Gerard Depardieu emerged from a police station in Paris on Friday morning, where he was held overnight after getting arrested for driving the scooter while drunk, according to reports.
Dressed in a sleeveless white shirt, Gerard Depardieu, 63, was well enough to jump back onto the vehicle and drive himself home following the overnight stay at the police station.
Reuters reports that Gerard Depardieu was held for questioning after he fell from his scooter mid-afternoon, slightly injuring his elbow.
No-one else was hurt in the accident.
Agence France-Presse is reporting that when police arrived at the scene and tested Gerard Depardieu, he showed a blood alcohol level of 1.8 grams per litre, well above the French limit for driving of 0.5.
Gerard Depardieu was detained and brought to a police station where he could face misdemeanor charges “after a period of sobering up”, the source told the French news agency.
Gerard Depardieu emerged from a police station in Paris on Friday morning, where he was held overnight after getting arrested for driving the scooter while drunk
And it’s not the first motor incident for the beloved French star this year.
One of France’s best-known actors for roles in more than a hundred films, Gerard Depardieu recently grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons again.
Just a few months ago a car driver filed a legal complaint for assault and battery against Gerard Depardieu following an altercation in Paris.
The motorist filed a complaint with the local prosecutor’s office in August accusing the star of assault and battery following the alleged incident in the capital’s Sixth Arrondissement, near the Saint Sulpice Church.
After Gerard Depardieu’s scooter allegedly collided with the unnamed driver, an argument ensued.
The motorist claimed Gerard Depardieu punched him in the face, leaving him injured.
An official from the prosecutor’s office said: “There was a confrontation and the driver filed a complaint.”
Sacha Baron Cohen is as zany and unpredictable in real life as he is on screen, says his long-suffering wife, actress Isla Fisher.
“I cannot tell you how embarrassing he is in social situations,” says Isla Fisher.
“To him, there’s no difference between the awkward gaffes he deliberately makes as a comic, and the terrible faux pas he innocently commits as my husband.
“One problem is that he doesn’t always recognize stars when they are not in character.
“He once told Diane Keaton at a dinner party that she should have won an Oscar for her performance in The Kids Are All Right because he thought she was Annette Benning.
“Another time he asked Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett: <<So what do you do for a living?>>.”
But perhaps his worst gaffe was at a screening of a Jack Black movie, when a buxom woman made a very long speech, followed by a very short address by Jack.
Isla Fisher explains: “After the film, Sacha said to Jack: <<Why did you make such a short speech? You should have shut up the woman with the big bosoms and said more yourself>>.”
Jack Black said through gritted teeth: “That was my mother.”
“Although even that didn’t silence Sacha. He told Jack: <<Well, at least your mother has a fabulous bosom>>.
“And he turned to me and said: <<You’ve always wanted larger breasts, haven’t you, Isla?>>.
“I wanted the floor to swallow me up. I would like to think Sacha is putting in rehearsal time for all those hilarious gaffes his characters make in movies.
“But I’m by no means certain that’s why he does it. I don’t think he can help himself!”
But Sacha Baron Cohen’s lack of tact can sometimes have its uses, admits his wife.
“I was working all hours in the studio in California on the film The Rise Of The Guardians. I was feeling down and lonely, but I had to find a way to lighten up to bring a comedic touch for my portrayal of the Tooth Fairy in the movie.
“All of a sudden I thought of the times Sacha has put his foot in it, with me standing right beside him. Cringe-making moments, yes – but as I relived them, I began to laugh, and that was all I needed to get myself in the mood for the film.”
Sacha Baron Cohen is as zany and unpredictable in real life as he is on screen, says his wife, Isla Fisher
Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher, who met at a party in Sydney in 2002, married in 2010 and are parents to daughters Olive, 5, and Elula, 2.
They make a contrasting couple – and not only because he stands 13 inches above his 5ft 2in tall wife.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s brand of entertainment is dangerously cutting edge, whereas hers tends to be a little more middle of the road.
Raised in Australia by Scottish parents, Isla Fisher started her career playing Shannon Reed in Home & Away before going on to appear in Hollywood movies Scooby-Doo, Wedding Crashers, and Confessions Of A Shopaholic.
Now Isla Fisher is starring in the $135 million Rise Of The Guardians, in which the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, Jack Frost and the Easter Bunny join forces with Father Christmas to see off the malevolent Bogeyman.
It’s a sweet contrast to the jaw-dropping and controversial comedies of her husband, who put on medallions and a shell suit to play the unspeakable Ali G.
“Sacha and I have entirely separate careers and while the movies he makes are not suitable for family viewing, I’ve hardly specialized in that genre of movie either!
“Not even The Rise Of The Guardians will be suitable for my girls, especially not my little two-year-old. ‘With a PG certificate, of course there are plenty of youngsters who will enjoy it but the character of the Bogeyman – brilliantly voiced by Jude Law – is just a little too scary for my munchkins, especially in the parts where he turns dreams into nightmares.
“When Olive and Elula are a little older they can see Rise Of The Guardians, but not yet.”
But Isla Fisher isn’t in the process of building up a huge canon of work on which her daughters can feast in later years.
She deliberately turns down parts in order to be a mother, explaining: “I just don’t want to miss anything in the lives of my children while they are still young. It’s why I don’t audition for leading roles at all, and why I say no to some of the supporting roles that I do get offered.
“I’m happy with the idea of being a mum first and an actress second – I’m perfectly content for people to think of me as a stay-at-home mum, rather than an actress, if that is their perception.
“That may change in future years but, for the moment, the place in which I want to spend most of my time is my home with my family.”
With Sacha Baron Cohen only making one movie every three years, it’s a place in which both parents are normally in residence. It’s also, admits Isla Fisher, a home which is more than a little out of the ordinary.
“Sacha does fully embrace the people he plays and you don’t know the half of it when it comes to him getting into character for a movie,” she laughs.
“I’ve lived with Borat’s handlebar moustache, Bruno’s Justin Bieber flick and The Dictator’s accusing finger.
“At the moment, I’m having it easy! Sacha is writing so he isn’t in character. But watch this space.”
Isla Fisher’s determination to separate the fantasy of her husband’s career from the practicalities of parenthood is clear. She is proud, she says, that life at their seven-bedroom English manor-style mansion in Los Angeles is as down to earth as possible – and honest.
“I’ve yet to tell my children a lie – even a white one. Mind you, discussions about the existence or otherwise of Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny have yet to take place.”
Having converted to Judaism before marrying Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher says: “At Christmas, the children get their gifts from my parents, so it’s all a little foggy on the Santa front!
“As for the Tooth Fairy, I’m sure those conversations about her existence, or otherwise, will occur but as neither of my daughters has lost a tooth yet, she hasn’t really been on the agenda. We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it!
“Although I sort of know that I am going to play along with it because that is what happens when you put a tooth under the pillow. You get some money for it, don’t you?!
“But it won’t be anything excessive. I don’t think one should incentivize the losing of teeth.
“I find the idea of a child getting an iPad, or a £20 note, for losing a tooth, utterly abhorrent.
“Fifty pence, or a pound at most, is what my children can expect from the Tooth Fairy.”
Israel has authorized the construction of 3,000 more housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
It is also speeding up the processing of 1,000 planning permissions.
The Palestinian Authority has said it will not return to peace talks without a freeze in settlement building.
The decision comes a day after a vote at the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians’ status at the UN to that of non-member observer state.
According to the Israeli Haaretz newspaper, some of the new units will be between Jerusalem and the settlement of Maaleh Adumim.
Plans to build settlements in the area, known as E1, are strongly opposed by Palestinians, who say the development will cut the West Bank in two, preventing the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.
The move is a first indication of Israeli anger, less than 24 hours after the vote on Palestinian status was held at the UN.
The Palestinians may well have been expecting this – or something like it – but it is a reminder that the gulf between the two on the settlement issue remains huge.
Earlier this month, a paper by the Israeli foreign ministry described the Palestinians’ pushing for the vote as “crossing a red line that will require the harshest Israeli response”.
About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
Earlier on Friday, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the UN vote was “negative political theatre” that would “hurt peace”.
The General Assembly voted by 138-9 to recognize the Palestinians as a non-member observer state, with 41 states abstaining.
The Palestinians can now take part in UN debates and potentially join bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it was the “last chance to save the two-state solution” with Israel.
Two decades of on-off negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank have failed to produce a permanent settlement, with the latest round of direct negotiations breaking down in 2010.
In January, several months of indirect “proximity talks” ended without any progress.
Palestinian negotiators insist that the building of Jewish settlements on occupied land must stop before they agree to resume direct talks.
Their Israeli counterparts say there can be no preconditions.
Mahmoud Abbas was much criticized by many Palestinians for remaining on the sidelines of the conflict between the militant Hamas movement and Israel earlier this month in Gaza.
Facebook and Zynga have amended an agreement that gave Farmville’s developer strong access to the social network’s one billion users.
Farmville is a game once mostly played on Facebook, which at its peak attracted 82 million players a month.
Zynga now has its own games platform, but players will no longer be able to share their progress on Facebook.
Zynga’s share price fell by 13% in after-hours trading following the news.
It is the latest blow for the company, which last month announced job cuts and studio closures.
The change, which will take place from March 31st, 2013, ends Zynga’s ability to promote its Zynga.com platform on Facebook.
The move also means it will no longer be required to display Facebook advertising on its own site.
Facebook and Zynga have amended an agreement that gave Farmville’s developer strong access to the social network’s one billion users
“There was plenty of speculation Zynga was getting referrals within the Facebook community that other gaming companies weren’t getting which helped drive web traffic to Zynga games,” Digital World Research chief executive PJ McNealy said.
Facebook said the move would bring its relationship with Zynga in line with other games studios.
“We have streamlined our terms with Zynga so that Zynga.com’s use of Facebook Platform is governed by the same policies as the rest of the ecosystem,” Facebook said in a statement.
“We will continue to work with Zynga, just as we do with developers of all sizes.”
Facebook has not announced plans to build its own games platform.
Recent figures suggest 80% of Zynga’s revenue comes from Facebook users.
In an email to staff in October 2012, Zynga founder Mark Pincus said the company would close its Boston studio and consider closing studios in the UK and Japan as part of an “overall cost reduction plan”.
CIA World Factbook color-coded map reveals the startling difference in life expectancies across 222 of the world’s countries.
The map shows how people are likely to live the longest in developed countries with state-funded healthcare systems like Japan, Canada and the UK, which each have average life expectancies of over 80 years.
The tiny tax haven of Monaco – with its notoriously wealthy inhabitants and compulsory state-funded health service – has the highest life expectancy at an average of 89.68 years, five years higher than anywhere else on earth, according to the CIA World Factbook. The country with the worst life expectancy is the African state of Chad at a shocking 48.69 years.
Life expectancy in America ranks 51st in the CIA’s table at 78.49 years – lower than Canada (81.48), Australia (81.90), New Zealand (80.71), Japan (83.91), the UK (80.17) and much of Europe.
Of the top five longest-living nations the only large country is Japan, with the rest being city states (see box).
Life expectancy levels in South America and generally 10 years lower than those in North America.
People are likely to live the shortest in sub-Saharan Africa, with no country in that vast region having an average life expectancy of over 60.
CIA World Factbook color-coded map reveals the startling difference in life expectancies across 222 of the world’s countries
Only a few Asian countries, including Afghanistan (49.72) and a couple of Caribbean nations, have such similarly short life expectancies compared with Africa.
The worst countries to live in if you want to reach old age are Afghanistan (49.72), Swaziland (49.42), South Africa (49.41) Guinea-Bissau (49.11) and Chad (48.69), whose people are generally expected to die before they even reach middle age.
The figures confirm that women on average live longer than men. Life expectancy for a woman in Monaco is 93.77 years compared with that of a man at 85.74 years.
In Chad life expectancy for men is only 47.61 years while women are expected to live slightly longer to 49.82 years.
While The United States has consistently fallen in the rank of world nations over the last 50 years, the average life expectancy has risen from 69.8 years in 1960 to 78.49 today.
And while Chad’s figure of 48.69 today is shockingly low, in 1960 Afghanistan had the world’s lowest life expectancy at 31.3 years.
Eurozone unemployment rate hit a new record high in October, while consumer price rises slowed sharply.
The jobless rate in the recessionary euro area rose to 11.7%. Inflation fell from 2.5% to 2.2% in November.
The data came as European Central Bank President Mario Draghi warned the euro would not emerge from its crisis until the second half of next year.
Government spending cuts would continue to hurt growth in the short-term, Mario Draghi said.
The unemployment rate continued its steady rise, reaching 11.7% in October, up from 11.6% the month before and 10.4% a year ago.
A further 173,000 were out of work across the single currency area, bringing the total to 18.7 million.
The respective fortunes of northern and southern Europe diverged further. In Spain, the jobless rate rose to 26.2% from 25.8% the previous month, and in Italy it rose to 11.1% from 10.8%.
In contrast, unemployment in Germany held steady at 5.4% of the labor force, while in Austria it fell from 4.4% to just 4.3%.
Data earlier this month showed that the eurozone had returned to a shallow recession in the three months to September, shrinking 0.1% during the quarter, following a 0.2% contraction the previous quarter.
The less competitive southern European economies, such as Spain and Italy – where governments have had to push through hefty spending cuts to get their borrowing under control, and crisis-struck banks have been cutting back their lending – have been in recession for over a year.
But the economies of Germany and France have also begun to weaken. Growth in the eurozone’s two biggest economies came in at a disappointing 0.2%.
And more recent data suggests that both core eurozone economies have continued to skirt recession during the autumn.
Retail sales in Germany shrank 2.8% in October versus the previous month, down 0.8% from a year earlier, according to data released on Friday. Analysts had expected the country to record unchanged or moderately growing sales.
Meanwhile, separate data showed consumer spending in France shrank 0.2% in October versus the previous month, with spending on cars and other durable goods hardest hit.
The sharp slowdown in the eurozone’s consumer price index, to 2.2% in November, is also symptomatic of the weakness of spending.
However, the inflation data may also open the door to further measures by the ECB to boost the economy, as the index fell much closer to the central bank’s 2% target rate.
“We have not yet emerged from the crisis,” said Mario Draghi, speaking on pan-European radio.
“The recovery of the eurozone will certainly begin in the second half of 2013.
“It’s true that the budgetary consolidation entails a short-term contraction of economic activity, but this budgetary consolidation is inevitable.”
Despite Mario Draghi’s warning, and the generally poor state of the eurozone economy, markets have begun to take a far more sanguine view of the single currency’s future.
Italy’s implicit cost of borrowing in the financial markets has fallen to its lowest level in two years, dropping to an implied interest rate of about 4.5% for 10-year debt.
Spain is able to borrow from markets at a 10-year rate of about 5.5% – far below the 7%-8% rate being demanded over the summer.
Mario Draghi conceded that the announcement of the ECB’s willingness to buy up potentially unlimited amounts of government debt had boosted market confidence, even though no eurozone government had actually taken up the ECB’s offer yet.
However, borrowing costs in southern Europe still remain elevated compared with France and especially Germany. Berlin is currently able to borrow for 10 years at 1.37%, close to an all-time low.
“For now, what the ECB has done is to stop the bleeding,” said Stephen Gallo at RBS.
“The central bank needs to close the gap in loan borrowing costs between the periphery and the core.”
However, Stephen Gallo said in his view the only way to do this was for the eurozone to move ahead with its “banking union” – which includes putting all eurozone banks under a common regulator, and creating a pan-eurozone scheme for guaranteeing bank accounts.
He was echoing the view of Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, who on Friday said that creating a single deposit guarantee system should be Europe’s top priority, more important than getting government budgets under control.
Fears over a possible government default or exit from the eurozone have made it much harder for Spanish and Italian banks to borrow, and put them at risk of a sudden exodus of depositors. This in turn has undermined the banks’ role in supporting their respective national economies.
American company Microzap has developed a technique that it says can make bread stay mould-free for 60 days.
The bread is zapped in a sophisticated microwave array which kills the spores that cause the problem.
Microzap claims it could significantly reduce the amount of wasted bread.
The technique can also be used with a wide range of foods including fresh turkey and many fruits and vegetables.
Food waste is a massive problem in most developed countries. In the US, figures released this year suggest that the average American family throws away 40% of the food they purchase – which adds up to $165 billion annually.
One of the biggest threats to bread is mould. As loaves are usually wrapped in plastic, any water in the bread that evaporates from within is trapped and makes the surface moist. This provides excellent growing conditions for Rhizopus stolonifer, the fungus that leads to mould.
In normal conditions, bread will go mouldy in around 10 days.
But Microzap says it has developed a technique that will keep the bread mould free for two months.
Microzap has developed a technique that it says can make bread stay mould-free for 60 days
At its laboratory on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, chief executive Don Stull showed off the long, metallic microwave device that resembles an industrial production line. Originally designed to kill bacteria such as MRSA and salmonella, the researchers discovered it could kill the mould spores in bread in around 10 seconds.
“We treated a slice of bread in the device, we then checked the mould that was in that bread over time against a control,” he explained.
“And at 60 days it had the same mould content as it had when it came out of the oven.”
The machine the team has built uses much the same technology as found in commercial microwaves – but with some important differences, according to Don Stull.
“We introduce the microwave frequencies in different ways, through a slotted radiator. We get a basically homogeneous signal density in our chamber – in other words, we don’t get the hot and cold spots you get in your home microwave.”
Microzap’s device has attracted plenty of interest from bread manufacturers – but it is worried that it could push up costs in an industry where margins are very tight.
And there is also a concern that consumers might not take to bread that lasts for so long. Don Stull acknowledges it might be difficult to convince some people of the benefits.
“We’ll have to get some consumer acceptance of that,” he said.
“Most people do it by feel and if you still have that quality feel they probably will accept it.”
Don Stull believes that the technology could impact bread in other ways. He said that bread manufacturers added lots of preservatives to try and fight mould, but then must add extra chemicals to mask the taste of the preservatives. If bakers were able to use the microwave technology, they would be able to avoid these additives.
While a wholesale change in the bread industry might be difficult to achieve, there may be more potential with other foods, including ground turkey.
In 2011, food giant Cargill had to recall 16 million kg of the product after a salmonella outbreak. Don Stull believes that using microwaves would be an effective way of treating this and several other products ranging from jalapenos to pet foods.
The only fruit that his device was unable to treat effectively were cantaloupes.
“We’ve used our tumbler machine to treat them, but you can’t tumble cantaloupes because they damage,” he said.
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon have called time on their romantic relationship, new reports suggest.
The pair announced their engagement last month in a preview for her family’s upcoming reality show The Houstons: On Our Own, but the couple have now called off their relationship.
Nick Gordon, 23, tweeted on November 18: “@REALbkBrown and I are not engaged or dating. Just close like we have always been.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown later wrote: “Spending time together, sunday night football & Playing with our @nickgordon new 3DS’s! Soooooo… Goodbye !!(:(:(: (sic).”
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon have called time on their romantic relationship
The following week she also posted a number of cryptic tweets suggesting she is all alone.
She wrote: “I’m leaving , this this good ole town and driving to the send of the world . Maybe it’s beautiful there (: Xxxo. Who do I trust in this world? Pfft well that’s easy beezie, #Myself, No1 will kno’s me like ME&They’d rather not take thtchance2knoME, & 2me.”
Another read: “That’s incredibly fine .. Because you’d be missing out on a #REALperson Xxo #armyofme #onmywon #goingtomakeit#determined.”
“I guess it’s time 4me2stop depending on anymore. It’s my time2follow what Mom&The Lord put out on this path for me. #Thankful. Mom xxo (sic).”
At the time of the car crash, Bobbi Kristina Brown described herself as “Partner of @ndgordon” on her Twitter page.
Nick Gordon was informally adopted by Whitney Houston when he was 12 and the pair were raised as brother and sister.
They were “always close” growing up but their relationship changed as they got older and they sought comfort in each other after Whitney Houston’s death in February and started living like a couple.
Whitney Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on February 11, 2012.
A newly-released booking photo of Nick Gordon, Bobbi Kristina Brown’s “adopted brother”, shows him smiling following his arrest for reckless driving.
Nick Gordon, 23, who was informally adopted by Bobbi Kristina’s mother Whitney Houston, was booked at Georgia’s Alpharetta City Jail on Wednesday night after he was clocked driving 82 mph in a 35 mph zone.
A police report indicates Nick Gordon has been ordered to appear in court on the charge.
Alpharetta Public Information Officer George Gordon confirms the incident occurred on Wednesday night at approximately 6:39 p.m.
Nick Gordon was driving a Gray Chevrolet Camaro on North Point Parkway, an affluent area known to have a high volume of pedestrian traffic.
He was cited for reckless driving and speeding and transported to the North Fulton Alpharetta jail Annex.
Police say an “acquaintance” of Nick Gordon was allowed to come to the scene and take custody of the vehicle. That person’s identity has not been released.
Nick Gordon’s court appearance is scheduled for February 12, 2013 at 9am.
It is his first reckless driving offense.
His arrest comes hours after Bobbi Kristina Brown totaled her Chevrolet Camaro near their Georgia home.
A newly-released booking photo of Nick Gordon shows him smiling following his arrest for reckless driving
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, daughter of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, was not injured after wrecking her Chevrolet Camaro while driving in Alpharetta, Georgia on Wednesday.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ a good Samaritan saw the vehicle totaled in an embankment and called 911.
According to the website, Bobbi Kristina Brown was standing next to her car when emergency personnel arrived.
Investigators believe Bobbi Kristina Brown lost control of the vehicle while making a left turn out of her apartment complex, driving over a curb and hitting several small trees before stopping at a local park trail in the city, located about 26 miles north of Atlanta.
She was reportedly issued a traffic citation for “failure to maintain lane”.
Police do not believe drugs or alcohol were a factor.
The accident follows two months after she was involved in a car crash with Nick Gordon and just a few weeks after she struck his repaired sports car in a parking lot at their home.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was a passenger in Nick Gordon’s black 2012 Camaro when it was severely damaged on September 26.
According to TMZ, the couple had been arguing at the time of the crash – which destroyed the entire front end of the vehicle.
Nick Gordon’s Camaro was the only car involved. No one was injured.
And earlier this month Bobbi Kristina Brown accidentally struck Nick Gordon’s car with her own vehicle in the parking garage of the apartment complex, causing severe damage to the front of his sports car.
Bobbi Kristina Brown had followed Nick Gordon back to their apartment in her own Camaro and as she tried to back into the parking space next to his, she struck his vehicle.
Neat Freaks, a new TLCspecial, chronicles the weirdest and wackiest sanitation habits that seem perfectly normal to many clean-obsessed people.
The one-hour show features Alfreta, a woman who not only cleans her own bathroom, but all the public bathrooms, and strangers’ houses she visits as well.
“I clean once a day, but once a day is all day,” Alfreta says on the show, premiering Wednesday, December 5th.
She added: “Bathrooms seem to be my thing, a dirty bathroom is disgusting to me. I don’t care where you go, they should always be clean.
“I use my toothbrush to get all the little residue off the fixtures. I use three big bottles of bleach a week. On the sink, the bathtub, behind the shower curtain, but especially on the toilet.”
Alfreta reveals that she uses half a bottle of bleach each time she cleans her toilet, which she pours into the tank, to keep “not only the bowl clean, but the tank clean also”.
In the kitchen, Alfreta admits she is just as bleach-obsessed.
“I bleach again, bleach is your friend people!” she says to the camera.
Alfreta shows on Neat Freaks how she pours a cap-full of bleach into a bowl mixed with water to clean her fruit from its contaminated insecticide
Pouring a cap-full of bleach into a bowl mixed with water, Alfreta adds: “I use this bowl to clean my fruit. Any fruit you eat, from what I learned on the doctor shows, is that it’s all contaminated with insecticide.”
“With the orange, wash it completely,” she demonstrates.
“With the apple, get right down into the core.”
As she takes a bite, Alfreta says: “I have no fear of eating this apple now.”
The show also features Christy, who spends up to ten hours every day scrubbing down every inch of her home, hyperventilating at the thought of anyone stepping inside it.
Meanwhile Michele adopted eight school-age children because she finds the snot and drool of infants repulsive – even from her own grandson.
Afraid of germs, Caleb sprays his home and his body with hydrogen peroxide, and insists on spraying down his dates before being intimate.
Mitt Romney was spotted picking up a snack in a McDonald’s restaurant just ahead of a lunch in the White House with Barack Obama on Thursday.
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney meeting has already inspired dozens of internet memes speculating on what exactly went on.
The former governor of Massachusetts was photographed apparently buying a McFlurry milkshake, and the picture was then uploaded to social news website Reddit.
While it may seem strange to see the ultra-healthy 65-year-old chowing down on fast food, the Romney family has long had a strong connection to the McDonald’s franchise.
Mitt Romney’s father George, a businessman who was governor of Michigan, was given a card by McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc entitling him to eat at any of the chain’s restaurants for free for his whole life.
As well as the picture of Mitt Romney in McDonald’s, web users have clearly been amused by a photo of the losing Republican presidential candidate shaking hands with Barack Obama in the Oval Office, as Buzzfeednotes.
Photoshopped versions of the image have spread around the net, with some offering witty guesses about the strained conversation the two men might be enjoying, while others drew attention to the awkward presence of a White House staffer half-hidden behind a door in the background of the picture.
The pair met for lunch at the White House on Thursday, sitting down with an eye on overlapping interests rather than the sharp differences that defined their presidential contest.
In their first meeting since the election, Barack Obama and the Republican nominee met in the White House’s private dining room, fulfilling a promise Obama made in his victory speech the night of November 6.
Mitt Romney congratulated the president for the success of his campaign and wished him well over the coming four years, according to a description of the meeting from the White House.
“The focus of their discussion was on America’s leadership in the world and the importance of maintaining that leadership position in the future,” according to the description.
“They pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together on shared interests arise in the future.”
While they talked politics, the former foes munched on white turkey chili and Southwestern grilled chicken salad.
Mitt Romney arrived at the White House early Thursday afternoon in a black SUV. He stepped out of the passenger side and walked into the West Wing alone.
Mitt Romney was spotted picking up a snack in a McDonald’s restaurant just ahead of a lunch in the White House with Barack Obama on Thursday
White House spokesman Jay Carney had earlier said Barack Obama had no specific agenda for the meeting, but he said the president wanted to discuss Mitt Romney’s ideas for making government more efficient. Barack Obama has proposed merging some functions of government related to business and has asked Congress for authority to undertake some executive branch reorganization.
“The president noted that Gov. Romney did a terrific job running the Olympics and that that skills set lends itself to ideas that could make the federal government work better, which is a passion of the president’s,” Jay Carney said.
Barack Obama aides said they reached out to Mitt Romney’s team shortly before Thanksgiving to start working on a date for the meeting. The two men were meeting alone in the White House’s private dining room, with no press coverage expected.
For Mitt Romney, it was a day of closure after a hard-fought campaign.
Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin congressman who was his vice presidential running mate, met earlier in the day to talk about the pending fiscal cliff negotiations and other economic challenges facing Washington, a Ryan aide said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the aide was not authorized to discuss the private discussions.
On a personal level, the pair discussed their families and talked about the harried 12 weeks of the general election campaign.
“I remain grateful to Gov. Romney for the honor of joining his ticket this fall, and I cherish our friendship,” Paul Ryan said in a statement after their meeting.
“I’m proud of the principles and ideas we advanced during the campaign and the commitment we share to expanding opportunity and promoting economic security for American families.”
Much of that debate centers on expiring tax cuts first enacted in the George W. Bush administration. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney differed sharply during the campaign over what to do with the cuts, with the Republican pushing for them to be extended for all income earners and the president running on a pledge to let the cuts expire for families making more than $250,000 a year.
The White House sees Barack Obama’s victory as a signal that Americans support his tax proposals.
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s sit-down Thursday was expected to be their most extensive private meeting to date. The two men had only a handful of brief exchanges before the 2012 election.
Even after their political fates became intertwined, their interactions were largely confined to the three presidential debates.
Mitt Romney has virtually disappeared from politics following his election loss. He’s spent the past three weeks largely in seclusion at his family’s Southern California home. He has made no public appearances, drawing media attention only after being photographed at Disneyland in addition to stops at the movies and the gym with his wife, Ann.
Barack Obama aides reached out to Mitt Romney shortly before Thanksgiving to start working on a date for the meeting.
“It was a gracious invitation from the president, which Mitt Romney was glad to accept,” a top Mitt Romney aide said.
The timing of Barack Obama’s meeting appears strategic, coming in the same week that he launched an aggressive campaign aimed at forcing Congress to accept his proposals to avert the fiscal cliff, a series of automatic tax increases and spending cuts that threaten to send the U.S. economy spiraling into a second recession.
The Congressional Budget Office has predicted that if the fiscal cliff is not avoided, the U.S. unemployment rate could rise to 9.1% by the end of next year, compared to 7.9% now.
Barack Obama is proposing that Congress end tax cuts for families making more than $250,000 a year, but Republicans are opposed to the idea.
While in Washington, Mitt Romney will meet with his former running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who is working on the Republican side of negotiations.
Mitt Romney has kept a low profile since his defeat, deliberately avoiding the political spotlight while many in the party distanced themselves from him in the days and weeks after the election, especially after a conference call with donors in which he said Barack Obama won the election because of ‘gifts’ he bestowed on constituencies like Hispanics, blacks and young people.
Photographs and sightings of Mitt Romney’s post-election lifestyle reveal that he is relishing a ‘normal’ existence after the grueling pace of the campaign.
He was spotted attending the movie Twilight with his wife and dining on pizza afterward. He was also photographed at Disneyland on roller coasters with his sons and grandchildren.
A motorist snapped a photo of Romney pumping gas recently and the former Massachusetts governor posted of photo of himself and Ann enjoying Thanksgiving together. Appearing scruffy and unkempt in a blue T-shirt, Mitt Romney had his arms wrapped around Ann in their kitchen as she appeared to be cooking.
But it was revealed on Wednesday that Mitt Romney might soon be returning to work in the private sector.
Mitt Romney’s former aides confirmed to the Associated Press that he is expected to move into an office at the Boston-area venture capital firm Solamere Capital, which was co-founded by his eldest son, Tagg, and Spencer Zwick, who served as his campaign’s national finance chairman.
He will not be working for Solamere, the Washington Post reports, but simply leasing an office space there.
The La Gorce Country Club in Miami, Florida, reportedly kicked Michael Jordan off the links in the middle of his golf game and banned him from ever returning because he violated the club’s strict dress code.
Not even Michael Jordan, with his six NBA championship rings, reported half-billion-dollar fortune and worldwide recognition, could escape the policy at the golf course that demands a tucked in collared shirt and Bermuda shorts.
The New York Post reports that Michael Jordan was midway through his game when a country club employee approached him and said he had to return to the clubhouse and change into different pants.
“I’ve been there many times and no one told me a thing,” Michael Jordan told ESPN Chicago by text message.
“Then all of a sudden they come to me on the 11th hole and say I can’t wear cargo shorts. Wow! The round is almost over and you want me to buy shorts now? Yeah, right!!”
When the retired Chicago Bulls star refused to lose his cargo shorts, he was reportedly told to leave and that he would no longer be welcome back at the club.
The La Gorce Country Club in Miami kicked Michael Jordan off the links in the middle of his golf game and banned him from ever returning because he violated the club’s strict dress code
“We were not aware that he is not allowed to return to La Gorce. I guess it’s their loss – as MJ is a great golfer, and a great guest,” Michael Jordan’s publicist said in a statement.
The country club has not commented on the incident.
Despite endorsing a full line of clothing for Nike, Michael Jordan has become infamous for his fashion sense.
His appearance at the Ryder Cup in Chicago wearing faded bluejeans and blue puffy vest led to the creation of a blog devoted to his dubious choices in attire called “What the F*** is Michael Jordan Wearing?”.
Michael Jordan left the NBA for good in 2003. He is currently owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, one of the worst teams in the league.
However, Michael Jordan retains his star power and reportedly rakes in tens of millions of a dollars a year in endorsement deals.
After her arrest on Wednesday night Lindsay Lohan even appears to be falling out with her friends, with her assistant Gavin Doyle telling her to “get help” via Twitter after an altercation on Thursday.
Lindsay Lohan, 26, kicked Gavin Doyle out of her car after he bailed her out at the police station in New York Thursday morning, according to Gawker and The New York Post,who have posted video of the incident.
Gawker has published a transcript of the altercation which happened when Lindsay Lohan emerged following her arrest for allegedly punching psychic Tiffany Eve Mitchell at Manhattan’s Avenue nightclub.
After Gavin Doyle gets into the car, Lindsay Lohan is heard yelling: “Gavin get out of the car, get out of the car Gavin! Get him out of the car, now! Gavin get out! Gavin get out of the f***** car. Now.”
Gavin Doyle is alleged to have replied: “Okay. Never speak to me again,” before striding down the street with his jacket over his head.
Earlier, he tweeted under moniker SaveTheSociety: “@lindsaylohan after bailing you out last night I HOPE and PRAY you get the help you so desperately need. We are ALL rooting for you. Xxx”
He then added: “Life is NOT a movie it’s a reality that needs to be faced.”
According to Gawker, things may have become strained between the pair after his testimony to police about the car crash contradicted Lindsay Lohan’s story.
Lindsay Lohan was charged with “wilfully resisting, obstructing or delaying an officer in the course of their duties, providing false information to a police officer, and reckless driving”.
The actress told police that Gavin Doyle was driving the Porsche on the Pacific Coast Highway when it crashed into the back of a truck, insisting she was in the passenger seat.
Lindsay Lohan kicked Gavin Doyle out of her car after he bailed her out at the police station in New York Thursday morning
However, in a statement, the Santa Monica Police Department said they now believe this was not the case.
“During the subsequent investigation, information was developed that Lohan was the driver of the Porsche when the accident occurred,” the statement said.
According to a TMZ report published earlier this month, Gavin Doyle told police he was riding in the passenger seat during an interview with police post-crash.
Despite Gavin Doyles’s tweets on Thursday, things appeared to be fine between he and Lindsay Lohan back in September, when Lohan tweeted: “Can’t live without @SaveTheSociety he’s my BFF.”
Police charged Lindsay Lohan with the three misdemeanor counts stemming from the collision, hours after the troubled starlet was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, for allegedly punching Florida psychic Tiffany Eve Mitchell at Club Avenue in Manhattan’s fashionable meatpacking district.
TMZ said Lindsay Lohan had been drinking heavily and lashed out in a stand-off over Max George, one of the members of British boy band The Wanted, who were also at the club after playing a concert in New York.
Lindsay Lohan is said to have a crush on Max George, 24, and attempted to get backstage to see the hunk after Justin Bieber concert.
Despite being banned, she met up with the boyband at the celebrity haunt, and the evening descended into chaos as Max George started chatting up another woman – not married Tiffany Eve Mitchell – riling Lindsay Lohan.
Max George split from his fiancée, British soap star Michelle Keegan, in August.
A band source said: “Max is a single guy, he is flirtatious, and a lot of women find him attractive. He’s free to play around.”
Max George tweeted “eventual night” on Thursday afternoon.
Lindsay Lohan and a friend joined Max George and his bandmates Jay McGuiness and Tom Parker at the club.
Apparently a fight broke out near where a riled Lindsay Lohan, a very drunk Max George and the Mitchells were partying – and it is not yet clear how it involved The Wanted singer.
BabyCenter released its annual global list of top 100 baby names for 2012, and Aiden took the top boys’ spot for the 8th consecutive year, while Sophia sits at the top for girls for the 3rd year in a row.
Aiden and Sophia may still hold the crown for “world’s most popular baby names”, but Mad Men’s Betty, several characters from Fifty Shades of Grey, and even Apple products are moving up the list, fast.
Several trending names made headway this year, including the Fifty Shades of Grey-inspired Anastasia, rising by 10%, Ana moving up 35 spots, and Grey rinsing by nearly 20%. Christian, however, actually declined in popularity.
BabyCenter’s global editor in chief, Linda Murray, told Today: “Earlier this year we heard moms telling us… <<this book is an aphrodisiac>>, and it’s helping them get pregnant. So it was not a surprise to see these names coming up the list.”
“I’m wondering how the moms are going to explain the inspiration for these names in a few years,” she added.
However, the biggest gain in the top 100 was the name Betty, up 54% this year thanks to Betty Draper’s character on Mad Men, coupled with a growing trend in old-fashioned names.
But BabyCenter also pointed out that technology, namely the iPhone, is also having a big effect on 2012 trending baby names.
Apple, the name of Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter, is up 15% for girls, while Mac is up 12%, and Siri, the name of Apple’s talking personal assistant, jumped 5% on the girls list.
Linda Murray explained: “This was a surprise to us this year. We hadn’t seen Apple rise when Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter, but people love their technology.”
The top 100 name list is based on the names of 450,000 babies born this year to mothers worldwide registered with the BabyCenter website.
Filling the other spots on the top ten girls list are Emma, Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Lily, Zoe, Chloe, Madison, and making a debut in the list, Mia.
After Aiden on the boy’s top ten came Jackson, Ethan, Liam, Mason, Noah, Lucas, Jacob, Jayden and also making a debut this year, Jack.
BabyCenter released its annual global list of top 100 baby names for 2012, and Aiden and Sophia still hold the crown
Linda Murry said: “Moms really like feminine names and we see a lot of crossover.
“These names work for a lot of ethnicities, so I think that’s why they’re in the top ten.”
As for Aiden reigning supreme, she said: “Part of the reason it stays number one is you can spell it in 45 different way. Moms love it.”
The UK has also been a strong influence, with young royal names up in popularity.
Harry is up 57% from the 2011 list, and Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa, increased by 35%.
Linda Murray said: “People love Harry and Pippa. They’re less in the spotlight than Will and Kate.”
Political names have always been popular, but this year’s election saw no boost to the names Barack, Mitt, Joe or Paul. Instead, past presidential names were favored, including Reagan for girl’s, jumping 46%, and Kennedy, Carter, Lincoln and Nixon rising in the rankings.
Chen Kegui, nephew of blind activist Chen Guangcheng, is being tried in a Chinese court for assaulting local officials who were looking for his uncle.
Chen Guangcheng escaped house arrest earlier this year and then took refuge at the US embassy in Beijing.
After he fled, his relatives’ homes were raided and his nephew, Chen Kegui, was detained by police, who accused him of attacking officials with a knife.
The activist has long expressed fears his relatives would face reprisals.
In the past, China has frequently punished family members of well-known dissidents.
Chen Guangcheng’s escape caused a diplomatic crisis when it emerged that he had taken refuge in the US embassy. It was finally defused after weeks of uncertainty when Chen Guangcheng was allowed to travel to the US for studies.
After he fled from his village, which was being guarded by government-hired guards, his relatives’ homes were raided.
Chen Guangcheng escaped house arrest earlier this year and then took refuge at the US embassy in Beijing
In an interview shortly afterwards, Chen Guangcheng’s brother and sister-in-law described being beaten by local officials.
But the authorities say that Chen Guangcheng’s nephew, Chen Kegui, hacked and wounded officials.
Family members say he acted in self-defence after the officials stormed his home and assaulted his parents.
He was originally charged with “intentional homicide” but the charge was later changed to “intentional injury”.
Human rights groups have expressed concern over whether the nephew will get a fair trial.
Chen Guangcheng, a self-taught lawyer, has campaigned against forced abortions under China’s one-child policy and was jailed for four years in 2006 for disrupting traffic and damaging property.
He was placed under house arrest after his release in 2010.
After he sought refuge in the US embassy, the Chinese authorities allowed him to leave the country with his wife and two children to study at the New York University School of Law.
In August, after meetings in the US Congress, the activist urged Washington to investigate his case and protect his family at home in China’s Shandong province.
Chen Guangcheng said Beijing had not fulfilled guarantees made to him about his own treatment and his family’s security when he left China.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund chief, has settled a lawsuit by hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo who accused him of sexual assault, US media report.
Details of the deal, said to have been struck at the Bronx Supreme Court in recent days, are expected to be subject to a confidentiality agreement.
DSK was held in New York in May 2011 after Nafissatou Diallo said he assaulted her in his hotel suite.
Prosecutors later dropped charges amid concerns about her credibility.
Nafissatou Diallo, 33, then opened a civil suit for undisclosed damages against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
DSK, 63, called the lawsuit defamatory and countersued.
DSK has settled a lawsuit by hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo who accused him of sexual assault
Her case opened the floodgates to a slew of others sexual allegations against DSK, leading him to resign from his IMF post.
It was widely seen as having ruined his chance of becoming the socialist presidential candidate in his native France.
A court date between DSK and Nafissatou Diallo’s lawyers is expected next week, although a day has not been set, reports the New York Times.
She told police that when she arrived to clean his luxury Manhattan hotel room, DSK sexually assaulted her.
DSK admitted to a “moral failing”, but said it was consensual.
Earlier this year DSK separated from his wife of some 21 years, Anne Sinclair.
Sex cases against Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Civil case on sexual assault charge in New York – settlement apparently reached
Criminal case on sexual assault charge in New York – dropped August 2011
Police investigation linking him to suspected vice ring at luxury hotel in Lille, France – ongoing
Criminal case on attempted rape claims in Paris – dropped October 2011
Investigation on “gang rape” claims in Washington – dropped October 2012
Egypt’s Islamist-run assembly has backed a draft constitution, including a measure keeping sharia, or Islamic law, as the main source of legislation.
The draft will now be sent to President Mohammed Morsi, who is expected to call a referendum on the issue.
The move comes after the constitutional court said it would rule on Sunday whether to dissolve the assembly.
Egypt’s judiciary is in a stand-off with the president after he granted himself sweeping new powers.
Egypt has been gripped by protests since the decree was issued last week – more demonstrations are planned for later on Friday.
Mohammed Morsi says his decree should only apply for as short a time as possible.
Liberal, left-wing and Christian members of the constitutional assembly boycotted the vote, accusing the Islamists of trying to impose their vision.
The assembly backed all the 234 articles of the draft after a marathon session that began on Thursday and continued through the night.
Its aim was clearly to pre-empt any challenge by the courts, which are in a confrontation with Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood which backs him.
According to Egyptian state TV, the articles passed stipulate that Islam is the religion of the state, and the principles of sharia are the “main source of legislation”.
This is unchanged from the previous constitution under Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled as president last year.
Salafists and some members of the Muslim Brotherhood failed to have “principles” replaced by “rules”.
The draft also says that Christianity and Judaism will be the “main source of legislation” for Egyptian Christians and Jews, state TV reported.
The assembly also adopted a new article that al-Azhar mosque and university, authorities on Sunni Muslim jurisprudence, must be consulted on “matters related to sharia”.
The president will be limited to two four-year terms of office.
The opponents of the draft voiced concern that some clauses – such as the importance of promoting family values – could be used to restrict freedom of speech.
They also said that there was no specific article establishing equality between men and women.
Opposition figure and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa told Reuters news agency: “This is nonsensical and one of the steps that shouldn’t be taken, given the background of anger and resentment to the current constitutional assembly.”
Another opposition leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei, said the document would be consigned to the “garbage bin of history”, and would only sharpen the current divisions in Egypt.
Lindsay Lohan has been arrested after allegedly punching psychic Tiffany Eve Mitchell at New York’s Avenue nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning – in a row over Max George from The Wanted.
Lindsay Lohan, 26, was at Avenue in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking district, where she is believed to have punched Tiffany Eve Mitchell, 28, a blonde psychic card reader from Florida.
The flame-haired star is said to have a crush on Max George, 24, and attempted to get backstage to see the hunk after his chart-topping band supported Justin Bieber at Madison Square Garden.
Despite being banned, she met up with the boyband at the celebrity haunt, and the evening descended into chaos as Max George started chatting up another woman – not married Tiffany Mitchell – riling Lindsay Lohan.
Max George split from his fiancée, British soap star Michelle Keegan, in August. A close friend said: “Max is a single guy, he is flirtatious, and a lot of women find him attractive. He’s free to play around.”
Max George tweeted “eventual night” on Thursday afternoon.
Lindsay Lohan and a friend joined Max George and his bandmates Jay McGuiness and Tom Parker at the club.
Apparently a fight broke out near where a riled Lindsay Lohan, a very drunk Max George and the Mitchells were partying – and it is not yet clear how it involved The Wanted singer.
Lindsay Lohan has been arrested after allegedly punching Tiffany Eve Mitchell at New York’s Avenue nightclub in a row over Max George
But Tiffany Mitchell’s husband Wayne Stevens said outside their Upper East Side home: “We didn’t know it was Lindsay Lohan and it just kind of escalated because someone else had a brawl out in there.
“The bouncer was having a fight with someone else, and I grabbed my wife right next to me and my friends had their wives.
“Then there were girls behind us and after it was over, one of them went and pushed my wife pretty hard – I don’t know why she pushed her.
“About five minutes later she comes round and tells my wife <<I need space>> and then she just punched her.
“After that, the bouncer didn’t want to help, nobody wanted to help, and they said <<there’s nothing we can do>>, so I went and called the police myself.
“A bouncer told me they’re not throwing her out because she’s Lindsay Lohan – I said <<well my wife got punched by Lindsay Lohan>>. We couldn’t understand why the bouncers weren’t throwing her out.”
He added: “My wife is still very sore, she’s very distressed, her cheekbone is aching. She’s all mindboggled right now, I’m going to take her to the doctor.”
When asked about Max George, Wayne Stevens said: “I could see there was something else going on, but we had nothing to do with it. We were just caught up in something that was nothing to do with us.”
This morning, Lindsay Lohan – still clad in her tight green mini-dress and black heels from her night out – left a Manhattan police station with a jacket over her head, while Tiffany Mitchell, Wayne Stevens and a friend were also seen leaving another precinct.
The United Nations General Assembly has voted to grant the Palestinians non-member observer state status – a move opposed by Israel and the US.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the assembly the vote was the “last chance to save the two-state solution” with Israel.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, said the bid “doesn’t advance peace – it pushes it backwards”.
The assembly voted 138-9 in favor, with 41 nations abstaining.
Hundreds of Palestinians celebrated on the streets of Ramallah, in the West Bank, after the result was announced.
“Sixty-five years ago on this day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which partitioned the land of historic Palestine into two states and became the birth certificate for Israel,” Mahmoud Abbas told the assembly.
“The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine,” he said.
Ron Prosor said “the only way to reach peace is through agreements” between the parties, not at the UN.
“No decision by the UN can break the 4,000-year-old bond between the people of Israel and the land of Israel,” he said.
Opponents of the bid say a Palestinian state should emerge only out of bilateral negotiations, as set out in the 1993 Oslo peace accords under which the Palestinian Authority was established.
Speaking after the vote, the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, urged the Palestinians and Israel to resume direct peace talks and warned against unilateral actions.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the vote “unfortunate and counter-productive”, saying it put more obstacles on the path to peace.
“By going to the UN, the Palestinians have violated the agreements with Israel and Israel will act accordingly,” said the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Twitter.
The UK abstained from the vote, as did Germany. The Czech Republic, the Marshall Islands and Panama were among the nations voting with the US and Israel.
The Palestinians are seeking UN recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, the lands Israel captured in 1967.
While the move is seen as a symbolic milestone in Palestinian ambitions for statehood, the “Yes” vote will also have a practical diplomatic effect.
It would allow the Palestinians to participate in debates at the UN and improve their chances of joining UN agencies and bodies like the International Criminal Court.
Last year, Mahmoud Abbas asked the UN Security Council to admit the Palestinians as a member state, but that was opposed by the US.
Mahmoud Abbas was much criticized by many Palestinians for remaining on the sidelines of the conflict earlier this month in Gaza and efforts to achieve a ceasefire with Israel.
His Fatah movement, based in the West Bank, is deeply split from the militant Hamas movement which governs Gaza.
Gaza’s Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh said in a statement that Hamas’ “support for the UN bid is based on the <<rule of non-recognition of the occupier>>… and the right of Palestinians to return to their homeland”.
Barack Obama has met defeated Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for a private lunch at the White House.
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney discussed “America’s leadership in the world” and how to preserve it, the White House said.
Mitt Romney left after just over an hour and the two said they would stay in touch.
Meanwhile, negotiations over a looming “fiscal cliff” seemed to falter in Congress.
House Speaker John Boehner said no major progress on a deal had been made.
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney dined on white turkey chili and south-western grilled chicken salad during Thursday’s lunch meeting.
White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a news briefing: “Governor Romney congratulated the president for the success of his campaign and wished him well over the coming four years.
“The focus of their discussion was on America’s leadership in the world and the importance of maintaining that leadership position in the future.
“They pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together on shared interests arise in the future.”
Barack Obama has met defeated Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for a private lunch at the White House
Barack Obama is also said to have noted that Mitt Romney’s “skills-set” could help improve the workings of the government.
Mitt Romney has spent the past three weeks mainly at his family’s California home, making no public appearances, although he was photographed on a family trip to Disneyland.
On election night, 6 November, Barack Obama pledged to meet the former Massachusetts governor for talks on how to “move this country forward”.
The pair sparred in a bitter campaign and are said to have little rapport.
On Thursday John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, met Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to discuss the combination of tax rises and spending cuts due to take effect on 1 January 2013.
“No substantive progress has been made between the White House and the House,” John Boehner said after the meeting.
“I was hopeful we’d see a specific plan for cutting spending, and we sought to find out today what the president really is willing to do.”
Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, said the Obama administration had taken a step “backward” away from consensus, after his meeting Timothy Geithner on Thursday.
Congressional Democrats countered that they had already outlined their party’s position, and said Republicans had not identified specific spending cuts.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said: “We’re still waiting for a serious offer from Republicans.”
Some Republicans have said they would consider increased tax revenue as part of a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.
But the White House believes that simply ending tax deductions would not generate enough new revenue to address the yawning budget deficit.
The fiscal cliff, which would suck about $600 billion out of the economy, could tip the US back into recession, analysts warn.
The measures were partly put in place within a 2011 deal to curb the yawning US budget deficit, but also include the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans.
Charla Nash, the woman who lost her eyesight, lips, nose, and hands when she was mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009, has settled an undisclosed lawsuit against Sandra Herold, the animal’s now-dead owner.
Connecticut attack victim Charla Nash’s brother filed the lawsuit on her behalf in 2009 in state Superior Court seeking $50 million in damages from chimp owner Sandra Herold, who died in 2010.
Charla Nash was blinded, lost both hands and underwent a face transplant after being mauled outside Sandra Herold’s home in Stamford in February 2009.
Lawyers for Charla Nash’s twin brother, Michael Nash, accused executors of Sandra Herold’s estate earlier this week of withholding information needed to complete the settlement, according to a court document.
An attorney for Sandra Herold’s estate said today that his office has since provided the information and the settlement is nearly finalized.
He declined to elaborate and said the settlement will be confidential.
“The case is resolved,” said Brenden Leydon, a Stamford lawyer representing Herold’s estate.
“I think it was a fair compromise on all sides.”
Brenden Leydon had argued that Sandra Herold’s estate couldn’t be sued because Charla Nash was an employee of Herold and any claims were a worker’s compensation matter.
Messages were left today for Michael Nash and his lawyer. Charla Nash’s other brother, Stephen Nash, declined to comment.
Charla Nash, the woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009, has settled an undisclosed lawsuit against Sandra Herold, the animal’s now-dead owner
Charla Nash, 57, now lives in a nursing home outside of Boston. She had gone to Sandra Herold’s home on the day of the attack to help lure Herold’s 200-pound chimpanzee, Travis, back into her home.
But the animal went berserk and ripped off Charla Nash’s nose, lips, eyelids and hands before being shot to death by a police officer.
Travis had starred in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola when he was younger and made an appearance on The Maury Povich Show.
The chimpanzee was the constant companion of the widowed Sandra Herold and was fed steak, lobster and ice cream. The chimp could eat at the table, drink wine from a stemmed glass, use the toilet and dress and bathe himself.
A month after the mauling, Charla Nash’s family sued Sandra Herold for alleged negligence and recklessness.
The lawsuit alleged Sandra Herold knew Travis was dangerous but failed to confine him to a secure area and allowed him to roam her property.
It also claimed Sandra Herold gave the chimp medication that exacerbated his “violent propensities”.
Travis had previously bitten another woman’s hand and tried to drag her into a car in 1996, bit a man’s thumb two years later and escaped from her home and roamed downtown Stamford for hours before being captured in 2003, according to the lawsuit.
Charla Nash’ family is also trying to sue the state for $150 million but is awaiting permission from the state claims commissioner. The state is immune from lawsuits unless they’re allowed by the claims commissioner.
She wants to sue the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which she holds responsible for not seizing the animal before the attack despite a state biologist’s warning it was dangerous.
“I hope and pray that the commissioner will give me my day in court,” Charla Nash told reporters following a hearing in August before Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance Jr.
“And I also pray that I hope this never happens to anyone else again. It is not nice.”
Court documents obtained by the AP on Thursday show the settlement between Charla Nash’s family and Sandra Herold’s estate was approved on September 25 by the Stamford Probate Court and the two sides met on November 13 to finalize it.
A lawyer for Michael Nash, Matthew Newman, said in a court document filed on Tuesday that since November 13, “executors have failed and refused to provide information necessary to complete the settlement”.
Brenden Leydon said Thursday that Matthew Newman now has the needed information.
Lindsay Lohan has been arrested after allegedly punching blonde psychic Tiffany Eve Mitchell at New York’s Avenue nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Lindsay Lohan, 26, was celebrity club Avenue in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking district, where she is believed to have punched Tiffany Eve Mitchell, 28, leaving her face bruised and swollen.
This morning, Lindsay Lohan – still clad in her tight green minidress and black heels from her night out – left a Manhattan police station with a jacket over her head, while Tiffany Eve Mitchell, her husband and a friend were also seen leaving another precinct.
And her day has just got worse as it has been revealed the actress will today face four different charges on different coasts.
Tiffany Eve Mitchell comes from Palm Beach, Florida, where she owns Palm Beach Psychic Visions. Before that, she owned another psychic business and is believed to have only recently moved to New York.
She reads palms and tarot cards and according to the Palm Beach Daily News, she goes by the name “Ava”.
A police source told the New York Post that Tiffany Eve Mitchell and Lindsay Lohan were sitting in separate VIP sections when a fight broke out nearby and both women stood up to watch.
Tiffany Eve Mitchell and Lindsay Lohan bumped into each other and words were exchanged with onlookers claiming that Lohan said: “Give me my space”, but both returned to their seats.
Then Lindsay Lohan allegedly got back up and punched Tiffany Eve Mitchell in the face.
Police sources said Tiffany Eve Mitchell claimed the actress knocked her to the ground with a strong blow to the left side of her face, with sources saying Mitchell “suffered swelling and substantial pain to the face”, but refused medical attention.
Lindsay Lohan has been arrested after allegedly punching blonde psychic Tiffany Eve Mitchell at New York’s Avenue nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning
Police were called, and Tiffany Eve Mitchell identified Lindsay Lohan as her attacker.
Lindsay Lohan had already left the venue but police later intercepted a car in which she was passenger and made the arrest.
As she was led away in handcuffs, the star is believed to have yelled: “Oh my God! I didn’t touch anyone!”
She kept repeating: “Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?”
Lindsay Lohan was later taken to the 10th Precinct Station House in Manhattan, where she was accused of misdemeanor assault.
She received a desk appearance ticket and will have to appear in court on January 11. She was described as being “visibly tired”.
Lindsay Lohan and a large group left several hours later around 7:30 a.m. with her head covered by a dark coat as they walked to a waiting car, as the actress was heard yelling at someone “get out of the car Gavin, get of the car now” several times.
“It’s become a pastime to use her name and fame and blame things on her,” said Gavin Doyle, a Lindsay Lohan assistant.
Earlier this morning, Tiffany Eve Mitchell, her friend and a man, believed to be her husband, left another police station in Manhattan.
While the women didn’t speak, the man said: “Lindsay Lohan got drunk and went crazy…hit my wife.”
Avenue nightclub does not even bear a sign at its front door.
The club boasts patrons including Rihanna and her on-off beau Chris Brown, who were seen at the nightspot together in July.
It is also where Katy Perry and ex-husband Russell Brand shared a kiss after meeting at the MTV music awards in September 2009.
Demi Moore and her ex-husband Ashton Kutcher have also partied there, while Fergie and will.i.am from the Black Eye Peas have DJd there.
It is owned by millionaire Noah Tepperberg, the ringmaster of a string of New York nightclubs including Marquee, as well as Lavo in Las Vegas.
It was the second time this week that Lindsay Lohan went to the club. She was spotted there on Tuesday night, as was Jennifer Lopez and Justin Timberlake.
The club is a small venue which offers mostly expensive bottle service. A drink alone is between $15 and $20 each. There is a small club downstairs and a more intimate lounge upstairs.
While champagne is carried out by stunning waitresses holding the bottles high through the air, with sparklers attached.
Former President George H.W. Bush is being treated for bronchitis in hospital in Houston, Texas, family and hospital officials have said.
George H.W. Bush, 88, has been in hospital for six days with a “lingering cough”, his spokesman Jim McGrath told CNN.
His condition is not considered life-threatening and the former president is expected to be discharged this weekend, reports say.
George H.W. Bush is the oldest living former president and a World War II veteran.
Former President George HW Bush is being treated for bronchitis in hospital in Houston
He was Ronald Reagan’s vice-president for two terms and president for one, serving in the White House from 1989 until 1993.
His chief of staff, Jean Becker, said President George H.W. Bush was admitted to Houston’s Methodist Hospital on Friday, after several visits in recent weeks, the Houston Chronicle newspaper reported.
His son, former President George W. Bush visited on Sunday with his wife, Laura.
Jean Becker added that there had been concerns George H.W. Bush’s condition might have developed into pneumonia and news of his treatment had not been made public “out of respect” for the former president.
Khloe Kardashian has revealed she was Photoshopped into her family Christmas card in 2011.
Khloe Kardashian was unable to attend the photoshoot for the annual Kardashian-Jenner holiday card, and so she and husband Lamar Odom, 33, had to be added in later with the help of some computer wizardry.
Appearing on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, Khloe Kardashian said: “We pretend that we’re always together. The powers of cameras and Photoshop.”
Khloe Kardashian’s younger half-sister Kendall Jenner, 17, had to be digitally added to the picture, too, as she was sick, as did Kourtney Kardashian’s partner, Scott Disick, 29.
Khloe Kardashian’s husband Lamar Odom – who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team – also missed last year’s dazzling 3D Christmas card shoot because he had a game.
She said: “That one we were all in but Lamar was Photoshopped because he had a game. It’s hard with his NBA schedule. Damn men with a career!”
Khloe Kardashian revealed she was Photoshopped in 2011 Kardashian Christmas card on Ellen DeGeneres show
When they are able to coordinate schedules, however, Khloe Kardashian says Christmas is always a big family affair, though it can get crowded in the Kardashian household.
She told Ellen DeGeneres: “Every Christmas, we’re always together. Step-brothers, sisters, everything. All 10 kids and then everyone’s extended girlfriend, boyfriend, this, that…”
Khloe added as the Kardashian siblings have gotten older and had more serious relationships, the cast of characters at Christmas largely remains the same – though she is surprised Scott Disick – who has children Mason, two, and 4-month-old Penelope with Khloe – is still a part of the family.
She said: “Now we’re sticking together. Who knew, I’m surprised Scott’s still around, but he’s here.”
