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Ariel Castro bail set at $8 million in his first court appearance

Diane A. Wade
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Ariel Castro bail set at $8 million in his first court appearance

Ariel Castro, who is accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in Cleveland, has made his first court appearance.

Ariel Castro, 52, is charged with kidnap and rape. He did not enter a plea.

Bail was set at $8 million, meaning in effect that he will remain in custody.

The women were abducted at different times and held in Ariel Castro’s house. One of those held, Amanda Berry, 27, escaped on Monday and raised the alarm.

The other women freed soon afterwards were Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32.

Ariel Castro, handcuffed and dressed in blue overalls, remained silent and looked down while lawyers spoke to the judge at Cleveland Municipal Court on Thursday.

County prosecutor Brian Murphy told the court: “The charges against Mr. Castro are based on premeditated, deliberate, depraved decisions to snatch three young ladies from Cleveland West Side streets to be used in whatever self-gratifying, self-serving way he saw fit.”

Ariel Castro is charged with four counts of kidnapping, covering the three initial abduction victims and Jocelyn, Amanda Berry’s six-year-old daughter, who was apparently conceived and born in captivity.

The former school bus driver also faces three counts of rape, one against each woman. More charges may be added, officials have said.

Ariel Castro, who is accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in Cleveland, has made his first court appearance
Ariel Castro, who is accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in Cleveland, has made his first court appearance

Two of Ariel Castro’s brothers, Pedro and Onil, were also arrested, but police found no evidence they were involved in the crime.

They appeared in court alongside Ariel Castro on unrelated minor charges. Pedro Castro was fined $100 for public drinking, while two charges against Onil Castro were dropped.

Ariel Castro has been put on suicide watch and will be kept in isolation, his court-appointed lawyer Kathleen DeMetz told reporters.

The three women were all abducted after accepting rides from Ariel Castro, according to a police report leaked to the media.

On Thursday, Ariel Castro’s daughter, Arlene, who was one of the last people to see Gina DeJesus before she disappeared in 2004 aged 14, wept during a TV interview.

Describing herself as “disappointed, embarrassed, mainly devastated”, she apologized to Gina DeJesus.

The women told officials they could only remember being outside twice during their time in captivity.

Cleveland City Councilman Brian Cummins said the women had told police they had only gone as far as a garage on the property, disguised in wigs and hats.

Brian Cummins, citing police information, said the victims had been kept apart inside the house until their captor felt he had enough control to allow them to mingle.

Michelle knight was forced to help Amanda Berry deliver her daughter, and was threatened with death if the child did not survive.

Amanda Berry’s baby was born in a plastic inflatable children’s swimming pool on Christmas Day 2006, according to a police report.

She was not the only woman who became pregnant during captivity, Brian Cummins said. One of the three women had suffered at least five miscarriages.

Ariel Castro is accused of having intentionally caused the miscarriages by starving her for weeks and beating her
in the abdomen, according to the city councilman.

Police said more than 200 pieces of evidence had been taken from the home where the three women were held captive.

They said interviews with the women had yielded enough information to charge Ariel Castro.

Police said he had been co-operating with them, waiving his right to silence and agreeing to a test to establish Jocelyn’s paternity.

On Wednesday hundreds of cheering people welcomed home Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry and her daughter.

Amanda Berry, whose disappearance in 2003 the day before her 17th birthday was widely publicized in the local media, escaped on Monday evening by kicking the door and screaming for help, while her alleged captor was out.

Michelle Knight, who was 20 when she disappeared in 2002, remains in hospital.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports Michelle Knight had complained of chest pains during her rescue, but she is listed as in good condition.

Charges against Ariel Castro:

  • Four counts of kidnapping – one for each woman and one for a six-year-old girl police say was born in captivity
  • Three counts of rape, one for each woman, representing what police say is years of sexual abuse
  • Bail is set at $8 million, $2 million for each alleged victim
  • Charges may be added as the investigation proceeds

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev tells investigators Katherine Russell Tsarnaev was not involved in Boston Marathon attacks

Roy Siemens
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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev tells investigators Katherine Russell Tsarnaev was not involved in Boston Marathon attacks

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told investigators that Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, the widow of his late older brother Tamerlan, had nothing to do with the April 15 Boston Marathon attacks, it was revealed today.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, has made the statement to law enforcement officials looking into Katherine Russell’s possible involvement in the planning of the bombings allegedly carried out by her husband, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, and her brother-in-law, NBC News reported.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a police gun battle on April 19. His younger brother, Dzhokhar, was captured and charged in connection to the bombings following a massive manhunt that ended when he was discovered wounded hiding inside a boat in a backyard.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told investigators that Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, the widow of his late older brother Tamerlan, had nothing to do with the April 15 Boston Marathon attacks
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told investigators that Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, the widow of his late older brother Tamerlan, had nothing to do with the April 15 Boston Marathon attacks

Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, 24, has been under increased scrutiny ever since federal officials found radical Islamist materials on her laptop, including the al Qaeda magazine Inspire.

Investigators also found traces of explosive residue in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, home Katherine Russell had shared with her late husband and their daughter.

Katherine Russell’s defense team said in a statement that she “plans to continue to meet with investigators, part of a series of meetings over many hours where she has answered questions”.

It was also revealed Wednesday that the 24-year-old Muslim convert has hired a prominent criminal lawyer with experience defending terrorism cases.

Katherine Russell added New York lawyer Joshua Dratel to her legal team, her attorney Amato DeLuca confirmed.

Joshua Dratel has represented a number of terrorism suspects in federal courts and military commissions, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee David Hicks, who attended an al-Qaida-linked training camp in Afghanistan.

Nadine Ascencao reveals Tamerlan Tsarnaev slapped her and beat her head against a car for wearing shorts

Nancy Clayson
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Nadine Ascencao reveals Tamerlan Tsarnaev slapped her and beat her head against a car for wearing shorts

Nadine Ascencao, the former girlfriend of Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, revealed he slapped her and beat her head against a car because she was wearing shorts.

Nadine Ascencao, 25, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, said she and Tamerlan Tsarnaev split up after he became so abusive she called police.

The couple dated for three years and she said he became increasingly religious during that time.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and his brother Dzhokhar, 19, set off the bomb at the marathon on April 15 that killed three by-standers and injured more than 260 people.

The Boston suspect was killed in a stand-off with police four days later and his young brother is in police custody after being injured in the same shoot-out.

Nadine Ascencao told Inside Edition that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a former amateur boxer, attacked her after she wore a tank top and shorts to a pool party.

Nadine Ascencao, the former girlfriend of Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, revealed he slapped her and beat her head against a car because she was wearing shorts
Nadine Ascencao, the former girlfriend of Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, revealed he slapped her and beat her head against a car because she was wearing shorts

She said he screamed at her “what are you wearing” and then became violent.

Nadine Ascencao said: “He literally grabbed my jaw and he was telling me <<you are not going to wear this, do you understand what I’m saying>> and he kept pushing my head until I hit the car and it hurt and that made me really upset and he just slapped me across the face. But that right there just made me so furious.”

She said she told she was going to dial 911 and he told her to “go ahead”.

Nadine Ascencao said in the interview with Inside Edition: “The police officer goes up to him and she said, <<did you hit her?>>

“He goes, <<I just gave her a little slap>>. She goes <<excuse me what did you just do to her?>>

“[He said] I just gave her a little slap.

“She said, <<turn around sir>> and just handcuffed him.”

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was arrested on domestic assault and battery charges and the mugshots later emerged after he was identified as the suspect in the bomb attack.

However, despite the violent outburst Nadine Ascencao did not press charges, which she says she now regrets.

Nadine Ascencao said: “At that time I was young and really didn’t think it through.”

In previous interviews, Nadine Ascencao said then boyfriend Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who she met at high school, became increasingly religious and was angered if she wore Western clothes.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev later went on to marry Katherine Russell, who converted to Islam.

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Tamerlan Tsarnaev buried at midnight in secret ceremony outside Worcester

Roy Siemens
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Tamerlan Tsarnaev buried at midnight in secret ceremony outside Worcester

Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been buried in a secret midnight service at an undisclosed location after a mystery benefactor came forward – ending weeks of controversy.

According to federal officials, Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s body was taken from the Graham Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Parlor and entombed under cover of darkness outside of the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, where his remains have laid since last Friday.

The burial location was approved by Ruslan Tsarni, the Boston Marathon suspects’ outspoken uncle, who has been attempting to find a cemetery that would accept his nephew for burial.

“As a result of our public appeal for help a courageous and compassionate individual came forward to provide the assistance needed to properly bury the deceased,” said Worcester police in a statement this morning.

“His body is no longer in the city of Worcester and is now entombed.”

Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s body was finally buried one day after Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme pleaded for help in burying the suspect – who was killed in a firefight with police on April 19th in Watertown, just outside of Boston.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been buried in a secret midnight service at an undisclosed location after a mystery benefactor came forward
Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been buried in a secret midnight service at an undisclosed location after a mystery benefactor came forward

“There is a need to do the right thing,” said Gary Gemme.

“We are not barbarians. We bury the dead.”

The statement did not say where his body now rests.

Peter Stefan, the director of the funeral home had previously expressed his strong desire to find a proper burial site for Tamerlan Tsarnaev despite protests outside the funeral home and the refusal of Cambridge to take his body for burial.

Before today’s announcement, a retired Vermont school teacher, Paul Keane had yesterday offered up his family’s plot in Hamden, Connecticut.

He intended the offer to be a tribute to his mother, who taught him to, “love thine enemy”.

Paul Keane told reporters that he didn’t withdraw the offer, even after he received hate-mail – but no one from Worcester contacted him.

And the firm responsible for digging graves at the Mount Carmel Cemetery said that they have dug no fresh graves this week.

And on Monday, the founder of the organization that built Colorado’s largest mosque is offered to bury suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a Denver-area Muslim cemetery.

Sheikh Abu-Omar Almubarac said he would pay for a traditional Muslim burial – no headstone, monument or casket – at a plot at a Muslim cemetery in Denver or Bennett.

He refused to say which one out of concern for “undue publicity”. He said he would bury Tamerlan Tsarnaev as long as his family can get the body to Denver.

It is not known whether the family of Tamerlan Tsarnaev took him up on that offer.

Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst with the Worcester police force said the body was no longer in Worcester and is now entombed. She did not disclose where the body was taken.

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Duck Dynasty fans are crowding Duck Commander daily, says Willie Robertson

James J. Williams
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Duck Dynasty fans are crowding Duck Commander daily, says Willie Robertson

Turning small business owners into stars has become a winning formula for television producers, but some businesses featured in them are cashing in, too.

Sales explode after just a few episodes air, transforming these nearly unknown small businesses into household names.

In addition to earning a salary from starring in the shows, some small business owners are benefiting financially from opening gift shops that sell souvenirs or getting involved in other ventures that spawn from their new-found fame.

Duck Commander, seen in Duck Dynasty reality show, is having trouble controlling the crowds in front of its headquarters in the small city of West Monroe, Louisiana.

“Sometimes it’s hard getting from the truck to the front door,” says Willie Robertson, who owns Duck Commander with his father and stars in the A&E series with his extended family.

It’s a big change for a company that sells duck calls out of a part-brick, part-cinder block warehouse on a dry, dead-end country road. Duck hunters use the whistles, which mimic duck sounds, to attract their prey.

Since Duck Dynasty began airing in March 2012, Willie Robertson finds at least 70 people waiting in front of the warehouse every morning asking for autographs and photos. Neighbors have complained about the mobs and the police have been called.

Despite the trouble, the show has been good for the family business. Sales of the company’s duck calls, which range from $20 to $175, have skyrocketed. In 2011, the company sold 60,000 duck calls. In 2012, the year the show began airing, the company sold 300,000.

Duck Dynasty is the most watched documentary-style reality series on TV right now
Duck Dynasty is the most watched documentary-style reality series on TV right now

“We saw a big difference as the Nielsen ratings went up,” says Willie Robertson.

Their income from doing the show may be going up along with the ratings. Duck Dynasty is the most watched documentary-style reality series on TV right now, according to Nielsen, which provides information and insight into what consumers watch and buy. April’s one-hour season three finale was watched by 9.6 million people, making it the most watched program in A&E’s 29-year history. The Hollywood Reporter reported that the cast of the show is demanding a raise to $200,000 an episode to do a fourth season. Both the network and Willie Robertson had no comment on the report.

Cameras follow Willie Robertson and his family as they make duck calls, hunt or go camping. One episode showed Willie Robertson trying to prove to his dad, brother and uncle that he could spend a night in a tent during a camping trip. (Willie Robertson ends up bringing a big recreational vehicle and is ridiculed for it. “Once you bring something with wheels that’s enclosed, you’re no longer camping. You’re parking,” says Willie Robertson’s brother, Jace Robertson, in the episode.)

Duck Commander hired five more people to keep up with rising sales. Every duck call has to be put together by hand.

“It’s like a musical instrument,” says Willie Robertson.

“Each one needs to be blown into it to make sure it works.”

To stop the crowds from disrupting business, and to make extra cash, Willie Robertson opened a gift shop inside the Duck Commander warehouse.

“It keeps the people out of my lobby,” he says. The shop sells duck calls, Duck Commander T-shirts and bobble head dolls that look like Willie Robertson, his dad, uncle and brother, complete with their long beards.

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David Bowie’s The Next Day video music removed from YouTube by mistake

Sonia Pantiss
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David Bowie’s The Next Day video music removed from YouTube by mistake

The Next Day – David Bowie’s most recent video music, which stars Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard – was temporarily pulled from YouTube over its graphic content.

The Next Day features heavy religious imagery, including Marion Cotillard bleeding from stigmata marks.

YouTube admitted making the “wrong call” in removing the video, and reinstated it with an adult content warning.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has called the video “juvenile”.

Lord Carey told The Telegraph: “If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery perhaps Christians should not worry too much at such an exploitation of religious imagery.

“I doubt that Bowie would have the courage to use Islamic imagery – I very much doubt it.

David Bowie’s The Next Day video, which stars Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard, features heavy religious imagery
David Bowie’s The Next Day video, which stars Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard, features heavy religious imagery

“Frankly, I don’t get offended by such juvenilia – Christians should have the courage to rise above offensive language, although I hope Bowie will recognize that he may be upsetting some people.”

The Next Day is taken from David Bowie’s comeback album of the same name.

The video sees David Bowie performing in a basement bar, surrounded by religious figures, while Gary Oldman, dressed as a priest, punches a beggar before dancing with a prostitute, played by Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.

A spokesman for YouTube said: “With the massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong call. When it’s brought to our attention that a video has been removed mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it.”

David Bowie’s last video, for The Stars (Are Out Tonight), featured another Oscar-winner, Tilda Swinton.

Gary Oldman previously worked with David Bowie in the 1990s, when they performed a duet on guitarist Reeves Gabrels’ 1995 album The Sacred Squall of Now.

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Hang Mioku: Korean model disfigured after injecting cooking oil into her face

Lisa.Felice
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Hang Mioku: Korean model disfigured after injecting cooking oil into her face

Former Korean model Hang Mioku, a plastic surgery addict, injected cooking oil into her face when doctors refused to give her any more silicone.

Hang Mioku has been left permanently disfigured following the DIY beauty treatment.

After injecting an entire bottle of black market silicone into her face, Hang Mioku resorted to using cooking oil that left her face severely swollen and scarred.

Her plights was featured on Korean television and viewers donated thousands of dollars to pay for corrective surgery.

Former Korean model Hang Mioku, a plastic surgery addict, injected cooking oil into her face when doctors refused to give her any more silicone
Former Korean model Hang Mioku, a plastic surgery addict, injected cooking oil into her face when doctors refused to give her any more silicone

During the first of 10 operations, surgeons removed 60 g of silicone, oil and other foreign substances from her face and 200 g from her neck.

However, Hang Mioku is still disfigured and she said she wishes she could have her old face back.

Hang Mioku had her first procedure aged 28 and then moved to Japan where she had repeated treatments.

She quickly became obsessed with having smoother and softer skin.

Doctors eventually refused to carry out any more work on her after her face became noticeably enlarged.

However, Hang Mioku managed to get hold of a bottle of silicone and a syringe to self-inject but when that ran out she resorted to use cooking oil.

Her face was so altered that her own parents did not recognize her and local children also used to call her “standing fan” because her face was so large compared to her small body.

Numerous operations paid for by donations have managed to reduce the size of Hang Mioku’s face and neck but she is still significantly disfigured.

Recently the former model was working in a recycled clothes shop, called The Beautiful Shop, and receiving handouts from the state.

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Jeanne Cooper dies in her sleep aged 84

Sonia Pantiss
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Jeanne Cooper dies in her sleep aged 84

Jeanne Cooper, the veteran star who played grande dame Katherine Chancellor for nearly four decades on The Young and the Restless, has died in her sleep aged 84.

Jeanne Cooper died Wednesday morning in her sleep, her son the actor Corbin Bernsen wrote on Facebook. The family confirmed the death to CBS, according to a network spokeswoman.

The veteran actress was in a Los Angeles-area hospital, according to Corbin Bernsen’s spokesman, Charles Sherman, who said the cause of death was not immediately available.

“One of the last great broads in our business – Jeanne Cooper, Mom – is now stirring up trouble in great beyond,” her family said in a statement.

Jeanne Cooper will be remembered “as a daytime television legend and as a friend who will truly be missed by all of us here at the network,” said Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, adding that the actress brought “indelible charm, class and talent to every episode”.

She joined the daytime serial six months after its March 1973 debut, staking claim to the title of longest-tenured cast member. The role earned her 11 Daytime Emmy nominations and a trophy for best actress in a drama series in 2008.

Jeanne Cooper, the veteran star who played grande dame Katherine Chancellor for nearly four decades on The Young and the Restless, has died in her sleep aged 84
Jeanne Cooper, the veteran star who played grande dame Katherine Chancellor for nearly four decades on The Young and the Restless, has died in her sleep aged 84

“God knows it’s claimed a big part of my life,” Jeanne Cooper told The Associated Press in March as CBS’ The Young and the Restless celebrated its milestone 40th anniversary.

As the years passed, Jeanne Cooper brushed aside thoughts of saying goodbye to the show and its fictional Wisconsin town of Genoa City.

“What would I do? I’m no good at crocheting. My fingers would bleed,” she told the AP as she turned 83 in October.

But on April 12 Corbin Bernsen tweeted that his mother faced an “uphill battle” for an undisclosed illness. In subsequent days he wrote of her gradual improvement and said that she’d been taken off breathing equipment.

In a Facebook posting April 17, Corbin Bernsen said his mother cursed several times, “showing me that she’s becoming her old self, not thrilled about the situation, and ready to get out of the hospital and shake up the world”.

On Wednesday Corbin Bernsen wrote that Jeanne Cooper remained a fighter until the end: “She has been a blaze her entire life, that beacon, that boxer I spoke of earlier. She went the full twelve rounds and by unanimous decision… won!”

Jeanne Cooper, born in the California town of Taft in 1928, attended the College of the Pacific and performed in local theater productions before her professional career began with the 1953 film The Redhead from Wyoming starring Maureen O’Hara. Other film credits include 1968’s The Boston Strangler with Tony Curtis and 1967’s Tony Rome with Frank Sinatra.

She had a parallel career in TV, with shows including The Adventures of Kit Carson in 1953 and The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse in 1954 and Bracken’s World in 1969-70.

In a recurring role on L.A. Law, Jeanne Cooper played the mother to Corbin Bernsen’s character, Arnie, and received a 1987 Emmy nomination for best guest actress in a drama. Corbin Bernsen later joined his mother on her series, making several appearances as a priest, Father Todd.

But it was her role on The Young and the Restless that made her a TV star intimately familiar to viewers.

In 1984, Jeanne Cooper’s real-life facelift was televised on the show as her character underwent the surgery at the same time, and had no regrets about it.

“It opened up reconstructive surgery for so many people, youngsters getting things done,” she said.

“To this day, people will come up to me and say, <<Thank you so much for doing that. My mom or I had something done, and not just cosmetic surgery>>. That was an incredible experience in my life.”

The Young and the Restless has topped the daytime serial ratings for more than 24 years, in part because of the continuity provided by Jeanne Cooper and its other long-time stars including Eric Braeden. It held its ground as the genre diminished in popularity and the majority of soaps vanished.

Jeanne Cooper’s 30-year marriage to Harry Bernsen ended in divorce. The couple have three children, Corbin, Caren and Collin, and eight grandchildren.

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Ali Haider Gilani: Son of Pakistan’s former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani kidnapped by gunmen in Multan

Roy Siemens
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Ali Haider Gilani: Son of Pakistan’s former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani kidnapped by gunmen in Multan

Ali Haider Gilani, the son of Pakistan’s former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, has been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen during an election rally, his father says.

According to the former prime minister, his son, Ali Haider Gilani – a candidate for the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) – was seized in the central city of Multan.

Yousuf Raza Gilani accused his political opponents of being behind the attack, which came ahead of Saturday’s elections.

One person was reportedly killed when the attackers opened fire at the rally.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack.

Eyewitnesses say the gunmen arrived at the gathering in a black Honda car and a motorbike.

“A couple of them started shooting,” a teenager at the rally told Pakistan’s Geo TV.

“A man standing in front of Gilani was hit and fell down. Then they grabbed Gilani, put him in the car and sped away.”

Reports say the person who died in the shooting could have been Ali Haider Gilani’s bodyguard or secretary. Another five people were injured.

Ali Haider Gilani, a candidate for the Pakistan Peoples' Party, was seized in the central city of Multan
Ali Haider Gilani, a candidate for the Pakistan Peoples’ Party, was seized in the central city of Multan

Eyewitnesses say a bullet also hit Ali Haider Gilani and he was bleeding when the kidnappers put him in the car, Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper reports.

Ali Haider Gilani – the youngest son of the ex-prime minister – is contesting a seat in the Punjab provincial assembly.

“We want our brother back tonight. If we don’t get him, we will not allow elections to be held in our area,” his elder brother Ali Musa – who was in tears – later told reporters.

Police have now sealed off all entry and exit point in Multan, and a massive search operation is under way, local media report.

Yousuf Raza Gilani served as prime minister until June 2012, when he was forced out of office by the Supreme Court over his refusal to pursue a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari.

But it is still a powerful political family, with Yousuf Raza Gilani Gilani’s sons standing in the elections to the provincial and national assemblies.

The run-up to the 11 May elections has been marred by a series of attacks across the country in which more than 100 people have been killed.

The Pakistani Taliban have threatened to prevent the PPP, the Awami National Party (ANP) as well the MQM party, from conducting their election campaigns because they are considered by the militants to be too secular.

The military has pledged to deploy tens of thousands of troops to polling stations on Saturday to prevent further attacks.

In a separate development, Nawaz Sharif – the man tipped to be Pakistan’s next prime minister – promised to end the country’s involvement in the US-led war on terror if elected.

Nawaz Sharif – who leads the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) – said the move was necessary for there to be peace in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world.

Pakistan has been part of the US-led fight against Islamist militancy in the region since the 11 September attacks in the US in 2001.

Nazaw Sharif – who served as prime minister twice in the 1990s – declined to say whether he would stop military operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan – another leading Pakistani politician – is continuing to recover in hospital after falling off a makeshift lift at an election rally earlier this week.

Doctors say that the former cricketer who leads the Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) party – received stitches in the head and treatment for injuries to his spine.

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Charles Ramsey on Good Morning America

Nancy Clayson
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Charles Ramsey on Good Morning America

Charles Ramsey, the Cleveland hero who helped rescue three women after a decade of captivity in his neighbor’s house, appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America on Wednesday morning in his latest interview.

Charles Ramsey, who has emerged an overnight sensation both for his good citizenship and animated on-camera commentary, told George Stephanopoulos via satellite that he had been living next door to Ariel Castro for a year but hadn’t seen any clues that Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight were being held inside.

Cleveland hero Charles Ramsey appeared on Good Morning America on Wednesday morning in his latest interview
Cleveland hero Charles Ramsey appeared on Good Morning America on Wednesday morning in his latest interview

On Monday, Amanda Berry got his attention while Ariel Castro was away and Charles Ramsey helped her out of the house.

Coverage of the kidnappings has featured prominently on the network morning shows. On GMA, George Stephanopoulos pressed Charles Ramsey on whether he had noticed anything awry next door prior to the women’s escape.

“Not one iota because I wouldn’t have been speaking to this dude,” said Charles Ramsey, noting how “scary” it was to learn what his neighbor had done.

“So either I’m that stupid or [he’s] that good,” Charles Ramsey added.

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Angel Cordero: Second Ariel Castro’s neighbor claims he rescued Amanda Berry not Charles Ramsey

Diane A. Wade
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Angel Cordero: Second Ariel Castro’s neighbor claims he rescued Amanda Berry not Charles Ramsey

A second Ariel Castro’s neighbor, Angel Cordero, is coming forward claiming that he was the one to save Amanda Berry from the house where she had been kept for nearly a decade.

Angel Cordero was never mentioned by Charles Ramsey, the entertaining folk hero who has captured the attention of the nation in the wake of the dramatic rescue Monday night.

Spanish speaking Angel Cordero, who has his niece Ashley translate for him in interviews, said that he was sitting on a neighbor’s porch when they heard some commotion and went to check it out, only to find the woman desperate for help.

“[The neighbor] had told me that there was something going on in the house at the front and we went to go see and all we heard was screaming,” Angel Cordero told Piers Morgan on CNN.

“We saw a hand outside the house that was moving up and down so we went to go check what was going on and she had told me that she had been kidnapped for ten years.

“I kicked the door at the bottom because I was trying to get it open because it was too hard so I got it at the bottom and that’s when Amanda ran out of the house.”

Angel Cordero claims that he was the one to save Amanda Berry from the house where she had been kept for nearly a decade
Angel Cordero claims that he was the one to save Amanda Berry from the house where she had been kept for nearly a decade

The detail of Amanda Berry poking her arm out of the locked door matches the description given by Charles Ramsey, who was in the crowd outside of the police station following the rescue of the three young women who Ariel Castro kidnapped years ago.

In his discussion with CNN on Wednesday night, Angel Cordero said that he was able to quickly understand the danger of the situation and insist that they run for fear of Ariel Castro’s return.

“When Amanda came out she returned to get her daughter and she took her out of the hole at the bottom of the door and I told her <<Quickly, let’s go across the street to [the neighbor’s] house just in case the man comes back so you won’t get hurt or anything>> so she went to [the neighbor’s] house and she used her phone and that’s when she let the police know what was going on,” Angel Cordero told CNN through the translation of his niece.

When Piers Morgan asked about Charles Ramsey’s role in the harrowing rescue, Angel Cordero did not mention his presence at all.

“The first one that talked directly to Amanda was me and she was the one that told me what was going on and she told me that there was two other women in the house,” Angel Cordero said.

In an earlier interview with local channel, Angel Cordero went into a bit more detail about Charles Ramsey’s role, saying that by the time Ramsey arrived, Amanda Berry was already “outside with the girl”.

“But the truth who arrived there, who crossed the street, who came and broke the door, it was me.”

Angel Cordero says that he does not harbor any resentment or jealousy toward Charles Ramsey, as long as the women he helped rescue from the home are OK.

For his part, Charles Ramsey didn’t mention Angel Cordero by name but did say that when he heard the woman screaming he saw his neighbor run across the street and so he went along to see what was going on.

His concern appears to be with the young women as well, saying that he does not deserve any of the reward money that was offered in relation to the case.

“I tell you what you do, give it to them… you know I got a job anyway” he said before pulling out his paycheck that he just picked up and showing it to Anderson Cooper.

Charles Ramsey, who is a dishwasher, brushed off his hero status, telling Anderson Cooper that he just had to “do the right thing”, adding: “Bro, I’m a Christian, an American, and just like you. We bleed the same blood, put our pants on the same way.

“It’s just that you got to put that – being a coward, and I don’t want to get in nobody’s business. You got to put that away for a minute.”

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Charles Ramsey arrested three times for domestic violence and battering his wife

Nancy Clayson
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Charles Ramsey arrested three times for domestic violence and battering his wife

Charles Ramsey, the McDonald’s loving neighbor hailed as a hero for rescuing three women held prisoner in a Cleveland home, was arrested three times for battering his now ex-wife, it has been revealed.

Charles Ramsey, who has become something of a celebrity since the rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight due to his antics with the media, was picked up on domestic violence charges in 1997, 1998 and 2003.

He served six months in jail after he entered a “no contest” plea in 1998 – when he was charged with domestic violence and failing to appear in court following his first arrest, according to documents revealed on Wednesday by The Smoking Gun.

After his third arrest in 2003, Charles Ramsey was sentenced to another eight months in prison. That same year, his wife Rochelle filed for divorce.

Charles Ramsey, who has become something of a celebrity since the rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight due to his antics with the media, was picked up on domestic violence charges in 1997, 1998 and 2003
Charles Ramsey, who has become something of a celebrity since the rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight due to his antics with the media, was picked up on domestic violence charges in 1997, 1998 and 2003

In an interview with The Smoking Gun, Rochelle said that Charles Ramsey also dodged $51-per-month child support payments for the couple’s daughter.

Meanwhile, a second neighbor, Angel Cordero, claimed he was the one who rescued Amanda Berry – and Charles Ramsey did not arrive at the scene until after the woman was freed.

Speaking Spanish, Angel Cordero told NewsChannel5: “I helped her and I was first.”

Angel Cordero added that by the time Charles Ramsey arrived, Amanda Berry was already “outside with the girl”.

“But the truth who arrived there, who crossed the street, who came and broke the door, it was me.”

But Angel Cordero says that he does not harbor any resentment or jealousy toward Charles Ramsey, as long as the women he helped rescue from the home are OK.

He told the station: “I did what had to be done. I helped her. They have their daughter, daughters are safe over there.”

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Ariel Castro suicide letter in which he confesses to his crimes in 2004 found at his home

Nancy Clayson
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Ariel Castro suicide letter in which he confesses to his crimes in 2004 found at his home

An alleged suicide letter written by Cleveland kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro in 2004, in which he describes the crimes and admits that he is a sexual predator who “needs help”, is claimed to be in possession of a news reporter.

Ariel Castro, 52, owned the home in which three women – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight – were held captive for about 10 years before they escaped on Monday.

His home on Seymour Avenue is now a crime scene, with investigators carrying out numerous pieces of evidence – including ropes and chains.

Among the items collected was reportedly a letter, in which Ariel Castro allegedly confesses to his crimes and writes about his desire to kill himself “and give all the money I saved to my victims”.

19 Action News reporter Scott Taylor says he received a copy of the letter, which he claims was written in 2004 and found by police inside Ariel Castro’s house.

An alleged suicide letter written by Cleveland kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro in 2004, in which he describes the crimes, was found at his home
An alleged suicide letter written by Cleveland kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro in 2004, in which he describes the crimes, was found at his home

Scott Taylor posted excerpts of the letter on his Twitter page late Wednesday night, including a confession that he was “a sexual predator” and “I need help”.

In one, Scott Taylor says that Ariel Castro didn’t know why he kept looking for another victim, because “I already had 2 in my possession”.

In another, Ariel Castro allegedly wrote that he was surprised how young his daughter’s best friend Gina DeJesus was – because he “thought she was much older”.

One other excerpt revealed by Scott Taylor even appears to blame his victims for their predicament, saying: “They are here against their will because they made a mistake of getting in a car with a total stranger.”

Ariel Castro has been charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. Two of his brothers were also arrested on Monday, but have not been charged in connection to the case.

Police announced the charges on Wednesday – two days after Ariel Castro and his two brothers Pedro and Onil were arrested.

Ariel Castro will make his first court appearance on Thursday amid tight security at Cleveland Municipal Court.

In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, police chief Ed Tomba said the women did not have any opportunity to escape and had only been outside the house twice in the last ten years.

“We were told they left the house and went into the garage in disguise. They never left the property.”

He added: “The first time they have been outside the house in ten years was when they escaped from the house.”

Ed Tomba said Ariel Castro had been cooperating fully with police and had made a detailed statement having read his rights.

Ariel Castro due in court in Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight case

Diane A. Wade
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Ariel Castro due in court in Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight case

Ariel Castro, the man suspected of imprisoning three women for several years in Cleveland, is due to make his first court appearance.

Ariel Castro, 52, has been charged with kidnap and rape.

The women were abducted at different times and held in a house in a suburban street for about a decade. One woman escaped on Monday and raised the alarm.

The police detained two of Ariel Castro’s brothers, but later said they appeared to have no involvement in the crime.

Ariel Castro owned the house from which Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, were rescued.

Police said the women could only remember being outside twice during their time in captivity, and were then only allowed into the garage.

Deputy police chief Ed Tomba said the women were not held in one room “but they did know each other and they did know each other was there”.

Ariel Castro, the man suspected of imprisoning three women for several years in Cleveland, is due to make his first court appearance
Ariel Castro, the man suspected of imprisoning three women for several years in Cleveland, is due to make his first court appearance

Amanda Berry escaped on Monday along with her six-year-old daughter Jocelyn, who was born in captivity.

According to a source close to the investigation, one of the women was forced to help Amanda Berry deliver her daughter, and was threatened with death if the child did not survive.

In a news conference late on Wednesday, authorities said Ariel Castro would be charged with four counts of kidnapping.

The charges covered the three initial abduction victims and Jocelyn.

Ariel Castro was also charged with three counts of rape, one against each woman.

Police said more than 200 pieces of evidence had been taken from the home where the three women were held captive.

They said interviews with the women had yielded enough information to charge Ariel Castro, and that further charges could be added.

Police say Ariel Castro has been co-operating with them, waiving his right to silence and agreeing to a test to establish Jocelyn’s paternity.

Michelle Knight remains in hospital, while the other two women have been released to their families.

On Wednesday hundreds of people gathered around the DeJesus family home, cheering as Gina DeJesus was brought from hospital.

Gina DeJesus, wearing a bright yellow hooded shirt, was escorted into her home by a woman with her arm around her, giving the well-wishers a brief wave.

Amanda Berry and her daughter arrived at her sister’s home shortly before midday on Wednesday.

She disappeared in 2003 aged 16, but escaped on Monday with the help of a neighbor who heard her screaming and kicking a door while her alleged captor was out of the house.

When police arrived, they also found Gina DeJesus and Amanda Knight in the house.

Gina DeJesus had gone missing aged 14 in 2004, while Michelle Knight had disappeared in 2002, aged 20.

Ariel Castro reportedly fled the neighborhood and was arrested at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant, according to local media.

Duck Dynasty: Willie and Korie Robertson not impressed by food at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Lisa.Felice
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Duck Dynasty: Willie and Korie Robertson not impressed by food at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

It appears the menu at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner failed to impress the stars of Duck Dynasty reality show.

The culinary review of Willie and Korie Robertson, who sat pretty close to President Barack Obama at the WHCD, was very underwhelming, reports TMZ.

Check the entire menu and see why the A&E stars were disappointed.

The culinary review of Willie and Korie Robertson, who sat pretty close to President Barack Obama at the WHCD, was very underwhelming
The culinary review of Willie and Korie Robertson, who sat pretty close to President Barack Obama at the WHCD, was very underwhelming

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER MENU 2013:

Salad: Orange and Beet Terrine With Shaved Chard, Fennel and Pistachios, Topped with Jumbo Crabmeat, Green Chili and Ginger Mayo

Bread: Seven Grain Rolls, Sourdough Rolls, White and Wheat Rolls, Flatbreads and Butter

Entrée: Broiled Petite Filet with Béarnaise Sauce, Paired with Poached Halibut with Sun Dried Tomato Chutney, Onion Marmalade Soufflé Whipped Potatoes, Seasonal Baby Vegetables

Dessert: Lord Baltimore Cake, Yellow Cake with Almonds, Brandied Cherries, Macaroon Crumbs, Encased in a Fluffy Meringue

Beverages: Freshly Brewed Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee … Variety of Regular and Herbal Teas

Wines: Estancia Chardonnay, Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon.

Michelle Knight reveals there was once another girl at the house as police are searching for missing Ashley Summers

Nancy Clayson
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Michelle Knight reveals there was once another girl at the house as police are searching for missing Ashley Summers

Cleveland police have started searching properties near the home where three missing women were imprisoned for a decade after Michelle Knight told them there could be other girls.

Michelle Knight, who was found at the Cleveland home on Monday after being held against her will for more than 10 years, said that there was another girl at the home around 10 years ago.

But Michelle Knight, who herself was kidnapped in 2002, said the victim then disappeared.

In police interviews she added that she did not know how many other women were in the house because they were all locked in separate rooms, Fox News reported.

Along with his alleged victims, only Ariel Castro lived at the home at Seymour Avenue. His older brother Pedro Castro lived at his mother’s home, while Onil, the youngest of the three brothers, lived alone in his own home “somewhere in the lower west side”, police said.

The details could give hope to the family of Ashley Nicole Summers, who was 14 when she vanished on July 6, 2007 in the same neighborhood from where Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were taken.

Initially Ashley Summers was considered a runaway as had she lived with her great-uncle and they had argued prior to her disappearance.

But a year later the police and FBI believed Ashley Summers was an “endangered juvenile” who could be “being held again her will”. In 2009, the FBI said they suspected a link between Ashley Summers’ disappearance and those of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus.

Ashley Summers’ physical appearance and the proximity of her home to the other disappearances lead investigators to suspect the cases were linked and that all three might have been kidnapped by the same man.

Ashley Nicole Summers was 14 when she vanished on July 6, 2007 in the same neighborhood from where Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were taken
Ashley Nicole Summers was 14 when she vanished on July 6, 2007 in the same neighborhood from where Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were taken

Special Agent Vicki Anderson, of the FBI Cleveland Division told Cleveland.com on Tuesday that Ashley remains in their thoughts as they gather evidence at Ariel Castro’s Seymore Avenue home.

“We are keeping Ashley in our thoughts as we go every step of the way,” she said.

“Whether it is something we find at the house, or someone seeing the stories remembers something, we continue our search for Ashley.”

A cadaver dog, along with various law enforcement officers, searched Ariel Castro’s Cleveland home on Tuesday, said Vicki Anderson. But police revealed they had not found any human remains at the house despite fears up to five babies could be buried in the garden.

But police did confirm on Wednesday that they found ties and chains inside the home.

“We have confirmation that they were bound, and there (were) chains and ropes in the home,” Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath said, adding that authorities did not miss opportunities to find them.

Prior to the disclosure of the naming of the women discovered on Monday, Ashley Summers’ family had briefly thought their daughter could be amongst those discovered.

“We’re hoping that it’s connected, and they knew where she was,” her aunt Debra Summers told CNN.

“We’re hoping for a miracle.”

The Summers family is renewing their efforts to publicize Ashley’s disappearance.

The FBI’s missing person website says Ashley Summers has a tattoo of “Gene” enclosed in a heart on her upper arm, and her birthday is June 16, 1993, making her 19 years old.

Investigators will speak to Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight to see if they know anything about Summers’ disappearance.

On Tuesday, Cleveland Police said: “Every single lead was followed up on no matter how small. We dug up yards, canvassed neighborhoods. [The] real hero is Amanda Berry.”

Until now the search for the missing women had been fruitless, a series of false leads and bitter disappointment for the desperate families.

Michelle Knight, who was 20 years old when she went missing in August 2002, was last seen at a cousin’s house near West 106th Street and Lorain Avenue.

Three years later, in April 2003, Amanda Berry, disappeared after leaving her job at a Burger King – at West 110th Street and Lorain. It was the day before her 17th birthday.

And a year later, Gina DeJesus, then 14 years old, was last seen leaving her middle school at West 105th Street and Lorain.

All three were found safe on Monday night after Amanda Berry bolted from a home on Seymour Avenue, about three miles from where they were last seen.

Amanda Berry told police that she and the other girls were being held prisoner by Ariel Castro, 52, who has been arrested along with his two brothers, Pedro and Onil, on suspicion of kidnapping.

Cadaver dogs appeared at the home following fears babies were born inside the Cleveland house. At least five children may have born at the house, police sources told NewsChannel5.

One victim suffered up to three miscarriages because she was so malnourished, while other sources told WKYC the captors would beat the pregnant women, so that the babies would not survive.

Silvio Berlusconi tax fraud conviction upheld by Milan court

Diane A. Wade
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Silvio Berlusconi tax fraud conviction upheld by Milan court

Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi’s conviction for tax fraud has been upheld by an appeals court in Milan.

The court also reinstated a four-year prison sentence and five-year ban from public office Silvio Berlusconi was handed in October.

Silvio Berlusconi was convicted of artificially inflating prices of film distribution rights bought by his company, Mediaset, to avoid taxes.

He is now expected to appeal against Wednesday’s ruling at Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation.

Silvio Berlusconi, 76, has denied the charges and said they are politically motivated.

But instead of overturning October’s verdict, the Milan appeals court on Wednesday upheld his conviction for tax evasion and re-instated the original jail sentence. The four-year term had been cut to one year by a lower court because of his age.

Silvio Berlusconi’s conviction for tax fraud has been upheld by an appeals court in Milan
Silvio Berlusconi’s conviction for tax fraud has been upheld by an appeals court in Milan

“We knew it would go like this,” Silvio Berlusconi’s defense lawyer Niccolo Ghedini told reporters.

There is however no real prospect of Silvio Berlusconi being jailed, as he will exercise his right to appeal and the case will actually soon expire under a time limit.

Nevertheless, this is another major legal blow for Silvio Berlusconi, whose People of Freedom (PdL) party is part of Italy’s new coalition government.

In the eyes of the law Silvio Berlusconi is a convicted fraudster, but he will argue as he always does that all his legal troubles are the simply the work of his political enemies – left-wing elements in the judiciary.

In March, silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to a year in jail after being convicted of arranging for a police wiretap concerning a political rival to be leaked and published in a newspaper run by his brother. He denied the charges and is expected to appeal.

Silvio Berlusconi is also currently on trial for allegedly paying for sex with an underage prostitute, and later abusing his powers by putting pressure on the police to release her from custody. He has admitted sending her money, but insists the funds were meant as a gift.

In other trials over the years, Silvio Berlusconi has been accused of charges including accounting fraud, perjury, bribery and corruption. He has denied all the accusations against him and has either been acquitted or let off under statutes of limitations.

Silvio Berlusconi’s trials:

  • Accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute: Verdict due
  • Convicted and sentenced to a year in jail for arranging leak of police wiretap
  • Accused of tax fraud over deals his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films: Convicted in October 2012; Sentence upheld by appeals court in May
  • Two other corruption cases involving tax evasion and bribery of a British lawyer: Expired under statute of limitations

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Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry return home after ten years in captivity

Diane A. Wade
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Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry return home after ten years in captivity

Cleveland kidnap victim Gina DeJesus gave a thumbs up as she arrived home on Wednesday before being hurried into her mother’s home shielded by family.

Gina DeJesus’ homecoming came hours after Amanda Berry made an emotional return to her loved ones following the young women’s courageous escape from ten years in captivity. Michele Knight, 32, and Amanda Berry’s 6-year-old daughter were also freed after the horrifying ordeal.

Hundreds of well-wishers gathered in front of the DeJesus property which was covered in balloons and signs, reading “Welcome home Gina”.

Gina DeJesus’ aunt Nancy Ruiz spoke on Wednesday and asked for the family to be given time to heal. She thanked those who had supported the family over the years along with the police and FBI for all their hard work.

Nancy Ruiz appealed to the public to be on the look-out for another missing girl Ashley Summers, who was snatched in 2007 from the same Cleveland neighborhood when she was 14.

She said: “There are not enough words to say or express for the joy we feel for the return of our family member Gina.

“We are asking for your support to be patient with us. Give us time and privacy to heal. When we’re ready, I promise you…we will talk to you.”

Gina DeJesus’ mother and father smiled and gave thumbs up to supporters.

“They never gave up hope. Felix never gave up hope that she was alive,” said neighbor Michael Pendershot, 47, who lives three houses down from the DeJesus family.

Everyone in the neighborhood said Gina DeJesus’s kidnapping in 2004 changed them in some way.

Gina DeJesus returns home after ten years in captivity
Gina DeJesus returns home after ten years in captivity

“After she went missing, my parents didn’t hardly let me out of the house. They never let me walk anywhere,” said Taydreet Maurosa, 20.

Taydreet Maurosa was just 11 when Gina DeJesus went missing. She said the case was in the back of her mind every day as she grew up.

Men wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “guardian angel” stood behind police tape in front of the property as a huge crowd applauded and cheered for the young woman.

Gina DeJesus, 23, arrived home wearing what appeared to be the same yellow, hooded sweatshirt that Amanda Berry had been seen in.

Amanda Berry, 27, was surrounded by police as she swept into the driveway of her sister’s home in Cleveland, Ohio in a motorcade this morning.

One officer carried her 6-year-old young daughter Jocelyn, in a white-hooded sweatshirt, through the back door of the house.

The house had been decked with balloons, flowers, teddy bears and banners which read “We love you Mandy”.

Crowds of neighbors cheered as her sister Beth Serrano appeared from her home minutes later.

Beth Serrano’s voice wavered as she thanked the public and media for their support over many years

She said: “We are so happy to have Amanda home. We request privacy to recover.”

Amanda Berry went missing in 2003 aged 16, a day before her 17th anniversary, but her family say they never gave up hope that she was still alive.

Six police motorcycle outriders escorted her to the house on W 129th street that was festooned with balloons and messages of goodwill.

Weeping friends and several cousins surged forward to the mini-van containing Amanda Berry and her 6-year-old daughter Jocelyn who was born in captivity.

One friend with tears streaming down her face, leaned into the car before it swept into the driveway of the home.

Many in the large crowd wept as they glimpsed Amanda Berry for the first time since she went missing.

Family friend Abby Turnvill said: “This is such a special day. Just to see her again is, like wow. I can’t wait to talk with her and catch up. We got a lot of catching up to do.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Amanda Berry heard her grandmother’s voice for the first time in a decade, with the moment being captured on camera.

Fern Gentry fought back tears as she spoke on the phone to her granddaughter, hours after the daring escape from a Cleveland house.

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Kim Kardashian displays her pregnant body in a bikini in Greece holiday

Lisa.Felice
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1
Kim Kardashian displays her pregnant body in a bikini in Greece holiday

Kim Kardashian showed off her blossoming baby bump in a bikini during a recently family holiday to Greece.

Kim Kardashian, 32, displayed her curvy frame in a burgundy two piece in a photograph featured on the cover of this week’s issue of Us Weekly.

“Kim is feeling very confident in her body,” a source, who spent time on the Greek islands with the Kardahians, told Us Weekly.

“She had no second thoughts about wearing bikinis on the trip.

“Three months ago she just wanted to have the baby and be done. Now she is feeling more feminine and more maternal.”

Kim Kardashian has been plagued by Internet trolls and critics of her pregnancy weight gain – she recently admitted she has trouble finding flattering clothes for her figure.

“I’ve gotten wider but my belly hasn’t popped yet,” she blogged back in March.

Kim Kardashian shows off her blossoming baby bump in a bikini as she proves fat critics wrong
Kim Kardashian shows off her blossoming baby bump in a bikini as she proves fat critics wrong

“So I struggle finding things that don’t make me look heavy.”

Kim Kardashian has previously acknowledged her body changes have been “hard to accept”, and a source told the magazine that the stinging criticism had prompted her to swap her favorite clinging clothes for looser ensembles.

Focused on staying in shape throughout her pregnancy, Kim Kardashian has ensured she’s made time for regular exercise with celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson.

“Kim is working hard but listening to her body,” Tracy Anderson told Us weekly.

“We focus mainly on her arms and legs, training one hour four times a week, depending on how she feels.”

Meanwhile, the reality star’s mother Kris Jenner also revealed Kim is in a good place with her first pregnancy.

“She’s just embracing the whole thing,” Kris Jenner told Us Weekly.

“It just makes me very proud. She’s happier than she’s ever been.”

Kim Kardashian is in the third trimester of her pregnancy – she and boyfriend Kanye West are expecting their first baby in the summer.

However, the source said that Kim Kardashian has a “high pain threshold” and is not worried about childbirth.

“Kim is not scared at all and has no fears,” the insider said, adding that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will definitely not be airing footage from the birth on E!

And although Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have spent a great deal of time apart recently due to work commitments, things are said to be going better than ever in their relationship.

“They talk 100 times a day,” said a friend.

“They never let more than two weeks go by without seeing each other.”

In fact, Kanye West is said to have spent a substantial amount of time on creating a nursery for the new arrival at his Paris pad – Kim Kardashian left her family in Greece to jet in to the French capital to check it out for herself.

“They have a huge apartment there,” said a source.

“She wanted to check on the place because Kanye has been busy making the cutest baby room.”

Monika Pon-su-san: The Chinese Girl in Vladimir Tretchikoff’s painting

Sonia Pantiss
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Monika Pon-su-san: The Chinese Girl in Vladimir Tretchikoff’s painting

Earlier this year Vladimir Tretchikoff’s portrait Chinese Girl, often referred to as The Green Lady, was sold for almost £1 million ($1.5 million) at auction in London.

This is the story of Monika Pon-su-san (born Sing-Lee), who modeled for one of the most popular prints ever made:

 

One day in 1950, a curly-haired stranger walked into my uncle’s laundry in Cape Town, where I worked.

He stood there as I served a customer, his eyes fixed on me the whole time. He only spoke when we were alone together in the shop.

“Hello!” he said. “I’m Tretchikoff. I’d love to paint you.”

Monika Sing-Lee, who modeled for Vladimir Tretchikoff's most iconic work, was 17 when she was spotted by the artist working in her uncle's laundrette in South Africa
Monika Sing-Lee, who modeled for Vladimir Tretchikoff’s most iconic work, was 17 when she was spotted by the artist working in her uncle’s laundrette in South Africa

At that time Vladimir Tretchikoff wasn’t very famous but by chance I had read about him in a newspaper just the Saturday before.

So I was a bit nervous, but I said yes. He picked me up after work and took me back home.

I was given his wife’s gown to put on. It was silk chiffon – beautiful, beautiful stuff. It wasn’t yellow like in the painting – that was his own invention.

A lot of people ask me: “What is that stern look you had on your face? What were you thinking about?” And I always say: “Well you know, one gets tired sitting and just looking.”

Vladimir Tretchikoff's portrait Chinese Girl, often referred to as The Green Lady, was sold for almost $1.5 million at auction in London
Vladimir Tretchikoff’s portrait Chinese Girl, often referred to as The Green Lady, was sold for almost $1.5 million at auction in London

All the time I was thinking about Tretchikoff’s life. Because he had had a miserable life – during the war he’d been on a boat for three weeks without food, after his ship was bombed. Then he was imprisoned by the Japanese.

He had lost contact with his wife and daughter. Thinking they were dead he took a lover, but they weren’t dead, and as fate would have it they went to Cape Town, which is where he ended up too. So they got back together again.

I liked him very much. He was a funny man – we always laughed a lot. In all, I was paid six pounds and five shillings for the work.

He had a class of about 20 pupils. All the time I was sitting for him they could see me but I was never allowed to see the painting – it always had its back to me.

I would nag him: “What are you going to call it?” He said that a name would come to him later on. It was only at the end of the six or 10 weeks – I can’t remember exactly how long it took – on the night his exhibition opened that he said it was called Chinese Girl. I thought that was very ordinary.

And when I saw the painting I was so shocked. I thought I looked like a monster from a horror film. I pulled an ugly face and said: “Ugh – green face!”

Right away people started to recognize me. I remember going to a supermarket and a woman shouted: “Look at this girl! She looks just like the painting!”

I decided I had to buy a print. By the time I went to him Tretchikoff had run out, so he gave me one he had used in London when he was on tour. I’ve got it in my lounge.

There was a block of flats in Cape Town, filled with artists. The man on the ground floor was a sculptor and one day he asked Tretchikoff: “Can I borrow your model?” He wanted to cast a bronze of my face. But Tretchikoff said: “Certainly not!”

I had so many modelling offers but – stupid me – I went and got married and had children, so that was that. I didn’t socialize much, with five children to look after, so I was hidden away from Cape Town’s artists. The offers stopped coming.

I was so disappointed to miss the auction recently. My daughters said to me: “The painting’s sold! The painting’s sold!” And when I found out it had gone for £1 million, I jumped up and down, up and down!

Everybody’s fascinated by that painting. I don’t know what it is about it really.

One of my daughters – the second youngest, who is supposed to look like me – said: “I wish I had a lot of money and then I would buy that painting and keep it forever in my own house.”

When I was asked by a journalist if I would let another artist paint me at this moment in time, I said: “No… but if Tretchikoff were alive, I would let him paint me again.”

Salman Khan and new girlfriend Iulia Vantur set to tie the knot?

Lisa.Felice
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Salman Khan and new girlfriend Iulia Vantur set to tie the knot?

As Salman Khan’s love life always grabs attention, a rumor doing the rounds these days links the Bollywood superstar to Romanian TV presenter Iulia Vantur.

A Mumbai-based tabloid has even claimed that Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur are all set to tie the knot.

Such reports are not entirely new, though. Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur were romantically linked about two years ago, too.

Although insiders insisted then that the two are just friends, gossip suggesting a romantic relationship started just because Iulia Vantur was spotted wearing a Being Human T-shirt. The tabloid report is in contrast to what Salman Khan, 47, some time ago declared to a daily. He has stated that he would never get married. The current rumors about Salman Khan’s love interest Iulia Vantur triggered off when eyewitnesses spotted the actor with the blonde Romanian in Mumbai recently.

A rumor doing the rounds these days links Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to Romanian TV presenter Iulia Vantur
A rumor doing the rounds these days links Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to Romanian TV presenter Iulia Vantur

These days, 32-year-old Iulia Vantur is on a trip to India and is reportedly staying at a five-star hotel in Bandra.

While sections of the media were quick to term Iulia Vantur as the new girl in Salman Khan’s life, others speculated that the actor could be planning to launch her in a new film. There is a possibility of her getting a break on a popular TV show Salman Khan hosts.

Iulia Vantur is a well known name in the world of Romanian showbiz, as a model, TV show presenter and news anchor. Two years ago, Salman Khan is said to have been introduced to Iulia Vantur during one of his trips abroad. The two have since maintained their friendship.
As always, Salman Khan remained silent about the speculations.

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Amanda Berry 911 call: dispatcher under investigation for not comforting and not keeping her on the phone

Diane A. Wade
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Amanda Berry 911 call: dispatcher under investigation for not comforting and not keeping her on the phone

A 911 dispatcher is under investigation after taking Amanda Berry’s call seconds after she fled the Cleveland dungeon where she and two others had been held captive for a decade.

The desperate call for help led to the discovery of Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, who were found alive on Monday inside a house in the west side of the city.

But the 911 dispatcher – one of the first people Amanda Berry spoke to after her decade long captivity – has been criticized for not comforting the distressed caller and not keeping the 26-year-old on the phone until the police arrived.

The dispatcher came under fire as it was revealed last night that police bungled three calls that could have led to the earlier rescue of the sex slave victims.

Amanda Berry’s phone call on Monday evening from a neighbor’s phone lasted less than two minutes.

Amanda Berry, who disappeared in 2003 aged 14, is heard screaming down the phone to an Ohio police operator: “I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years, and I’m, I’m here, I’m free now.”

But multiple times the dispatcher’s response was: “Talk to the police when they get there,” before asking the name of Amanda Berry’s captor, as well as his age and ethnicity.

In the 911 call Amanda Berry implores the dispatcher that she needs the police immediately, but she is told authorities will be sent as soon as a “car becomes open”.

A 911 dispatcher is under investigation after taking Amanda Berry’s call seconds after she fled the Cleveland dungeon where she and two others had been held captive for a decade
A 911 dispatcher is under investigation after taking Amanda Berry’s call seconds after she fled the Cleveland dungeon where she and two others had been held captive for a decade

At one point when Amanda Berry says: “I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been on the news for the last 10 years,” the dispatcher replies: “I got that, dear.”

In the recording the emotional cries from Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight can be heard.

As Amanda Berry becomes more frantic the dispatcher says: “The police are on their way; talk to them when they get there.”

The dispatcher, whose identity has not been revealed, repeats again: “I told you they’re on their way; talk to them when they get there, OK.”

“One of the things that jumped out was that after the dispatch took the information, she moved on to the next call. I think that realizing the gravity of the situation, the dispatch might have stayed on the call with that person,” Gary Allen, a dispatcher for 20 years in Berkeley, California told the Daily Beast.

“You generally want to hold the person on the phone and try to make a personal connection until law enforcement can get there.”

CBS58 played the full 9-1-1 call for Kenosha County Telecommunications and Training Officer Sandy Zuerlein, who admitted she would have kept Amanda Berry on the phone.

“In this call, she was afraid that the man who had her was coming back. If I had kept her on the phone, and he came back, we could have alerted officers,” Sandy Zuerlein said.

In response Cleveland Department of Public Safety Director Martin Flask said police were dispatched and on scene in the west side neighborhood in less than 2 minutes.

“While the call-taker complied with policies and procedures which enabled a very fast response by police, we have noted some concerns which will be the focus of our review, including the call-taker’s failure to remain on the line with Ms. Berry until police arrived on scene.

“Please be assured that this matter will be investigated, and if necessary, appropriate corrective action taken.

“I would like to note that the call-taker did take the call, create an event and send it to the channel dispatcher in less than 90 seconds. Within 1 minutes and 18 seconds from the time that the call-taker answered the call our dispatcher was broadcasting the assignment to available police units.

“As a result of the call-taker’s actions, police were dispatched and on scene in less than 2 minutes”

Meanwhile it emerged that police bungled three calls that could have led to the earlier rescue of the trio held in a house of horrors.

On one occasion, neighbors saw three naked girls on all fours with dog collars around their necks and three men controlling them in the back garden – but police didn’t even bother responding to their call.

The shocking revelations emerged last night as more details emerged about the nightmare ordeal suffered by the three women – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight – who were finally rescued from their suburban prison in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday.

The sadistic kidnappers raped their victims repeatedly over the last ten years, resulting in several pregnancies and the birth of at least one child, according to US reports.

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Cleveland missing women repeatedly raped by captors

Diane A. Wade
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Cleveland missing women repeatedly raped by captors

At least two of the women held captive in Ariel Castro’s house in Cleveland for about a decade were raped by their captors, it was revealed today by an unnamed source close to the investigation.

One woman was forced to help Amanda Berry give birth and was threatened with death if the baby died, the source said as two of the women returned home.

Cleveland’s police chief has said the women were bound with ropes and chains.

Former school bus driver Ariel Castro, 52, has been arrested along with his two brothers, Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50.

Ariel Castro owns the home where the three women were found.

The source said one of the women became pregnant many times and had multiple miscarriages.

Another woman became pregnant and was so badly beaten she lost the baby, the source added.

The source also said the woman who helped Amanda Berry deliver her daughter, Jocelyn, now 6, was threatened with death if the child did not survive.

At least two of the women held captive in Ariel Castro’s house in Cleveland for about a decade were raped by their captors
At least two of the women held captive in Ariel Castro’s house in Cleveland for about a decade were raped by their captors

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered around the DeJesus family home, cheering as 23-year-old Gina DeJesus arrived.

Gina DeJesus, wearing a bright yellow hooded shirt, was escorted into her home by a woman with her arm around her.

In a news conference outside the house, members of her family appealed to neighbors to help find a fourth missing girl, Ashley Summers, who has not been seen since 2007 when she was 14 years old.

“There are not enough words to say or express the joy that we feel for the return of our family member Gina, and now Amanda Berry, her daughter and Michelle Knight who is our family also,” said Sandra Ruiz, Gina DeJesus’ aunt.

She praised the FBI and Cleveland police for their long-time support, and asked neighbors not to retaliate against the suspects’ family.

Felix DeJesus, Gina DeJesus’ father, said people needed to watch out for children in their neighborhood, exhorting the community to “fix” the problem.

Amanda Berry, 27, arrived at her sister’s home shortly before midday on Wednesday, along with her daughter Jocelyn, apparently conceived and born in captivity.

Police Chief Michael McGrath said Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and the third victim, Michelle Knight, 32, were in good condition “considering the circumstances”, in an interview with NBC.

Chief Michael McGrath added that while in captivity, the women were sometimes allowed outside in the garden.

Meanwhile, Cleveland public safety director Martin Flask said that no human remains had been found at the home, after “a thorough search”. Police have said they are also investigating other properties.

Ariel Castro is accused of kidnapping and sexually abusing the three women; his brothers are accused of complicity in the same offences, according to arrest documents.

The police chief said investigators were interviewing the Castro brothers, and they were talking.

Charges against the three suspects may be announced later.

Chief Michael McGrath disputed claims by neighbors that police did not fully investigate reports of suspicious activity at 2207 Seymour Avenue, which is in a working-class, mostly Puerto Rican district.

Amanda Berry escaped on Monday with the help of a neighbor who heard her screaming and kicking a door while her alleged captor was out of the house.

When police arrived they also found Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight in the house. Gina DeJesus had gone missing aged 14 in 2004, while Michelle Knight had disappeared in 2002, aged 20.

Ariel Castro reportedly fled the neighborhood and was arrested at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant, according to local media.

His son, Anthony Castro, told London’s Daily Mail newspaper that his father would not let him inside on his last visit to Seymour Avenue.

“The house was always locked,” he said.

“There were places we could never go. There were locks on the basement. Locks on the attic. Locks on the garage.”

It is unclear when the other Castro brothers were detained.

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Charles Ramsey to be contacted by McDonald’s as he joins Anderson Cooper for another hilarious interview

Nancy Clayson
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Charles Ramsey to be contacted by McDonald’s as he joins Anderson Cooper for another hilarious interview

McDonald’s have reached out to Charles Ramsey, the man being dubbed a hero and a legend in Cleveland and told him they will be in touch as yet another hilarious interview with Ariel Castro’s neighbor hits the internet.

Charles Ramsey, who is responsible for freeing Amanda Berry and two other women who were being held captive at his neighbor’s home, joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to re-tell the events of the heroic evening which led to the freedom of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.

In a lengthy and animated interview with Anderson Cooper, Charles Ramsey describes the moment he heard Amanda Berry screaming from his neighbor’s home, the dramatic moment he kicked the door in to rescue her and the 911 call he made to the “moron” dispatcher, all while holding his half-eaten Big Mac.

When Anderson Cooper asked him what neighbor Ariel Castro was like, Charles Ramsey said: “He was cool, he wasn’t no freak of nature, he was like me and you. He talked about the same things me and you do bro.”

Charles Ramsey revealed that he actually spoke to Ariel Castro earlier that day because the mail man had put his mail into Ramsey’s mailbox. He said that Ariel Castro drove off and he cycled to McDonald’s.

Charles Ramsey, who is a dishwasher, brushed off his hero status, telling Anderson Cooper that he just had to “do the right thing”, adding: “Bro, I’m a Christian, an American, and just like you. We bleed the same blood, put our pants on the same way.

Charles Ramsey joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to re-tell the events of the heroic evening which led to the freedom of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus
Charles Ramsey joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to re-tell the events of the heroic evening which led to the freedom of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus

“It’s just that you got to put that – being a coward, and I don’t want to get in nobody’s business. You got to put that away for a minute.”

He also revealed he is traumatized and has had trouble sleeping after learning what was taking place right next door to him.

“Up until yesterday, the only thing that kept me from losing sleep was lack of money. You know what I’m saying? But now that that’s going on and I think I could have done this last year…”

He also says that any reward money should not be given to him, but to the three women who had lost so many years of their lives being held captive.

“I tell you what you do, give it to them… you know I got a job anyway” he said before pulling out his paycheck that he just picked up and showing it to Anderson Cooper.

Yesterday, after giving several zany interviews which catapulted him to internet celebrity status, Charles Ramsey’s mentions of McDonald’s caught the attention of the fast food chain.

McDonald’s later tweeted: “We salute the courage of Ohio kidnap victims & respect their privacy. Way to go Charles Ramsey – we’ll be in touch.”

Charles Ramsey’s expletive-filled 911 call is garnering just as much attention as his interviews.

He explains to the dispatcher: “Hey bro I’m at 2207 Seymour Avenue, West 25th. Hey check this out, I just came from McDonald’s right? And I’m on my porch eating my little food and this broad is trying to break outa the f***ing house next door to me.

“There was a bunch of people on the street right now and sh** and we are like, <<What’s wrong with you, what’s the problem?>>

“And she’s like, <<This mother f***er has kidnapped me and my daughter>>. Said her name is Linda Berry or some shit. I don’t know who the fuck that is, I just moved over here bro.”

The dispatcher asks Charles Ramsey to calm down and slow down and tries to ascertain what is happening and where they are.

He explains that he is looking at Amanda Berry, who is on the phone with a different dispatcher. Charles Ramsey explains that she is white, but her child is Hispanic and that she is wearing “a white tank top and blue sweat pants”.

Charles Ramsey is then asked if Amanda Berry needs an ambulance and he can be heard shouting over to her.

“You need an ambulance or what? She needs everything, she in a panic, she’s been kidnapped you know? So put yourself in her shoes.”

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Michelle Knight picture before being kidnapped and suffering hearing loss and facial bone damage

Diane A. Wade
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Michelle Knight picture before being kidnapped and suffering hearing loss and facial bone damage

Michelle Knight, one of the three women freed from a decade of imprisonment in a Cleveland home, is reportedly suffering hearing loss and facial bone damage after years of vicious beatings to her head, it has emerged.

Michelle Knight, now 32, who vanished in 2002, was found at a Cleveland home on Monday with two other women and a six-year-old girl – but she has not yet contacted her mother for a reunion.

The first details about Michelle Knight are emerging as images of her have finally been released. They show her as a teenager before she was kidnapped – at a time when she endured an often troubled relationship with her family.

She had given birth to a son who was later taken into the custody of child services, and authorities suggested to her mother that she may have fled following the upset from the ordeal.

Her mother, Barbara Knight, left her home in Naples, Florida, on Tuesday to head to Cleveland to see Michelle but they have not yet been reunited, she told the Today show.

Barbara Knight, 50, said she never gave up hope and will now be able to introduce Michelle to the half sister she has never met, 10-year-old Katie, who was born after she disappeared.

Katie was with her mother as they left for the airport on Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, Barbara Knight spoke to the Today show about how she had never given up hope that her daughter was alive – but that she was led to believe the woman, then in her 20s, had fled.

“Certain people said she didn’t want nothing to do with me but still in my heart I thought no, because I knew my Michelle,” she said.

“They figured she just left because of the baby and everything.

“[Police] told me if she breaks the law or they spot her, they’ll let me know – but nothing happened.”

Barbara Knight, who said she filed a missing persons report after Michelle vanished and continued to search for her, said her sons have been reunited with Michelle but she has not yet seen her.

“I don’t want her to think that I forgot about her,” Barbara Knight said.

“Hopefully whatever happened between us, if something did – I hope it heals because I really want to take her back to Florida with me.”

Michelle Knight vanished in 2002 but she was never registered as missing on the Ohio Missing Persons website
Michelle Knight vanished in 2002 but she was never registered as missing on the Ohio Missing Persons website

Sources told Fox 8 that Michelle Knight appears to have facial bone damage from her horrific treatment.

But Barbara Knight said that she knew little about what had happened to Michelle since she last saw her as she has not spoken with detectives, she said.

“There was a detective who called me but he just said it was my daughter,” she said, adding that she missed his call and that he had left work when she called back.

“I didn’t get a hold of anyone.”

Instead, she only knows the details from watching news reports.

While the stories of missing Cleveland girls Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry, who were also found on Monday, have remained high-profile cases over the last decade, little is known of Michelle Knight.

While family appeals for Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry have been frequent and well-publicized over the past ten years, her case appears to have been long forgotten.

Now believed to be aged around 32, Michelle Knight was in her early twenties when she was last seen on August 23, 2002, at her cousin’s house near West 106th Street and Lorain Avenue.

Barbara Knight said she would often put up fliers around Cleveland’s West Side and even after moving away she would return to continue the search on her own as police were little help.

Michelle Knight’s grandmother, Deborah Knight, said the family, after speaking with police and social workers, had accepted that she likely left on her own free will.

They believed Michelle Knight was angry that her son had been taken into custody.

Barbara Knight previously told The Plain Dealer that her daughter vanished shortly after she was scheduled for a court appearance in the custody case of her son.

The mother told the paper that Michelle Knight had become involved with an abusive man whom she thinks injured her toddler grandson, eventually leading Michelle to lose the boy.

Michelle Knight had him as a teenager; her mother said that she had been assaulted at school but it was never taken seriously by police. She then fell pregnant soon after and dropped out of school.

Michelle Knight was never registered as missing on the Ohio Missing Persons website.

Barbara Knight told The Plain Dealer she believes she once saw her daughter walking with an older man at a shopping mall several years ago. When the woman trailed behind her companion, he would grab her by the arm and pull her along, she said.

The mother was “calmly” looking forward to the reunion according to neighbors in Naples, where she lives with her second husband Tom Hudson and members of his family.

“It’s an emotional time for them,” said Sheldon Gofberg who lives across the street from the family’s house in the southwest Florida town.

“They didn’t get any sleep last night.”

Sheldon Gofberg said neighbors had no idea that Barbara Knight was the mother of a missing girl and that she appeared to have her hands full looking after Katie and helping with Tom Hudson’s two children, Julian, 16, and his sister Alex, 8.

“They’re a friendly family, Tom would do anything to help you, give you the shirt off his back,” Sheldon Gofberg said.

Despite the turmoil, Tom Hudson kept a commitment with Sheldon Gofberg to take him to a Home Depot.

“We were in the car driving and Tom said, <<You know those three girls they found in the house in Cleveland? One of them was Barbara’s daughter>>. I was astounded,” Sheldon Gofberg said.

“I said, <<She’s got to be pretty emotional?>> and he said, <<Not really because we’ve been waiting to hear back from the FBI>>.”

The family had refused to talk to reporters and TV crews waiting outside their home, sending the teenage boy Julian, who was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet, outside to ask them to leave.

After 10 years being held against their will, the three women – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight – were finally freed after neighbor Charles Ramsey, heard screaming from the house and helped them escape through a door.

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