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Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev planned 4th of July attack in Boston

Roy Siemens
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Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev planned 4th of July attack in Boston

Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev initially planned to attack Boston’s 4th of July Independence Day celebrations, US media have reported.

But they finished making the bombs more quickly than expected at Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s home, anonymous US officials are quoted as saying.

It is unclear if they planned to target a specific event, but Boston hosts major 4th of July festivities each year.

Meanwhile, the body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been claimed by family.

A spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety confirmed a funeral home hired by his relatives picked up the remains on Thursday.

The suspect’s widow, Katherine Russell, gave consent a day earlier for the body to be released.

Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev initially planned to attack Boston's 4th of July Independence Day celebrations
Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev initially planned to attack Boston’s 4th of July Independence Day celebrations

His uncle Ruslan Tsarni, who lives in the state of Maryland, said on Tuesday night the family would take the remains.

The medical examiner has said Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s cause of death has been determined, but the information will not be released until a death certificate has been filed. It was unclear if that had happened on Thursday evening.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died after a gun battle with police during which he was run over by his younger brother as he fled the scene in a vehicle, police have said.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, who was later captured and is recovering in a prison hospital from gunshot wounds, reportedly told FBI investigators of the plan for a 4th of July attack.

He also told interrogators that the two of them had initially considered suicide attacks, the New York Times reports.

Instead Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev decided to use pressure-cookers to make the two bombs they allegedly detonated on April 15 near the Boston Marathon finish line, killing three people and wounding 264.

Also according to the newspaper, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told investigators he and his brother had listened to internet sermons by Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born al-Qaeda suspect killed in a 2011 drone strike in Yemen.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces a possible death sentence if convicted for his alleged role in the Boston attack.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev lived with his wife, Katherine Russell, and their three-year-old daughter, Zahara, in an apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Police have said they found bomb material at the residence.

The FBI has removed evidence, including DNA samples, from the Rhode Island home of Katherine Russell’s parents, where she has been staying since her husband’s death.

Katherine Russell’s lawyers say she did not know much about her husband’s activities because she spent most of her time outside the home working as a health aide while he watched their child.

Three of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s college friends appeared in court on Wednesday, accused of obstructing the police investigation into the attacks.

Police say Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev – both from Kazakhstan – threw away the suspect’s backpack after realizing he was one of the bombers.

Robel Phillipos, a US citizen, is accused of lying to investigators.

The backpack was recovered at a landfill site. A lawyer for Dias Kadyrbayev told CNN his client had turned over the laptop to the FBI, but did not specify when.

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Jeff Hanneman dead: Slayer guitarist dies of liver failure aged 49

Sonia Pantiss
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Jeff Hanneman dead: Slayer guitarist dies of liver failure aged 49

Jeff Hanneman, founding member and guitarist of metal band Slayer, has died at the age of 49.

A statement on Slayer’s Facebook page said Jeff Hanneman died of liver failure in California on Thursday.

Since 2011, Jeff Hanneman had been suffering from necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease that he is believed to have contracted from a spider bite.

On its website, Slayer paid tribute to “Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest In Peace (1964 – 2013).”

The guitarist is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister and two brothers.

Jeff Hanneman, founding member and guitarist of metal band Slayer, has died at the age of 49
Jeff Hanneman, founding member and guitarist of metal band Slayer, has died at the age of 49

“Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11am this morning near his Southern California home,” the statement said.

Jeff Hanneman was being treated in a local hospital when he “suffered liver failure,” it added.

Slayer, co-founded by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, became one of the “big four” thrash metal groups of the 1980s, along with Anthrax, Megadeth and Metallica.

Over the past three decades, Slayer released nine studio albums and performed at thousands of live shows.

Musicians who paid tribute on Twitter included Guns’n’Roses guitarist Slash: “Tragic and shocking news about Jeff Hanneman. He is going to missed by so many. What a sad day for Metal. RIP man”.

The Recording Academy also released a statement, describing Jeff Hanneman as “an intense and powerful guitarist and a force to be reckoned with on stage”.

President Neil Portnow said: “The music industry has lost a true trailblazer, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, his bandmates and fans around the world who mourn his untimely passing.”

Slayer are due to play a series of gigs in the coming months, including UK’s Bloodstock Open Air metal festival in Derbyshire and Spain’s Resurrection festival, both in August.

Ex-Pope Benedict moves back to Vatican City two months after his resignation

Diane A. Wade
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Ex-Pope Benedict moves back to Vatican City two months after his resignation

Pope Emeritus Benedict has returned to the Vatican, two months after becoming the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.

The former pope was flown by helicopter from the Castel Gandolfo papal summer residence to live permanently in Vatican City.

Greeted by Pope Francis as he arrived, Benedict was driven the short distance to his new accommodation.

Ex-Pope Benedict, 86, was last seen in public on March 23 and there has been speculation about his health.

Observers said at the time he appeared more frail than when he stepped down on February 28.

However, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said this week that Emeritus Pope Benedict was not ill.

Pope Emeritus Benedict has returned to the Vatican, two months after becoming the first pontiff to resign in 600 years
Pope Emeritus Benedict has returned to the Vatican, two months after becoming the first pontiff to resign in 600 years

Hours after his arrival, the Vatican issued a photograph of Benedict shaking hands with Pope Francis. However, unlike his departure from the Vatican, there was no live TV coverage of his return.

Benedict will live in the converted Mater Ecclesiae convent just behind St Peter’s Basilica, with his personal secretary, Georg Gaenswein.

The building, described as “small but well equipped” by Federico Lombardi, includes an attached chapel, a library and a study.

There is also a guest room available for when his older brother, Georg Ratzinger, visits.

The Vatican said Pope Francis welcomed Benedict “with great and fraternal cordiality”.

The two then held a “brief moment of prayer” in Benedict’s chapel.

Benedict will now dedicate himself to a life of private prayer in the service of the Church, according to the Vatican.

His arrival heralds an unprecedented era of a former pope living close to his successor at the Vatican.

But at the time of his abdication, Benedict suggested he would not try influence his successor, saying he would live out the rest of his days “hidden from the world”.

At a meeting in March with Pope Francis, he also repeated “unconditional reverence and obedience” to his successor.

When he resigned, Pope Benedict cited his advanced age as the reason, saying he no longer had the strength for “an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry”.

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Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard reunite for a coffee meet-up at Starbucks

Lisa.Felice
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Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard reunite for a coffee meet-up at Starbucks

Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard were spotted meeting up for a casual coffee date at Starbucks in Los Angeles’ posh Bel-Air neighborhood.

They split up almost five years ago but Jodie Foster, 50, still shares two boys with Cydney Bernard, 60.

The actress appeared happy to be able to catch up with Cydney Bernard, a film production manager who was her live-in partner for 15 years until their split in 2008.

Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard had lots to talk about as they share parenting duties of Jodie’s biological sons Charles, 14, and Kit, 11.

Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard were spotted meeting up for a casual coffee date at Starbucks in Los Angeles' posh Bel-Air neighborhood
Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard were spotted meeting up for a casual coffee date at Starbucks in Los Angeles’ posh Bel-Air neighborhood

Toward the end of their get-together, Jodie Foster gave Cydney Bernard a lingering hug that showed how much she still cares for the woman she has called her “righteous soul sister in life”.

Jodie Foster ended years of speculation regarding her sexuality by coming out publicly at the Golden Globe Awards in January during which she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

In an emotional speech, Jodie Foster paid loving tribute to Cydney Bernard, who has been her mentor, friend and much more.

“I guess I just have just a sudden urge to say something that I’ve never really been able to air in public,” the actress said.

“[It’s] a declaration that I’m a little nervous about – but maybe not quite as nervous as my publicist right now. I’m just going to put it out there – loud and proud. I’m single.”

Jodie Foster continued: “This is not going to be a big coming out speech tonight because I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago back in the stone age – in those very quaint days when a fragile girl would open up to trusted friends and family and coworkers and then gradually proudly to everyone who knew her.

“But now apparently I’m told that every celebrity is expected to honor the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance and a primetime reality show.”

Jodie Foster then thanked her “heroic co-parent, my ex partner in love, but righteous soul sister in life. My confessor… most beloved BFF of 20 years, Cydney Bernard”.

“Thank you, Cyd. I am so proud of our modern family, our amazing sons, Charlie and Kit who are my reason to breathe and to evolve…

“Boys, in case you didn’t know it, this song, like all of this, this song is for you.”

Jodie Foster has never revealed the name of her sons’ biological father.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s ex-girlfriend on the 3 additional Boston suspects: “They all sort of idolized Jahar”

Nancy Clayson
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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s ex-girlfriend on the 3 additional Boston suspects: “They all sort of idolized Jahar”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s ex-girlfriend says that she was so attracted to him when she saw him outside that she immediately went over and flirted.

“I met him standing outside a building and honestly, his face was enough to capture my heart. I walked right up to him and I was like, <<Oh my God, you are adorable. Can we hang out?>> I’m very forward,” the girl told Mother Jones.

The girl, who is a fellow UMASS-Dartmouth student that is not releasing her name, started a romantic relationship with Boston Marathon suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev last fall that only lasted about two weeks.

During that time, the girl also met his three friends – Dias Kadyrbayev, Azamat Tazhayakov and Robel Phillipos – who were arrested on Wednesday for destroying evidence and lying to federal investigators.

The girl said that they all looked up to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, whom they referred to as “Jahar”.

“They all sort of idolized Jahar,” she said.

Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, both Kazakh nationals, were charged with conspiring to obstruct justice by destroying evidence. American Robel Phillipos is charged with knowingly and willfully making false statements to investigators.

Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

She said that she met the three other young men through Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, though she described him as being the “leader of his group”.

The girl said that she was shocked by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s involvement in the bombing, as well as any help that he received from his friends.

“There was no indication that they were crazy at all. They just seemed goofy, kind of lackadaisical, not interested in their studies. But, you know, whatever, it was their first semester of college. No one really cared about books,” she said.

Dhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, and the unidentified young woman spent their time together involved listening to music and smoking pot, though she says she ended things when he wanted to move faster than she did though she doesn’t consider that as an indication that he was bound to be a killer.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily being a terrorist. I think that’s just called being a hands-y teenaged boy,” she said.

The girl told Mother Jones that she was surprised by implications that the bombing had anything to do with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s religious beliefs as he never mentioned his religion during their time together.

She said that Dias Kadyrbayev, who seemed the closest to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was more conservative as he once made a comment to her at a party about her dress being too revealing.

After Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Dias Kadyrbayev appears to be the most in-command of the group as he was the one who texted.

Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, warned his friend that that he was plastered across television news outlets.

“Tsarnaev’s return texts contained <<lol>> and other things Kadyrbayev interpreted as jokes,” documents say.

On the same day that the FBI released pictures and video clips of the Tsarnaev brothers at the bomb scene, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov removed items from the younger bomber’s dorm room.

That was just two days before the FBI searched the room.

The criminal complaint lists that they removed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s backpack from his room and “agreed to get rid of it after concluding from news reports that Tsarnaev was one of the Boston Marathon bombers”.

The three friends- Dias Kadyrbayev, Azamat Tazhayakov and Robel Phillipos- went over to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s on-campus dormitory after seeing the news reports.

When the group arrived at the dorm, Dias Kadyrbayev showed Azamat Tazhayakov a text from the bomber that said: “I’m about to leave if you need something in my room take it.”

He did not specify where he was going, but Azamat Tazhayakov told investigators that he felt that this meant he would never see Dzhokhar Tsarnaev alive again.

Dias Kadyrbayev “knew when he saw the empty fireworks that Tsarnaev was involved in the Marathon bombing”.

Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, was more alarmed because the tubes had been emptied but not destroyed, meaning that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev could have either used the explosives or planned to use them.

Dias Kadyrbayev found Vaseline in the room, which he told the others Dzhokhar Tsarnaev used to make bombs.

At one point in the police interviews, Azamat Tazhayakev said that during a meal a month before the attack, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told him and Dias Kadyrbayev that he knew how to make a bomb.

Dias Kadyrbayev was reportedly the one who “decided to remove the backpack from the room in order to help his friend Tsarnaev avoid trouble”.

In a slightly unexpected explanation, Dias Kadyrbayev says that he took Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s laptop because he did not want to the roommate to think that he was “stealing or behaving suspiciously by just taking the backpack”.

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Kim Kardashian’s baby girl due date June 18? Kanye West tweets cryptic message “June Eighteen”

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian’s baby girl due date June 18? Kanye West tweets cryptic message “June Eighteen”

Kim Kardashian’s baby girl due date could be June 18, earlier than July as has been predicted, as Kanye West made a cryptic comment on his Twitter account mentioning that day.

Kanye West, 35, has returned to Twitter after a lengthy hiatus to upload just one, tantalizingly cryptic comment that reads just: “June Eighteen.”

The rapper deleted his entire Twitter presence back in October 2012, so this new portentous tweet must herald something big in the offing.

There’s also rampant speculation that the date could be related to the long-awaited release of Kanye West’s new album, Cruel Summer.

Kim Kardashian's baby girl due date could be June 18
Kim Kardashian’s baby girl due date could be June 18

It could also mean a tour is in the works.

But the most likely explanation is that Kanye West has been also working on a new fashion line in Paris – as well as putting the final touches to Cruel Summer – and it will debut on that date.

It all fits in, Kanye West’s British design partner Katie Eary, an up-and-coming designer who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2008, is to show on June 18th at London Fashion Week’s Menswear viewing.

The date and clues all point to a Kanye West collection, she describes him as her “muse” being unveiled in London that day.

It could also explain why Kanye West has needed to be in Paris to record his new album because he could well really need to be there to work on this collection with Katie Eary.

But it being a due date cannot be ruled out.

Kim Kardashian said on the Today show in January that her and Kanye West’s bundle of joy is due in July, but there are suggestions, during a baby shower for fashion stylist Monica Rose at Bagatelle LA, Kim was overheard saying she’s due in mid-June.

Though if Kim Kardashian were trying to keep this secret, it’s unlikely Kanye West would announce it, even cryptically.

Michael Jackson’s death trial: Conrad Murray was willing to do anything for money, says detective Orlando Martinez

Sonia Pantiss
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Michael Jackson’s death trial: Conrad Murray was willing to do anything for money, says detective Orlando Martinez

Detective Orlando Martinez, who investigated Michael Jackson’s 2005 death, has revealed that Dr. Conrad Murray was $500,000 in debt and willing to do anything to get paid while he was treating the megastar.

Orlando Martinez told jurors on Tuesday that Conrad Murray depended on the $150,000-a-month salary that he received from Michael Jackson’s concert promoter AEG Live.

Lawyers for Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine argued that AEG should have vetted Murray. AEG is defending itself from a wrongful death lawsuit that alleges the company bears responsibility for Dr. Conrad Murray allegedly giving Michael Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol.

Orlando Martinez testified that he looked into Conrad Murray’s finances searching for a financial motive for his role in Michael Jackson’s death and relied mostly on public records. The detective turned up that Conrad Murray’s Las Vegas home was in foreclosure proceedings, and the doctor faced several liens for unpaid child support and other unpaid debts.

The searches led Orlando Martinez to conclude that Conrad Murray’s financial condition was “severely distressed”.

Orlando Martinez said that led him to believe Conrad Murray’s actions were motivated by the $150,000 a month he expected to be paid by AEG.

“He may break the rules, bend the rules, do whatever he needed to do to get paid,” Orlando Martinez said.

“It might solve his money problems.”

Conrad Murray’s finances were not a factor in the criminal case that ended with his 2011 conviction for administering a fatal dose of propofol to Michael Jackson.

Orlando Martinez also showed jurors photographs the various medications officers uncovered in Michael Jackson’s bedroom, including several vials of propofol.

The paramedic who discovered Michael Jackson dead in his bedroom in june 2009 told the jury earlier Tuesday that the King of Pop appeared to have been dead at least an hour when he arrived on the scene.

Michael Jackson’s blue hands, feet and lips, and the star’s dry eyes all signaled to paramedic Richard Senneff that the singer was dead and hadn’t been breathing for a long time.

Det. Orlando Martinez said Dr. Conrad Murray was $500,000 in debt and willing to do anything to get paid while he was treating Michael Jackson
Det. Orlando Martinez said Dr. Conrad Murray was $500,000 in debt and willing to do anything to get paid while he was treating Michael Jackson

“To me, he looked like someone who was at the end stage of a long disease process,” Richard Senneff said Tuesday during his testimony in the civil case between Michael Jackson’s mother and concert giant AEG Live.

Richard Senneff also recalled how Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, was frantically trying to revive the megastar.

“He was pale, he was sweaty,” the paramedic said of Murray.

“He was very busy.”

Conrad Murray claimed he was treating Michael Jackson for dehydration and he never mentioned propofol, the hospital-grade anesthetic that killed the singer, Richard Senneff said.

He told the panel that he found an IV pole, oxygen tanks and a nightstand with several medicine bottles.

In the nearly four years since his death, nearly every aspect of Michael Jackson’s life has been explored in court proceedings, documentaries, books and news stories.

Still, the negligence case filed by his mother against AEG promises to deliver the most detailed account of the singer’s addiction struggles, including testimony from his ex-wife Debbie Rowe about treatments involving the anesthetic propofol dating back to the 1990s.

Michael Jackson died from a propofol overdose in 2009 while preparing for a series of comeback concerts at AEG’s O2 Arena in London.

Katherine Jackson contends AEG didn’t properly investigate Conrad Murray, the doctor who later administered the fatal dose. The company denies wrongdoing.

During opening statements, attorneys framed Michael Jackson’s prescription drug addiction through the prism of his superstar status.

Attorney Brian Panish, who represents Katherine Jackson, said the drug problems worsened when the pop star was under the stress of live performances.

AEG attorney Marvin S. Putnam countered that Michael Jackson’s stardom provided a cover to receive multiple, secret medical treatments, many involving propofol.

At one point in the proceedings, the harsh portrayal of Michael Jackson’s struggle with addiction, led one juror to lean forward and stare at the floor for several moments.

Katherine Jackson and two of the superstar’s children, Prince and Paris, are potential witnesses whose testimony will likely focus heavily on their grieving and losses.

On Monday, Brian Panish played a song Michael Jackson wrote for his children as a montage of photos played during opening statements. He also read a handwritten note from Michael Jackson that his mother framed and has hanging on her wall.

“The only way you can assess damages, is to know what they had,” Brian Panish said before reading the letter and playing You Are My Life.

Katherine Jackson dabbed her eyes with a tissue. On Tuesday, she left the courtroom while the paramedic described her son’s condition on the day he died.

It may be several days before jurors get another look at Michael Jackson’s softer side.

The trial will also feature testimony on Michael Jackson’s troubled finances, with debts that reached nearly $400 million by the time he died.

AEG contends the debts made him desperate to have a successful concert series.

“The private Michael Jackson was like a lot of American in the 2000s, spending a lot more than he was making,” Marvin S. Putnam told the jury after describing Michael Jackson’s lavish Neverland Ranch, his art collection and other spending.

Many other private moments from Michael Jackson’s life will be exposed as the case progresses over the next several months, with witnesses expected to testify about secret medical treatments, lavish spending and tender moments spent with his mother and children.

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Chris Kelly died of suspected drug overdose, says police before autopsy

Lisa.Felice
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Chris Kelly died of suspected drug overdose, says police before autopsy

It appears Kris Kross’ Chris Kelly has died of a suspected drug overdose after being found unresponsive at his home, police have said.

Yesterday police were called to Chris Kelly’s home by the rapper’s cousin at around 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday. After which he was taken to Atlanta Medical Centre.

Chris Kelly, 34, – half of Kris Kross rap duo famous for the hit song Jump – was pronounced dead at 5 p.m.

It appears Kris Kross’ Chris Kelly has died of a suspected drug overdose after being found unresponsive at his home
It appears Kris Kross’ Chris Kelly has died of a suspected drug overdose after being found unresponsive at his home

As yet there is no official confirmation of the cause of death but Cpl Kay Lester, a spokeswoman for the Fulton County police said: “It appears it may have been a possible drug overdose.”

An autopsy is due to be held on Thursday.

Chris Kelly, known as Mac Daddy, performed alongside Chris Smith, known as Daddy Mac, in the early and mid-90s.

The duo’s hit song Jump, from their 1992 debut album, Totally Krossed Out, helped propel them to stardom and sales of four million copies in the US, topping the Billboard charts for eight weeks.

ECB cuts benchmark interest rate to new record low of 0.5% to boost eurozone economy

Clyde K. Valle
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ECB cuts benchmark interest rate to new record low of 0.5% to boost eurozone economy

The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to cut its benchmark interest rate to a new record low amid ongoing worries about the eurozone’s economy.

The widely-expected cut to 0.50% from 0.75% is the first in 10 months.

Worries about eurozone economies were underlined on Thursday with data showing manufacturing activity across the 17-nation bloc shrank in April.

In Germany, the eurozone’s biggest economy, manufacturing contracted for the second month running.

Official data released on Tuesday showed record high unemployment in the eurozone, and inflation at a three-year low.

Ahead of the ECB’s announcement, many economists were forecasting that lower interest rates were likely, but said the fresh data released this week made the case for a cut even stronger.

ECB president Mario Draghi told a news conference that “weak economic sentiment has extended into the spring of this year.”

“Inflation expectations in the euro area continue to be firmly anchored.”

ECB has decided to cut its benchmark interest rate to a new record low amid ongoing worries about the eurozone's economy
ECB has decided to cut its benchmark interest rate to a new record low amid ongoing worries about the eurozone’s economy

“The cut in interest rates should contribute to support a recovery later in the year,” he added.

There are concerns that the ECB’s low interest rates are not feeding through to those economies most in need of a boost, with potential lenders still worried about the economic health of countries such as Greece and Spain.

“Monetary policy stance will remain ‘accommodative’ for as long as needed,” Mario Draghi said.

“We will monitor very closely all incoming information, and assess any impact on the outlook for price stability.”

Mario Draghi said that the ECB was prepared to cut interest rates further should conditions make it necessary. He also said the central bank was “technically ready” for negative deposit rates.

The euro fell sharply on the comments, losing 0.6% against the pound to 84.135p, edging it towards the recent low of 83.98p that it reached on April 26. Against the dollar, the euro fell below $1.31.

In recent months there have been growing calls for European countries to move away from austerity measures, which critics say are stifling growth. Instead there are calls for a greater focus on stimulus measures.

Both French President Francois Hollande and newly-elected Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta have urged a reconsideration of austerity policies.

On Thursday, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said governments must take immediate action to promote growth and the creation of jobs because patience with austerity measures is wearing thin in some countries.

“Taking these measures is more urgent than anything,” he told a conference in Portugal.

“After three years of firefights, patience with austerity is wearing understandably thin.”

A cut in interest rates lowers the costs for troubled banks that have taken emergency loans from the ECB, and could help them repair their finances so they can improve lending. But analysts were divided over whether the cut would have much of an impact.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) on Thursday highlighted the problems facing many eurozone countries. The index for Germany’s manufacturing sector, which accounts for around a fifth of the economy, fell to 48.1 in April from 49 in March. A reading below 50 indicates contraction.

And in France, Italy and Spain, the eurozone’s next three biggest economies, the PMI data also revealed contractions in manufacturing activity.

For the 17-nation eurozone bloc as a whole, the PMI index fell to 46.7 last month, from March’s 46.8.

“There is nothing here to suggest that manufacturing will turn the corner and stabilize any time soon, putting greater onus on policymakers to act quickly to reinvigorate growth,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, which collates the PMI figures.

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Somalia famine killed 260,000 people from 2010 to 2012

Kathryn R. Bown
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Somalia famine killed 260,000 people from 2010 to 2012

A new report by the UN food agency and the US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network has found that nearly 260,000 people died during the famine that hit Somalia from 2010 to 2012.

Half of them were children under the age of five, says the report.

The number of deaths was higher than the estimated 220,000 people who died during the 1992 famine.

The crisis was caused by a severe drought, worsened by conflict between rival groups fighting for power.

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) senior economist Mark Smulders said the “true enormity of this human tragedy” had emerged for the first time from the study, done jointly with the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).

“By nature, estimating mortality in emergencies is an imprecise science, but given the quantity and quality of data that were available, we are confident in the strength of the study,” said FEWS NET official Chris Hillbruner.

Somalia famine killed 260,000 people from 2010 to 2012
Somalia famine killed 260,000 people from 2010 to 2012

“It suggests that what occurred in Somalia was one of the worst famines in the last 25 years,” he added.

The UN first declared a famine in July 2011 in Somalia’s Southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions, which were controlled by the militant Islamist group al-Shabab, which is aligned to al-Qaeda.

It denied there was a famine and banned several Western aid agencies from operating in its areas.

The famine later spread to other areas, including Middle Shabelle, Afgoye and at camps for displaced people in the government-controlled capital, Mogadishu.

An estimated 4.6% of the total population and 10% of children under five died in southern and central Somalia, the report says.

“The report confirms we should have done more before the famine was declared,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.

“Warnings that began as far back as the drought in 2010 did not trigger sufficient early action,” he said in a statement, AFP news agency reports.

In Lower Shabelle, 18% of children under five died and in Mogadishu 17%, the report said.

Somalia was worst hit by extreme drought in 2011 that affected more than 13 million people across the Horn of Africa.

Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in search of food.

The UN declared the famine over in February 2012.

“While conditions in Somalia have improved in recent months, the country still has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition and infant mortality in the world,” Ben Foot, from the charity Save the Children, said in a statement.

During more than 20 years of civil war, Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, rival politicians and Islamist militants battle for control – a situation that has allowed lawlessness to flourish.

Last September, a UN-backed government came to power, after eight years of transitional rule, bringing some stability to some areas.

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Stuart Hall admits 14 charges of indecent assault involving 13 victims

Clyde K. Valle
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Stuart Hall admits 14 charges of indecent assault involving 13 victims

British presenter Stuart Hall has admitted 14 charges of indecent assault involving 13 victims including one as young as nine.

James Stuart Hall, 83, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to the offences, involving 13 victims, which occurred between 1967 and 1985.

A further three charges of indecent assault and one of rape have been left to lie on the court file.

Stuart Hall has been bailed until sentencing on June 17. His lawyer said the presenter wished to apologize to his victims.

Stuart Hall has admitted 14 charges of indecent assault involving 13 victims including one as young as nine
Stuart Hall has admitted 14 charges of indecent assault involving 13 victims including one as young as nine

Crispin Aylett QC added: “He is not a man easily moved to self pity but he is all too aware that his disgrace is complete.”

Stuart Hall admitted the offences last month but they could not be revealed due to reporting restrictions.

Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West, Nazir Afzal, described Stuart Hall as an “opportunistic predator”.

The prosecutor added: “We prosecuted Stuart Hall because the evidence of the victims clearly established a pattern of behavior that was unlawful and for which no innocent explanation could be offered.

“His victims did not know each other and almost two decades separated the first and last assaults but almost all of the victims, including one who was only nine at the time of the assault, provided strikingly similar accounts.

“Whether in public or private, Hall would first approach under friendly pretences and then bide his time until the victim was isolated.

“I would like to thank the victims for having had the bravery to come forward. This case clearly shows that the victims of abuse will not be denied justice by the passage of time and abusers will be held to account.”

Nazir Afzal said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would not be proceeding with the rape charge as the woman who made the allegation no longer wished to give evidence in light of the guilty pleas.

The court heard in the 1980s Stuart Hall molested a 9-year-old girl by putting his hand up her clothing.

The presenter also kissed a 13-year-old girl on the lips after he said to her: “People need to show thanks in other ways.”

On another occasion in the 1970s he fondled the breast of a girl aged 16 or 17, the court was told.

Stuart Hall was initially arrested in December and made a statement labeling the claims “pernicious, callous, cruel and above all spurious”.

He has been a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting for half a century, and was awarded an OBE in the 2012 New Year Honours.

Stuart Hall was It’s A Knockout presenter and was working as a football commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live and wrote a weekly sport column for the Radio Times magazine until his arrest.

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Mountain Dew goat racist commercial developed by Tyler the Creator withdrawn

Nancy Clayson
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Mountain Dew goat racist commercial developed by Tyler the Creator withdrawn

PepsiCo has decided to withdraw Mountain Dew goat commercial over criticism that it depicts racial stereotypes and makes light of violence against women.

The online Mountain Dew ad shows a battered white woman on crutches being asked to identify a suspect out of a police line-up of black men and a goat.

One blogger described the 60-second video as “arguably the most racist commercial in history”.

PepsiCo has since apologized for the ad for its Mountain Dew soft drink.

PepsiCo has decided to withdraw Mountain Dew goat racist commercial developed by Tyler the Creator
PepsiCo has decided to withdraw Mountain Dew goat racist commercial developed by Tyler the Creator

In the video, the goat threatens to beat the woman up if she identifies him to the police.

The woman eventually screams in horror and runs away.

The dialogue in the clip is a wordplay around “Dew It” – the slogan promoting Mountain Dew.

In a statement on Wednesday, PepsiCo said that it took “full responsibility” for any offence caused by commercial.

It said it had removed the ad from its online channels.

The material was developed by African-American rapper Tyler the Creator.

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Lindsay Lohan heads off to rehab crying histerically

Lisa.Felice
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0
Lindsay Lohan heads off to rehab crying histerically

Lindsay Lohan was reportedly crying hysterically as she finally headed off to court ordered rehab on Wednesday.

Convicted thief Lindsay Lohan, 25, was sentenced to 90 days in a facility after pleading no contest to charges for lying to police about driving during a car crash last June.

And while it may seem like she has gotten off lightly, her father Michael Lohan revealed that did not stop her weeping when she finally headed off on an airplane bound for California from New York.

Michael Lohan told Radar: “She was crying hysterically when she called me.

“Lindsay is heading to California but she doesn’t want to go the place she’s going and she’s upset that she’s being forced to do so.”

Lindsay Lohan was reportedly crying hysterically as she finally headed off to court ordered rehab on Wednesday
Lindsay Lohan was reportedly crying hysterically as she finally headed off to court ordered rehab on Wednesday

Lindsay Lohan had been desperately trying to change the location of her rehab centre from Newport Beach in California, which is the richest city in the US, to one he recommended in Florida.

Michael Lohan said: “Lindsay wants to go to the Lukens Institute.

“But she’s going to go to Morningside in Newport Beach until she can transfer to the one in Florida.

“She asked me if she could transfer to Lukens once she starts and I told her of course she can.

“I will get it all settled for her.”

TMZ are claiming Lindsay Lohan is breaking her plea deal by jetting out to California, as it was agreed she would be attending the Seafield rehabilitation facility in New York.

Although there are good facilities in the West Coast like The Discovery House in Reseda, California, she has to follow what the court ordered.

If it is decided she has broken the terms of the bargain Lindsay Lohan could be sentenced to 90 days in jail.

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Katherine Russell mugshot following 2007 arrest for shoplifting from Old Navy store

Nancy Clayson
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0
Katherine Russell mugshot following 2007 arrest for shoplifting from Old Navy store

A newly released mugshot show Katherine Russell, the widow of suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as she looked in 2007 at the time of her arrest for stealing $67 worth of clothing from an Old Navy store in Warwick, Rhode Island.

The picture shows Katherine Russell as an 18-year-old, in the accompanying police report she is described as “skinny” with hazel eyes and red or auburn hair – now firmly concealed by her Hijab.

Since Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s death on April 19, Katherine Russell has taken refuge at her family’s home in Rhode Island and has been doing everything she can to distance herself from Tsarnaev.

Still, now as a single mother, she has had to sit her 3-year-old daughter, Zahara, down and tell her what happened to her father, Tamerlan Tsraneav, a relative has revealed.

Katherine Russell, the widow of suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as she looked in 2007 at the time of her arrest for stealing $67 worth of clothing from an Old Navy store in Warwick
Katherine Russell, the widow of suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as she looked in 2007 at the time of her arrest for stealing $67 worth of clothing from an Old Navy store in Warwick

“Daddy has gone to heaven and he still loves her very much,” Katherine Russell Tsarnaev allegedly told her daughter of her father’s absence, as People magazine reports.

“She broke the news as gently as possible, but Zahara wants to know why.”

Earlier this week Katherine Russell Tsarnaev released a statement through her lawyer Amato DeLuca, saying that she wants her husband’s body released to the Tsarnaev family.

In addition to declining to claim the body herself, which is her right as his spouse, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev has also reverted to using her maiden name.

One of Tamerlan’s sisters, Bella Tsarnaev, told ABC that she and her sister Ailina plan to offer their brother a proper Muslim burial. Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, also said on Tuesday that the family would take the body.

“We will do it,” he told the Associated Press.

“A family is a family.”

On Tuesday, Amato DeLuca said Katherine Russell mourned the loss of life from the bombings.

Robel Phillipos identified as third arrest alongside Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev in Boston Marathon bombings

Roy Siemens
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Robel Phillipos identified as third arrest alongside Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev in Boston Marathon bombings

Robel Phillipos has been identified as the American student arrested on Wednesday in the Boston Marathon bombings alongside Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev and charged with making false statements to police and obstructing justice in a terrorism investigation.

Robel Phillipos, 19, is charged with knowingly and willfully making false statements to investigators.

According to the FBI, three friends and schoolmates of detained Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were arrested and charged Wednesday with conspiracy to obstruct justice for throwing away belongings of the latter and lying to investigators.

Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev, both 19 and of New Bedford, and Robel Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge appeared at the U.S. District Court in Boston where a federal magistrate read them the charges and their rights. The three are former students of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev also studied.

Robel Phillipos is charged with knowingly and willfully making false statements to investigators in relation with the Boston Marathon bombings
Robel Phillipos is charged with knowingly and willfully making false statements to investigators in relation with the Boston Marathon bombings

According to an FBI affidavit recounting the charges, Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev, who are Kazakhs holding expired student visas, and Robel Phillipos took the laptop and backpack of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from his dorm room on April 18. At the time, the FBI released photos of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, as suspects in the April 15 bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others.

Dias Kadyrbayev texted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev joking that he looked like the suspects aired on TV and he replied by texting “LOL” and telling them to go to his room and get whatever they want.

The affidavit cited Robel Phillipos’ testimony to investigators that Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev freaked out upon returning to their apartment in New Bedford as the Tsarnaevs were named suspects.

The three decided to dispose of the backpack, which contained empty fireworks shells believed used by the suspects in making the improvised explosives that remotely detonated near the Boston Marathon finish line. They thought doing so would keep Dzhokhar Tsarnaev out of trouble.

Investigators later found and recovered the backpack and its contents in a landfill after getting a tip.

The affidavit said Dias Kadyrbayev knew Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was involved in the marathon bombings.

Robel Phillipos, for his part, initially told investigators he never went to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room. In a later interview, he admitted going to the dorm room and getting Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s laptop and backpack.

The charges could meet Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev each a 5-year sentence and $250,000 fine if found guilty.

Robel Philippos faces an 8-year sentence and the same amount of fine. The next hearing on the Kazakhs is on May 14 while Robel Phillipos’ next hearing will be on Monday, May 6.

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Lindsay Lohan breaks rehab deal by jetting out to California instead of New York

Lisa.Felice
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Lindsay Lohan breaks rehab deal by jetting out to California instead of New York

Lindsay Lohan may have broken her plea deal by jetting out to California on Wednesday, as it was agreed she would be attending the Seafield rehabilitation facility in New York, according to TMZ.

Convicted thief Lindsay Lohan, 25, was sentenced to 90 days in a facility after pleading no contest to charges for lying to police about driving during a car crash last June.

TMZ reported that Lindsay Lohan was freaked out because Seafield Center won’t allow her to smoke and she may headed for Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, California, which does allow smoking.

Lindsay Lohan was freaked out because Seafield Center won't allow her to smoke and she may headed for Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, California
Lindsay Lohan was freaked out because Seafield Center won’t allow her to smoke and she may headed for Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, California

It appears that prosecutors did not sign off on Morningside and no one from the actress’ camp has contacted either the L.A. City Attorney or the Santa Monica City Attorney to get the change of plans approved.

If it is decided she has broken the terms of the bargain Lindsay Lohan could be sentenced to 90 days in jail.

However, attorney Mark Heller is expected to appear before her judge in California on Thursday and Lindsay Lohan’s father is hoping her can persuade the adjudicator to approve of the switch.

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Chris Kelly dead: Kriss Kross Mac Daddy dies in hospital at 34 after being found unresponsive at home

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Chris Kelly dead: Kriss Kross Mac Daddy dies in hospital at 34 after being found unresponsive at home

Chris Kelly, former member of the 90’s hip-hop group Kriss Kross, has died at the of age 34.

In a statement investigator Betty Honey of the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office said she pronounced Chris Kelly dead around 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the Atlanta Medical Center.

Betty Honey said authorities are unsure of Chris Kelly’s cause of death and that an autopsy has yet to be performed.

Legendary Atlanta radio host DJ Greg Street said Chris Kelly’s cousin had phoned him with the news.

“Around 7.45 I received a phone call from his cousin saying they had found Kelly at the house just 20 minutes earlier and he was unresponsive,” Greg Street wrote.

“I just received confirmation that he has passed.”

Chris Kelly, known as Mac Daddy, performed alongside Chris Smith, known as Daddy Mac, in the early and mid-90s hip-hop group Kriss Kross
Chris Kelly, known as Mac Daddy, performed alongside Chris Smith, known as Daddy Mac, in the early and mid-90s hip-hop group Kriss Kross

Twitter quickly became alive with condolences from celebrities and friends alike.

Fellow rapper and actor LL Cool J dedicated a song to the departed rapper, tweeting: “R.I.P Chris Kelly. This song is now officially dedicated to you. May GOD embrace your soul & lift up your family.”

Chris Kelly, known as Mac Daddy, performed alongside Chris Smith, known as Daddy Mac, in the early and mid-90s.

The duo might be best remembered for the song Jump from their 1992 debut album, Totally Krossed Out, which sold four million copies in the US, hit double platinum and topped the Billboard charts for eight straight weeks.

The 13-year-old rapping duo were discovered at an Atlanta mall in 1990 by then 18-year-old rising star Jermaine Dupri, who helped them to record the aforementioned life-changing album.

In 1992, Kriss Kross landed a spot on Michael Jackson’s Dangerous world tour, as well as a cameo appearance on his popular Jam music video.

Their own music video for Jump shot to number one on MTV and sold over 100,000 copies as a VHS video single.

Their second and third albums also went platinum and gold respectively, but didn’t achieve the success of their first album, due in part to the fact that the teenagers had hit puberty and were marketed with a tougher image.

Kris Kross was also noted for their fashion style, which consisted of wearing their clothing backwards.

Chris Kelly and Chris Smith had reunited once more to star at a 20th anniversary all-star concert honoring So So Def Recordings in Atlanta in February.

“Me and him, we have our times when we don’t talk and our times that we do talk,” Chris Kelly told Yahoo Music when asked about his friendship with fellow rapping partner Smith shortly before their reunion.

“But if it’s any time that I needed him or needed to reach him it was never a problem.”

Chris Kelly had also been broadening his talents, going to back to school to become a musical engineer.

“I just wanted to do something different,” he said.

“Get more on the technical side of things than just being an artist, and produce. I just wanted to be [the] all around best I could be as far as doing everything.”

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Kenneth Bae, aka Pae Jun-ho, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea

Diane A. Wade
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Kenneth Bae, aka Pae Jun-ho, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea

North Korea announces it has sentenced US citizen Kenneth Bae, aka Pae Jun-ho, to 15 years of hard labor.

The announcement, from state news agency KCNA, said Pae Jun-ho, known in the US as Kenneth Bae, was tried on April 30.

Kenneth Bae was held last year after entering North Korea as a tourist. Pyongyang said he was accused of anti-government crimes.

The move comes amid high tensions between North Korea and the US, after Pyongyang’s third nuclear test.

North Korean media said last week that Pae Jun-ho had admitted charges of crimes against North Korea, including attempting to overthrow the government.

“The Supreme Court sentenced him to 15 years of compulsory labor for this crime,” KCNA said.

Kenneth Bae was held last year after entering North Korea as a tourist and he was accused of anti-government crimes
Kenneth Bae was held last year after entering North Korea as a tourist and he was accused of anti-government crimes

Kenneth Bae, 44, was arrested in November as he entered the northeastern port city of Rason, a special economic zone near North Korea’s border with China.

He is believed to be a tour operator of Korean descent. The Associated Press news agency also reports that he is described by friends as a devout Christian.

“We call on the DPRK [North Korea] to release Kenneth Bae immediately on humanitarian grounds,” US State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said on Monday.

North Korea has arrested several US citizens in recent years, including journalists and Christians accused of proselytism.

They were released after intervention from high-profile American figures, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, both of whom went to Pyongyang.

In 2009, Bill Clinton negotiated the release of two US journalists accused of entering North Korea illegally, Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

Held after North Korea’s second nuclear test, both had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor before they were released.

Observers suggest Pyongyang could be using the jailed American as leverage, amid a very tense situation on the Korean peninsula.

The UN expanded sanctions against the communist state in March, in the wake of its February 12 nuclear test and December long-range rocket launch.

Pyongyang reacted angrily both to the measures and annual US-South Korea military exercises which saw high-profile displays of US military hardware.

It threatened to attack US military bases around the region and cut key hotlines with South Korea.

It has also withdrawn its workers from the North-South joint industrial zone at Kaesong, prompting South Korea to pull its staff out for the first time since the project was launched a decade ago.

Only seven South Koreans remain at Kaesong, a complex just inside North Korea where more than 120 South Korean firms operate using North Korea workers.

Seoul says they are negotiating final wage payments and should be returning South Korea soon.

The South Korean government has pledged 300 billion won ($273 million) in emergency loans for firms hit by the suspension at Kaesong.

US detainees in North Korea:

  • Eddie Jun Yong-su: Businessman detained for six months in 2011, freed after a visit led by US envoy Robert King
  • Aijalon Mahli Gomes: Teacher and Christian jailed in 2010 for eight years over illegal entry via China – freed after Jimmy Carter visited Pyongyang
  • Robert Park: US activist crossed into North Korea via China in late 2009 – freed in 2010 by North Korea
  • Laura Ling/Euna Lee: Jailed in 2009 for 12 years over illegal entry via the Chinese border – freed after Bill Clinton met Kim Jong-il

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Lindsay Lohan packs 270 looks for a court-ordered 90 days in rehab

Lisa.Felice
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0
Lindsay Lohan packs 270 looks for a court-ordered 90 days in rehab

Less than 24 hours until entering to rehab for a court-ordered 90 days, Lindsay Lohan posted a picture of herself packing on her Instagram account on Tuesday night.

Lindsay Lohan, 26, was seen surrounded by several bags of clothes, accessories and shoes.

Dressed in a casual pair of shorts and a loose-fitting top, Lindsay Lohan appeared to not know where to start.

The troubled actress captioned the snap: “90 days and 270 looks.”

Lindsay Lohan packing before entering to rehab for a court-ordered 90 days
Lindsay Lohan packing before entering to rehab for a court-ordered 90 days

Who Lindsay Lohan is trying to impress remains to be seen as while she is allowed visitors during her rehab stay, she is restricted from venturing out of the facility, which is said to be the Seafield Center in New York.

And whether she will actually be allowed the excess luggage all together is unlikely, as Seafield allows patients only seven changes of clothes during their 90 day stay.

However, Lindsay Lohan’s new tweet hints that the star might not be staying at Seafield anymore.

New reports claim that Lindsay Lohan is considering moving facilities because of Seafield’s strict non-smoking rules.

According to TMZ, Lindsay Lohan has been complaining to friends that she doesn’t think she can go the full 90 days without the smokes.

In an attempt to amend the rules, the actress has asked her lawyers to negotiate with Seafield to make an exception for the tobacco-loving actress.

But Seafield reportedly will not budge and refuses to bow down to Lindsay Lohan.

Her lawyers are now said to be consulting with Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, California, which does allow smoking.

Lindsay Lohan is familiar with the facility after already spending time there in 2010.

However, her cunning plan may not come off as according to TMZ, City Attorneys for L.A. and Santa Monica have not approved Morningside.

Lindsay Lohan’s lawyers are expected to front the courts on Thursday, providing prosecutors with proof that the actress has enrolled in some kind of approved rehab facility.

Miley Cyrus in her raciest photo shoot ever for V magazine

Lisa.Felice
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0
Miley Cyrus in her raciest photo shoot ever for V magazine

Miley Cyrus has posed for a new issue of V magazine in her raciest photo shoot ever.

The young actress can be seen almost n**ed tugging on her underwear, unbuttoning her trousers and cupping her bare breast in the shocking images.

Miley Cyrus, 20, also graces three different covers for V magazine, showing plenty of skin in each of them.

She shed her Disney princess image long ago, but the starlet still seems intent on proving again and again that she isn’t the wholesome type.

Miley Cyrus also dyes her crop of hair various colors for the arresting snapshots, including bubblegum pink, bright orange, lilac and white.

Miley Cyrus has posed for a new issue of V magazine in her raciest photo shoot ever
Miley Cyrus has posed for a new issue of V magazine in her raciest photo shoot ever

And she said of her sudden and surprising image overhaul: “I chopped my hair and bought a pair of Docs and never looked back.”

For the new issue of the magazine, Miley Cyrus was interviewed alongside Pharrell Williams, who helped produce her upcoming fourth studio album.

Miley Cyrus said of the record: “Everyone can like what we’re doing. That’s when I feel like my record is so different. It’s not what people expect where it’s me giving my mi**le finger and saying, <<F*** you. I didn’t make a record for the people that love me.>>

“I made a record for the people that love me, but then I made a record for the people that I want to start to understand me.”

The album is scheduled to be released this year and Miley Cyrus admitted she is glad she has taken her time on getting it right.

“I got excited because on this record I can say whatever I want,” she said.

“And then I got more comfortable with that and the record got better and better.

“If I had made it two years ago when I should have had a record come out, it would have been a little brat trying to say <<This isn’t who I am! This is what I’m trying to prove!>>. Now I’m not trying to prove anything to anybody.”

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Kim Kardashian gets fish pedicure in Greece (Video)

Lisa.Felice
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0
Kim Kardashian gets fish pedicure in Greece (Video)

A fish pedicure in Greece on Monday left Kim Kardashian screaming in horror – and it was all caught on tape.

Khloe Kardashian filmed both Kim and Kourtney getting a fish pedicure – the treatment started off in Asia and has become a worldwide craze.

Kim Kardashian, 32, posted the footage on Keek on Wednesday and it was clear from the very beginning the star was not happy about her fishy pedicure.

“I’m about to do a fish pedicure,” she wrote.

Kim Kardashian – who showed off her growing bump in a short high-necked cream gown – immediately started screaming as the little fish nibbled away at the dead skin on her feet.

A fish pedicure in Greece left Kim Kardashian screaming in horror
A fish pedicure in Greece left Kim Kardashian screaming in horror

“Oh my god, oh my god, I don’t like it, I don’t like it,” the reality star can be heard screaming in the video.

“Can I take them out, can I take them out?

“I hate it.”

The rest of the Kardashians tired to get Kim to go through with the procedure even yelling at her to keep her feet in.

“Kimberly stop,” Khloe Kardashian says off camera.

Kourtney Kardashian meanwhile took the pedicure in her stride, sitting calmly as the little fish went to work.

She does exclaim in the video however: “It is the weirdest thing ever.”

Always the joker in one of the Keek videos Khloe Kardashian takes viewers on a tour of the salon and declares that she “would need piranhas” to make her feet smooth.

It may have been a blessing in disguise that Kim Kardashian was not able to go through with the pedicure, as there have been numerous healthy warnings about the practice.

As the fish cannot be sterilized, there has been concern the pedicure can spread infections including, in the most serious cases, HIV and hepatitis C.

Specialists even recommended sufferers of psoriasis, such as Kim Kardashian, should never use the treatments.

Fish pedicures have been banned in some American states including Florida, Texas, New Hampshire and Washington.

Kim Kardashian has been in Greece with both her family and step father Bruce Jenner’s family for a holiday. She flew out to Paris, France, on Tuesday and then headed to England the following day.

[youtube NvNi3CQHg5E]

Ken Barlow: Coronation Street actor William Roache arrested on suspicion of 1960s rape

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Ken Barlow: Coronation Street actor William Roache arrested on suspicion of 1960s rape

William Roache has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 15-year-old girl in the 1960s.

A man, aged 81, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, is being questioned at a Lancashire Police station, police said.

The offences are alleged to have been committed in Haslingden between April and July 1967, officers said.

Neither William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow in Coronation Street since 1960, nor his representatives have commented.

A Coronation Street spokesman said: “Given that a police investigation is under way it would not be appropriate to comment.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “An 81-year-old man from Wilmslow in Cheshire has this morning, Wednesday May 1 2013, been arrested by Lancashire Constabulary on suspicion of rape.

“The man will be interviewed at a police station in Lancashire during the course of the day.

“We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously and would encourage people with any information about sexual abuse, or anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, to come forward and report their concerns confident in the knowledge they will be investigated appropriately and with sensitivity.”

William Roache has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 15-year-old girl in the 1960s
William Roache has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 15-year-old girl in the 1960s

Two police officers are stationed by the closed wrought iron gates outside the star’s home.

In March William Roache issued an apology after he appeared to suggest in a New Zealand television interview that sex abuse victims were being punished for behavior in “previous lives”.

The actor also said if there was anonymity for people making accusations of child sex offences, there should also be anonymity for those accused because of the stigma they faced even if innocent.

William Roache has an award from Guinness World Records for being the world’s longest-serving soap actor, having played Ken Barlow since Coronation Street’s first episode.

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Deanna Durbin dies at the age of 91

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Deanna Durbin dies at the age of 91

Deanna Durbin, one of Hollywood’s biggest box-office stars in the 1930s and early ’40s, has died aged 91, her son has announced.

Her son, Peter H. David, made the announcement in a newsletter to her fans, saying Deanna Durbin died “a few days ago”.

In 1947 Deanna Durbin was the highest-paid star in the United States. But she retired from the business the following year when she was just 27.

Deanna Durbin made her film debut in the 1936 MGM short Every Sunday, in which she appeared alongside Judy Garland.

Deanna Durbin was one of Hollywood's biggest box-office stars in the 1930s and early '40s
Deanna Durbin was one of Hollywood’s biggest box-office stars in the 1930s and early ’40s

Born Edna Mae Durbin in Winnipeg, Canada in 1921, Deanna Durbin was nurtured and promoted by producer Joe Pasternak.

Her first movie for the Universal studios, Three Smart Girls, was nominated for the best picture Oscar in 1937.

Deanna Durbin auditioned for the part of Snow White in 1936. But Walt Disney turned her down, saying her 15-year-old voice was too mature for the part.

In 1939, Deanna Durbin and fellow teen star Mickey Rooney were presented with Juvenile Academy Awards for their “significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth.”

The success of her films, which reportedly saved Universal from bankruptcy in the late 1930s, was estimated to account for 17% of the studio’s revenue during the decade.

In 1946 Deanna Durbin’s salary of $323,477 made her the second highest-paid woman in America, just behind Bette Davis.

Winston Churchill watched her films before they were released to the general public in the UK, while Anne Frank hung a picture of Deanna Durbin on the wall of the attic in which she and her family hid from the Nazis.

In 1949, after 21 films and at the height of her worldwide fame, Deanna Durbin quit the movie business and retired to a village in France.

She shunned the spotlight with her third husband, the film director Charles David, who died in 1999.

Deanna Durbin rarely gave interviews but did send reporters a letter in 1958 in which she said she was “never happy making pictures”.

“The character I was forced into had little or nothing in common with myself – or with other youth of my generation, for that matter.”

[youtube Kr1zs0wFEgU]

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renew vows by shutting down Disneyland for a fairytale-themed ceremony

Lisa.Felice
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0
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renew vows by shutting down Disneyland for a fairytale-themed ceremony

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renewed their wedding vows by shutting down Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to walk down the aisle for a fifth time in a lavish fairytale-themed ceremony.

Mariah Carey, 43, was transformed into a princess for her special evening, arriving in front of the iconic Magic Kingdom castle in a horse-drawn pumpkin-shaped carriage that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a scene from Cinderella.

Having the opportunity to wear yet another wedding gown, the singer donned a typically over-the-top corseted ivory dress, featuring a dramatic ruffle detail skirt and train.

Wearing her hair swept up into a half beehive, Mariah Carey adorned her head with a glittering diamond tiara, which she teamed with matching earrings and a sparkling necklace.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renewed their wedding vows by shutting down Disneyland in Anaheim
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renewed their wedding vows by shutting down Disneyland in Anaheim

Posting a series of short videos on her Vine page, Mariah Carey could be seen getting ready for her fifth big day alongside her 2-year-old daughter Monroe.

Monroe wore a princess-inspired white gown, which would have no doubt made her the absolute envy of the playground.

Instead of the glittering diamond headpiece her mother was wearing, Monroe had white ribbons in her hair as she joined in the celebrations.

Poking fun at her “diva” reputation, Mariah wrote on her Twitter page: “Slowly making our way to the freezing cold guests #donthatemebecauseimadiva #cinderella.”

Before later adding alongside a video of her and Monroe: “Mommy and princess Monroe.”

Mariah Carey and little Monroe were then seen making their way to the Disneyland ceremony in a giant pumpkin-shaped carriage pulled by two white horses as the visibly emotional star wiped away the tears from her eyes.

She tweeted: “On our way to renew our vows. I love you @NickCannon shut down Disneyland KKLB.”

Nick Cannon – dressed as Cinderella’s Prince Charming – only appeared in the selection of videos very briefly, and was seen holding hands with the couple’s son Moroccan, who was dressed in a mini white tuxedo, as the carriage carrying Mariah and Monroe pulled up.

The picture-perfect family then made their way down the aisle in front of a selection of close friends and relatives as the couple toasted their fifth wedding anniversary in dramatic style.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon raised eyebrows when they tied the knot on April 30, 2008, at the singer’s private estate in the Bahamas after just six weeks of dating.

Since then, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have renewed their vows in a variety of locations, including Las Vegas, the hospital bed after she gave birth to the twins and most recently, Paris.

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Three new Boston suspects: Dias Kadyrbayev, Azamat Tazhayakov and unnamed American student

Diane A. Wade
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Three new Boston suspects: Dias Kadyrbayev, Azamat Tazhayakov and unnamed American student

Three new suspects were arrested in connection to the Boston Marathon bombing and they are thought to be Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s roommates, Kazachs  Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov and an unamed American, who helped him cover his tracks after the fatal blasts.

The Boston Police Department were the first ones to report the arrest over their Twitter feed, and The Boston Globe claimed that the three people in custody were college students and the roommates of the younger bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Federal sources told The Washington Post that the three students disposed of undisclosed material in a landfill on behalf of their 19-year-old Chechen friend Dzhokhar Tsarnaev following the bombing.

The clue fits as police were seen searching a landfill in nearby New Bedford, Massachusetts last week during their search for evidence in the case.

Two of the suspects, identified as Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, were already in police custody in regards to an immigration issue that investigators discovered after questioning them over their license plates that read “TERRORISTA#1”. Those two friends are Kazakh citizens and the third is thought to be an American national.

The three are charged with making false statements and conspiracy to obstruct justice, which implies that they were not involved in actually carrying out the attack but rather helping the suspect evade police after the fatal blasts.

Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Times Square last year
Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Times Square last year

The claims were reiterated by NBC’s Pete Williams, who said that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s roommates were arrested Wednesday and charged with giving false information to police.

The three were all students at UMass Dartmouth- where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was enrolled- and that they helped him after the April 15 bombings.

This is not the first time that the bomber’s roommates have come under investigation, as they prompted alarm bells after it was revealed that they were driving a BMW with license plates that read “TERRORISTA#1”.

Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov remained in custody over immigration issues as they are Kazakh nationals whose academic visas had expired.

CNN has since identified Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov as two of the three friends that were arrested today.

The third person in custody on Wednesday is believed to be an American citizen who will be charged with making a false statement, according to CBS.

Attorney Robert Stahl told CBS that they were drawn to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev because he also spoke Russian.

The attorney confirmed they now face separate federal charges and have an afternoon court appearance related to the bombing case.

CBS reports that the men will be charged conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.

ABC affiliate WCVB reports, citing a lawyer who was briefed on the case early Wednesday, that the three suspects disposed “of a backpack full of fireworks that was in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room, done at the request of Tsarnaev sometime after the bombing.”

CBS reports that the suspects were arrested for “harboring or aiding the suspects after the fact” and that they are in the custody of the FBI.

“At this point, we’re not really in a position to make any comment,” FBI spokesman Alison Mahan told Talking Points Memo.

The Boston police followed up their initial tweet by confirming that there is no threat to public safety.

The news of the arrests comes one day after the elder suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s wife Katherine Russell was interviewed by investigators after they spent hours searching her home.

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