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Will Amanda Knox be extradited for retrial?

Nancy Clayson
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Will Amanda Knox be extradited for retrial?

Italy’s Supreme Court’s decision to retry Amanda Knox for the murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher sparks a heated legal debate that raises questions of double jeopardy.

The U.S. constitution bans double jeopardy, or being tried twice for the same crime; however, the Italian courts have no such law, meaning that they will use the same evidence to try Amanda Knox for the 2007 murder.

According to legal experts, Italy’s Supreme Court decision could throw both countries into uncharted territory, as it is highly unlikely the U.S. will extradite Amanda Knox to face trial.

Amanda Knox’s Italian lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said it was unlikely that his client does not intend to return to Italy to face trial, which would likely take place this year or next. However, Amanda Knox can be tried in absentia.

“Amanda does not intend to come back for the retrial,” he said.

“Her home is in Seattle and she doesn’t need to be here.”

Carlo Dalla Vedova added that the decision to order a new trial was shocking.

“She thought that the nightmare was over,” he said on the steps of the courthouse.

“But she’s ready to fight.”

When the Italian courts reach a final decision they can also ask for her extradition, the lawyer told Reuters. At that point, the U.S. Department of State would have to weigh in on the request and make its own decision. The state department would then turn to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek the Seattle resident’s extradition.

Regardless of the outcome, the new trial will prove to be an expensive and emotionally-charged spectacle.

After the court’s decision, Amanda Knox struck back: “No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity,” she said in a statement.

Amanda Knox has largely avoided the public eye since returning to Seattle, Washington, and has been spotted around the town running errands and resuming her studies.

Her memoir, Waiting to be Heard, is due out in April.

Amanda Knox’s memoir, Waiting to be Heard, is due out in April 2013
Amanda Knox’s memoir, Waiting to be Heard, is due out in April 2013

Meredith Kercher, 21, a Leeds University student, was found semi-naked with her throat cut in the bedroom of the house she shared with Amanda Knox, in Perugia in November 2007.

The first trial caused a stir as both Amanda Knox and her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollicito were acquitted of Meredith Kercher’s murder, and a polarizing divide in national thought. Americans largely understood the two to be innocent, while the British believed them to be getting away with murder.

The initial trial also put Amanda Knox’s character in the forefront as prosecutors painted the American student as a sexual deviant who experimented with marijuana.

But in 2011, the evidence was re-visited and much of it was found to be “contaminated”.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito spoke on the phone soon after Italy’s Supreme Court’s decision of retrial.

Raffaele Sollecito’s current girlfriend Annie Achille said: “They will see what can be done.”

Annie Achille added that Raffaele Sollecito, who turned 29 yesterday, is “destroyed” and not talking to anyone.

Meredith Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was in Italy as an exchange student from Leeds University.

She was found dead in 2007, in the cottage she shared with Amanda Knox in Perugia.

Her throat had been slit and her semi-naked body had been covered with a duvet. After a lengthy trial in Perugia, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of the murder in December 2009 and sentenced to 26 and 25 years respectively.

Two years later, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were freed after an appeal court found that the case had been botched and DNA evidence contaminated.

A third suspect, Rudy Guede, whose DNA and bloody footprints were found all over the crime scene, is serving a 16-year prison sentence, reduced from 30 years on appeal.

Meredith Kercher’s family welcomed the Italian court’s judgment. Her sister Stephanie said: “We are never going to be happy about any outcome because we have still lost Meredith but we obviously support the decision and hope to get answers from it.

“There are still so many unanswered questions. All we have ever wanted to do is do what we can for Meredith and to find out the truth of what happened that night.”

Amanda Knox had rejoiced after her conviction was sensationally overturned in 2011.

She fled Italy within hours, returning home to the US, where she quickly embraced life as a free woman.

Amanda Knox now shares a flat with boyfriend James Terrano, a classical guitarist, and is studying at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she can be near her parents and three sisters.

She is preparing for the publication next month of a memoir for which she has been paid a reported $3.8 million.

Raffaele Sollecito remained in Italy and is studying robotic surgery at the University of Verona. He has already released a book about his experience. In it he said that he and Amanda Knox were still in touch – he visited her earlier this year and they speak on Skype regularly.

His lawyer Giulia Bongiorno said: “We are still strong. This is not a sentence in itself: this is just an annulment.”

Amanda Knox’s appeal against her conviction for slander – for having falsely accused her boss Patrick Lumumba of the murder – was rejected. She has already served the three-year prison sentence for that conviction, but was ordered to pay Lumumba €4,000 ($5,100) in costs.

The retrial will be held in Florence, with different judges, to avoid accusations of prejudice against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito.

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Golden Gate Bridge human toll collectors replaced by electronic tolls

Nancy Clayson
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Golden Gate Bridge human toll collectors replaced by electronic tolls

Human toll collectors at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco are being replaced with an all-electronic system on Wednesday.

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, one of the world’s most iconic bridge, has closed its traditional toll booths to try to speed up traffic and save money.

Finishing their last shift, some of the toll-takers hugged and cried as they left their booths.

“Our DNA is embedded in this bridge… we are part of it,” said Jacquie Dean.

Human toll collectors at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco are being replaced with an all-electronic system on Wednesday
Human toll collectors at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco are being replaced with an all-electronic system on Wednesday

The new system is costing $3.4 million to implement and is expected to save about $17 million over the next 8 years.

The Golden Gate suspension bridge – which spans the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean – is one of America’s best known landmarks.

For more than 75 years, the toll-takers have been the human face of the bridge.

About 70% of motorists already use an electronic pass system to pay the $5 toll. Now all drivers are being told not to stop and to pay later.

Regular bridge users can sign up to the existing FasTrak system which provides motorists with a tag fitted to the windscreen which is read electronically.

They can also set up licence plate accounts or receive bills in the post.

Nine full-time workers and 29 part-time staff are losing their jobs on the bridge, reports say. Some are being placed in other district positions or are retiring.

Jacquie Dean lamented the change, saying: “Some customers still want to pay cash. They don’t want to be tracked and photographed.”

“Golden Gate’s toll-takers deal with people of all walks of life, new drivers and older motorists, wealthy and broke, friendly and cranky, and rushed and leisurely,” said the local news website Marin Independent Journal in an editorial.

“For years, they’ve been the everyday ambassadors for the bridge, fitting in a smile and a greeting into the required precision of their jobs, collecting tolls from 110,000 passing motorists daily.”

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Pope Francis renounces grand papal apartment in favor of two-room residence

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis renounces grand papal apartment in favor of two-room residence

Pope Francis has renounced the grand papal penthouse on the top floor of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace in favor of a modest two-room residence.

The Pope’s spokesman said he was “trying out this type of simple living” in a communal building with other priests.

In doing so Pope Francis has broken a tradition which is more than a century old.

The decision reinforces the newly-elected Pope’s austere reputation. As archbishop of Buenos Aires he refused to move into the Bishop’s Palace.

Preferring more modest accommodation, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio also often cooked his own meals.

Since the reign of Pope Pius X at the beginning of the 20th Century every pope has occupied the palatial penthouse apartment with more than a dozen rooms, staff quarters, a terrace and extensive views over the city of Rome.

Pope Francis has renounced the grand papal penthouse on the top floor of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace in favor of a modest two-room residence
Pope Francis has renounced the grand papal penthouse on the top floor of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace in favor of a modest two-room residence

Since his election Pope Francis has been living in a simple two-room suite in the Domus Santa Marta – a hotel-style residence built by Pope John Paul II next to St Peter’s Basilica.

The Pope intends to go on living there for the foreseeable future, according to the Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.

“This morning he let his fellow cardinals know that he will keep living with them for a certain period of time,” Federico Lombardi said.

He said he could not say whether the Pope would remain in these quarters in the long term.

“It is still a period of getting used to things,” Federico Lombardi added.

Pope Francis will continue to use the papal library on the second floor of the Apostolic palace for receiving official guests and will appear on Sundays at the window used by previous popes to address pilgrims in St Peters Square.

About half the 105 suites in the residence are occupied by Vatican staff, who had to move out of their rooms to accommodate visiting cardinals during the holding of the recent conclave at which Pope Francis was elected.

Pope Francis will take his meals in the communal dining room together with other visiting clerics and permanent residents.

The newly-elected Pope’s simple new communal home contrasts with the much larger accommodation currently being renovated inside the Vatican for the future use of the now retired former Pope Benedict and his staff.

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David Petraeus apologizes for extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell

Nancy Clayson
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David Petraeus apologizes for extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell

Former CIA Director David Petraeus has apologized to those he “hurt and let down”, in his first public speech since resigning over his extramarital affair with biographer Paula Broadwell.

David Petraeus said at the University of Southern California military event his actions had caused “pain for family and friends”.

But the retired general said he hoped his fall would teach others that “life doesn’t stop with such a mistake and must go on”.

David Petraeus quit after his affair with biographer Paula Broadwell was discovered during an FBI investigation.

He was speaking to about 600 guests at the University of Southern California’s annual Reserve Officers’ Training Corps dinner.

David Petraeus has apologized to those he "hurt and let down", in his first public speech since resigning over his extramarital affair with biographer Paula Broadwell
David Petraeus has apologized to those he “hurt and let down”, in his first public speech since resigning over his extramarital affair with biographer Paula Broadwell

David Petraeus received a standing ovation, then began his speech by saying: “Needless to say, I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago.”

The former CIA chief said he was also “keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing”.

David Petraeus added: “So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret – and apologize for – the circumstances that led me to resign from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters.”

David Petraeus has kept a low profile since resigning on November 9, 2012.

His lawyer said David Petraeus had spent much of the time with his family.

A harassment complaint by Florida socialite Jill Kelley over emails she had received had led the FBI to unmask the affair.

Jill Kelley knew David Petraeus through social contacts on the Florida military base where US Central Command is headquartered.

When the FBI investigated, it traced the emails to an apparently jealous Paula Broadwell.

Jill Kelley also knew the top US general in Afghanistan, General John Allen. John Allen also sent emails to Jill Kelley but has been cleared of any misconduct.

Towards the end of his speech, David Petraeus said he hoped his experience “can be instructive to others who stumble or indeed fall as far as I did. One learns, after all, that life doesn’t stop with such a mistake. It can and must go on”.

David Petraeus added: “I know that I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and on a number of others.

“I can, however, try to move forward in a manner that is consistent to the values to which I subscribed before slipping my moorings and, as best as possible, to make amends to those I have hurt and let down.”

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Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery stretch removed by developer amid protests

Sonia Pantiss
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Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery stretch removed by developer amid protests

Parts of a historic stretch of the Berlin Wall have been removed by a German property developing firm amid heavy police presence, despite a week of protests.

Four segments of the so-called East Side Gallery stretch have been removed by builders on Wednesday morning to open access to a building site for blocks of flats.

Some 250 police officers were deployed as the sections were dismantled.

The re-development project has sparked outrage among citizen groups, who say the site is a symbol of freedom.

Four segments of the so-called East Side Gallery stretch have been removed by builders on Wednesday morning to open access to a building site for blocks of flats
Four segments of the so-called East Side Gallery stretch have been removed by builders on Wednesday morning to open access to a building site for blocks of flats

Workers tried to dismantle the segments on March 1st, but were forced to halt their plans when angry demonstrators blocked their path. Another small part of the stretch has already been removed.

Set on the banks of the River Spree, the East Side Gallery is the Wall’s longest remaining stretch, measuring 1.3 km (0.8 miles).

The East Side Gallery became one of Berlin’s most visited attractions in the early 1990s after international artists painted its concrete surfaces with strong, often irreverent images depicting, for example, Soviet and East German leaders locked in a kiss.

But in recent times it has turned into a symbol for the gentrification of the new Berlin, with property developers seeking to build apartments along the river, our correspondent says.

On Wednesday at 05:00 a.m., workers took down four chunks measuring around 1.2 m to make space for a construction site gate, police said.

“We are here on the one hand to enable [builders] to continue their construction work and on the other side we want to welcome people who want to protest against this and finally allow them to stage their protest,” police spokesman Volker Alexander Toennies said.

No incidents were reported during the early morning removal but the number of protesters at the site is growing, according to German media.

In total, 22 m will be taken down for the riverside flats.

Although the stretch was heritage-listed in 1991, the protection applies only to the wall itself, not to the land it stands on.

The missing segments will be replaced once construction work is completed, the building project’s private investor, Maik Uwe Hinkel, has told Bild newspaper.

The re-development plan has caused a major headache for all parties involved.

The East Side Gallery falls under the authority of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, which gave the green light for the new flats.

But the ensuing public controversy has forced Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit – a critic of the project – to become involved in negotiations and propose alternatives to the wall’s removal.

On Tuesday evening, talks between Klaus Wowereit, local district authorities and the property developer failed to reach an agreement, Germany media report.

The issue is a part of a continuing debate in Berlin as the city morphs from one with little money – poor but cool, as one mayor put it – into a global magnet for the fashionable and rich.

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North Korea warns South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye to behave with discretion to avoid horrible disaster

Roy Siemens
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North Korea warns South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye to behave with discretion to avoid horrible disaster

North Korea has hit out at South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye, a day after she urged Pyongyang to change course and abandon its nuclear goals.

Warning her against “slandering”, North Korea told Park Geun-hye to behave with discretion to avoid “horrible disaster”.

Park Geun-hye’s comments came as she marked three years since the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship.

Overnight, meanwhile, South Korea briefly placed a border military unit on its highest alert.

South Korea's President Park Geun-hye spoke in Daejeon, where the 46 sailors who died when the Cheonan warship sank on 26 March 2010 are buried
South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye spoke in Daejeon, where the 46 sailors who died when the Cheonan warship sank on 26 March 2010 are buried

The alert happened early on Wednesday after a South Korean soldier discovered a “strange object” at the border, military officials said. The alert prepares troops for a possible incursion from North Korea.

The soldier, who was at a military post in Hwacheon, in South Korea’s north-eastern Gangwon province, threw a grenade at the object at around 02:30 local time, officials said. The alert was lifted at 09:20 local time.

Tensions are high on the Korean peninsula following multiple threats from North Korea in recent days.

The border incident came hours after North Korea said it had ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said that North Korea’s threats “followed a pattern designed to raise tensions” and that North Korea would “achieve nothing by these threats”.

North Korea has been angered by fresh UN sanctions imposed after its nuclear test on February 12. It also bitterly opposes joint US-South Korea military drills that are currently taking place.

In its latest statement, carried by state-run KCNA news agency, North Korea told President Park Geun-hye that its patience was being pushed to the limit.

“She should behave with discretion, clearly mindful that a wrong word may entail horrible disaster at a time when the North-South relations are being pushed to the lowest ebb and the danger of an all-out war is increasing on the Korean Peninsula,” it said.

“If she keeps to the road of confrontation like traitor [former president] Lee [Myung-bak], defying the warnings of the DPRK [North Korea], she will meet a miserable ruin.”

On Tuesday Park Geun-hye had told the North its only path to survival lay “in stopping provocations and threats, abandoning its nuclear weaponry and missiles”.

Park Geun-hye spoke in Daejeon, where the 46 sailors who died when the Cheonan warship sank on 26 March 2010 are buried. South Korea says a North Korean torpedo sank the ship; Pyongyang denies any role in the incident.

The South Korean president has spoken in the past of a desire for more dialogue with North Korea but current tensions are obstructing movements to improve ties.

Late on Tuesday, North Korean state-run media also reported that its top political bureau would soon hold a rare meeting to discuss “an important issue for victoriously advancing the Korean revolution”.

It did not specify the issue, or the date of the meeting.

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Rio 2016 Olympics stadium closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof

Clyde K. Valle
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Rio 2016 Olympics stadium closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof

The Brazilian stadium that was due to host athletics at the 2016 Olympics has been closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof.

The Joao Havelange stadium in Rio de Janeiro was built only six years ago.

The stadium was also being used as the main football venue in Rio, while the city’s Maracana stadium is being renovated for the 2014 World Cup.

It is an embarrassment for Brazil as it prepares for its two huge sporting events, say correspondents.

The Joao Havelange stadium in Rio de Janeiro that was due to host athletics at the 2016 Olympics has been closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof
The Joao Havelange stadium in Rio de Janeiro that was due to host athletics at the 2016 Olympics has been closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof

Brazilian authorities have also acknowledged delays in work on the Maracana and a funding problem at another stadium, which is set to host the opening match at the World Cup.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told a news conference on Tuesday that he had been told about the structural problems at the stadium – locally referred to as the Engenhao – earlier the same day.

“I asked if this represented a risk for spectators and they told me it did, depending on the wind speed and temperature.

“On that basis, I immediately decided to close the stadium until we had more details.”

Eduardo Paes said the situation was “simply not acceptable” for a stadium which opened such a short time ago, and warned that those responsible would be held to account.

The Joao Havelange stadium opened late and over budget in 2007.

The stadium has since been leased to local football club Botafogo.

Dog Attack: Jade Anderson, 14, found dead in Atherton after out of control dogs attack her

Nancy Clayson
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Dog Attack: Jade Anderson, 14, found dead in Atherton after out of control dogs attack her

Jade Anderson, a 14-year-old girl from UK, has been found dead at a house where a number of dogs were “out of control”.

Jade Anderson’s body was discovered by police on Tuesday, March 26, at a property in Atherton, near Wigan, at about 14:00 GMT after someone saw the girl unconscious in the house.

Police have not established the cause of death but said her injuries were “consistent with having been attacked by dogs”. Four of the dogs were killed.

Jade Anderson did not live at the Chaucer Grove home and was thought to be visiting.

Jade Anderson's body was discovered by police on Tuesday, March 26, at a property in Atherton, near Wigan
Jade Anderson’s body was discovered by police on Tuesday, March 26, at a property in Atherton, near Wigan

Greater Manchester Police said four dogs described as “aggressive and out of control” had since been put down.

Early indications were two of the dogs put down were bull mastiffs and two may be Staffordshire bull terriers, officers said.

Police arrived to find Jade Anderson alone in the house and managed to get four of the five dogs contained in the garden.

The force said the animals were then put down “humanely” by armed officers. A fifth dog was securely contained.

The dogs’ remains will now be examined as part of the investigation into the incident.

Supt Mark Kenny said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of the girl who has tragically lost her life.

“I understand this is an extremely distressing incident for all concerned, including the community, and we will work hard to establish the full circumstances that led to this tragedy.”

He added there would be a “significant” police presence in the area while police investigated the incident.

Friends have already posted online tributes to Jade on social media websites.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates about 210,000 people are attacked by dogs in England every year.

Five children and one adult have been killed by dogs on private property since 2007.

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Jesse James shares personal photo from his wedding to Alexis DeJoria

Lisa.Felice
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Jesse James shares personal photo from his wedding to Alexis DeJoria

Jesse James, Sandra Bullock’s ex-husband, has shared his first personal picture from his wedding day to Alexis DeJoria.

In the image posted on Twitter, Jesse James smiles widely as his bride wraps her hand around the back of his neck, both gazing into the camera lens.

The snap – released on Monday – appears to be an amateur self-portrait taken by Jesse James with the sun in the background bursting though the many trees and lighting up her veil.

Jesse James has shared his first personal picture from his wedding day to Alexis DeJoria
Jesse James has shared his first personal picture from his wedding day to Alexis DeJoria

Alongside the image Jesse James posted a caption which suggests his latest woman completes his life.

Sandra Bullock’s love cheat ex wrote on Instagram: “Photo: Love, Wife, Family, Work… Life always finds a way of showing Us what is most important.. #Humbled…”

Jesse James appears with his greying hair slicked back while the close-up shot shows Alexis DeJoria’s brunette tresses in a wavy style with the front pinned away from her face.

Tattooed bride Alexis DeJoria dons a friendship bracelet on her left arm and she wears minimal make-up on her big day.

Jesse James married Alexis DeJoria in a very extravagant and expensive affair in Malibu on Sunday.

Tamara Ecclestone gives sneak peek of her Playboy spread

Lisa.Felice
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Tamara Ecclestone gives sneak peek of her Playboy spread

Tamara Ecclestone has decided to give fans a cheeky sneak peek of her recent Playboy raunchy shoot.

Tweeting on Tuesday evening Tamara Ecclestone, 28, revealed one of the shots showing her pert derriere in a back plunging gown.

As a French maid tried to zip up Tamara Ecclestone’s dress another figure, cut out of shot, is handing her an expensive stiletto – although the Formula 1 heiress is more interested in the camera.

Tamara Ecclestone has decided to give fans a cheeky sneak peek of her recent Playboy raunchy shoot
Tamara Ecclestone has decided to give fans a cheeky sneak peek of her recent Playboy raunchy shoot

Tamara Ecclestone, who is engaged to Jay Rutland, has been jet-setting across the globe for the last couple of weeks, before returning to LA looking rather orange, just a few weeks before her Playboy spread is set to hit newstands.

The socialite, who reportedly shot for Playboy magazine a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, is set to bare all in a racy vintage-style shoot.

A source told The Daily Mirror: “Tamara is super-proud of her body and is happy to celebrate her curves. She thinks the magazine is vintage and chic and she opted for a cheeky 50s-style shoot.”

“Tamara’s fiancé and family are aware of the project and are fully supportive.”

Kim Kardashian reveals she gained 20 lbs during pregnancy

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian reveals she gained 20 lbs during pregnancy

Pregnant Kim Kardashian revealed she has gained 20 lbs during an interview on Live! With Kelly and Michael in New York.

Kim Kardadshian, 32, used her sister Kourtney as a comparison, stating that her elder sibling had gained more weight in her pregnancy with Penelope at the same mark.

“I’ve gained 20lbs,” said Kim Kardashian, who is almost five months pregnant.

“At this stage Kourtney had gained 30,” the reality star added.

“I will probably gain those 60 pounds, just give me a couple more months.”

Pregnant Kim Kardashian revealed she has gained 20 lbs during an interview on Live With Kelly and Michael in New York
Pregnant Kim Kardashian revealed she has gained 20 lbs during an interview on Live With Kelly and Michael in New York

Kim Kardashian added that so far she has not succumbed to junk food cravings and has so far been indulging in healthy treats.

“I want to have those cravings, like cheeseburgers, but I haven’t. Now I eat healthy I don’t know what’s going on,” she said.

Kim Kardashian revealed that she had recently gone baby clothes shopping for the first time, but made sure to not give the sex of her baby away when Kelly and Michael asked whether she had purchased pink or blue items.

“I bought a lot of black and white,” Kim Kardashian said with a coy smile.

The reality star had nothing but praise for sister Kourtney Kardashian, who has offered encouragement and baby tips.

“I couldn’t survive without Kourtney. She has given me the best tips about strollers and everything,” she said.

In an interview with E! this week, Kim Kardashian said she is enjoying the fact her bump is now showing.

“I think it’s really cute now that my belly has popped a little bit. I think it’s really a sexy thing; it’s cute.

“It’s just such an exciting thing for the guys to see our body go through all these different changes. [Kanye West] loves it and embraces it and he’s helped me feel sexy and embrace it.”

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Amanda Bynes reveals she feels “pudgy” in another bizarre tweet

Lisa.Felice
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Amanda Bynes reveals she feels “pudgy” in another bizarre tweet

Amanda Bynes has come back with another bizarre tweet revealing she feels “pudgy”.

Amanda Bynes, 26, has once again taken to Twitter to discuss her feelings.

While last week it was a graphic description about what she wanted her crush rapper Drake to do to her, this week it is what Amanda Bynes has dubbed “girl problems”.

On Tuesday Amanda Bynes tweeted: “Looking pudgy and I broke my nail #GirlProblems.”

Amanda Bynes has come back with another bizarre tweet revealing she feels pudgy
Amanda Bynes has come back with another bizarre tweet revealing she feels pudgy

The actress posted the comment along with a self snapped picture of herself.

Posing in front of the mirror with one of her less than perfect blonde curly wigs on, amanda Bynes struggles to keep her cleavage inside a floral bodysuit with a built in bra that is far too small for.

She donned the too tight bodysuit with a short black skirt with gold embroidery dress.

Just a few hours later Amanda Bynes had a change of heart, posting a picture of the same outfit with a blue short sleeved shirt over it.

And she captioned the image: “Feeling so fresh today.”

Despite feeling “pudgy” Amanda Bynes has recently lost weight and revealed to Us Magazine she plans to lose more.

She said: “I gain weight quickly so I need to work out constantly.”

“I moved to New York City and I love it! I lost 4 lbs. since I moved. I’m 121 lbs – my goal is 100 lbs.”

Austria: 100 cars pile-up on snow-hit A1 motorway

Nancy Clayson
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Austria: 100 cars pile-up on snow-hit A1 motorway

At least one person died in a pile-up involving about 100 vehicles on snow-hit Austrian motorway A1.

Emergency officials said the crash scene on the west-bound A1 west of Vienna stretched for more than 2 km (1.2 miles).

Six regional fire departments have been at the scene with ambulances and an emergency services helicopter, broadcaster ORF said.

A spell of freezing weather is causing disruption across Europe.

Austrian officials said the accident happened near St Poelten, about 60 km from the capital, and involved about 40 lorries and 60 cars.

At least one person died in a pile-up involving about 100 vehicles on snow-hit Austrian motorway A1
At least one person died in a pile-up involving about 100 vehicles on snow-hit Austrian motorway A1

Franz Resperger of the Lower Austrian fire department said the icy carriageway was a likely factor in the crash.

In southern Austria, at least 29 people were injured – six seriously – in two accidents inside road tunnels in the state of Styria, ORF reported. The A2 motorway, which runs through the tunnels, was blocked in both directions.

Elsewhere, record-breaking snowfall in the Ukrainian capital Kiev has caused traffic chaos and seen many residents taking to skis instead, AFP news agency reported

Heavy snow blanketing three regions of Romania has closed schools and disrupted road traffic.

The freezing weather has also caused chaos on Serbia’s northern border with Hungary where lorries queued for hours amid heavy snowfall.

Black ice coating roads in neighboring Croatia has caused a spate of accidents, national TV reports said.

Amanda Knox to fight to clear her name after Italy’s Supreme Court overturned her acquittal

Nancy Clayson
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Amanda Knox to fight to clear her name after Italy’s Supreme Court overturned her acquittal

Amanda Knox has said she will fight to clear her name after Italy’s Supreme Court overturned her acquittal for killing Briton Meredith Kercher.

Amanda Knox and former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a new trial over the 2007 killing in Perugia.

They were freed on appeal in 2011 after four years in jail, but Italy’s Supreme Court re-opened the case on March 26, 2013.

Amanda Knox does not have to return from the US for the case, but if found guilty she could face extradition.

Raffaele Sollecito, 29, will not have to return to jail while the new appeals process goes ahead.

Both deny killing Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found stabbed to death in the flat she shared with Amanda Knox in Perugia in November 2007.

Amanda Knox has said she will fight to clear her name after Italy’s Supreme Court overturned her acquittal for killing Meredith Kercher
Amanda Knox has said she will fight to clear her name after Italy’s Supreme Court overturned her acquittal for killing Meredith Kercher

The case has drawn intense media interest in Italy, the UK and the US and put the Italian police and justice system under great scrutiny.

In a statement, Amanda Knox, now a 25-year-old student in Seattle, described the court decision to reopen the case as “painful news”.

“The prosecution’s theory of my involvement in Meredith’s murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair,” she said.

“No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity,” Amanda Knox added.

Meredith Kercher’s family has welcomed the decision.

“Whilst we are not happy about going back to court, and it will not bring her back, we have to make sure we have done all we can for her,” Meredith Kercher’s older sister Stephanie said.

Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca said it was “an important day for the Italian legal system”.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for murdering and sexually assaulting Meredith Kercher.

Meredith kercher, a Leeds University student, was found with more than 40 knife wounds on her body, including a deep gash to the throat.

Prosecutors believe she died in a brutal sex game that went wrong.

Another man – Rudy Guede from Ivory Coast – was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years for the killing.

In 2011, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted on appeal, largely on the grounds that DNA evidence was flawed.

But that decision has now been overturned by the Supreme Court after prosecutors argued that it was “contradictory and illogical”.

The court has not yet given a full explanation for its ruling on the appeal, but will announce its reasons within 90 days.

The new trial will be held in Florence rather than Perugia, where the original trial and appeal took place, although the date has not yet been set.

After her release in 2011, Amanda Knox returned to the US.

Both she and Raffaele Sollecito – now a student in Verona – have written books about the case.

Rafafele Sollecito’s book was published last year.

Amanda Knox’s book – titled Waiting to be Heard – is due out on April 30, 2013.

Meredith Kercher case:

  • 1 November 2007: Meredith Kercher is killed at her apartment in Perugia, Italy. Police find her a day later.
  • 6  November 2007: Meredith Kercher’s US housemate Amanda Knox is arrested, along with Raffaele Sollecito and Congolese national Patrick Diya Lumumba.
  • 20 November 2007: Rudy Guede detained in Germany and extradited to Italy. Patrick Diya Lumumba released without charge
  • 28 October 2008: Rudy Guede sentenced to 16 years. A judge rules Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox will face a murder trial
  • 4 December 2009: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito found guilty of murder and sexual violence, and jailed for 26 and 25 years
  • 3 October 2011: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito acquitted
  • 26 March 2013: Re-run of appeals ordered. Acquittals overturned

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Julia Pierson: First woman head of US Secret Service

Diane A. Wade
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Julia Pierson: First woman head of US Secret Service

President Barack Obama has picked Julia Pierson to be the first woman head of the Secret Service, White House officials have announced.

Julia Pierson, currently Secret Service chief of staff, will succeed Mark Sullivan, who announced last month that he would retire.

The Secret Service was caught up in a prostitution scandal last year during a presidential visit to Colombia.

President Barack Obama has picked Julia Pierson to be the first woman head of the Secret Service
President Barack Obama has picked Julia Pierson to be the first woman head of the Secret Service

The agency investigates financial crimes, and protects the US president and his family.

Julia Pierson, originally from Florida, joined the Secret Service’s Miami Field Office in 1983.

From 1988, Julia Pierson spent four years with the Presidential Protective Division.

Julia Pierson’s appointment does not require confirmation by Congress.

David Petraeus to apologize for affair with Paula Broadwell in his first public speech since resignation

Diane A. Wade
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0
David Petraeus to apologize for affair with Paula Broadwell in his first public speech since resignation

Former CIA director David Petraeus is making his first public speech since resigning in November over his extramarital affair with biographer Paula Broadwell.

David Petraeus is scheduled to speak on Tuesday night at a University of Southern California event honoring the military as he carves out a role for himself as a voice on energy, economic and veterans issues.

A prepared text of his speech, obtained by The New York Times, indicates David Petraeus will apologize for the affair with Paula Broadwell.

David Petraeus is expected to acknowledge that he’s “regarded in a different light now” than he was a year ago and that he’ll try to make amends and move forward as best he can.

“I am also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing,” David Petraeus will say, according to The New York Times.

“So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret – and apologize for – the circumstances that led me to resign from the C.I.A. and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters.”

David Petraeus will apologize for the affair with Paula Broadwell in his first public speech since resignation at a University of Southern California event
David Petraeus will apologize for the affair with Paula Broadwell in his first public speech since resignation at a University of Southern California event

David Petraeus, 60, a famed Iraq and Afghan war, is a general retired from the military in 2011 who went on to lead the CIA.

President Barack Obama accepted his resignation from the CIA on November 9, saying David Petraeus had “made our country safer and stronger”, after he admitted having an affair with Paula Broadwell, the author of All In: The Education of General David Petraeus.

David Petraeus will talk about the importance of supporting the families of military personnel and will close his speech by once again referring to his mistakes.

“I know that I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and on a number of others,” the decorated general will say.

“I can, however, try to move forward in a manner that is consistent with the values to which I subscribed before slipping my moorings and, as best as possible, to make amends to those I have hurt and let down.”

David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell affair was discovered during an FBI investigation into emails Broadwell sent to another woman she saw as a rival for Petraeus’ attention – emails the other woman viewed as threatening.

He told his staffers at the time that he was guilty of “extremely poor judgment” in the affair.

“Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours,” David Petraeus told CIA employees in a statement.

After the affair, David Petraeus testified behind closed doors about the Benghazi attack but kept out of the public eye after the very powerful media storm which blew up in the wake of the scandal.

In recent months, however, David Petraeus has increasingly appeared in public for lunches and dinners with former colleagues, foreign officials, members of Congress and policy experts.

Angelina Jolie removes engagement ring and wears a gold band on wedding finger

Lisa.Felice
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0
Angelina Jolie removes engagement ring and wears a gold band on wedding finger

Angelina Jolie was spotted without her engagement ring as she arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Sunday night.

Instead Angelina Jolie, 37, wore a more modest gold band on her wedding finger.

Angelina Jolie was spotted without her engagement ring as she arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with British Foreign Secretary William Hague
Angelina Jolie was spotted without her engagement ring as she arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with British Foreign Secretary William Hague

While there is no news that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have in fact already tied the knot, it appears that she had merely exchanged the jewellery for her official UN work duties.

In fact Angelina Jolie had completely pared back her look for her arrival, wearing a very plain black suit and billowing black T-shirt.

The actress accessorized the conservative look with some leather loafers and several other pieces of simple gold jewellery.

She also wore her hair tied back into a basic ponytail.

According to USA Today, Angelina Jolie is in the African country acting as a representative for the UN’s refugee agency.

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Justin Bieber goes shirtless at Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Poland

Lisa.Felice
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0
Justin Bieber goes shirtless at Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Poland

Justin Bieber was seen once again going shirtless as he stepped through a security gate at Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Lodz, Poland.

Justin Bieber, 19, was departing Poland on Monday following his concert there.

The singer was in full swagger mode as he waited patiently at the check point with his shirt off and his six-pack out on show.

Justin Bieber was seen once again going shirtless as he stepped through a security gate at Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Lodz, Poland
Justin Bieber was seen once again going shirtless as he stepped through a security gate at Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Lodz, Poland

In his typical style, Justin Bieber wore his baggy trousers dangling from his derriere as his white underwear was almost completely revealed.

Unlike his unsuccessful string of dates in London, Justin Bieber received a very positive reaction and loved performing to his Central European fans.

Justin Bieber tweeted: “CRAZY SHOW!! Thank u POLAND!” and later added: “First France does the Merci signs and now the hearts signs in Poland… I love it.”

Alexis DeJoria and Jesse James tie the knot in an extravagant affair in Malibu

Lisa.Felice
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0
Alexis DeJoria and Jesse James tie the knot in an extravagant affair in Malibu

Alexis DeJoria and Sandra Bullock’s ex-husband Jesse James married in a very extravagant and expensive affair in Malibu on Sunday.

Alexis DeJoria’s father is John Paul Dejoria, co-founder of the Paul Mitchell hair care products line and Patron Spirits Company.

She walked up the aisle wearing a traditional white dress adorned with a black embroidered floral design.

The strapless attire featured a large train and also showed off her collection of arm tattoos.

Alexis DeJoria, 35, also donned a huge white veil, wore diamond drop earrings in her ears and carried a bouquet of lilac and white roses.

Jesse James was suited and booted in a black suit, white shirt and black tie.

Alexis DeJoria and Sandra Bullock's ex-husband Jesse James married in a very extravagant and expensive affair in Malibu
Alexis DeJoria and Sandra Bullock’s ex-husband Jesse James married in a very extravagant and expensive affair in Malibu

The couple tied the knot after only dating for around seven months.

It was rumored that Jesse James had the audacity to invite his ex-wife Sandra Bullock to the nuptials, despite the fact that the marriage ended due to his philandering ways.

“It seems Jesse has colossal gall to match his colossal ego,” a source told Star Magazine via RadarOnline.

“After all the hurt and humiliation he’s caused her, Sandra is the last person on Earth who would attend that affair.

“Even after their divorce, Jesse continued to get his digs in on Sandra, saying publicly that he felt <<empty inside>> during their marriage and sneering that he changed as a person after marrying <<some Hollywood actress>>. Sandra will never forget that.”

However, the source went on to claim that Jesse James has at times tried to “reach out to her behind the scenes”, and that perhaps the invite was intended as a “peace offering”.

Jesse James and Sandra Bullock’s relationship imploded in 2010 after five years of marriage just days after Sandra’s Oscar win for The Blind Side when she discovered he had been having an affair with a tattoo model.

Stop The Cyborgs: campaign group warns on Google Glass use

Nancy Clayson
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Stop The Cyborgs: campaign group warns on Google Glass use

A group called “Stop The Cyborgs” warns that Google Glass and other augmented reality gadgets risk creating a world in which privacy is impossible.

Stop The Cyborgs wants limits put on when headsets can be used.

It has produced posters so premises can warn wearers that the glasses are banned or recording is not permitted.

The campaign comes as politicians, lawyers and bloggers debate how the gadgets will change civil society.

Stop The Cyborgs warns that Google Glass and other augmented reality gadgets risk creating a world in which privacy is impossible
Stop The Cyborgs warns that Google Glass and other augmented reality gadgets risk creating a world in which privacy is impossible

Based in London, the Stop The Cyborgs campaign began at the end of February and the group did not expect much to happen before the launch of Google Glass in 2014.

However, the launch coincided with a push on Twitter by Google to get people thinking about what they would do if they had a pair of the augmented reality spectacles. The camera-equipped headset suspends a small screen in front of an owner and pipes information to that display. The camera and other functions are voice controlled.

Google’s push, coupled with the announcement by the 5 Point Cafe in Seattle to pre-emptively ban users of the gadget, has generated a lot of debate and given the campaign a boost.

Posters produced by the campaign that warn people not to use Google Glass or other personal surveillance devices had been downloaded thousands of times.

In addition, coverage of the Glass project in mainstream media and on the web had swiftly turned from “amazing new gadget that will improve the world” to “the most controversial device in history”.

The limits that the Stop The Cyborg campaign wants placed on Google Glass and similar devices would involve a clear way to let people know when they are being recorded.

In a statement, Google said: “We are putting a lot of thought into how we design Glass because new technology always raises important new issues for society.”

“Our Glass Explorer program will give all of us the chance to be active participants in shaping the future of this technology, including its features and social norms,” it said.

Already some US states are looking to impose other limits on augmented reality devices. West Virginia is reportedly preparing a law that will make it illegal to use such devices while driving. Those breaking the law would face heavy fines.

Kim Kardashian reveals Kanye West wants a “unique” name for their baby

Lisa.Felice
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0
Kim Kardashian reveals Kanye West wants a “unique” name for their baby

Speaking to Extra TV host Maria Menounos, Kim Kardashian has revealed her rapper boyfriend Kanye West wants a “unique” name for their baby.

Kim Kardashian, 32, and Kanye West, 35, are expecting their first-born in July and she hinted they could keep up family tradition with a name beginning with K.

The reality star said: “I think it would be really cute cause Kanye and I are both K’s…but half the names on our list aren’t K’s…we still have time, whatever feels right…Kanye, being the father, wants something that’s unique.”

Kanye West, whom Kim Kardashian has been dating for a year, is also rumored to be naming his new album I Am God.

Kim Kardashian reveals Kanye West wants a “unique” name for their baby
Kim Kardashian reveals Kanye West wants a “unique” name for their baby

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Cyprus bank deposits over 100,000 euros could be cut by 40%

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Cyprus bank deposits over 100,000 euros could be cut by 40%

Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris has confirmed that the depositors with less than 100,000 euros in their accounts “will not be hit”.

People with more than 100,000 euros in their accounts could see about 40% of their deposits converted into bank shares, Michalis Sarris said.

“The exact percentage is not… yet decided but it is going to be significant,” he said.

The final figure will depend on how the government decides to protect pensions.

The finance minister confirmed that all Cypriot banks will remain closed until Thursday and that capital controls will be placed on the size and the amount of money people will be allowed to withdraw once they have reopened.

Cyprus bank deposits over 100,000 euros could be cut by 40 percent
Cyprus bank deposits over 100,000 euros could be cut by 40 percent

These restrictions would “probably be a bit stricter” on the country’s two largest banks, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki, and would remain in place until the banking system “stabilizes”, Michalis Sarris said.

The exact details of this “two tier system” would be hammered out with the banks later on Tuesday, he said.

Michalis Sarris is expecting “some bleeding, some outflow” of funds once the banks reopen, but believes that once EU bailout funds begin flowing “in a matter of weeks”, confidence will return.

Although the economy would be badly hit by the economic crisis, Michalis Sarris admitted, he maintained that it could benefit from “an energy boom”, referring to the exploratory Aphrodite gas fields off the southern coast of the island.

“Yes, there will be a problem but we will overcome it in a relatively short period of time,” he said. He also said his government had renegotiated more favorable loans terms with Russia.

The Cypriot authorities had said all but the biggest two banks would open on Tuesday.

Banks have not been open since March 15. Their reopening had been expected after Cyprus agreed a deal with the IMF and the EU that releases 10 billion euros in support.

It was conditional on Cyprus itself raising 5.8 billion euros, most of which looks likely to come from depositors with more than 100,000 euros in Bank of Cyprus and Laiki or Popular Bank.

The banks remained closed after the country’s first money-raising solution, which would have hit smaller deposit holders as well as larger holdings, was rejected by parliament.

The new deal for Cyprus, unlike previous agreements, does not require parliamentary approval. It will also include austerity measures and tax increases.

Laiki will be shut down, and deposits under 100,000 euros, which are guaranteed by the state under EU law, will move into the Bank of Cyprus to create a “good bank”.

Deposits above that insured amount will be frozen and used to pay Laiki’s debts and recapitalize the Bank of Cyprus, with depositor losses eventually converted into shares.

Major depositors, many of whom are wealthy Russians, will not be able to access accounts exceeding the 100,000-euro limit until the restructuring of the banks is complete.

Deke Richards, Motown songwriter and Jackson 5’s producer, dies aged 68

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Deke Richards, Motown songwriter and Jackson 5’s producer, dies aged 68

Deke Richards, the Motown songwriter and producer who was behind songs including The Jackson 5’s first three number one hits, has died aged 68.

Deke Richards, who had oesophageal cancer, died in a Washington state hospice, Universal Music said.

The musician, whose real name was Dennis Lussier, was leader of the Motown songwriting, arranging and producing team The Corporation.

Their hits include The Jackson 5’s chart-topping I Want You Back and ABC.

Deke Richards, the Motown songwriter and producer who was behind songs including The Jackson 5's first three number one hits, has died aged 68
Deke Richards, the Motown songwriter and producer who was behind songs including The Jackson 5’s first three number one hits, has died aged 68

Deke Richards also co-wrote Love Child for Diana Ross and The Supremes, as well as Ross’s solo track I’m Still Waiting.

He produced and wrote for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and Bobby Darin.

The Corporation, which comprised of Motown label head Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren and Deke Richards, was assembled in 1969 to create hit records for the label’s new act, The Jackson 5.

They also wrote, produced and arranged the band’s singles and Maybe Tomorrow and Mama’s Pearl.

According to Michael Jackson biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Mama’s Pearl was originally called Guess Who’s Making Whoopie (With Your Girlfriend).

But Deke Richards had the lyrics changed to preserve the young frontman’s innocent image.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Deke Richards’ “love of music” kept him involved with a variety of projects, including last year’s production of The Jackson 5’s Come and Get It: The Rare Pearls, featuring rare and unreleased tracks.

Deke Richards’ final work was the mixing of eight unreleased tracks by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas for the band’s 50th anniversary box set, which is to be released on April 5.

Deke Richards is survived by his wife, Joan Lussier, a brother and two nephews.

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North Korea announces rocket units combat posture to target US

Roy Siemens
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North Korea announces rocket units combat posture to target US

North Korea announces it has ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.

The announcement, carried by KCNA news agency, follows days of strong rhetoric from Pyongyang.

The north Korean move came as South Korea marked the third anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan warship, which left 46 sailors dead.

South Korea said it had detected no signs of unusual activity in the North.

Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula in the wake of North Korea’s third nuclear test on February 12. The test led to new UN sanctions which Pyongyang strongly opposes.

Joint US-South Korea annual military drills have further angered the communist nation. In recent weeks its habitually fiery rhetoric has escalated – it has threatened the US with “pre-emptive nuclear attacks”, as well as strikes on US military bases in Japan.

“From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army will be putting in combat duty posture No 1 all field artillery units including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units that will target all enemy objects in US invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam,” the KCNA statement said.

North Korea announces it has ordered artillery and rocket units into "combat posture" to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland
North Korea announces it has ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland

North Korea is not thought to have the technology to strike the US mainland with either a nuclear weapon or a ballistic missile, but it is capable of targeting US military bases in the region with its mid-range missiles.

North Korea’s announcement comes as the country carries out large-scale military exercises, and it is not clear whether the order applies to the army as a whole or just to specific units.

In a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that he hoped that “relevant parties [would] exercise restraint so as to ease the tension”.

The statement came hours after South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on North Korea to “change course” by abandoning nuclear weapons.

Speaking at the national cemetery in Daejeon where the sailors who died when the warship sank are buried, Park geun-hye said North Korea continued to threaten the South’s national security.

“For the North, the only path to survival lies in stopping provocations and threats, abandoning its nuclear weaponry and missiles, and becoming a responsible member of the international community,” she said.

The Cheonan sank in 2010 near the disputed inter-Korean western maritime border. South Korea says a North Korean torpedo sank the ship but Pyongyang denies any involvement.

Months later, North Korea shelled a border island, Yeonpyeong, in the same area, killing four South Koreans, including two civilians. It said it was responding to military exercises in the South.

Last week, South Korea and the US signed a new military plan – conceived after the shelling – pledging joint action to counter limited attacks from North Korea.

Meanwhile, websites of associations for North Korean defectors said that their networks crashed earlier on Tuesday. They said that they were victims of a cyber-attack.

Officials said that South Korean broadcaster YTN’s network and a computer network used by seven local governments were also briefly paralyzed, Yonhap news agency reported.

Daily NK, a news site focused on North Korea, said in a post on its Facebook page that it had “experienced a cyber-attack at 13:40” local time on Tuesday.

Free North Korea Radio, a radio broadcaster, also said that its website “was completely destroyed” after an attack around noon, Yonhap reported.

The presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said in a statement that the government was “closely working to confirm if the paralysis cases were caused by technical problems or hacking attacks”.

A cyber-attack on six South Korean banks and broadcasters last week disrupted 32,000 computers and some banking services.

The origin of the attack is not yet known, although there has been speculation that North Korea could have been to blame.

North Korea has been blamed for previous cyber-attacks on the South in 2009 and 2011.

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Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito face Meredith Kercher murder retrial in Italy

Nancy Clayson
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0
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito face Meredith Kercher murder retrial in Italy

Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a retrial over the 2007 killing of Briton student Meredith Kercher, Italy’s highest court has ordered.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito spent four years in jail in Italy for murder but were freed on appeal in October 2011, largely on the grounds DNA evidence was flawed.

Prosecutors appealed and the Court of Cassation overturned the acquittals.

Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years.

He was found guilty of sexually assaulting and stabbing Meredith Kercher. Rudy Guede admitted being at the house on the night of the killing in November 2007, but denies murder.

Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a retrial over the 2007 killing of Briton student Meredith Kercher, Italy's highest court has ordered
Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a retrial over the 2007 killing of Briton student Meredith Kercher, Italy’s highest court has ordered

Meredith Kercher, from Coulsdon, south London, had been on a year abroad from Leeds University when she was found semi-naked in her bedroom and with her throat cut in the cottage she shared with Amanda Knox.

Prosecutors believed Meredith Kercher was killed in a brutal sex game that went wrong.

Addressing the court on Monday, they urged the judges to “make sure the final curtain does not drop on this shocking and dire crime”.

Amanda Knox’s Italian lawyer, Luciano Ghirga, said on Monday her client was “very anxious” about the latest hearing.

Amanda Knox lives in Seattle and a retrial is likely to take place in absentia, as the US is unlikely to extradite her, analysts say.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for killing and sexually assaulting Meredith Kercher.

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