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The double life of Gemma Barker, 19, who disguised herself as a boy so she could date her girlfriends

Diane A. Wade
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The double life of Gemma Barker, 19, who disguised herself as a boy so she could date her girlfriends

Behind the innocent aspirations and her shy smile, the 19-year-old Gemma Barker from Staines, Middlesex, UK, led a double life that saw her pose as a boy in order to date two younger girlfriends to whom she was sexually attracted.

In an extraordinary deception, Gemma Barker created false alter egos so she could have sexual encounters with her 15 and 16-year-old victims.

Gemma Barker had three fake identities – Aaron Lampard, Connor McCormack and Luke Jones.

The teenager tricked her victims by talking like a boy and wore boys’ baggy clothes, hats and hooded tops to disguise her figure.

She set up Facebook profiles for each “boy” and gave each an individual dress sense and personality.

Gemma Barker incredibly completely fooled her friends and their families by posing as three different teenage boys.

The victims were completely taken in and kissed and cuddled with her – despite both having gone to the same school as Barker.

Eventually they became suspicious that their “boyfriends” were the same person.

One took off Connor McCormack’s hat as “he” slept in her bedroom and realized it was her friend’s supposed boyfriend Aaron Lampard.

Gemma Barker created false alter egos so she could have sexual encounters with her 15 and 16-year-old victims
Gemma Barker created false alter egos so she could have sexual encounters with her 15 and 16-year-old victims

It was only when – in the guise of one of her fake identities Aaron Lampard – she was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and her clothes were removed in the cells that police discovered her true identity.

Gemma Barker’s two victims were completely taken in and had sexual encounters with the person they variously believed was Aaron Lampard, Connor McCormack or Luke Jones.

The teenager now faces jail after admitting two counts of sexual assault and one of fraud by tricking the girls into relationships.

Prosecutors at Guildford Crown Court told how Gemma Barker reinforced her deception by setting up Facebook profiles for her different personas and even had individual dress styles for them.

She wore different hats, hoodies and other baggy clothing to mask her identity, walking and talking like a boy.

Judge Peter Moss told Gemma Barker he could not be sure whether she was “bad and dangerous to know or mad and dangerous to know”.

Gemma Barker’s disguise was so convincing that when one of the victims removed a sleeping “Connor’s” hat following a petting session, she was shocked to discover it was her best friend’s boyfriend “Aaron” she had been kissing.

Even at that point she did not realize the boy was actually a female friend.

When the net was closing in, Gemma Barker deliberately fractured her jaw and tried to blame her “Luke Jones” alter-ego for attacking her and forcing her to pose as “Aaron”.

She even tried to claim compensation for her injuries.

Prosecutor Ruby Selva told the court: “The defendant was 19 years old when she befriended her victims, who were 16 and 15 years old.

“Having befriended them she disguised herself as various 16-year-old boys for the sole purpose of having sexual relationships with them.

“Neither had any idea it was Gemma Barker – their friend.

“If either of them had known of the deceit, that the boy they were having a relationship with was Gemma Barker, they would not have consented to the acts.”

Gemma Barker struck up an online relationship with the older victim by inventing the fictitious character “Aaron Lampard”, and the pair became a “couple”.

The girl met “Aaron” in various parks and even took him home to her family, Ruby Selva said.

The prosecutor said the 16-year-old’s parents were taken in by the disguise, even though they had met Gemma Barker.

Ruby Selva added: “They (her parents) described never really seeing <<Aaron Lampard’s>> face because of the hat being pulled down so low or him averting his eyes from them.”

Gemma Barker engaged in “kissing, cuddling and groping” with the girl as Aaron Lampard before creating another boy persona and befriending a second victim.

It was through “Aaron Lampard” that the 16-year-old’s younger friend met “Connor McCormack”.

“Connor” had slightly different clothing but still concealed “himself” with a hoodie and baggy clothes when with the girl.

The younger victim began a relationship with “Connor McCormack”, despite having met both “Aaron Lampard” and the real Gemma Barker.

In May 2010 the bizarre story took a further twist when the second girl removed “Connor McCormack’s” hat and saw who she thought was “Aaron Lampard”.

Ruby Selva added: “As far as the second girl is concerned a third character – <<Luke Jones>> – was introduced, again via <<Aaron Lampard>> and <<Connor McCormack>>.

“She described on one occasion kissing him. She described similar clothing, a hat and a hoodie being up.”

After the alleged infidelity, the girls became suspicious and contacted police.

“Aaron Lampard” was arrested in June 2010 but it was only when he was searched that Barker’s identity was revealed.

Gemma Barker described herself as an “actress” on her Twitter feed.

The cross-dresser said of herself: “I love life and live to make people laugh. I try to be a best i can. Im an actress, loving my job. Never say Never !!!”

One Direction fan Gemma Barker repeatedly bombards the five members of the X-Factor band, which includes Harry Styles and Zane Malik, with tweets.

One message to Niall Horan read: “Please make my night and follow me xxx.”

Another to Zayn Malik said: “Miss you at the airport cos i’m ill 🙁 promise ill see you next time xxx.”

Gemma Barker also regularly tweeted the X Factor contestants during the ITV show and also posts about hanging around at Shepperton Studios.

Judge Peter Moss said her case involved “fairly lengthy and convoluted deception” of everybody around Gemma Barker.

He told her: “What concerns me is, however unusual it is, it has got a very mean, manipulative streak to it.”

Gemma Barker was bailed until sentencing on March 2.

Thousands of needless deaths from famine in East Africa in 2011

Kathryn R. Bown
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Thousands of needless deaths from famine in East Africa in 2011

Two leading British aid organizations say that thousands of needless deaths occurred from famine in East Africa last year because the international community failed to heed early warnings.

Oxfam and Save the Children say it took more than six months for aid agencies to act on warnings of imminent famine.

Between 50,000 and 100,000 people died in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The agencies say governments, donors, the United Nations and NGOs need to learn from the mistakes.

In a report titled “A Dangerous Delay”, the agencies say a culture of risk aversion stalled a large-scale aid effort.

They say part of the problem was that the governments of Kenya and Ethiopia were unwilling to admit the scale of the disaster, but also that aid agency staff felt they had seen the problem many times before.

“Many donors wanted proof of a humanitarian catastrophe before acting to prevent one,” the report says.

“Sophisticated early warning systems first forecast a likely emergency as early as August 2010, but the full-scale response was not launched until July 2011.”

Two leading British aid organizations say that thousands of needless deaths occurred from famine in East Africa last year because the international community failed to heed early warnings
Two leading British aid organizations say that thousands of needless deaths occurred from famine in East Africa last year because the international community failed to heed early warnings

By that time it says, “malnutrition rates in parts of East Africa had gone far beyond the emergency threshold and there was high profile media coverage of the crisis”.

At one stage during the famine the United Nations estimated that 10 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees went to camps in search of food, especially those from parts of Somalia where government forces have been fighting Islamist al-Shabab rebels.

The report calls on all parties to take crisis warnings more seriously.

“All members of the international system must improve their ability to prevent the worst effects of hunger crises before they happen,” it says.

“In particular, national governments must fulfill their responsibilities to people caught up in crises and demonstrate leadership.”

“The scale of death and suffering, and the financial cost, could have been reduced if early warning systems had triggered an earlier, more substantial response.”

In the report, Oxfam and Save the Children looked at their own role in the crisis as well as that of other agencies.

“We all bear responsibility for this dangerous delay,” said Oxfam’s Chief Executive, Barbara Stocking.

“It is shocking that the poorest people are still bearing the brunt of a failure to respond swiftly and decisively.”

Save the Children’s Chief Executive, Justin Forsyth, said clear warnings had been ignored.

“We can no longer allow this grotesque situation to continue; where the world knows an emergency is coming but ignores it until confronted with TV pictures of desperately malnourished children,” he said.

Ethiopia: 5 tourists killed and 4 kidnapped during an attack by unknown gunmen in Afar region

Diane A. Wade
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Five foreign tourists have been killed and other four have been kidnapped in Ethiopia during an attack by unknown gunmen, the government says.

European nationals are among those killed, government official Berekat Simon said. He said Europeans were also thought to be among four people kidnapped in the attack.

The attack was carried out late Monday in the northern Afar region.

Eritrea has denied Ethiopian government accusations that it sponsored the gunmen involved.

Afar is regarded as a haunt of both Ethiopian and Eritrean rebels.

Ethiopia and Eritrea have been bitter adversaries since their 1998-2000 border war.

Two other tourists were seriously hurt and a third is said to have escaped the attack unharmed, said Ethiopian Television (ETV).

It said the two injured tourists had been taken to a clinic by defense forces.

“The group of foreign tourists was attacked by gunmen late on Monday by members of a group that was trained and armed by the Eritrean government,” Ethiopian government spokesman Bereket Simon told Reuters.

“It is the usual terrorist activity by the regime.”

But an Eritrean official dismissed the accusation as baseless.

A Western diplomat also told Reuters that German nationals were among those killed, but that has not been confirmed.

However, reports in the German media said the tourists had been near the Erta Ale volcano.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 but the two countries soon became embroiled in border disputes.

Kris Jenner’s high school pictures from early 1970’s

Lisa.Felice
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Kris Jenner’s high school pictures from early 1970’s

New images of Kris Jenner have emerged, with the Kardashian matriarch posing for a series of high school year book black and white pictures dating from the early 1970s.

The fashions of the time are prevalent with Kris Jenner sporting a matching shirt and tie in one photograph and a polo neck sweater in another.

Her long brown hair, which looks lighter than her current shade, is parted in the middle and she wears a wide smile.

In one photograph, Kris Jenner looks a lot more glamorous with her brown hair teased into curls, sporting what looks like an off-the-shoulder top.

Kris Jenner posing for a series of high school year book black and white pictures dating from the early 1970s
Kris Jenner posing for a series of high school year book black and white pictures dating from the early 1970s

Kris Jenner let the cameras follow her on Keeping Up With The Kardashians as she was wheeled into surgery last year for her facelift.

“I needed a little freshening up for the wedding. Just doing what a girl’s gotta do,” she told Extra about her decision to have the surgery.

However, once recovered, Kris Jenner said it was tricky for people to see the difference in her appearance.

“It pretty much is the same,” Kris Jenner said.

“I didn’t have anything done to my eyes, nose or mouth.

“Nobody notices the difference. I’m waiting for someone to say something.”

Kris Jenner sporting a matching shirt and tie
Kris Jenner sporting a matching shirt and tie

Kris Jenner was born Kristen Mary Houghton on November 5, 1955 in San Diego, California.

She met lawyer Robert Kardashian at 17-years-old and they married in 1978.

But her infidelity ended the marriage and the couple divorced in 1990 before Kris re-married current husband Bruce Jenner in 1991.

Along with Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Robert Kardashian, she is also mother to Kendall and Kylie Jenner with Bruce.

Costa Concordia: salvage work expected to begin on Wednesday

Diane A. Wade
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Costa Concordia: salvage work expected to begin on Wednesday

Salvage work on Costa Concordia cruise ship is expected to begin later on Wednesday, as hopes fade that any more survivors will be found on the stricken cruise ship.

Rescuers have been through almost all of the ship that remains above the water line and experts believe there is little risk of a major fuel leak.

Eleven bodies have been recovered so far and 24 people are missing.

The captain of the Italian ship, Francesco Schettino is under house arrest, accused of causing the crash.

Salvage work on Costa Concordia cruise ship is expected to begin later on Wednesday, as hopes fade that any more survivors will be found on the stricken cruise ship
Salvage work on Costa Concordia cruise ship is expected to begin later on Wednesday, as hopes fade that any more survivors will be found on the stricken cruise ship

Along with the salvage workers – who will begin operations once rescue efforts have been declared over – a specialist team from Dutch salvage company SMIT is to start drilling through the ship towards the 17 tanks that hold more than 2,000 tons of fuel.

The firm says this could take several weeks.

The announcement that Captain Francesco Schettino would be held under house arrest instead of in jail came as prosecutors accused him of causing the crash and also of fleeing the Costa Concordia while passengers were still stranded.

A recording of a call between him and a port official after the crash appears to support this, though Captain Francesco Schettino denies the claims.

In the recording, released by the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Livorno Port Authority chief Gregorio de Falco can be heard repeatedly telling the captain to get back on board the ship to help the stranded passengers.

“Schettino, maybe you saved yourself from the sea, but I’ll make you have trouble for sure. Go aboard,” says Gregorio De Falco.

Francesco Schettino appears to refuse, replying first that there are rescuers already on board, and then that it is dark and difficult to see.

Gregorio De Falco replies: “Do you want to go home, Schettino? It’s dark, so you want to go home?”

Coastguards believe Captain Francesco Schettino never went back to the ship. He was arrested shortly afterwards.

But during a court hearing on Tuesday, the captain said he could not get on board the vessel because it was lying on its side.

Francesco Schettino argued that after hitting rocks he had executed a difficult manoeuvre that had saved many people’s lives.

The ship, carrying 4,200 passengers and crew, had its hull ripped open when it hit rocks late on Friday, just hours after leaving the port of Civitavecchia for a week-long Mediterranean cruise.

Some people were forced to swim for shore as the angle of the ship made launching lifeboats impossible.

Meanwhile, satellite tracking information published in the shipping journal Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows that the Costa Concordia sailed closer to Giglio island on a cruise last August than it did on its disastrous voyage on Friday.

Lloyd’s List said that the vessel passed within 230m of the island on 14 August 2011 to mark La Notte di San Lorenzo – the night of the shooting stars festival on the island.

The route deviation on that occasion had apparently been authorized by Costa Cruises – the company which owns the vessel.

The company said on Monday that the ship was never closer than 500 m to the coast when it passed on 14 August.

Lloyd’s List describes that occasion as a “near miss” and says the ship’s route would have been less than 200 m away from the point of collision on Friday’s voyage.

Costa Cruises said on Monday that the route deviation last Friday had been “unauthorized, unapproved and unknown to Costa”.

But Richard Meade, the Editor of Lloyd’s List, said: “The company’s account of what happened, of the rogue master [Capt Schettino] taking a bad decision, isn’t quite as black and white as they presented originally.”

“This ship took a very similar route only a few months previously and the master would have known that.”

Costa Cruises says it is looking into the claims, but stands by the statement it gave on Monday.

Meanwhile, Lloyd’s List says the issue of which nautical charts the captain of the vessel was using looks likely to be critical to his defense if he does face a criminal prosecution.

Francesco Schettino has been released from jail and placed under house arrest

Diane A. Wade
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Francesco Schettino has been released from jail and placed under house arrest

Francesco Schettino, the captain of Costa Concordia cruise ship who steered his vessel onto rocks on Friday, killing 11 people has been put under house arrest by Italian judges.

Prosecutors say Francesco Schettino caused the accident through negligence, and then fled the Costa Concordia while passengers were still stranded.

A recording of a call between Captain Francesco Schettino and a port official shortly after the crash appears to support some of the prosecutors’ accusations.

Captain Francesco Schettino denies the claims.

The local authority says 20 passengers are still missing. They include people from Germany, Italy, France and the US.

Four crew members – one each from Italy, Hungary, India and Peru – are also missing.

In the recording, released by the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Livorno Port Authority chief Gregorio de Falco can be heard repeatedly telling the captain to get back on board the ship to help the stranded passengers.

“Schettino, maybe you saved yourself from the sea, but I’ll make you have trouble for sure. Go aboard,” says Gregorio De Falco.

Francesco Schettino appears to refuse, replying first that there are rescuers already on board, and then that it is dark and difficult to see.

Gregorio De Falco replies: “Do you want to go home, Schettino? It’s dark, so you want to go home?”

Coastguards believe he never went back to the ship. He was arrested shortly afterwards and has been held in jail since.

But during a court hearing on Tuesday, Francesco Schettino said he could not get on board the vessel because it was lying on its side.

He argued that after hitting rocks he had executed a difficult manoeuvre that had saved many people’s lives.

Francesco Schettino, the captain of Costa Concordia cruise ship who steered his vessel onto rocks on Friday, killing 11 people has been put under house arrest by Italian judges
Francesco Schettino, the captain of Costa Concordia cruise ship who steered his vessel onto rocks on Friday, killing 11 people has been put under house arrest by Italian judges

Francesco Schettino’s lawyer Bruno Leporatti later announced that the judge had decided to release the captain from jail and place him under house arrest.

Prosecutor Francesco Verusio, who had argued that Captain Francesco Schettino was a flight risk, said he did not understand the ruling.

“I’m keen to read the reasoning,” he said.

Meanwhile, rescuers found six more bodies in the wreck of the ship on Tuesday, bringing the confirmed death toll to 11.

“The five victims are a woman and four men, who could be passengers, but we are not sure,” said coastguard spokesman Filippo Marini.

He added that the dead people were between 50 and 60 years old, and were wearing life-jackets.

The bodies were found near one of the assembly points where people were told to gather in an emergency.

The authorities are also battling to avoid an environmental disaster, amid fears that the cruise ship’s fuel tanks could break apart and shed thousands of tons of diesel into the sea.

Specialist salvage teams have been drafted in, and are due to start pumping the fuel out in the coming days.

The ship, carrying 4,200 passengers and crew, had its hull ripped open when it hit rocks late on Friday, just hours after leaving the port of Civitavecchia for a week-long Mediterranean cruise.

Some people were forced to swim for shore as the angle of the ship made launching lifeboats impossible.

Infrared footage taken from a helicopter showed lines of people climbing ropes down the exposed hull of the vessel to reach rescue boats on the water.

On Monday, the shipping newspaper Lloyd’s List said it had been able to trace the course of the Costa Concordia through information from satellites.

Lloyd’s List issued a graphic comparing Friday’s sailing with an earlier sailing by the vessel, suggesting that Friday’s route had deviated far from its usual course.

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Black Box Transcript: audio recording of Captain Francesco Schettino and Port Authority conversation

Diane A. Wade
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Audio recording of the conversation between Captain Francesco Schettino and Port Authority officials after the doomed Italian luxury cruise liner Costa Concordia struck rocks Friday was released Tuesday morning.

At least eleven people were killed in the aftermath and dozens more are still missing. The follow is a translation of the recording, which was posted on the news website Corriere della Sera.

“Captain Schettino: It’s Captain Schettino.

Port Authority: Schettino, listen to me, there are people trapped onboard, now you go back, you will go with your rescue boat under the stern of the ship, there are some steps, you climb those steps and you get onboard and you get back to me letting me know how many people are on board. Is that clear to you? I am actually recording this conversation captain.

[inaudible, captain mumbles]

PA: Speak in a loud voice.

Captain: So, the ship right now [inaudible]…

PA: Speak in a loud voice! Put your hand by the microphone to cover it and speak up! Is that clear?

Voices in the background: Tell him to come here. Tell him to come here.

Captain: So, right now the ship is tilted…

PA: I understand that. Listen to me, there are people that are getting off using the rope ladder on the stern side, you go back there and you go up that ladder the opposite way, you go onboard the ship and you tell me how many people [are there] And what they need. You tell me if there are children, women or people that need assistance and you give me a number for each one of these categories is that clear? Look Schettino, you may have saved yourself from the sea but will put you through a lot of trouble it will be very bad for you! Get back on board for [expletive]’s sake!!!

Captain: Officer, please.

PA: There are no “pleases”! Get back on board! Please assure me that you are going back on board.

Captain: I am here on the rescue boat. I’m right here, I didn’t go anywhere else, I’m here.

PA: What are you doing captain?

Captain: I’m here to coordinate rescue operations.

PA: What are you coordinating? Get back on board and coordinate rescue operations from onboard the ship.

[silence, sound cuts out]

PA: Do you refuse to do that?

Captain: No, I’m not refusing to do that.

PA: Are you refusing to back on board?

Captain: No, I am not refusing to go back. I am not going because the other rescue boat stopped.

PA: Get back on board! This is an order! You don’t need to make any other assessment. You have declared that you have abandoned ship, therefore I’m in command. Get back on board right now is that clear?

Captain: Officer…

PA: Can you not hear me?

Captain: I’m getting back on board.

PA: Then go! And call me right away when you are on board. There’s my rescuer there.

Captain: Where is your rescuer?

PA: My rescuer is on the stern side, go! There are already bodies, Schettino! Go!

Captain: Officer how many bodies are there?

PA: I don’t know. I know about one… I’ve heard about one, but you must tell me! [expletive]!

Captain: Do you realize it’s dark out here and we can’t see anything?

PA: What do you want to do ? Do you want to go home? It’s dark so you want to go home? Get on the stern of that ship climb the ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people are there and what they need. Right now!

Captain: I’m here with my second officer.

[Schettino identifies second officer.]

PA: You and your second officer must get back on board right now is that clear?

Captain: I just wanted to tell you that the other rescue boat here with other rescuers stopped. It’s just stopped. Now I’ve called the other rescuers.

PA: You’ve been telling me the same thing for an hour now get back on board! On board! And you get back to me right away telling me how many people are there.

Captain: It’s fine officer, I’m going.

PA: Then go, right now!

[A second recording appears to show another conversation between Captain Francesco Schettino and the Port Authority:]

Captain: I have spoken with the company, and there seem to be some people still onboard, possibly about one hundred.

PA: And you can’t even give me a precise number? You say “there seem to be”?

Captain: Well, we were carrying out evacuation procedures, but now all the officers have gathered on the rescue boat with me.

PA: Where are you guys? All on the reascue boat? Excuse me, earlier you told me you where with one colleague only — now all the officers are there?

Captain: Yes, there’s me, my second officer, and…

PA: If the officers were able to get down there, it means they were still able to move…

Captain: Indeed, now…

PA: Then why are they not going back on board to see what the situation is like and then tell us about it, thank you? Send them on board! Send someone on board to coordinate!

Captain: Now it’s not…

PA: Send someone back on board!

Captain: I am coordinating…

PA: I am giving you an order, Captain. You must send someone onboard!

Captain: We are going on board to coordinate ourselves…

PA: Exactly! You must go onboard to coordinate the disembarking! Is that clear?

Captain: But we can no longer get on board now, the ship has sunk completely.

PA: Why did you allow them to get off, Captain?

Captain: I didn’t… We abandoned ship.

PA: And with 100 people still on board you abandon ship? [expletive]

Captain: I didn’t abandon any ship… because the ship turned on its side quickly and we were catapulted into the water.

PA: We’ll clarify later what actually happened… for now tell me everything that goes on, everything! Place yourself under the ship with your rescue boat and don’t leave.

Captain: We’re here. We’re here.”

Burger King launches home delivery service

Clyde K. Valle
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Burger King launches home delivery service

Fast-food giant Burger King has announced plans to launch a home delivery service.

Burger King, the US second largest burger chain, has been quietly testing the home delivery service at four of its restaurants in the greater Washington area.

For decades burger restaurants have resisted introducing home-delivery services as the snacks don’t travel well and tend to go soggy when warmed up in a microwave.

But Burger King claims to have solved the problem by developing what it calls “proprietary thermal packaging technology”, which ensures the food won’t arrive cold and congealed.

According to chief brand and operations officer Jonathan Fitzpatrick, the new packaging “ensures the Whopper is delivered hot and fresh, and the french fries are delivered hot and crispy”.

Burger King charges an additional $2 delivery fee with minimum orders varying from $8 to $10 depending on the store.

They claim stores try to deliver within 30 minutes of ordering but customers must live within a 10-minute drive of the store.

Drinks are delivered in bottles and the service does not extend to breakfasts. Delivery times are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If successful it is expected they will roll the service out nationwide.

Fast-food giant Burger King has announced plans to launch a home delivery service
Fast-food giant Burger King has announced plans to launch a home delivery service

Rivals McDonald’s currently offers a delivery service from two of its branches in Manhattan, New York, but it is only open to businesses and the company say they have no plans to expand the service.

However Pizza firm Domino’s, for which delivery accounts for 70% of all business, told ABC News via spokesman Tim McIntyre: “We wish them luck.

“There is a reason that not all pizza places deliver: It isn’t easy.”

Big Brother Brazil: housemate Monique Amin raped live on TV after alcohol-fueled party

Ricky Robinson
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Big Brother Brazil: housemate Monique Amin raped live on TV after alcohol-fueled party

A housemate on Brazil’s Big Brother reality show has been raped live on TV, it has been alleged.

Brazilian police today confirmed they had begun an investigation and carried out a search of the studios in Rio de Janeiro, where Big Brother show is being filmed.

Viewers were shocked in the early hours of Sunday to watch contestant Daniel Echaniz, 31, apparently force himself 23-year-old student Monique Amin, who had passed out drunk after a boozy party.

Night cameras filmed Daniel Echaniz, a male model, get into the bed where Monique Amin was sleeping before appearing to have sex with her under the covers.

Throughout the incident the female contestant appeared unconscious.

The next morning Monique Amin was asked about the incident in the diary room, and appeared to know little of what had happened.

Brazilian police today confirmed they had begun an investigation and carried out a search of the studios in Rio de Janeiro, where Big Brother show is being filmed
Brazilian police today confirmed they had begun an investigation and carried out a search of the studios in Rio de Janeiro, where Big Brother show is being filmed

As the scandal began to engulf the show, one of Brazil’s most watched TV programmes, police officers arrived at the house and interviewed Monique Amin for three hours, before taking her away for a rape examination, according to sources.

Police are believed to have then told TV channel Globo to either stop broadcasting the show, which is produced by Endemol and only began last Tuesday, or eliminate Daniel Echaniz.

The decision to remove the contestant, who if found guilty of rape faces between six and ten years’ jail, was explained in a statement read out by the show’s presenter Pedro Bial.

Pedro Bial said: “Since Sunday morning, the board had been evaluating the behavior of Daniel, who is suspected of having infringed the rules of the programme.

“Big Brother examined his behavior without jumping to conclusions and with the utmost care. The images showed a breach of the rules of the programme.

“After careful evaluation, the direction of the programme found that the behavior of the contestant on the night of the party was seriously inadequate.”

Makers Endemol – which is known for encouraging outrageous behaviour among its contestants – today refused to comment on the latest scandal to rock the worldwide Big Brother format.

Big Brother Brazil, which is in its 12th series, is watched by an average TV audience of eight million. In last year’s final over 154 million votes were cast.

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Cheeseburger was accidentally invented in Rite Spot diner in Pasadena

Diane A. Wade
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Cheeseburger was accidentally invented in Rite Spot diner in Pasadena

A restaurant in Pasadena, California, has claimed that it was in its kitchen that the cheeseburger, probably one of the most popular dishes of all time, was first invented, in the late 1920s.

Local diner the Rite Spot says young chef Lionel Sternberger accidentally burned one side of the hamburger he was cooking.

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce’s Paul Little told CNN: “Rather than throwing it in the trash, he flipped it over and put a bit of cheese on it to hide his mistake and served it to a customer, who was delighted to have it.”

Now the town is celebrating the cheeseburger’s humble origins with a week of events in its honour.

And it is certainly worthy of the tribute. Throughout the subsequent 90 years, the cheeseburger has seen many incarnations.

Local diner the Rite Spot in Pasadena, California, has claimed that it was in its kitchen that the cheeseburger was first invented, in the late 1920s
Local diner the Rite Spot in Pasadena, California, has claimed that it was in its kitchen that the cheeseburger was first invented, in the late 1920s

McDonalds introduced the double cheeseburger as a promotional item in the Fifties, and it has since become a staple in restaurants across the world.

And twists on the theme vary from the bizarre to the sublime.

The Wall Street Burger Shoppe secured the title of New York’s most expensive burger when it unveiled an $175 sandwich in 2008.

Within the gold leaf-flecked brioche bun is a “Kobe beef patty, lots of black truffles, seared foie gras, aged Gruyere cheese, and wild mushrooms”.

Far fewer cheeseburger lovers, we imagine, would be tempted by a new dish at Fatty’s in San Antonio, Texas.

Its new ice-cream cheeseburger boasts a scoop of fried ice-cream on a beef patty.

Owner Mark Outing, who also lists a pancake cheeseburger and a fried egg burger on his menu, believes his culinary inventiveness will prove a hit.

Mark Outing told mysanantonio.com: “Most of these burgers are things people have eaten before. They perhaps just haven’t thought of piling them on top of one another.”

Infrared footage of Costa Concordia passengers clambering down to lifeboats in the dark on a single safety rope

Diane A. Wade
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Infrared footage of Costa Concordia passengers clambering down to lifeboats in the dark on a single safety rope

An incredible infrared footage has emerged today showing survivors of Costa Concordia slipping down the belly of the stricken cruise ship one-by-one using a rope.

The black-and-white video, taken by the Italian Coastguard, shows passengers queueing up to get into lifeboats.

The film has been released after a French survivor today claimed that panicking crew were already “fleeing in their life jackets” before passengers were warned the cruise liner was sinking.

Pensioner Daniele Perruchon, 68, also said men shoved past children screaming “I don’t want to die” as they raced to save themselves aboard the sinking ship.

Daniele Perruchon was travelling with an elderly friend celebrating her 80th birthday when the chaos erupted on Friday night.

An incredible infrared footage has emerged today showing survivors of Costa Concordia slipping down the belly of the stricken cruise ship one-by-one using a rope
An incredible infrared footage has emerged today showing survivors of Costa Concordia slipping down the belly of the stricken cruise ship one-by-one using a rope

The woman said they were abandoned in the darkness as the giant ship listed after striking rocks off Italian island of Giglio.

She and her friend were having dinner when the lights went out and crockery began crashing around them, she told French newspaper Nice-Matin.

Daniele Perruchon said: “At that point a loud speaker announcement in Italian said <<The electrical circuit of the stabilizers has cut out. This is not a problem>>.

“Then as we were waiting in the gloom we saw terrified staff dashing past us in their life jackets. People were shouting and pushing each other.

“I was with an elderly person and determined not to panic. We made it back to our cabin and got our life jackets, then managed to reach one of the decks.

“Then we felt the ship begin tipping over. There was mass panic. The ship was at a steep angle and people were trying to reach the life boats by clinging to the walls.

“A woman fell on me and we went crashing into a telephone cabin. We managed to get into a life boat but it was unable to launch, and we were eventually taken off it by the Italian coastguard.

“At no time did anyone come and help us. We felt abandoned. So much for women and children first.

“I heard children crying out <<I don’t want to die>> as men pushed past trying to get themselves off the boat.”

Daniele Perruchon, from the French Riviera resort of Menton, said the cruise had been meant as a “dream holiday” for her and her elderly friend.

She said: “We have decided the first thing we are going to do is get straight back on another cruise liner to beat the fear.”

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Costa Concordia: five more bodies found inside the stricken cruise ship

Diane A. Wade
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Costa Concordia: five more bodies found inside the stricken cruise ship

Rescue teams have found five more bodies inside the Italian Costa Concordia stricken cruise ship, raising the confirmed death toll to 11.

According to officials, four men and a woman were found on the ship, which capsized after it hit rocks in Ialy on Friday.

Judges are questioning the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, who has been blamed for steering the vessel on to the rocks.

Captain Francesco Schettino has been detained on suspicion of manslaughter, but denies any wrongdoing.

He has not yet been formally charged, but prosecutors on Tuesday asked judges to continue his detention.

Rescue teams have found five more bodies inside the Italian Costa Concordia stricken cruise ship, raising the confirmed death toll to 11
Rescue teams have found five more bodies inside the Italian Costa Concordia stricken cruise ship, raising the confirmed death toll to 11

A recording of a conversation allegedly between the captain and a port official – recorded shortly after the crash – has emerged which suggests Captain Francesco Schettino left the ship before all passengers had escaped.

In the recording, on the Corriere della Sera’s website, Captain Francesco Schettino appears to refuse to go back on to the ship to co-ordinate the rescue effort.

A man who identifies himself as Livorno Port Authority chief Gregorio de Falco can be heard repeatedly telling the captain to get back on board the ship to help the stranded passengers.

“Schettino, maybe you saved yourself from the sea, but I’ll make you have trouble for sure. Go aboard,” says Gregorio de Falco.

Captain Francesco Schettino is heard replying first that there are rescuers already on board, and then that it is dark and difficult to see.

Shortly after daybreak on Tuesday rescue crews blasted several holes in the ship, now lying on its side metres from Giglio island, in order to gain access to areas they had not yet been able to search.

Hours later, the coast guard announced that more bodies had been found.

It is not clear whether the bodies are crew members or passengers, but the coast guard said they were aged between 50 and 60 and were wearing life vests.

The bodies were found near one of the assembly points where people were told to gather in an emergency.

Before the bodies were discovered, Italian officials said there were 29 people still missing from the vessel.

Teams of specialist divers have been helping with the rescue mission, but they have been hampered by bad weather.

The ship, carrying 4,200 passengers and crew, had its hull ripped open when it hit rocks late on Friday, just hours after leaving the port of Civitavecchia for a week-long Mediterranean cruise.

Some people were forced to swim for shore as the angle of the ship made launching lifeboats impossible.

Infrared footage taken from a helicopter, also released on Tuesday, shows lines of people climbing ropes down the exposed hull of the vessel to reach rescue boats on the water.

Francesco Schettino, 52, has emerged as the central figure in the investigation.

The Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Cruises, have said Captain Francesco Schettino hit the rocks because he deliberately steered the ship towards Giglio Island.

Prosecutors have given more detail, saying the captain wanted to make a close pass of Giglio in order to “salute” a crew member’s family who lived there.

On Monday, the shipping newspaper Lloyd’s List said it had been able to trace the course of the Costa Concordia though information from satellites.

Lloyd’s List issued a graphic comparing Friday’s sailing with an earlier sailing by the vessel, suggesting that Friday’s route had deviated far from its usual course.

Francesco Schettino curiculum vitae. A short biography of Costa Concordia captain.

Diane A. Wade
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Francesco Schettino curiculum vitae. A short biography of Costa Concordia captain.

Francesco Schettino, the captain of doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship and the man who is now at the centre of one of Italy’s worse maritime disasters, is currently under arrest.

Francesco Schettino faces possible charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship, charges he denies.

Francesco Schettino is 52-year-old and his life has been dominated by the sea.

Born in the coastal town of Castellammare di Stabia, near the southern city of Naples, Francesco Schettino attended a nautical institute in the nearby town of Piano di Sorrento.

Few personal details are known about Francesco Schettino and his family, which is based in the Naples town of Meta. Members of his family have said they are no longer giving interviews to the press. Francesco Schettino lives in Meta with his wife and their 15-year-old daughter.

But speculation is swirling about how Costa Concordia, the vast ship he captained, almost a floating city with its 4,300 passengers and crew members, ended its journey aground and on its side, metres from the Tuscan island of Giglio.

Francesco Schettino, the captain of doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship and the man who is now at the centre of one of Italy's worse maritime disasters, is currently under arrest
Francesco Schettino, the captain of doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship and the man who is now at the centre of one of Italy's worse maritime disasters, is currently under arrest

Francesco Schettino joined Costa Cruises in 2002, initially as an official in charge of security. He was promoted to the role of captain in 2006, having been second-in-command.

As reports of an unplanned change of course and a terrifying and chaotic evacuation process have multiplied, the firm has been quick to distance itself from the captain who, it said, had made “serious errors of judgement”.

Costa Crociere CEO Luigi Foschi said Francesco Schettino changed a pre-programmed route to make a manoeuvre that was “unauthorised, unapproved and unknown to Costa”.

“The captain has the authority to take the decisions on board. In this case, the captain decided to change the route and he went into waters that he did not know in advance,” Luigi Foschi said.

Italian newspapers have speculated that the change of course may have been a daring deviation, a kind of maritime tribute to one of the crew members who was from the small island.

The reason for the dramatic shift in route will only be revealed by the criminal investigation but, in a television interview given hours after the ship capsized, Francesco Schettino’s shock and disbelief is clear.

“I firmly believe that the rock was not shown,” he tells the reporter, seemingly incredulous at what had happened.

“We didn’t hit it with the bow of the boat, but from the side, as if this rock had some kind of spike beneath the water. I don’t know if it was picked up or not but on the nautical chart it said that we should have had deep water beneath us. […] We were about 300 metres from the rocks, more or less, we shouldn’t have hit anything,” Francesco Schettino said.

In an earlier interview, francesco Schettino was full of confidence in his abilities and the technology that underpins modern cruise ship travel. But some of his words may come back to haunt him.

“I wouldn’t want to be the captain of the Titanic, forced to navigate between icebergs,” Francesco Schettino told a reporter from Czech newspaper Dnes in 2010.

“But I think that with the right preparation any situation can be overcome and any problem prevented,” he added.

When asked whether the 1997 film Titanic had discouraged people from going on a cruise, Francesco Schettino’s response was: “Luckily, people forget tragedies quickly. It’s like plane crashes. Everyone thinks that it couldn’t happen to them.”

As the accusations against Francesco Schettino grow, there have been those who have come to his defense, setting up a Facebook page with 1,500 fans.

Many of them are sailors themselves who have commented on how Francesco Schettino’s decision to steer the ship towards port after it collided with the rock had probably saved dozens of lives.

According to an interview in Naples-based Il Mattino newspaper quoting his sister, the first person Francesco Schettino called after the incident was his 80-year-old mother, Rosa.

“He called her at five in the morning on Saturday to tell her there had been a disaster, that he had tried to save as many passengers as possible and not to worry, because it was all over,” his sister said.

European Commission warns Hungary of legal action over new laws

Clyde K. Valle
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The European Commission warns Hungary that it faces legal action if it fails to change reforms to its central bank, data protection and judiciary.

Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban was given a month to respond, Reuters news agency reports.

Critics say the new central bank law puts the bank’s independence at risk. It allows Viktor Orban to install a new deputy governor.

Viktor Orban’s conservative Fidesz party has a two-thirds majority in parliament.

The European Commission launched an “infringement procedure” against Hungary on Tuesday, the first stage of which is a warning calling for changes to the controversial laws.

“We do not want a shadow of doubt on respect for democratic principles and values to remain over the country any longer,” Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

There are fears that a new data protection authority will come under Fidesz influence and that a plan to make hundreds of judges retire early will undermine the judiciary’s independence by enabling new pro-Fidesz appointees to replace them.

The European Commission can go as far as imposing fines and taking Hungary to the European Court of Justice.

Thousands of Hungarians have demonstrated over what they see as Fidesz authoritarianism. A new media authority set up by Fidesz is also highly controversial.

The changes are part of a new constitution which took effect on 1 January.

Viktor Orban says the criticisms are politically motivated. He argues that partisan bickering has for too long handicapped Hungarian politics and that the last vestiges of communist influence need to be rooted out.

Correspondents say a compromise may be found because Hungary is struggling to service its debts and wants to reach a new deal with the EU and International Monetary Fund on a standby loan.

Hungary’s total debt has risen to 82% of its output, while its currency, the forint, has fallen to record lows against the euro.

The EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner, Olli Rehn, has already warned that Hungary could face a suspension of EU cohesion funds – support for regional projects.

Nearly a year ago a row between Hungary and the Commission was defused when Viktor Orban’s government agreed to amend the wording of the new media law, in the sections on balanced reporting, country of origin and media registration.

South Sudan: more than 50 people killed during clashes in Jonglei state

Roy Siemens
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At least 51 people, mostly women and children, have been killed by gunmen during the latest clashes in South Sudan’s troubled Jonglei state, according to regional governor Kuol Manyang.

At least 22 others were injured after attackers raided and burned the village of Duk Padiet, governor Kuol Manyang added.

All wounded people have been evacuated to Juba, the capital, he said.

A series of attacks between ethnic groups in the region has displaced tens of thousands of people.

“We are expecting more to be injured because they ran to the villages last night,” Kuol Manyang said.

Officials told AFP news agency the killings were carried out by the Murle group on the Lou Nuer as revenge for an attack last month on the village of Pibor.

The cycle of violence has lasted months and killed hundreds of people. It began as cattle raids but has spiraled out of control.

Wikipedia will black out its website for 24 h on January 18 in protest over SOPA bill

Nancy Clayson
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Wikipedia will black out its website for 24 h on January 18 in protest over SOPA bill

Wikipedia announced that will black out its website on Wednesday to protest against anti-piracy legislation under consideration in Congress.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales announced on Twitter that the popular community-based online encyclopedia would shut down its English versions for a full 24 hours.

A link to the formal announcement confirmed the decision after 1,800 Wikipedians discussed what action to take against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECTIP (PIPA).

SOPA and the Protect Intellectual Property Act pending in Congress are designed to crack down on sales of pirated U.S. products overseas.

Supporters say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs. Critics say the legislation is too broad and could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights.

Jimmy Wales said in a statement: “Today Wikipedians from around the world have spoken about their opposition to this destructive legislation.

“This is an extraordinary action for our community to take – and while we regret having to prevent the world from having access to Wikipedia for even a second, we simply cannot ignore the fact that SOPA and PIPA endanger free speech both in the United States and abroad, and set a frightening precedent of Internet censorship for the world.”

According to a press release, Wikipedia users have discussed for more than a month whether it should react to the legislation and, in the past few days, tried to decide how.

The foundation behind the site, Wikimedia, said it collected input from users over a period of 72 hours before making its final decision on Monday evening based on that feedback.

“This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation,” a statement on the Wikimedia Foundation website reads.

“The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a <<blackout>> of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.”

Wikipedia announced that will black out its website on Wednesday to protest against anti-piracy legislation under consideration in Congress
Wikipedia announced that will black out its website on Wednesday to protest against anti-piracy legislation under consideration in Congress

A large-scale blackout is expected from midnight Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday until midnight on Wednesday.

“We are looking at a powerful protest,” said Jay Walsh, spokesman for the foundation.

Tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo and others have also questioned the legislation and said it poses a serious risk to the industry. Several online communities such as Reddit, Boing Boing and others have announced plans to go blackout in protest.

Wikipedia is considering several different forms of response, from a banner across the top of the page to a blackout in certain areas, up to a worldwide shutdown, said Jay Walsh.

If Wikipedia opts for a blackout, it would be the largest and most well-known website to do so.

“It’s not a muscle that is normally flexed,” added Jay Walsh.

As the Washington Post reports, Jimmy Wales expects an estimated 25million daily visitors to be affected by a Wikipedia blackout.

The Obama administration has also raised concerns about the legislation and said over the weekend that it will work with Congress on legislation to help battle piracy and counterfeiting while defending free expression, privacy, security and innovation in the Internet.

THE BACKGROUND BEHIND SOPA & PIPA

The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act in Congress – are designed to crack down on sales of pirated U.S. products overseas – has pit internet giants, consumer groups and freedom of speech advocates against film studios and record labels.

The House bill (SOPA) would allow a private party to go straight to a website’s advertising and payment providers and request they sever ties.

Supporters include the film and music industry, which often sees its products sold illegally. They say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs.

Critics say the legislation could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights. Among their concerns are provisions that would weaken cyber-security for companies and hinder domain access rights.

The most controversial provision is in the House bill, which would have enabled federal authorities to “blacklist” sites that are alleged to distribute pirated content. That would essentially cut off portions of the Internet to all U.S. users. But congressional leaders appear to be backing off this provision.

Francesco Schettino abandoned Costa Concordia half an hour before passengers, the coastguard transcript revealed

Diane A. Wade
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Francesco Schettino abandoned Costa Concordia half an hour before passengers, the coastguard transcript revealed

Francesco Schettino, the Costa Concordia’s captain did abandon ship “half an hour” before hundreds of his passengers, it emerged this morning via a transcript of a conversation between him and the local coastguard.

Captain Francesco Schettino, 52, who will be questioned today by investigating magistrate Valeria Montesarchio, lied to the Captain of the Port of Livorno’s Coastguard when asked how many people were on board the sinking liner, Italian media reported today.

Francesco Schettino initially replied “40”, when there were actually hundreds still at risk, and when further questioned admitted he was not even there.

The Costa Concordia captain then ignored an order to go back onto the sinking ship – with some reports suggesting he volunteered to return, but only to pick up the black box.

Il Fatto Quotidiano published the transcripts of the conversation which purportedly took place on Friday night.

The first call to the boat took place at 9:49 p.m., where the coastguard asked what the situation was. The boat had run aground some 30 minutes before.

They did not speak again until 0:42 a.m., just 40 minutes after the evacuation started, when Francesco Schettino was asked how many people were on board.

He replied “40”. The coastguard, surprised, asked how there were so few people left on board, and francesco Schettino replied: “I’m not on board because we have abandoned the ship.”

The coastguard asked him to return to the ship to co-ordinate the evacuation.

At 1:46 a.m., Francesco Schettino received another call. The speaker said: “You will return to the boat immediately. You have to tell me how many passengers are left.”

Confusingly, Francesco Schettino replied: “I’m on board, but I’m here.” The coastguard, who Italian media says understood he had no intention of returning, issued an ultimatum:

“Captain, this is an order. I am in charge now. There are dead bodies.”

The publication of the transcript comes as Francesco Schettino was labeled the “most hated man in Italy”.

And it precedes the revelation, from a survivor, that men pushed past children who were screaming “I don’t want to die” as the young and elderly were “abandoned by the crew”.

A state of emergency has been declared around the stricken Costa Concordia after an unidentified liquid began to leak from the ship
A state of emergency has been declared around the stricken Costa Concordia after an unidentified liquid began to leak from the ship

Captain Francesco Schettino, who lives with wife Fabiola and their 15-year-old daughter at a $275,000 apartment in the small seaside town of Meta di Sorrento near Naples, is at the centre of a Facebook hate campaign after being squarely blamed for the cruise liner running aground.

Thousands have taken to the web to vent their fury at the so-called “Captain Coward”, who it is now claimed “skimmed” past the Tuscan isle of Giglio not just to salute a retired officer but also to impress his head waiter’s family on shore.

Many scorned his decision not to remain with his stricken ship. The official death toll rose to seven this morning after another body was pulled from the tilting wreckage. Last night the number of those still unaccounted for rose to 29 – 25 passengers and four crew.

Francesco Schettino, who faces up to 12 years in jail for manslaughter, will appear in court today after his company chiefs accused him of an “unauthorised and unapproved” decision to sail so close to the eastern side of the island of Giglio.

Costa Concordia, the $600million liner, with 4,200 passengers and crew, was sailing just 300 yards from the island’s rocky coast when it should have been at least four miles out to sea. It came to grief on Friday night after sustaining a 160ft gash in the port-side hull.

After swiftly escaping from the listing liner, Francesco Schettino was arrested along with first officer Ciro Ambrosio.

Captain Francesco Schettino was spotted wrapped in a blanket on his way to the shore at around 11:30 p.m. – more than four hours before the evacuation of the vessel was completed – and breaking the maritime tradition of remaining with his ship.

One Italian report said Francesco Schettino hailed a taxi and said to the driver: “Get me as far away from here as possible.”

Tuscan prosecutor Franco Verusio, who is leading the investigation, said: “Captain Schettino was in command. He was the one who ordered that course to be taken, at least according to what we have discovered. There was someone in particular that wanted to be signaled from the ship.”

Francesco Schettino gave the order for the doomed sail-by of the island as a “salute of respect” for former Costa commander Mario Palombo, whose parents are from Giglio, it is alleged.

The stunt – as passengers were enjoying dinner at 9:30 p.m. on Friday – was apparently also a favour for the ship’s maître d’ Antonello Tievoli, who lives on the island.

Italian news reports said that that minutes before Costa Concordia crashed into an underwater reef just two hours into a seven-day Mediterranean cruise, Francesco Schettino told the head waiter: “Come and look, we are passing over your Giglio.”

After his rescue, Antonello Tievoli is understood to have joked: “I never thought I would get dropped off at home.”

His 82-year-old father Giuseppe said his son had phoned him before the accident to say the crew would salute him by blowing the ship’s whistle as they passed by.

Giuseppe Tievoli said: “Antonello called and said that we should look out of the window at around 9:30 p.m. because he would be on the ship and it would pass right by Giglio. All the ships do it but they never come that close – I was at the window with my wife and, as he said, the ship went past.”

Antonello Tievoli’s sister Patrizia, a teacher on the island, made a Facebook post 30 minutes before the disaster saying: “Shortly, the Costa Concordia will pass really, really close, a big hello to my brother who will disembark at Savona and finally get to enjoy some holiday.”

Antonello Tievoli, 46, has already been questioned by investigators while Mario Palombo, who retired in 2006 because of ill health, is also expected to be interviewed.

Mario Palombo last night insisted the “nautical bow” was not meant for him as he was not on the island at the time.

“I have gone to the prosecutor’s office after I was dragged into all this. I’ve been made to feel responsible.”

The stunt of sailing past the island is said to have become something of a tradition for Costa Concordia. In August, it skirted Giglio sounding its whistle – prompting the mayor to send a congratulatory email to the captain for providing such a “spectacle to tourists”.

A state of emergency has been declared around the stricken vessel after an unidentified liquid began to leak from the ship. Protective barriers have been put in place around the Costa Concordia.

Speaking to Sky News, Giglio mayor Sergio Ortelli said: “This is an ecological timebomb.

“I hope that the fuel can be taken off the ship soon and maybe the ship can be removed too because it is hampering navigation.”

Francesco Schettino has also been accused of dining with beautiful women as the liner crashed into rocks and of raiding the safe before jumping ship.

Monique Maurek, 41, from the Netherlands, said: “What scandalized me most was when I saw the captain spending much of the evening before we hit the rocks drinking in the bar with a beautiful woman on his arm.

“Most people didn’t even have any idea of what the evacuation warning sound would be. It was only because some of us had already been on a cruise that we recognized that seven blasts of the horn was a signal to abandon ship.”

Francesco Schettino told maritime investigators that charts showed he was in water deep enough to navigate and that he had struck an unidentified rocky outcrop of the island.

Once Francesco Schettino realized the extent of the damage he immediately tried to change route and head for the safety of Giglio harbour.

His lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, said Francesco Schettino was “overcome and wants to express his greatest condolences to the victims”.

But he said Francesco Schettino’s actions in anchoring the ship at one end to swing it closer to the shore after the collision, “saved the lives of thousands of people”.

“It could have been an enormous tragedy,” Bruno Leporatti added.

Costa Crociere chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi told reporters the liner had passed all safety and technical tests in its 2011 evaluation.

Explaining that the ship was “ultra safe”, Luigi Foschi said the captain had made an unauthorized and unapproved deviation from the ship’s programmed course.

Luigi Foschi said: “This route was put in correctly. The fact that it left from this course is due solely to a manoeuvre by the commander that was unapproved, unauthorized and unknown to Costa.”

Costa Crociere CEO added that the company’s main concern was the safety and well-being of the passengers and crew, as well as to ensure fuel doesn’t leak out from the upended hull into the pristine waters off the island of Giglio.

Costa Crociere is a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise lines.

Carnival PLC, the owner of the capsized boat, saw its share price plummet by around a fifth.

Golden Globes 2012 Red Carpet: Shades of Pale and Fishtail Hems

Lisa.Felice
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Golden Globes 2012 Red Carpet: Shades of Pale and Fishtail Hems

Shades of pale were the popular trend on the red carpet of Golden Globes 2012, as well as fishtail hems.

There was a certain boring sameness to many of the looks, including Bérénice Bejo’s blue strapless Gucci gown, Freida Pinto’s blue strapless Prada gown and Mila Kunis’ black strapless Dior gown.

But for those who dared to make more unconventional choices, it paid off.

Charlize Theron embodied the stuff of which Hollywood fairy tales are made. Her blush-colored chiffon Dior couture gown, with an oversized bow at the waist and thigh-high slit, was so striking it made one wonder if the French fashion house needs to bother finding a new creative director to replace the fired John Galliano after all, or just keep going with its in-house design team, which did a stellar job in this case. Charlize Theron made another inspired choice in her 1920s Cartier hair band, which, along with Michelle Williams’ Fred Leighton hair band, is sure to spark a major new trend.

Charlize Theron is one of the unconventional gown choices winners
Charlize Theron is one of the unconventional gown choices winners

Claire Danes and Kate Winslet picked up on the black-and-white trend that is in fashion at this moment. Claire Danes’ graphic J. Mendel gown was a more modern iteration, while Kate Winslet’s Jenny Packham gown with a black hammered silk top, white column skirt and jeweled grosgrain belt, was old Hollywood at its best.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s blue-and-white ink splotch Monique Lhuillier ball gown, which she said her 2-year-old had a hand in picking out, was another unconventional choice that paid off. Rooney Mara’s racy black Peter Copping for Nina Ricci gown, with lattice-like straps at the bodice, didn’t disappoint either. If Lisbeth Salander had to go to the Golden Globes, this is what she would wear.

Like black, red is also a perennial red carpet fashion choice. Reese Witherspoon’s fishtail hem Zac Posen gown was a snore, and Dianna Agron’s gown covered in swan cutouts — as cool as it was — overwhelmed her. But Emma Stone showed red done right, with her maroon and fuchsia pleated Lanvin gown with jeweled eagle belt buckle. She looked like a fashion superhero. Lanvin had a big night on the red carpet, dressing Natalie Portman too.

Of course, placement of clothing and jewelry on the red carpet is big business for brands. When Uma Thurman wore that glorious lilac chiffon Prada gown to the Oscars in 1995, it put the Italian design house on the international fashion map and ushered in the modern era of celebrity dressing. It was nice to see Prada back on the red carpet at the Globes, dressing Zooey Deschanel in a green silk gown with an open back and pearl embroidered top. It was a quirky dress, but she’s a quirky girl.

Speaking of product placement, it was the first time when someone plug hair care on the red carpet. Nicole Richie name-dropped Suave Professionals products, along with designer Julien MacDonald, who made her silvery gown, and her own line, House of Harlow, which made her bag. Suave immediately started trending on Twitter. And the untidy ponytail — it was the hairstyle of the night — looked great on her.

BA crew mistakenly announced emergency water landing on a flight from Miami to London

Diane A. Wade
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The British Airways cabin crew of a flight from Miami to London mistakenly announced the plane was going down and they should brace themselves for an emergency water landing.

The panic began to spread among the passengers – with many fearing they were about to die – and flight attendant came on over the intercom to apologize, saying the message was played in error.

Duncan and Tracey Farquharson, from London, were on Saturday’s flight and have accused the airline of trivializing passengers’ concerns.

The couple told the Daily Telegraph that staff issued a “blasé” apology and did not explain exactly what the error was until hours later, when they were landing at Heathrow

Duncan Farquharson, 58, an engineer, said: “We were about three hours into the flight when an automated message came over the tannoy saying: <<This is an emergency, we will shortly be making an emergency landing on water>>.

“We looked at each other and figured we were both about to die. Families with children were distraught and people were in tears. It was very distressing.

“About 30 seconds later one of the cabin crew told us to ignore the announcement and accept their apologies but the tone of suggested they had not grasped how seriously we had taken it.

“Imagining yourself plunging towards a cold, watery grave in the middle of the Atlantic is a pretty horrific thought but they seemed very blasé about it.”

Tracey Farquharson, 51, an administrator, added: “The captain didn’t even say anything about it until when we were coming in to land and even that did not explain what had happened.

“It still makes me very emotional thinking about it now – it was very traumatic.”

A British Airways spokesman said that the cabin crew immediately apologized and spoke to passengers individually to reassure them.

They confirmed that the pre-recorded emergency announcement was activated in error.

British Airways spokesman said: “The cabin crew cancelled the announcement immediately and sought to reassure customers that the flight was operating normally.

“We would like to apologize to passengers on the flight for causing them undue concern.”

Costa Concordia: fears grow for the 29 missing people

Diane A. Wade
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Costa Concordia: fears grow for the 29 missing people

Fears are growing for the 29 people now listed as missing after the Costa Concordia crashed into rocks off Italy’s west coast on Friday night.

Emergency crews have worked through the night at the wreck of a stricken cruise ship.

Six people are known to have died in the disaster up to now.

Local coast guard chief Marco Brusco said there was just a “glimmer of hope” that survivors could be found.

The ship’s owners have blamed Captain Francesco Schettino for Friday’s crash, saying he changed course towards an island.

Captain Francesco Schettino, 52, has been detained on suspicion of manslaughter and a judge is due to decide shortly whether he should remain in custody.

Italy says it will declare a state of emergency over the incident, and provide funding to help avert any environmental disaster.

The Italian environment minister said liquid was leaking from the ship, but it was unclear if it was fuel.

Fears are growing for the 29 people now listed as missing after the Costa Concordia crashed into rocks off Italy's west coast on Friday night
Fears are growing for the 29 people now listed as missing after the Costa Concordia crashed into rocks off Italy's west coast on Friday night

Meanwhile, Italian officials have denied a newspaper report that a seventh body had been found overnight on the vessel.

Italian Coast Guard officials said the number of people believed to be missing had jumped to 29 from the previous estimate of 16, but gave no reason for the change.

The missing are thought to include four crew members, as well as passengers from the US, Germany, France and Italy.

On Monday, the Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Cruises, said Captain Francesco Schettino hit the rocks because he deliberately steered the ship towards to Giglio Island.

Prosecutors also claim that Francesco Schettino was responsible for the disaster.

“The captain is in a very difficult position because we are sure enough that he abandoned the ship when many passengers were still waiting to be evacuated,” said prosecutor Francesco Verusio.

A transcript purportedly of conversations between the captain and the coastguard has emerged in the Italian media – apparently drawn from one of the ship’s black box recorders – which appears to corroborate the claims that the captain left the ship before all the passengers escaped.

Capt Francesco Schettino has denied wrongdoing and says the rocks were not on his charts. He has insisted that he and his crew were the last people to leave the vessel.

His lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, said his client was “overcome and wants to express his greatest condolences to the victims”, adding that the captain had carried out a dangerous manoeuvre that had actually saved lives.

Costa Concordia, carrying 4,200 passengers and crew, had its hull ripped through when it hit rocks late on Friday.

Some people were forced to swim for land as the angle of the ship made boarding lifeboats impossible.

German media have reported that 12 German passengers are still missing, and US officials have appealed for information about two Americans – Jerry Heil, 69, and his wife Barbara, 70, from White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

Six Italians, two French couples and a Peruvian are also reported to be unaccounted for.

Teams of specialist divers have been helping with the rescue mission, but they have been hampered by bad weather, which has been moving the ship in the water.

Saturnino Soria, father of Peruvian Erika Soria, who was working as a waitress on the ship, insisted that the search operation should continue.

“I haven’t received any precise information about her – nothing from yesterday or today – it seems the situation has become worse for my daughter,” he said.

Rodolfo Raiteri, head of the coastguard’s diving team, was quoted by news agency AFP as saying that conditions inside the vessel were “disastrous”.

“It’s very difficult. The corridors are cluttered and it’s hard for the divers to swim through,” he said.

But the local mayor voiced hope of finding more people alive.

“You never know in the labyrinth of that ship. An air pocket could have allowed people to survive a few days,” Sergio Ortelli was quoted by AFP as saying.

Meanwhile, the shipping newspaper Lloyd’s List said it had been able to trace the course of the Costa Concordia though information from satellites.

The paper issued a graphic comparing Friday’s sailing with an earlier sailing by the liner, suggesting that Friday’s route had deviated far from its usual course.

Worries are growing that the ship could cause an environmental disaster if it breaks up and sheds its fuel.

Costa Concordia had just left the port of Civitavecchia, north of Rome, carrying roughly 2,300 tons of fuel for a week-long Mediterranean cruise when it crashed.

The area where the ship capsized is a maritime park famous for its pristine waters, varied marine life and coral.

Italian Environment Minister Corrado Clini said there was evidence that liquid was leaking from the ship, but he could not confirm whether the fluid was fuel.

Corrado Clini said the government would declare a state of emergency to release extra funding to help avoid a fuel spill causing an environmental disaster.

Kris Humphries says Kim Kardashian planned his marriage proposal to her

Lisa.Felice
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Kris Humphries says Kim Kardashian planned his marriage proposal to her

Kris Humphries proposed to Kim Kardashian in a blaze of romantic glory, spelling out the words “will you marry me” in red rose petals, before producing a $2 million dollar diamond ring.

Now it has emerged that Kris Humphries’ televised proposal to Kim Kardashian was not all it seemed.

Kris Humphries has told his inner circle of trusted friends that Kim Kardashian “planned” exactly how he would pop the question, Radar Online reported.

“Kim told Kris how, where and when to propose, it was absolutely no surprise to her whatsoever,” a source close to the situation told RadarOnline.

Kris Humphries apparently had wanted to propose to Kim Kardashian in his home state of Minnesota, but ended up popping the question in the bedroom of her Los Angeles mansion.

The proposal, which took place last May, was captured on reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, shown last September.

The source added: “First of all, Kris proposed in the middle of the day, and he had to do that because it would create better lighting to capture the moment.

“Kim looked so surprised but she knew it was happening. She was in full hair and make-up, as she always is on the show.

“Kris wanted it to be very intimate and romantic, but all of his ideas were shot down by production officials and Kim.”

The insider said: “Kim told him the paparazzi would ruin the special moment if it were to take place in a public setting, like the beach, which he had also considered. How romantic could it be with three camera crews?”

The proposal showed Kris Humphries painstakingly spelling out “Will You Marry Me” in Kim Kardashian’s room.

Kris Humphries has told his inner circle of trusted friends that Kim Kardashian “planned” exactly how he would pop the question
Kris Humphries has told his inner circle of trusted friends that Kim Kardashian “planned” exactly how he would pop the question

And when Kim Kardashian walked into her bedroom to find Kris Humphries down on one knee with his proposal spelled out in front of him in rose petals she told him: “You’re crazy”, to which he replied: “You’re perfect”.

Kim Kardashian was initially speechless, but when Kris Humphries opened the ring box to reveal an enormous $2 million diamond she immediately blurted out: “Oh my God, yes”.

Her mother Kris Jenner even helped plan the proposal, dubbing it “operation pumpkin”.

Kim Kardashian famously filed for divorce from Kris Humphries after just 72 days after their “fairytale” California wedding which took place in August.

The latest allegation comes after reports surfaced that other elements in the hit reality show are staged.

Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner were seen having a chart about the breakdown of Kim’s marriage in a recent episode of Kourtney & Kim Take New York which was set when the women were in Dubai.

Recent reports have alleged that the scene was actually shot in December and edited into the episode.

Photographs of the pair, taken on December 6, showed the pair leaving a TV studio, with Kim Kardashian dressed in the exact same outfit, with the same hair style and earrings, as she is seen wearing in the scene supposedly shot in mid-October in Dubai.

Kris Jenner was followed out of the studio by an assistant carrying the purple kaftan-style dress she is seen wearing in the back of the limo.

Radar has previously reported that Kim Kardashian has full editorial control over what is aired on her reality shows.

“Kim was stunned by the amount of bad press and the public relations nightmare she has endured since deciding to file for divorce,” a source told Radar.

“Kim will be using the show to attempt to rehab her image.

“Kim has been telling her inner circle that she has worked very hard to get where she has, and she isn’t going to let her marriage and subsequent decision to divorce Kris Humphries ruin that.”

Meanwhile, before last week’s episode aired, Kris Humphries sent out a cryptic tweet: “I can’t wait for the truth to come out! People will be surprised or maybe they won’t. #FCC.”

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Beyoncé looking much paler than her usual colour in a promotional picture

Lisa.Felice
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Beyoncé looking much paler than her usual colour in a promotional picture

A promotional picture of Beyoncé looking much paler than her usual colour has emerged.

The controversial photo, taken before Beyoncé fell pregnant with her newborn daughter, is being used to re-advertise her fourth album, 4, which was released last year.

In the seductive pose, Beyoncé dons a blonde wig and lies on a leopard-print couch, wearing a skimpy black crochet monokini.

The singer also wears suspenders and a lashing of dark red lipstick.

Experts told The Sun the appearance may have been down to lighting used in the studio.

The controversial photo, taken before Beyoncé fell pregnant with her newborn daughter, is being used to re-advertise her fourth album, 4, which was released last year
The controversial photo, taken before Beyoncé fell pregnant with her newborn daughter, is being used to re-advertise her fourth album, 4, which was released last year

Beyoncé has already been accused of making some young black girls ashamed of how they looked.

It has been alleged that her dad had persuaded her to use skin treatments to remain the lightest-coloured member of Destiny’s Child.

In August 2008, L’Oreal was accused of “whitewashing” Beyoncé in an advert by digitally lightening her skin.

At the time, L’Oreal denied that the pictures had been altered in such a way but The New York Post newspaper called the advert “shocking” and accused it of making the singer look like a “weird, nearly white version of herself”.

Beyoncé has not commented on the photos.

Beyoncé was born and raised in Texas by her African father and mixed-race mother.

Tripp Roth, the toddler who suffered from epidermolysis bullosa, has died

Kathryn R. Bown
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Tripp Roth, the toddler who suffered from epidermolysis bullosa, has died

Tripp Roth, from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, the toddler whose brave fight against an excruciating skin disorder prompted a worldwide crusade to battle the illness has died.

Two-year-old Tripp Roth outlived all medical predictions during his battle with junctional epidermolysis bullosa, which caused his skin to blister at the slightest touch.

The toddler died in his mother’s arms on Saturday.

His mother, Courtney Roth, 26, in a blog entitled “EBing a Mommy”, wrote of her son’s passing: “My precious angel received his wings today. I have had many nightmares about having to write this post.

“He was exactly 2 years and 8 months old. It happened within minutes of me picking him up out of bed and rocking him. He took his last peaceful breaths in my arms, in his most favorite spot,” she continued.

On Sunday, a motorcade drove through Tripp Roth’s home town in tribute to the youngster, WWL TV reported.

Dozens of friends and family members organized “Ride for Tripp”, which grew in numbers as they drove down Ponchatoula’s Highway 22, escorted by police, red balloons reaching to the sky.

“Baby Tripp is an inspiration to all of us. He has touched everybody’s lives in this small town,” said Lerai Lucas, a family friend who helped organize the tribute.

Elsewhere, messages of condolence flooded a Facebook page paying tribute to the toddler, entitled “Prayers for Tripp”, where more than 39,000 have followed updates on the young boy’s condition.

Courtney Roth, who took time off from her nursing career to care for her son around the clock, began her blog three months after baby Tripp was born.

There, the mother gave insight to those unfamiliar with the life-long genetic disorder Epidermolysis bullosa, which affects 1 in 50,000 people.

Two-year-old Tripp Roth outlived all medical predictions during his battle with junctional epidermolysis bullosa, which caused his skin to blister at the slightest touch
Two-year-old Tripp Roth outlived all medical predictions during his battle with junctional epidermolysis bullosa, which caused his skin to blister at the slightest touch

Tripp Roth suffered from junctional EB, which affects around 1% of those with the disease.

When Tripp Roth was born he had just one small blister on his head and a few on his back, and doctors immediately diagnosed him with the condition. The toddler was missing a protein that binds one layer to another, which meant could not even bathe without taking powerful sedatives.

Tripp Roth struggled with breastfeeding because of the sores in his mouth so doctors used a feeding tube instead.

The condition meant any friction could cause sores and scars across his skin, his eyelids, the upper esophagus and inside his mouth.

Eventually, it claimed his sight.

With no cure, doctors suggested toddler’s mother to keep him wrapped in bandages to protect his delicate skin.

Tripp Roth had not been outside for a year, and was not expected to live longer than that.

Medical experts say many babies with the condition die after developing infections or from breathing problems after blisters develop in the respiratory tract.

In an earlier interview with ABC News, Courtney Roth proudly said how her son had “astounded” his doctors.

“He is just amazing. I have always said that from the beginning,” Courtney Roth continued.

The mother, too, had her own brave fight: “I have never been sad around him and I try not to cry around him. We’ve made it to where he is in the happiest environment possible. His spirit and personality are what keep me going,” Courtney Roth told the network.

Tripp Roth’s funeral will be held Wednesday at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ponchatoula.

What is Epidermolysis bullosa?

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a severe genetic skin disorder that affects one in 50,000 live births.

Skin is made up of two layers; the outer layer is the epidermis and the inner layer is the dermis. In healthy skin, proteins hold the two layers together so they do not move separately.

In those born with EB, the layers do not have the protein that holds them together. It means that any movement that creates friction between the two layers creates blisters.

Tripp Roth suffered from junctional EB, which affects around one per cent of those with the disease.

He was not expected to live past a year; many babies with the condition die after developing infections or from breathing problems after blisters develop in the respiratory tract.

Blisters can develop anywhere on the skin, and the mouth and eyes are particularly susceptible to the sores. Heat exacerbates the condition.

Some sufferers are born with blisters but others will develop them in the first few weeks of their life.

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Captain Francesco Schettino “had been drinking with a beautiful woman at the ship’s bar before the disaster”

Diane A. Wade
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Captain Francesco Schettino “had been drinking with a beautiful woman at the ship’s bar before the disaster”

Francesco Schettino, the captain of the doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship is quickly becoming Italy’s “most hated man”, with hundreds turning to Facebook to vent their anger against him.

Now, almost 1,000 people have “liked” the Facebook group “Francesco Schettino”comandante” Costa Crociere” to berate him – with many saying he “played with people’s lives”.

Also on Facebook, it emerged that the head of the ship’s restaurant’s sister had posted a comment, before the disaster, saying: “In a short period of time the Concordia ship will pass very close. A big greeting to my brother who finally get to have a holiday on landing in Savona.”

Patrizia Tivoli, sister of restaurant boss Antonello, posted the message at 9:08 p.m. on Friday. A few minutes later, the boat ran aground.

The revelations follow claims that Francesco Schettino had been drinking “with a beautiful woman” at the ship’s bar before he sailed into disaster.

Francesco Schettino, 52, was arrested on suspicion of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship when the cruise liner ran aground after sustaining a 160 ft gash in the port-side hull.

Six people are now confirmed dead and 16 are still missing. The sixth person – a male passenger – was found dead wearing a life vest on the second deck of the ship. That area of the boat was not submerged.

One passenger has accused Captain Francesco Schettino of drinking in one of the ship’s bars on the night the vessel ran aground, before taking control after the crash.

Monique Maurek, 41, from the Netherlands, said: “What scandalized me most was when I saw the captain spending much of the evening before we hit the rocks drinking in the bar with a beautiful woman on his arm.

“Most people didn’t even have any idea of what the evacuation warning sound would be. It was only because some of us had already been on a cruise that we recognized that seven blasts of the horn was a signal to abandon ship.”

Francesco Schettino had been drinking “with a beautiful woman” at the ship's bar before he sailed into disaster
Francesco Schettino had been drinking “with a beautiful woman” at the ship's bar before he sailed into disaster

Phil Metcalf, whose daughter Rose was one of the last people off the ship, said she had revealed the captain allegedly abandoned ship in the early stages of the evacuation, leaving his staff onboard.

He said: “Since the captain had left there was nobody, so everybody was left to their own devices hence some of the chaos, so obviously the crew took it upon themselves and decided in the absence of the captain to organize and try and help people.”

Italian investigators are working on the theory that the $600 million vessel sailed close to the island of Giglio to greet an officer from the Italian merchant navy who was friendly with those on the Concordia.

Reports in Italy said that investigators had identified the man on shore and he would be questioned as part of the inquiry into the incident.

Last August Costa Concordia passed close to the island sounding its whistle – prompting the mayor to send a congratulatory email to the captain for providing such a “spectacle to tourists” and “fantastic entertainment”.

Prosecutors described Francesco Schettino’s handling of the giant craft as “inept” and he was forced to deny additional damaging claims that he left the ship to save himself, had been spotted in the bar and even raided the safe before leaving.

Francesco Schettino told maritime investigators that charts showed he was in water deep enough to navigate and that he had struck an unidentified rocky outcrop of the island.

Once the captain realized the extent of the damage he immediately tried to change route and head for the safety of Giglio harbour.

Yesterday, the chief executive of Italian owner blamed “human error” on the part of Captain Francesco Schettino for the grounding of the vessel.

Costa Crociere chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi told reporters the liner had passed all safety and technical tests in its 2011 evaluation.

Asked about the suggestion that the captain had abandoned ship, senior prosecutor Francesco Verusio said: “Unfortunately, I must confirm that circumstance.”

As an injured crewman and a Korean honeymoon couple were rescued yesterday, 48 hours after the vessel came to grief, it also emerged that:

■ Survivors were left to swim for their lives and shin down rope ladders during a terrifying “Titanic-like” escape. They told how women and children were barged out of the way by crewmen heading for the lifeboats.

■ Fears grew of an environmental disaster amid claims from the scene that fuel has started leaking from the liner.

■ Rescue divers continue to search submerged parts of the ship before bad weather sinks it fully. The death toll rose to six when a man wearing a life vest was found on the ship’s second deck

The crash has shocked all those who enjoy the multi-billion-pound cruise industry and believe they are holidaying in absolute safety.

Costa Concordia cruise ship was sailing little more than 300 yards from the rocky coast of Giglio when it should have been at least ten times that distance.

Captain Francesco Schettino insisted his charts and navigation system show he was in “safe water” and that the rocks he had hit were unmarked – a claim which amazed locals on Giglio who say the dangers were well known.

First Officer Ciro Ambrosio was also arrested and detained with Francesco Schettino at Porto Santo Stefano on the Italian mainland before being transferred to prison.

The Tuscan prosecutor said the ship had struck a reef on its port side causing it to take in an “enormous amount of water in a matter of minutes”. A huge piece of rock remained embedded in the hull.

Italian police are conducting two investigations – one into the route the captain took and one into the evacuation of the ship. The 117,000-ton Costa Concordia smashed into rocks two hours into a seven-day Mediterranean cruise as passengers were enjoying dinner at 9:30 p.m. on Friday.

francesco Schettino, who has worked with Costa Concordia for 11 years, called his mother Rosa in Naples at 5:00 a.m. and said: “There has been a tragedy but keep calm. I tried to save the passengers. I won’t be able to call you for a while but don’t worry.”

Francesco Schettino’ sister Giulia said: “We are keeping calm. Franco is a good captain and he has told the truth.”

There were also reports that Francesco Schettino had been dining with passengers when the accident happened – but the ship’s operating company, Costa Crociere, said he was on the bridge. Last night it was still unclear as to what had caused the stricken ship to capsize. It hit a rocky outlet known as Le Scole, which opened up the port-side hull.

Fifteen minutes after impact, Francesco Schettino gave the order to drop anchor in an attempt to turn the ship around and return as close as possible to Giglio harbour which by now Costa Concordia had passed.

As it carried out the emergency manoeuvre, it sped up the intake of water and led to the ship turning on to its side, finally coming to rest on a rocky shelf. There is also a theory that an electrical fault wiped out the ship’s navigational power and steering control.

Survivors vented their anger at the captain yesterday on a message board at their Rome hotel. It had been set up for therapeutic reasons to allow them to display their feelings and give thanks for their rescue.

Francesco Schettino will be held until next week when a judge will decide whether he should be released or formally arrested. If convicted, he faces a maximum 12 years in jail.

Seven-month-old baby decapitated by Syrian officer in front of his mother

Diane A. Wade
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A seven-month-old boy was decapitated by a Syrian army officer who cracked down on people suspected of sheltering rebels after a group of soldiers stormed into a house, reports say.

According to a soldier from the Syrian army’s 11th Armoured Division, his commanding officer snatched the child from the living room when they found the man they were looking for was out.

The officer then apparently laid the child on the floor, pulled out his army knife and decapitated the little boy in front of his horrified mother.

According to The Sunday Times, the officer then hung the child’s head above the front door and screamed that he would do the same to another child unless the man gave up.

The incident allegedly took place last week in the north-west town of Jisr al-Shughur during a heavy security operation.

Mohammed, a 22-year-old soldier, told The Sunday Times: “That was when I decided to defect. I’ll have to live with that memory for ever.

“We did things I never want to remember.”

There is mounting evidence that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have been deliberately targeting children in a bid to crush unrest.

The UN, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also said there are concerns of war crimes and torture being carried out on children.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that the “old order” of one-man rule and family dynasties was over in the Middle East.

Ban Ki-moon urged President Bashar al-Assad to halt the bloodshed and said revolutions during the Arab Spring showed that people would no longer accept tyranny.

An estimated 5,000 people have been killed during the brutal crackdown on 10 months of unrest, with an estimated 400 dead in the last three weeks alone.

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