who lost money on mortgage-related securities during the financial crisis.
The settlement is with 21 major institutional investors.
Mortgage-related investments were a major factor in the crisis, which began in 2007 with the collapse of the US housing market.
Last month JP Morgan agreed a separate, preliminary $13 billion deal with the US government over mortgage securities.
As part of that deal $5.1 billion would go to settle charges that the bank misled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the housing boom. That settlement was the biggest ever by a US bank.
JP Morgan has agreed to pay $4.5 billion to investors who lost money on mortgage-related securities during the financial crisis
Now, 21 institutional investors that put money into more than 300 residential mortgage-backed securities are to be reimbursed by the bank.
The securities in question were issued between 2005 and 2008 by JP Morgan and Bear Stearns – a bank which it took over during the financial crisis.
“This settlement is another important step in JP Morgan’s efforts to resolve legacy related… matters” stemming from mortgage-related securities, JP Morgan spokeswoman Jennifer Zuccarelli said in a statement on Friday.
Friday’s deal still has to be accepted by trustees for the trusts that hold the securities.
A final settlement with the US Justice Department is expected to be announced soon.
Mortgage-backed securities were sophisticated financial products created by many investment banks in the run-up to the financial crisis.
These special bonds contained a mix of investments but at their heart were supposed to be risk-free home loans.
When the housing bubble burst, the value of these assets fell sharply and the credit markets seized up. The balance sheets of many US and European banks, including those in the UK, became toxic and they had to be bailed out by their governments.
What JP Morgan is alleged to have done was sell the mortgage-backed assets knowing full well that many of the home loans were in fact very risky.
Brazil has started to jail senior figures convicted in the “Mensalao” (big monthly allowance), the country’s biggest corruption trial.
The Supreme Court issued arrest orders for 12 of the 25 politicians, bankers and businessmen convicted last year.
Ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s former chief of staff was among the first to surrender to the police.
The “Mensalao” was a scheme that used public funds to pay coalition parties for political support.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not implicated in the case.
The trial is seen as a test of Brazil’s attempts to crack down on corruption.
On Thursday, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled that most of the politicians, businessmen and bankers convicted in the country’s biggest corruption trial had to start their jail terms immediately.
The arrest warrants were issued on Friday.
The “Mensalao” was a scheme that used public funds to pay coalition parties for political support
Jose Genoino, a former president of the governing Workers’ Party (PT) was the first to give himself up to the police.
Jose Genoino – who was sentenced to six years and 11 months in jail – was driven to the Federal Police headquarters in Sao Paulo to hand himself over.
He shouted “Long live the PT!” to a group of supporters before entering the building.
The PT ex-president, who was jailed and tortured by the military dictatorship in the 1970s, also released an open letter protesting his innocence and saying he considers himself a “political prisoner”.
“With indignation, I abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court. What do the accuse me of? There is no evidence,” he wrote.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s former chief of staff, Jose Dirceu, who was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months, also surrendered in Sao Paulo.
Jose Dirceu released an open letter protesting against the Supreme Court decision that ruled over the immediate start of his and other jail sentences.
“As always, I will abide by the Constitution and the law, but not without protesting and denouncing the unfair nature of the conviction against me. The worst injustice is that committed by Justice itself,” it reads.
The Brazilian Federal Police says all the arrested will be transported to Brasilia in the next few days.
The central allegation of the case was that illegal payments and benefits were paid to members of Congress in return for supporting the government in crucial votes.
The “Mensalao” scandal came to light in 2005 but the sentences were handed down at the end of 2012.
The trial was seen as a key test of Brazil’s ability to hold its politicians to account for corruption.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva left office at the end of 2010 with huge approval ratings and remains a popular figure in Brazilian political life.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will have four new balloons along with the iconic Snoopy coming back.
On November 10, The Washington Post posted video of the parade’s four new balloons, which include “Adventure Time” alums Finn and Jake, “SpongeBob Square Pants,” Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon,” and a revamped Snoopy balloon.
This year’s Snoopy balloon will feature the character’s feathered friend, Woodstock, riding on his head, marking the Peanuts dog’s 37th appearance at the Macy’s parade.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will have four new balloons
According to Businesswire, this year’s Snoopy balloon further cements the classic comic character’s long-standing record for most appearances and most balloon versions in the annual parade.
Snoopy debuted in the 1968 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and since then the popular beagle has turned up as an astronaut (1969-1977), an ice skater (1986-1987), a flying ace (multiple appearances from the 1960s through 2011) and even Millennium Snoopy.
In addition to the debut of four new balloons, the parade’s previously announced performers include Carrie Underwood, Fall Out Boy, Gavin DeGraw, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, Austin Mahone, Goo Goo Dolls, Florida Georgia Line, Cher Lloyd, Kellie Pickler, Megan Hilty, Kristin Chenoweth, Joan Jett, and Jimmy Fallon and The Roots.
Cirque du Soleil will also perform at this year’s parade, and there will be a 75th anniversary tribute to The Wizard of Oz. Reality stars from Duck Dynasty are also slated to appear.
The 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade kicks off 9:00 a.m. ET on November 28 and will air live on NBC.
Investigators and family of the killed 4-year-old girl known for decades as Baby Hope got some closure Friday as her real name was finally put on her tombstone.
The headstone is now engraved with the name Anjelica Castillo below the only name she’s had for decades, Baby Hope.
Father Rudy Gonzalez declared at the ceremony at St. Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx: “Bless the engraving of Anjelica’s name and bless any child who at this moment may be suffering at the hands of evil hearts.”
Baby Hope’s mother and other family members left flowers and candles for a loved one who would now be 26 years old.
“I’m just glad that her name is on her stone,” said the girl’s sister Lorena Castillo.
The headstone is now engraved with the name Anjelica Castillo below the only name she’s had for decades, Baby Hope
In 1991, the body of 4-year-old Anjelica was discovered in a cooler by the highway near Washington Heights. She had been abused and suffocated.
“We couldn’t imagine how anybody could be so cruel to such an innocent little child,” said retired detective Jerry Giorgio.
Jerry Giorgio and retired chief Joseph Resnick were lead investigators on the original case, one that went cold but was never forgotten. Police gave the unknown child the name Baby Hope and paid for her tombstone.
“I’m sad, the fact that we have a dead little girl who should now be 26 years old, vibrant, working, perhaps bearing children herself,” said Joseph Resnick.
Last July, police re-launched their efforts on the 22nd anniversary of the date the child was found, blitzing Washington Heights with posters bearing her sketch. The very next day, Crime Stoppers got a call.
Det. Elena Donnell said the caller “gave specific family members, where to look – ethnicity, origin, approximate dates of birth, and she turned out to be right.”
The case broke wide open in October with the arrest of 52-year-old Conrado Juarez, a cousin on Anjelica Castillo’s father’s side. Conrado Juarez, who has said he was coerced into a cofenssion, was charged with murder and is due back in court November 21.
Supreme Court in Guinea has upheld September’s election results which saw President Alpha Conde’s RPG party winning the most seats.
Opposition parties have tried to annul the vote, alleging fraud.
International observers said the election in the West African nation was marred by irregularities.
The ruling means the RPG (Rally of the Guinean People) won 53 seats, which falls short of an absolute majority in the 114-seat parliament.
Supreme Court in Guinea has upheld September’s election results which saw President Alpha Conde’s RPG party winning the most seats
“None of the complaints were supported with the necessary proof,” said Supreme Court President Mamadou Sylla.
President Alpha Conde’s main rival, Cellou Dalein Diallo, and his UFDG party won 37 seats while former PM Sidya Toure’s UFR secured 10 seats.
The remainder of seats was shared by 12 smaller parties and a period of coalition building is now expected.
A spokesman for an umbrella group of opposition parties said they were disappointed by the court’s ruling but would hold talks before announcing their next step.
The election was to replace a transitional government that has run the nation since military rule ended in 2010.
The run-up was marred by violence as well as ethnic and religious tension.
The poll was much delayed and was supposed to have been held six months after the 2010 presidential elections, which Alpha Conde narrowly won.
A collection of pictures censored on Chinese Twitter-like service Sina Weibo has been revealed.
Analysis from US investigative journalism group ProPublica logged 100 users on the service, discovering a total of 527 images removed by censors.
The sample data – which was collected over two weeks – contained dissidents, a yawning politician, and archive shots from the Korean War.
Sina Weibo has some 500 million users in China, but is closely monitored.
ProPublica selected a group of users that had previously had material removed from the site, with a focus on journalists, lawyers and other figures with significant numbers of followers.
Sina Weibo has some 500 million users in China, but is closely monitored
The site – with help from the University of Hong Kong – wrote some software that would store posts from the users, and then check on an hourly basis to see if the posts had been removed.
What they found was a wide ranging selection of images deemed not suitable for dissemination on the site.
The collection included images of Bo Xilai, the former high-ranking Chinese politician, who was jailed in October for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
One deleted post had called for the trial to be broadcast live, while another showed Bo Xilai with former US national security adviser Henry Kissinger.
Pictures of other public figures, such as human rights advocate Xu Zhiyong and activist singer Wu Hongfei, were also removed.
A large number of the censored posts monitored were of long passages of text, ProPublica reported.
A service called Long Weibo – comparable to TwitLonger – allows for posts that go beyond the service’s 140-character limit by creating an image showing Chinese characters.
The popularity of Long Weibo has created a censorship headache for authorities as it means banned words are not automatically flagged.
Albanian PM Edi Rama says his country will not allow the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons on its soil.
Edi Rama was responding to two days of protests in Tirana and other cities.
Albania recently destroyed its own chemical stockpile, and the US had requested that it host the dismantling of Syria’s arsenal.
Under the deal brokered by Russia to remove Syria’s chemical weapons, it was agreed that they should be destroyed outside the country if possible.
Albania will not allow the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons on its soil
Edi Rama attacked the Albanian opposition for having criticized the government’s willingness to consider the idea.
A key meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) – the international watchdog supervising the destruction – had adjourned for several hours, awaiting Albania’s decision.
The OPCW needs to come up with an alternative quickly, as the deadline for a detailed plan on destroying Damascus’s toxic agents runs out on Friday.
France has been named as a possible alternative site for destroying Syria’s 1,000 or so tonnes of chemical arms.
Norway has pledged to send a civilian cargo ship and a navy frigate to Syrian ports to pick up the weapons and carry them elsewhere for destruction.
However, Norway said that it could not destroy the weapons on its own soil because it lacked the expertise.
First, whip up the pie crust: Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the vegetable shortening and salted butter. Work the butter into the flour using a dough cutter until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles.
Add the egg, 5 tablespoons cold water and the white vinegar. Stir until just combined. Divide the dough in half and chill until needed. (You will only need one half for this recipe, reserve the other half for another use.)
Next make the filling: Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, vanilla and eggs together in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out one dough half on a lightly floured surface to fit your pie pan. Pour the pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Pour the syrup mixture over the top. Cover the top and crust lightly/gently with foil.
Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans. The pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven (though it will jiggle a bit). If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes, sometimes it takes 75!
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.
There are a set of skills necessary to best experience the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person that are learned from those who have made the trip.
The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. at 77th Street and Central Park West. It travels down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, where it turns onto Central Park South. From there, it’s on to Sixth Avenue – there are great spots here between 59th and 38th streets, but avoid 34th to 38th streets, which will be restricted due to national broadcast needs. It all wraps up in Herald Square.
According to the pros who brave the crowds each year, there are a few tried-and-true strategies:
1. The first and most important, arrive early.
“Get there as early as possible,” said aCEO of celebrityletters.com Chris Lucas.
“The parade begins at 9 a.m. and millions line the streets. You have a small window, from about 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. to find a spot where you can be close to the front and not have to peek over crowds 10 to 20 people deep. If you sleep-in and arrive late, all you’re going to see is the balloons overhead.”
Chris Lucas grew up in the New York City area, went to the parade several times as a youngster, but has attended every year for the past 15 years. Taking part in the holiday tradition has taught him something about dealing with the late November weather.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off at 9 am at 77th Street and Central Park West
2. Short-timers will advise you to bring a thermos of warm drinks to help ward off the chill. That would be a mistake. The first law of sidewalk dynamics states: fluid in, fluid out.
“It’s a cold morning, and the temptation is to bring coffee or another warming beverage,” Chris Lucas said.
“But there are zero public restrooms along the parade route, for security reasons, so filling up on liquids is the biggest no-no.”
Most of the stores, coffee shops and dining spots near the parade route close for the day anyway. Even if you find one open, it would be difficult to get through the crowd and then back to your spot.
3. Forget watching the parade from in front of Macy’s – you’ll need a bandstand ticket for that, and you’ll probably have to know someone in order to score one of those.
Chris Lucas’ best tips: “In addition to getting there as early as possible – I can’t stress that enough, especially if you have small children and want them to see the parade – my advice is to stay far away from Times Square or Herald Square. The best spots to view this year will be anywhere on Sixth Avenue from 59th to 50th street. Get there around 5 a.m., set up your chairs, relax with a book or mobile device and wait for the two-hour show that follows. It’s not to be missed.”
4. If claiming a spot of sidewalk during the pre-dawn hours in potentially chilling temperatures isn’t your vision of the ideal Thanksgiving Day, perhaps booking a hotel room with a great view of the proceedings is more acceptable.
Watching the parade from the comfort of your own hotel room is going to cost you.
There are a few things to remember before booking: Many hotels have strict occupancy rules, which means you can’t invite a large group to squeeze into your room with you, and some have a minimum-night stay associated with special packages. The best views are generally from the fifth to 15th floors. And while there are only days until the parade steps off, there are options for some last-minute planners.
5. Parking on the street is free, but don’t expect to find an abundance of it.
Expect prices at parking garages near the parade route to be more expensive. The Acela from South Station to Penn Station is about a 3.5 hours ride, with tickets ranging from $128 to $211 on November 27, and $145 to $272 returning home Thanksgiving night .
Lou Reed has been remembered by fans and family at a music-rich public memorial on the streets of New York.
Billed as a “simple celebration”, the event saw fans dance to Lou Reed’s hits which were played over loudspeakers.
Lou Reed’s widow, performance artist Laurie Anderson, greeted well-wishers as they enjoyed the music.
The former Velvet Underground frontman died on October 27 after complications from a liver transplant.
The memorial was previewed on Lou Reed’s Facebook page as a gathering with “no speeches, no live performances, just Lou’s voice, guitar music and songs – playing the recordings selected by his family and friends.”
Lou Reed has been remembered by fans and family at a music-rich public memorial on the streets of New York
Lou Reed’s hits could be heard for three hours on Thursday across the plaza next to the city’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and featured many high points of his long career.
His music frequently made reference to New York.
Known for tracks including Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side, Lou Reed was considered one of the most influential singers and songwriters in rock.
The Velvet Underground became renowned for their fusion of art and music and for collaborating with Andy Warhol.
As a solo artist, Lou Reed released 20 studio albums. His last, Hudson River Wind Meditations, was released in 2007.
Meanwhile, it has been announced that long-serving Rolling Stone magazine music critic and writer Anthony DeCurtis is to write a biography of Lou Reed.
Billed as the “inside story” of Lou Reed’s life, the Little, Brown and Co book is untitled and has yet be assigned a publication date.
China has decided to relax its policy of restricting most couples to having only a single child, state media announces.
In future, families will be allowed two children if one parent is an only child, says the Xinhua news agency.
The one-child policy already exempts rural dwellers and ethnic minorities.
The move comes after this week’s meeting of a key decision-making body of the governing Communist Party. Other reforms include the abolition of “re-education through labor” camps.
The network of camps created half a century ago holds thousands of inmates.
Police panels have the power to sentence offenders to years in camps without a trial.
China’s leaders have previously said they wanted to reform the system.
The decision to do away with the camps was “part of efforts to improve human rights and judicial practices”, Xinhua said.
Most of these changes have already been tested in parts of the country.
Officials announce their plans well in advance to gain the consensus they need.
The Third Plenum of the Communist Party under President Xi Jinping, who took power last year, also announced plans for economic reform.
In future, Chinese families will be allowed two children if one parent is an only child
Traditionally reforms are expected from the Third Plenum, because new leaders are seen as having had time to consolidate power.
On Tuesday, when the meeting ended, China’s leaders promised the free market would play a bigger role, and farmers would have greater property rights over their land.
State firms will be required to pay larger dividends to the government, while private firms will be given a greater role in the economy.
There will be greater liberalization in both interest rates and the free convertibility of the yuan. More overseas investment will be allowed.
There will also be an increase in the number of smaller banks and financial institutions funded by private capital.
Other reforms announced on Friday include a reduction in the number of crimes subject to the death penalty.
The one-child policy would be “adjusted and improved step by step to promote <<long-term balanced development of the population in China>>”, Xinhua said, quoting a Communist Party statement released on Friday.
China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.
It has on the whole been strictly enforced, though some exceptions already exist, including for ethnic minorities.
In some cities, both parents must be only children in order to be allowed to have a second child.
In the countryside, families are allowed to have two children if the first is a girl.
Rights groups say the law has meant some women being coerced into abortions, which Beijing denies.
The traditional preference for boys has also created a gender imbalance as some couples opt for sex-selective abortions.
By the end of the decade, demographers say China will have 24 million “leftover men” who, because of China’s gender imbalance, will not be able to find a wife.
Most of the elderly in China are still cared for by relatives, and only children from single-child parents face what is known as the 4-2-1 phenomenon.
When the child reaches working age, he or she could have to care for two parents and four grandparents in retirement.
After decades of population growth, China’s working-age population has recently begun to shrink.
By 2050, more than a quarter of China’s population will be over 65.
