South Korean rapper Psy, whose song Gangnam Style became an internet sensation, has apologized for taking part in anti-US protests several years ago.
Psy issued a statement after US media reported he had performed in concerts protesting against the American presence in South Korea and Iraq.
The singer said he would “forever be sorry” for any pain he had caused.
Psy is due to perform at the annual Christmas in Washington TV special.
President Barack Obama and his family are expected to attend the concert.
Psy’s hit song Gangnam Style is the most-watched video ever on YouTube, with more than 900 million views since it was uploaded in July.
Psy, whose song Gangnam Style became an internet sensation, has apologized for taking part in anti-US protests several years ago
However, at a concert in 2002 protesting against the US military presence in South Korea, Psy smashed a model of a US tank on stage.
At another concert in 2004, Psy performed a song that described killing “Yankees” who had tortured Iraqi prisoners and killing their families “slowly and painfully”.
The lyrics were from the song Dear American by South Korean metal band Next.
“While I’m grateful for the freedom to express one’s self, I’ve learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I’m deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted,” Psy wrote in the statement.
“I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words.”
Psy, who attended college in the US, said he understood “the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world”.
He added: “I have been honored to perform in front of American soldiers in recent months… and I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology.”
The singer’s participation in the protests was no secret in South Korea but unknown in the US until recently, AP news agency reported.
The White House has confirmed that President Barack Obama and his family will attend the charity concert on December 21st at which Psy will perform.
Brooke Mueller, the troubled ex-wife of Charlie Sheen, was rushed to hospital on Friday morning after an overdose, it has been reported.
The previous evening Brooke Mueller was seen looking glassy-eyed as she stepped out of a car upon her arrival for dinner at Mr. Chow.
However, Brooke Mueller’s publicist has spoken out to claim that no drugs were involved.
Instead, Steve Honig said in a statement that Brooke Mueller was mistakenly believed to be unresponsive while sleeping.
He said: “An assistant thought Brooke was non-responsive while she was napping and hastily called an ambulance.
“As a precaution, Brooke was brought to a local hospital and discharged after an hour. She was diagnosed with exhaustion and dehydration and is now fine and resting at home. That’s it.”
Brooke Mueller, the troubled ex-wife of Charlie Sheen, was rushed to hospital on Friday morning after an overdose
Brooke Mueller, 35, who has a long history of drug abuse, was taken to a Los Angeles hospital in the late morning, according to TMZ.
The website reports that the Los Angeles City Fire Department informed them that Brooke Mueller was transported to the hospital from her Tarzana home at 11:42 a.m.
Sources reportedly told the website that people around Brooke Mueller are “deeply concerned” and allege that she has been taking drugs for several weeks, it has been claimed.
But Brooke Mueller is so determined to prove she was not on drugs, she told Radar Online: “I am going back to the hospital to get the test results that will prove that I wasn’t on drugs.”
For her meal out on Thursday night, Brooke Mueller went for a boho look, sporting a jewelled headband and a leather jacket, trousers and studded boots.
Brooke Mueller was placed on probation for one year after she plead guilty to possession of cocaine on March 19.
She has been in rehab multiple times.
Brooke Mueller married Charlie Sheen in May 2008 and gave birth to their twin sons Bob and Max nine months later.
Charlie Sheen filed for divorce from Brooke Mueller in November 2010, and the pair’s divorce became effective the following June.
Kim Kardashian’s kitten Mercy has died after only four months on this planet.
Kim Kardashian, 32, received the adorable white Persian kitty from her rapper boyfriend Kanye West last September, but was unable to care for it herself after discovering she was allergic.
“I had fallen SO in love with Mercy that I wanted to try everything I could to keep her, but I didn’t think it was safe to resort to injections,” Kim Kardashian told her 16.7 million followers Friday.
On October 16, Kim Kardashian passed along the responsibility of the furry feline to her sister Khloe’s assistant Sydney Hitchcock, who had lost her own cat after 17 years.
Kim Kardashian continued: “After a couple of weeks Mercy got really sick and Sydney had to rush her to the vet. They discovered she had a stomach problem that we weren’t aware of. Poor little Mercy died the very next day.”
According to E! News, Sydney Hitchcock got a call from her boyfriend saying the feline was “limp and not moving” on November 26, and the next day they had Mercy euthanized.
Unfortunately, the fatal, cancer-like virus attacked Mercy’s tiny stomach and Kim Kardashian was reportedly quick to point the finger at the breeder.
Kim Kardashian received the white Persian kitty from her rapper boyfriend Kanye West last September, but was unable to care for it herself after discovering she was allergic
“Kim is really upset,” a source told E! News.
“She was upset about Mercy dying and upset that she was trying to do something nice for Sydney and then she fell into a situation where [Sydney] had to grieve another kitty. Kim called the breeder and said they should be more responsible.”
Kim Kardashian had always dreamed of owning a kitten and named Mercy after one of Kanye West’s songs.
“My heart is completely broken,” Kim Kardashian said on herofficial blog.
“Mercy was a gentle and loving kitten and we are all going to miss her so much. Thanks to Sydney for making Mercy’s short life one filled with love. RIP Mercy Xo.”
Demi Moore raised more eyebrows with her goofy antics at a party for fashion photographer Terry Richardson in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday.
Demi Moore, 50, showed up to the Friday night TERRYWOOD Celebration at The Standard Hotel & Spa wearing a pink, brown and blue frock paired with black heels.
She wore her long dark hair loose down the front of her dress and carried a black clutch.
Outfit aside, Demi Moore seemed to enjoy being silly as she posed with Terry Richardson, hamming it up in front of the cameras.
At one point, Terry Richardson started taking her picture with a cell phone and Demi Moore hopped onto the lawn and pretended to shy away, holding a finger to her lips in a “shush” pose.
Demi Moore obviously enjoyed being the object of attention at the star-studded event.
Demi Moore raised more eyebrows with her goofy antics at a party for fashion photographer Terry Richardson in Miami Beach
On Wednesday night Demi Moore drew stares for her wild behavior as she partied with friend Lenny Kravitz and others at the Chanel Beachside Barbeque.
She was dancing from her place on the couch and then hopped to her feet and started grooving in front of Lenny Kravitz.
Demi Moore’s new boy toy beau Vito Schnabel, 26, was also at the December 5 party where they reportedly spent much of the time making out together.
The actress has not won praises from her daughters Rumer, 24, Scout, 21, or Tallulah, 18, who are embarrassed by their mother’s romance with her much younger man.
Friday evening’s event also drew Stacy Keibler – and Demi Moore party pal – who looked dreamy in a cream dress paired with strappy heels.
Kelly Osbourne looked sexy and fit in a black peek-a-boo number with beige and black heels.
And rapper Pharrell Williams opted for camouflage, wearing a military-style jacket teamed with short trousers.
The death of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who took a hoax call about the Duchess of Cambridge, was a “tragedy”, Australian 2Day FM radio station which broadcast it has said.
Rhys Holleran, chief executive of the company that owns Sydney radio station 2Day FM, said DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian were “completely shattered” by the death of Jacintha Saldanha, 46.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian posed as the Queen and Prince Charles in a call on Tuesday morning.
The station later suspended adverts, and the show has been taken off-air.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne, Rhys Holleran, chief executive of Southern Cross Austereo, said he did not think any laws had been broken.
This was in contrast to a statement on Tuesday by hospital chief executive John Lofthouse, who said he had “received advice that what the Australian broadcasters did may well have broken the law”.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian telephoned the hospital early on Tuesday morning, and recorded the call. It was then assessed by the station’s lawyers before being broadcast on 2Day FM.
Jacintha Saldanha, a duty nurse, answered the phone because it was 05:30 GMT and there was no receptionist on duty.
She put the pair through to Kate Middleton’s nurse, who unwittingly revealed details of the pregnant duchess’s medical condition.
The duchess had been admitted on Monday for acute morning sickness, and was discharged on Thursday.
Rhys Holleran told journalists that Mel Greig and Michael Christian’s show would not be returning until further notice.
He said: “This is a tragic event that could not have been reasonably foreseen and we are deeply saddened by it.”
But he added: “I think that prank calls as a craft in radio had been going on for decades. They are done worldwide and no-one could reasonably have foreseen what happened.”
The network later suspended all advertising on 2Day FM until Monday.
The decision was meant as a sign of respect, although with several advertisers, including Australia’s largest supermarket chain, already pulling their adverts, it was more like damage limitation and to avoid further bad publicity.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian are taken off air following Jacintha Saldanha’s death
Before the death, the country’s media watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, had received complaints about the broadcast. Chairman Chris Chapman said: “These events are a tragedy for all involved and I pass on my heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased nurse in London.
“The ACMA does not propose to make any comments at this stage, but will be engaging with the licensee, Today FM Sydney, around the facts and issues surrounding the prank call.”
In a statement, Jacintha Saldanha’s family said they were “deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha”. They have requested privacy from the media.
On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said in a statement they were also “deeply saddened” by the death of Jacintha Saldanha, a duty nurse who was married with two children.
And King Edward VII hospital paid tribute to “a first-class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients”.
Jacintha Saldanha – who was staying in hospital accommodation close to hospital – was the person who answered the call from the DJs and was not the nurse who discussed the duchess’s medical condition.
She had not been suspended or disciplined by the hospital.
However, she had felt “very lonely and confused” as a result of what had happened.
Jacintha Saldanha, also known as Jess, is thought to have come to the UK from southern India more than ten years ago and settled in the UK with her partner, 49-year-old hospital accountant Benedict Barboza.
The couple bought their £123,000 three-bedroomed home in 2005 in the Westbury-on-Trym district of Bristol.
After working for the North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay and Southmead hospitals, it is believed the nurse chose to apply for a job at King Edward four years ago and appears to have been living in the nursing accommodation ever since.
She has a son called Junal, 16, and daughter, believed to be 14. She stayed in London when she was working before returning to her family on days off.
The St James’s Palace statement said the duke and duchess “were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time”.
A palace spokesman later added that “at no point did the palace complain to the hospital about the incident”.
“On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times.”
Scotland Yard said officers were called at 09:35 GMT on Friday after reports of a woman found unconscious at an address in Weymouth Street, central London. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious.
The family of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse found dead in a suspected suicide just two days after transferring a hoax call about Kate Middleton, told of their devastation at losing her.
Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, who was working on the switchboard at the King Edward VII Hospital when 2DayFM obtained intimate details about Kate Middleton, was found dead this morning.
As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spoke of their “deep sadness” at the tragedy, the grieving family of the “excellent” nurse said: “We as a family are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha.”
Tonight the owners of 2DayFM radio station which employed Mel Greig and Christian Michael announced that the duo will not return to their show until further notice.
It is believed that senior management at 2Day FM were so shocked at the death of Jacintha Saldanha that bosses have ordered the pair off the air – probably never to return.
The family of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse found dead in a suspected suicide just two days after transferring a hoax call about Kate Middleton, told of their devastation at losing her
A statement from the station owners said: “Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of the nurse, Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward V11 Hospital and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family, and all that have been affected by this situation around the world.
“CEO Rhys Holleran has spoken with the presenters, they are both deeply shocked, and at this time we have agreed that they not comment about the circumstances.
“SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show, until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy.”
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Hungary has been shut down after the control tower developed electrical problems.
Flights are being diverted to Vienna, Bratislava and other major airports nearby.
The airport closed at 11:50 a.m. local time and may not reopen until about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, officials said.
Ferenc Liszt International Airport is the largest in Hungary, operating a single terminal that handles some nine million passengers a year.
The airport operator said on its website: “Currently we plan to reopen air traffic at the airport at 10:00 [local time on Saturday] but that time may still change.”
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Hungary has been shut down after the control tower developed electrical problems
Passengers were urged not to travel to the terminal.
The airport was originally called Budapest Ferihegy International, until it was renamed after the composer Franz Liszt in March 2011.
It is partly owned by Germany’s Hochtief company.
Easyjet said on its website that all its flights scheduled to operate through Budapest on Friday had been re-scheduled to operate on Saturday and urged customers to check the new timings.
A new anti-drug advertisement shows the devastating physical transformation addicts experience after years of meth use.
The photos, that show a shocking deterioration, were compiled from mug shots of drug users that were arrested repeatedly over the years.
The continued drug use caused horrific damage to the drug users’ skin with sores and scarring – that can be caused by uncontrollable scratching during a hallucination when the addict imagines bugs are crawling under their skin.
Additional changes seen in the ad, produced by Rehabs.com, include the so-called “meth mouth” caused by decay and grinding.
Users also progressively began to look gaunt, brought on by malnutrition as the drug suppresses a person’s appetite and the body can begin to consume muscle tissue due to the lack of proper nutrition.
The concept for this kind of ad was actually conceived in 2004, by Deputy Bret King from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon.
The officer began tracking mugshots of people who were brought in to police custody more than once.
Over the years he began to witness the physical transformation that occurred in methamphetamine addicts.
He decided to compile the photos for an anti-drug campaign in December 2004 – to educate children on the realities of the drug.
“I’ve made it my business to go through the mug shot system every day. I’ll admit it: I’m looking for the most extreme faces,” he told The Oregonian in 2004 about the project.
From Drugs to Mugs anti-drug advertisement shows the devastating physical transformation addicts experience after years of meth use
The recent video and pictorial from Rehabs.com comes after a 2011 photo spread from the Oregon police, From Drugs to Mugs, that shows the impact of all hard drugs including cocaine, heroin and meth.
“Everyone experiments at college or school and I want From Drugs to Mugs to show kids that everyone in those pictures started on cannabis, they didn’t just dive head first into heroin.”
“So I ask the students at schools to look at these people and think about their actions, otherwise that could end up being you,” Deputy Bret King said in 2011.
The Multnomah Sheriff’s Office has also produced a heart-wrenching educational documentary to aid in its fight against young people turning to drugs.
“I want to be able to illustrate the connection between that first decision to use drugs and then down the road when it’s a horrible mess,” Bret King said.
Expanding their presentation, which is to be aired in high schools across America, the law enforcement officer and his team interviewed 300 adult inmates at Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail.
In the 48-minute video, Drug Enforcement Administration officers are interviewed about how they find and arrest drug abusers.
Deputy Bret King added testimony from Multnomah County jail inmates who had been arrested in burglaries and other crimes that have been linked to drug use.
It is Deputy Bret King’s hope that the video will show teens how easy it is to fall into drug habits.
Fox News chairman Roger Ailes allegedly sent political analyst Kathleen McFarland to Afghanistan to tell then-General David Petraeus that he should run for president in 2012 and that Rupert Murdoch would “bankroll” the campaign.
Bob Woodward of The Washington Post obtained recorded conversations between David Petraeus and Kathleen McFarland, a Fox News analyst who flew to Kabul in the spring of 2011 to pitch the idea to him.
At the time, David Petraeus was the commander of the Allied Forces in Afghanistan, and Kathleen McFarland said that if President Barack Obama didn’t offer him a position like the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or something comparable, Petraeus should consider a run for the Republican nomination.
Apparently David Petraeus was unaware that the conversation was being recorded, and Bob Woodward has since gained access to those tapes.
Kathleen McFarland is heard saying that the “advice to you from Roger Ailes is…. He says that if you’re offered (JCS) chairman, take it. If you’re offered anything else, don’t take it; resign in six months and run for president,” according to The Washington Post.
“Tell him if I ever ran…but I won’t…but if I ever ran, I’d take him up on his offer… He said he would quit Fox,” David Petraeus said of Roger Ailes’ alleged offer to help run his possible campaign.
David Petraeus was apparently clear in his rejection of the offer, but also reaffirmed that he respected and liked Roger Ailes.
Fox News chairman Roger Ailes allegedly sent political analyst Kathleen McFarland to Afghanistan to tell then-General David Petraeus that he should run for president in 2012
In the light of his resignation from his CIA post and ensuing sex scandal, another one of David Petraeus’ reasonings against a presidential run is particularly interesting.
He said during the taped conversation that he would not run because “my wife would divorce me. And I love my wife… we have a beautiful house, with his and hers bathrooms, believe it or not. I just want to live in it. I’ve never spent a night in it.”
He also went on to say that in addition to heading up the Joint Chiefs, David Petraeus would consider heading up the CIA as its director if he was offered the position.
He explained that since the military efforts in the Middle East would be ramping down in the following months, much emphasis would be placed on the intelligence community, which piqued David Petraeus’ interest in running the CIA.
That prediction came true just a few weeks after the conversation took place.
When asked for comment for The Washington Post piece, Roger Ailes said that while he did ask McFarland to bring the idea up to David Petraeus, he never meant it seriously.
He explained that he suggested the conversation as a way to get a message across that he felt that, in the early stages of the Republican presidential primary, the main candidates left something to be desired and David Petraeus would shake up the field.
Jill Kelley, the Florida socialite at the centre of CIA director David Petraeus downfall, is planning a tell-all book, according to friends.
Jill Kelley, 37, is understood to have held preliminary talks with publishers to tell her side of the story that led to the resignation of General David Petraeus.
“Trust me, there is going to be a book in the New Year. You can count on it,” said a friend of the Tampa socialite.
She has not spoken about her pivotal role in the scandal which led to David Petraeus’s affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell being exposed last month.
David Petraeus, 60,resigned as CIA director when the affair became known following an FBI investigation that was sparked by Jill Kelley.
Another senior military figure, General John R. Allen, became embroiled in the scandal after allegedly exchanging inappropriate emails with the Tampa based Jill Kelley.
The mother of three had befriended David Petraeus and General John Allen when they were both stationed at US Central Command at the MacDill Air Force Base near her home overlooking Tampa Bay.
She threw lavish parties for the generals and used her connections to military to visit the White House on three occasions.
Jill Kelley was also accused of using her high powered connections to try to secure an $80 million check by brokering an energy deal between a New York businessman and her contacts with the South Korean Government.
Jill Kelley, the Florida socialite at the centre of CIA director David Petraeus downfall, is planning a tell-all book
Friends say Jill Kelley’s book will be “payback” for the humiliation she has suffered since her name became linked to the scandal.
“Jill is very angry, and it’s fair to say she wants to tell her side of the story,” said a friend.
“She has been lampooned on Saturday Night Live and feels she has been made to look like a fool.
“She said her best way of putting the record straight is a book. A TV interview only lasts a few minutes, but a book is there all the time. That is why she has said no to doing any TV. She wants it to be a matter of record and will do TV when the book comes out.”
As an apparently wealthy socialite who schmoozed some of America’s most senior military figures, Jill Kelley has an intriguing story to tell.
With its ingredients of sex, spies and lies any book would likely be a best seller – and generate a large sum of money for the cash-strapped Kelleys.
Jill Kelley and her cancer surgeon husband Scott have faced the embarrassment of having their personal financial details made public.
They owe millions to banks and facing foreclosure on their $1.3 million mansion overlooking Tampa Bay.
Jill Kelley, who enjoys shopping for designer clothes, is being chased for $25,000 in unpaid credit card bills
But despite her perilous financial state being laid bare she told friends the most humiliating part was being compared to the reality star Kim Kardashian.
Jill Kelley and her sister Natalie Khawam have been nicknamed the “Tampa Kardashians”.
A colonel at the MacDill Air Force Base said many people there were considered her a military groupie and likened her to the Kardashians.
“Of everything that has been written and said about her, that is what hurts the most,” said the friend.
“She finds it insulting as the Kardashians go out of their way to get publicity. Jill did not seek any of this.”
As part of the fallout from the scandal Jill Kelley’s role as a goodwill ambassador to the MacDill Air Force Base has been suspended.
She has also been stripped of her title of Honorary Consul that was bestowed upon her by South Korea.
Officials with the South Korean Government said she losing the title for misusing it for personal gain.
Jill Kelley received no official privileges from the title, but did try to claim diplomatic protection when the media swarmed over her house after her name became linked to the scandal.
She has also been ordered to remove the vanity license plate that says Honorary Consul from her silver Mercedes.
Zoey Belcher, the orphaned daughter of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher, will receive more than $1 million from the NFL.
Jovan Belcher shot Kasandra Perkins, his 22-year-old girlfriend and the mother of his child, before driving to Arrowhead stadium and turning the gun on himself.
The murder-suicide on Saturday morning means that the estate or guardian of his three-month-old daughter Zoey will receive the money under NFL’s collective-bargaining agreement.
Zoey Belcher stands to receive $108,000 annually over the next four years, $48,000 in the fifth year and then $52,000 each year until age 18.
She’ll continue to receive that amount until age 23 if she attends college.
The beneficiary of Jovan Belcher, who was in his fourth season, also will receive $600,000 in life insurance, plus $200,000 for each credited season.
There is also $100,000 in a retirement account that will go to his beneficiary or estate.
Zoey Belcher, the orphaned daughter of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher, will receive more than $1 million from the NFL
Players’ beneficiaries are kept confidential – the current collective bargaining agreement was ratified in August 2011.
Jovan Belcher’s mother Cheryl Shepherd, 54, has temporary custody of the couple’s baby and relatives have said she will take responsibility for the infant.
It is thought she will raise her granddaughter at the Long Island home where the 25-year-old grew up.
Cheryl Shepherd had been in Kansas City to help Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins with their young daughter when the incident happened.
The couple had doted on their young daughter – they posted several photos on the internet showing Kasandra Perkins holding the infant when she was born as well as photos of the trio.
Past and present Kansas City Chiefs players turned out Wednesday for a memorial service for teammate Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then himself over the weekend.
The team moved up its practice schedule so that players could attend Wednesday afternoon’s service at the nearby Landmark International Deliverance and Worship Center, where Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins worshipped.
The media wasn’t allowed inside.
Afterward, a coffin was wheeled from the building and driven away in a hearse.
Retired Chiefs Hall of Famer Bobby Bell said Pioli and an uncle of Jovan Belcher’s spoke during the service.
“It’s done and over with and people need to get on with their lives, and the team needed to try to get forward,” Bobby Bell said.
“It’s tough on them. When you see somebody and play with them you’re buddies, friends.”
Many of the players boarded coach buses after the service, but a few walked to their own vehicles with their wives and girlfriends.
“It was good,” running back Peyton Hillis said of the service. He wouldn’t comment further.
Past and present Kansas City Chiefs players turned out Wednesday for a memorial service for teammate Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then himself
Defensive end Ropatisp Pitoitua, kicker Ryan Succop, and linebacker Derrick Johnson said they didn’t want to be interviewed.
Before the service, veteran offensive lineman Ryan Lilja said he hoped the memorial would provide some closure for the Chiefs, who will try to win their second straight game Sunday at Cleveland.
Ryan Lilja said some players have taken advantage of counseling services that have been provided by the Chiefs and the NFL and that there’s been a change in the atmosphere around the team building.
Pastor Sylvarena Funderburke, who serves at Repairers of the Breach Christian Center in Kansas City, said she was at the service to sing I Won’t Complain, a song the Belcher family requested.
“It is an honor. We don’t always understand why things happen,” she said before the service.
“That’s when you have to rely on your faith and just trust God to give you strength to make it through tough times.”
Karen Young, who belongs to the Landmark church and serves as an usher, said Belcher and Perkins went to the church “practically” every week until the baby was born but hadn’t been seen much since then.
Larry Brown, who also attends the Landmark church, said Jovan Belcher was “gentle” and “caring” and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins “a real nice person”.
“I believed that they were made for each other,” said Larry Brown, whose brother is the church’s leader, Bishop John L. Brown.
“They didn’t appear to be the type of people who just put on facades. They were very happy. She was very genuine. Every time I saw them, they were always laughing.”
The barber shop where Jovan Belcher was a regular is in the same strip mall where the church is located. Barber Lee Garron walked over to the memorial service to pay his respects.
“He was a good person,” Lee Garron said.
“He was. He was like anyone else. You don’t know what they are thinking or what is going on in their head. It’s like you or me. You just never know.”
A memorial service and funeral have been held in North Texas for Kasandra Perkins, the slain girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher.
Family and friends gathered at a church in Blue Ridge to remember 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins, five days after Jovan Belcher shot her multiple times before shooting himself in the head.
Life Celebration Funeral Home said a separate service will be held Saturday in Austin, followed by burial in nearby Pflugerville.
The Chiefs will be represented for at least one of the services, USA TODAY Sports reported.
Jovan Belcher shot Kasandra Perkins in the master bathroom of their Kansas City home on Saturday morning, hitting her in her chest, neck and abdomen. Her body was found by Jovan Belcher’s mother, who heard the shots.
Jovan Belcher, 25, then drove with a handgun to Arrowhead Stadium, where he thanked team officials before kneeling down and shooting himself in the head in the parking lot.
The deaths came after an increasingly troubled relationship between the pair, who friends say were struggling with the stresses of work and bringing up their three-month-old baby, Zoey.
As well as the baby girl, Kasandra Perkins is also survived by two siblings, her parents, grandparents and a great-grandmother, according to the Turrentine Jackson Morrow funeral home.
It comes a day after the entire Chiefs organization, including players, coaches, front office personnel and ownership, attended a memorial service for Jovan Belcher.
A memorial service and funeral have been held in North Texas for Kasandra Perkins, the slain girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher
The team moved up its practice schedule so that players could attend the service at the Landmark International Deliverance and Worship Center, where Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins worshipped.
Before the service, veteran offensive lineman Ryan Lilja said he hoped the memorial would provide some closure for the Chiefs, who will try to win their second straight game Sunday at Cleveland.
“You got to try to deal with it however you deal with it, and grieve the best way for the individual and I think this is the best way for us as a team to get closure and move on and focus on football.”
Ryan Lilja said some players have taken advantage of counseling services that have been provided by the Chiefs and the NFL and that there’s been a change in the atmosphere around the team building.
“There definitely is more,<<How you doing? How you feeling? How you coping?>>” Ryan Lilja said.
Jovan Belcher’s mother Cheryl Shepherd, 54, has temporary custody of the couple’s baby and relatives have said she will take responsibility for the infant.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who transferred a prank phone call from two Australian radio presenters about Kate Middleton, has died in a suspected suicide – two days after being duped.
Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, who was working on the switchboard when 2DayFM obtained intimate details about Kate Middleton, was found dead near the King Edward VII Hospital today.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and a Palace spokesman said the couple had not made a complaint about the prank call.
“Their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time,” a statement said.
When asked if they had expressed concern, the spokesman added: “On the contrary we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times.”
The Palace declined to say whether the Duchess met Jacintha Saldanha but it was very possible.
The King Edward VII Hospital, which was not believed to be disciplining the nurse over incident, said it announced her death with “very deep sadness”.
Their statement added: “Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well respected and popular with all over her colleagues.”
Jacintha Saldanha answered the hoax call at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning and transferred the call through to Kate Middleton’s ward.
Another nurse then told the giggling DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, how the Duchess was about to “get freshened up”.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are deeply saddened by Jacintha Saldanha’s death and the couple had not made a complaint about the prank call
The station apologized for “any inconvenience caused” but provoked widespread fury and disbelief by continuing to continuing to promote its hoax, calling it “the prank call the world is talking about” before playing clips of the recording.
As the backlash grew Mel Greig and Michel Christian both deleted their Twitter accounts.
The emergency services were called and two ambulances were dispatched to the central London residence today.
But paramedics were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her family, husband and two children have been informed.
The hospital said this afternoon: “It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha.
“Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII’s Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.
“We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time.”
John Lofthouse, Chief Executive at King Edward VII’s Hospital, added: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends. Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much loved and valued colleague.”
Lord Glenarthur, Chairman of King Edward VII’s Hospital, says: “This is a tragic event. Jacintha was a first class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients during her time with us. She will be greatly missed.”
Officers from Scotland Yard launched an investigation yesterday and are treating the death as “unexplained”.
The exact cause of death remained unclear. However, one source indicated that the woman appeared to have killed herself.
A former neighbor of tragic nurse Jacintha Saldanha yesterday described her as a “nice, lovely lady”.
The neighbor lived next door to Jacintha Saldanha, her two sons and partner Benedict Barboza – know as Ben – at an address in Bristol several years ago.
Even today Michael Christian was urging people to tune in to their show to hear more about #royalprank.
Last year Catherine Zeta-Jones went public about her bipolar disorder – and said just recently she hopes she can help remove the stigma from the mental condition.
But during an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America today, Catherine Zeta-Jones insisted she is tired of talking about the illness.
Catherine Zeta-Jones was treated in a psychiatric hospital last April for manic depression over the stress of her husband Michael Douglas’s battle against cancer.
At the time her publicist confirmed she was receiving help for the mood-altering illness.
Despite being very open about her condition since, during her interview today Catherine Zeta-Jones insisted she “never wanted to become the poster child” – and does not want to be seen as a victim.
She said: “You know what? I’m sick of talking about it because I never wanted to be the poster child for this.”
“I never wanted this to come out publicly. It came out,” she added emphatically.
Talking about how she copes with the illness she went on: “I dealt with it in the best way I could and that was just saying: <<Hey, I’m bipolar>>. Everyone has things going on and we deal with them as best we can.”
Very matter of factly, Catherine Zeta-Jones continued: “We can’t go jump from the rooftops shouting about I have this, look at me, victim.
“No, we all have issues in our life and I’m really lucky that I have great friends, great support and that’s all I can do.”
Catherine Zeta-Jones went public about her bipolar disorder last year
Catherine Zeta-Jones suffers from bipolar II, which unlike bipolar I, means the “up” moods do not reach full-on levels of mania.
Rather than descending into deep depressions, patients can be very outgoing, functional and often more productive than normal, one reason why it often goes undiagnosed.
Despite suggesting her reluctance to talk about her illness, Catherine Zeta-Jones spoke in detail to InStyle magazine this month about her diagnosis last year.
“It’s been an intense time, in good ways and bad,” Catherine Zeta-Jones said.
“You find out who you really are and who you are married to. You find things inside yourself you never imagined were there.”
“I’ve gained an appreciation for little things, like tea outside on a terrace and a beautiful afternoon like this.”
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been married to Michael Douglas for 12 years and the couple have two children together, son Dylan and daughter Carys.
It was reported last year that Catherine Zeta-Jones spent five days in a mental health clinic recovering, which lead to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
She also told the magazine that she hopes she can help other suffering with the condition.
“I’m not the kind of person who likes to shout out my personal issues from the rooftops but with my bipolar becoming public, I hope fellow sufferers will know it is completely controllable.
“I hope I can help remove any stigma attached to it, and that those who don’t have it under control will seek help with all that is available to treat it.”
Ron Woodroof’s family helped Matthew McConaughey to reveal the true story of courage that inspired actor’s breathtaking transformation in new movie The Dallas Buyers Club.
Sharon Woodroof Braden, 70, and Yvette Carroll, 42, have had years to try to come to terms with the agony of losing Ron Woodroof – Sharon’s brother and Yvette’s father to AIDS.
But Matthew McConaughey’s astonishing physical transformation to tell Ron Woodroof’s courageous story in The Dallas Buyers Club means they will soon see his brave battle relived on the big screen.
These exclusive photos of Ron Woodroof, who is described as a heterosexual, homophobic electrician, as he fought the disease show just what a remarkable resemblance Matthew McConaughey has achieved for his portrayal.
Speaking from her home in Como, Texas, Sharon Woodroof Braden said: “It’s very hard to see. I don’t go on the internet.
“It’s hard to look back whenever you’ve lived through it; it’s really hard to look back at something like that. So I don’t look at the pictures that much.
“The pictures of Matthew are breathtaking though. They look so like what Ronnie looked like when he was sick and how the disease progressed.
“Matthew is definitely looking like he’s gone down that path. His eyes, that is the main thing, the way he is doing his eyes.
“I’m not looking at his body as much as his face and his face certainly taken on the look of someone with AIDS. Matthew is so in character it is unreal.”
Ron Woodroof – who Sharon and Yvette affectionately call Ronnie – was an extraordinary character who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and given just six months to live.
Instead of accepting the death sentence, Ron Woodroof studied the disease
and its effects on the body, and created a business sourcing and smuggling non-FDA approved medication, experimental and alternative drugs for AIDS patients.
His determination and tenacity enabled him to live for six more years – during which time he pushed legislation through the courts, promoted awareness of the disease and helped countless other AIDS patients in the process.
“I remember he was the best-looking man I’d ever seen, even when I was little,” his daughter Yvette Carroll has said.
But that appeal all changed when he got sick, as Yvette Carroll said: “It was awful to see him like that. I couldn’t handle it, even at 21 years old.”
Ron Woodroof was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and given just six months to live
Over the years, several A-List stars have had their names attached to play the role of Ron Woodroof in the film – including Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling.
Sharon Woodroof Braden said: “They wanted Brad Pitt to play him and I thought <<No, that isn’t going to work because I didn’t think Brad Pitt had the personality>>.
“They talked about Ryan Gosling and I thought the same thing.
“I like Ryan Gosling but I didn’t think his personality was the right personality.
“Then a year ago they mentioned Matthew McConaughey and I thought, <<Ok … yes!>>
“He’s got that same swagger that Ron had. I’m excited because Matthew is from Texas. I really think he has that personality where he can do what needs to be done.”
Sharon Woodroof Braden says the way Matthew McConaughey has gone about losing weight to transform into Ron is another characteristic they shared – determination.
The actor has dropped more than 40 pounds for the role leading to criticism that he was risking his health by extreme dieting, though he insisted he was going it the safe and healthy way.
“I feel fine. I really do. I got the means to lose the weight in a really healthy way. I’m eating fresh fish. I’m just eating small amounts. I’m not being starved… I’m taking care of myself,” he told The Daily Beast.
Of his shocking weight loss Sharon Woodroof Braden said: “I hate that he’s having to do this, I really do. I wish there was another way for him to do it, but that is just another trait – determination – Matthew does to portray someone dying of AIDS.
“It isn’t pretty in real life and it won’t be pretty on the big screen. I think he will get an Oscar for this role.”
Sharon Woodroof Braden says that things weren’t always easy between her and Ron when he was alive. He was a drug user and had many girlfriends – leaving his family unclear exactly how he contracted HIV.
“I will say this, I love Ronnie and always have – and I miss him with all my heart – but I know where he is and I know where my cars are now!
“But he was one wonderful and unique individual; I didn’t realize how unique he was until he got sick. But he was my brother and down underneath we both loved each other a lot.”
Anne Hathaway, who plays Fantine in the hotly anticipated Les Misérables, took the opportunity to open up about starving herself for the role in a new photo shoot.
Anne Hathaway shed 25 lbs to portray the poverty-stricken factory worker forced to turn to prostitution, and it was no easy task.
She told the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter: “I just had to stop eating all for a total of 13 days shooting.”
Anne Hathaway shed the weight in two stages: she dropped 10 lbs in three weeks before filming, and then 15 lbs during production.
But Anne Hathaway was dedicated from the start – even before she landed the role.
Anne Hathaway, who plays Fantine in the hotly anticipated Les Misérables, took the opportunity to open up about starving herself for the role in a new photo shoot
The actress said: “There was resistance because I was between their ideal ages for the parts – maybe not mature enough for Fantine but past the point where I could believably play [Fantine’s daughter] Cosette (portrayed by Amanda Seyfried).
“And I did what I do when I really want a role: I got fiery and told my agent, <<Just get me in the room>>.”
The eerie images accompanying the interview see a barefoot Anne lead her co-stars Amanda, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Barks.
Les Misérables hits cinemas on Christmas Day. The new issue of The Hollywood Reporter is out on December 14.
Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political leader of Hamas, has called his first visit to the Gaza Strip his “third birth”.
He said his previous two “births” were the day he survived an assassination attempt by Israeli agents in Jordan in 1997, and his actual birth in 1956.
Khaled Meshaal had not set foot in the Palestinian territories since leaving the West Bank in 1967.
His visit follows a ceasefire that ended days of violence between Hamas and Israel last month.
The Islamist militant group has governed Gaza since 2007.
Khaled Meshaal entered Gaza from Egypt at the Rafah border crossing, kissing the ground in celebration. Officials there said his wife had arrived late on Thursday.
In a statement to the media, he said: “I consider this moment my third birth, and I pray to God that my fourth birth will be the moment when all of Palestine is liberated.”
“Gaza has always been in my heart,” he said.
Khaled Meshaal is expected to visit the home of late Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, as well as that of Ahmed Jabari, the military commander killed in an Israeli strike last month.
Ahmed Jabari’s death marked the start of an eight-day Israeli offensive which Israel said was aimed at halting militant rocket attacks. Some 170 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement that Khaled Meshaal’s visit was “a fruit of the victory of the resistance over the occupation”.
A huge rally on Saturday is expected to be the centrepiece of his three-day tour.
Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political leader of Hamas, has called his first visit to the Gaza Strip his third birth
Khaled Meshaal is scheduled to address the rally in Gaza City and will talk about the organization’s future strategy towards Israel.
He is also expected to discuss reconciliation moves with the Fatah movement, which Hamas removed from Gaza by force in 2007 after winning elections there. Fatah now rules parts of the West Bank.
In 2011, Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – the Fatah leader – endorsed an Egyptian plan to reconcile the rival factions.
Although attempts to forge a Palestinian government of national unity have since stalled, Khaled Meshaal told Reuters ahead of his Gaza visit that “there is a new mood that allows us to achieve reconciliation”.
Khaled Meshaal was quick to praise Mahmoud Abbas’s recent success in upgrading Palestinian status at the United Nations to that of a non-member “observer state”.
In response to that move, Israel announced it would move ahead with building thousands of new homes in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Correspondents say Israel – which along with the US and EU considers Hamas a terrorist organisation – appears to be turning a blind eye to Khaled Meshaal’s visit.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that Israel had no say over who entered Gaza from Egypt.
“We have no position on different individuals within Hamas,” he said, according to AP news agency.
“Hamas is Hamas is Hamas.”
On Thursday, Palestinian workers were setting up a stage for Saturday’s rally that included a replica of a type of rocket Hamas has fired into Israel. “Made in Gaza,” was written on it.
Khaled Meshaal was born in the West Bank in 1956. He moved to Kuwait after the 1967 Middle East war and later Jordan, where his involvement with Hamas began.
Khaled Meshaal survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Jordan in 1997 and was briefly jailed there, before being expelled and travelling to Qatar.
He became Hamas’s political leader in exile in 2004 when Sheikh Yassin was assassinated by Israel.
Khaled Meshaal ran operations from Damascus until February this year, when the unrest there prompted another move. He now bases himself in Qatar and Egypt.
Hamas was created in 1987 after the beginning of the first intifada – or Palestinian uprising – against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Under its charter, Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel. But the group has also offered a 10-year truce in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from territories it occupied in 1967.
Khaled Meshaal
1956 – Born in Silwad in West Bank
1967 – Moves with family to Kuwait after Six Day War
1971 – Joins Muslim Brotherhood
1987 – Hamas created
1991 – Moves to Jordan after Iraq invades Kuwait. Runs Hamas fundraising
1997 – Survives Israeli assassination attempt
1999 – Expelled from Jordan. Moves to Qatar
2001 – Moves to Syria
2004 – Named Hamas political leader after assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
Lindsay Lohan has reportedly turned to selling off her extensive wardrobe of designer clothes as a way of raising funds.
The Liz And Dick star has apparently been sending her little sister Ali Lohan to hawk her wares at a Los Angeles shop that specializes in second hand threads.
According to Radar, Lindsay Lohan has been sending the 18-year-old to the popular Wasteland store loaded down with clothes, shoes and accessories.
An eyewitness told the website Ali Lohan, who apparently had a significantly larger bust than previously, turned up to the shop with bags stuffed full of items.
She then tried to broker a deal with the manager of the establishment, but was disappointed after being offered far less than she anticipated.
Ali Lohan reportedly shouted: “Thirty dollars for these? They cost $700! This is ridiculous!”
The wannabe singer then tried haggle the price upwards for the items, which included a pair of round-toe Chanel pumps and a Balenciaga purse.
Lindsay Lohan has reportedly turned to selling off her extensive wardrobe of designer clothes as a way of raising funds
Ali Lohan even tried to change her bartering tactics, arguing that because her infamous sister had worn them on red carpets and at photo shoots they are worth extra.
She said: “These have to be worth more, Lindsay was photographed wearing them, that has to add value.”
Apparently not however, as the manager refused to move the price and she left with significantly less cash than hoped for.
Lindsay Lohan may have to sell off even more of her possessions in future, as reviews of her performance in TV film Liz And Dick have been awful, with Entertainment Weekly branding it a “drab, damp little TV-movie”.
Her performance was also lambasted, with the magazine’s Ken Tucker saying: “No effort seems to have gone into Lohan’s preparation other than to have her eyes tinted.”
Meanwhile Lindsay Lohan will soon find out if she will be charged over her alleged assault of Tiffany Mitchell during a November 29 nightclub brawl.
A source told Radar: “The Assistant DA handling the case will decide next week whether or not to formally charge Lindsay.
“They’re currently going over all of the evidence and met with Tiffany and her attorney, Gloria Allred earlier this week for three hours.
“The meeting was very productive and provided the prosecutors and cops with further insight into what allegedly happened that night.
“The NYPD thinks that there is more than enough evidence to charge Lindsay with a crime and a lot of the cops think that if she isn’t charged, it will just embolden her to misbehave even more! There definitely is a sense among the investigators that Lindsay has absolutely no respect for the law, and that the only place for someone like Lindsay is behind bars.”
Lindsay Lohan was arrested after allegedly punching Tiffany Mitchell in the face after an argument at the Avenue night club.
Several eyewitnesses came forward claiming the actress had been drinking heavily and doing cocaine before the brawl
She is also set to be formally charge at court on December 12 on three misdemeanor charges of lying to cops, reckless driving and obstructing or resisting a police officer in the performance of his duty.
Lindsay Lohan is not however expected to attend the proceedings unless ordered by the judge.
The Cadger family from Idaho is showing their Christmas spirit through their annual light display – but they aren’t using any old holiday jingle.
The Cadger family is having a very “dubstep” Christmas after they synced their extensive light show on their Meridian, Idaho, house to a mix of Bangarang and Cinema, both of which are by Skrillex. The video, which was posted on YouTube on November 24, has taken off with more than 500,000 views until now.
The family must be fond of Skrillex’s electronic-style beats because a year ago, their house had the light display synced to the artist’s First of the Year (Equinox).
It takes the Cadgers two months to set up the display, which involves laying out more than two miles of extension cords to decorate the home with nearly 40,000 lights, according to a Huffington Post story.
Cadger Dubstep Christmas Lights House 2012
The display is powered by four 16-channel “Light O Rama” controllers hooked up to a computer, according to the family’s website. They make an effort to use energy-efficient LED lights, according to the site.
The lights are active on Friday and Saturday night from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. the rest of the week. The Cadgers ask that visitors bring food to donate to the Idaho Food Bank.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are finally about to walk down the aisle and they could be married any day now after the pair reportedly picked up their wedding rings.
In Touch magazine is reporting that Brad Pitt, 48, and Angelina Jolie, 37, are gearing up to walk down the aisle sending their stylist pick up wedding rings.
“On November 27, a stylist for the actress picked up wedding rings from Neil Lane jewelers for the couple,” the magazine reports.
The bands arrived at the Jolie-Pitt home just a day after Brad Pitt made it clear at the premiere of his new film, Killing Me Softly, that he planned to make an honest woman out of Angie – at the request of their children.
“I am getting more pressure from my kids, and it is something I want to do within their lifetime, but I also feel like the time has come,” Brad Pitt said at the New York premiere.
“The time is nigh. It’s soon. I got a good feeling about it.”
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are finally about to walk down the aisle and they could be married any day now after the pair reportedly picked up their wedding rings
According to People magazine, Brad Pitt said the fact they have been together for so long does not lessen the importance of a wedding.
“We’ve had a family, we’ve raised the kids,” he said.
“I am surprised how much it meant to me once you had that.”
The couple have six children three whom they adopted – Maddox, 11, Pax, 8, Zahara, 7, – and three biological children – Shiloh, 6, and 4-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s wedding has often been speculated over with many believing they were set to marry in August this year.
It was thought the pair were to tie the knot in a civil ceremony at their recently renovated multimillion dollar French estate, Chateau Miraval.
Japan has issued a tsunami warning after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the country’s eastern coast.
The quake was felt in the capital Tokyo, media report.
The tsunami warning was issued for the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, which was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
The wave hit the city of Ishinomaki, while the quake was also felt strongly in the capital, Tokyo.
The epicentre of the quake was about 245 km (150 miles) south-east of Kamiashi at a depth of about 36 km, the US Geological Survey said.
Miyagi was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat to the wider Pacific Ocean but that a tsunami could be generated that was destructive for local coastlines.
There have been no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.
Warnings of the tsunami height have varied between 50 cm and 2 m.
Any such height would represent a far lower risk of devastation than the 10-11 metre tsunami that struck in 2011 but that since then the country has clearly become jittery about any shaking of the earth.
At the moment, he says, the damage appears to be on a limited scale, although even a one-metre tsunami could be a significant event.
Japan has issued a tsunami warning after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the country’s eastern coast
Evacuations have been ordered from some of the affected areas.
A presenter on state broadcaster NHK told viewers: “Remember last year’s quake and tsunami. Call on your neighbors and flee to higher ground now!”
Buildings were reported to have swayed violently in Tokyo.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda cancelled campaigning for the 16 December election to return to his office.
Communications to Miyagi have proven difficult, with the high volume of telephone calls. Trains in the prefecture have been halted and the runway at Sendai airport closed.
English teacher John Heritage, who is in Tagajo in Miyagi Prefecture, said the earthquake was not as powerful as some he had experienced but was worrying as it went on so long.
“We’re now at an official evacuation centre with about 50 other people waiting to hear what to do next,” he said.
Other people reported being alerted to the earthquake prior to its arrival by Japan’s mobile phone-based warning system.
One tweeted that he was given 10 seconds and was able to slow his car before the shaking struck.
The USGS reported three aftershocks in the same area, of 6.2, 5.5 and 4.7 magnitudes.
The 9.0 magnitude quake that struck on March 11th, 2011, caused a devastating tsunami and left more than 15,000 people dead, with more than 3,200 missing.
That quake triggered a meltdown of fuel rods at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing radiation leaks and mass evacuations.
The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power, told Agence France-Presse there were no reports of problems there this time, although workers have moved to higher ground.
The US is moving navy ships into position to track North Korea’s rocket due to launch later this month.
The warships were moved to achieve “the best situational awareness”, the US military chief in the region said.
Japan’s government, meanwhile, has formally issued an order to its military to shoot down any rocket debris that infringes on its territory.
North Korea plans to launch its rocket between 10 and 22 December, saying it will put a satellite into space.
The US and other nations say the launch constitutes a test of long-range missile technology banned under UN resolutions.
North Korea conducted a similar launch in April 2012, but the rocket flew only for a short time before crashing into waters off the Korean peninsula.
This launch window includes two key dates – 17 December marks the first anniversary of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and 19 December is when South Korea’s presidential election takes place.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency – citing unidentified sources – reports that all three stages of the rocket are now in place at the launch site and that fuel is being injected into a storage tank, after which the rocket will be fuelled.
But a US think-tank says preparations may not be this far advanced, citing satellite images of the launch site.
The US is moving navy ships into position to track North Korea’s rocket due to launch later this month
Snow had forced a temporary halt to work on 4 December, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said on its 38 North website, but the North Koreans still had time to complete preparations on schedule.
Based on co-ordinates provided by Pyongyang, the rocket is expected to fly south – with stages dropping into the sea west of the Korean peninsula and then east of the Philippines.
Admiral Samuel Locklear, head of US forces in the Asia-Pacific region, said preparations for the launch were being watched “very closely”.
On the warships, he said it “should seem logical that we’ll move them around so we have the best situational awareness”.
“To the degree that those [navy] ships are capable of participating in ballistic missile defense, then we will position them to be able to do that,” he said.
The rocket’s flight plan also takes it close to parts of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture. The Japanese government has pledged to shoot down any debris that falls over its territory.
It is deploying three warships equipped with missile interceptors and is also positioning PAC-3 missile interceptors on the ground at four locations in Okinawa prefecture, Kyodo news agency said.
All Nippon Airways, meanwhile, says it is adjusting flight plans to avoid the area off the Philippines where the second stage of the rocket may fall.
Similar preparations by the US and Japanese militaries were seen ahead of the failed launch in April. But the 30 m (100 ft) Unha-3 rocket is thought to have flown for only minutes before breaking up.
North Korea has not yet successfully launched a three-stage rocket, despite four attempts since 1998. It is believed to be working on the development of a long-range missile capable of reaching the west coast of the US mainland.
The US and its allies say the rocket launches represent banned tests of ballistic missile technology because the basic technology is the same.
President Barack Obama and his family have flipped the switch for the 90th annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree, marking the holiday season in Washington.
Barack Obama was joined by his daughters, Sasha, 11, and Malia, 14, and wife Michelle. All were bundled to shield themselves from the cold December night.
Also helping in the festive ceremony was actor and singer Neil Patrick Harris, who hosted the tree-lighting ceremony
“Merry Christmas, everybody!” the president began. He was wearing a black wool overcoat and a maroon scarf tucked loosely in his jacket. He was then interrupted by Neil Patrick Harris, who said that it was wonderful to see Barack Obama’s daughters out and about.
“It’s wonderful to see you, Mr. President,” he added.
Barack Obama feigned confusion.
“Is it time?” he asked.
“I hope everybody’s ready,” Barack Obama said.
“We gotta do the countdown.”
President Barack Obama and his family have flipped the switch for the 90th annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree
The crowd then counted down from five, before the first lady and her daughters switched on the blue spruce’s magnificent lights.
After the lighting, Neil Patrick Harris continued to banter with the president, and joked with actor Rico Rodriguez of ABC’s Modern Family about joining the Obamas in Hawaii this Christmas.
Singers Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Ledisi, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat and James Taylor, along with the band The Fray, performed Christmas songs before a crowd of about 17,000 on the Ellipse, a park that sits between the White House and the National Mall.
The president said in a brief speech he has been inspired by Americans’ response to Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the Northeast in late October. He told a story of a street in Staten Island, where houses and businesses were devastated by the storm.
“A great big Christmas tree shines out of the darkness,” he said.
“A local nursery donated the tree, another business chipped in for lights and a star, and 70-year-old Tom Killeen and his friends planted it at the end of the street, overlooking the town beach.”
“As Tom says, the tree has one message: It’s Christmas time, not disaster time,” the president concluded.
The National Christmas Tree ablaze with white lights and stars, Barack Obama joined the singers on stage in a singalong version of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town before heading home, a short motorcade ride away.
This year’s giant blue spruce is new and was transplanted in October on the Ellipse, a park that lies between the White House and the National Mall.
The previous tree died from transplant shock after just a year. Before that, a tree that stood for more than 30 years was destroyed by winds in February 2011.
Actor Stephen Baldwin was charged on Thursday with failing to pay New York state taxes for three years, amassing a $350,000 debt.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said Stephen Baldwin, of Upper Grandview, skipped his taxes in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The youngest of the four acting Baldwin brothers pleaded not guilty at an arraignment and was freed without bail. His lawyer, Russell Yankwitt, said Stephen Baldwin should not have been charged.
“Mr. Baldwin did not commit any crimes, and he’s working with the district attorney’s office and the New York State Tax Department to resolve any differences,” Russell Yankwitt said.
The district attorney said Stephen Baldwin could face up to 4 years in prison if convicted. The actor is due back in court on February 5th, 2013.
Stephen Baldwin was charged with failing to pay New York state taxes for three years, amassing a $350,000 debt
Thomas Zugibe said Stephen Baldwin owes more than $350,000 in tax and penalties.
“We cannot afford to allow wealthy residents to break the law by cheating on their taxes,” the district attorney said.
“The defendant’s repetitive failure to file returns and pay taxes over a period of several years contributes to the sweeping cutbacks and closures in local government and in our schools.”
Thomas Mattox, the state tax commissioner, said: “It is rare and unfortunate for a personal income tax case to require such strong enforcement measures.”
Stephen Baldwin, 46, starred in 1995’s The Usual Suspects and appeared in 1989’s Born on the Fourth of July. He is scheduled to appear in March on NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice.
His brothers Alec, William and Daniel Baldwin are also actors.
In October, Stephen Baldwin pleaded guilty in Manhattan to unlicensed driving and was ordered to pay a $75 fine. Earlier this year, he lost a $17 million civil case in New Orleans after claiming that actor Kevin Costner and a business partner duped him in a deal related to the cleanup of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The actors and others had formed a company that marketed devices that separate oil from water.
Stephen Baldwin co-hosts a radio show with conservative talk figure Kevin McCullough.
