Amanda Bynes claimed that it was a case of mistaken identity when pictures of herself partying in her New York apartment recently surfaced in In Touch magazine.
In the snaps, it is clear that is in fact Amanda Bynes throwing what appears to be an impromptu party for three earlier this month.
In the shocking party photos, Amanda Bynes is seen reclining on her bed which is stripped down to a bare mattress with no sheets or other bedding.
With her sunglasses shielding her eyes, her hair extensions in a tattered mess and smeared make-up on her face, Amanda Bynes appears to be emulating Madonna’s famous Vogue pose.
Barefoot, Amanda Bynes wears a cream dress with a black bra teamed with a denim and leather jacket.
Later she is seen hazily sitting up, letting the photographer take her picture as she pushes her hair away from her chest.
An open can of Diet Coke with a straw sitting in it sits beside her bed and a half burnt j**nt that is blackened with soot is laying on the bed next to her after she has seemingly taken a hit.
Next up Amanda Bynes takes the photo shoot to the bathroom where she is seen preening and pouting in the mirror.
Amanda Bynes posted a video of herself in the bathroom getting ready for a New York party
Hardly aware of what is going on around her, one of her male party guests gets physically close to her, seemingly kissing her on the arm.
He later does a little dance in the mirror as she continues to apply heavy layers of lip gloss to her pout.
The man in question, who would go only go by the name of “Joe”, is one of the men who provided the pictures to In Touch.
Joe and a photographer by the name of Giovanni Arnold were partying with Amanda Bynes on the night the snaps in question were taken.
Since their emergence, Amanda has jumped to her own defense, tweeting: “That’s not my bed! Those aren’t my toes! My toes are pedicured!”
The European Commission has announced it will allow some EU member states to slow their pace of austerity cuts, amid concerns over growth.
France, Spain, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands and Slovenia are all being given more time to complete their austerity plans.
France will get two more years to bring its budget deficit below 3% of GDP.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the extra time must be “used wisely” to lift competitiveness.
The measures came as part of the European Commission’s country-specific recommendations.
Spain, Poland and Slovenia will also get two more years to bring down their budget deficits though spending cuts and tax increases.
The Netherlands and Portugal are having their timetables extended by one year.
Even Europe’s stronger economies, including Germany, are being urged to allow wage increases and increase flexibility in the jobs market to improve competitiveness.
Europe remains broadly in recession. The 17-member eurozone shrank by 0.2% in the first three months of the year, and is expected to register negative growth for 2013 as a whole.
The European Commission has announced it will allow some EU member states to slow their pace of austerity cuts, amid concerns over growth
There has been concern that the focus on fiscal consolidation in many EU states has worsened the economic situation.
Earlier, the OECD called on the European Central Bank (ECB) to do more to boost growth.
This month, the central bank in Frankfurt cut interest rates to a record low of 0.5% and said it was “ready to act if needed”.
In an official statement, the Commission said the extra time should be used to enact reforms.
“Giving more time for certain member states to meet their agreed objectives is designed to enable them to accelerate efforts to put their public finances into order and carry out overdue reforms,” it said.
“Reform efforts must be stepped up to credibly produce the required outcomes within the new deadlines and excessive deficits must be corrected.”
Jose Manuel Barroso stressed that the decision to allow some member states to slow the pace of austerity was made on purely economic and financial grounds, rather than for political reasons.
Speaking about the new timetable for France, he said the message remained “very demanding”.
“The extra time should be used wisely to address France’s failing competitiveness … I believe there is a growing consensus now in France about the need for those reforms,” he said.
Figures released earlier this month showed that France had entered its second recession in four years after the economy shrank by 0.2% in the first three months of 2013.
Director Sam Mendes has resumed talks with the producers of the James Bond films about the possibility of directing the next in the series.
The Skyfall director previously ruled himself out due to other commitments but is believed to be reconsidering.
According to industry website Deadline, his change of heart was prompted by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli’s willingness to wait for him.
Skyfall, the 23rd official Bond film, earned more than $1.1 billion.
It was named best British film at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards and is the highest-grossing movie in UK box office history.
Sam Mendes has resumed talks with the producers of the James Bond films about the possibility of directing the next in the series
Sam Mendes, 47, was invited to direct Skyfall‘s successor but turned down the job due to theatre commitments in London.
His musical version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is currently in previews and he is scheduled to follow it with a staging of King Lear at the National Theatre.
It is understood, though, that the Bond team are prepared to postpone production on the next 007 feature until he is available.
Ang Lee, Christopher Nolan and Nicolas Winding Refn are among other leading directors rumored to have been approached.
Speaking in March, Sam Mendes said he felt “very honored to have been part of the Bond family” and that he “very much” hoped to work with the 007 team again.
The last film-maker to helm consecutive Bond movies was former editor John Glen, who directed five installments in a row between 1981 and 1989.
IMF has cuts its economic growth forecast for China, with weakness in the global economy set to hit exports.
The International Monetary Fund it now expected the world’s second largest economy to grow by “around 7.75%” this year, and at about the same pace in 2014.
That is lower than the 8% forecast for 2013 the IMF made in its World Economic Outlook, published last month.
The IMF also called for a “decisive impetus to reforms” in the country.
Last year, China’s economy grew by 7.8%, its slowest rate for 13 years. In the first three months of this year, it expanded at a lower-than-expected annual pace of 7.7%.
Last week, the release of disappointing Chinese manufacturing figures was one of the factors behind a global sell-off in shares. A survey indicated that factory activity had contracted for the first time in seven months in May.
Speaking to reporters in Beijing, IMF first deputy managing director David Lipton said: “The Chinese economy is expected to grow at around 7.75% this year and at about the same pace next year.
“Chinese export growth has been, after years and years of very rapid growth, very slow because of the state of the global economy and we now are taking our projections of the global economy into effect.”
IMF has cuts its economic growth forecast for China, with weakness in the global economy set to hit exports
Among the measures called for by the IMF are slower growth in social financing and a relaxation of controls on interest rates and the exchange rate.
Despite the cut in the IMF’s forecast, David Lipton noted: “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that China is still growing at a very fast rate.
“We’re projecting that growth will remain robust.”
David Lipton added that growth “should pick up moderately in the course of the second half of this year, as the recent credit expansion gains traction and in line with a mild pick-up in the global economy”.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in France in connection with a knife attack on soldier Cedric Cordier near Paris on Saturday, officials say.
The suspect, known as a radical Muslim, was detained on Wednesday morning in the Yvelines region, 45 km (28 miles) southwest of the capital, Interior Minister Manuel Valls said.
The “dangerous” man was traced thanks to evidence at the scene, he added.
French anti-terrorist investigators are handling the case, saying the soldier was targeted because of his profession.
Witnesses had earlier described the attacker as a bearded man of North African origin.
The man, named Alexandre, was monitored on security cameras and seen taking off his robe and running away wearing European clothes, officials said.
The stabbing took place three days after the killing of British serviceman Drummer Lee Rigby outside a barracks in the Woolwich area of London.
French President Francois Hollande said that while all theories would be investigated, there was no evidence to link the two attacks.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in France in connection with a knife attack on soldier Cedric Cordier near Paris on Saturday
The suspect was a petty criminal known to police, correspondents say.
Speaking on French TV on Wednesday, Manuel Walls warned against jumping to early conclusions.
The minister said that although there were signs that the suspect may be linked to radical Islam, the investigation was still in its early stages.
“I remain cautious,” the minister said.
“We need to know more about his motives, his background, his family environment.”
Pfc Cedric Cordier, 23, was approached from behind and stabbed in the neck with a small-bladed knife in La Defense business district on Saturday.
The attack took place in a busy underground hall where shops and public transport lines converge in La Defense business district.
The victim was in a stable condition after the attack, police said.
France is on high alert following a threat from the North African wing of al-Qaeda, related to the country’s involvement in Mali.
The raised alert level is one of the reasons why soldiers are on patrol in central Paris and other high-profile areas, correspondents say.
Last March, soldiers were targeted by Islamist militant Mohamed Merah in the Toulouse area of southern France.
He shot dead three French paratroopers then attacked a Jewish school, murdering three children and an adult, before being killed in a police siege.
Liam Gallagher has barely spoken to his brother Noel Gallagher since a backstage fight led to the breakup of Oasis in 2009.
However, Liam Gallagher, 40, has now revealed that track Don’t Bother Me on his band Beady Eye’s new album was written as a “peace offering” to Noel.
The song Don’t Bother Me from the album Be features the lyrics: “In the morning, I’ll be calling and hoping you understand. Give peace a chance. Take my hand – be a man.”
Liam Gallagher said his arguments with 45-year-old Noel had inspired the song, which also contains the words: “I’m sick of all your lying/Your scheming and crying.”
He told the BBC that his mind had been “fuzzy” when he had written the words, which were about peace and brotherhood.
Liam Gallagher has revealed that a track on his band Beady Eye’s new album was written as a peace offering to his brother Noel
“I didn’t sit down to write a song about a brother,” Liam Gallagher said.
“There’s bits in there about Noel, I guess. And there’s bits in there about brothers in general. About everyone just chilling, man. And give peace a chance.”
Liam Gallagher said that while the song was not just about Noel, his influence was undeniable.
“I’m not here to shy away from talking about our kid. You ask me a question and I go for it,” he said.
“But, yeah, it’s about a lot of things. It’s not about just Noel. Believe you me, if I could write a song about the [expletive] with Noel, I would.”
Liam Gallagher also shared his opinions on One Direction, saying they had got “lucky” and were his band’s “biggest competition”.
“Fair play to them, man, they got lucky – like we all do, I guess – and they’re just going for it.
“It’s all going to end at some point. And when it ends, you want to make sure you’ve ticked all the boxes.”
Bella Tsarnaeva, sister of Boston Marathon bombings suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, faces drugs charge in New Jersey.
Bella Tsarnaeva, 24, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to possession of ma****ana with intent to distribute.
She was arrested in December 2012 after police responded to her Fairview home on a domestic violence report and found ma****ana, according to court papers. Authorities said they had first found her live-in boyfriend, Ahmad Khalil, at the apartment, which they searched after smelling marijuana.
Both Bella Tsarnaeva and Ahmad Khalil were indicted on April 10 with possession of ma****ana with intent to distribute.
They declined to comment on Tuesday after their arraignment in Superior Court, where their attorneys entered not-guilty pleas on their behalves.
Bella Tsarnaeva’s attorney, Mario Blanch, said he has applied for her to be admitted into a pretrial intervention program, a form of probation that allows certain defendants to resolve their cases without a criminal record.
Bella Tsarnaeva, sister of Boston Marathon bombings suspects faces drug charges in New Jersey
Bella Tsarnaeva later left the building, her head wrapped in Ahmad Khalil’s shirt to shield her from a photographer. Mario Blanch said Bella Tsarnaeva did not want to be photographed because people are already recognizing her on the streets and that she has even received death threats for what her brothers are accused of doing.
“She is a young woman, 24 years old, and through no fault of her own, she has been thrust into a public spotlight,” said her attorney Mario Blanch to North Jersey.com.
“This has been a huge tragedy for this country, and it has also been a huge tragedy for my client.”
The investigation extended into North Jersey within a few days after the Boston Marathon bombing when federal agents showed up at the West New York home of another sister, 22-year-old Ailina Tsarnaeva. The agents interviewed the woman for several hours and left with computers, cell phones and plastic bags full of items. West New York police later said the woman was cooperating with authorities.
Meanwhile, lawyers for her brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are set to blame the “overpowering influence” of elder brother Tamerlan, said Harvey Silverglate, a civil liberties and defense attorney.
According to Harvey Silvergate, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s lawyers will cite Tamerlan as being “an embittered and dangerous character, and it is well known that older siblings have tremendous power over younger siblings”.
One of the teenage bombers attorney is Judy Clarke, who represented “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski and 1996 Atlanta Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph – in both cases using mental health as a defense.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has told his mother Zubeidat Tsarnaeva that “everything will be fine” in their first telephone call since his arrest in the Boston Marathon bombings case as he recuperates at a Massachusetts prison hospital.
According to Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, who spoke to her son yesterday from Makhachkala, the capital of Russia’s Dagestan region, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev said: “I am absolutely fine, my wounds are healing. Everything is in God’s hands. Be patient. Everything will be fine.”
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, stands accused of carrying out the April 15th attack in Boston, which killed three people and injured at least 260 along with his brother Tamerlan, who was killed following a brutal shootout with police on April 19th in the Watertown suburb of the city.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his mother Zubeidat Tsarnaeva had their first phone call since his arrest
The teenage terror suspect was arrested after a 36 hour multi-agency manhunt and is currently being held at Devens Federal medical center as he recovers from gunshot wounds, including one to the neck.
“Mentally he is normal but the child is shocked,” Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said to Bloomberg.
“It was really hard to hear him and for him to hear me. The conversation was very quiet. It was my child, I know he is locked up like a dog, like an animal.”
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva told the news agency that the conversation she had with her son lasted six minutes and that she is promised one a month with him.
This comes as the sister of Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev faces a drugs charge in New Jersey.
DSM-5, the latest psychiatrist bible, is warning of the dangerous physiological impact of caffeine intoxication.
An overdose of caffeine is among the mental disorders included in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) released on May 22.
Symptoms of the disorder include restlessness, nervousness, excitement, red face, gastrointestinal upset, muscle twitching, rambling speech, sleeplessness, rapid and irregular heartbeat, according to Live Science.
The findings about the mental impacts of a caffeine overdose come from the list of mental disorders compiled by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
The DSM is the go-to guide for a myriad of professionals seeking to understand mental disorders including physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses, occupational and rehabilitation therapists, and counselors, according to the APA website.
DSM-5 is warning of the dangerous physiological impact of caffeine intoxication
Caffeine intoxication had previously been listed as a disorder but in the latest edition of the DSM, it also includes the disorder associated with caffeine withdrawal.
Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are described as including headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood and other issues.
“Caffeine is invading our society more and more,” Alan Budney, who served on the DSM-5 working group for substance-use disorders, previously told Medscape Medical News in 2011 about why caffeine withdrawal was an important disorder to investigate.
“There’s concern enough to consider this topic seriously, even though it’s probably one of the more controversial issues faced by our work group,” he added.
Caffeine is considered the most widely used, behaviorally active drug in the world, alongside other chemicals that can prompt mental disorders.
The other powerful chemicals include alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, hallucinogens and other mind-altering substances.
Emmanuelle Seigner, wife of controversial film director Roman Polanski, has claimed that she has been criticized by other Frenchwomen because of her “success, beauty and money”.
Roman Polanski is notorious as a fugitive from justice in the US over the r**e of a 13-year-old girl.
However, Emmanuelle Seigner, 46, has suggested that the main reason she has faced attacks from her fellow Frenchwomen was their jealousy of her “success, beauty and money”.
The actress and pop singer said she could not explain the chemistry between herself and the 79-year-old Oscar-winning director but admitted she liked the “danger” and unpredictability of not fitting the mould of a perfect relationship.
Emmanuelle Seigner, who is a close friend of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the former French first lady, has said: “In France, I guess there’s something like a tyranny in mentalities – we accept success badly, beauty, money.”
“People are certainly envious, and this creates negative energy. This is annoying. I suffered a great deal at one time. I had to fight harder than others. Add to that my marriage to Polanski.”
Emmanuelle Seigner was asked about what generated the romantic spark between her and Roman Polanski, whom she married in 1989.
Emmanuelle Seigner, wife of Roman Polanski, claims Frenchwomen are jealous of her success and beauty
“I don’t know. I ignore the ingredients. I guess that would be love. This can’t be explained,” she told Madame Figaro magazine.
“Perhaps because there’s an age difference – the improbable side that makes it probable. There are relationships where everything works and looks perfect, and that doesn’t interest me.
“I don’t like the idea of fitting into a mould, so as to conform. What I like is the danger, the difference – being unpredictable.”
Emmanuelle Seigner met Roman Polanski while appearing in one of his films, Frantic, in 1988, alongside Harrison Ford, but is now mainly known for her work inside France. The pair live in central Paris with their two children, Morgane and Elvis.
Roman Polanski was charged in 1977 with six crimes related to the s***al assault of a teenager during a photo shoot in Los Angeles but fled America, meaning all the charges are still pending.
He was arrested in Switzerland in 2009 at the request of the US authorities, who wanted to extradite him to face trial.
Following a period of prison, and then house arrest, Switzerland let Roman Polanski go, but he is now unlikely ever to leave France again in case he is re-arrested.
Like Carlo Bruni–Sarkozy, who is the third wife of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Emmanuelle Seigner has received a great deal of publicity through her relationship with a world-famous husband.
Frenchwomen are often lauded for their fashion sense, slender figures and perfectly behaved children, but critics have suggested they can be jealous, snobbish and sometimes even hostile.
A new website launched to help British women living in France fit in advises them to turn up late, brush up on current affairs and learn to accept compliments without treating them as a chat-up line.
Cellulaze, a pioneering invasive cosmetic treatment which targets the dreaded appearance of quilted, pitted fat, has hit the market causing a media storm.
Affecting more than 8 out of 10 women, cellulite is considered one of the curses of female gender, but Cellulaze is considered one of the best weapons to banish orange-peel thighs.
Cellulite occurs when the strands that connect the layers of tissue and the fat below the skin (fibrous septae) gradually harden and contract, while the fat between stays the same and protrudes out in a lumpy fashion.
Diet, exercise, creams and massage do help, but chronic sufferers are constantly on the lookout for a long-term solution.
The Sunday Times Stylemagazine has reported that new laser cellulite treatment Cellulaze claims to melt the fat and then break down the fibres anchoring the tiny fat pockets, thus banishing the appearance of cellulite.
It is the first scientifically validated laser cellulite treatment to win the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which accepted the results of Cellulaze’s year-long trial last January.
The study was conducted in the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and monitored a group of women with an average age of 47.
It showed that just one Cellulaze treatment prevented the return of cellulite for at least a year. There are even claims that the earliest patients have remained cellulite-free for three years.
The treatment, which costs upwards of $4,000, takes one to two hours and involves a local anaesthetic and mild sedation, followed by the insertion of a laser rod, like a fine knitting needle, just below the surface of the skin through a series of tiny cuts, reported the Sunday Times.
Cellulaze is the first scientifically validated laser cellulite treatment approved by FDA
Laser beams then transmit energy sideways from the rod to smooth out lumpy fat cells and heat dermal tissue. The method promotes skin thickening and tightening, resulting in tighter, smoother skin. The laser directly targets the structure of cellulite.
As well as destroying the lumps, it stimulates collagen production just below the surface, and, in most cases, gives a smoother result than anything previously achieved by other anti-cellulite treatments.
The Cellulaze laser fiber claims to level out bumps of fat, treat dimples by releasing the fibrous bands that pull down on the skin, and stimulate collagen production to increase skin’s depth and elasticity for a smoother look.
Liquefied fat is then pressed out.
Hassan Shaaban, a consultant plastic surgeon at the Sthetix clinic in Liverpool, was the British pioneer, and has now become the principal specialist training other doctors from across Europe in the technique.
He warns that not every patient will benefit.
“We classify cellulite severity from one to four,” he says.
“This treatment works best on stages two and three. In other words, women with serious cellulite will first have to lose fat by other methods.”
The cosmetic surgeon Angelica Kavouni, of the Cadogan Clinic in London, underwent the training last December and has already treated 15 women. \
“I am cautiously optimistic that it works, but I think most patients will also have to make lifestyle changes such as diet and more exercise to maintain the results,” she told the Sunday Times.
Dita Von Teese recently admitted that the number of beauty products that she uses regularly goes in to the hundreds.
Dancer Dita Von Teese, born Heather Renée Sweet in Rochester, Michigan, has admitted she is such a beauty junkie that she couldn’t live without any of the multiple cosmetics and haircare products which she uses to achieve her glamorous retro look.
Asked what her three must-have items are, Dita Von Teese giggled: “Three? Oh my god, it’s more like 300! If you only knew, I have a lot of things that I absolutely can’t do without.
“Even for my shows, I do everything by myself, from make-up to choosing my own outfits.”
However, Dita Von Teese, 40, believes make-up can only go so far and the only way to exude s** appeal is to have confidence in yourself.
She explained: “For me, s** appeal is a very individual thing, it’s about finding yourself above all and mostly about having self-confidence. We have to find what suits us and makes us feel good.
“It’s all about being s**y, it’s nothing to do with what people think – on the contrary. It’s completely psychological.
“I love the process of getting ready, both in terms of hair as well as make-up. With only three things, I’d have a lot of trouble getting ready!”
Dita Von Teese admitted that the number of beauty products that she uses regularly goes in to the hundreds
Two years ago Dita Von Teese told the New York Times Style magazine that she uses Just For Men hair dye to achieve raven eyebrows, and also that perfect skin hasn’t come easy.
She spoke about how she visited several doctors in a bit to cure her rosacea, revealing: “I was told by a big name dermatologist, <<this is your life now>>, because he couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it.
“A million creams later, I went to a real skin doctor in Orange County. He prescribed a pill and one lotion, and boom, it was gone.”
Creme de la Mer is her choice of face cream – “it’s pricey, but so worth it”.
Her favorite beauty products include Dior Capture Totale foundation, MAC Mineralize face powder, Dior Dolce Vita lipstick, Guerlain Divinora liquid eyeliner and Dior Show mascara.
Dita Von Teese’s top tip for feeling good is adorning herself in a tasteful amount of jewels, and she especially loves rubies because they are so “sensual”.
She explained in an interview with French fashion website Pure Trend: “It’s true that I like jewellery, but I wear just the right amount to emphasize the statement piece I choose. I like diamonds but my real favorite has always been rubies.
“At the moment for instance, I’m wearing ruby earrings. I love touching them, playing with them, it’s a very sensual stone.”
Dita Von Teese has also said she relies on pink lights and a dimmer switch to banish cellulite, citing “it’s the only thing that works”.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart split became official when he moved his belongings out of the home he shared with the actress last week.
And while it has already been claimed Robert Pattinson’s friendship with singer Katy Perry was one of the reasons behind the doomed romance, it would seem there could be another leading lady who has also come between the couple.
RadarOnline reports the 27-year-old hunk’s close friendship with British playwright Polly Stenham was a “potential cause” for the Twilight co-stars’ sudden split.
And now a cozy Instagram picture of the pair has emerged, showing 26-year-old Polly Stenham with her arm draped around Robert Pattinson and another pal as they enjoyed a night out in New York City.
It is thought the arty black and white snap was taken in early May when Robert Pattinson and Polly Stenham enjoyed a night of partying together shortly before his shock split from Kristen Stewart.
Posted on Instagram by the star’s musician friend Matthew Daniel Siskin, known as Gambles, the undated picture was soon deleted from the social networking site.
Alongside the snap, it said: “Missing the New York crew.”
Polly Stenham with her arm draped around Robert Pattinson and another pal as they enjoyed a night out in New York City
And it has now been speculated that Polly Stenham was the mystery blonde the actor was spotted enjoying an intimate dinner with at Gemma in the Bowery Hotel on May 3.
A source told HollywoodLife.com at the time: “They seemed like old-time friends.”
However, it has also been claimed that Robert Pattinson’s close friendship with singer Katy Perry was one of the contributing factors to the split.
After weathering the storm of her s** scandal with Rupert Sanders last year, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson reportedly broke up for good earlier this month when he reportedly found text messages from her to the Snow White and The Huntsman director and became upset that they were still in contact.
A source told Life & Style magazine: “Katy never really supported Rob’s decision to get back with Kristen. She always said they wouldn’t last.
“Katy told Rob she didn’t think their relationship could withstand the cheating scandal. And he deserved better than someone who would destroy a family [like Rupert’s].”
A large moving truck picked up the last of Robert Pattinson’s belongings from the former couple’s home in Los Feliz, California, on Thursday.
Robert Pattinson initially struggled to cope with Kristen Stewart’s “momentary indiscretion” with married director Rupert Sanders, with friends revealing their relationship was strained for months after the fling.
A source previously said: “After everything that happened and the hurt she caused, he’s furious she’d be back in touch with him, even if she is saying it’s completely innocent. It does look like this it’s over for good. He simply can’t trust her.”
Beyonce’s newly unearthed High School photos prove that she had a flawless smile and impeccable hair long before she was famous.
Beyonce, now 31, the musical megastar attended Welch Middle School in Houston, Texas, where her 13-year-old self was captured for prosperity in the 8th grade year book.
In the black and white photo that looks like it could be from a professional shoot, Beyonce beams to the camera confidently as her signature long hair is knotted on the top of her head and tumbles down over her shoulders.
Beyonce began dancing in elementary school, but when her dance teacher realized that she could hit all the high notes to a tune, she began tapping into that hidden talent instead.
By the age of 8 she was already auditioning with an all-girl entertainment group with childhood friend – and future star – Kelly Rowland, called Girl’s Thyme.
A spot on Star Search, the biggest entertainment talent show in America at the time, failed to win the band a victory however, and it would be a few more years before fame came knocking on their doors.
In the meantime, Beyonce Knowles enrolled in the Houston School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and her freshman yearbook photo from 1996 reveals her ever-blossoming beauty and innate style.
With her hair now silky smooth and straight, Beyonce still had her polished smile and unblemished image.
Unlike most high school kids who are tortured by bad skin, breakouts or braces, the Dreamgirls star appeared to be camera-ready at all times.
Wearing a pinafore dress with a long-sleeved white jumper underneath, her taste in fashion was certainly a lot more conservative than the outfits that fans are now used to her wearing.
While still a school girl, the future pop star was working hard on her path to stardom thanks to the encouragement of her father, Matthew, and mother, Tina, who designed all her costumes.
Beyonce’s newly unearthed High School photos
By 1996 when her high school year book photo was shot, the group (who had changed their name to Destiny’s Child) won a contract with Columbia Records and began recording their first album under an agreement with Sony Music.
According to reports, Beyonce never actually got her high school diploma because she dropped out before graduation to tour with the girls’ group.
In 1997, the band released their debut major label song called Killing Time, which was featured on the Men In Black soundtrack, and went on to have huge hits including Jumpin’ Jumpin’ and Say My Name.
Since then Beyonce has catapulted to worldwide fame and global domination with huge hits such as Irreplaceable and the 2010 Grammy winning Song of the Year, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).
Every heroine needs a sidekick, and with husband of five years, Jay-Z, by her side, Beyonce has gone from strength to strength.
The power couple welcomed daughter Blue Ivy Carter in January 2012, and recently tell-tale signs have sparked rumors that they are expecting their second child.
“I would like more children. I think my daughter needs company. I definitely love being a big sister and at some point when it’s supposed to happen,” Beyonce told Good Morning America on May 6, while keeping mum about whether she was expecting again or not.
“My biggest job in the world is to protect my daughter and I am very protective. I just want to make sure that she can have a healthy, safe, normal life.
“I feel really, really just lucky that I can still do what I love and now have a way bigger meaning, and that’s to be her mother.”
Beyonce – who is the voice of Queen Tara in the upcoming animated film, Epic – is currently globe-trotting on The Mrs. Carter World Tour.
During a performance in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Monday night she got a bum-slapping surprise in the middle of a sing-a-long for Irreplaceable as a fan outstretched his arm out to touch her bottom!
In video footage capturing the moment, Beyonce is seen turning around and looking shocked as the crowd gasp at the man’s action, before she threatens to have him thrown out of the concert.
Looking directly at the slapper, she can be heard saying: “I will have you escorted out right now, alright?”
The next stop on the European leg of her tour is Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday, before Beyonce moves on to Stockholm, Sweden, and then Antwerp in Belgium on Friday – where hopefully none of the audience will overstep respectful boundaries.
Earlier this month, Beyonce fueled the second pregnancy speculation when she had to cancel a gig at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis due to “dehydration” and “exhaustion”, after which she promised fans she would make it up to them by returning and putting on a great show.
For once heavily pregnant Kim Kardashian relaxed her ever-glamorous style as she headed out for a quiet dinner with friends on Sunday night.
With her face clear of any make-up and her unwashed hair tied up in a messy topknot, Kim Kardashian, 32, certainly wasn’t dressed to impress.
Despite admitting she has struggled to cope with the changes pregnancy has brought to her body, Kim Kardashian has insisted on keeping up with her usual style as her body has changed.
But as the reality star left the exclusive Dan Tana restaurant in West Hollywood on Sunday night she appeared to have finally bent her self-inflicted rules.
In place of the sky-high heels Kim Kardashian normally favors, she wore a simple pair of black flip flops.
Kim Kardashian posted a series of the glamorous images online
And her bump was neatly dressed in a plain black dress, teamed with a fashionable denim jacket.
Kim Kardashian has complained about her “pregnancy lips”, saying they have grown ever more bloated as the months have gone on.
And even without a touch of make-up, they were certainly noticeable on her night out.
As she left the restaurant Kim Kardashian was for once less than thrilled to be spotted by the paparazzi.
The reality star hid behind her black leather handbag as she slipped in the car and headed home.
On Monday morning it was back to her normal self as Kim Kardashian slapped on lashings of makeup for a photoshoot.
“Getting ready for my close up,” Kim Kardashian tweeted, as she posted a series of the glamorous images online.
NFL star Mario Williams, who is suing his ex-fiancée Erin Marzouki to get back a $785,000 10-carat diamond engagement ring, actually sent her texts saying she could keep it, according to her lawyer.
Mario Jerrel Williams, 28, defensive end for the Buffalo Bills worth over $30 million with a $100 million contract, is suing Erin Marzouki for the return of the ring after their relationship turned sour.
Erin Marzouki, 31, who is counter suing to keep the ring levied accusations through her lawyer that Mario Williams lied in his lawsuit and repeatedly told her to keep the gift.
Her attorney, high profile Texas lawyer Anthony Buzbee, released a series of text messages this week that make it seem as if Mario Williams has in fact urged Erin Marzouki to keep the ring, contrary the allegations filed in his lawsuit, according a report from Ultimate Texans.
In the messages Mario Williams writes: “Keep those material things. It means nothing to me anymore,” later adding: “KEEP IT! Remember me by it.”
Anthony Buzbee described Mario Williams actions as emotionally unstable and said the football player is confused as to whether he wants to be married or single.
The lawyer also introduced into evidence an email written by Mario Williams earlier this year that asks Erin Marzouki to reconcile.
“I just want to verbally discuss and answer things knowing you have closed the door,” Mario Williams wrote.
“I still can’t say one thing bad about you that sticks.”
Mario Williams is suing his ex-fiancée Erin Marzouki to get back a $785,000 10-carat diamond engagement ring
Despite the new evidence coming to light Mario Williams vehemently denies the allegations, saying that the messages were taken out of context.
“Obviously it’s just a tactic to cover up the point of the whole thing,” Mario Williams told the website.
“It is what it is. I could really care less. All it is (is) allegations and text messages and what not, whatever information blown out of proportion. I mean, it’s completely out of context.”
Yet in another message released by Anthony Buzbee, Mario Williams was allegedly more explicit in his desire to give Erin Marzouki the ring.
“She said she was going to keep the ring n told her fine. I put down using material things as leverage long ago. She is free to be n do as she wants,” Mario Williams wrote.
In his lawsuit Mario Williams claims that Erin Marzouki ended the couple’s engagement after a year because she “never intended to marry and used the relationship as a means to get money and acquire gifts”, according to the court documents.
In response to the charges Erin Marzouki has filed a counter suit to what she calls her ex-fiancé Mario Williams’ “silly” accusations and doesn’t intend to give back the ring because it was given to her as an unconditional gift.
Erin Marzouki says Mario Williams was the one who broke off the engagement because part of him “wanted to be married and start a family, while another part wanted to continue to live the life of a wealthy bachelor who could do whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted”.
Mario Williams’ lawyers have asked the court to obtain the ring from Erin Marzouki until the legal action is resolved.
Mario Williams was the first selection in the 2006 NFL draft by the Texans and played in Houston through the 2011 season.
Although by regular standards the ring is a fortune, it is pocket change to Mario Williams who last year signed one of the most lucrative contracts for a defensive player in NFL history: a six-year, $100 million with the Buffalo Bills with $50 million in cash guaranteed.
Chinese firefighters have rescued a newborn baby boy lodged inside a sewage pipe leading off a toilet.
Residents of an apartment building in Jinhua city, Zhejiang province, eastern China, called rescuers on Saturday after they heard the infant’s cries.
Rescuers tried to pull the baby out of the pipe but failed and ended up sawing through a section of the pipe instead.
They took the pipe to hospital, where it was carefully pulled apart to release the infant.
The baby, thought to be just a few days old, was found inside a pipe 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, the China Daily newspaper said.
Footage from state television showed firefighters and doctors working together using pliers to cut the pipe apart to get to the baby.
The baby is now in stable condition, reports say.
The infant was named Baby No 59 – after the number of his hospital incubator, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Chinese firefighters have rescued a newborn baby boy lodged inside a sewage pipe leading off a toilet
A number of visitors had arrived at the hospital with contributions of nappies, baby clothes and powdered milk, it added.
Meanwhile, a police officer in Jinhua told Agence France-Presse that the baby’s unmarried mother had hidden her pregnancy.
The baby fell into the toilet after she unexpectedly gave birth, the officer said.
“The woman was on the scene during the entire rescue process… and admitted [she was the mother] when we asked her,” he told AFP.
He said police were still investigating whether “she had any malicious intentions” before deciding if charges should be filed. There was still no information on the baby’s father, he said.
The case generated condemnation on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
“The parents who did this have hearts even filthier than that sewage pipe,” one user was quoted by Reuters as saying.
“Can these people be called human beings?” another user quoted by AFP said.
China has strict family planning rules, with the one-child policy in place for more than three decades. Although there are a number of exceptions, couples can face fines if they violate the policy.
There have also been cases of babies born outside marriage being abandoned, or female newborns abandoned because of a traditional preference for sons.
Adele’s stylist has spilled the secrets to her sartorial success, revealing hold-in underwear is the key to the star’s confidence.
Speaking in an interview with theSunday Mirror, Gaelle Paul said: “She always wears Spanx on the red carpet. Good underwear is really important, it smoothes you out.”
Adele, who welcomed son Angelo into the world in October 2012, certainly isn’t lacking in the confidence stakes, with Gaelle Paul explaining the Londoner doesn’t suffer from the same “insecurities” which plague other stars.
The Los Angeles-based fashionista added: “Adele is really OK with how she looks. I don’t think she ever lacked confidence. She doesn’t have that insecurity that a lot of other people I dress have.”
However, it doesn’t look as though Adele will be stepping away from her love of black anytime soon.
Adele’s stylist has spilled the secrets to her sartorial success, revealing hold-in underwear is the key to the star’s confidence
Gaelle Paul explained: “Adele always wants to wear black because she loves Johnny Cash and he wore black. She also loves June Carter Cash because she and Johnny were so much in love and they had this wonderful marriage.
“Sometimes she’ll look at herself in the mirror and say, <<Oh I look like her, Gaelle!>>.”
Adele, 25, has previously explained she refuses to be worn down by pressure to be thin, and would rather enjoy her life than worry too much about what she looks like.
The singer said: “I’ve seen people where it rules their lives, who want to be thinner or have bigger b**bs, and how it wears them down. And I don’t want that in my life.
“I have insecurities, of course, but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out to me.
“My life is full of drama and I won’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like. I don’t like going to the gym. I like eating fine foods and drinking nice wine.”
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr says a report alleging Chinese hackers stole plans for Australia’s new intelligence hub will not hit ties with Beijing.
On Monday the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported blueprints setting out the building’s cable layouts and security systems had been illegally accessed by a server in China.
Bob Carr did not comment directly on the claims.
But he said the government was “very alive” to cyber security threats.
“I won’t comment on whether the Chinese have done what is being alleged or not,” he said.
“I won’t comment on matters of intelligence and security for the obvious reason: we don’t want to share with the world and potential aggressors what we know about what they might be doing, and how they might be doing it.”
Bob Carr said the ABC report had “no implications” for a strategic partnership.
“We have enormous areas of co-operation with China,” he said.
The claims were made in a report on Chinese cyber-espionage by ABC’s Four Corners investigative programme on Monday night.
Chinese hackers stole plans for Australia’s new intelligence hub
The programme alleged that blueprints to the new intelligence headquarters in Canberra – due to be finished last year but delayed – were stolen in a cyber attack on a contractor that was traced to a server in China.
The plans detailed communications cabling and server locations, floor plans and security systems, the programme alleged.
It quoted Professor Des Ball, an expert on cyber security from the Australian National University, as saying access to such details would enable an outside party to identify rooms used for sensitive activities and work out how to monitor them.
The programme also alleged that the Prime Minster’s Office, the Defence Ministry and the Department of Foreign Affairs had been breached in hacking operations.
Four Corners did not identify the source of its information.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei rejected the claims, saying “groundless” accusations would not solve the problem of cyber hacking.
“Since it is technically untraceable, it is very difficult to find the source and identify the hacker,” he said.
“Therefore we have no idea what is the evidence for their report in which they make the claim with such certainty.”
Earlier this year, hackers from China – which is now Australia’s biggest trading partner – were thought to be behind an attack on the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Australian Financial Review reported.
The issue of cyber espionage looks set to be high on the agenda when the US and Chinese presidents hold their first summit in California next month.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon for the first time directly accused the Chinese government and military of targeting US government computers as part of a cyber espionage campaign aimed at collecting intelligence on US diplomatic, economic and defence sectors.
China called the report “groundless”, saying it represented “US distrust”.
Argentina and Chile have ordered the evacuation of some 3,000 people living near the Copahue volcano in the south of their shared border.
The authorities in both countries issued a red alert – the highest possible – saying the Chilean volcano could erupt imminently.
The 2,965 m (nearly 10,000ft) volcano – which sits in the Andes cordillera – has so far only spewed gas.
Thousands of minor earth tremors have been registered in the area.
“This red alert has been issued after monitoring the activity of the volcano and seeing that it has increased seismic activity,” Chilean Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said in a news conference.
“There is a risk that it can start erupting.”
According to Chile’s Emergency Office, the evacuation will affect some 460 families living within a 25km (15 miles) radius of Copahue.
Argentina and Chile have ordered the evacuation of some 3,000 people living near the Copahue volcano
It said it could last about 48 hours, but could be delayed because of heavy rains in the region.
In Argentina, the authorities had first declared a “yellow alert,” but later revised it to the highest level.
They have now ordered the evacuation of about 600 people from the town of Caviahue to the neighboring city of Loncopue.
Last December, Chile also issued a red alert after Copahue – one of the most active volcanoes in the region – began spewing ash and gas, with smoke raising nearly 1.5km in the sky.
Nearby residents were temporarily evacuated, and planes flying over the southern Andes warned to avoid the area.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled last year due to the eruption of another volcano in southern Chile.
The Puyehue eruption caused huge economic damage not only to property in the area but also to tourism in Bariloche and other resorts.
Australia has been ranked as the world’s happiest country among developed economies for the third year running.
Australia won the top position, due to the overall strength of its economy, in the Better Life Index compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Sweden, Canada, Norway and Switzerland also made it to the top five.
The survey ranked more than 30 countries on criteria such as income levels, health, safety and housing.
“Australia performs exceptionally well in measures of well-being, as shown by the fact that it ranks among the top countries in a large number of topics in the Better Life Index,” the OECD said on its website.
More than 73% of Australia’s 23 million people aged 15 to 64 hold a paid job, which is above the OECD average.
Life expectancy at birth is also higher, at almost 82 years.
Australia has been ranked as the world’s happiest country among developed economies for the third year running
Australia’s economy has posted more than two decades of straight growth due to demand for its natural resources.
The nation also managed to sidestep the worst of the financial crisis and was the only major developed nation to avoid the global recession in 2009.
The country’s economic strength has been reflected in the Australian dollar, which is currently trading close to 30 year highs.
However, the government is starting to see challenges to growth as the mining boom tapers off, including rising unemployment.
As a result, Australia’s Labour government is now looking to move the economy away from its dependence on mining towards sectors such as construction and manufacturing.
Another challenge they face is a widening income gap. According to the OECD, the top 20% of Australia’s population earn six times more than the bottom 20%.
Blockbuster Iron Man 3 has become the fifth top-grossing film of all time, according to online movie tracker Box Office Mojo.
The sequel, which has now made $1.14 billion worldwide, overtook 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon to claim fifth place in the chart.
Avatar and Titanic remain the all-time box-office champions, having both grossed more than $2bn worldwide.
Iron Man 3 has become the fifth top-grossing film of all time
Avengers Assemble and the final Harry Potter are ranked third and fourth.
Iron Man 3 is the fourth film to feature Robert Downey Jr.’s metal-clad crime-fighter.
The third was 2012’s Avengers Assemble, known in the US as The Avengers, whose current worldwide box office tally stands at $1.51 billion.
Iron Man 3 continues to perform strongly, although it has some way to go before its takings exceed the $1.34 billion that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 conjured up in 2011.
Once figures have been adjusted for inflation, however, neither title features in the US domestic all-time top 100, which is headed up by Gone With the Wind.
EU foreign ministers have said they will not renew an arms embargo on the Syrian opposition, due to expire on Saturday.
However, there was no immediate decision to send arms to Syrian rebels and all other sanctions remained in force.
Even so, Russia said it would “directly harm” the prospects of an international peace conference on Syria.
The EU declaration on Syria came after 12 hours of talks in Brussels. Foreign ministers were unable to reach the unanimous decision required to extend the current arms embargo, and so agreed to renew the other sanctions – including an assets freeze on President Bashar al-Assad and his aides, and restrictions on trade in oil and financial transactions – without it.
The EU decision will not make much difference on the ground in the immediate future.
Member states can now decide their own policy on sending arms to Syria, but agreed not to “proceed at this stage with the delivery” of equipment.
The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council is to review this position before August 1, in light of fresh developments to end the conflict including the ongoing US-Russia peace initiative.
Britain and France had been pressing for the ability to send weapons to what they call moderate opponents of President Assad, saying it would push Damascus towards a political solution to the two-year conflict.
EU foreign ministers have said they will not renew an arms embargo on the Syrian opposition, due to expire on Saturday
There has been increasing pressure on the international community to act since allegations emerged of chemical weapons being used in the conflict. Syria has denied using chemical weapons.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the outcome of the Brussels talks, saying it was “important for Europe to send a clear signal to the Assad regime that it has to negotiate seriously, and that all options remain on the table if it refuses to do so”.
But other countries had opposed opening the way for weapons to be sent, saying it would only worsen the violence that has already cost at least 80,000 lives.
Austria had been a key opponent of arms being sent.
“The EU should hold the line. We are a peace movement and not a war movement,” Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called the EU move “a manifestation of double standards”. Russia and the US are leading efforts to organize a peace conference on Syria next month.
The Syrian opposition has not said whether to attend the conference, and was locked in talks in Istanbul, Turkey, as an unofficial deadline to decide on its attendance passed.
A spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Coalition, Louay Safi, was quoted by news agency AFP as saying that the EU move was “a positive step”, but that the coalition was “afraid it could be too little, too late”.
George Jabboure Netto, a spokesman for the Syrian National Council (SNC), another opposition group, said the dropping of the arms embargo was a “step in the right direction”.
He said the SNC was willing to negotiate an end to the conflict, but only on the condition that there was no place for President Bashar al-Assad in the new Syria.
“We think coupling the arming of [the] Free Syrian Army with diplomatic efforts is a must for any hopes for the diplomatic efforts to succeed.”
The EU embargo, first imposed in May 2011, applies to the rebels as much as the Syrian government.
But in February this year, foreign ministers agreed to enable any EU member state to provide non-lethal military equipment “for the protection of civilians” or for the opposition forces, “which the Union accepts as legitimate representatives of the Syrian people”.
Alex Robinson, an entrepreneur from Maryland, is charging $25 to drive motorists in their own cars across one of the world’s scariest bridges because they are too terrified to do it themselves.
The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, commonly known as the Bay Bridge, spans nearly five miles of the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland’s eastern and western shores. Standing 186 feet tall at its highest point, the structure, which is regularly subject to violent storms, instills fear in thousands of Baltimore and Washington residents every time they drive across it.
This gave Alex Robinson and his family the idea of doing driving across for them, charging them for the peace of mind of not having to tackle the nerve-racking stretch themselves. And this Memorial Day weekend, as the annual pilgrimage to the beach towns and sailing harbors of the Eastern Shore began, he said business has been booming.
“About 5,800 people use our service,” Alex Robinson, of Kent Island Express, told The New York Times on Friday as he fielded calls from some of those nervous customers.
The bridge, which when it first opened in 1952 was the longest continuous over-water steel structure, has been rated by Travel & Leisure Magazine as the ninth scariest bridge in the world for the panic it instills in Maryland residents.
When bad weather hits, which is often, drivers can barely see the shore when they get to the middle.
It also has tall ships that pass beneath it and flimsy-looking guardrails that reveal a vertigo-inducing drop to the choppy waters below.
“Everyone talks about the fear of crossing the bridge,” Carolyn Casey, who lives in Washington and has a second home near St. Michaels, Maryland, told The Times.
The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge spans nearly five miles of the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland’s eastern and western shores
With the passenger seat taken up by two Labrador retrievers, she squeezed into the backseat between her three-year daughter and a nanny as Alex Robinson got behind the wheel.
“When I told people I’d found someone to drive me over the bridge, they laughed,” Carolyn Casey, 41, said.
“But it all came out – everyone is afraid of the bridge.”
That’s because crossing the bridge is quite an endeavor, even when the weather is fine.
First, drivers have to tackle a disconcerting comes a dogleg curve, then travel up a steep incline over the initial suspension span; then the bridge drops and the motorist drives downhill and over a second span, a cantilever with boxy sides and a roof that feels like a claustrophobic tunnel.
Alex Robinson took over the unique business last year from his mother and stepfather who ran it for five years. He told The Times it had made him something of an amateur psychologist.
He hires only upbeat drivers, and instructs them to talk about anything but the bridge for the 10-15 minutes it takes to cross.
“Their stress and anxieties feed off of your mood,” he explains to them.
Alex Robinson said most customers, nervous, talk a lot during the trip – about everything from their children to their first boyfriend.
But he also described construction workers who rode in the back seat of their trucks, hats pulled over their eyes and their ears plugged, and a woman who rode with a blanket over her head because she was so scared.
Alex Robinson of Kent Island Express charges $25 to drive nervous motorists across the Chesapeake Bay bridge
One man, Alex Robinson told The Times, asked to be put in the trunk, but the request was refused.
Another has paid $50-a-day for years to be driven across the bridge to his job in the morning and then back at the end of the day.
“Nervous about crossing over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?” the website states.
“If so, you’re not alone. Our Bay Bridge Drive-Over Help will let you relax and enjoy the ride and the view!”
The company instructs drivers who are “nervous or need assistance for any reason” to contact them an hour before they get to the bridge.
“Once you call we’ll coordinate a meeting location an assist you from there by driving your vehicle over the bridge for you,” the website states, adding that the drive-over service is provided from 5 a.m. till 12 a.m.
However, drivers of motorcycles, rental vehicles, or commercial vehicles are left to their own devices, as the company said it cannot accommodate such vehicles.
Customer, Kathleen Busch, explained her fear of the bridge stemmed from getting trapped in the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel for hours.
The next time she tried to drive through the tunnel she told the newspaper “everything went white. I had a full-blown panic attack. I thought I was going to pass out”.
Scared the same thing would happen on the Bay Bridge, Kathleen Busch hasn’t attempted to drive it herself.
The terrifying structure isn’t the only bridge to have driver assistance programs in place, but because it links two major cities, it is the only one with enough traffic to support a shuttle service industry.
Aside from Kent Island Express, two other companies ferry drivers across the nightmare bridge.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is part of U.S. Routes 50 and 301, and serves as a vital link in both routes. As part of U.S. Route 50, it connects the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area with Ocean City, Maryland and other coastal tourist destinations.
As part of U.S. Route 301, it serves as part of an alternate route for Interstate 95 travelers between northern Delaware and the Washington, D.C. area.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge has been closed four times due to extreme weather, mainly hurricanes.
On September 18, 2003, it was closed during Hurricane Isabel, and on August 27, 2011, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley ordered it closed to all traffic when sustained winds exceeded 55 miles per hour during Hurricane Irene. On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy brought traffic to close and on March 6, 2013, during a nor’easter, high winds again forced motorists to seek other routes.
A hilarious video shows the moment that all but one of the 29 members of Frank Fearon and Patricia Andrews wedding party plunged into the water as screams and laughter echoed around Lake Lanier near Gainesville, Georgia.
Frank Fearon, 30, and his 26-year-old bride Patricia Andrews married earlier this month, the wooden dock struggled to hold their extensive group and broke – dunking them into the water below.
Patricia Andrews’ brother Chase Andrews, who himself fell into the murky water, laughed as he recounted how the group – consisting of 13 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen – was preparing for photos when the dock gave way.
“We heard a little <<pop>> when the bolt came out and then it started falling,” said Chase Andrews.
“There were just too many of us standing there.
“The immediate reaction was, <<Is everyone OK?>>. And then it was, <<This is pretty funny>>.”
Chase Andrews said the newlyweds, who managed to clamber to dry land before the dock fell, immediately saw the funny side.
Patricia and Frank Fearon wedding party falls into Lake Lanier in Georgia
“They were shocked, but they were really laughing,” Chase Andrews said.
“Trish is such a good sport and she was just feeling so happy to be married.”
Only the bottom of her dress got wet, while her groom escaped without a splash. The bridesmaids threw their dresses in the driers, while many of the groomsmen just ignored it and hit the dance floor.
But the night didn’t end so well for one of the bridesmaids, who was nearest land when the dock collapsed. She ended up hitting concrete, fracturing her humorous and spending the night in E.R.
“Everyone got a little bit of something,” Chase Andrews added.
“There were bruises over our arms and shoulders, but everyone just laughed it off.”
After the incident, they went on to have a fantastic evening of partying in the beautiful surroundings of his grandmother’s home in Lake Lanier, Chase Andrews said.
“They had friends come from across the world to join in the party,” he said.
“It’s definitely going to be a memorable one.”
Chase Andrews, a video producer for Remedy Films, put together a short film of the hilarious moment the dock gave way and shared it on YouTube.
It shows the group giggling as nearly all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen swim for the bank in their finery. His sister, Patricia Andrews, a photographer, and her groom, Frank Fearon, an engineer, are seen laughing from dry land.
“Thankfully this was after the ceremony,” the video caption explains.
“It was deemed the <<wedding wetting>>. Everyone got dried off and the reception went on to be one of the best celebrations to date.
“Only minor injuries and a lot of wet iPhone 5’s. A fractured humorous, was the only thing not humorous about this.”
