Former US President George H.W. Bush has spent Christmas with his wife Barabara and other family members in a Houston hospital after developing a fever and weakness following a monthlong, bronchitis-like cough, his spokesman said Monday.
A hospital spokesman had said George H.W. Bush, 88, would be released in time to spend the holiday at home, but that changed after he developed a fever.
“He’s had a few setbacks. Late last week, he had a few low-energy days followed by a low-grade fever,” Jim McGrath, George H.W. Bush’s spokesman in Houston, told The Associated Press.
“Doctors still say they are cautiously optimistic, but every time they get over one thing, another thing pops up.”
Jim McGrath said the cough that initially brought George H.W. Bush to the hospital on November 23 is now evident only about once a day, and the fever appears to be under control, although doctors are still working to get the right balance in Bush’s medications. No discharge date has been set.
“Given his current condition, doctors just want to hang on to him,” Jim McGrath said, adding that he didn’t know what had caused the fever.
Former US President George H.W. Bush has spent Christmas with his wife Barabara and other family members in a Houston hospital
George H.W. Bush’s wife, Barbara, his son, Neil, and Neil’s wife, Maria, are expected to visit on Christmas, Jim McGrath said.
Since he was hospitalized, George H.W. Bush has been visited by many of his children and grandchildren, including former President George W. Bush, who came twice, and former Florida Gov Jeb Bush, Jim McGrath said. With 37 members in the immediate family, George H.W. Bush has received many emails and phone calls, Jim McGrath said.
George H. W. Bush, the nation’s 41st president, and his wife, Barbara, live in Houston during the winter and spend their summers in a home in Kennebunkport, Maine.
The former president was a naval aviator in World War II – at one point the youngest in the Navy – and was shot down over the Pacific. He achieved notoriety in retirement for skydiving on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House in 1992.
Being in the hospital for such a long time has not been easy for George H. W. Bush, who is accustomed to being active, Jim McGrath said. But the president has said he’s determined “not to get grumpy about it”.
“He’s just the most relentlessly positive person and he does enjoy joking with the nurses.”
New York newspaper The Journal News is facing significant backlash from readers after publishing a map of all of the names and addresses of every gun owner in Westchester and Rockland counties.
The Journal News culled the list entirely from public records, legally accessible to all, but many readers were upset by the fact that they had been published on an interactive map on the paper’s website.
“This is CRAZY!!” wrote commenter Curtis Maenza, who is not listed on the map.
“This is the type of thing you do for sex offenders not law abiding gun owners. What next? should i hang a flag outside my house that says I own a gun? I am cancelling my subscription with your paper today!!!”
The paper, which is commonly referred to as LoHud, defended their decision by saying that in the wake of the Sandy Hill Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, residents are rightfully interested in knowing who has legal licenses for weapons in their area.
The Journal News is facing significant backlash from readers after publishing a map of all of the names and addresses of every gun owner in Westchester and Rockland counties
Parts of Westchester and Rockland counties buttress up to the Connecticut border, making the reference to the Newtown shooting even more clear. In fact, a select few of the records that were listed in the maps are in New Fairfield, Connecticut.
The Journal News said in a statement to ABC News that readers “are understandably interested to know about guns in their neighborhoods”.
“We obtained the names and addresses of Westchester and Rockland residents who are licensed to own handguns through routine Freedom of Information law requests.
“We also requested information on the number and types of guns owned by permit holders, but officials in the county clerks offices in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties maintained that those specifics were not public record.”
That was not enough to justify their decision to a host of readers, as nearly all of the 1,392 comments on the article are negative.
“Great job, just post our information and give criminals the exact place they can acquire guns and/or ammo,” wrote Tim Hill, who identifies himself as a member of the Marine Corps.
“We are not sex offenders, we should not have our addresses our (sic) there for the whole world to see.”
He went on to say that he will pursue legal action, as his is one of the names listed on the map.
“If they had a map of where all the idiots lived, all of the lohud employees would be on it,” commentor Vinny Verno said.
Kylie Jenner continued to flaunt her privileged lifestyle by posting Instagram snaps of the two expensive-looking Céline luggage-mini purses she received under the Kardashian Christmas tree.
The 15-year-old reality starlet was clearly enamored, tweeting two shots of the black purse and a smaller grey-and-brown handbag from the French luxury house, which retail upwards of $3,000.
“So Mean Céline,” Kylie Jenner wrote to her 3.2 million followers.
And she wasn’t the only one – 17-year-old Kendall Jenner also received designer goods from her half-sister Khloe Kardashian, who gifted the towering teen with $1,200 “Fifi” spiked patent leather Louboutins.
Kendall Jenner once famously received a $90,000 Range Rover for her sweet 16.
Kylie Jenner continued to flaunt her privileged lifestyle by posting Instagram snaps of the two expensive-looking Céline luggage-mini purses she received under the Kardashian Christmas tree
Both Jenner girls made sure to post their season greetings to their massive fanbase on their official site.
“Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Thank you all for being such amazing, supportive fans! We hope you’re spending the day with loved ones and family! Much love from us to you! Xoxoxo.”
Kylie and Kendall Jenner, who used to be Sierra Canyon School cheerleaders, even donned matching white Alexander McQueen dresses for their Christmas Eve festivities with the family.
Kylie Jenner was feeling particularly snap-happy as she celebrated, capturing moments with brothers Brody and Rob, sisters Khloe and Kourtney, their partners Lamar Odom and Scott Disick, and nephew Mason and niece Penelope.
Twisters hopscotched across the US Deep South, and, along with brutal, straight-line winds, knocked down countless trees, blew the roofs off homes and left many Christmas celebrations in the dark.
Holiday travelers in the nation’s much colder midsection battled treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions from the same fast-moving storms.
As predicted, conditions were volatile throughout the day and into the night with tornado warnings still out for some parts of Alabama. The storms were blamed for two deaths, several injuries, and left homes from Louisiana to Alabama damaged.
In Mobile, Alabama, a tornado or high winds damaged homes, a high school and church, and knocked down power lines and large tree limbs in an area just west of downtown around nightfall. WALA-TV’s tower camera captured the image of a large funnel cloud headed toward downtown.
WALA-TV’s tower camera captured the image of a large funnel cloud headed toward downtown in Mobile, Alabama
Queen Elizabeth II gave her Christmas Message to the nation as her Diamond Jubilee year draws to a close.
Since her first message in 1952, The Queen has ruled through enormous historic events and periods of change.
1950s
Queen Elizabeth II gave her first Christmas message in 1952 which was broadcast in sound only on television in the UK.
However, her message five years later was perhaps more significant as it was the first to be televised.
The Queen read from the Long Library at Sandringham House and in her message she noted how it was the 25th anniversary of the first Christmas message broadcast on radio.
She also highlighted the advance of technology which allowed her message to be seen by people up and down the country in their homes.
However, despite marking how things were changing, she also spoke about the importance of holding on to ideals and values such as religion, self-restraint and honesty.
1960s
During this decade the Queen gave birth to Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. It was a period of huge social upheaval which the Queen reflected in her 1966 message.
She used the broadcast to speak about the increasingly prominent and important role played by women in society.
It was also during this year that the Aberfan disaster occurred in which 144 people were killed following the collapse of a colliery spoil tip into the Welsh village of Aberfan.
No Christmas address was given by the Queen in 1969 because Elizabeth felt that with the investiture of Prince Charles and the release of a documentary about the Royal Family she had had enough coverage on television.
1970s
A number of the Queen’s Christmas Day messages during this decade reflected on the continuing troubles in Northern Ireland.
The monarch also celebrated the wedding of her daughter, The Princess Anne, to Captain Mark Phillips.
In 1977, the Queen’s speech celebrated the Silver Jubilee. She used her message to express hope for a reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
In August of that year, she visited Northern Ireland for the first time in 11 years and she attempted to help push for peace.
1980s
The first Christmas Day Message of this decade attracted a record 28 million viewers in the United Kingdom.
The Queen reflected on celebrations for The Queen Mother’s 80th birthday and used her message to address the themes of service in all its forms.
The Queen’s 1982 message marked the 30th anniversary of the first Christmas message. She delivered this message in the library of Windsor Castle for the very first time.
The year was marked by British troops fighting in the Falklands War and so the theme of the message by the Queen was “the sea”.
Prince William was also born during this year with Prince Harry born in 1984.
1990s
In 1990, Her Majesty paid tribute to the role of the armed services as troops prepared for Operation Desert Storm in the First Gulf War.
A year later, her message highlighted the huge changes occurring across Eastern Europe and particularly the Soviet Union, which was dissolved into 15 states on Christmas Day.
In her speech in 1995, the Queen reminded the country of the 50th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day and paid tribute to soldiers who had died in the Second World War.
Two years later, the Queen’s message opened with a reminder of a personal loss when Princess Diana died just a few months earlier. But she also spoke of her joy of married life.
In 1999, she told how she was looking forward to the new Millennium.
2000s
The Queen used her first Christmas message of the new Millennium to reflect on the role of faith in communities.
The following year, Her Majesty made reference to foot-and-mouth disease, which had crippled Britain’s farming community, and the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Her 50th Christmas broadcast in 2002 was tinged with personal sadness for the Queen as she reflected on the deaths of The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
But she also remembered the joyous scenes when the nation celebrated her Golden Jubilee.
In 2005, she drew attention to tragedies such as the south-east Asia tsunami which killed more than 230,000 people in 14 countries, the earthquake in Kashmir and the 7/7 bombings in London.
Critics pointed to her omission of Prince Charles’s wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles, with some in the media describing it as a “snub”.
A year later was the first time the speech was made available as a podcast.
In 2008, she addressed people’s concerns about the global economic crash and called on the nation to work for a better future and not accept defeat.
Queen Elizabeth II gave her Christmas Message to the nation as her Diamond Jubilee year draws to a close
2010s
In 2010, the Christmas message for filmed for the first time at Hampton Court Palace.
She spoke of the unifying force of sport at building communities and featured footage of Prince William and Prince Harry playing football with orphans in Lesotho.
This year, the Queen paid tribute to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes at London 2012 and reflected on the celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee.
It was filmed for the first time in 3D… in stark contrast to that audio-only Christmas message of 1952.
Baseball star Andruw Jones has been arrested for allegedly beating his wife Nicole Derick on Christmas morning at their home in Atlanta, Georgia.
Andruw Jones, 35, was booked into the Gwinnett County jail outside Atlanta, about 3:45 a.m. today on a charge of simple assault.
He won the Golden Glove award ten times in a row between 1998 and 2007 for his performance in the outfield for the Atlanta Braves.
Andruw Jones was released seven hours later on $2,400 bail.
Police were called to his home in the exclusive Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth, Georgia, about 1.25am on Tuesday, according to theGwinnett Daily Post.
Officers were told that Andruw Jones and his wife of ten years Nicole Derick had been fighting.
The couple have a son and daughter together.
Baseball star Andruw Jones has been arrested for allegedly beating his wife on Christmas morning at their home in Atlanta
Once one of the premier players in the big leagues, Andruw Jones broke into the majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1996 and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-07 as their center fielder.
He has 434 career home runs over 17 seasons in the majors.
Mostly recently, Andruw Jones played for the New York Yankees last season in 2012 and was released as a free agent.
Andruw Jones signed a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League earlier this month.
In 2001, Andruw Jones testified in the prostitution case against an Atlanta strip club owner. While he was never charged, he said that he was invited to the Gold Club and that he was propositioned for sex by two strippers.
Andruw Jones testified under oath that he had sex with both the women in front of the club’s owner and six other men.
Former Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been voted in as prime minister again by MPs, after his party’s poll victory earlier this month.
Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner have a two-thirds majority in the lower house.
The governing Democratic Party (DPJ) suffered major losses in the poll, with leader Yoshihiko Noda stepping down.
Conservative Shinzo Abe, who was prime minister in 2006-07, is expected to form a new cabinet later on Wednesday.
He is seen as a hawkish, right-of-centre leader whose previous term in office ended ignominiously amid falling popularity and a resignation on grounds of ill health.
The grandson of a former prime minister and son of an ex-foreign minister, Shinzo Abe, 58, has pledged to take a tough line in a territorial row with China.
China has urged the new government to take “practical steps” to deal with the dispute over islands in the East China Sea.
Former Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been voted in as prime minister again by MPs, after his party’s poll victory earlier this month
Shinzo Abe has also called for Japan’s pacifist constitution to be revised and patriotic sentiment nurtured.
The DPJ was elected in 2009 on its promise to increase welfare spending and break ties between the bureaucracy and big business.
But its failure to deliver on the economy and response to the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami lost it support.
This time round Shinzo Abe campaigned on a platform promising an end to years of economic stagnation, with more public spending and a looser monetary policy.
But some economists say there is little new in Shinzo Abe’s policies, or “Abenomics” as they have been called.
He has also said he would allow nuclear energy a role in Japan’s future despite last year’s disaster.
China has officially opened the world’s longest high-speed rail route, linking the capital Beijing with the southern commercial hub of Guangzhou.
The first bullet train left Beijing on Wednesday morning. Trains will initially travel at 300 km/h (187 mph), more than halving travel time.
A Chinese official has described the route – parts of which were already in operation – as “one of the most technically advanced in the world”.
The 2,298 km route will have 35 stops.
They include such major cities as Wuhan and Changsha.
The previously 22-hour journey will now take less than 10 hours.
China has officially opened the world’s longest high-speed rail route, linking the capital Beijing with the southern commercial hub of Guangzhou
The decision was taken to start the passenger service on 26 December to commemorate the birth of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, state media said.
China is currently expanding its high-speed rail network across the vast country.
But the ambitious project has not been free from controversy.
Forty people died last summer in a crash on a rapid train line in eastern Zhejiang province and the entire high-speed scheme has been dogged with reports of corruption.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wished the troops a merry Christmas with a visit to a U.S. Marine base in Hawaii on Tuesday.
Barack Obama’s appearance with servicemen at a Christmas ceremony was his last public stop in Hawaii before he cuts short his vacation and flies back to Washington to return to negotiations over the fiscal cliff.
The president is expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the White House said Tuesday night. Michelle Obama and the couple’s two daughters will remain in Hawaii.
In the past, Barack Obama’s end-of-the-year holiday in his native state had stretched into the new year. The first family had left Washington last Friday night.
Congress has been expected to return to Washington late Thursday. Before he departed for Hawaii, Barack Obama told reporters he expected to be back in the capital the following week.
Automatic budget cuts and tax increases are set to begin on January 1, which many economists say could send the country back into recession. So far, the president and congressional Republicans have been unable to reach agreement on any alternatives.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wished the troops a merry Christmas with a visit to a Marine base in Hawaii on Tuesday
Lawmakers have expressed little but pessimism for the prospect of an agreement coming before the New Year. On Sunday, Sen Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Republican, said she expects any action in the waning days of the year to be “a patch because in four days we can’t solve everything”.
The Obamas were spending the holiday at a rented home near Honolulu. On Christmas Day, the president and first lady visited with Marines to express thanks for their service.
“One of my favorite things is always coming to base on Christmas Day just to meet you and say thank you,” the president said at Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Anderson Hall. He said that being commander in chief was his greatest honor as president.
Barack Obama took photos with individual service members and their families.
On Christmas Eve, Barack Obama called members of the military to thank them for serving the nation, then joined his family for dinner, the White House said. The Obamas opened gifts Christmas morning, ate breakfast and sang carols.
Friends were joining the Obamas for Christmas dinner Tuesday night, the White House said.
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle celebrated Christmas from their tropical Hawaii getaway as they released a more festive looking picture of themselves onto their Twitter feed.
Despite leaving for Barack Obama’s home state of on Friday, the pair released the seasonal picture to the White House twitter feed today and spoke together during the weekly presidential address of how much they enjoy a White House Christmas.
Both the president and his wife spoke of the joy at spending the Holidays with loved ones and paid a special tribute to the men and women of the armed forces – serving abroad with their families in Afghanistan and in other deployments across the globe.
More than 60% of voters backed the new Egypt’s constitution in a referendum, although only a third of the electorate voted.
Critics say the new constitution favors Islamists and betrays the revolution.
President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in February 2011 after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule.
After the referendum result was announced on Tuesday, dozens of anti-constitution protesters blocked one of the main bridges in the capital Cairo, setting tyres alight and stopping traffic.
Parliamentary elections must now take place within two months.
The political divisions surrounding the referendum have led to economic uncertainty and a reported rush to buy US dollars.
Currency exchanges in parts of Cairo were said to have run out of dollars. Before the result was announced, the authorities declared a limit of $10,000 for travelers into and out of Egypt.
On Monday, Egypt’s central bank issued a statement saying that the banks had “stable liquidity” to safeguard all deposits.
President Mohamed Morsi’s government will soon have to take some unpopular measures to prop up the economy, which could hurt his party at the ballot box.
On Tuesday, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie welcomed the referendum’s results, tweeting: “Congratulations to the Egyptian people on approving the constitution of revolutionary Egypt.”
Echoing his words, Prime Minister Hisham Qandil stressed that there was “no loser” in the vote and called for co-operation with the government to restore the economy.
More than 60 percent of voters backed the new Egypt’s constitution in a referendum, although only a third of the electorate voted
President Mohamed Morsi’s mainly Islamist supporters say that the new constitution will secure democracy and encourage stability.
But opponents accuse the president, who belongs to the Brotherhood, of pushing through a text that favors Islamists and does not sufficiently protect the rights of women or Christians, who make up about 10% of the population.
The US state department responded to the vote by urging all sides in Egypt to commit themselves “to engage in an inclusive process to negotiate their differences”.
In a direct appeal to President Mohamed Morsi, spokesman Patrick Ventrell said that as democratically elected leader he had a “special responsibility… to bridge divisions, build trust and broaden support for the political process”.
Turnout was 32.9% of Egypt’s total of 52 million voters, election commission President Samir Abul Maati told a news conference in Cairo.
Samir Abul Maati rejected opposition allegations that fake judges supervised some of the polling – one of several complaints relating to voting fraud made by the opposition National Salvation Front after each stage of voting.
Egypt has recently seen large demonstrations by both critics and supporters of the constitution, which have occasionally turned violent.
Before the first round of voting on December 15, the opposition considered boycotting the referendum before deciding to back a No vote.
Polling had to be held on two days because of a lack of judges prepared to supervise the process.
Egypt referendum result:
Votes for constitution 10,693,911 (63.8%)
Votes against 6,061,101 (36.2%)
Turnout 32.9% (17,058,317 votes including 303,395 declared invalid)
William Spengler, who allegedly have lured two volunteer firefighters to their deaths in Webster, New York, left a long note outlining his plans, police say.
They told a news conference that the gunman, 62-year-old William Spengler, had three guns and aimed to burn down his neighborhood.
No motive was given but the note said he was planning to “do what I like doing best – killing people.”
The firefighters were shot dead as they arrived to tackle a fire on Monday.
Seven homes on a narrow stretch of land beside Lake Ontario were destroyed by the fire. Another two firemen and an off-duty police officer were wounded in the attack.
Police Chief Gerald Pickering told reporters that Spengler, who apparently shot himself in the head, had used a .38 calibre revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun and a Bushmaster .223 calibre rifle with flash suppression.
The same make and calibre rifle had been used in the murder of 26 teachers and children at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut on 14 December, he said.
The police chief told reporters in Webster that a two- to three-page note from the gunman had been found in which he said: “I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down and do what I like doing best – killing people.”
William Spengler had served 17 years in jail for killing his grandmother with a hammer but had done nothing to attract the authorities’ attention since being granted parole in 1998.
As a convicted criminal, he was not allowed to own weapons.
Police said he appeared to have set “a trap” by setting fire to his home. His older sister, Cheryl, whom he reportedly hated, is missing.
Two of the firefighters who responded to the call, Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, and Mike Chiapperini, aged 43, were shot dead in what was described as a “clear ambush” on emergency services.
Their two wounded colleagues are said to be in a stable condition with gunshot wounds.
William Spengler, who allegedly have lured two volunteer firefighters to their deaths in Webster, New York, left a long note outlining his plans
The off-duty police officer, who was also shot and wounded as he came to their aid, was praised by the police chief for saving people’s lives.
Gerald Pickering cited “mental health issues” as a possible factor for the attack, which came months after the death of William Spengler’s mother.
The Newtown killer, Adam Lanza, killed his mother with her own guns before launching his attack on Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut.
His murders of 20 children aged six and seven have prompted a national debate on gun ownership and mental health.
“It’s sad to see that that this is becoming more commonplace in communities across the nation,” Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn told AP news agency after the attack in New York state.
Jessica Simpson has confirmed she’s pregnant for the second time with a sweet tweet on Christmas morning.
Jessica Simpson, 32, who is engaged to Eric Johnson, posted a picture of her 7-month-old daughter Maxwell sitting in garden with the words “BIG SIS” scrawled in the sand.
She wrote alongside the snap: “Merry Christmas from my family to yours!”
Jessica Simpson confirmed her first pregnancy with a similarly playful post – she dressed as an ancient mummy for Halloween in October 2011 and wrote: “It’s true, I’m going to be a mummy!”
The announcement ends weeks of pregnancy rumors surrounding the star, who had just lost 50 lbs with Weight Watchers as part of a $4 million deal.
Her Expect Amazing commercial, which is officially released on TV today, showed her flaunting her lean post baby body on the back of a pick-up truck.
Weight Watchers congratulated Jessica Simpson on her baby news via a tweet which read: “Congrats to @JessicaSimpson, Eric and big-sister-to-be Maxwell! Your WW family is so thrilled for you. What an amazing year you’ve had!”
Jessica Simpson has confirmed she’s pregnant for the second time
Jessica Simpson was last pictured attending her best friend Cacee Cobb’s wedding to Scrubs star beau Donald Faison in Los Angeles on December 15.
She wore a black bridesmaid dress and had a bouquet on hand to strategically cover her bump.
Although the pregnancy wasn’t planned, Jessica Simpson and retired NFL player Eric Johnson, 33, are overjoyed to be having another baby.
A source previously said: “Jessica wasn’t planning the pregnancy but she’s beyond happy about it. She adores being a mother and she’s always wanted to have a big family so she feels totally blessed to have another baby on the way.”
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson are said to be hunting for a bigger home to accommodate their growing family and have reportedly made an offer on Ozzy Osbourne’s former home.
Ozzy Osbourne’s $13.5 million Hidden Hills home in California boasts six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a recording studio and a pool.
Jessica Simpson hopes to move before her new baby is born.
Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon bought the property – which is situated in a gated community – for $12.4 million five years ago.
It also has floor-to-ceiling windows, and has examples of the couple’s eccentric style such as a black spiral staircase.
A Kazakh military plane said to be carrying senior security officials has crashed in the south of the country, killing all on board.
Twenty-seven people were on the flight, which went down near the city of Shymkent, officials said.
A regional emergencies head told Ria news agency the plane had been completely destroyed.
The Antonov An-72 plane was carrying border service officers, including acting head Turganbek Stambekov.
KTK TV said the plane had disappeared from radar shortly before 19:00 Kazakhstan time (13:00 GMT) as it was making its descent near Shymkent, which is the main Kazakh city in the south, some 75 miles (120km) north of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.
Eyewitnesses told KTK that the plane fell from a height of 800 m (2,600 ft), causing a loud explosion.
A resident identified as Baurzhan Dosov described a big fire, adding that military hats were strewn around the crash site.
The plane went down 12 miles (20 km) from Shymkent aiport in what correspondents told KTK was very bad weather.
“There was no need for rescuers’ help. Only fragments remain,” the head of Kazakhstan’s regional emergencies department, Valikhan Derezhepov, told Ria news agency.
Seven crew and 20 military personnel were on board the military transport plane, Kazakhstan’s Committee for National Security said in a statement.
Interfax-Kazakhstan said that one of Col. Turganbek Stambekov’s deputies and several regional border service commanders were also on the flight, from the Kazakh capital, Astana, to Shymkent.
Col. Turganbek Stambekov was made acting head of the service in June, weeks after 14 border troops were found dead at a burnt-out border post near Kazakhstan’s southern frontier with China. The incident prompted his predecessor to resign.
Another border guard was jailed for life for his alleged role in the incident at the Arkankergen post near Almaty, after he had reportedly confessed to the authorities.
He later said he had been forced into making the confession.
Pope Benedict XVI has called for a political solution to the violence in Syria during his Christmas message, the Urbi et Orbi, in Vatican City.
In front of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter’s Square, he called for all sides in the conflict to engage in dialogue.
“I appeal for an end to the bloodshed and easier access for the relief of refugees and the displaced,” he said.
Christians around the world are celebrating Christmas, which marks the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
In Bethlehem itself, Christmas Eve Mass was celebrated at the 1,700-year-old Church of the Nativity, on the spot where it is believed Jesus was born.
The Urbi et Orbi, which means “to the city and the world”, is a customary part of Christmas for Roman Catholics.
The Pope’s message this year focused on trouble spots around the world, particularly Syria.
“May peace spring up for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conflict that does not spare even the defenceless and reaps innocent victims,” he said.
Activists say 40,000 have been killed in Syria since an anti-government uprising began early in 2011.
Pope Benedict XVI has called for a political solution to the violence in Syria during his Christmas message, the Urbi et Orbi, in Vatican City
The Pope also prayed for harmony in Nigeria, lamenting what he called “savage acts of terrorism” that frequently target Christians.
And he urged China’s new leadership to respect the contribution of religion in creating a “fraternal society”.
It is the first time the Pope has asked for blessings for the Chinese leadership in his Christmas message.
Relations between Beijing and the Vatican are often strained over the Chinese government’s efforts to install clergy sympathetic to the Communist state.
The Chinese authorities detained a Catholic bishop earlier this year after he refused to accept oversight from a state-run body.
Relations between China and the Vatican reached a new low over that incident.
On Monday, Christmas Eve Mass in the Vatican, usually celebrated at midnight, was brought forward by two hours to avoid tiring the 85-year-old pontiff.
At the Mass, he urged Christians to “find time and room for God in their fast-paced lives”.
Game of Thrones has become the most-pirated TV show over the internet in 2012, according to news site Torrentfreak‘s latest annual survey.
It said one episode of the series had racked up 4,280,000 illegal global downloads – slightly more than its estimated US television audience.
The site said that overall there had been a “small increase” in the amount of illegal sharing.
That was despite a “leveling out” of the activity the previous two years.
The rise also followed increased efforts to shut down or block websites providing access to copyright infringing material.
Investigations by the US, Mexican and Ukrainian authorities led to two of the best known file-sharing services disappearing earlier this year – digital locker service Megaupload and Bit Torrent link site Demonoid.
The administrators of Newzbin2 – a site which aggregated links to illegally copied material sourced from Usenet forums – also abandoned the operation after the UK courts forced internet service providers (ISPs) to block access.
In addition, UK-based Surfthechannel went offline after its owner went on trial for “facilitating” copyright infringement – a crime which resulted in him receiving a four year prison sentence.
Several countries ISPs have also been ordered to block The Pirate Bay, although political activists at Europe’s Pirate Parties continue to offer proxy-based workarounds.
Despite all the closures, one episode of Game of Thrones racked up 4,280,000 illegal global downloads, according to Torrentfreak. That was slightly more than its estimated US television audience.
The level of piracy may be linked to the fact that the TV company behind it – HBO – does not allow Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or other US streaming services access to its programmes. It instead restricts them to its own HBO Go online product, which is only available to its cable subscribers.
Outside the US, Torrentfreak noted that Australia was responsible for a disproportionate amount of illegal copies of Game of Thrones and suggested this may have been because episodes were broadcast locally a week later than in the US.
Game of Thrones has become the most-pirated TV show over the internet in 2012
Torrentfreak‘s editor acknowledged that, despite his findings, HBO might still want to keep its current model.
“Not all of the people who pirate do it because it’s free – availability is also a big factor,” said Ernesto Van Der Sar.
“Most of the titles in the top 10 list are behind paywalls and are not distributed very widely. If TV companies offered them online to a broader audience, piracy would be lower than it is now.
“But I’m not sure that would be best for their revenues as they rely on expensive subscriptions which they still sell a lot of. If they allowed people to download individual episodes from Netflix, for example, they might not make as much money.”
The latest effort to combat piracy is a newly announced action plan by Russia and the US.
It involves the two countries:
Co-ordinating efforts with rights holders and law enforcement agencies to force copyright infringing content off the net and take action against those responsible for putting it online.
Pledging to seize and destroy equipment used to make the pirated files.
Working together on legislation, including plans for a Russian law to make ISPs liable for piracy carried over their networks.
“Intellectual property rights not only protect our creators and innovators, but also promote foreign investment, economic development, and job creation,” said US Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
It follows success at introducing other anti-piracy action over the past year.
A series of website blackouts and protests led to the US’s House of Representatives abandoning its Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and the Senate its Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa) in January.
An attempt to bring in an international treaty – the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) – was also derailed after the European Parliament rejected it in July.
However, more recently countries have signaled they intend to press forward with anti-piracy efforts,
In September, Japan changed the law to introduce a maximum two year jail sentence for users found guilty of downloading pirated files.
Major ISPs in the US have announced plans to launch a “six strikes system” early next year, under which suspected pirates would be sent a series of warning letters before facing bandwidth throttling and other punitive measures. And the UK also plans to introduce a letter-writing scheme in 2013.
Wildlife campaigners are at odds over a new attempt to ban the global trade in polar bear parts.
Some activists say the market for rugs and ornaments made from the bears is driving them to extinction, but others argue that the most pressing problem for the species is climate change and the disappearance of polar ice.
The issue will be decided at a UN wildlife conservation meeting in Thailand in March 2013.
The Humane Society International/UK says that polar bears have been brought to a tipping point by climate change but that increased hunting in recent years is pushing the species “beyond the brink.”
“The drivers for the increase in recent years in the trade in polar bear parts are the extremely worrying and rapidly increasing prices being paid on international markets for polar bear parts,” said Mark Jones, executive director of the Humane Society International/UK.
He points to the fact that in the five years up to 2012 there has been a 375% increase in the number of polar bear skins offered at auction, some selling for as much as $12,000.
Every year around 600 bears are legally killed by hunters in Canada and in the decade to 2010 more than 30,000 bear parts were traded as trophies, rugs and ornaments.
Opponents of the trade have now proposed a ban on the international sales of polar bear parts. It will be tabled at the next meeting of the Convention on the trade in endangered species (CITES) taking place in Thailand next March.
Wildlife campaigners are at odds over a new attempt to ban the global trade in polar bear parts
The move is being supported by the US and Russian governments. The last time an attempt was made to change the ruling in 2010, it was defeated after the UK and the EU voted against. Mark Jones believes the UK government’s position is very influential and wants them to support the ban.
“We urgently need the British government to step forward and be a champion for polar bears by supporting their maximum protection,” he added.
But some prominent campaigners are against changing the protected status of the bears. WWF has had a long association with the iconic species but believes that the threat from international trade is not significant compared to the threat from climate change.
“If we were tempted to support it on the basis of trade being a major threat, it is not,” says Dr. Colman O’Criodain, WWF’s wildlife trade policy analyst.
“We have to focus on what is the major threat and not distract ourselves with a relatively minor one. We can’t be arguing for the science when it suits us and then ignore it when it doesn’t suit our case.” he added.
WWF are supported by other groups including Traffic International and IUCN. But Mark Jones says the Humane Society International have broad support for their position as well.
“We’re members of a very big campaigning group called the species survival network and we do believe we have a very wide consensus among groups on this particular issue,” he said.
Dr. Colman O’Criodain says that WWF won’t actively campaign against the ban and will accept it if it is voted through. But he argues that would be a bad outcome for polar bears.
“You could say that this is just a distraction factor and that it could have the effect of making people think something has been done to address the threat when the net effect will be almost negligible,” he said.
Indigenous groups in Canada are actively working against the proposed ban. And they particularly resent the fact that the US is leading the charge for change.
“The American government is using the threat of climate change to justify banning the international trade in polar bear parts while utterly failing to do anything to reduce their own activities,” said James Eetoolook of the Nunavut Tunngavik, a group that represents Inuit interests.
They argue that their own research in the western Hudson Bay region carried out earlier this year indicated that bear numbers were increasing rather than declining.
Campaign groups in favor of the new ban are taking comfort from the fact that some governments are still undecided.
A spokesperson for the UK’s department of the environment, farming and rural affairs added:
“We are currently considering the proposals ahead of the Conference of the Parties meeting next year.”
Two Webster volunteer firefighters were shot dead and two more injured as they arrived to tackle a fire in what police say was an “apparent trap”.
They were responding to an emergency call in the town of Webster in New York state on Monday morning.
The blaze broke out just before 06:00 local time and officers had to evacuate nearby residents in an armored car.
A gunman was later found dead at the scene, the police said.
The man was 62-year-old William Spengler, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering told media.
William Spengler appeared to have shot himself in the head, Gerald Pickering said.
He had previously served a 17-year jail sentence after being convicted of killing his grandmother.
William Spengler’s sister is unaccounted for and police fear she may have died in the fire, which engulfed seven houses.
The two dead firefighters were named by police as Tomasz Kaczowka and Mike Chiapperini.
Gerald Pickering told reporters: “It does appear it was a trap.
“These people get up in the middle of the night to go put out fires; they don’t expect to be shot and killed.”
The two injured firefighters were named as Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino.
They are being treated for gunshot wounds at the Strong Memorial Hospital and are expected to recover.
Another passer-by was also injured in the shooting.
Webster firefighters Tomasz Kaczowka and Mike Chiapperini were shot dead by William Spengler in an apparent trap
Police spokesmen said the area was “an active crime scene” but that no more shooters were believed to be present.
Roger Vercruysse, described as a friend of William Spengler, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the shooter “couldn’t stand” his sister, who lived with him.
Roger Vercruysse said that William Spengler “loved his mama to death”, adding that he “went crazy” after she died in October.
Two of the firefighters had arrived in a fire engine and two in their own vehicles, police said. One wounded man managed to escape but the others were pinned down until the armored car could be sent in.
Police evacuated residents and firefighters were then able to return to tackle the blaze.
Chief Gerald Pickering said: “Webster is a tremendous community. We are a safe community, and to have a tragedy befall us like this is just horrendous.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement: “All of our thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of those who were killed in this senseless act of violence.”
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said: “The contributions made by the fallen and injured officers in Webster will never be forgotten.
“As this investigation unfolds, we stand with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that lethal weapons are out of the hands of dangerous people, so that the brave New Yorkers who risk their lives every day to protect us are not exposed to additional danger.”
There were also two separate incidents of on-duty police officers being shot dead on Monday.
A policeman was killed in the city of Houston, Texas, after the driver of a car he pulled over opened fire on him.
In the midwestern state of Wisconsin, a policewoman on early morning patrol was found shot dead in the town of Wauwatosa.
The debate on gun violence in the US was rekindled earlier this month by the shootings at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, which left 20 children and six adults dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
It was one of the worst mass shootings in American history.
“There’s a heightened awareness to this kind of violence in light of what happened in Connecticut,” said Maggie Brooks, leader of the local administration in Monroe County, the area which includes Webster.
“We have first responders and we have families who are in pain and crisis today and we need to, as a community, keep them in our thoughts and prayers,” Maggie Brooks said, adding that it was a “very, very difficult day”.
President Barack Obama has promised to push for action on gun control while the National Rifle Association (NRA) has called for armed security in all American schools.
It seems there is an increasing – and most unfestive – new holiday tradition of pre-Christmas breakups.
In the U.S. the phenomenon has been nicknamed the “turkey drop”, to describe a break-up that happens between Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November) and December 25.
In the last two years alone, numerous celebrity couples saw their relationships come to an end in the lead up to Christmas.
The past few weeks have seen Rihanna’s very public split from Chris Brown and Ashton Kutcher file for divorce from Demi Moore (who also split from her 26-year-old boy toy, Vito Schnabel this month).
Zooey Deschanel also finalized her divorce from Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Rob Kardashian broke up with his long term girlfriend, pop sensation Rita Ora.
Turkey drop phenomenon describes a break-up that happens between Thanksgiving and Christmas
In 2010, Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds ended their two-year marriage just before Christmas.
The year also saw, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, Dexter‘s Michael C. Hall and his wife Jennifer Carpenter and Nip/Tuck star Dylan Walsh and his wife Joanna Going all announce the end in the run up to Christmas.
Data researchers David McCandless and Lee Byron charted the most frequent times of year that relationships end and found two peaks, one in March and one in the run up to Christmas.
While it is not clear exactly what causes this trend, it is suggested that the stress of the holiday season may be to blame, with people feeling unable to cope with pleasing their partner as well as preparing for the celebrations.
Many become nostalgic and reflective around Christmas and may begin to question their lives and decisions, which can call into question the compatibility and longevity of a relationship.
It is also a time of year traditionally spent with family, which, as any couple knows, can be a source of tension. Parental disapproval of a partner and the strain of family fights may prompt some of us to pull the plug on an ailing relationship.
Of course, there will undoubtedly be a few Scrooges who end rotten relationships before the 25th simple to avoid buying another present.
Whatever the reason at least those shown the door will have plenty of comfort food and family surrounding them to ease the pain – and a fair few drinks too.
Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose are more than happy to share every little happy moment of the pregnancy with the world.
The celebrity couple posted a picture on Instagram showing the rapper stroking the zebra print covered belly of Amber.
The model, real name Amber Levonchuck, shared the candid snap and added the caption: “Daddy rubbin his baby.”
It is not the first time Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa have displayed their child-to-be as the pair have taken every opportunity to showcase their love.
Amber Rose, 29, and Wiz Khalifa, real name Cameron Thomaz, have also been extremely vocal about how they are going to raise their little boy.
The 25-year-old rapper is well known for his smoking habit but is adamant that he will not change his ways when he is a father.
Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose are more than happy to share every little happy moment of the pregnancy with the world
When E! News asked Wiz Khalifa if he was planning to stop smoking, he said: “I think it’s all about how you’re raised with it.”
He then added: “Before there was a much more negative outtake on it. You know, pot and what it can do, and the effects of it.
“Of course, I’m not going to be smoking right there over the baby, because smoke in general and being high is not good for a kid. None of that. But definitely he’s going to know what it is – and he’ll know the difference between being a child and not being able to use it and being an adult and knowing how to use it.”
Amber Rose concurred: “It’s just like alcohol, basically. That’s how I feel about it, you know. When you’re a kid, you know that you’re not supposed to drink alcohol, that it’s for adults and that’s it.”
She added: “Our son is just going to know that daddy likes to smoke.”
Wiz Khalifa has always been honest about his affinity for weed, in 2010, he told MTV: “I thought weed was bad for a minute. When I was younger, I thought it was bad, but I got to a point where it worked for me. It don’t work for everybody else.
“People gotta stay free, people need jobs, people got parents that probably wouldn’t be with it, so don’t ruin your life trying to be like me. That’s my advice.”
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi enjoyed a romantic stroll along the beach together as they soaked up the sun together in St Barts on Monday.
Dressed in complimentary pale outfits – a cream dress for Portia de Rossi and a white shirt and trousers for Ellen DeGeneres – the smiling pair were arm in arm as they chatted and strolled.
They had earlier enjoyed a Christmas Eve lunch at the exclusive Eden Rock Restaurant on the island.
Ellen DeGeneres enjoyed a beer while Portia de Rossi sipped a glass of wine over their meal.
Then Ellen DeGeneres rolled up her trousers as they paddled in the surf.
She didn’t quite manage to stay dry, however, getting caught out by a wave.
Ellen DeGeneres enjoyed a beer while Portia de Rossi sipped a glass of wine over their meal
The mishap amused Ellen DeGeneres, who looked younger than her 54 years as she laughed with Portia de Rossi, 39.
The previous night Ellen DeGeneres, showed off her showbiz connections as the couple bumped into supermodel Kimora Lee Simmons, 37, and her children Ming Lee, 12, Aoki Lee, 10, and three-year-old Kenzo Lee.
Posing for photos they laughed and joked together.
Ellen DeGeneres and former Portia de Rossi then continued their evening together, popping into Hermes to pick up some last minute stocking fillers.
The couple wed in 2008 and still seem as happy as ever.
They celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary earlier this year, with Ellen DeGeneres hiring a sky writer to mark the event by writing “four in the sky”.
A simple eye test may offer a fast and easy way to monitor patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), medical experts say in the journal Neurology.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a scan that measures the thickness of the lining at the back of the eye – the retina.
It takes a few minutes per eye and can be performed in a doctor’s surgery.
In a trial involving 164 people with MS, those with thinning of their retina had earlier and more active MS.
The team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say larger trials with a long follow up are needed to judge how useful the test might be in everyday practice.
The latest study tracked the patients’ disease progression over a two-year period.
Multiple sclerosis is an illness that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord causing problems with muscle movement, balance and vision. In MS, the protective sheath or layer around nerves, called myelin, comes under attack which, in turn, leaves the nerves open to damaged.
Optical Coherence Tomography test may offer a fast and easy way to monitor patients with multiple sclerosis
There are different types of MS – most people with the condition have the relapsing remitting type where the symptoms come and go over days, weeks or months.
Usually after a decade or so, half of patients with this type of MS will develop secondary progressive disease where the symptoms get gradually worse and there are no or very few periods of remission.
Another type of MS is primary progressive disease where symptoms get worse from the outset.
There is no cure but treatments can help slow disease progression.
It can be difficult for doctors to monitor MS because it has a varied course and can be unpredictable.
Brain scans can reveal inflammation and scarring, but it is not clear how early these changes might occur in the disease and whether they accurately reflect ongoing damage.
Scientists have been looking for additional ways to track MS, and believe OCT may be a contender.
OCT measures the thickness of nerve fibres housed in the retina at the back of the eye.
Unlike nerve cells in the rest of the brain which are covered with protective myelin, the nerve cells in the retina are bare with no myelin coat.
Experts suspect that this means the nerves here will show the earliest signs of MS damage.
The study at Johns Hopkins found that people with MS relapses had much faster thinning of their retina than people with MS who had no relapses. So too did those whose level of disability worsened.
Similarly, people with MS who had inflammatory lesions that were visible on brain scans also had faster retinal thinning than those without visible brain lesions.
Study author Dr. Peter Calabresi said OCT may show how fast MS is progressing.
“As more therapies are developed to slow the progression of MS, testing retinal thinning in the eyes may be helpful in evaluating how effective those therapies are,” he added.
In an accompanying editorial in the same medical journal that the research is published in, MS experts Drs Robert Bermel and Matilde Inglese say OCT “holds promise” as an MS test.
First Lady Michelle Obama recently read Twas The Night Before Christmas at a Washington area children’s hospital.
As she sat down on stage to begin reading the classic tale to the tiny tots, Bo the First Dog jumped right up on his mother’s lap.
He seemed quite comfy as well, since he didn’t move from the position throughout the seven minute session.
Bo is significantly larger than the former First Dog, Barney, who was a small Scottish terrier, and Portuguese Water Dogs can weigh up to 55 pounds.
That was no matter for Michelle Obama, however, as she gamefully played along and even jokingly held the book out so that the 4-year-old pup could “read” along.
Though the First Lady visited the Children’s National Medical Center on December 14, the video was not released until Christmas Eve, in keeping with the theme of the story.
Bo is a part of many of the White House traditions during the holidays, as he served as a sort of “Waldo” figure throughout the decorations, with mini figurines in his likeness scattered throughout the many displays and 54 live trees.
Michelle Obama reads Twas The Night Before Christmas to sick children in hospital but Bo steals the show
Michelle Obama explained the reason why they used Bo repeatedly is because it was an easy theme for young visitors to catch on to during their tours and they can be given the task of spotting Bo in each of the rooms.
He also kept up the tradition- started by President George Bush’s pet Barney- of doing a video tour of the decorations throughout the White House that is then posted online for people to view in case they are not among the lucky thousands who tour it in person.
This is definitely not the first year that the holiday spotlight turned to Bo, as he has been the sole subject of each of the first family’s Christmas cards since Barack Obama took office in 2009.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has improved after a cancer operation in Cuba and has started walking and exercising, country’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has said.
Nicolas Maduro told state TV he had spoken on the phone to HUgo Chavez, describing the call as “the best present we could get this Christmas”.
Hugo Chavez underwent his fourth cancer operation on December 11 in Cuba but suffered a respiratory infection.
President Hugo Chavez – in power since 1999 – won another term in October’s election.
Earlier, Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said: “The patient has shown a slight improvement in his condition.”
However, no pictures of HUgo Chavez after the surgery have been released so far.
Hugo Chavez, 58, is scheduled to be sworn in on January 10.
The lack of any word from Hugo Chavez for two weeks prior to the comments by the two senior officials raised serious concerns about his current condition and his ability to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has improved after a cancer operation in Cuba and has started walking and exercising
Bolivian President Evo Morales was in Cuba over the weekend but did not speak to reporters and a Cuban government invitation for media to cover his arrival and departure was withdrawn.
Evo Morales is expected to issue a statement later on Hugo Chavez’s condition.
The country’s constitution states that elections must be held within 30 days if there is an “absolute absence” of the president.
But National Assembly head Diosdado Cabello has said Venezuela will not call fresh elections if President Hugo Chavez is unable to be sworn in on 10 January.
Diosdado Cabello said the swearing-in ceremony would be delayed.
“Since [President] Chavez might not be here on 10 January, [the opposition] hopes the National Assembly will call elections. That’s not going to happen. Commandante Hugo Chavez will continue to be our president,” Diosdado Cabello said.
According to Diosdado Cabello, the constitution allows him to be sworn in before Supreme Court justices, but it does not stipulate when or where.
Hugo Chavez has said Venezuelans should vote for Nicolas Maduro in fresh elections, should his health fail.
Jack Klugman, who starred in hit TV series in the 1970s and 80s, has died at the age of 90 in Los Angeles.
The actor passed away on Monday afternoon, his son Adam said, without giving further details.
Jack Klugman played a no-nonsense medical investigator in Quincy M.E. and a sloppy sports writer in The Odd Couple.
He lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s but later trained himself to speak again.
Jack Klugman, who starred in hit TV series in the 1970s and 80s, has died at the age of 90 in Los Angeles
Jack Klugman returned to acting in the 1990s.
“He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same,” son Adam Klugman was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
His brother David added: “His sons loved him very much. We’ll carry on in his spirit.”
