June Shannon was unimpressed with partner Sugar Bear’s meager seduction technique in the premiere episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Wanting to get a little “frisky”, Sugar Bear tried to woo Mama June with a small cream-filled cupcake on his birthday.
Unfortunately for him, June Shannon remained unmoved.
“A new crockpot, new deep fryer, might get you to first base,” she said.
“It takes a lot to turn this big mama on.”
“I need some quality alone time,” Mike Thompson said, after having packed June Shannon’s four children off to a babysitter.
“I really love June, she’s my woman.”
June Shannon, 33, finally gave in, telling her long term beau: “Just be quick.”
The family had celebrated Sugar Bear’s 41st birthday with deep fried pork chops and a Dukes of Hazzard-themed bash namely because it’s his favorite show.
Sugar Bear tried to woo Mama June with a small cream-filled cupcake on his birthday
Mike Thompson and the four girls – 7-year-old Alana aka Honey Boo Boo, Anna (Chickadee), 18, Lauryn (Pumpkin), 13, and 16-year-old Jessica (Chubbs) took it in turns to thrash a piñata shaped like a pair of Daisy Duke shorts.
It was an action packed double episode for the family from rural McIntyre Georgia beginning with Mama June daringly confiscating her daughter’s cell phones for not doing their chores.
Despite June Shannon’s hope that her girls could enjoy some family time without “electronics”, the girls decided to cover themselves in plastic wrap, pour cooking oil on the floor, grease themselves with butter and turn the house into a “Redneck Slip`n’ Slide – Extreme Home Edition”, according to Chubbs.
Unhappy at the mess her brood had made, June Shannon returned their cell phones, but not before ordering them to clean up.
“I would prefer my girls with phones rather than destroying my house,” she said.
The family bonded rather more over their love of road kill.
In a squeamish turn of events, the family heard a pig had been found dead nearby.
“We’re not really hunters in our family,” June Shannon told viewers about road kill finds.
“We bring it home, skin it, cook it, eat it, save money. That’s the way the cycle of life works in our family.”
“Roadkill is any animal that didn’t look before it crossed the road,” added an excited Honey Boo Boo, before the family decamped to hang the pig, skin it, and then make pork and beans from the trotters and the tail.
The girls were equally thrilled by a family outing to a wrestling match, where Chickadee was in her element.
“I like wrestling because of people fighting each other and they’re some good looking folks in there,” she said.
“I love it. It’s my heart. My soul.”
“I like wrestling because it’s all my family do,” added Honey Boo Boo.
A go-karting trip also went down well, despite larger than life Mama June getting stuck in her vehicle after crashing.
It took three track workers to pull her go-kart back in action “because I’m kind of voluptuous”, she said.
The final moments of the show previewed next week’s episode where Sugar Bear finally takes the plunge and proposes to June Shannon.
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is in the early stages of labor and was admitted to hospital at around 5.30 a.m. today as she prepares to give birth to the future king or queen.
There have been weeks of anticipation over the forthcoming birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s child.
Here are ten of the lesser-known facts about royal births:
1. Home secretaries used to attend royal births. The last time was in 1936 for the birth of the Queen’s cousin, Princess Alexandra. The custom was ended in 1948 ahead of the birth of Prince Charles. At the time Home Office researchers could find no evidence for the belief that the home secretary’s presence was anything to do with verification, according to a biography of the Queen written by Ben Pimlott.
Then Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks was present at the Queen’s birth in 1926, despite the government being embroiled in a row with coal miners. He was reported to have conveyed the news by special messenger to the Lord Mayor of London.
2. The Archbishop of Canterburywon’t attend the birth, as was the custom in the past. One exception was in 1841 for the birth of Queen Victoria’s first son Albert Edward in 1841 when the archbishop and two companions – Lord Wharncliffe, Lord President of the Council, and Lord Stanley, Secretary of the State for the Colonies – turned up late and missed the birth. The Times does not record whether heavy carriage traffic was to blame. The Bishop of London did make it.
3. 42 eminent public figures were called in to verify the birth of King James II’s son James Francis Edward in 1688 at St James’s Palace, in what visiting Cambridge University scholar Prof. Mary Fissell describes as “the first media circus surrounding a royal birth”. People doubted that the King’s wife Mary of Modena was genuinely pregnant and, once she went into labor, Mary Fissell says, there were rumors spread by cheap broadsheets and in coffee houses that the baby who emerged had been smuggled into the bedchamber in a warming pan, or that it had been sneaked into the bed through a secret door in the bedhead.
Kate Middleton is in the early stages of labor and was admitted to hospital as she prepares to give birth to the future king or queen
That scandal put a permanent question mark against the baby’s legitimacy, Mary Fissell says, and he never became king. William of Orange and his wife Mary went on to seize the throne in 1688 in what came to be known as the Glorious Revolution.
4. The birth ofPrincess Margaret in 1930 caused some difficulty for then Home Secretary JR Clynes. He had remained in Scotland while he waited to witness the birth of the princess at Glamis Castle which ended up happening two weeks later than planned, says royal historian Hugo Vickers. When the baby was finally on its way, JR Clynes was already ready for bed, but on the news of the impending arrival had to scramble to the castle for the birth.
5. A surname will not necessarily be required, as the new baby will have the title HRH Prince or Princess and will be referred to in this way. However, if Kate Middleton and Prince William want to include a surname, there are three choices available: Mountbatten-Windsor, Wales or Cambridge. In 1917 George V adopted Windsor – after the castle of the same name – as the “surname” of his family, changing it from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a result of anti-German feeling during World War I.
The Queen and Prince Phillip combined their surnames to make Mountbatten-Windsor – their direct descendants can use this name but it isn’t binding.
In his military role, Prince William uses the name of his royal house – Wales – which is taken from his father. Similarly Cambridge, the title given to the couple when they married, could be used.
6. The news will come on an easel. It’s custom for news of royal births and deaths to be attached to the railings of Buckingham Palace. In this case, it will be displayed on an ornate easel in the forecourt of the palace. The Queen, senior members of the royal family, and the Middleton family – if they are not at the hospital – will be told about the birth first. Then a royal aide will hurry from the hospital to the palace under police escort with a bulletin. The foolscap-sized note, bearing the Buckingham Palace letterhead and signed by key medical staff, will be the nation’s first chance to find out if it is a boy or a girl. After the note is displayed, an announcement will be posted on Twitter and Facebook, and the media will be informed.
7. Prince William isfollowing modern convention by taking paternity leave. He is expected to take the two weeks’ paid leave offered by the Ministry of Defence. He will then return to his job as an RAF search and rescue pilot. Of course, statutory paternity leave has only been in force in the UK since 2003. Prince Phillip was playing squash when Charles was born.
8. Royal births areusually celebrated with a 41-gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The basic royal salute is 21 rounds, but because it will be conducted in Green Park, a royal park, an extra 20 rounds are fired. At the Tower of London, 62 rounds will be fired – the basic 21, 20 because the Tower is a Royal Palace and 21 for the “city of London”. Union jacks will also be flown from all Government buildings, Royal Naval ships, and defense establishments.
9. The birth is in a hospital. While it might seem obvious that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s baby would be born in a hospital, Prince William was actually the first would-be king to arrive in such a way. Both he and his brother Prince Harry were born in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, where Kate Middleton is giving birth. The baby will be delivered by the Queen’s former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell. The Queen was born at a home belonging to her mother’s parents at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. The current heir to the throne, Prince Charles, was born at Buckingham Palace, while his sister Anne was born at Clarence House.
The new parents are likely to present the newborn baby to the world via the press camped outside the hospital. The Queen showed off the royal babies on the balcony at Buckingham Palace in front of huge crowds.
10. The christening robewill be a replica of one that has been used since 1841. It is not yet known where the latest addition to the family will be christened, but Prince William – like his father the Prince of Wales – was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. The robe was made for the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter. Made of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, it has subsequently been used for generations of Royal christenings. The current Queen wore it, her children all wore it and so have all but one of her grandchildren – including Princes William and Harry. In 2008, the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s son wore a replica robe designed to preserve the original.
Swiss bank UBS has reached an agreement with US housing agencies to settle claims it had mis-sold mortgage investments.
UBS said it had reached an agreement in principle with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) over the investments sold between 2004 and 2007.
In its statement, UBS also said it expected its second-quarter net profits for shareholders to total 690 million Swiss francs ($734 million).
UBS set aside a total of 865 million francs in the quarter to cover litigation.
Of that, 100 million francs is related to a deal with the UK authorities to disclose the account details of British tax evaders and hand back unpaid taxes.
The bank said that its wealth management business continued to see large inflows – totalling 10.1bn francs during the three-month period, the highest in six years.
Its US private banking business received an additional 2.7 billion francs of new client money, although 2 billion francs was withdrawn by clients from its asset management unit.
The influx of money comes despite the entire Swiss banking sector coming under scrutiny from foreign tax authorities and its own regulators.
UBS is currently under investigation from French and German authorities over allegations that it enabled tax evasion.
UBS reached an agreement in principle with the FHFA over the investments sold between 2004 and 2007
UBS’s board is refocusing the bank on serving wealthy clients, slimming down its investment banking and trading operations and cutting 10,000 jobs in the process.
The decision to make the investment bank subservient to its private banking business came after a string of scandals, including heavy losses on US mortgages during the financial crisis, losses incurred by the rogue London trader Kweku Adoboli, and UBS involvement in Libor-rigging.
The deal with the FHFA relates to residential mortgage-backed securities sold during the past decade’s US property bubble to federal housing agencies.
The underlying mortgages behind the investments later went bad, with many borrowers proving unable to repay their loans.
UBS is one of 18 international financial firms accused by the FHFA of mis-representing the mortgages as being better quality than they really were.
The FHFA is also representing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which had to be rescued by the US government during the 2008 financial crisis.
The settlement comes after UBS and 13 other banks failed to have an appeals court intervene in the case, following what the banks claimed were “gravely prejudicial” rulings against them.
The bank’s estimated earnings were better than the 550 million – 575 million Swiss francs that analysts had been expecting, and up from 425 million francs during the same period a year ago.
Its share price rose more than 3% in early trading on Monday following the announcement.
UBS will announce its official results for the second quarter of the year on July 30.
The timing of the royal baby’s birth today will dictate whether the child is an emotional Cancer or fiery Leo, astrologers say.
If Kate Middleton’s baby is born before 4.54 p.m. today, it will be a Cancerian, like its father Prince William and grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales.
But if the baby comes later, astrologers say it will be Leo, like its great aunt Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and Princess Anne.
Kate Middleton went into labor at 6 a.m. this morning – with many suggesting the approaching full moon at 11.16 a.m. helped bring on the contractions.
Prince William is with Kate Middleton at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, where he himself was born in 1982.
The timing of the royal baby’s birth today will dictate whether the child is an emotional Cancer or fiery Leo
But as the country waits to hear whether Britain has a future king or queen, there was a Twitter frenzy this morning as to whether it would be born a Cancer or a Leo.
Astrologer with The Association of Professional Astrologers International, Deike Begg, says the timing of the baby’s birth will play a huge role in their personality type.
Deike Begg said: “If the baby is born before 4.54 p.m. they will be a Cancer – like father William. But its moon will be in Capricorn – which is the same star-sign as mother Kate.
“This means the baby will share a lot of the parents’ personality traits.
“As a Cancer, the child will be very family oriented like its parents and sensitive. Cancers often appear strong on the outside but are very soft on the inside.
“But with a Capricorn moon it would also be aware of its responsibilities and dependable.”
Traditionally those born under the star-sign of Cancer – generally between June 22nd and July 22nd although the exact dates vary slightly every year – are sensitive, caring, shrewd, family oriented and protective of their loved ones.
Typical Leo traits are said to include confidence, ambition, generosity and loyalty.
The Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, where Kate Middleton is due to give birth, is an exclusive private facility offering “bespoke care packages”.
This facility is where Prince William and his brother Harry were born.
But a home birth might have been more in keeping with tradition.
The Queen was born at a home belonging to her mother’s parents at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. The current heir to the throne, Prince Charles, was born at Buckingham Palace, while his sister Anne was born at Clarence House.
Kate Middleton, like Princess Diana before her, will now be in a private en-suite room in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s, designed to provide “comfort and privacy”.
Fully refurbished last year, the wing describes itself as having offered “leading private obstetric and neonatal care for 60 years”.
Each room has a satellite TV with major international channels, a radio, a safe, a bedside phone and a fridge.
The Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, where Kate Middleton is due to give birth, is an exclusive private facility offering bespoke care packages
The expectant mother and her visitors can access the internet on Wi-Fi and there is a choice of a daily newspaper delivered to the room each morning.
All meals are freshly prepared by chefs in a dedicated kitchen and tea and coffee is provided for mothers and guests throughout the day.
The £5,000 ($7,500)-a-night wing also offers a “comprehensive wine list should you wish to enjoy a glass of champagne and toast your baby’s arrival”.
Should Prince William want to stay over, he’ll be provided with a fully reclining chair next to Kate’s bedside and breakfast in the morning.
But aside from these hotel-like luxuries, the hospital is experienced in catering for complex pregnancies and deliveries.
The wing has the benefit of being based in an NHS hospital if further complications arise, including its facilities for premature babies, and access to top-notch hospital specialists.
It’s believed the medical team assigned to deliver Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first child will be led by Dr. Marcus Setchell, the Queen’s former gynaecologist for more than 18 years.
He helped save the lives of the Countess of Wessex and her eldest child Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor in 2003.
Sophie was rushed to hospital after complaining of severe internal pains when she was eight months pregnant.
She was dangerously ill from blood loss and doctors performed an emergency Caesarean.
Assisting Dr.Marcus Setchell will be Dr. Alan Farthing, the Queen’s current gynaecologist and surgeon, and former fiancé of the murdered television presenter Jill Dando.
Alan Farthing, who has been a doctor for 26 years, works at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, west London, and St Mary’s.
Kate Middleton’s baby will be his first high-profile royal birth.
Meanwhile, outside the hospital, the world’s press waits for the birth.
Kate Middleton was taken to the Lindo Wing just before 06:00.
Prince William and his wife, who spent the weekend at Kensington Palace, travelled without a police escort, their spokesman said.
The spokesman added: “Things are progressing as normal.”
Kate Middleton has been admitted to hospital and is in the early stages of labor, Kensington Palace has said.
The Duchess of Cambridge, who is thought to be one week overdue, travelled by car from the palace to St Mary’s in Paddington, west London, with her husband the Duke of Cambridge.
Kate Middleton has been admitted to hospital and is in the early stages of labor
Prince William and Kate Middleton do not know the sex of their first child, who will be third in line to the throne.
Royal vehicles were seen at a back entrance to the hospital at about 06:00 BST, with the announcement coming from Kensington Palace an hour-and-a-half later.
Kate Middleton is being tended by a top medical team led by the Queen’s former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex’s two children.
The couple announced they were expecting their first child in December after the duchess was admitted to hospital suffering from severe morning sickness.
Since the announcement, Kate Middleton has carried out 19 days of public engagements before going on maternity leave in the middle of June.
Kate Middleton is in labor and has gone to give birth at St Mary’s Hospital in London, Kensington Palace has announced.
Kate Middleton, 31, has been admitted to hospital and is in the early stages of labor.
The Duchess of Cambridge was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in London.
The long wait was over but there was likely to be no more news until the official announcement of the birth.
The baby will be Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first child and will be third in line to the throne.
Prince William is with Kate Middleton at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, where he himself was born in 1982.
Palace officials chose to make the announcement that Kate Middleton has gone into labour public in an attempt to balance her “dignity” with the fact that social media makes it almost impossible to keep her baby’s imminent arrival a secret.
Kate Middleton is in labour and has gone to give birth at St Mary’s Hospital in London
“The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labour,” a royal spokesman said.
“The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing with The Duke of Cambridge.”
The world’s press have been camped outside St Mary’s for days in anticipation of the birth. The due date had never been officially announced but had widely been expected to be mid-July.
Prince William has been with his wife on annual leave and will have two weeks’ paternity leave.
Kate Middleton’s final public appearance before the birth was at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June.
As a result of recent, long-anticipated changes in the law, the baby will also be made an HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) and given the title Prince or Princess of Cambridge.
If she is a girl she will, one day, become Queen, just as a boy will become King.
He or she is also destined to become a future head of the armed forces, supreme governor of the Church of England and head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations across the world, and subsequently head of state of 16 countries.
Royal vehicles were seen at a back entrance to the hospital at about 06:00 BST.
It is believed the next time Kate Middleton and Prince William will be seen in public is when they appear on the steps of the hospital with their baby.
Kate Middleton is being tended by a top medical team led by the Queen’s former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex’s two children.
Assisting him is Alan Farthing, the former fiancé of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando and the Queen’s current gynaecologist.
Japanese markets show a little change after PM Shinzo Abe was given a vote of confidence for his economic policy known as “Abenomics”.
As widely predicted, Shinzo Abe has won a majority in parliament’s upper house in Sunday’s elections, according to exit polls.
After climbing 1.2% in early trading, the benchmark Nikkei 225 fell back to be level for the day at about 14,590.
Analysts said the outcome had already been factored into trading strategies.
Since becoming prime minister late last year, Shinzo Abe has introduced policies aimed at ending long-running deflation in Japan and boosting growth.
“We’ve won the public’s support for decisive and stable politics so that we can pursue our economic policies, and we will make sure to live up to the expectations,” Shinzo Abe told public broadcaster NHK after he was projected to win.
Japanese markets show a little change after PM Shinzo Abe was given a vote of confidence for his economic policy
Analysts said Shinzo Abe could now work to implement painful economic reforms referred to as the “Third Arrow” of his set of policies. The first two arrows were an ultra-loose monetary policy and government spending.
“It raises expectations that legislation will pass more easily and he can focus on revitalizing the economy,” said Takuya Takahashi from Daiwa Securities.
Takuya Takahashi added that foreign investors were reacting positively to the prospect of Japan’s first stable government since 2006.
“The likelihood that there will be no national election for the next three years is positive,” he said.
“What investors are looking for is a stable government and they are watching how Abe can tackle deflation.”
Japan has seen much political upheaval because of a “twisted parliament” where the opposition had control of the upper house.
NHK said early on Monday that Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic party and its coalition partner had won a comfortable majority in the chamber.
Shinzo Abe’s policies so far have been well received by investors, with the Nikkei up about 40% this year.
The yen has also weakened in value about 15%, making exporters more profitable.
Analysts said whether the gains in the Nikkei can be extended depends on whether the dramatic structural reforms will go ahead.
A crowd of over 500 swelled in Washington, DC Saturday in protest over last weekend’s George Zimmerman acquittal in Trayvon Martin case, with some crying for a boycott against Florida.
Comedian and long-time civil rights activist Dick Gregory addressed the crowd and told them to hit Florida where it hurts – in the wallet – by steering clear of Disney World and orange juice aisle.
The rally was one of many nationwide over the weekend, where demands for “Justice for Trayvon” came in the form of calls for an end to Florida’s Stand Your Ground self-defense laws and for the prosecution of George Zimmerman on charges he violated Trayvon Martin’s civil rights when he shot and killed the 17-year-old last year.
News of the boycott call came as Senator John McCain (R-AZ) joined President Barack Obama in calling for a review of Stand Your Ground laws across the nation.
“I can also see that Stand Your Ground laws may be something that needs to be reviewed by the Florida legislature or any other legislature that has passed such legislation,” John McCain told CNN, adding that his home state of Arizona should consider similar action.
John McCain stopped short of calling for tougher gun controls though, saying: “I don’t frankly see the connection.”
While praising protestors who staged a sit-in as an attempt to cajole Florida Governor Rick Scott into meeting with them, Dick Gregory told the crowd outside the federal courthouse in Washington that musician Stevie Wonder had the right idea when he pledged to no longer perform in Florida.
“How many of y’all have been to Disneyland to see a rat,” Dick Gregory asked with trademark humor.
Trayvon Martin backers call for Florida boycott
“But haven’t walked down the street to see King’s tomb? Had he not died, you wouldn’t be welcome in Orlando. So we not asking you to do anything that costs you. We just say save your money. Don’t spend it.”
As some members of the crowd chanted “boycott Florida”, Dick Gregory continued with his characteristic humor, according to Breitbart.com.
“Some of y’all ain’t been to Florida in your life and ain’t going,” said Dick Gregory.
“And all you got to do is get Florida to come to you. Now what do I mean by that? They got oranges that they can’t afford to have you not buy because they will rot.”
“I said to my grandmother, <<We not going to boycott Florida orange juice because Florida orange juice is sold under different names. We going to boycott orange juice>>,” he said.
“And when them orange growers start running in to take that governor and he knows he can’t stand his ground with them.”
“Justice for Trayvon” rallies continued elsewhere, as racial tensions remain high – and calls for change remain loud – across the U.S. in the wake of George Zimmerman’s acquittal.
“We have the strength to wipe our tears away. Last Saturday we cried. This Saturday we march,” came the words of Reverend Al Sharpton as he addressed the crowds of a New York City protest Saturday.
Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, also spoke at the New York rally, telling the crowd: “Today it was my son. Tomorrow it might be yours.”
Sybrina Fulton, her son Jahvaris, and Al Sharpton joined the rally as it marched to One Police Plaza at noon, where they were joined by Jay Z and his wife Beyonce, according to the New York Post.
Beyonce had shown her support for the case last week, asking for a moment of silence at a concert after the not guilty verdict was recorded.
While Trayvon Martin’s mother was in New York, the dead teenager’s father took part in a Miami rally on Saturday morning, according to NBC News.
Tracy Martin told supporters outside Miami’s federal courthouse: “I vowed to Trayvon, when he was lying in his casket, that I would use every ounce of energy in my body to seek justice for him.”
Reverend Al Sharpton and other supporters want the Justice Department to pursue federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman.
He told the rally on Saturday: “They will not say that was the young man killed in Sanford. They will say that was the young man who helped change the laws in the United States of America.”
Former Governor Eliot Spitzer, who attended the New York rally, said: “Regardless of how you view the legality of the verdict in isolation, justice here was denied. An innocent young man was shot and killed and that is a tragedy.”
Attorney General Eric Holder announced last week that the department would investigate whether the Hispanic neighborhood watch man could be charged under those federal civil rights laws, which would require evidence that he harbored racial animosity against Trayvon Martin.
Most legal experts said it would be a difficult charge to bring.
China’s north-west Gansu province has been hit by two powerful earthquakes killing at least 47 people and injuring almost 300.
The first earthquake near Dingxi city had a magnitude of 5.98 and was shallow, with a depth of just 6 miles, the US Geological Survey said
Just over an hour later, a magnitude 5.6 quake hit the same area, it added.
In 2008, an earthquake in Sichuan province left up to 90,000 people dead and millions homeless.
At least 47 people had been killed, reports from China’s national radio and Agence-France Presse news agency citing local officials said.
Another 296 other people were injured, the Dingxi local government said on its official Sina Weibo microblog.
China’s north-west Gansu province has been hit by two powerful earthquakes killing at least 47 people and injuring almost 300
A factory worker in Min county told AFP that he felt “violent shaking” and “ran to the yard of the [factory] plant immediately”.
“Our factory is only one floor. When I came to the yard, I saw a 18 storey building, the tallest in our county, shaking ferociously, especially the 18th floor,” he said.
The area has been hit by 371 aftershocks, according to the Earthquake Administration of Gansu province.
At least 5,600 houses in the province’s Zhangxian county are seriously damaged and 380 have collapsed, while some areas suffered from power cuts or mobile communications being disrupted, the earthquake administration added.
The closer to the surface an earthquake strikes, the more damage it can cause, our correspondent adds.
The earthquake reportedly triggered a series of mudslides and landslides, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
The Gansu military police has deployed 500 soldiers, including 120 specialist rescuers, while 500 emergency tents and 2,000 quilts are also being transported to affected areas, Xinhua added.
Officials from the civil affairs, transportation and earthquake departments are also visiting local towns to assess the damage, a statement on the Dingxi party website said.
“You could see the chandeliers wobble and the windows vibrating and making noise, but there aren’t any cracks in the walls,” AP news agency quoted a clerk at Wuyang Hotel, about 25 miles from the epicentre, as saying.
“Shop assistants all poured out onto the streets when the shaking began,” the clerk said.
The prosecution’s case against promotion company AEG Live, in which Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine – along with his children Prince, Paris and Blanket – alleges the company is responsible for the megastar’s 2009 death, came to a tearful close Friday.
After other recent testimony revealed the massive haul Michael Jackson would have received from the This Is It tour he was rehearsing for when he died, the family the megastar left behind is now reportedly expecting to receive upwards of $40 billion.
This, according to sources who told the New York Post that Michael Jackson’s sister Rebbie, 63, and brothers Jermaine, 58, and Randy, 51, have been meeting in a secret Beverly Hills location to discuss how they’ll divvy up the huge settlement they expect to get out of the case.
According to the source, excitement amongst the performer family has heightened after an accountant testified for the prosecution last week that Michael Jackson could have easily taken home $1.5 billion from his ill-fated tour.
The Post’s source even claims Janet Jackson, arguably the most successful Jackson after Michael, has been involved in some of the meetings.
“I’m not sure [the family] sees it as counting their chickens before they are hatched,” a family member told The Post.
Michael Jackson’s family held secret meetings to plot how they will spend the $40 billion they expect to win from AEG
“Anyone who has followed this trial can easily see AEG is liable. So, it stands to reason that the $1.5 billion . . . would be a starting point.”
A starting point from which, the source said, punitive damages can only go up and up.
“You’re still talking about each getting at least a billion,” the insider claimed.
“A little less if Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Latoya decide they want a piece.”
The Post reports that those three aren’t interested in collecting from the case and say they’re not interested in “blood money”.
Meanwhile, The Post claims Jermaine Jackson already intends to buy the Abu Dhabi theme park Ferrari World and that Randy wants to restore the Neverland Ranch.
“Randy plans to use his share of the money to fight the estate because he’s always been serious about what he feels are Michael’s wishes,”The Post claims.
Katherine Jackson was expected to be the final witness called by her attorneys in the negligence lawsuit against AEG Live that has lasted 12 weeks. The defense case is scheduled to begin next week.
The case surrounds the prosecution’s claim that AEG contributed to Michael Jackson’s death, in part, by hiring Dr. Conrad Murray, who was sentenced to four years in prison in 2011 for his role in the star’s death.
AEG denies it hired the doctor or bears any responsibility for the singer’s death.
Katherine Jackson also said she had heard from her other children that Michael Jackson was abusing prescription medication, but she didn’t know what to believe. She said she visited him in Las Vegas a few years ago to ask him about it.
“He promised, he kept saying, <<I’m OK>>,” Katherine Jackson told the jury.
“Sometimes the mothers are the last to know.”
Katherine Jackson said she told her son: “I don’t want to hear on the news that you’re not here anymore.”
Syrian army has killed 13 members of the same family, mostly women and children, activist groups say.
Some reports say some of the victims were burnt alive, in the incident in Bayda near the coastal city of Banias.
The family members were said to be from a mostly Sunni village, but in an area where government supporters have been accused of trying to clear out Sunnis.
Syrian army has killed 13 members of the same family, mostly women and children, in Bayda
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – which relies on a network on opposition activists on the ground – at least three men from the Fattouh family in Bayda were shot dead by government forces and militia in the latest violence.
Women and children from the same family were then crowded into one room in a house, where they were all killed, it said.
Some reports said they were burnt alive when the house was set on fire, others, that they were shot beforehand.
The reported deaths came after clashes in Banias in which some loyalists died.
The village of Bayda is described as a pocket of Sunni Muslims in the coastal province of Tartus, which is dominated by President Bashar al-Assad’s minority Alawite sect.
Both Bayda and Banias were the scene of what were described as sectarian massacres of Sunni families in May, in which more than 100 people died.
UN says more than 90,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising again Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. A further 1.7 million have been forced to seek shelter in neighboring countries.
Mama June has revealed she failed to recognize Miley Cyrus when the excited singer ran up and hugged her at a television studio.
June Shannon, 33, admitted the gaffe during an interview on the Wendy Williams Show.
Mama June has revealed she failed to recognize Miley Cyrus when the excited singer ran up and hugged her
Honey Boo Boo’s mother said: “This may sound bad on my part, but because it was so crazy at Good Morning America, [Miley Cyrus’] like, <<Oh my god, there’s Mama June!>> and she came up and hugged me because it was so fast, I didn’t realize it was her until after she walked by!”
June Shannon also made her infamous sketti and chunky pork and beans dishes, which Wendy Williams announced “tastes like home”.
She also chatted about her reasons for doing the hit show, explaining: “It gives the kids a more better future like, whenever they get older.”
“And I’m able to take the kids on vacations and see parts of the world they never have been able to see before.”
But it isn’t changing their lives entirely, as the savvy saver is filtering it all into trust funds.
June Shannon explained: “I don’t see that money. What it is, I’ve got it set up to where they automatically go in to all five accounts, the four girls and the grand baby, and they can’t touch it until they’re 21.”
Mama June enjoyed a taste of the glamorous life while promoting her reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo in New York.
Honey Boo Boo’s mother June Shannon got the full hair and make-up treatment before giving an interview to Good Morning America from Times Square in New York City.
June Shannon, 33, had on heavy foundation, dark eyeliner and pink lipstick for her on-set visit.
The reality star dressed comfortably in a draping turquoise blue short-sleeved blouse, loose-fitting black pants and a pair of white sneakers.
The Good Morning America crew surprised June Shannon with a taped message from Mario Lopez
June Shannon arrived with no make-up and with her blonde hair down, but spent some time in the stylist’s chair and had her facial cosmetics applied and hair pulled back for her interview.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo returned to TLC on July 17 and showed the self-proclaimed redneck family visit the White House, race around in go karts and attend a pro wrestling match.
Honey Boo Boo didn’t make the trip to New York City and was at the family’s rural home in McIntyre, Georgia.
“She’s asleep, we’re not morning people,” June Shannon said.
June Shannon also confirmed that she has a huge celebrity crush on Extra entertainment news host Mario Lopez.
The Good Morning America crew surprised June Shannon with a taped message from Mario Lopez in which he offered congratulations on her recent wedding and said he was “extremely flattered” to be her celebrity crush.
Ohio police is searching a neighborhood in a Cleveland suburb after the discovery of three dead women there.
The bodies were found on Friday and Saturday in East Cleveland. The first was found in a garage, the second in a yard and the third in an empty house.
A 35-year-old man, reported to be a registered s** offender, is in custody.
East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton said the suspect indicated he was influenced by local serial killer Anthony Sowell.
“He said some things that led us to believe that in some way, shape, or form, Sowell might be an influence,” Gary Norton told the Associated Press.
Michael Madison has been arrested in connection with the discovery of three bodies in East Cleveland, Ohio
Anthony Sowell, 52, was sentenced to death in 2011 after being convicted of killing 11 women, the remains of whom were found around his home in south-east Cleveland.
The Cleveland area was at the centre of another gruesome case in May when three women who vanished separately more than a decade ago were discovered alive in a house south of the city centre.
School bus driver Ariel Castro, 53, is facing nearly 1,000 counts of kidnapping, rape, aggravated murder and other charges.
Police discovered the first body in the garage of a home on Friday after receiving several calls of a foul smell, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The suspect, named by media as Michael Madison, was arrested later on Friday after a two-hour stand-off by police. He has not been charged.
A search of the area on Saturday resulted in the discovery of two more bodies, one in a backyard close to the garage and another in the basement of a nearby vacant house.
Police said the women, who were all black, had been wrapped in several plastic bags and are believed to have been killed in the last 10 days.
Specially-trained dogs have been brought in to search through backyards and abandoned homes in the area.
“Hopefully, we pray to God, this is it,” Gary Norton said.
Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium has been sworn in as the new king after the emotional abdication of his father Albert II.
Prince Philippe, an Oxford- and Stanford-educated and trained air force pilot, took the oath as the country’s seventh king in a ceremony in parliament.
To warm applause, King Philippe, 53, promised to uphold the constitution.
Belgium has a constitutional monarchy in which the king plays a largely ceremonial role.
One of the duties the monarch does have is trying to resolve constitutional crises.
In his final address before signing a legislative act to step down, 79-year-old King Albert said his country must remain a “source of inspiration” to Europe.
His resignation on the grounds of ill-health came after nearly 20 years on the throne and was timed to coincide with Belgium’s national day.
He stressed his wish that Belgium – split between the Dutch-speaking north and the French south – remained united.
In a colorful ceremony topped off by trumpet fanfare and cannon-fire, Philippe took his oath in the country’s three official languages – Dutch, French and German.
Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium has been sworn in as the new king after the emotional abdication of his father Albert II
This was a reminder of the delicate political task that awaits him – trying to mediate across the divide between French-speaking Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders, where support for independence has been rising fast.
Flag-waving supporters gathered in the midday sun waiting for their new king and his wife, Mathilde, to greet them from the balcony of the nearby royal palace.
“The new king is a bit of history,” said Xavier De Graef, draped in the red, yellow and black of the Belgian tricolor.
“That doesn’t happen very often so we wanted to be here,” Xavier De Graef, from French-speaking Liege, told Reuters news agency.
But not everyone was celebrating.
The far-right separatist Vlaams Belang party boycotted the swearing-in ceremony.
Meanwhile, Jan Jambon, parliamentary head of the N-VA party that wants Dutch-speaking Flanders to break away from Belgium and favors a republic, said the occasion “leaves me cold”.
In the abdication ceremony at the royal palace in Brussels, King Albert monarch told his son: “You have all the emotional and intellectual qualities to serve our country well.”
He thanked an audience of some 250 dignitaries and political leaders “for all that you have achieved during my reign”.
Ex-king Albert also thanked his wife, Paola, for the support she had given him during his reign, and was in turn thanked by PM Elio Di Rupo for his service to his country.
Elio Di Rupo holds the political power in the 183-year-old parliamentary democracy.
Albert II then embraced his son and signed the official abdication papers, ending his reign.
King Albert exercised his authority in mediating between political leaders on the formation of a government during the 2010-2011 parliamentary stalemate, when Belgium was left without a government for 541 days after elections failed to find a clear winner.
Tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French communities sometimes run high, and the issue has brought down several governments, creating frequent political instability.
Respect for the royal family, though, is one of the few factors that crosses the communal divide.
King Albert’s abdication comes only three months after Queen Beatrix of the neighboring Netherlands vacated the Dutch throne in favor of her son Willem-Alexander.
Crowds of youths in the Paris suburb of Trappes have thrown stones at police officers and set fire to cars in a second night of disturbances.
The trouble was sparked by the arrest of a man whose wife was told by police on Thursday to remove an Islamic face-covering veil, banned in public.
Trappes unrest was sparked by the arrest of a man whose wife was told by police to remove an Islamic face-covering veil, banned in public
He has been accused of trying to strangle the officer.
Up to 300 people attacked a police station in Trappes on Friday night where the man was being held.
One leading Muslim group disputed the authorities’ version of events, blaming police “provocation”.
The suspect, described as a Muslim convert aged 21, was later released on Saturday pending an appearance in court, French media say.
The ban on wearing the full face veil in public was introduced in April 2011 with the threat of a financial penalty for not observing it.
Reinforcements from the CRS riot police were drafted in and Interior Minister Manuel Valls said they would remain in place until calm was restored. Thirty riot police vehicles were seen outside the Trappes police station.
In the latest violence which erupted in Trappes and several neighboring areas, bus-shelters and cars were torched and fireworks directed at police, who responded with tear gas and baton charges.
The worst of the trouble took place in the early hours of Sunday. In one reported incident, a car was driven at police but no-one was hurt.
“It’s beginning to spread to surrounding areas – Elancourt and Guyancourt,” David Callu of the SGP police officers’ union told BFM-TV news channel.
Four people were arrested and 20 cars burned, Manuel Valls said in a statement.
Tensions in France’s high-immigration city suburbs continue to fester.
Although there has been no sustained unrest since the 2005 riots, sporadic violence is far from rare, he adds.
In 2005, a state of emergency was imposed when a wave of rioting spread across France, sparked by the deaths of two teenagers in a Paris suburb.
Supermodel Christy Turlington has made a triumphant return to Calvin Klein as the face of their new women’s underwear range at the age of 44 – some 25-years after she first modeled for them.
In a new shot for Calvin Klein, Christy Turlington looks like she hasn’t aged a day as she strikes a pose in a black-two piece, her dark hair swept back across her head.
The tasteful black and white image from Mario Sorrenti shows off the statuesque 5ft 10inch frame that won Christy Turlington a reputation as one of the most appreciated catwalk models of the 90’s alongside Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson.
Supermodel Christy Turlington has made a triumphant return to Calvin Klein as the face of their new women’s underwear range at the age of 44
It also represents a successful comeback for the stunning model, whose return to the brand she originally modeled for between 1988 and 2007 effectively ushered previous incumbent Lara Stone towards the Calvin Klein exit.
Christy Turlington’s apparent ability to defy the aging process stems, to some extent, from her regular use of yoga – a practice she’s upheld for the last twenty years.
The model originally became the face of the popular brand’s Eternity fragrance before modeling their underwear range in the nineties – when lucrative modeling contracts with the likes of Versace established her as one of the catwalk elite.
Christy Turlington – a mother to son Finn and daughter Grace, her children with director husband Ed Burns – has also worked with the humanitarian group Care (cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, inc) as a supporter of maternal health.
Speaking to the Telegraph in 2010, she admitted her ambassadorial role is more fulfilling than her modeling career.
“Gosh yes – there’s nothing rewarding than modeling,” Christy Turlington told the Telegraph in 2010.
“It was a fun opportunity that allowed me to see the world but spiritually and intellectually there is nothing rewarding about that profession at all.”
A new study suggests that one third of people diagnosed with throat cancer are infected with a form of the HPV virus.
HPV (human papillomavirus) is the major cause of cervical cancer.
Actor Michael Douglas is reported to have spoken about the link after his own diagnosis with throat cancer.
Experts said this study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which quantifies the link, showed “striking” results.
There are more than 100 types of HPV. Most people will be infected with HPV at some point, but in most the immune system will offer protection.
A new study suggests that one third of people diagnosed with throat cancer are infected with a form of the HPV virus
There are two HPV strains which are most likely to cause cancer – HPV-16 and HPV-18.
HPV-16 is thought to be responsible for around 60% of cervical cancers, 80% of cancers in the anus and 60% of oral cancers.
This study looked at HPV’s link with cancer of the back of the throat – oropharyngeal cancer.
It looked at blood test results collected from people who took part in a huge prospective study into lifestyle and cancer, who were all healthy at the start.
Everyone gives a blood sample when they join the study, and in this case the researchers were able to check for the presence of antibodies to one of HPV’s key proteins – E6.
E6 knocks out part of cells’ protection system, which should prevent cancer developing.
Having the antibodies means HPV has already overcome that defense and caused cancerous changes in cells.
The researchers compared blood test results – some more than 10 years old – for 135 people who went on to develop throat cancer and for 1,599 cancer-free people.
The University of Oxford team found 35% of those with throat cancer had the antibodies, compared with fewer than 1% of those who were cancer-free.
However, these patients were more likely to survive throat cancer than people whose disease had other causes, such as alcohol or tobacco use.
The study found 84% of people with the antibodies were still alive five years after diagnosis, compared with 58% of those without.
A Friday evening car crash caused a vehicle to be knocked off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and plummet 40 feet into the bay below.
The unidentified 22-year-old female driver of the vehicle survived the fall and was able to swim safely to a nearby jetty where she was rescued and taken to a hospital. She was released Saturday.
The crash happened Friday evening around 8:30 PM, shortly after she got on the bridge going eastbound about a quarter mile away from the shore.
She was struck by a tractor trailer and her car forced off the road and into the bay, some 40 feet below.
Maryland Transport Authority Police believe she was the only occupant in the car.
The woman’s car landed in about six to eight feet of water and was about a quarter-mile from the shore.
She was “very fortunate” as she was able to escape her vehicle and swim to a nearby jetty, according to Anne Arundel county fire department spokesman Steve Thompson.
A boater saw the crash and drove over to wait with the woman until paramedics in a fire department boat arrived to rescue her.
A young woman survived when her car was knocked 40ft off Chesapeake Bay Bridge
When she was rescued, the woman was conscious and able to communicate with officials.
After placing her in a Strokes rescue basket and taken to shore, the victim was then transported by helicopter to the University of Maryland Trauma Center in Baltimore to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
While she was initially admitted in critical condition Friday evening, her condition improved to stable and she was released Saturday night and allowed to return home.
The driver of the tractor trailer was uninjured in the crash, and stayed to answer questions from investigators.
A SUV was also involved in the crash, but there were no other injuries.
The last time a vehicle went off the bridge was in 2008, and the driver of a tractor trailer was killed in the incident.
The eastbound lanes remained closed Friday night while traffic was diverted to the westbound lanes so engineers could inspect the bridge for damage.
The lane closures caused extensive delays eastbound on the bridge Friday night, with traffic backed up for nearly two miles
Engineers signed off on the bridge around 1 AM Saturday when the eastbound lanes were reopened.
After the crash, responders could see the car sunk beneath the water off the side of the bridge.
If wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that the car could be lifted out of the bay by a crew operating a bridge crane.
The Maryland Transport Authority is currently conducting an investigation of the crash.
The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge – more commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge – has long antagonized local drivers, especially those who use it to get to the Atlantic Coastal resorts in the summer.
In May, the New York Times profiled Alex Robinson who runs Kent Island Express – a business that provides drivers to ferry people across the bridge in their own cars.
Alex Robinson charges $25 each way and says he provides the service to about 5,800 people.
Many aspects of the bridge cause anxiety in drivers, from the first dogleg curve, to the steep incline over the first suspension span. The bridge then drops and propels motorists downhill over the second span. Drivers then have to maneuver through a claustrophobic cantilever that feels like a tunnel.
And that’s just on a nice day. Add bad weather – which their frequently is – and you’ll understand why Travel + Leisure rated the Chesapeake Bay Bridge the ninth scariest bridge in the world.
Japan is voting in upper house elections expected to deliver a win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Half of the 242 seats in the chamber are being contested.
Polls show Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its allies could secure a majority, meaning a ruling party would control both houses of parliament for the first time in six years.
The deadlock in parliament has been seen as a key factor in Japan’s recent “revolving door” of prime ministers.
Polling stations opened at 07:00 and will close at 20:00.
Despite the importance of the election, early turnout was a little down from the last upper house poll in 2010.
Japan’s upper chamber, while not as powerful as its lower house, is able to block legislation introduced by the government.
Japan is voting in upper house elections expected to deliver a win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
No single party has a majority, although the opposition Democratic Party of Japan has the highest number of seats.
Opposition parties have had enough combined seats to control the upper chamber in recent years, leading to what has become known as a “twisted parliament”.
This has resulted in factionalism and multiple changes of prime minister.
“We need political stability to carry out policies,” Shinzo Abe said ahead of the vote.
“We will get that political stability by winning the upper house election.”
Shinzo Abe has relatively strong public support for his proposals for economic reform known as “Abenomics”, which seek to revive the economy, stagnant for two decades.
“I want them to carry on doing their best as the economy seems to be picking up,” one voter, Naohisa Hayashi, 35, told the Associated Press.
“I want to see a stable government. That’s the LiberalDemocratic Party,” 76-year-old Hiroshi Miyamoto was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying, after voting in the western Tokyo suburb of Hachioji.
But other policy changes that Shinzo Abe is seen as likely to endorse may prove to be controversial.
One is restarting Japan’s nuclear reactors – something many in Japan are opposed to.
Another are nationalistic policies that may cause tension with neighboring countries.
This includes the possible revision of Japan’s pacifist constitution, especially a section which prohibits the use of force in international disputes except for self-defense.
Fans of Talia Castellano, who lost her fight with cancer this week, have been fulfilling the inspirational teenager’s bucket list.
The 13-year-old’s list included having a cake fight and singing around a campfire, to getting a tattoo and covering a car in sticky notes
Talia Castellano, who grabbed the attention of the nation after appearing on the Ellen show last September, had 74 items on her bucket list, which included giving flowers to a stranger and going to a Justin Bieber concert.
The Castellano family had posted her bucket list on her Facebook page, which has more than half a million “Likes” five days before Talia died, and soon her fans were posting pictures of them fulfilling the teenager’s dreams, according to ABC News.
“Talia is everywhere you look and we couldn’t be more pleased. And we especially know she is loving all the attention” her family posted on the page the day after she died.
They added: “Thank you for keeping her spirit alive and showing her family that her message and voice will continue to make an impact across the globe.”
Talia Castellano was invited on the Ellen show, where she was made an honorary CoverGirl and presented with a professional shot advert
Talia Castellano had attracted a large following thanks to her upbeat attitude to her neuroblastoma and leukemia diagnosis.
She posted make up tutorials on YouTube, and said she refused to wear a wig because it made her feel “fake” and “just not me”.
More than 759,110 people subscribed to her YouTube page to watch Talia Castellano’s bubbly and expert tips.
“When I put on my make-up I feel like I can embrace those features that I really like about myself,” she explained last year.
“I feel if someone’s looking at me, they’re looking at my makeup, not looking at my bald head. I am just trying to make young girls, young adults, adults, anyone, feel beautiful by using makeup.”
Thanks to the online make up tutorials, Talia Castellano was able to achieve two of her bucket list wishes.
She was invited on the Ellen show, where she was made an honorary CoverGirl and presented with a professional shot advert by host Ellen DeGeneres, another representative of the cosmetics brand.
Earlier this year, Talia Castellano also fulfilled her dream of becoming a fashion designer as she collaborated on a line of clothing for teenagers called That Bald Chick with Los Angeles-based designer, Urbana Chappa.
Urbana Chappa, who runs a womenswear label called Maison De Urbana, decided to help fulfill Talia Castellano’s ambitions after hearing her inspirational story on the Ellen show last fall.
As Talia Castellano came to terms with her terminal disease, which was first diagnosed when she was seven-years-old, she found comfort in what she had been able to achieve in her short life.
“Having a YouTube channel, [inspiring] people and having people look up to me . . . the journey of having cancer was amazing. But every journey has an end,” Talia Castellano said.
King Albert II of Belgium is about to formally abdicate in favor of his son Crown Prince Philippe.
In his final address as king on Saturday, King Albert, 79, urged Belgians to give his 53-year-old son “your support”.
King Albert also stressed that his wish was that Belgium – split between the Flemish-speaking north and the French south – remained united.
Earlier this month, the monarch said he was no longer well enough to carry on.
“Give the future King Philippe and the future Queen Mathilde your active participation and your support,” King Albert said in his address.
“They make a great couple serving our country and they enjoy my full confidence,” said the monarch, who will resign on Belgium’s national day – after nearly 20 years on the throne.
The future King Philippe and the future Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Philippe, the Oxford- and Stanford-educated prince, will then become Belgium’s seventh king.
He has also trained as an air force pilot.
Belgium has a constitutional monarchy in which the king plays a largely ceremonial role.
One of the duties the monarch does have is trying to resolve constitutional crises.
King Albert exercised his authority in mediating between political leaders on the formation of a government during the 2010-2011 parliamentary stalemate, when Belgium was left without a government for 541 days after elections failed to find a clear winner.
Tensions between the Flemish and French communities sometimes run high, and the issue has brought down several governments, creating frequent political instability.
Respect for the royal family, though, is one of the few factors that cross the communal divide.
King Albert’s abdication comes only three months after Queen Beatrix of the neighboring Netherlands vacated the Dutch throne in favor of her son Willem-Alexander.
Batman and Superman are to appear in the same film for the first time, it has been revealed.
The surprise announcement was made by Zack Snyder, who directed the most recent Superman film Man of Steel.
Speaking at a comic convention in San Diego, California, Zack Snyder said the script was still being written.
Production is expected to begin next year and the film is scheduled for release in the summer of 2015.
Batman and Superman are to appear in the same film for the first time
Warner Bros confirmed that the two superheroes would team up for the first time.
British actor Henry Cavill – who starred in Man of Steel – will again play Superman.
However, an actor for the new Batman is yet to be cast.
“They’re both alpha males,” fan Benjamin Ha was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. He added that he expected fireworks in the new film.
For many comic book enthusiasts it is a dream come true in what promises to be the ultimate superhero adventure.
The enduring popularity of Superman and Batman has seen the latest films featuring the two characters earn revenues of more than $1billion between them.
