Polonium-210 is a naturally occurring radioactive material that emits highly hazardous alpha (positively charged) particles.
It was first discovered by Marie Curie at the end of the 19th century.
There are very small amounts of polonium-210 in the soil and in the atmosphere, and everyone has a small amount of it in their body.
At high doses, the substance damages tissues and organs.
Polonium-210, historically called radium F, is very hard for doctors to identify.
Yasser Arafat may have been poisoned with polonium-210
It cannot pass through the skin, and must be ingested or inhaled into the body to cause damage.
And because the radiation has a very short range, polonium-210 only harms nearby tissue.
The substance has industrial uses such as static control and as a heat source for satellite power supplies, but is not available in these areas in a form conducive to easy poisoning.
Polonium-210 is also present in tobacco.
Although polonium-210 occurs naturally in the environment, acquiring enough of it to kill would require individuals with expertise and connections.
Polonium-210 would also need sophisticated lab facilities – and access to a nuclear reactor.
Alternatively, it could have been obtained from a commercial supplier.
Polonium-210 can either be extracted from rocks containing radioactive uranium or separated chemically from the substance radium-226.
Production of polonium from radium-226 would need sophisticated lab facilities because the latter substance produces dangerous levels of penetrating radiation.
According to a Swiss forensic report obtained by al-Jazeera, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat may have been poisoned with radioactive polonium.
Yasser Arafat’s official medical records say he died in 2004 from a stroke resulting from a blood disorder.
However, Yasser Arafat’s body was exhumed last year amid continuing claims he was murdered.
The Swiss report said tests on the body showed “unexpected high activity” of polonium, which “moderately” supported the poisoning theory.
Many Palestinians and others have long believed that Israel poisoned Arafat. Others allege that he had Aids or cancer. Israel has consistently denied any involvement.
A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry said the Swiss investigation was “more soap opera than science”.
The scientists – from the Vaudois University Hospital Centre (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland – carried out a detailed examination of Yasser Arafat’s medical records, samples taken from his remains and items he had taken into the hospital in Paris where he died in 2004.
They concluded that their results “moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210”.
The scientists stressed that they had been unable to reach a more definitive conclusion because of the time that had lapsed since Yasser Arafat’s death, the limited samples available and the confused “chain of custody” of some of the specimens.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat may have been poisoned with radioactive polonium
Polonium-210 is a highly radioactive substance. It is found naturally in low doses in food and in the body, but can be fatal if ingested in high doses.
Parallel investigations are being carried out by French and Russian experts – one Russian official said last month that no traces of polonium had been found.
Speaking in Paris, Yasser Arafat’s widow, Suha, said the Swiss results revealed “a real crime, a political assassination”.
“This has confirmed all our doubts. It is scientifically proved that he didn’t die a natural death and we have scientific proof that this man was killed.”
Reuters said Yasser Arafat’s widow did not name any suspects and acknowledged that her husband had had many enemies in his lifetime.
Yasser Arafat, who led the Palestine Liberation Organization for 35 years and became the first president of the Palestinian Authority in 1996, fell violently ill in October 2004 at his compound.
Two weeks later Yasser Arafat was flown to a French military hospital in Paris, where he died on November 11, 2004, aged 75.
France began a murder inquiry in August 2012 after the Lausanne scientists, working with an al-Jazeera documentary crew, found traces of polonium-210 on Yasser Arafat’s personal effects.
His widow had objected to a post-mortem at the time of his death, but asked the Palestinian Authority to permit the exhumation “to reveal the truth”.
Yasser Arafat’s remains were removed from his tomb in the West Bank city of Ramallah in November 2012 and reinterred the same day.
Last month, the head of the Russian Federal Medico-Biological Agency, Vladimir Uiba, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that Yasser Arafat “could not have been poisoned with polonium”, saying that test carried out by Russian experts “found no traces of this substance”.
However, the agency later denied that Vladimir Uiba had made any official statement on the findings.
The head of the Palestinian investigation team, Tawfiq Tirawi, confirmed on Tuesday that the Russian and Swiss reports had been delivered. The Palestinian team is reported to have handed over its findings on Saturday.
Margot Robbie has created a sensation after pictures of her hamming it up with Will Smith were released.
The photos of Margot Robbie and her Focus co-star Will Smith pulling their shirts up and clowning around in a photo booth last month in New Orleans have been obtained by Star magazine.
A source told the magazine that Margot Robbie, 23, and Will Smith, 45, didn’t even take their photos after they were printed.
Will Smith and Margot Robbie are clearly comfortable with each other. The actor has expressed his fondness for Margot Robbie.
“When we did our audition together, we had a natural chemistry,” Will Smith previously said of his co-star.
Margot Robbie has created a sensation after pictures of her hamming it up with Will Smith were released
“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Focus, which is currently being filmed, tells the story of a con artist (Will Smith) who takes a beautiful young women (Margot Robbie) under his wing and shows her what he knows. Things get complicated however when they get romantically involved.
Margot Robbie got her big break starring in the short-lived TV series Pan Am with Christina Ricci. However, her role as Naomi Lapaglia in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio is set to give her acting career a huge boost.
Margot Robbie is believed to be single, while Will Smith has been married to his wife Jada Pinkett for 16 years.
Will Smith and Jada Pinket have been forced to deny that their relationship is in trouble many times throughout the years, including as recently as last week.
Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson admitted that his bad behavior once put in jeopardy his 47-year marriage to his wife, Miss Kay.
Phil Robertson, 67, revealed in a recent interview with Extra how a love note inevitably helped sustain their wedded bliss.
He detailed some of the steps he took to get the couple’s relationship back on track during its tainted years. After finding God, Phil Robertson said his worldview and marriage dramatically changed. But he also spoke about how a short note he once wrote played a big role in helping maintain his now-strong relationship with Miss Kay.
Phil Robertson admitted that his bad behavior once put in jeopardy his 47-year marriage to Miss Kay
Phil Robertson told Extra’s Maria Menounos that the note originated long ago when his wife asked him if he loved her.
“I said yes and she said, <<Write it down>>. So I scribbled, <<Miss Kay, I love you. I always have and I always will>>,” he explained.
That note is still taped over the couple’s headboard, serving as a daily reminder to them both.
So, despite their on-screen love, like any married couple, Phil and Miss Kay Robertson have had their share of fights and problems.
Along the way, they hit some speed bumps.
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“He had about 10 hard years,” Miss Kay Robertson told Maria Menounos of the troubles they experienced.
“He didn’t act nice like he does now, especially when he was drinking. He was real selfish and didn’t want to be responsible.”
Phil Robertson chimed in an added that his behavior came at a time “when there was no Jesus” in his life.
“I was following the ways of the world. I was raised in the ’60s,” he said.
The popularity of Duck Dynasty has migrated out of the duck blind and into home furnishings, among other things.
Jackson Furniture debuted its Duck Dynasty upholstery collection at the Fall High Point Furniture Market.
Tennessee-based Jackson Furniture presented more than 25 pieces including recliners, pullout sofas, club chairs and ottomans covered in Realtree camouflage and duck design camo.
Jackson Furniture debuted its Duck Dynasty upholstery collection at the Fall High Point Furniture Market
Furniture snobs may find the line curious, even frightening, but fans of the show and cabin owners will be drawn like ducks to a call. The recliners will range in price from $499 to $699.
The Robertson family’s multimillion-dollar empire is based on duck calls for hunters as well as deer calls and accessories under the Buck Commander label. Duck Commander is the best-selling brand in the country.
Duck Commander is the nickname of its founder, patriarch Phil Robertson, who played quarterback with Terry Bradshaw at Louisiana Tech University and turned down the NFL draft to follow his passion, duck hunting. Phil Robertson and his wife, Miss Kay, and their four sons are all featured on the show.
Veterans Day is officially Monday, November 11, 2013, and since it falls on a Monday this year it is the observation day as well.
2013 Restaurants with Veterans Day Free Meals
Applebees Free Meal
On Monday, November 11th, veterans and active duty military can choose from a free signature Thank You Meal menu that includes some of Applebee’s favorite items, including a 7 oz. House Sirloin, Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger, Three-Cheese Chicken & Sundried Tomato Penne, Fiesta Lime Chicken, Double Crunch Shrimp, Chicken Tenders Platter or Oriental Chicken Salad. Must present valid Veteran’s form of identification or be in uniform.
Bar Louie Free Lunch or Dinner
From open to close Sunday, November 10th and Monday, November 11th every Bar Louie location across the country will offer veterans and military personnel a free meal up to a $12 value when they show valid military I.D. or other proof of service.
California Pizza Kitchen
On Monday, November 11, all veterans or active duty military personnel will be able to get any pizza from our menu for free (dine-in only). Please come in uniform or bring your military ID or other proof of service. Offer valid at participating CPK restaurants, excluding Guam, airport, stadium and university locations.
Champps Free Cheeseburger and Fries
Veterans and active-duty receive a free handcrafted burger and fries all day. Choose from a select menu. Participating locations only, check to confirm.
Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse Eat Free
Veterans and active-duty military eat free on Monday, 11.11.13. Valid ID required or in uniform or photo in uniform.
Cheeseburger in Paradise
On Monday, November 11 get a complimentary All-American Burger with fries to active and retired military personnel. Dine in only and must purchase a beverage and present proof of service.
Chili’s Free Meal
Veterans and active-duty military receive a free meal from a special Veterans Day menu on Monday Nov. 11th. Must show proof of military service.
Einstein Bagels Free Bagel and Shmear
This Veterans Day from 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., all active, inactive and retired military personnel are invited to receive a Free Signature or Classic Bagel and Shmear, or any other topping, and no purchase is necessary.
Fatz Eatz and Drinkz
On this Veteran’s Day, 11/11/2013, Veterans and Active Duty military can enjoy a free entrée up to a $15 value. No purchase required! Also, each veteran will receive a $2 coupon for use on his or her next visit.
Golden Corral Free Meal
Monday November 11th from 4 PM to 9 PM get a free Veterans Day buffet and beverage to any veteran who has served in the United States military or is a current active duty service member. All Golden Corral locations will be participating. No identification is required to get your free Veterans day meal.
Veterans Day is officially Monday, November 11, 2013
Hooters Free Meal
Monday, Nov. 11, Hooters invites all veterans and current servicemen and women to a free meal, up to $10.99 in value with any drink purchase, by presenting a military ID or proof of service at any Hooters location across the country.
Little Caesars Free Crazy Bread
All United States armed forces veterans and active military members get a free order of Crazy Bread® with proof of military status at participating stores nationwide this Veterans Day, 11/11/13.
Longhorn Steakhouse Free App
From Nov. 11 – Nov. 14, service members receive a complimentary appetizer from a list of 10 delicious options, including New! Crispy Fried Green Beans, Lobster-Crab-and-Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms and Sweet Chili Shrimp. Includes veterans and current service members.
Max & Erma’s Free Cheeseburger Combo Meal with Dessert
On Veterans Day, Monday Nov. 11, participating Max & Erma’s locations are celebrating veterans and active military personnel with a Cheeseburger, choice of soup or salad and a chocolate chip cookie.
McCormick and Schmick’s Free Entree
Enjoy a complimentary entree on Sunday November 10th, 2013. All veterans must show official verification. Veterans Day entrees must be enjoyed at the restaurant. No to-go orders permitted.
Menchie’s Free Frozen Yogurt
On Veterans Day, Monday, November 11th, 2013 Veterans and active duty personnel get a a free 6 oz. frozen yogurt. Show a valid ID or be in uniform to receive.
Noah’s Bagels Free Bagel and Shmear
This Veterans Day from 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., all active, inactive and retired military personnel are invited to receive a Free Signature or Classic Bagel and Shmear, or any other topping, and no purchase is necessary.
O’Charley’s free meal
On Monday, November 11 all veterans and all active-duty military personnel will have their choice of one of nine meals on the O’Charley’s “$9.99er” menu. Options include O’Charley’s Famous Chicken Tenders & Twisted Chips, Cowboy Sirloin, Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie and Santa Fe Tilapia, among others.
Olive Garden Free Meal
All veterans and military active duty will receive a free meal from a special menu on Veterans Day. Also, all November current military service members and their families get 10% off in honor of Military Appreciation Month.
On The Border Free Entree
All veterans and active duty military will receive a free entree from the “Create Your Own Combo menu” on Monday, November 11, 2013. OTB will also donate 15% of all eligible sales on Veterans Day from guests who bring in a give-back flyer.
Outback Steakhouse Free Bloomin’ Onion® and a beverage
Military personnel and veterans get a Free Bloomin’ Onion® and a beverage. Must have valid identification. Plus, get 10% off all meals from Nov. 12 through Dec. 31.
Paciugo Gelato Caffe
Paciugo will thank our nation’s veterans and troops on Veterans Day with a free 12 oz Gelatte on Monday, November 11, 2013. Military guests will need to provide proof of military service.
Red Lobster Free App & drink
From Nov. 11 – Nov. 14, service members receive a complimentary Texas Tonion appetizer and non-alcohol beverage. Includes veterans and current service members.
Red Robin Free Burger and Fries
All Veterans and Active Duty Military get a free Tavern Double Burger and Bottomless Steak Fries on Monday, Nov. 11.
Sheetz
Midnight 11.11 to Midnight 11.12 vets get a free 6″ turkey sub and 20oz fountain drink.
Shoney’s Offers Free All-American Burger
Shoney’s says ‘Thank You’ to America’s heroes by offering Shoney’s All-American Burger to All Veterans and Active Duty Military Members on Monday, November 11th.
Sizzler Free Lunch
Active duty and retired members of the military get a free lunch on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2013 until 4 p.m. Guests with proof of military service will select a six-ounce six-ounce Tri Tip Steak, single Malibu Chicken or a half dozen Fried Shrimp entrée with a choice of side dish. Note this offer does not include veterans.
Spaghetti Warehouse Buy 1 Get 1 Free Meal
On Sunday, November 10th and Monday, November 11th choose 1 original spaghetti entrée or 15-layer lasagne, get the 2nd entrée free.
Texas Roadhouse Free Lunch
Select from a free special veterans lunch menu including a beverage and sides no November 11th, 2013.
TGI Fridays Free Lunch
Veterans and active duty military service members are invited have lunch on T.G.I Friday’s this Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop Free Doughnut
Veterans and active-duty military will receive a free doughnut. No purchase required. Valid ID required or show up in uniform.
Travel Centers of America Free Meal
On Veterans Day, November 11, all CDL drivers who are Military Veterans eat FREE at participating full-service restaurants with proof of service. Must present valid ID.
Tucanos Brazilian Grill
All active duty, reserve and retired military and veterans receive a complimentary Churrasco meal on Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. Also, get 10-percent off the entire bill for veterans and troops who dine with their families, from Friday, Nov. 8 through Veteran’s Day, Monday, November 11.
Twin Peaks Free Meal
On Monday, November 11 all active and retired members of the Armed Forces are invited to visit Twin Peaks for lunch or dinner and select any meal from the Twin Peaks menu. Note, this offer is not available for veterans.
Kmart’s decision to open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day and stay open through Friday (41 hours) sparked anger among its customers.
People have threatened to boycott Kmart store for not allowing employees to go home and spend the Thanksgiving Day with their families.
In the past, Kmart still opened 6 a.m., but let employees go home at 4 p.m. to have dinner.
People have threatened to boycott Kmart store for not allowing employees to go home and spend the Thanksgiving Day with their families
When Kmart announced they weren’t doing that this year, people filled the store’s Facebook page with messages calling the company “greedy,” “heartless,” and “morally bankrupt.”
Kmart says they will staff each store with volunteers and seasonal employees where possible, and that the decision came after customers indicated they wanted more flexible holiday shopping hours.
Tom Cruise has strongly dismissed claims he has “abandoned” his daughter Suri following his divorce from actress Katie Holmes as “patently false”.
“I have in no way cut Suri out of my life,” Tom Cruise said in a declaration filed on Tuesday in a $50 million defamation case against magazine publisher Bauer.
Tom Cruise, 51, is suing Bauer over two 2012 tabloid stories that claimed he was absent from his 7-year-old daughter’s life.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorced in June last year after six years of marriage.
The legal action relates to stories in Life & Style and In Touch magazines that claimed overseas film shoots had stopped Tom Cruise being a constant presence in Suri’s life.
Tom Cruise is suing Bauer over two 2012 tabloid stories that claimed he was absent from Suri’s life
In documents made public by Radar Online, Tom Cruise acknowledged he was “a professional actor in motion pictures” whose job involved “extended periods of time in various parts of the world”.
However, Tom Cruise insisted he and his daughter remained “extremely close” and had a “wonderful relationship and cheerful phone calls”.
“While I’m sure my daughter misses me when I am not with her (as I miss her), she is a very happy child,” Tom Cruise’s statement read.
Suri, he continued, “has never indicated, in words or substance, that she has ever felt abandoned by me”.
Tom Cruise’s lawyers are asking a judge to order Bauer to declare it did not have any sources to support its contentions.
Bauer’s lawyers have argued the star’s motion should be rejected, referring to statements from confidential sources that allegedly support its claims.
A new World Meteorological Organization bulletin has revealed the levels of gases in the atmosphere that drive global warming increased to a record high in 2012.
According to the WMO, atmospheric CO2 grew more rapidly last year than its average rise over the past decade.
Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide also broke previous records
Thanks to carbon dioxide and these other gases, the WMO says the warming effect on our climate has increased by almost a third since 1990.
The WMO’s annual greenhouse gas bulletin measures concentrations in the atmosphere, not emissions on the ground.
Carbon dioxide is the most important of the gases that they track, but only about half of the CO2 that’s emitted by human activities remains in the atmosphere, with the rest being absorbed by the plants, trees, the land and the oceans.
Since the start of the industrial era in 1750, global average levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have increased by 141%.
According to the WMO there were 393.1 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in 2012, an increase of 2.2 ppm over 2011.
This was above the yearly average of 2.02 ppm over the past decade.
The levels of gases in the atmosphere that drive global warming increased to a record high in 201
“The observations highlight yet again how heat-trapping gases from human activities have upset the natural balance of our atmosphere and are a major contribution to climate change,” said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.
While the daily measurement of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere exceeded the symbolic 400 ppm mark in May this year, according to the WMO the global annual average CO2 concentration will cross this point in 2015 or 2016.
Levels of methane also reached record highs in 2012 of 1,819 parts per billion. Concentrations have been increasing since 2007 after a period when they appeared to be leveling off.
The WMO report says that it is not yet possible to attribute the methane increase to either human activities like cattle breeding and landfills or natural sources such as wetlands.
They believe that the rising emissions come from the tropical and mid-latitude northern hemisphere and not from the Arctic, where methane from the melting of permafrost and hydrates has long been a concern.
Emissions of nitrous oxide have also grown, with the atmospheric concentration in 2012 at 325.1 parts per billion, 120% above pre-industrial levels.
Nitrous oxide gas, although its concentrations are tiny compared to CO2, is 298 times more warming and also plays a role in the destruction of the ozone layer.
Recent research indicates that the rate of increase in emissions might be slowing down, but the gases can continue to concentrate in the atmosphere and exert a climate influence for hundreds if not thousands of years.
Scientists believe that the new data indicates that global warming will be back with a vengeance, after a slowdown in the rate of temperature increases over the past 14 years.
Raffaele Sollecito, who was convicted and later cleared of killing British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia in 2007, has appeared in court in Florence, Italy.
The Italian is due to make a statement over the death of Amanda Knox’s room-mate Meredith Kercher.
Raffaele Sollecito and his then-girlfriend, Amanda Knox, were convicted in 2009 of murder but acquitted on appeal in 2011.
However, in March Italy’s highest court overturned the acquittals, and ordered a new appeal.
Amanda Knox is now in the US and is not expected to attend court.
“He has come to show that he is not running away,” Raffaele Sollecito’s lawyer, Luca Maori, told reporters before the start of the hearing.
The new appeal was ordered after the prosecution took the case to the Supreme Court.
Raffaele Sollecito is due to make a statement over the death of Amanda Knox’s room-mate Meredith Kercher
The court strongly criticized the way the appeals court had dismissed important DNA evidence, ordering the whole process to begin all over again.
One of the key pieces of forensic evidence that helped to convict the pair in the first place was a kitchen knife found in Raffaele Sollecito’s kitchen, which was said to have Meredith Kercher’s DNA on the blade.
But the DNA sample was tiny, and the appeal judge thought the evidence was unreliable, so he rejected a forensic scientist’s suggestion to have it tested again.
Tuesday’s hearing will focus on a minute trace of DNA found on the murder weapon but not previously tested.
Meredith Kerceher’s family was not in court. But their lawyer, Francesco Maresca, said the evidence was clear for all to see.
“I think that this court has all the elements to take its decision. Another court has determined why that knife was in Knox’s hands,” said Francesco Maresca.
Both Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox spent four years in prison before their acquittal, and have always insisted they are innocent.
Another man – Rudy Guede from Ivory Coast – was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years for the killing.
The NFL is investigating allegations that Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito bullied teammate Jonathan Martin.
Richie Incognito, 30, was suspended on Sunday night amid claims by 24-year-old Jonathan Martin’s representatives.
Jonathan Martin, 6ft 5in and 312 lb, left the team last week to seek treatment for an emotional issue after reportedly being the victim of a prank.
The investigation casts a spotlight on a culture of hazing that has long been common in league locker rooms.
Richie Incognito protested his innocence on Twitter before his suspension.
The offensive guard, who was voted the NFL’s Dirtiest Player in a 2009 player poll, is a nine-year professional who is nearing the end of a $13 million contract.
Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin told a news conference on Monday at the team’s training facility: “The NFL is going to conduct a review of the workplace.
The NFL is investigating allegations that Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito bullied teammate Jonathan Martin
“It’s going to be comprehensive, it’s going to be objective.
“As an organization we are going to give our full and complete co-operation with the NFL.”
Joe Philbin said a decision had been made to suspend Incognito based partly on information from representatives of Jonathan Martin, an offensive tackle in his second NFL season.
The team said in a statement: “We believe in maintaining a culture of respect for one another and as a result we believe this decision is in the best interest of the organization at this time.”
According to ESPN, Richie Incognito’s alleged intimidation of Jonathan Martin included leaving him a voice message with a racial slur as well as threats to kill him and assault his mother. Richie Incognito is white; Jonathan Martin is black.
The sports network also reported that Richie Incognito had persuaded Jonathan Martin to pay $15,000 towards a trip to Las Vegas that the younger man did not even go on.
Speaking of Richie Incognito, an unidentified team source told the Miami Herald on Monday: “From a club perspective, he will never play another game here.”
The nature of the alleged prank that led to Jonathan Martin leaving the team last week is unclear.
But in a stadium programme sold at the Dolphins’ Halloween game, Richie Incognito was asked who was the easiest teammate to scare, and he said: “Jonathan Martin.”
Michelle Knight, who was held in captivity in Ariel Castro’s house for 11 years, has revealed on Dr Phil show that she was hung “like a fish” from her feet and neck.
Michelle Knight, now 32, is the first of three women who escaped Ariel Castro’s abuse to tell her story at length.
She says she was beaten with a barbell by Ariel Castro so “the monster” could force her to miscarriage.
Michelle Knight recounted more allegations of physical, s**ual and emotional abuse in the second part of her taped interviews with Phil McGraw.
She appeared on the Dr Phil show in a taped interview and opened up on the horrors of being held captive by Ariel Castro for over a decade.
The woman survived the “horrible conditions in the house”, after being kidnapped, tortured and abandoned in a filthy basement, by holding out hope she’d see her son again.
Michelle Knight described years of physical, mental and s**ual abuse. That includes “being tied up like a fish” and spending weeks chained and tortured in the basement, according to the show.
Ariel Castro, who was imprisoned for life for the crimes, died in an apparent suicide in an Ohio jail in September.
Michelle Knight is the first of three women who escaped Ariel Castro’s abuse to tell her story at length
Michelle Knight, Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry were freed from his Cleveland house after Ms Berry managed to escape in May and call for help.
He abducted the women from the streets of his Cleveland neighborhood and held them for about a decade before they were freed.
Michelle Knight was 21 when she was kidnapped in August 2002.
Officials have said he kept the women chained for long periods in the house, beating, starving and assaulting them.
Ariel Castro pleaded guilty in July to the 937 charges against him, including multiple counts of kidnapping, rape and aggravated murder, in connection with the beating of a pregnant captive until she miscarried.
In a video published ahead of the two-part interview to be broadcast this week, Michelle Knight told host Phil McGraw she was “tied up like fish, an ornament on the wall, that’s the only way I can describe it”.
Phil McGraw told the Cleveland Plain Dealer after hearing her story, “you wonder how anyone lasted a day let alone more than a decade”.
“In the 12 years of doing the Dr Phil show, no one has changed me like Michelle Knight and her story of survival,” he said.
Phil McGraw also said Michelle Knight was “eager” to have her own voice after the years of abuse by Ariel Castro.
The interview will run over two days on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Phil McGraw said that out of respect for Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight would only discuss her own experience.
Apple has revealed a list of data requests it has received from governments across the globe.
The US government tops the list with 1,000 to 2,000 requests in the six months to June 30.
Apple said the US requests affected 2,000 to 3,000 accounts, adding it gave out data on zero to 1,000 accounts.
The tech giant said the most common “requests involve robberies and other crimes or requests from law enforcement officers searching for missing persons”.
It said the response usually involves disclosing information about an account holder’s iTunes or iCloud account “such as a name and an address”.
“In very rare cases, we are asked to provide stored photos or email. We consider these requests very carefully and only provide account content in extremely limited circumstances,” Apple said.
The UK was second on the list, with 127 requests. Spain, Germany and Australia also featured in the top five.
Apple has revealed a list of data requests it has received from governments across the globe
Apple added that since its main business was “not about collecting information”, the vast majority of requests it received from law enforcement agencies were about information on “lost or stolen devices”.
The company logs these requests under a separate category as “device requests” which, it said, “never include national security-related requests”.
Apple received more than 3,500 such requests in the US between January and June this year.
The tech giant also used the report to call for more freedom to disclose the details of such requests to customers.
Apple said that currently the US government did not allow it to disclose “except in broad ranges, the number of national security orders, the number of accounts affected by the orders, or whether content, such as emails, was disclosed”.
“We strongly oppose this gag order,” it added.
Apple said it had asked the government to ease these restrictions but so far had not seen any major changes.
“Despite our extensive efforts in this area, we do not yet have an agreement that we feel adequately addresses our customers’ right to know how often and under what circumstances we provide data to law enforcement agencies.”
The move by tech companies came after leaks by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed mass surveillance programmes by the National Security Agency (NSA) and associated agencies.
Apple said it had filed a letter with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court supporting a group of cases requesting greater transparency.
Republican Chris Christie was easily re-elected governor of New Jersey.
Chris Christie was declared the unofficial winner by the US media just minutes after the polls closed.
“Thank you, New Jersey, for making me the luckiest guy in the world,” he told supporters after his victory.
Chris Christie won 60.5% of the vote, against 38% for Barbara Buono, with 99% of precincts reporting.
Chris Christie was declared the unofficial winner by the US media just minutes after the polls closed
Analysts say Chris Christie’s popularity with voters in Democratic-leaning New Jersey makes him a contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, because it could enable him to claim broad political appeal.
Chris Christie was already a popular figure when Superstorm Sandy devastated the state’s coastline a year ago. His response to the storm attracted national attention.
While many in New Jersey support Barbara Buono’s positions, she has had difficulty raising money, even from Democrats, because of her relatively low profile.
The results of Tuesday’s polls could prove an early measure of the parties’ support ahead of the midterm elections of 2014, which will decide the make-up of the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, and the governorships in more than half the states.
In Washington, Barack Obama’s Democratic party controls the Senate, while the Republicans hold sway in the House of Representatives.
Democrat Terry McAuliffe beat Republican Ken Cuccinelli in a very close race for Virginia governor’s seat.
Republican Chris Christie was easily re-elected governor of New Jersey.
Tuesday’s races are seen as an early test of both parties’ strengths ahead of next year’s congressional mid-term elections.
In Virginia, Terry McAuliffe won an extremely tight race, defeating Ken Cuccinelli.
With results in from 99.7% of precincts, Terry McAuliffe polled 47% to his opponent’s 45%.
Democrat Terry McAuliffe beat Republican Ken Cuccinelli in a very close race for Virginia governor’s seat
Terry McAuliffe is a businessman and veteran Democratic party fundraiser. He has close ties to former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, serving as chairman of her 2008 presidential campaign.
Ken Cuccinelli, the Virginia attorney general, has angled for the support of the hardcore conservative Tea Party movement of Republicans.
Terry McAuliffe, who has raised much more money, has sought to link Ken Cuccinelli to last month’s partial shutdown of the federal government, which was brought about by Republicans in Washington DC.
Virginia, long a Republican stronghold, has seen a demographic shift in recent years. Barack Obama, a Democrat, won the state in the last two presidential elections.
With almost all votes counted, Bill de Blasio will succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg to become the first Democrat leading New York City in two decades.
With 99% of votes counted in New York, Bill de Blasio secured 73% of the vote, convincingly defeating his Republican rival Joe Lhota, who polled 24%.
In his victory speech, Bill de Blasio said the poll showed that America’s largest city had chosen “a progressive path”, and he promised to make fighting income inequality his top priority.
Bill de Blasio is the city’s first Democratic mayor since 1993.
With almost all votes counted, Bill de Blasio will succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg to become the first Democrat leading New York City in two decades
He ran Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign, and is seen as one of the most liberal politicians to run for mayor in decades.
Joe Lhota admitted defeat, saying the race had been a good fight and a fight worth having.
He ran the city’s public transport authority under Mayor Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent, and also worked in the administration of Rudolph Giuliani.
Last year, Joe Lhota was lauded for quickly getting the vast subway system running again after a huge storm, Sandy, flooded swathes of the city.
At least one person died following a series of small blasts outside a provincial office of the ruling Communist Party in Shanxi province, northern China, state media report.
The blasts in Taiyuan in Shanxi province appeared to have been caused by home-made bombs, Xinhua reported.
It said eight people had been injured and two cars damaged.
Photos posted on social media showed smoke and several fire engines at the scene of the incident, which happened around 07:40 local time.
No immediate explanation has been given for the incident. There have been occasions in the past where disgruntled citizens have targeted local government institutions.
Tensions are also high in the wake of last week’s incident in Beijing. A car ploughed into a crowd in Tiananmen Square in what the authorities said was a terrorist attack incited by extremists from the western region of Xinjiang.
Later this week, the Communist Party’s top officials will meet in Beijing to start a major economic planning meeting.
At least one person died following a series of small blasts outside a provincial office of the ruling Communist Party in Shanxi province
“Several small explosive devices went off at Taiyuan’s Yingze Street near the provincial party office,” Shanxi police said in a post on their verified microblog.
“Provincial leaders went to the scene immediately, and police are currently investigating the case,” the post added.
“Police officers found steel balls, circuit boards and similar explosive materials at the scene,” state-run news agency Xinhua said.
“The initial judgement is that the explosions were man-made.”
The explosive devices were hidden in roadside flower beds, according to Chinese state television.
However, two witnesses told Xinhua they saw a minivan exploding, sending car debris flying.
Eyewitnesses also told Xinhua they heard “seven loud blasts”, and saw a large amount of smoke at the site.
Photos posted on microblog Sina Weibo appeared to show cars windows and tyres that were damaged as a result of the blasts, as well as metal ball-bearings.
One of those injured was in a serious condition, state media said.
Taiyuan police said in a verified microblog post that two-way traffic was restored on Yingze Street at 10:30 local time.
Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi, a province in north central China home to large-scale coal mining, is home to more than four million people.
Michelle Knight revealed that Ariel Castro used the promise of a puppy to lure her into his Cleveland home where he held her hostage for 11 years.
“He tells me, <<Just come in for a little while. The puppies are upstairs. You can take one home to your son>>,” Michelle Knight said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on the syndicated Dr. Phil talk show.
But she soon realizedthere were no puppies inside Ariel Castro’s home. And it wasn’t long, Michelle Knight said, before he trapped her in an upstairs room and tied her up with an extension cord. From there, he took her down into the basement about 24 hours later, she said.
It was the beginning of more than a decade of torture, rape, starvation and beatings for Michelle Knight. The hope of seeing her son again, she said, inspired her fight to survive.
“I want my son to know me as a victor, not a victim,” Michelle Knight told host Dr. PhilMcGraw.
“And I wanted him to know that I survived, loving him. His love got me through.”
Ariel Castro lured Michelle Knight into his vehicle from a Family Dollar store in Cleveland in 2002, promising to give her a ride.
Michelle Knight was the first of three women he would capture and imprison in his home for about a decade. They were freed in May after one of the women, Amanda Berry, called out to neighbors for help.
In August, Ariel Castro was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years after he pleaded guilty to 937 counts, including murder and kidnapping. He committed suicide in his prison cell on September 3.
Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and the third woman, Gina DeJesus, have since been trying to readjust to life as free women. Knight, whose disappearance generated the least public notice of the three, has been the most outspoken.
“After 11 years, I am finally being heard, and it’s liberating,” she said in a powerful statement at Ariel Castro’s sentencing, describing the abuse she endured.
Her interview with “Dr. Phil,” which began airing Tuesday and is set to continue Wednesday, provides a detailed glimpse into some of the horrors she suffered and her struggle to survive.
Michelle Knight said she remembered the warning, the one Ariel Castro delivered while wrapping a chain around her neck and shackling her to a metal pole in the basement of his Cleveland home.
“Now, if I do it too tight and you don’t make it, that means you wasn’t meant to stay here. That means God wanted to take you,” Ariel Castro said, according to Knight.
Michelle Knight told Phil McGraw she sometimes spent days in the basement, chained to the pole, unable to lie down and with a motorcycle helmet over her head. The helmet made it hard to breathe, she said, “and later on I didn’t remember a thing ’cause I had passed out.”
A photograph of the pole showed white paint had been scraped away.
“That’s where I tried to get out,” Michelle Knight said.
“And I couldn’t pull the pole down because I wasn’t strong enough.”
Michelle Knight revealed that Ariel Castro used the promise of a puppy to lure her into his Cleveland home
Michelle Knight told Phil McGraw that she didn’t always fight back, though, at least not at first.
She said she was in shock after being taken and all she could do was cry and beg him to let her go back to her son.
Several attempts to escape were met with harsh punishment, she said.
“He took a pipe and he held it … over my head, and he said, <<If you scream, I’ll ram this down your throat and I’ll kill you>>,” Michelle Knight recalled, describing what she said was Ariel Castro’s response after she used a pair of pliers and a wire cutter to remove a chain around her neck.
“So I didn’t scream. I didn’t make a noise. I just laid there.”
Michelle Knight, now 32, was 21 years old when she was reported missingin 2002.
Ariel Castro, she said, would tell her of his plans to abduct other women and also implied he’d done it before.
She said he showed her an area in the basement where it said, “Rest in Peace.”
“I begged him not to bring any more there to suffer the hell I went through,” Michelle Knight said.
But it wasn’t long before Michelle Knight learned that she wasn’t the only captive.
In 2003, Amanda Berry joined her inside the house. At first, she said, they rarely saw each other.
“When we did, it was like a quick hug and <<bye>>, because he wouldn’t let us stay in the same room for that long,” she said.
When they were in separate rooms, Michelle Knight said, she would blare her television if she saw Amanda Berry’s mother on air, to make sure Amanda knew to watch. And when she saw Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight said, she tried to comfort her.
“Sometimes she would cry, and I’d tell her everything would be OK, and that one day we’ll get home,” Michelle Knight told Phil McGraw.
“We just have to, you know, wait it out.”
Since their release, accounts have depicted Michelle Knight as someone who cared for the other victims during their captivity while also enduring great suffering herself.
A family friend of one of the victims said this year that Ariel Castro used Michelle Knight as his main “punching bag.”
The friend said Ariel Castro hit Knight with a variety of objects, including hand weights. She has suffered vision loss, joint and muscle damage, and other problems from her time in captivity.
In the interview with Phil McGraw, Michelle Knight said she once watched Ariel Castro kill a beloved dog by breaking its neck. She said she was kept in a frigid room with windows boarded up. And she said Ariel Castro once punched her in the stomach with a barbell when he learned she was pregnant.
“I fell to the floor. … He said, <<Tomorrow it’d better be gone. That’s all he said>>,” Michelle Knight recalled.
“Then when I did miscarry, he blamed me. He said that I hated him, that I killed his kid, and he punched me in the face, saying that it was all my fault.”
During Michelle Knight’s time in captivity, her case got less media attention than the disappearances of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, whose family members posted fliers and held candlelight vigils for them.
Michelle Knight told Phil McGraw that her son was taken away after her mother’s boyfriend abused him.
“And then they tried to say that I never protected him, and I did,” she said.
“I did all I could do.”
She was still trying to do all she could on the day when she was abducted in 2002, Michelle Knight said. She told Phil McGraw she got lost on the way to a meeting with social services to discuss her son’s custody. That’s when she stopped at the dollar store to ask for directions, she said, and when Castro offered her a ride.
In the interview, Michelle Knight also gave a glimpse into what she described as a troubled childhood before her abduction, which she said was why she didn’t want to see her mother after she was released.
“I wished my mother wasn’t my mother. … I wasn’t allowed out. I wasn’t allowed to have friends. She made sure I was dumber than a doorknob,” she said.
In response, her mother, Barbara Knight, issued a statement to the Dr. Phil show.
“Michelle, my daughter, has been the victim of long-term and profound and unspeakable torture. Her point of view has been altered by that monster and what he did to her,” the statement said.
“What I have heard that she said about me breaks my heart. That is because what she now believes, while not true, increases her pain. I love my daughter. I always have and always will. I pray that someday she will heal enough to know that again.”
As the holiday season is coming, Oprah Winfrey reveals her “Most Favorite Things” list for 2013.
This year, Oprah Winfrey shares the amazing O, The Oprah Magazine December cover with one of her most favorite things – comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Jimmy Kimmel, who is dressed like an elf, dutifully goes to work on the 15 ft. train of Oprah Winfrey’s stunning White by Vera Wang gown exclusively for David’s Bridal. The incredible red, rosette gown took 10 people to make for a total of 100 hours of work, and weighs a whopping 25 pounds.
Oprah Winfrey reveals her “Most Favorite Things” list for 2013
As for the items on this year’s coveted list, Oprah Winfrey’s picks range from a $500 Truffle Risotto gift box curated by Per Se chef Thomas Keller – which she plans to give to Rita Wilson this year – to Modern House Red Wine bottles which retail for only $13 each and are available at Target. Notable tech gadgets on the list include the Kindle Paperwhite ($119), Beats Studio Headphones ($300) and a Qook Touch Kitchen Tablet that already comes pre-loaded with 1,000 recipes searchable by ingredient, with videos that show readers exactly how the food is supposed to look.
Other standout items that women will undoubtedly want their hands on this year include an $85 Butter London nail polish set, a $225 Nest Fragrances Holiday Candle which according to her BFF Gayle, “smells just like Christmas,” and a $136 set of Pickwick & Weller T-shirts co-designed by Ashton Kutcher.
Despite the pricey nature of some of the items on this list, Oprah Winfrey stresses that holiday gift-giving is never about the price.
This year, 12 readers will get to take home all of the items on Oprah’s Most Favorite Things list through her 12-Day Holiday Give-O-Way sweepstakes.
Click here to see all 60 of Oprah’s Most Favorite Things for 2013.
According to an Adobe data analysis, “123456” was the most popular password among its millions of users.
Recently, Adobe users’ details were stolen during an attack on the company.
About 1.9 million people used “123456” sequence, according to analysis of data lost in the leak.
Online copies of the data have let security researchers find out more about users’ password-creating habits.
The analysis suggests that many people are making it easy for attackers by using easy-to-guess passwords.
On October 4, Adobe reported that its systems had been penetrated by attackers who had stolen the online credentials for millions of its users.
Early reports suggested about 2.9 million records had been compromised.
On October 30, this figure was revised; with Adobe saying information about 38 million active users had gone astray.
In total, information about more than 150 million accounts was stolen – but many of the other accounts were disused, abandoned or duplicates.
Adobe has now shut down all the compromised accounts, saying it will only reopen them once passwords have been changed.
Adobe users’ details were stolen during an attack on the company
Copies of the data that was exposed by the breach have begun circulating online and inspired security researcher Jeremi Gosney to go through it working out which password was most popular.
Top of the list, with 1.9 million entries, was the “123456” string of numbers. Second was the slightly longer “123456789” sequence.
Other popular easy-to-guess passwords included “adobe123”, “qwerty” and “password”.
Jeremi Gosney said the results of the analysis should be treated with caution because, so far, no-one had access to the keys that Adobe used to encrypt the data.
However, he added, flaws in the way Adobe had stored and encrypted passwords along with clues in the giant file of data had made it possible to draw up a list that he was “fairly confident” was accurate.
Computer security researchers who study password-creating habits have also seized on the data dump as a way to refine the word lists they use to attack login systems in a bid to make them more secure.
Lists of passwords and email addresses are a boon to attackers not just because they can be used to get access to the systems they were supposed to secure. Many people re-use the same password for different services potentially giving attackers a way into other networks.
The 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returns to kick-off this year’s holidays with its giant balloons, floats of fancy, marching bands, celebrities and, of course, Santa Claus.
Duck Dynasty cast will join Goo Goo Dolls, Kristen Chenoweth, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sharon Jones, The Dap Kings, and Gavin DeGraw for this year’s parade. Jimmy Fallon will also make an appearance along with NFL Legend Joe Namath. There will also be performances by the Radio City Rockettes and Broadway’s best musicals including “Matilda,” “Motown” and more. The Big Apple Circus, Sesame Street and Cirque du Soleil will also get into the act.
On Thursday, November 28, the newest Snoopy balloon will take flight along with his pal Woodstock marking another record-setting stint in the holiday spectacle. The Charles M. Schulz classic comic character will soar in his 37th Macy’s Parade, cementing Snoopy’s long-standing record for most appearances and most balloon versions, seven in total since the 1960s.
A mythical dragon will also spotted over the skies of New York City. Toothless, the star of Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon will be joining an incredible lineup of giant helium-filled balloons.
Also, this Thanksgiving the beauty and majesty of the sea will come to life on the streets of New York as SeaWorld’s A Sea of Surprises float debuts.
The 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returns to kick-off this year’s holidays
The Minions of Despicable Me 2 are also set to create mayhem aboard their new float this November that will surely delight parade fans from around the country. The 33-foot long bake shop-themed float will feature 3-1/2 foot tall cupcakes.
The parade will also honor the 75th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz with a 47-foot hot air balloon featuring Dorothy and other characters from the classic film.
From new giant characters helium balloons including Paul Frank’s iconic monkey Julius and Sonic the Hedgehog, to out-of–this world floats including Zhu-niverse and Frozen Fall Fun, the magic begins at the sound of Let’s Have A Parade. This iconic phrase has catapulted gaggles of clowns, exciting performance groups, pulse-pounding marching bands, celebrities and the one-and-only Santa Claus down the streets of Manhattan for 87 years of unrivaled wonder.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will step-off at 77th Street and Central Park West. The procession will travel down to Columbus Circle, turn onto Central Park South and march down a new path via 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street. At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square. This incredible cavalcade will make its way down 6th Avenue, a broader, more accessible path that marks only the seventh time the Parade has changed its route.
The parade will begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon.
A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere, the motto of the Macy’s parade has stood for 86 years and will continue to usher in the season of joy for years to come.
More information on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is available to the general public at www.macys.com/parade or via the Parade Hotline at (212) 494-4495.
To view the balloons being filled with helium click here.
Macy’s has revealed the lineup for its 87th Annual Thanksgiving Day which includes everything from circus acts to singers, Broadway to Duck Dynasty cast.
The bearded Robertson family from the wildly popular A&E show, which chronicles a business that makes products for duck hunters, will appear at the parade as well as Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth, Jimmy Fallon, Fall Out Boy and numerous other acts.
The bearded Robertson family from Duck Dynasty will appear at the 87th Annual Thanksgiving Day
Hosts Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie of Today show will introduce rock acts including Fall Out Boy, Goo Goo Dolls and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, the network said. Both the Big Apple Circus and Cirque du Soleil will be on hand, as well as performers as disparate as the Cherokee National Youth Choir and Richard Simmons. Others include the Muppet family of Sesame Street.
The first hour of the 9 a.m.-to-noon telecast will feature Carrie Underwood and members of the cast of NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!. Following tradition, the Radio City Rockettes will perform, and cast members of Broadway musicals will sing selections from Matilda, Motown: The Musical and other shows.
US voters are heading to the polls in the first major round of elections since President Barack Obama won a second term one year ago.
In New Jersey and Virginia, voters will pick governors.
New York City is choosing a successor to three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent.
Tuesday’s races are seen as an early test of the Republican and Democratic parties’ strengths ahead of next year’s critical congressional elections.
In New York City, Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio has taken a commanding lead in opinion polls over Republican Joe Lhota, a former senior official in the mayoral administrations of Michael Bloomberg and his predecessor Rudolph Giuliani.
Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, ran Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign. He is seen as one of the most liberal mayoral candidates in decades.
Under Michael Bloomberg, Joe Lhota ran the city’s public transport authority. He was lauded for quickly getting the vast subway system running again after a huge storm Sandy flooded swathes of the city last year.
In New Jersey, incumbent Republican Governor Chris Christie is expected to win re-election handily.
US voters are heading to the polls in the first major round of elections since President Barack Obama won a second term one year ago
His Democratic challenger, state Senator Barbara Buono, has struggled to gain traction.
Analysts say Chris Christie’s popularity with voters in Democratic-leaning New Jersey makes him a contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, because it could enable him to claim broad political appeal.
Chris Christie, 51, was already a popular figure when Sandy devastated the state’s coastline a year ago. His response to the storm attracted national attention.
He has been campaigning across the state since last week, even as polls suggested he had an advantage of at least 20 points on Barbara Buono.
While many in New Jersey support her positions, she has had difficulty raising money, even from Democrats, because of her relatively low profile.
The Virginia governor race pits Democrat Terry McAuliffe against Republican Ken Cuccinelli.
Terry McAuliffe is a businessman and veteran Democratic party fundraiser. He has close ties to former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, serving as chairman of her 2008 presidential campaign.
Ken Cuccinelli, the Virginia attorney general, has angled for the support of the hardcore conservative Tea Party movement of Republicans.
Terry McAuliffe, who has raised much more money, has sought to link Ken Cuccinelli to last month’s partial shutdown of the federal government, which was brought about by Republicans in Washington DC.
Virginia, long a Republican stronghold, has seen a demographic shift in recent years. Barack Obama, a Democrat, won the state in the last two presidential elections.
The results of Tuesday’s polls could prove an early measure of the parties’ support ahead of the midterm elections of 2014, which will decide the make-up of the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, and the governorships in more than half the states.
In Washington, Barack Obama’s Democratic party controls the Senate, while the Republicans hold sway in the House of Representatives.
Now in his second term, Barack Obama will vacate the presidency in 2017.
New York City is choosing a successor to three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent.
Tuesday’s races are seen as an early test of the Republican and Democratic parties’ strengths ahead of next year’s critical congressional elections.
In New York City, Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio has taken a commanding lead in opinion polls over Republican Joe Lhota
In New York City, Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio has taken a commanding lead in opinion polls over Republican Joe Lhota, a former senior official in the mayoral administrations of Michael Bloomberg and his predecessor Rudolph Giuliani.
Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, ran Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign. He is seen as one of the most liberal mayoral candidates in decades.
Under Michael Bloomberg, Joe Lhota ran the city’s public transport authority. He was lauded for quickly getting the vast subway system running again after a huge storm Sandy flooded swathes of the city last year.
