Sunday, February 15, 2026
Newsletter
Home Blog Page 1015

Mikheil Saakashvili admits election loss in Georgia

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Mikheil Saakashvili admits election loss in Georgia

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has admitted his party has lost the parliamentary election, in a live TV announcement.

Mikheil Saakashvili said the Georgian Dream bloc of his main rival, billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, had won Monday’s election.

Victory for Bidzina Ivanishvili means the first democratic transfer of power in Georgia’s post-Soviet history.

Bidzina Ivanishvili said the “only right decision” would now be for Mikheil Saakashvili to resign.

While Bidzina Ivanishvili, 56, is set to become prime minister, his rival, who has led the country since 2003, is due to remain in power until presidential elections next year.

Under agreed reforms, the parliament and prime minister will acquire greater powers than the president after that election.

With results in from 72% of polling stations, Georgian Dream led the party list vote, which accounts for 77 of the 150 seats, with 54% of the vote. The president’s United National Movement was on 41%.

The rest of the seats are made up of 73 constituencies elected by a first-past-the-post vote.

President Mikheil Saakashvili said it was clear that Georgian Dream had won a majority.

Earlier Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man, had already declared victory.

In his TV address, Mikheil Saakashvili said he would respect the Georgian people’s decision, and his party would become “an opposition force”.

“It’s clear from the preliminary results that the opposition has the lead and it should form the government – and I as president should help them with this.”

The US congratulated Georgians on the “historic milestone” of their parliamentary election and praised the president’s response to the result.

In a later news briefing, Bidzina Ivanishvili called on Mikheil Saakashvili to admit he would not be able to retain power, to resign and call a snap presidential election.

Mikheil Saakashvili, a pro-Western leader who champions the free market, has warned that the Georgian Dream bloc will move Georgia away from the West and back into Moscow’s sphere of influence. Russia defeated Georgian forces in a brief war in 2008.

But in his briefing Bidzina Ivanishvili said both normalization of relations with Russia and membership of NATO would be pursued.

“If you ask me <<America or Russia?>>, I say we need to have good relations with everybody,” Bidzina Ivanishvili said according to AFP news agency.

Bidzina Ivanishvili made his fortune in Russia in the early 1990s, with stakes in the metals industry, banking and later property, including hotels. Forbes business website estimates his wealth at $6.4 billion.

His success was welcomed in Moscow where Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said it would mean more “constructive forces” entering parliament.

Vyacheslav Nikonov, deputy head of the parliament’s international affairs committee in Moscow, said that in the eyes of both Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin the Georgian president was a war criminal.

“Anything that would keep Saakashvili further away from the instruments of power is a plus for Russian-Georgian relations.”

It is a momentous day for Georgia – a day which strengthens the country’s democratic credentials. Georgia has experienced much political turmoil since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The ugly election campaign had polarized the country and there were fears that the results would be disputed.

Observers from the European security organization OSCE said that “despite a very polarizing campaign the Georgian people have freely expressed their will”.

Georgia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) said there had been no grave violations during the voting.

More than half of the country’s population has no proper job. Older and poorer Georgians, in particular, are struggling and some feel nostalgic about the Soviet Union.

The OSCE said the election process had “shown a healthy respect for fundamental freedoms… and we expect the final count will reflect the choice of the voters”.

However, the statement regretted “detentions and fines of mostly opposition-affiliated campaigners” during the campaign.

[youtube awQI7WGMReI]

Beatles Magical Mystery Tour unseen footage goes online

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Beatles Magical Mystery Tour unseen footage goes online

Previously unseen footage of The Beatles sharing fish and chips while filming their 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour has been posted online.

Arts website The Space is hosting the footage, discovered during the making of a new documentary about the film.

The documentary shows The Beatles taking a break from the Magical Mystery Tour coach at a fish bar in Taunton, Somerset.

The film was first broadcast by the BBC on Boxing Day 1967.

Previously unseen footage of The Beatles sharing fish and chips while filming their 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour
Previously unseen footage of The Beatles sharing fish and chips while filming their 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour

It was not a hit, confusing the festive audience, and was savaged by critics in reviews that branded it “rubbish”.

The film will be shown on 6 October on BBC Two for the first time in more than 33 years.

It will follow a new documentary, Arena: The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, looking at the film’s “artistic merit and cultural significance”.

Arena has placed the previously unseen footage, which it said was reclaimed from the “cutting room floor”, into a new short film made in association with The Beatles’ record label Apple.

Featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, it was shot en route to Newquay, Cornwall, the final destination of the Magical Mystery Tour.

The video is available to watch online on The Space, the arts website developed by the Arts Council and the BBC.

It is part of a spin-off project from award-winning documentary series Arena, called The Arena Hotel.

The project will see the show open up its archive of 600 films to audiences in a “virtual hotel” environment.

“Few people have seen Magical Mystery Tour in its entirety and the material in the chip shop has never been shown anywhere,” explained Arena editor Anthony Wall.

“It captures perfectly the fabulous world of The Beatles at this time.

“They’re happily rubbing shoulders and sharing a simple meal with the other passengers on the coach, and at the same time creating an extraordinarily avant garde film, which of course would soon be broadcast by the BBC to a dumbstruck nation.”

This week marks 50 years since The Beatles had their first hit record with their single Love Me Do.

Released on 5 October 1962, it went to number 17 in the charts.

[youtube x94hhifpvBY]

Extreme Cheapskates: woman saves money by not using toilet roll

Clyde K. Valle
-
1
Extreme Cheapskates: woman saves money by not using toilet roll

A woman from New York, who saves money by not using toilet roll, takes thriftiness to a whole different level in an upcoming series of Extreme Cheapskates.

Setting herself a stringent budget, Kay reveals how she uses a combination of soap and water to rinse herself off after visiting the bathroom.

While demonstrating her frugal cleansing ritual in front of the cameras, she states that she doesn’t believe in buying “something that you’re just going to throw away”.

In the first episode, which airs on TLC on October 16, she displays how she might use a small block of soap and a plastic water bottle to clean up.

She explains: “If I took a dump then I also grab soap, wipe myself down with the soap, then I take the water and rinse off the soap.

“I don’t believe in spending money on something that you’re just going to throw away such as toilet paper or paper towels.”

She also informs viewers that she hasn’t done laundry for the past three years and instead washes her clothes by hand while she takes a shower.

She then hangs items up in the bathroom and lets them dry naturally. She claims that the hand-washing technique saves her a total of $6 a month.

“Whenever I have dirty clothes I try to wash them while I’m showering. Today I’m using a free sample of detergent I got.

“Once I’m done showering then I lather up the clothes. I think the last time I did laundry was maybe three years ago,” she says.

Kay explains that as well as saving money her clothes stay looking better for longer as drying machines shrink fabrics and “wears clothes out faster”.

She is just one of the subjects to appear in the latest series of Extreme Cheapskates.

Others to star in the show are Jeff and his wife from Accokeek, Maryland. They endure a “fiscal fast” that sees them not spend a single cent in a whole week, living instead from their cupboards and some ingenuity.

Jeff uses his bicycle as his primary means of transportation and claims he’s saved over $50,000. He also takes low-cost vacations by couch surfing.

Mother-of-five Vickie from Ashton, Idaho, refuses to shell out cash for a telephone, a television or even new clothes for the children. And for meal time she scours the local area for road kill.

While Greg from Ohio, only flushes his toilet once per week and reuses free plastic cutlery despite making a good living from teaching Zumba and participating in medical tests.

However self-made millionaire Victoria from Columbus, Ohio demonstrates how years of saving can eventually payoff, although her boyfriend Steve finds her extreme budgeting methods hard to handle as he moves in on a trial basis.

Kim Kardashian flees Prime 112 restaurant to avoid awkward encounter with Ray J

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Kim Kardashian flees Prime 112 restaurant to avoid awkward encounter with Ray J

Kim Kardashian fled from a Miami restaurant to avoid an embarrassing encounter with her former sex tape partner Ray J.

Kim Kardashian, 31, left the Prime 112 restaurant in Miami by a side entrance just as Ray J was entering to join boxer Floyd Mayweather and friends.

Sources said Ray J was not aware that Kim Kardashian was at the Prime 112 restaurant on Sunday where she was having a meal with her family.

A sex tape shot with Ray J nine years ago helped launch Kim Kardashian’s career.

The curvy beauty has since said she was ashamed of the tape but rumors persist her mother Kris Jenner was behind the leaking of the tape in 2007 to boost her fledgling career.

Kim Kardashian, her parents and sisters Khloe and Kourtney have been in Miami, Florida, all week filming for their reality show.

They were at the steak restaurant to mark the nine year anniversary of Robert Kardashian’s death.

Kim Kardashian tweeted where she was having dinner leading to a swarm of paparazzi photographers to turn up outside the eatery.

After learning Ray J was also headed to the restaurant a source told the New York Post Kim Kardashian fled out of a side entrance.

A source said: “Kim and Kris Jenner posed for pictures in front of the restaurant to allow Kourtney and son Mason to sneak out of a side entrance unnoticed.

“And just by a few moments, Kim missed Ray J, who was seen entering the restaurant to meet a large group of friends including boxer Floyd Mayweather.”

 

Cosmetic creams cannot penetrate the skin’s surface

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Cosmetic creams cannot penetrate the skin’s surface

A new study found that cosmetic skin creams cannot “penetrate” the skin as claimed by many manufacturers.

Many pharmaceutical brands claim that nanoparticles in their products give their creams a “deep penetrating action”.

But scientists at the University of Bath found that such claims are “patently” untrue and that even the tiniest of nanoparticles do not penetrate the skin’s surface.

Their work suggests that creams are simply deposited into creases in the skin and do not carry nutrients deep under the surface.

Professor Richard Guy, a professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences who led the research, said: “Previous studies have reached conflicting conclusions over whether nanoparticles can penetrate the skin or not.

“Using confocal microscopy has allowed us to unambiguously visualize and objectively assess what happens to nanoparticles on an uneven skin surface.

“Whereas earlier work has suggested that nanoparticles appear to penetrate the skin, our results indicate that they may in fact have simply been deposited into a deep crease within the skin sample.

“The skin’s role is to act as a barrier to potentially dangerous chemicals and to reduce water loss from the body. Our study shows that it is doing a good job of this.

“So, while an unsuspecting consumer may draw the conclusion that nanoparticles in their skin creams, are <<carrying>> an active ingredient deep into the skin, our research shows this is patently not the case.”

The research, published in the Journal of Controlled Release, studied particles less than one hundredth of the thickness of a human hair which are used in sunscreens and some cosmetic and pharmaceutical creams.

The scientists used a technique called laser scanning confocal microscopy to examine whether fluorescently-tagged polystyrene beads, ranging in size from 20 to 200 nanometers, were absorbed into the skin.

They found that even when the skin sample had been partially compromised by stripping away layers, the nanoparticles still did not penetrate the skin’s outer layer, known as the stratum corneum.

Prof. Richard Guy added: “We did the study very carefully but not once we were able to determine that that were able to cross the outside layer of the skin which is out protective layer.

“There is no magic associated with particles being able to wriggle across the skin, they are just too big to do that.

“We actually have lots of nanoparticles inside us that don’t get out.”

He said that the research did however help to prove that potentially harmful ingredients, such as those used in sunscreens, can not be absorbed into the body, alleviating fears.

He also suggested that it may be possible to design a new type of nanoparticle-based drug that can be applied to the skin to give a controlled release of a drug over a long period of time.

 

Terry Vance Garner eaten by his pigs at Oregon farm

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Terry Vance Garner eaten by his pigs at Oregon farm

Oregon authorities are investigating how farmer Terry Vance Garner was devoured by his pigs in Coos County.

Terry Vance Garner, 69, went to feed his animals last Wednesday on his farm by the coast, but never returned.

His dentures and pieces of his body were found by a family member in the pig enclosure, but the rest of his remains had been consumed.

The Coos County district attorney’s office said that one of the animals had previously bitten Terry Vance Garner.

The animals are estimated by the authorities to each weigh about 700 lb (320kg).

Investigators say it is possible that the hogs knocked Terry Vance Garner over before killing and eating him.

But they have not ruled out the possibility that the farmer could have collapsed from a medical emergency, such as a heart attack.

A pathologist was unable to determine the cause of Terry Vance Garner’s death and his remains have been sent to the University of Oregon to be analyzed by a forensic anthropologist.

Terry Vance Garner’s older brother, Michael, described him as a “good-hearted guy”.

He said his brother had raised several large adult sows and a boar called Teddy, and they would sell their piglets to local children.

“Those animals were his life,” Michael Garner, 75, told the Register-Guard newspaper.

“He had all kinds of birds, and turkeys that ran all over the place. Everybody knew him.”

Terry Vance Garner was a Vietnam war veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to his brother, and the farm had been a “life-saver” for him.

Michael Garner said one of the hogs had bitten his brother last year, after he had accidentally stepped on a piglet.

“He said he was going to kill it, but when I asked him about it later, he said he had changed his mind,” he told the Register-Guard.

Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier told the local newspaper: “For all we know, it was a horrific accident, but it’s so doggone weird that we have to look at all possibilities.”

Paul Frasier added that he had not intended to release details about the case, but changed his mind after word spread about the incident.

 

Paolo Gabriele says he abused Pope Benedict’s trust

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Paolo Gabriele says he abused Pope Benedict’s trust

Paolo Gabriele, Pope Benedict’s former butler, who is on trial inside the Vatican, has denied charges of stealing confidential documents from the pontiff’s private apartment.

Paolo Gabriele, 46, pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated theft but said he had abused the Pope’s trust.

He said he believed the pontiff was being manipulated, and that he acted alone in copying the sensitive papers.

The files, which revealed allegations of corruption and infighting at the Vatican, were leaked to the media.

Paolo Gabriele was being questioned in court by the president of the Vatican City tribunal. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted, but he could be pardoned by Pope Benedict XVI.

The butler admitted to the court that he was photocopying documents in the Pope’s apartment, but said he did not regard this as a crime.

There has been speculation that the butler had accomplices as he set about leaking the Vatican’s secrets.

But he insisted in court that he had acted alone, adding that he had “many contacts” in the Vatican where he said there was “widespread unease”.

Paolo Gabriele also complained of the conditions he endured for weeks in a tiny Vatican cell after his arrest. He said it was so small that he could not extend his arms, and the light was kept on 24 hours a day.

The judges have ordered an inquiry into Paolo Gabriele’s allegations. However, the Vatican said conditions inside the Vatican police’s security room respected minimum international standards.

This is the second day of the trial. It was adjourned last week after Vatican judges refused to admit evidence gathered by cardinals.

Instead, the judges in the high-profile trial said they would rely only on evidence from the Vatican police and prosecutor. They seized 82 boxes of papers from Paolo Gabriele’s home.

The Pope’s private secretary, Georg Gaenswein, and one of the four German and Italian nuns who work in the 85-year-old pontiff’s household are also expected to testify.

Correspondents say their testimony could shed light on the very private world of the household.

The chief judge said the court hoped to reach a verdict by the end of the week.

No TV cameras or recorders are being allowed inside the courtroom for the most high-profile case to be held in the Vatican since it was established as a sovereign state in 1929. Coverage of the trial is restricted to just eight journalists.

Paolo Gabriele was identified as the source of leaked documents that were published in a book by an Italian journalist, Gianluigi Nuzzi, in May.

The documents included private correspondence between senior Vatican figures, and appeared to reveal bitter power struggles and corruption.

Correspondents say the revelations seem aimed primarily at discrediting the Vatican’s powerful Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who has been in his post since 2006.

The Pope ordered cardinals to carry out an inquiry separate to the probe by Vatican police after the scandal broke. The results of their investigation have not been made public.

The court decided that his fellow defendant, Vatican computer technician Claudio Sciarpelletti, will be tried separately for aiding and abetting a crime. He had exerted his right to stay away from the hearing.

Paolo Gabriele was the Pope’s trusted servant for years and held the keys to the papal apartments.

The “Vatileaks” scandal has been one of the most difficult crises of Pope Benedict’s seven-year papacy, correspondents say.

[youtube Rm5Odg9cwLc]

Iranian rial hits new record low

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Iranian rial hits new record low

The rial, Iran’s beleaguered currency, has fallen to fresh record lows against the US dollar.

It fell a further 9% on Tuesday after Monday’s 18% decline, reports say.

Iran’s central bank has placed a $5,000 limit on the amount of foreign currency travellers can take in or out.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has blamed “the enemies of his country” for the sharp falls. The rial has reportedly lost more than 80% of its value since 2011 because of US-led trade sanctions.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Western sanctions amounted to an economic war, but would not stop Iran’s nuclear programme.

“We are not people to retreat on the nuclear issue,” he told a news conference in Tehran.

“If somebody thinks they can pressure Iran, they are certainly wrong and they must correct their behavior,” he said.

Recent moves by Tehran to ensure key importers can buy dollars at a cheaper rate is said to have worsened matters.

The US-led sanctions are being imposed on Iran because of the country’s disputed nuclear programme. The US accuses Iran of aiming to build nuclear weapons, while Iran counters that it simply wishes to develop nuclear power stations.

The sanctions, which are backed by the European Union, include a ban on the purchase of Iranian oil.

The US has also threatened to take action against foreign firms and institutions dealing with the Iranian central bank.

While Iranians are said to be scrambling to convert their rials into hard currency, thereby adding to the downward pressure on the rial, the government has blamed speculation by money changers.

According to the Iranian Fars news agency, Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, Mehdi Ghazanfari, said: “We have greater expectations that the security services will control the branches and sources of disruption in the exchange market.

“Brokers in the market are also pursuing the increase in price, because for them it will be profitable, and there is nobody to control them.”

On Tuesday, the rial was said to be trading in Iran at about 37,500 to the dollar, down from around 34,200 late on Monday.

The rial is not traded on the global currency markets, so it is not possible to produce accurate figures for its value.

The weakness of the rial has harmed the wider Iranian economy, as it means the country cannot afford to import as many foreign goods and raw materials which are priced in hard currencies.

As a result of the tightened trade sanctions, Iran’s income from oil exports had fallen by 45% this year, causing the shortage in dollars and other hard currencies.

He added that Iranian authorities had for many years used the country’s abundant oil earnings to keep the rial artificially high.

With oil revenues now sharply reduced, our reporter said that both the government and the central bank now seemed unsure how to react.

He added: “Iran’s years of state intervention in the artificial appreciation of the rial, thanks to abundant petro-dollars, has turned the currency into a barrel of gunpowder now detonated by sanctions.

“At a time of crisis, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government is plagued by inefficiency, mismanagement and a domestic power struggle.”

 

Insurers advise UK homeowners to buy flood insurance

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Insurers advise UK homeowners to buy flood insurance

Insurance policies covering flood damages become essential as flood warnings have been issued across the U.K.

 

The British insurance companies caution homeowners that separate flood insurances are required in order to protect their houses against rising waters from the rains that have been lashing parts of the United Kingdom. The residents must revise their policies and make sure that there won’t be any unwanted surprises.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) recommends that documents, flood insurance, home insurance, motor insurance, the emergency contact information for local authorities and utility companies and other documents to be kept in a safe, easy to find, dry place.

Anyone whose property is damaged should contact their insurer’s 24-hour emergency number as soon as possible, before throwing out any damaged belongings.

“Insurers expect bad weather to strike any time and have arrangements in place to minimise distress and inconvenience and help customers recover as quickly as possible. Anyone who has suffered damage should contact their insurer straight away to get their claim moving,” said Nick Starling, the ABI’s director of general insurance.

Lots of regions suffered from flooding in the early summer, leading to significant payouts by insurers.

A rainfall dumped down a month’s worth of precipitation within periods of only twenty four hours, the south of Scotland and the north of England have been pummeled with winds reaching 60 miles per hour, and some regions have recently received rainfall of up to 80 mm within a single day’s time.

Homeowners insurance does not cover flood damages.
Homeowners insurance does not cover flood damages, flood insurance policy is needed.

There are some differences between home insurance and flood insurance, and this is the reason why coverage for flooding is needed beside homeowners insurance.

Only flood insurance covers for flood damages, and because it has a 30-day waiting period, the flood insurance policy must be obtained long time before an imminent flooding.

Flood damage is the damage caused by water that has been on the ground at some point before damaging a house, for example, surface water caused by a heavy rain seeps into basement because the soil can’t absorb the water quickly enough, or a nearby river overflows its banks and washes into home. You can contact your county planning office to determine if your home is located in a flood plain.

A homeowners insurance policy does not provide coverage for flood damage, but it provides coverage for a lot of types of water damage to your home. Water damage is considered to occur when water damages your home before the water comes in contact with the ground, for example, a broken water pipe spews water in your home.

Homeowners insurance policy doesn’t cover the flood damage, but losses from theft, fire or explosion resulting from that damage are covered. Flood insurance and homeowners insurance do not duplicate coverage for water damage, they complement each other.

To make a decision regarding which type of insurance you should buy, talk to an insurance professional about flood insurance policy and homeowners insurance policy.

Samsung adds iPhone 5 to US patent lawsuit against Apple

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Samsung adds iPhone 5 to US patent lawsuit against Apple

Samsung has added iPhone 5 to a US patent lawsuit claiming the latest Apple’s handset infringes eight of its technologies.

The disputed innovations include a way to synchronize photos, music and video files across several devices, and a method to capture and send video over the internet.

Samsung had already filed claims against earlier iPhones and iPads.

It coincides with calls from a judge for “major reforms” to US patent law.

Judge Richard Posner, who previously oversaw a legal dispute involving Apple and Google’s Motorola unit, said that protection available to software patents was “excessive”.

Samsung’s legal move is the latest in a long running battle with Apple.

Apple has claimed that the Galaxy device maker copied the look and iOS system software found on its tablets and handsets.

Although several of Apple’s claims have been rejected, it recently scored a major victory when a California-based jury ruled Samsung should pay it over $1 billion in damages.

Samsung has had its own courtroom successes, including a ruling in August that Apple had infringed two of its wireless communication patents in South Korea. It resulted in an order for the iPhone maker to pay 40 million won ($35,000) in damages.

The US lawsuit involving the iPhone 5 dates back to April when a complaint about other devices was filed in the Northern District of California. The case is due to go to trial in March 2014.

It involves two so-called Frand patents – technologies Samsung has an obligation to licence on “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” terms because they are recognized as being essential to data transmission standards. In other words, if Apple agrees to pay what is deemed to be a fair rate then Samsung will be obliged to let it use the technologies.

The other six disputed innovations are feature patents, and in theory Samsung could force Apple’s products off the shelves if it does not remove the functions from the devices.

Patent consultant Florian Mueller listed details of the disputed patents on his blog earlier this year, noting that Samsung owned about 30,000 US patents in total. Several of these include 4G LTE technologies which the Seoul-based company has hinted could be the basis of further lawsuits.

HTC, Motorola, Microsoft, RIM and other tech firms are also involved in ongoing US lawsuits.

Legal experts have expressed concern at some of the tactics being used, including Judge Richard Posner who threw out a case involving Motorola and Apple in June, rebuking both firms.

He has now followed this up with a blog post in which he calls for an overhaul of the law regarding software patents.

“Nowadays most software innovation is incremental, created by teams of software engineers at modest cost, and also ephemeral – most software innovations are quickly superseded,” he wrote.

“Software innovation tends to be piecemeal – not entire devices, but components, so that a software device (a cellphone, a tablet, a laptop, etc) may have tens of thousands of separate components (bits of software code or bits of hardware), each one arguably patentable.

“The result is huge patent thickets, creating rich opportunities for trying to hamstring competitors by suing for infringement – and also for infringing, and then challenging the validity of the patent when the patentee sues you.”

The judge said that 20-year-long patent protection made sense for pharmaceutical drugs which require development costs running to hundreds of millions of dollars, need extensive testing and subsequently remain on the market for decades.

He said such factors did not apply to software, adding that a firm that invented a new technology would benefit from being the first to use it and would also gain a reputation for innovation.

“My general sense… bolstered by an extensive academic literature, is that patent protection is on the whole excessive and that major reforms are necessary,” he wrote.

The tech news site Ars Technica, which was first to report the blog, noted that Judge Posner did not have the power to shape US patent policy, but added that his views were likely to be discussed by policymakers.

 

Liam Neeson strips down to pink underpants for Breast Cancer Awareness

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Liam Neeson strips down to pink underpants for Breast Cancer Awareness

Liam Neeson was more than happy show off his body to raise cash for cancer research.

The Northern Irish actor stripped down to just his briefs and get soaked for the good cause on the Ellen DeGeneres show yesterday.

Liam Neeson was given the option of boxers or briefs by the chat show host when he appeared on the hit daytime TV show.

And he had no hesitation in going for the more daring number, no doubt because he was attracted to the garment’s more vivid shade of pink.

Ellen DeGeneres told him: “You are setting the bar high. Whoever follows you.”

An audience member was duly pulled on stage to throw balls at a target while he would sit in his dressing gown in the gunk tank, with $10,000 going to cancer research if she was successful.

But Liam Neeson had no hesitation in raising the stakes, saying: “If I take this off does the 10 thousand become 20 thousand?”

Ellen DeGeneres replied: “I’ll make that happen if you take that off and go sit in that chair.”

But when the 60-year-old jokingly tried to squeeze out more cash by asking how much it would earn if he took off the briefs too, Ellen DeGeneres insisted he keep them on.

She said: “We get fined if you take those off. I mean, some people might enjoy it, but…”

When his time finally came, a mixture of cheers and guffaws came as he showed off his physique.

And the amusing visual illusion created when he sat down on the chair was not missed by Ellen DeGeneres.

She said: “Oh my god, if someone’s just tuning in you look naked in there.”

Within a few seconds the target had been hit, with the greedy show host making the vital winning throw, and Liam Neeson was duly drenchy.

Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years

James J. Williams
-
0
Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years

A new study shows that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years.

Researchers analyzed data on the condition of 217 individual reefs that make up the World Heritage Site.

The results show that coral cover declined from 28.0% to 13.8% between 1985 and 2012.

They attribute the decline to storms, a coral-feeding starfish and bleaching linked to climate change.

The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Glen De’ath from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and colleagues determined that tropical cyclones – 34 in total since 1985 – were responsible for 48% of the damage, while outbreaks of the coral-feeding crown-of-thorns starfish accounted for 42%.

Two severe coral bleaching events in 1998 and 2002 due to ocean warming also had “major detrimental impacts” on the central and northern parts of the reef, the study found, putting the impact at 10%.

“This loss of over half of initial cover is of great concern, signifying habitat loss for the tens of thousands of species associated with tropical coral reefs,” the authors wrote in their study.

Co-author Hugh Sweatman said the findings, which were drawn from the world’s largest ever reef monitoring project involving 2,258 separate surveys over 27 years, showed that coral could recover from such trauma.

“But recovery takes 10-20 years. At present, the intervals between the disturbances are generally too short for full recovery and that’s causing the long-term losses,” Hugh Sweatman said.

John Gunn, head of AIMS, said it was difficult to stop the storms and bleaching but researchers could focus their short-term efforts on the crown-of-thorns starfish, which feasts on coral polyps and can devastate reef cover.

The study said improving water quality was key to controlling starfish outbreaks, with increased agricultural run-off such as fertilizer along the reef coast causing algal blooms that starfish larvae feed on.

 

JP Morgan Chase faces $20 billion fraud suit over Bear Stearns mortgage securities

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
JP Morgan Chase faces $20 billion fraud suit over Bear Stearns mortgage securities

The New York Attorney General has sued JP Morgan Chase for allegedly defrauding investors who lost more than $20 billion on mortgage-backed securities sold by Bear Stearns.

JP Morgan bought the investment bank Bear Stearns in March 2008.

It said that it would contest the allegations.

This is the first action to come out of a working group created by US President Barack Obama looking into the causes of the 2008 financial crash.

JP Morgan said: “The NYAG civil action relates to Bear Stearns, which we acquired over the course of a weekend at the behest of the US government. This complaint is entirely about historic conduct by that entity.”

US mortgage-backed securities were the investment products that sparked the global financial crisis in 2008.

In essence, each security or bond was linked to pools of US mortgage loans, many of which were classified as sub-prime – mortgages awarded to high-risk and low-wage homeowers.

When many of those homebuyers defaulted on their mortgages as the US property bubble burst, it turned the linked securities into bad debt.

This caused billion-dollar losses at banks, who were forced to write down the value of their investments.

Banks around the world were affected, not just those in the US, because the securities were resold globally.

The securities had been widely purchased because rating agencies had mistakenly given them the highest possible credit rating.

As banks realized they were sitting on huge liabilities, they halted lending to each other, freezing up the global financial system in the process and making it harder for businesses and individuals to borrow funds.

The civil suit, filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, accuses Bear Stearns of failing to ensure the quality of loans underlying residential mortgage-backed securities.

It relates to securities sold by Bear Stearns in 2006 and 2007 – before it was taken over by JP Morgan.

The legal action claims the bank “systematically failed to fully evaluate the loans, largely ignored the defects that their limited review did uncover, and kept investors in the dark about both the inadequacy of their review procedures and the defects in the underlying loans”.

It says that this led to the inclusion of mortgages on which borrowers were likely to default, and that investor losses in 2006 and 2007 totalled more than a quarter of the original £87bn value of the securities.

The NYAG wants the company to pay an undisclosed amount of damages for investor losses “caused, directly or indirectly, by the fraudulent and deceptive acts”.

 

Cissy Houston goes to court to keep Whitney’s money from Bobbi Kristina Brown

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Cissy Houston goes to court to keep Whitney’s money from Bobbi Kristina Brown

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s behavior has come back to haunt her, as the family of her mother Whitney Houston are trying to stop her getting her hands on her inheritance.

The trustees of the estate, which includes her grandmother Cissy Houston, have filed legal docs requesting that the payment schedule to Bobbi Kristina Brown be changed.

According to Radar, they fear Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, is under the “undue influence” of objectionable people.

In court documents filed in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta, Cissy Houston is claiming her granddaughter “is a highly visible target for those who would exert undue influence over her inheritance and/or seek to benefit from respondent’s resources and celebrity”.

The trustees claim in the schedule of distribution conflicts with her “intent to provide long-term financial security and protection for her child”.

“Compliance with the provisions of the trust would defeat or substantially impair the accomplishment of the purposes of the trust, which were to provide for the proper maintenance and comfort of the respondent, and to prevent the wasting of trust assets, as evidenced by the trust’s spend thrift provision,”the document wrote.

Bobbi Kristina Brown is the sole beneficiary of Whitney Houston’s estate, which holds all of the superstar’s remaining earnings and assets.

Whitney Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in February, with the coroner ruling she died of an accidental drowning.

The development follows her recent public appearance with her “brother boyfriend” Nick Gordon at the Los Angeles premiere of Sparkle.

Both sported sporting new tattoos on their wrists that bore the letters WH surrounded by doves.

They had the work done on what would have been Whitney Houston’s 49th birthday.

Bobbi Kristina Brown is currently filming her reality show The Houston Family Chronicles, which debuts later this year.

 

Lady Gaga fat: the singer defies critics after 25 lbs weight gain by slipping into a red Versace dress in Milan

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Lady Gaga fat: the singer defies critics after 25 lbs weight gain by slipping into a red Versace dress in Milan

Lady Gaga has come under fire for her recent 25 lbs weight gain, but it seems that she has had the last laugh.

Lady Gaga, 26, looked sensational as she displayed her curves in a red Versace dress in Milan yesterday.

The very revealing designer dress clung to Lady Gaga’s figure in the all the right places.

With her auburn hair tumbling around her shoulders and her lips and talons painted red, Lady Gaga appeared to be channeling Jessica Rabbit in her scarlet attire.

The songstress accessorized the form-fitting ensemble with some signature Versace accessories, including a large medallion belt featuring the company’s logo and a black leather bag.

Lady Gaga also wore a pair of cat-eye sunglasses and a necklace featuring a red chilli pendant.

The pop star was visiting the company’s Vice President Donatella Versace at the Versace headquarters in the fashion capital of Italy.

Donatella Versace, 57, looked thrilled to be spending time with the singer as they posed for photographs out the front of the building.

The moment was also captured by photographer-to-the-stars Terry Richardson.

The platinum blonde and perma-tanned fashionista also wore one of her own designers, slipping her tiny figure into a tight corseted leather dress.

She paired the attire with some gaudy knee-high boots featuring giant crucifixes on the front.

The designer had a heavy-handed application of make-up, including a kohl-rimmed eyes and a nude lipstick on her pout.

 

Lamma Island boat collision: six crew members arrested after 37 people died

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Lamma Island boat collision: six crew members arrested after 37 people died

Six crew members have been arrested after two boats that collided in the waters off Hong Kong on Monday night leaving 37 people dead.

“Police arrested six individuals this afternoon. They are being investigated for endangering people’s lives at sea,” Security Minister Lai Tung-kwok said.

One of the boats was carrying more than 120 people to a fireworks display when it half-sank following the collision near Lamma Island.

The search for survivors is continuing.

The crash happened about 20:30 local time on Monday.

Dozens of people were thrown into the waters as the pleasure boat sank within minutes of impact. The ferry was able to reach Lamma and disembark its passengers as it was taking on water.

The government has confirmed that 37 people died – 32 adults and five children. More than 100 people were injured. The number of people missing is unknown.

Police have arrested three crew members from each of the vessels involved in the accident, the security minister told a news conference.

The head of police, Tsang Wai-hung, said the suspects were responsible for operating the boats.

“From the investigation so far we suspect that the crew responsible for manning the two vessels had not exercised the care required of them by law to ensure the safety of the vessels as well as the people on board.

“We expect further persons to be arrested… The investigation will focus on criminal liability,” he said.

The crash is one of Hong Kong’s worst maritime accident in decades. It occurred during a busy period for passenger travel, at the end of a long holiday weekend to mark the mid-autumn festival that this year coincided with China’s National Day on 1 October.

Power company Hong Kong Electric confirmed that it owned the boat which sank. It was taking staff and family members to watch National Day fireworks in Victoria Harbour.

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung dismissed concerns it would damage Hong Kong’s reputation as a centre of global maritime trade.

“This is definitely an isolated incident. The marine territory of Hong Kong is safe,” he said.

He said an independent committee would be set up to look into the causes of the crash, and suggest measures to prevent similar tragedies in future.

He declared three days of mourning starting from Thursday, and expressed his sympathies with the victims’ families.

Lamma lies some 3 km (two miles) south-west of Hong Kong island, and is popular with tourists and expatriates.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest shipping channels, but its ferries have a good safety record.

[youtube fEtA9cfC6Og]

Georgia election: ruling party and opposition both claim victory

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Georgia election: ruling party and opposition both claim victory

Georgia’s governing party and the opposition have both claimed victory in the country’s parliamentary elections.

Early results suggest the opposition Georgian Dream coalition, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, had a clear lead in votes for party lists.

But President Mikheil Saakashvili said his ruling party was ahead in the race for seats decided on a first-past-the-post basis – nearly half the total.

It is seen as his biggest popularity test since he came to power in 2003.

The election could bring the first democratic transfer of power in Georgia’s post-Soviet history.

It is not yet clear when official results from Monday’s vote will be announced.

Georgia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) said there had been no grave violations during the voting. Observers from the European security organization OSCE are due to give their verdict at 14:30.

According to the CEC’s early results, the rival blocs are running neck-and-neck in the 73 first-past-the-post constituencies.

The other 77 out of 150 parliamentary seats in total are decided by the proportional, party list method.

With 25% of the party list vote counted, Georgian Dream had secured 53%, while Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) had 41%.

Mikheil Saakashvili had sought to portray the election as a choice between his Western-leaning government, and a future in which he said Bidzina Ivanishvili would allow Russia to dominate the former Soviet republic. Bidzina Ivanishvili made his fortune in Russia in the early 1990s.

Tensions between Mikheil Saakashvili’s government and Russia escalated into a brief war in 2008 which saw Georgian troops expelled from two breakaway regions.

Thousands of cheering supporters of the opposition Georgian Dream bloc gathered to celebrate in the capital Tbilisi after the polls closed late on Monday.

“We have won! The Georgian people have won!” Bidzina Ivanishvili said in a speech broadcast on a Georgian TV station, the AFP news agency reports.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man, said he expected his coalition to win 100 out of 150 parliamentary seats.

In televised comments, Mikheil Saakashvili conceded the opposition “has won the majority in the proportional vote”.

But he added that “in single-mandate constituencies, the majority of votes has been secured by Georgia’s [ruling] United National Movement”.

The UNM said it believed it had secured at least 53 of the 73 seats in the single-mandate constituencies, with a party’s spokeswoman predicting that it would have “a solid majority”.

The single mandate, first-past-the-post system helps to ensure that rural voters still have a voice. An MP representing a small district in the mountains is equal to one representing a large district in Tbilisi.

Under reforms scheduled to take effect after a presidential election next year the parliament and prime minister will have more power than the president.

The Central Electoral Commission said in a statement that turnout had been around 61%.

Earlier Bidzina Ivanishvili had staged a symbolic protest by refusing to vote, saying the authorities had “already resorted to very many violations”.

If the ruling party gets back into power despite failing to secure a majority of votes, the opposition could feel cheated of victory – and spark mass protests.

The government’s reputation has taken a battering in recent weeks because of a prisoner-abuse scandal.

Videos broadcast on national television showed prison inmates being beaten and sexually abused by guards.

The scandal sparked street protests and allowed Bidzina Ivanishvili to portray the government as high-handed.

Human rights group Amnesty International says many of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s supporters were “fined, fired, harassed or detained for expressing their political views” during the election campaign.

[youtube awQI7WGMReI]

Recipe: Roast salmon with peppers and pesto cream

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Recipe: Roast salmon with peppers and pesto cream

Try this simple dish baked in a single tray that will feed the whole family.

 

INGREDIENTS

1.5 kg (3 lb 5oz) free-range chicken

4 sprigs of fresh tarragon

55 g (2oz) lightly salted butter, softened

1 large lemon, sliced

400 g (14 oz) baby new potatoes

400 g (14 oz) small carrots (try Chantenay), trimmed

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into wedges

1 bulb garlic, cloves separated but still in skins

2 tbsp olive oil

125 ml (4fl oz) dry white wine

Roast salmon with peppers and pesto cream
Roast salmon with peppers and pesto cream

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Run your hand under the skin on the chicken breast, taking care not to tear it. Remove the leaves from two sprigs of tarragon and mash with half the butter and some seasoning. Spread under the skin, then add some of the lemon slices and the remaining sprigs of tarragon. Melt the remaining butter. Halve any larger new potatoes and carrots and place in a large roasting tin. Scatter over the red onion and garlic. Season with salt and lots of black pepper and toss with the oil. Place the chicken on top and add any remaining lemon slices to the tin. Brush the melted butter all over the chicken. Pour the wine into the base of the tin and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the leg is pierced with a skewer. Lift the chicken off the veg and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

 

River Viiperi, Paris Hilton’s boyfriend, arrested at XS nightclub in Las Vegas

Lisa.Felice
-
0
River Viiperi, Paris Hilton’s boyfriend, arrested at XS nightclub in Las Vegas

It has been reported that after Paris Hilton embarked on a same-sex kiss with a fellow member of the female species, her latest boyfriend River Viiperi was later arrested for misdemeanor battery.

TMZ are claiming that the alleged victim told police that 21-year-old model River Viiperi “punched him in the face sometime around 2:30 a.m. … and injured him so badly, he needed medical attention.”

It is believed the victim is the boyfriend of the girl that Paris Hilton shared her alleged liaison with.

The incident is said to have taken place at XS nightclub inside the Encore hotel during the early hours of Monday morning.

The US website claim the victim told security he wanted to “press charges”, with law enforcers arresting River Viiperi at the scene, before he was cited and released without going to the police station.

It is also reported that Paris Hilton had left the scene by the time police arrived.

Prior to the drama, the couple had been tweeting about their vacation in Las Vegas, having seen Justin Bieber perform live at the MGM Grand, another hotel on the famous Vegas strip.

Giving a shout-out to friends, Paris Hilton, 31, wrote: “At the @JustinBieber concert at @MGMGrand with @RiverViiperi @BarronHilton [younger brother] @VanessDubasso [Barron’s girlfriend]…

“So much fun at @JustinBieber’s concert with @RiverViiperi. He’s such an amazing performer!”

River Viiperi had also been gloating, adding: “Loving it @xslasvegas with my baby @ParisHilton + crew #lovinglife.”

Paris Hilton – who has been linked to Backstreet Boy singer Nick Carter, Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden and The Hills star Doug Reinhardt – was only linked to River Viiperi for the first time in September.

 

Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman welcome baby girl Olive

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman welcome baby girl Olive

Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman have welcomed their first child into the world, a little girl called Olive.

Drew Barrymore was hardly known for being lucky in love, having had two divorces by the age of 27, but it seems she has finally found domestic bliss.

Having married Will Kopelman in June, the pair are now proud parents to their newborn daughter who was born towards the end of last month on September 26.

A spokesperson told Life&Style: “We are proud to announce the birth of our daughter, Olive Barrymore Kopelman, born September 26th, healthy, happy and welcomed by the whole family.”

Despite Drew Barrymore growing up in the spotlight, kick-starting her career in a commercial at 11-months, the statement added: “Thank you for respecting our privacy during this most special time in our lives.”

Drew Barrymore began dating Will Kopelman, an art consultant and the son of former Chanel CEO Arie Kopelman, in early 2011, before announcing their engagement a year later and eventually marrying in June.

Drew Barrymore, 37, walked down the aisle heavily pregnant in a private Jewish ceremony at her Montecito estate in California wearing a custom Chanel gown, designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

And it seems Drew Barrymore may have found inspiration from a former role when naming her little girl.

Back in 1999, the California native loaned her vocals to the title role in a CGI animated Christmas television special called Olive, The Other Reindeer.

Other stars aboard the ship included Dan Castellaneta – otherwise known as the voice of Homer Simpson – and R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe.

The tale follows a young Jack Russell Terrier called Olive (Barrymore) who thinks she has what it takes to save Christmas after Santa cancels his annual flight because of a hurt reindeer.

Fellow celebrities to name their child Olive include Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher, and former Doctor Who actor David Tennant and wife Georgia Moffett.

Drew Barrymore formerly wed LA bar owner Jeremy Thomas in March 1994, before filing for divorce less than two months later, and Canadian star Tom Green in July 2001 – separating just five months later.

 

Hong Kong ferry sinks after Lamma collision

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Hong Kong ferry sinks after Lamma collision

At least eight people have died after a ferry collided with another boat off Hong Kong.

A rescue operation is continuing for passengers still missing five hours after a boat half-sank following Monday night’s collision near Lamma island.

One of the vessels was carrying 124 passengers.

Search teams had rescued more than 100 people from the water, local media reported.

More than 20 injured people had been taken to a hospital on Lamma island, a police spokesman was quoted as saying.

Lamma lies some three kilometres (two miles) south-west of Hong Kong island, and is popular with tourists and expatriates.

The crash happened around 20:30 on Monday.

It came during a busy period for passenger travel in Hong Kong, at the end of a long holiday weekend to mark the mid-autumn festival that this year coincides with China’s National Day on 1 October.

Power company Hong Kong Electric was reportedly using a commercial boat to take 124 staff and family to watch National Day fireworks in Victoria Harbour.

The vessel and another boat – reportedly a ferry operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry – collided, causing the HK Electric vessel to list, a company official was quoted as saying.

One survivor told The South China Morning Post: “After 10 minutes out a boat crashed into ours from the side at very high speed. The rear… started to sink. I suddenly found myself deep under the sea.”

“I swam hard and tried to grab a life buoy,” added the man.

“I don’t know where my two kids are.”

Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest shipping channels.

 

Aimee Osbourne makes rare public appearance in Beverly Hills

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Aimee Osbourne makes rare public appearance in Beverly Hills

Aimee Osbourne made a rare public appearance alongside her mother Sharon, as the pair headed out in Beverly Hills to do a spot of shopping at stylish clothing store Maxfield Bleu.

Sharon Osbourne, 59, was significantly more dressed up during the shopping trip than her 28-year-old daughter, wearing a black jumpsuit which she matched with a white jacket.

But the Osbournes did color coordinate their outfits, with Aimee wearing a white blouse on black jeans and heels.

Aimee Osbourne famously refused to appear in the reality show that turned her entire family into celebrities, and even went as far as to move out of their home in an effort to stay away from the camera’s.

When she did visit her family, the film crew was banned from filming her.

At the time, the eldest of the Osbourne offspring had ambitions to become a singer and didn’t want to be typecast as being part of her weird family by appearing on the show.

“I’m not some weirdo depressed daughter that’s afraid of the world and locks herself in her room all day; I just didn’t choose to do the show,” she once said in an interview.

“I want to be a singer, and I felt if I’d stayed with the Osbourne’s and done the whole thing I would have been typecast right away.”

Her refusal to join her family in their quest for fame has not dampened her relationship with them though, as Aimee Osbourne is said to be particularly close to mom Sharon.

Meanwhile, both her father Ozzie as her brother Jack have taken a step back from the Hollywood fame game.

Kelly and Sharon Osbourne both appear on popular US television shows, with Sharon appearing as a judge on America’s Got Talent, while her youngest daughter is a host on Fashion Police.

 

Why did Jerry Lewis and Muscular Dystrophy Association part ways

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Why did Jerry Lewis and Muscular Dystrophy Association part ways

Last year the Muscular Dystrophy Association announced that Jerry Lewis was stepping down as host of its annual Labor Day telethon, the marathon TV event he had made his personal showcase, soap box and sentimental journey for 45 years.

With the show cut from 21.5 hours to just 6, Jerry Lewis was being replaced by a quartet of hosts, the MDA said, and would make an appearance only at the end of the show, to say goodbye and sing You’ll Never Walk Alone one last time.

Then what seemed the sad but inevitable end of an era became something uglier. A few weeks before the show, the MDA issued a curt announcement that Jerry Lewis would not be making a goodbye appearance after all — and was resigning from his post as MDA national chairman. The telethon went on without him (raising $61.5 million in 2011, more than the previous year with Jerry Lewis, according to the MDA) and included a filmed tribute to him and warm words of thanks from various participants during the show.

A year later, Jerry Lewis has been all but erased from the telethon’s memory. This year’s show, aired the Sunday night before Labor Day, has been further downsized, to just three hours, with no named host and a smattering of B-list guest stars (Carrie Underwood, Will.i.am, Khloe Kardashian). It is no longer called a telethon, but simply an “entertainment special,” and there will be no tote board tallying the donations. In the press announcement of the event, Jerry Lewis’s name is nowhere mentioned.

The story behind Jerry Lewis’s departure remains untold. But a few things have become clear in the year since the awkward public breakup. Jerry Lewis was dumped by the MDA, the charity he had been identified with since the 1950s. He’s still bitter about it. And the telethon is withering without him.

Jerry Lewis still won’t talk about what happened.

“That’s not a place I want to go. Because if I go there, you’ll never get me back,” Jerry Lewis said when he was asked recently in Nashville, where he’s directing a new stage musical, The Nutty Professor.

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it. But I have already ingested all that I want from that whole f***ing adventure.”

The pain is not hard to discern. “This was a hurt man,” says Richard Belzer, the stand-up comic and Law and Order co-star, who has developed a close, almost father-son relationship with Jerry Lewis.

Jerry Lewis’ goodbye appearance was scrapped after he and the charity could not agree on its format and length. He wanted to do it live; the MDA floated several pre-taped options — “all insulting,” Richard Belzer claims.

“It’s as if they were trying to provoke him to leave.”

In the end, he did.

“It was a moral outrage, a PR nightmare and a sad commentary on this incredible philanthropic career,” says Richard Belzer.

To be sure, dealing with Jerry Lewis, now 86, has never been a walk in the park. His annual Labor Day orgy of sentiment, self-regard and showbiz schmaltz was for many years something of a punch line.

“You know why they love Jerry Lewis in France,” a comedian said not long ago.

“In France, they don’t get the telethon.”

Still, he raised an estimated $2 billion for “Jerry’s kids” over more than a half-century with the MDA, and a well-orchestrated, celebrity-studded farewell to him on the telethon might have been a fundraising bonanza.

MDA officials continue to maintain that Jerry Lewis simply retired.

“We honor Jerry Lewis, we admire the work he’s done for us, and we respect his decision to retire,” says Valerie Cwik, the MDA’s interim president.

Valerie Cwik replaced Gerald Weinberg, who was reportedly behind Jerry Lewis’ ouster and who stepped down as president last December, after 54 years with the organization.

And she insists that the changes in the telethon are part of a necessary evolution in fundraising strategy, to put less emphasis on the once-a-year event.

“It has to change because the American audience has changed,” says Valerie Cwik.

“A 21.5-hour show doesn’t fit in a 140-character world.”

Neither, apparently, does Jerry Lewis.

 

Somali and AU troops enter port of Kismayo

Roy Siemens
-
0
Somali and AU troops enter port of Kismayo

The first Somali government and African Union (AU) troops are reported to have entered the strategic Somali port of Kismayo, witnesses and officials say.

They have been battling the al-Shabab militia for control of the city.

On Saturday, the al-Qaeda-aligned militants said they had withdrawn from Kismayo after an AU military assault.

Kenyan and Somali forces had launched a beach assault on the Islamist group’s last major bastion the day before, but had met some resistance.

Reports as to the size and make-up of the AU contingent have been mixed.

One resident said Somali Service that a small infantry unit of 11 Somali soldiers had entered the city from the west and were patrolling on foot on the main roads of Kismayo, while another said he had seen both Kenyan and Somali troops entering the city centre from the airport.

Around 100 troops were seen by a tribal elder in Kismayo taking over a police station and setting up an outpost on top of a tall building.

Somali government spokesman in Kismayo Mohamed Faarah Daher said AU and Somali forces had gone in to the city to establish security for the population, and had also taken up positions at the airport and sea port.

Kenyan troops are part of an African force trying to wrest control of Somalia from militants for the new United Nations-backed president.

After resisting the AU and Somali advance on Friday, al-Shabab announced it had shut its five-year administration in Kismayo the next day for strategic reasons.

Residents had spoken of increasing tension inside the port town amid the power vacuum that ensued.

A number of influential clan figures have been murdered in the past few days.

The Kenyan military said that Kenyan, Somali and AU troops were “currently consolidating the gains in Kismayo and expanding out to the rest of the city”, according to a message on its official Twitter account.

Kenyan soldiers have “established no-fire zones around markets, schools, mosques and hospitals”, another message read. Kenyan troops are reported to be present in Kismayo’s suburbs but not in the city centre.

The Kenyan Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi said Kenya welcomed the move on Kismayo.

“Kenya has been bearing the brunt of the instability in Somalia for a very long time. We host 650,000 refugees and we have been seeing sporadic incidents of grenade attacks in Kenya,” he said.

“So any action supported by the international community… is very positive because it is going to give room for Somalia to stabilize,” he added.

Last week, a Kenya military spokesperson said he feared the withdrawal might be a trap, making the army wary of entering Kismayo. There have been unconfirmed reports that al-Shabab may have mined parts of the town.

Correspondents say the loss of Kismayo will be a major blow to the Islamists.

Somalia’s second largest port is a significant source of revenue for whoever controls it and al-Shabab also used the port to bring in weapons.

AU troops pushed al-Shabab from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011.

Along with other pro-government forces they have gone on to take control of most of the major towns previously in the hands of the militants.

But the al-Qaeda-linked group’s fighters are still highly active in much of the countryside in southern and central Somalia and have carried out attacks in cities they no longer control.

Since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, Islamist militants and its neighbors all battling for control.

[youtube _qJAFuK-o0k]

Justin Lee Collins blackmailed by girlfriend Anna Larke

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Justin Lee Collins blackmailed by girlfriend Anna Larke

Anna Larke, the girlfriend of Justin Lee Collins, blackmailed the British TV presenter in an attempt to get £20,000 ($31,000), a court heard.

Anna Larke, 38, allegedly told the former Friday Night Project host that she would “go to the police” and “hurt” him if she did not get the money.

Anna Larke described the claim, made by Justin Lee Collins’ defence counsel, as “absolute lies”.

Justin Lee Collins, also 38, of Kew, south-west London, denies harassment, causing fear of violence at St. Albans Crown Court.

Sonia Woodley QC, defending Justin Lee Collins, said: “You told him <<Give me £20,000 or I’m going to hurt you and I’m going to go to the police>>.”

Anna Larke, who had a nine-month relationship with Justin Lee Collins, denied the claim.

She said: “Oh my God, that’s absolute lies. I’ve never said that.”

Sonia Woodley said Justin Lee Collins sent Anna Larke a text message that said: “I’ve offered you all sorts of help, but I’m not getting involved in blackmail.”

Anna Larke, a public relations worker who was unemployed at the time of the alleged offences, said: “If I had just wanted money I would have gone straight to the press.”

Earlier, jurors were told Justin Lee Collins had smacked and sworn at Anna Larke.

Penelope Larke, her mother, said: “He called her all the names under the sun, terrible names.”

Anna Larke had also told her mother that Justin Lee Collins had hit her in the face on one occasion but had asked her to keep it secret.

“She said: <<Mum I have to tell you something, you have to promise me first that you won’t say anything to anybody>>, and then she said he smacked her and swears at her,” Penelope Larke told the court.

“She told me he smacked her in the private parts. I told her it wasn’t a very healthy relationship and that she should just pack her bags and come home.”

Her husband, Jeremy Larke, said his daughter had dismissed attempts to talk about the “reddish marks” he saw on her face and arms when she paid them a visit during her relationship with Justin Lee Collins.

He told the court that once Anna Larke moved back to the family home she said Justin Lee Collins had assaulted her during a trip to America.

Jeremy Larke told police his daughter had told them he had grabbed her hair and dragged her around the room.

In court, he said: “It was a great shock to me. I can’t believe he would beat her up.”

The alleged harassment happened between January and August last year.

The trial continues.

 

1...1,0141,0151,016...1,243Page 1,015 of 1,243