Benedict Barboza, the grieving husband of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who died in a suspected suicide near King Edward VII Hospital, has tonight told of his devastation at her death.
Benedict Barboza, a 49-year-old hospital accountant, also known as Ben, posted a tribute to Jacintha Saldanha on his Facebook page.
Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, had been manning the hospital switchboard when the Australian hoaxers called and she transferred the call to Kate Middleton’s ward.
The boss of 2Day FM radio station at the centre of the royal hoax call today refused to sack the DJs behind the stunt and painted them as victims.
Benedict Barboza, the grieving husband of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who died in a suspected suicide near King Edward VII Hospital, has tonight told of his devastation at her death
Rhys Holleran, the chief executive of Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the station, said the presenters were “completely shattered” and had been offered counseling.
2DayFM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian were taken off air after it emerged nurse Jacintha Saldanha who took their prank call at Kate Middleton’s hospital had died in a suspected suicide.
The White House has released a photograph showing the moment President Barack Obama learned he had won re-election against his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Taking the call perched on a chair at the Fairmont Millennium Park Hotel in Chicago, Barack Obama was apparently wished well by his defeated opponent.
The historic image was captured by the Obama administration’s photographer Pete Souza and was posted onto the official White House Flickr account for all to see.
Body language experts have had a field day with the signs that the just-triumphant president is giving off to the camera.
They claim that by perching on the back of the chair, Barack Obama is implicitly suggesting that he does not expect the telephone call to be a lengthy one.
Interpreting Barack Obama’s standing rather than sitting position, the experts have noted the two candidates frosty relationship and that the president is not sitting down to talk to his rival.
More obviously the president’s fingers are pressed to one of his ears, which may suggest that the room in the hotel is very noisy and that his re-election team have erupted in rapture.
Immediately after the telephone call, Mitt Romney began preparing his concession speech, having admitted beforehand that he did not have one ready expecting to win.
In his concession speech, Mitt Romney said that on the call with the president, he wished Barack Obama well, along with his family and staff.
“This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation,” said Mitt Romney.
The moment President Barack Obama learned he had won re-election against his Republican challenger Mitt Romney
During his acceptance speech, President Barack Obama also referenced his crushed rival, saying he “just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign”.
“We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future,” said Barack Obama.
During his widely praised concession speech the former Massachusetts governor lost the race after nearly 17 months of fighting, including a prolonged primary race against rivals like Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain and the eventual runner-up Rick Santorum.
The Republican said that he and his vice presidential pick “left everything on the field”.
“At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the nation’s work,” Mitt Romney said.
He added: “I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. And I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to renewed greatness.”
In his defeat, Mitt Romney maintained that the only way for the country to succeed is if elected officials give politics a rest.
“We look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put people before the politics,” Mitt Romney said.
“I believe in America. I believe in the people of America… I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure.”
Of Barack Obama, Mitt Romney said: “Ann and I will pray for him as he continues to lead this nation.”
UN climate talks in Doha, Qatar, have closed with a historic shift in principle but few genuine cuts in greenhouse gases.
The summit established for the first time that rich nations should move towards compensating poor nations for losses due to climate change.
Developing nations hailed it as a breakthrough, but condemned the gulf between the science of climate change and political attempts to tackle it.
The deal, agreed by nearly 200 nations, extends to 2020 the Kyoto Protocol.
It is the only legally-binding plan for combating global warming.
The deal covers Europe and Australia, whose share of world greenhouse gas emissions is less than 15%.
But the conference also cleared the way for the Kyoto protocol to be replaced by a new treaty binding all rich and poor nations together by 2015 to tackle climate change.
The final text “encourages” rich nations to mobilize at least $10 billion a year up to 2020, when the new global climate agreement is due to kick in.
There was last-minute drama as the talks were thrown into turmoil by the insistence of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus that they should be allowed extra credit for the emissions cuts they made when their industries collapsed.
After a long delay, the chairman lost patience, re-started the meeting and gavelled through the agenda so fast there was no chance for Russia to object.
A cheer exploded into prolonged applause. Russia bitterly objected at what it said was a clear breach of procedure, but the chairman said he would do no more than reflect the Russian view in the final report.
The big players, the US, EU and China accepted the agreement with varying degrees of reservation. But the representative for the small island states at severe risk from climate change was vociferous.
“We see the package before us as deeply deficient in mitigation (carbon cuts) and finance. It’s likely to lock us on the trajectory to a 3,4,5C rise in global temperatures, even though we agreed to keep the global average temperature rise of 1.5C to ensure survival of all islands,” he said.
“There is no new finance (for adapting to climate change and getting clean energy) – only promises that something might materialize in the future. Those who are obstructive need to talk not about how their people will live, but whether our people will live.”
The island states accepted the agreement because for them it is better than nothing. Other diplomats will point to the immense complexity of the UN process, which is attempting to move away from the old Kyoto Protocol into a new phase binding rich and poor nations together in the task of tackling climate change.
The proposed new Loss and Damage mechanism is held up as an example of the success of the diplomatic process.
UN climate talks in Doha, Qatar, have closed with a historic shift in principle but few genuine cuts in greenhouse gases
Until now rich nations have agreed finance to help developing countries to get clean energy and adapt to climate change, but they have stopped short of accepting responsibility for damage caused by climate change elsewhere.
But in Doha that broad principle was agreed.
“It is a breakthrough,” said Martin Khor of the South Centre – an association of 52 developing nations. “The term Loss and Damage is in the text – this is a huge step in principle. Next comes the fight for cash.
“What helped swing it was [US President Barack] Obama asking Congress for $60bn for the damage caused by [Hurricane] Sandy,” he said.
Saleem ul-Huq, from the think-tank IIED in Bangladesh, told me the text should have been firmer, but he said: “This is a watershed in the talks. There is no turning back from this.”
Nick Mabey, from the UK think-tank E3G, said: “This agreement really opens a can of worms – it might be applied to countries damming transboundary rivers, for instance. It could be very significant in future.”
The US had been adamant that this measure would be blocked, and the EU nearly vetoed it, too.
Todd Stern, the US head of delegation here, was seen for much of the past few days walking in circles near the tea bar on his mobile phone to Washington. He told me: “We don’t like this text, but we can live with it.”
The key to US agreement was the positioning of the Loss and Damage mechanism under an existing process promising to mobilize $100 billion a year for poor nations to adapt to climate change.
Facing tough budget decisions at home over the “fiscal cliff” it was essential for the US to avoid the impression that it was giving away more cash at this time.
The UK Climate Secretary, Ed Davey, told me: “We haven’t agreed to set up a new institution – and there’s no blank cheque. But there is clearly an issue if, say, an island state is lost underwater.”
Ronny Jumea, from the Seychelles, told rich nations earlier that discussion of compensation would not have been needed if they had cut emissions earlier.
“We’re past the mitigation [emissions cuts] and adaptation eras. We’re now right into the era of loss and damage. What’s next after that? Destruction?” he said.
The US has been blamed on finance and on failure to cut its emissions more aggressively.
The EU has also been under fire for failing to raise its promised cuts from 20%, which it is reaching easily, to 30%. (Scientists say it should be 40%.)
The EU has been held back by Poland, which insists on its right to burn its huge reserves of coal.
Warsaw was refusing to sign the extension to the Kyoto climate protocol until it had a reassurance from the EU that it would receive flexible treatment on emissions cuts.
Russia, Belarus and Ukraine then further delayed the endgame of the conference with an argument over so-called “hot air” – the pollution permits they were given to allow their heavy industries to thrive.
Those industries collapsed but Poland and Russia insist that – as they suffered economic pain during the collapse – they should be allowed to use up the pollution permits as their economies grow again.
In effect, they want to be able to increase their emissions as other nations are obliged to cut theirs.
The nature of the Russian objection was unclear, but an EU negotiator told me he believed the Russians were making a point of principle and did not expect further action.
The major task of this two-week conference has been untangling of the diplomatic spaghetti from climate agreements that have grown piecemeal over the past 15 years.
It is widely agreed that a useful house-keeping job was done to help the UN move towards the next phase, which aims at a globally-encompassing agreement.
Preliminary discussions were held on this, and it was quickly evident that making a global agreement fair to all parties will be monumentally difficult.
The talks were chaired by Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, a former head of the oil cartel Opec.
He was widely criticized for his laid-back style earlier in the week but at the last there was the unlikely spectacle of environmentalists cheering the ruthlessness of the chair in crushing the Russian revolt.
Climate change diplomacy makes strange bedfellows.
For thirty years, The Snowman by Raymond Briggs has become as much a part of Christmas as mince pies for many families in UK.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the film – featuring the iconic Walking In The Air flying sequence – the team behind it have made a sequel, The Snowman And The Snowdog, to be screened on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve.
The Snowman And The Snowdog will be screened on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha died on Friday in an apparent suicide after she transferred a hoax call from Australian DJs who retrieved sensitive information about Kate Middleton while in King Edward WII Hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, also known as Jess, is thought to have come to the UK from southern India 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 registering as a nurse in 2003 when she initially worked 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 VII four years ago and appears to have been living in the nursing accommodation ever since.
Jacintha Saldanha died on Friday in an apparent suicide after she transferred a hoax call from Australian DJs who retrieved sensitive information about Kate Middleton
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.
Jacintha Saldanha is thought to have been from the Mangalore region of India. She is thought to have spent time in the Middle East before moving to Britain.
The hospital said Jacintha Saldanha had not been disciplined over the call.
Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed he will run for prime minister again in 2013.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told reporters in Milan that he was “running to win” – and that his decision came after his People of Freedom party had not found a leader who was as well known as him.
Silvio Berlusconi, 76, said PM Mario Monti’s austerity policies had harmed Italy.
He resigned in November 2011 over Italy’s economic troubles and was convicted of tax fraud in October.
He is appealing against that ruling.
Silvio Berlusconi is also on trial accused of paying for sex with an under-age prostitute, in the so-called “Ruby” case. He denies wrongdoing.
He has already served as Italy’s prime minister for three separate terms and built up what is believed to be a vast personal fortune from his business empire.
Silvio Berlusconi told reporters in Milan that everyone in his party had agreed that the PDL needed a leader “like Berlusconi in 1994” but “there wasn’t one”.
Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed he will run for prime minister again in 2013
“It’s not that we did not look… but one needs time to be imposed as leader,” the former prime minister said, mentioning the PDL secretary general Angelino Alfano.
He said he was entering the race because polls put the centre-right PDL behind the Italian left.
The PDL abstained from confidence votes in parliament on Thursday – which the government won.
Mario Monti replaced Silvio Berlusconi as prime minister just over a year ago, and launched a programme of reforms aimed at pulling Italy out of economic crisis.
Silvio Berlusconi said his party had given “proof of great responsibility and had supported [Mario Monti’s] technocrat government for a year, seeking to correct policies that are not convincing, whilst insisting that austerity in an economy that does not grow is harmful. And harm has been done”.
The former leader said he had not missed the office of prime minister “not even for a minute” and he was returning out of a “sense of responsibility”.
Referring to his confrontation with the Italian judiciary, Silvio Berlusconi said he saw it with “a great sense of fear because we have to do with an omnipotent judiciary”.
Mario Monti is due to hold talks with the Italian president later.
President Giorgio Napolitano has said he wants to avoid a “turbulent” end to Mario Monti’s technocratic government.
Tens of thousands of people have gathered to attend a rally in the Gaza Strip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Hamas exiled political leader Khaled Meshaal has arrived to address the crowd during his first ever visit to the territory.
Khaled Meshaal’s visit follows a ceasefire that ended days of violence between Israel and Hamas last month.
He is expected to unveil a future strategy for Hamas and talk of reconciliation with its rival, Fatah.
Hamas removed Fatah from Gaza by force in 2007 after winning elections there. Fatah governs parts of the West Bank.
The event is intended to send a message that, after 25 years, Hamas is a force to be reckoned with.
It enjoys support in Gaza and feels it is gaining regional political influence after the Arab uprisings brought new Islamist governments to power, she adds.
Tens of thousands of Gazans have made their way to the rally at the al-Qatiba complex west of Gaza City to hear the speech by Khaled Meshaal.
It is expected to focus on key issues such as the strategy with Israel, the future leadership of Hamas and reconciliation with Fatah.
Tens of thousands of people have gathered to attend a rally in the Gaza Strip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas
In 2011, Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – the Fatah leader – endorsed an Egyptian plan to reconcile the rival factions.
But it is unlikely such a rally will hear any signs of moderation in the strategy towards Israel.
The centrepiece of Saturday’s rally in Gaza City is a huge replica of a type of rocket Hamas militants fired at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in the conflict with Israel last month. It has Made in Gaza written on it.
Some 170 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed in the eight-day engagement and Hamas has presented Saturday’s event as a victory rally.
Ahmed Shaheen, attending the rally with his children, told Reuters: “This is a day of victory. The presence of Khaled Meshaal is a sign of this victory.”
Israel says its operation killed Hamas’s military commander and significantly reduced the militants’ stockpile of rockets.
Israel, the US and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
In terms of the Hamas leadership, Khaled Meshaal said in January he did not wish to stand again as political chief and the future make-up at the top remains unclear.
Khaled Meshaal entered Gaza from Egypt at the Rafah border crossing on Friday, touching his head to the ground in celebration. The streets of Gaza City were decorated with Palestinian and Hamas flags.
Correspondents say he was clearly aware of the desire among Palestinians for an end to the divisions that have weakened their cause.
Standing in the ruins of a house destroyed in an Israeli air strike, he said: “With God’s will… reconciliation will be achieved. National unity is at hand.”
Apart from a brief visit to the West Bank in 1975, Khaled Meshaal had not visited the Palestinian territories since his family left in 1967.
He survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Jordan in 1997 only after King Hussein demanded an antidote to poison used by Israeli agents.
An Israeli official said that no guarantees for Khaled Meshaal’s safety in Gaza had been requested and none had been given.
A never-before-seen autopsy report has revealed that The Notorious B.I.G. was shot in the “chest, shoulder, leg, forearm and scrotum” on the night of his murder.
According to the document obtained by TMZ, The Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was shot four times during the drive-by which took place on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1997.
The hip-hop artist, who was listed on the autopsy as 6ft 1in tall and weighing 395 lbs, had been sitting in the passenger seat of a Chevy Suburban when the shooting occurred.
However, while the rapper was hit four times, three of the shots proved not to be fatal.
Christopher Wallace was first shot in the left forearm, with the bullet traveling down to his wrist, before the second shot struck him in the back – narrowly missing his vital organs before exiting through his left shoulder.
And the third shot entered through Christopher Wallace’s left thigh, before leaving on the other side of his leg. Referring to the third shot, the report reads: “The projectile strikes the left side of the scrotum, causing a very shallow, 3/8 inch linear laceration.”
It was the fourth shot which proved fatal, as it hit Christopher Wallace’s heart, liver, colon and part of his left lung when it entered through his right hip, before settling around his left shoulder.
A never-before-seen autopsy report has revealed that The Notorious BIG was shot in the chest, shoulder, leg, forearm and scrotum
In the years since The Notorious B.I.G.’s murder, a number of theories have emerged, including the suspicion that police officers were involved.
However, former Los Angeles police chief Bernard Parks, who was in charge of the force at the time of the shooting, called claims of a cover-up “absurd”.
Nobody was ever charged in connection with the death, but it was widely blamed on a rap war between the East and West Coast.
Six months before the shooting, West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur was killed by a gunman in Las Vegas in another murder that has never been solved.
Detectives have investigated claims that the two shootings could have been linked.
Raised in Brooklyn, Christopher Wallace started selling drugs at the age of 12 and served nine months in prison before going on to sell more than seven million records.
Barbara Walters has named Honey Boo Boo as one of her Most Fascinating People of 2012.
Barbara Walters, 83, has been spellbound by the antics of the spoiled 7-year-old beauty queen Honey Boo Boo, whose real name is Alana Thompson.
The veteran TV journalist told Us Magazine the reason the TLC show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a hit as it exposes the touching bond she has with her mother June Shannon.
She said: “It’s a love story. It’s a very sweet, loving story.
“A lot of people will say, <<For heaven’s sake, this is ridiculous, this is a child at 5 or 6 years old entering beauty contests>>.
“But the relationship between Alana and her mother – that’s the story, the two of them. It’s very touching.”
And Barbara Walters claims beneath the bluster, the show is actually full of demonstrations of old-fashioned family values.
She said: “Honey Boo Boo is not an obnoxious little girl. She’s sweet and loving with her mother and loving with her sisters [Jessica, Lauryn and Anna].
“And now Anna has a new baby, and the baby has [three] thumbs – but so what? It’ll make you smile.”
Barbara Walters has named Honey Boo Boo as one of her Most Fascinating People of 2012
Ben Affleck, One Direction and 50 Shades of Grey writer E.L. James have also been named among the Ten Most Fascinating People of 2012.
The Argo director, British boyband and literary sensation have made the ranks this year for Barbara Walters’ annual television special.
The veteran newswoman revealed Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas also made the cut.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton makes the list for a second time; and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will make his debut.
Three others on the list have yet to be announced.
Ben Affleck has had a banner year, now tipped for an Oscar for his critically-acclaimed CIA drama Argo, in which he stars and directs.
One Direction has meanwhile conquered the US music charts after its members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan emerged a public favorite after finishing third on The X Factor UK in 2010, while E.L. James has made similar feats in the literary world with her erotic novel.
The most fascinating person of 2012 will be named during Barbara Walters’ December television special, which typically includes sit-down interviews with those on the list.
Hillary Clinton was previously named in 1993 during her tenure as First Lady of the United States.
Late Apple boss Steve Jobs was number one on the list last year, preceded by shamed former CIA boss General David Patraeus in 2010.
First Lady Michelle Obama was number one in 2009, preceded by President Barack Obama.
Speaking on The View on Monday, Barbara Walters said 2012 list was compiled of people “very much in the news” this year.
She also added there would be “no criminals” on the list.
Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of the Year is scheduled to air December 12th on ABC network.
Artist Gustav Metzger did wonder how his empty mind might appear if made corporeal.
To find out he hooked himself up to an electroencephalograph scanner connected to a robot carving machine, then tried not to think.
The result was a void space in the middle of a block of Portland stone, now on display at London’s Work Gallery. The shape carved out from the lump of rock is pictured below.
The project was the idea of art and technology group London Fieldworks, whose members developed bespoke software to translate Metzger’s brainwaves into 3D shape information.
This data was translated into instructions for a manufacturing robot, which carved out the shapes from the interior of a block of stone to create the curious sculpture.
What thinking about nothing looks like by Gustav Metzger is a void space in the middle of a block of Portland stone, now on display at London’s Work Gallery
The project utilized a relational database comprising of several hundred digital EEG recordings from participants who have donated their brainwaves from the UK, Europe and U.S.
These EEGs were recorded while the participants perceived 3-dimensional depth information within autostereograms and were instrumental in the translation of Gustav Metzger’s EEG into instructions for the manufacturing robot to create the sculpture, London Fieldworks said.
As well as the sculptural representation of Gustav Metzger thinking about nothing, exhibits will include a film of the carving of the stone as well as other documentation of the development and delivery of the work.
The gallery said: “A timely addition and challenge to the present climate of technological evolution and increasing cybernetic augmentation, NULL OBJECT offers an alternative model for a creative, non-invasive interface between body, mind and machine.”
The project was funded by Arts Council England and Computer Arts Society.
A new survey has revealed that approximately 16% of online holiday shopping in the U.S. is conducted from a toilet.
More than 38 million Americans, with men found more likely than women, are accused of the clandestine multitasking according to calculations based on 2,104 online adults surveyed in November.
“Smartphones and tablets have enabled consumers to shop and gift on-the-go in more ways and places than ever before,” said David Stone, co-founder and CEO of CashStar which conducted the survey.
But in addition to toilet shopping, the survey found several other surprising locations.
Nearly 17 million shoppers, or 7%, are said to purchase products off their mobile device while physically standing inside the retailer’s store.
More than 4 million Americans, or 1.6%, were found admitting to making purchases while behind the wheel of a vehicle while also more than 9 million, or 3.7%, said they secretly shopped during business meetings.
A new survey has revealed that approximately 16 percent of online holiday shopping in the US is conducted from a toilet
The grocery store was also found a popular spot for online shopping with more than seven million, or 2.9%, of Americans said to be making dual purchases off their mobile devices.
CashStar’s estimations supplied by Harris Interactive are based on the more than 200 million adults above the age of 18 residing in the U.S. according to the Census Bureau’s 2011 report.
Harris says they specialize in delivering research solutions that help stay ahead of what’s next.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can reduce symptoms of depression in people who fail to respond to drug treatment, found a new study in the Lancet.
CBT, a type of psychotherapy, was found to benefit nearly half of the 234 patients who received it combined with normal care from their GP.
Up to two-thirds of people with depression do not respond to anti-depressants.
Patients should have access to a range of treatments, the charity Mind said.
CBT is a form of talking psychotherapy to help people with depression change the way they think to improve how they feel and alter their behavior.
The study followed 469 patients with treatment-resistant depression picked from GP practices in Bristol, Exeter and Glasgow over 12 months.
One group of patients continued with their usual care from their GP, which could include anti-depressant medication, while the second group was also treated with CBT.
After six months, researchers found 46% of those who had received CBT reported at least a 50% reduction in their symptoms.
This compared with 22% experiencing the same reduction in the other group.
CBT is a form of talking psychotherapy to help people with depression change the way they think to improve how they feel and alter their behavior
The study concluded CBT was effective in reducing symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life. The improvements had been maintained for a period of 12 months, it added.
The patients who did benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy spent one hour a week with a clinical psychologist learning skills to help change the way they think.
Chris Williams, professor of psychosocial psychiatry at the University of Glasgow, and part of the research team, said: “The research used a CBT intervention alongside treatment with anti-depressants. It confirms how these approaches – the psychological and physical – can complement each other.
“It was also encouraging because we found the approach worked to good effect across a wide range of people of different ages and living in a variety of settings.”
WHAT IS CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is:
a way of talking about how you think about yourself, the world and other people
how what you do affects your thoughts and feelings
CBT can help you to change how you think (cognitive) and what you do (behavior).
Unlike some other talking treatments, it focuses on the “here and now” instead of the causes of distress or past symptoms.
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.”
