Friday, December 19, 2025
Newsletter
Home Blog Page 1180

Flag ceremony in Baghdad brings US operations in Iraq to a formal end

Roy Siemens
-
0
Flag ceremony in Baghdad brings US operations in Iraq to a formal end

The American flag has been lowered in Baghdad, bringing nearly nine years of US military operations in Iraq to a formal end.

Leon Panetta, the US Defence Secretary, told troops the mission had been worth the cost in blood and dollars.

Leon Panetta said the years of war in Iraq had yielded to an era of opportunity in which the US was a committed partner.

Only about 4,000 US soldiers now remain in Iraq, but they are due to leave in the next two weeks.

At the peak of the operation, US forces there numbered 170,000.

The American flag has been lowered in Baghdad, bringing nearly nine years of US military operations in Iraq to a formal end
The American flag has been lowered in Baghdad, bringing nearly nine years of US military operations in Iraq to a formal end (photo Getty Images)

The symbolic ceremony in Baghdad officially “cased” (retired) the US forces flag, according to army tradition.

It will now be taken back to the USA.

Leon Panetta told US soldiers they could leave Iraq with great pride.

“After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real,” he said.

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said Iraqis were glad the US troops were leaving.

“They have been difficult years,” he told the BBC.

“We have had some successes together. We had some failures. We have some mishaps.

“I think we are all happy that the American soldiers are returning home safely to their families and we are also confident that the Iraqi people and their armed forces, police, are in a position now to take care of their own security.”

Some 4,500 US soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis have died in the war.

The conflict, launched by the Bush administration in March 2003, soon became hugely unpopular as claims that Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction and supporting al-Qaeda militants turned out to be untrue.

Iraq war has cost the US some $1trillion.

Republicans have criticized the pullout citing concerns over Iraq’s stability, but a recent poll by the Pew Research Centre found that 75% of Americans backed the troop withdrawal.

President Barack Obama, who came to office pledging to bring troops home, said on Wednesday that the US left behind a “sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq”.

In a speech in North Carolina to troops who have just returned, Barack Obama hailed the “extraordinary achievement” of the military and said they were leaving with “heads held high”.

“Everything that American troops have done in Iraq, all the fighting and dying, bleeding and building, training and partnering, has led us to this moment of success,” President Obama said.

“The war in Iraq will soon belong to history, and your service belongs to the ages.”

Barack Obama said the war had been “a source of great controversy” but that they had helped to build “a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people”.

He announced in October that all US troops would leave Iraq by the end of 2011, a date previously agreed by former President George W. Bush in 2008.

Some 1.5 million Americans have served in Iraq since the US invasion in 2003. In addition to those who died, nearly 30,000 have been wounded.

Troop numbers peaked during the height of the so-called surge strategy in 2007, but the last combat troops left Iraq in August last year.

A small contingent of some 200 soldiers will remain in Iraq as advisers, while some 15,000 US personnel are now based at the US embassy in Baghdad – by far the world’s largest.

Some Iraqis have said they fear the consequences of being left to manage their own security.

Baghdad trader Malik Abed said he was grateful to the Americans for ridding Iraq of Saddam Hussein, but added: “I think now we are going to be in trouble. Maybe the terrorists will start attacking us again.”

But in the city of Falluja, a former insurgent stronghold which was the scene of major US offensives in 2004, people burned US flags on Wednesday in celebration at the withdrawal.

“No-one trusted their promises, but they said when they came to Iraq they would bring security, stability and would build our country,” Ahmed Aied, a grocer, told Reuters news agency.

“Now they are walking out, leaving behind killings, ruin and mess.”

Concerns have also been voiced in Washington that Iraq lacks robust political structures or an ability to defend its borders.

There are also fears that Iraq could be plunged back into sectarian bloodletting, or be unduly influenced by Iran.

[youtube kFdyZFNqpI4]

Jacques Chirac found guilty of corruption and received 2 years suspended prison sentence

James J. Williams
-
0
Jacques Chirac found guilty of corruption and received 2 years suspended prison sentence

The former French President Jacques Chirac has been given by a court a two-year suspended prison sentence for diverting public funds and abusing public trust.

Jacques Chirac, 79, was not in court to hear the verdict because of ill-health but denied wrongdoing.

President from 1995 to 2007, he was put on trial on charges that dated back to his time as mayor of Paris.

Jacques Chirac was accused of paying members of his Rally for the Republic (RPR) party for municipal jobs that did not exist.

The former French President Jacques Chirac has been given by a court a two-year suspended prison sentence for diverting public funds and abusing public trust
The former French President Jacques Chirac has been given by a court a two-year suspended prison sentence for diverting public funds and abusing public trust

The prosecution had urged the judge to acquit Jacques Chirac and nine others accused in the trial. Two of the nine were cleared. The other seven were found guilty and all but one handed suspended prison sentences.

Jean de Gaulle, grandson of former President Charles de Gaulle, was handed a three-month suspended term while former union leader Marc Blondel, 73, was convicted but escaped a sentence.

In 2004, during his presidency, several figures including France’s current Foreign Minister Alain Juppe were convicted in connection with the case.

Alain Juppe was given a 14-month suspended sentence.

Jacques Chirac, mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995, is the first former French head of state to be convicted since Marshal Philippe Petain, the leader of the wartime Vichy regime, was found guilty in 1945 of collaborating with the Nazis.

The verdict would come as a surprise to the French public because the prosecution said it had not been proven that Jacques Chirac had known of individual cases of fake jobs.

The case was divided into two parts: the first count involved embezzlement and breach of trust in relation to 21 bogus jobs; the second related to a charge of illegal conflict of interest concerning seven jobs.

Jacques Chirac was found guilty of both.

The former president, who had legal immunity during his time as head of state, faced a potential 10 years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros for the employment of more than 20 bogus officials.

“Jacques Chirac has breached the duty of probity required for public officials, to the detriment of the public interest of Parisians,” said tribunal judge, Dominique Pauthe.

Although Jacques Chirac himself was not in court, his adopted daughter Anh Dao Traxel was present to hear the verdict which she described as “too, too severe for him” and a great source of pain.

“As a family, we should all absolutely support him… for his health for the rest of his life,” Anh Dao Traxel said in an emotional statement outside the court.

The former president’s doctors say Jacques Chirac has irreversible neurological problems which cause memory lapses. His legal team will now consider whether to appeal against the conviction.

“For those expecting the case to be thrown out or at least no penalty, the ruling may appear disappointing,” said one of Jacques Chirac’s lawyers, Georges Kiejman.

“I hope this judgement won’t change at all the profound affection that the French people still have towards Jacques Chirac.”

There was little sympathy from some quarters.

“I call on Mr. Chirac to accept the consequences of his conviction and indeed resign from the Constitutional Council,” said Green presidential candidate Eva Joly, referring to his role in France’s highest authority for constitutional issues.

His rival for the presidency in 2002, former National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, described the verdict as “a ray of sunshine in the black sky of scandals”.

For Michel Roussin, former director of Jacques Chirac’s cabinet who was found not guilty by the court of abuse of trust, the ex-president had “assumed his political responsibility”.

After 17 years of “incessant battles”, he said he was relieved the case was over.

US Air Force soldiers “play dead” in an open casket

Diane A. Wade
-
0
US Air Force soldiers “play dead” in an open casket

The United States Air Force has launched an internal investigation after a disturbing image of 15 soldiers posing with one of them chained up in an open casket with a noose around his neck surfaced online.

The picture is dated August 23 and appeared on Facebook in early October, with the caption: “Da Dumpt, Da Dumpt… Sucks 2 Be U” scribbled on the bottom.

The image was published in the Air Force Times this week and has sparked outrage from soldiers and military wives and widows, appalled by the display.

The picture shows the group of male and female soldiers wearing fatigues crossing their arms to make “X” signs as they gather around a fellow airman who appears lifeless lying in a metal casket used to transport fallen soldiers.

The picture is dated August 23 and appeared on Facebook in early October
The picture is dated August 23 and appeared on Facebook in early October

Air Force Times reports a former soldier who saw the photo on the social networking website forwarded it to friends, including Staff Sergeant Elias Bonilla of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Sergeant Elias Bonilla emailed the photo to Air Force Times with a note reading: “I cannot help but picture the faces of my dead [soldiers] that we drug out of burning vehicles, dug out from collapsed buildings.”

The soldiers’ names have not yet been released. However, it is believed they are “Port Dogs” who load planes, who were attending Air Transportation technical school.

Military officials said today they are from the 345th Training Squadron in Fort Lee, Virginia. Their unit is a detachment from a command at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

Air Force Times reported an investigation was launched after it forwarded the photo to Air Education and Training Command, the overall training command for the Air Force, for comment.

Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told the newspaper: “We take this matter seriously. [Air Education and Training Command] has initiated a commander directed investigation.

“Such behavior is not consistent with our core values, and it is not representative of the Airmen I know. It saddens me that this may cause additional grief to the families of our fallen warriors.”

David E. Smith, spokesman for the training command, told Air Force Times that the commander of the 37th Training Group at Lackland, Colonel Gregory Reese, was “obviously displeased”.

However, it was not known at press time if any charges could be brought against the soldiers, or if any rules had been violated.

The intent of the photo had not been determined at press time.

But Air Force officers and military families have made clear its message was shockingly offensive, and are calling for the troops’ dismissals.

Air Force police officer Mike Hayes, commenting on the story, wrote: “All these NCOs and Airman should be prosecuted and dismissed from the military. This is disgraceful and disrespectful to all the men.”

The investigation is expected to be completed in one to two weeks.

The shocking display comes a month after the Washington Post reported the Air Force’s mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, had lost and mishandled the remains of hundreds of dead troops, sending them to for burial in a landfill in Virginia.

CNN reports a congressional panel investigating the actions of the Dover Air Force Base Mortuary will meet for the first time next week.

Steven Phillips, a wrongfully convicted man who spent 25 years in jail, faces losing $4M compensation to his ex-wife

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Steven Phillips, a wrongfully convicted man who spent 25 years in jail, faces losing $4M compensation to his ex-wife

Steven Phillips, a man who spent 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, faces losing his $4 million compensation to his ex-wife.

Steven Phillips, 51, faces a court battle to keep hold of the money he was awarded for his wrongful conviction.

The man was released from a life sentence for rape in 2008 after DNA proved he could not have been the attacker.

Now, Steven Phillips’ ex-wife, Traci Tucker, who divorced him three years into his life sentence, has taken him to court in a bid to get a share of the $4 million compensation.

Steven Phillips, a man who spent 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, faces losing his $4 million compensation to his ex-wife
Steven Phillips, a man who spent 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, faces losing his $4 million compensation to his ex-wife

Traci Tucker claims he owes her money that she would have been entitled to had they divorced and shared their assets.

But Steven Phillips said Traci Tucker has been with another man for over 20 years and has had nothing to do with her.

Steven Phillips’ lawyer, Tim McKenzie, described Traci Tucker’s claim as more “like winning the lottery 20 years after a divorce”.

“The overall issue is when people come into money, everybody comes out of the walls,” Tim McKenzie said.

Steven Phillips said his ex wife rarely visited him in prison and stopped coming altogether after three years.

Steven Phillips and Traci Tucker were divorced in 1991.

Lawyers said Traci Tucker, who has a son with her ex-husband, is attempting to make legal history by going after the compensation paid to a wrongfully convicted person.

Steven Phillips, a roofer, was jailed in 1982 for a two day crime spree involving several sexual assaults.

Investigators later found the DNA matched that of Sidney Alvin Goodyear, who went out to carry a series of further attacks. Sidney Alvin Goodyear had died by the time Steven Phillips was freed.

Former kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart spoke publicly for the first time about her ordeal

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Former kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart spoke publicly for the first time about her ordeal

Elizabeth Smart, a 24-year-old woman from Salt Lake City, Utah, who was snatched from her bedroom almost 10 years ago, revealed for the first time to an audience some of the horrific details about her ordeal last night.

Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City, when she was 14 years old. She cried as she told members of a Rotary Club about the night Brian David Mitchell took her at knifepoint.

It was the first time Elizabeth Smart, now 24, has spoken in public about the graphic details of her nine months in captivity at the hands of Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee.

“I kept begging him to let me go – and he wouldn’t listen to me,” Elizabeth Smart told ABC.

“All I could do was scream <<No>>. He said, <<If you ever scream like that again, I will kill you.>>”

Elizabeth Smart, now 24, has spoken in public about the graphic details of her nine months in captivity at the hands of Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee
Elizabeth Smart, now 24, has spoken in public about the graphic details of her nine months in captivity at the hands of Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee

Although Elizabeth Smart has published a book on her terrifying ordeal and spoken at the trial of Brian David Mitchell last year, this is the first time she has been heard recounting the terrible details.

Elizabeth Smart had been invited to speak to members of the Salt Lake City Rotary Club to help promote her charity the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. It works in schools across the country with a programme radKIDS to educate children on how to protect themselves from danger.

She was taken from her room in 2002 while her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine, pretended to be asleep but watched from her bed.

Brian David Mitchell, a homeless, religious fanatic, dragged Elizabeth Smart from her home to a camp in the woods he had set up with Wanda Barzee.

The man then performed a short wedding ceremony with the girl before raping her.

Elizabeth Smart added: “He went straight from marrying me to raping me. And after that moment I couldn’t feel more worthless and more degraded. It was the worse feeling I could have ever felt.”

Elizabeth Smart, who studies at Brigham Young University recalled being tied down with a cable on her first night and the deep sense of hopelessness that surrounded her.

The girl was held captive for nine months during which time she was raped daily by Brian David Mitchell, sometimes up to three or four times.

Elizabeth Smart had testified at Brian David Mitchell’s trial in 2010 in excruciating detail about waking up in the early hours of June 5, 2002, to the feel of a cold, jagged knife at her throat and being whisked away by the man.

Within hours of the kidnapping, Elizabeth Smart testified, she was stripped of her favorite red pajamas, draped in white, religious robes and forced into a polygamous marriage with Brian David Mitchell.

The girl was tethered to a metal cable strung between two trees and subjected to near-daily rapes while being forced to use alcohol and drugs.

Elizabeth Smart described the horrific events as her “nine months of hell”.

She recalled being forced to live homeless, dress in disguises and stay quiet or lie about her identity if ever approached by strangers or police.

Daily, her life and those of her family members were threatened by Brian David Mitchell, Elizabeth Smart said at the trial.

Elizabeth Smart was eventually spotted by chance on March 12, 2003 in a Salt Lake City suburb after a stranger recognized Brian David Mitchell from an episode of America’s Most Wanted.

Brian David Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison in May with the help of Elizabeth Smart’s compelling testimony.

Wanda Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in a Texas federal prison hospital for her role in the kidnapping of the girl.

[youtube Ppm5dM1lrNU]

[youtube v73bAGfZmqQ]

Liege gunman, Nordine Amrani, had a haul of guns and a cannabis shed inside his home

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Liege gunman, Nordine Amrani, had a haul of guns and a cannabis shed inside his home

Belgian police revealed that a real arsenal was uncovered during a raid of Liege killer Nordine Amrani’s home during October 2007, which includes two rocket launchers, hunting rifle and several other powerful rifles, ammunition, and what appears to be a flak jacket.

Nordine Amrani, 32, who on Tuesday murdered 5 people and wounded 125 others, also used his home in the city of Liege as a cannabis factory, with police finding more than 2,800 plants during the raid.

Wednesday, Nordine Amrani’s lawyer said he carried out the attack because he feared being sent to back to prison for a sex crime.

The gunman, a convicted criminal, who was due to marry his long-term girlfriend, used grenades and a semi-automatic rifle to cause carnage in the Belgian city before turning a revolver on himself.

Among his victims was a 45-year-old cleaning lady whom he shot dead near his home on Tuesday morning, as well as a 17-month old baby boy.

Defense lawyer Jean-Francois Dister said Nordine Amrani, a Belgian from a Moroccan background, was on parole and was due to answer a summons about allegedly “sexually molesting” a young woman.

Nordine Amrani is thought to have attacked the unnamed victim after driving alongside her in his van. Its number plate was captured by CCTV.

One of Nordine Amrani’s numerous previous convictions was for rape, for which he had been given a two-year suspended sentence in 2003.

If convicted again for a sex crime, he would have had to serve it.

This would have also meant his girlfriend, a nurse called Perrin Balon, finding out about the sex allegations against him.

Nordine Amrani, 32, who on Tuesday murdered 5 people and wounded 125 others, also used his home in the city of Liege as a cannabis factory, with police finding more than 2,800 plants during the raid
Nordine Amrani, 32, who on Tuesday murdered 5 people and wounded 125 others, also used his home in the city of Liege as a cannabis factory, with police finding more than 2,800 plants during the raid

“He feared being returned to prison,” said Jean-Francois Dister.

“He called me twice on Monday afternoon and on Tuesday morning about it.

“What worried him most was to be jailed again. According to my client it was a set-up by people who wanted to harm him. Mr. Amrani had a grudge against the law.

“He thought he had been wrongfully convicted.”

After Tuesday’s attack, the bag Nordine Amrani used to carry his haul of weapons was found to still contain several loaded magazines, as well as a number of live grenades.

An enquiry has been launched into why he had not been under closer supervision while on bail after early release from a sentence of nearly five years.

Nordine Amrani’s weapons were confiscated because of his other criminal offences, yet he managed to obtain a FAL Belgian assault rifle, grenades and other weapons soon after his release in October 2010.

Belgian’s notoriously liberal criminal justice system is already facing questions as to why, in October 2010, the killer had been released from prison three years early after being convicted of firearms and drug offences.

In 2008, Nordine Amrani had been found guilty of keeping 10 complete firearms, and an astonishing 9,500 gun parts in his flat, along with 2,800 cannabis plants nearby.

On Tuesday morning, Nardine Amrani is thought to have tried to rape the woman cleaner in his flat, where police had found an arsenal of weapons including a rocket launcher, AK47 and Kalashnikov.

Police said he killed her “with a bullet to her head” and then dumped her body in a lock-up shed where he was growing cannabis plants.

Nordine Amrani then left money for Perrin Balon, with a note that said: “Good luck! I love you.”

A police source said: “The cleaner had been working in a neighbour’s home. It appears that Amrani had invited her into his own flat to discuss the possibility of cleaning his flat.

“There were signs of a struggle, and it may be that Amrani had tried to rape her.

“Whatever happened, she was undoubtedly his first murder victim on Tuesday morning.”

Cedric Visart Bocarme, the Belgian Attorney General, confirmed that the woman “would have been murdered by the killer just before he went to Place Saint-Lambert”.

The attack brought horror to Liege, the Belgium’s fifth largest city, with crowds of shoppers, many of them children, screaming and running in panic as grenades exploded and shots rang out.

Today, a small crowd gathered at the Place Saint-Lambert for a minute’s silence at 12noon, 24 hours after the shooting.

Abdelhadi Amrani, another lawyer who worked for the killer but is not related, said he had grown up in foster homes after being orphaned as a child.

“I remember a man deeply marked by the loss of his parents,” she said.

“He lost his father and mother very early. He was marked by fate.

“I would add he was a very smart boy, gifted.

“Nordine often spoke of his desire to start a family. He was to be married to a nurse in Liege.”

Commenting on Nordine Amrani’s background, Abdelhadi Amrani said: “He did not feel at all Moroccan. He did not speak a word of Arabic, and was not Muslim. What he said is that he felt like a Belgian.

“He was crazy about weapons, but as a collector.

“He felt he had not had much luck in life and felt unfairly treated by the courts.

“This was the fed-up cry of a tormented soul – he was estranged from justice, and against society.”

Nordine Amrani had been due to attend a police interview on Tuesday morning but never showed up.

Instead he left his apartment armed with a Belgian-made FN- FAL automatic rifle, a handgun and up to a dozen grenades carried in a backpack.

Nordine Amrani drove the five-minute journey from his 1930s apartment building the Residence Belvedere and parked his white van in Place St Lambert.

He walked on to a raised walkway above a bus stop where lunchtime shoppers were thronging for the opening of a Christmas market.

From his 15ft high vantage point he lobbed three hand grenades towards a busy bus shelter before opening fire on the crowd. A 15-year-old boy died instantly while the baby of 17 months and a 17-year-old boy succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Five people are still fighting for their lives, including a 75-year old woman who was initially declared dead on arrival at hospital.

[youtube rzDzZaBUnvc]

Bikini Blonde vs Water Sphere

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Bikini Blonde vs Water Sphere

In a video posted on You Tube a bikini blonde is captured zipped up in a water sphere ready to walk onto the sea.

The woman starts off well managing the few steps off the beach and into the water in the giant ball.

But within six seconds into the clip, the bikini blonde loses her balance – and from that point on things go amusingly down hill.

Unsympathetic onlookers openly laugh at her hilarious attempts to regain her balance by jumping and rolling around.

For two minutes the woman can be seen flapping about in the water sphere and even appears to head butt the soft side of the bubble, desperate to get back on her feet
For two minutes the woman can be seen flapping about in the water sphere and even appears to head butt the soft side of the bubble, desperate to get back on her feet

For two minutes the woman can be seen flapping about in the water sphere and even appears to head butt the soft side of the bubble, desperate to get back on her feet.

Clearly exhausted, she takes a breather and appears to give up before an attendant comes to her aid.

Even with a helping hand, she fails – horribly – to get back on her feet returning to her strategy of jumping and head butting the wall.

Eventually the blonde woman collapses in the bubble, finally admitting defeat.

It is not known who the blonde in the hilarious video is or where it was filmed.

The video has been posted onto several websites including You Tube, Reddit and Haha Clips, where it has received over 50,000 hits.

[youtube kSRpSq1hxhQ]

Google reveals 2011 top 10 searches in UK

Nancy Clayson
-
0

Google reveals its annual zeitgeist – the people, places and things that are clicking the most with UK internet users in 2011.

Top of the most-searched celebrities is US reality star Kim Kardashian, whose profile was boosted further this year after marrying and then divorcing basketball player Kris Humphries in just three months.

Next behind her was Victoria Beckham, who gave birth to her and husband David’s first daughter, Harper Seven, in July, followed by Harry Potter actress Emma Watson in third.

Amy Winehouse, who died earlier this year in tragic circumstances, comes in fifth.

Ricky Gervais, undoubtedly buoyed by his notorious appearance as MC for the Golden Globes, was the only male to make into the top ten.

Google also revealed the year’s fastest-rising searches which was topped by a country mile by the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who also featured in the top ten fasting-rising people section.

Another American reality TV star, the late Ryan Dunn of Jackass fame, was the fastest-rising person ahead of singer Adele, while Breaking Dawn leads the fastest-rising movies list.

X Factor hit number 1 in the TV shows chart.

CELEBRITIES

1. Kim Kardashian

2. Victoria Beckham

3. Emma Watson

4. Scarlett Johansson

5. Jennifer Aniston

6. Britney Spears

7. Megan Fox

8. Ricky Gervais

9. Jessica Jane

10. Angelina Jolie

FASTEST-RISING SEARCHES

1. Royal wedding

2. iPhone 5

3. Fifa 12

4. Groupon

5. iPad 2

6. Ryan Dunn

7. Adele

8. Minecraft

9. Rebecca Black

10. Ed Sheeran

PEOPLE (FASTEST-RISING)

1. Ryan Dunn

2. Adele

3. Rebecca Black

4. Ed Sheeran

5. Amy Winehouse

6. Charlie Sheen

7. Steve Jobs

8. Kate Middleton

9. Nicki Minaj

10. Darren Criss

TV SHOWS (FASTEST-RISING)

1. X Factor 2011

2. Apprentice 2011

3. X Factor USA

4. NCIS season 9

5. House season 8

6. Glee season 3

7. Thundercats 2011

8. Big Brother 13

9. Supernatural season 7

10. Smallville season 10

There is also a list of the most popular “what is…” searches, in which AV – the Alternative Vote – clearly baffled electors the most. This was followed, bizarrely, by scampi, piles and truffles.

Also revealed are the fastest rising travel destinations, sports terms, news, food and drink, music and top TV searches.

The Google zeitgeist list – meaning spirit of the times – is compiled from the searches through Google each year. Individual searchers are not identified.

SPORTS (FASTEST RISING)

1. Haye vs Klitschko

2. Olympic tickets 2012

3. Arsenal transfer

4. Six Nations 2011

5. Wimbledon 2011

6. Grand National 2011

7. Wrestlemania 27

8. Copa America 2011

9. Randy Savage

10. Dan Wheldon

TRAVEL (TOP DESTINATIONS)

1. Las Vegas

2. New York

3. Disneyland Paris

4. Jamaica

5. Orlando

6. Barbados

7. Hawaii

8. Caribbean

9. Florida

10. Cuba

“WHAT IS…” (TOP SEARCHES)

1. AV

2. Scampi

3. Truffles

4. Piles

5. 4d

6. Cookies

7. Copyright

8. Zumba

9. iCloud

10. Probate

“HOW TO…” (TOP SEARCHES)

1. Revise

2. Snog

3. Reference

4. Wallpaper

5. Draw

6. Sleep

7. Flirt

8. Geek

9. Pronounce

10. Shuffle

MOVIES (FASTEST-RISING)

1. Breaking Dawn

2. Final Destination 5

3. Mean Girls 2

4. True Grit

5. Conan the Barbarian

6. Scream 4

7. The Inbetweeners

8. Little Fockers

9. Transformers 3

10. Unstoppable

PETS

1. Cavapoo (dog)

2. Cavachon (dog)

3. Cockapoo

4. Tibetan mastiff

5. Pomeranian

6. Bearded dragon (lizard)

7. French bulldog

8. Dog de Bordeaux

9. Savannah cat

10. Shih tzu

Eve Carson’s trial: the student asked her attackers to pray with her before she was murdered

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Eve Carson’s trial: the student asked her attackers to pray with her before she was murdered

A startling court testimony during the trial of Eve Carson, the University of North Carolina student president brutally murdered by two thugs in 2008, has revealed she pleaded for her life and even asked them to pray with her.

Eve Carson from Athens, Georgia, aged 22 at that moment, was kidnapped as she left the library on March 5, 2008 and forced to take out money from an ATM before she was shot five times.

Jayson McNeil, of Durham, an acquaintance of the two men accused of killing Eve Carson, said in court yesterday that he was told what happened.

He said he was called by Laurance Lovette Jr., shortly after the arrest of his alleged cohort, Demario Atwater, who has already pleaded guilty in the killing.

Laurence Lovette Jr., 20, of Durham, has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, robbing and murdering Eve Carson.

Jayson McNeil testified that Eve Carson was walking to her car in the early morning hours of that night when the attackers “rushed” her.

The attackers then stuffed her in the back seat of her car and took a terrifying trip to an ATM to withdraw $700, the daily limit.

Jayson McNeil said in court that from the beginning of the ordeal, she begged her attackers not to kill her.

“Before she even got shot, she was saying let’s pray together.”

But despite her pleas, Eve Carson was shot four times with a .25 calibre pistol.

Then came a blast from a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun to her right temple, leaving a large gaping wound to her head and the hand she used to try and shield herself from the shot.

Eve Carson from Athens, Georgia, aged 22 at that moment, was kidnapped as she left the library on March 5, 2008 and forced to take out money from an ATM before she was shot five times
Eve Carson from Athens, Georgia, aged 22 at that moment, was kidnapped as she left the library on March 5, 2008 and forced to take out money from an ATM before she was shot five times

During his opening statements at the trial, Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said the final shot was “instantly fatal”.

Eve Carson’s body was left where she fell, in the middle of a residential street near the university.

After the murder, the two attackers allegedly continued to return to ATMS, withdrawing the $700 from her account each time.

Eve Carson was the university’s popular student body president and a recipient of the highly regarded Morehead scholarship.

Demario Atwater pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to two life prison terms
Demario Atwater pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to two life prison terms

The North Carolina News & Observer reported that Jayson McNeil was a crack dealer at the time and was known in the area for having easy access to cars.

He is testifying against Laurence Lovette in exchange for a lighter sentence in a federal drug case.

Demario Atwater pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to two life prison terms.

Laurence Lovette will not face the death penalty if convicted because he was a minor at the time of the shooting. He could face life in prison.

Laurence Lovette will not face the death penalty if convicted because he was a minor at the time of the shooting
Laurence Lovette will not face the death penalty if convicted because he was a minor at the time of the shooting

Jurors winced last week as they were shown crime-scene photos of Eve Carson’s bloody body, which was discovered by a Chapel Hill police officer who responded to a 911 call reporting the sound of gunshots and a woman’s scream shortly after 5:00 a.m.

Shell casings lay on the asphalt near the body. Eve Carson wore a gold locket around her neck.

On her left wrist, she was wearing a paper bracelet she got earlier in the week at a Tar Heel basketball game, emblazoned with the phrase “Be True”.

Laurence Lovette’s DNA was found on the inside door of Eve Carson’s Toyota, according to the prosecutor.

Jim Woodall said Demario Atwater’s girlfriend will testify to the jury she was with Laurence Lovette as he disposed of pieces from the small-calibre handgun he used to shoot Eve Carson in the cheek, arm, shoulder and buttocks.

Parts of that gun, including the barrel, were later recovered and matched to two bullets pulled from Eve Carson’s body.

A man was also captured on surveillance footage using Eve Carson’s card at an ATM. Jim Woodall said the clothes and distinctive hairstyle of the man in the video will identify him as Laurence Lovette.

In her opening statement, defense lawyer Karen Bethea-Shields conceded that Laurence Lovette knew Demario Atwater and that the prosecution will have evidence connecting her client to Eve Carson’s car.

But she denied Laurence Lovette was with Demario Atwater when he shot Eve Carson with the shotgun. Many of the witnesses for the prosecution will have criminal records and motives to lie, she said.

“There’s no forensic evidence to connect Lawrence Lovette to the killing of Eve Carson,” Karen Bethea-Shields said.

She predicted to the jury that the prosecution’s case will leave them with more questions than answers, which she said will add up to reasonable doubt.

Anorexia nervosa: most important things to know

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder and a serious mental health condition.

People with anorexia have problems with eating, meaning they are very anxious about their weight and keep it as low as possible by strictly controlling and limiting what they eat.

Many people will also exercise excessively to lose weight.

Some people will also binge eat, i.e. they eat a lot of food in a short space of time, they then try to get rid of the food from their body by vomiting or using laxatives.

Symptoms usually begin gradually, such as adopting a restrictive diet and often spiral out of control quickly.

Anorexia nervosa is the leading cause of mental health-related deaths.

Most cases of anorexia develop in girls and women usually during the teenage years. Anorexia also affects 1 in every 2,000 men.

The cause of anorexia nervosa is unknown, but most experts believe the condition results from a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.

Around 20-30% of people with anorexia do not respond to treatment, and around 5% will die from complications caused by malnutrition.

Ultimo: Miracle Shapewear Allows Fuller-Chested Women to Wear Backless Dresses

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Ultimo: Miracle Shapewear Allows Fuller-Chested Women to Wear Backless Dresses

How to wear a backless dress is always a party season dilemma that fuller-chested women are all too familiar with.

Now, a new “miracle” bodysuit has been launched to allow women to wear backless dresses with confidence whatever their bra size.

The bodysuit has a corset-style front to provide maximum support, but is cut low everywhere else, leaving the back exposed.

The suit’s makers claim the front provides just as much support as an ordinary bra – while ensuring that no straps make an embarrassing appearance at the back.

“Miracle” bodysuit allows women to wear backless dresses with confidence whatever their bra size
“Miracle” bodysuit allows women to wear backless dresses with confidence whatever their bra size

 

The underwear brand Ultimo said the suit also “transforms the silhouette” by controlling the tummy and smoothing the hips, at the same time as boosting and shaping the bust.

The £42 ($65) suits will be available in cup sizes A to G – catering for even the most voluptuous.

The bodysuit has a corset-style front to provide maximum support, but is cut low everywhere else, leaving the back exposed
The bodysuit has a corset-style front to provide maximum support, but is cut low everywhere else, leaving the back exposed

Celebrities have led the trend for backless dresses this year, with both Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole recently spotted on the red carpet in backless styles.

But they can be among the most difficult styles to wear for all but the thinnest women because they are difficult to combine with underwear.

“Fuller-chested women tend to stay away from backless styles because they feel apprehensive about going without a bra,” said Michelle Mone OBE, founder of Ultimo.

“Miracle shapewear has been engineered to change that by providing all the support of a bra yet leaving the back exposed.

“This will allow women to feel much more confident stepping out in styles they may have previously avoided.

“Backless styles are very much in vogue this party season.

“We hope that we can help take a lot of the hassle out of party dress shopping for women by giving them all the secret support they need for their perfect dress.”

The body suits are part of a range of 12 “Miracle Shapewear” inventions released by the British underwear brand designed to combat love handles, muffin tops and bulging tummies.

Ultimo has also come up with a new “frontless” bodysuit for dresses cut low at the front.

This features a gap between the cups – which are held together by an invisible strap – to ensure that no bra fabric is visible when wearing a cleavage-revealing dress.

The styles will be available in UK in Debenhams from today and can also be purchased on the Ultimo website.

Clothing that controls the body shape first appeared in the US, becoming popular with the Spanx pants launched in 2000.

It has since spread to the UK, where a recent survey by market researchers Mintel showed that one in ten British women has worn “shapewear” to improve their figure.

British stores like Asda and Marks and Spencer have been quick to cash in on the trend, and have even launched ranges of aimed at men.

 

India: at least 48 people died and 100 hospitalized after consuming toxic alcohol

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0

Indian police say at least 48 people have died after consuming toxic alcohol in country’s West Bengal state.

Several residents of the Magrahat, Usthi and Mandirbazar areas in South 24 Parganas district fell ill after drinking the alcohol on Tuesday night.

Four people have been arrested.

Some 100 others are being treated in hospital in the Diamond Harbour area, with fears the death toll could rise.

Toxic alcohol deaths are a regular occurrence in India.

Last week, the state of Gujarat brought in a new law making the illegal manufacture and sale of toxic alcohol there punishable by death.

About 70 people are in a critical condition, said state government minister Shyamal Mandal.

“More and more people are turning up with symptoms of liquor poisoning and one local hospital is now overcrowded,” district administrator NS Nigam told the AFP news agency.

Some of the critically ill had been transferred to Calcutta, Shyamal Mandal said.

Medicine and doctors were being rushed to the Diamond Harbour hospital.

Four breweries were ransacked after the deaths began to be reported, AFP quoted officials as saying.

Illegal alcohol – commonly called desi daroo or country-made liquor in India – usually costs as little as 10 rupees (20 US cents) and the majority of the consumers are poor, daily-wage workers.

The liquor is usually spiked with methyl alcohol and industrial spirits which can lead to fits, vomiting and death.

India has witnessed many incidents of toxic alcohol deaths.

• At least 10 people killed in Tamil Nadu in February 2010

• At least 30 people killed in Uttar Pradesh in September 2009

• Some 107 people killed in Gujarat in July 2009

Gujarat has taken the strongest action on toxic liquor with its new law, which it says is intended to deter those involved in the illegal trade.

Gujarat is the only state in India where alcohol is totally prohibited by law.

Who uses daily lenses

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Who uses daily lenses

What you should know about daily contact lenses

Contact lenses have become an everyday convenience for a lot of people in modern life. For those with impaired eyesight, there aren’t a great many options: the traditional glasses, innovative contact lenses and now the even more radical alternative, laser eye surgery. Lenses are certainly the most flexible and affordable option, and almost anyone can use them. Yet there are also several different types of cheap contact lenses to choose from. These are distinguished by the length of time for which they can be worn: dailies, weeklies, fortnightlies and monthlies. Each duration of lenses is slightly different, but the most comfortable and easy to wear type is the daily contact lens.

Daily contact lenses
Daily contact lenses

Daily contact lenses are perfect for people who are on the go

Daily lenses are great for people who don’t want to wear their lenses all the time, every day – for example if your eyesight is only slightly bad, or if you like to wear your glasses some of the time. Daily lenses are very thin and easy to insert and remove, and you can just throw them away after every use without having to worry about keeping them safe and well-preserved. They are perfect for people who are on the go and don’t have time to carefully put away their lenses at the end of the day. They are also some of the safest lenses because they are so thin  if they do break in your eye or you happen to wear them accidentally overnight whilst you sleep, they are unlikely to do any serious damage.

Daily contact lenses are great for people on the go who want to wear contact lenses on an occasional basis. They are also relatively cheap, and work out very cost effective if bought in bulk and worn every now and again. For more frequent use, fortnightly or monthly lenses are probably a better option. Be sure to choose the best type of contact lens for your particular situation and needs.

How to spot a liar: the 4 most common ways to tell if someone is lying

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0

Marc Salem, a body-language expert has released a list of the four most common ways to tell if someone is lying, with some slightly obvious answers.

In addition to a steady gaze or displays of inconsistent behavior, the other two give-away’s are shown through your smile- or lack thereof.

Marc Salem, the Men’s Health non-verbal behavior expert, says that by covering your mouth while talking or coughing an inordinate amount for a healthy person both may be ways to cover more than just your smile.

If someone tries to hide his mouth, it may be an inadvertent telling that he is hiding the truth.

On the other end of the spectrum, if someone smiles too quickly or does so under unusual circumstances, they may be trying to cover up bad behavior.

Marc Salem said in his article: “A genuine smile changes a person’s whole face.”

“Their eyes light up, and their cheeks and eyebrows rise along with the corners of their mouth.”

“A fake smile appears in an instant, and disappears just as quickly.”

A common theme throughout is that any changes in someone’s typical behavior should serve as a warning sign that something is up.

“Shifts from the norm are red flags for deceit,” Marc Salem said.

Airplane accident lawyer: why a specialist is important

Ricky Robinson
-
0
Airplane accident lawyer: why a specialist is important

What you should know if you experience an accident

 

It is possible to experience an accident or injury at virtually any time, or in any place, and personal injury law and lawyers cover most of these situations and experiences. One of the less common types of injury of this kind is that of airplane accidents. However, this term can refer to anything from a relatively minor accident which takes place during the course of a flight – such as a fall while standing in the plane, a spilt hot drink due to the motion of the plane or being hit by luggage falling from one of the overhead compartments – to something far more serious like injuries sustained in the wake of an aircraft crash. Therefore lawyers dealing with this particular area of the law need a significant degree of specialist knowledge and understanding.

Airplane accident Lawyer

Accidents on an airplane journey come under the heading of personal injury when it comes to compensation claims, but they represent a complex area of this type of aviation accident law compensation. Like many other forms of personal injury claim, a specialist aviation accident lawyer will take on cases on a no-win, no-fee basis – thus enabling people on lower incomes to make claims for compensation they are rightfully entitled to. Complicating the issue of compensation when it comes to airplane accidents is the fact that there are differences in making a claim depending on whether you were injured during an international flight or one within the UK – which is another major reason why it is best to seek the help of a qualified airplane accident lawyer if you wish to pursue a claim of this kind.

 

The Montreal Convention

 

Airplane accidents which happen on international flights are legally covered under the terms of the Montreal Convention, which ensures that people injured during the course of an international flight can pursue their compensation claim in the country where it will be most favourable to them – whether this happens to be the country that they were travelling to on their flight, or the country they primarily live in. This was incorporated into UK law in 2002, meaning you or your legal representative need to fully understand it in order to make such a claim.

History of sports betting

Ricky Robinson
-
0
History of sports betting

How was sports betting invented?

Nowadays, it is hard to imagine the existence of sporting events without sports betting; this is because sports betting has a long and colorful history which runs parallel with the development of sport around the world.

The roots of sports betting in general can be traced back to the sport of kings:  horse racing. It was at the horse racing tracks that the first steps towards what we now know as organized sports betting were made. Throughout the 19th Century and into the early 20th Century, members of the upper class enjoyed small wagers and bets on the outcomes of certain races within the regular gatherings and race meetings.

It was after the Civil War that horse racing tracks started appearing in larger numbers across the landscape; this, in turn, attracted a great many betters and would-be entrepreneurs from all over the country.

The idea of the bookmaker started at these race meetings, where bookmakers would organise auction pools. These auction pools saw bets auctioned off for each horse within the race.

During this time, particularly business-savvy individuals were starting to realise that setting the odds on individual horses could serve to improve the betting handles meaning better business for the bookies.

Online betting

The origins of online betting

This spawned a technique that is still used within bookmaking to this very day: If there was an overwhelming amount of money being wagered on one particular horse (giving an overpowering indication that it was the favourite to win), then the bookmaker would simply lower the odds on that particular horse, thereby increasing the attractiveness of betting on other horses within the race, this process became known as shortening the odds, with the opposite being known as lengthening the odds.

Although sports betting has moved into every conceivable betting market, its origins can still be traced back to the racetracks.

Max Findlay identified as the owner of Labrador Fenton, the deer chaser in Richmond Park

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Max Findlay identified as the owner of Labrador Fenton, the deer chaser in Richmond Park

Max Findlay has been unmasked as being the dog walker who became an internet sensation when he was filmed running after his black Labrador Fenton as the dog chased after deer in Richmond Park, London.

Max Findlay, a father-of-two and an editorial consultant, said after the footage, recorded by a 13-year-old boy, went viral on YouTube:

“I just want to move on.”

Max Findlay has been unmasked as being the dog walker who became an internet sensation when he was filmed running after his black Labrador Fenton as the dog chased after deer in Richmond Park, London
Max Findlay has been unmasked as being the dog walker who became an internet sensation when he was filmed running after his black Labrador Fenton as the dog chased after deer in Richmond Park, London

In the 47-second clip the runaway dog chases after the herd of deer in Richmond Park, completely ignoring the increasingly desperate shouts of his owner.

Max Findlay’s furious attempts to stop Fenton are in vain as the frightened animals stampede across a road, forcing cars to stop and leaving an exasperated Max Findlay swearing in despair.

He has apparently not been seen walking his pet in the park since the incident.

Jake Goodyear, 13, from Holloway, north London, filmed the video while visiting the park with his father Ali last month.

When questioned on Fenton’s antics Max Findlay said: “I don’t really want to add anything to the zillions of words already out there. I’d rather just leave the story where it is and move on.”

Max Findlay is thought to be worried about facing sanctions from the Royal Parks for failing to keep his pet under control.

Max Findlay is a former barrister, legal journalist and leader writer for the Observer and Financial Times who lives in a large detached house close to Richmond Park.

After spending the early part of his career writing for the broadsheets and various legal journals he set up his own consultants Max Findlay Associates in 1988, advising companies how to write effectively.

According to his website he has worked with government departments, accountants, universities and multinational companies.

Friends of Max Findlay said he was considering renaming his dog.

One said: “Max is mortified. Fenton’s a lively dog, but he’d never done this before. Max won’t be taking him back to Richmond Park any time soon and is considering giving him a new name if the fuss goes on.”

The clip quickly inspired a number of spoof videos as well as a ringtone and a range of t-shirts.

A remix of the video by The Hoxton’s is now an unlikely contender for the Christmas number one and will battle it out with Gareth Malone’s choir of military wives for the prize.

The song is called “Benton! Jesus Christ!” – a reference to the name originally thought to belong to the dog, and Max Findlay’s final furious outburst.

[youtube 3GRSbr0EYYU]

News anchor drunk on air? Annie Stensrud, KEYC-TV news reader, claimed she was sick, not drunk

Diane A. Wade
-
0
News anchor drunk on air? Annie Stensrud, KEYC-TV news reader, claimed she was sick, not drunk

Annie Stensrud, a Minnesota news reader who faced allegations of being drunk while on air last week, has claimed she was sick and not under the influence of alcohol.

Annie Stensrud ended up making headlines herself after slurring her words during a live news broadcast on KEYC-TV, CBS/Fox, in Mankato.

KEYC-TV’s General Manager said the faux pas was due to a bad reaction to medication, which Annie Stensrud confirmed.

Annie Stensrud said in a statement: “My performance last Sunday [December 4 at 10pm] was terrible, and for that I apologize.

“I’ve been sick for some time and taking medication and have missed a lot of work lately.

“I’m on my way to feeling better and hope to be back at full strength soon. I appreciate everyone’s understanding and even more so, their support.”

Annie Stensrud, a Minnesota news reader who faced allegations of being drunk while on air last week, has claimed she was sick and not under the influence of alcohol
Annie Stensrud, a Minnesota news reader who faced allegations of being drunk while on air last week, has claimed she was sick and not under the influence of alcohol

The stations GM, Dennis Walhstrom, told WCCO Radio after the incident that she should have called in sick but stands by her statement.

Dennis Walhstrom said: “That’s what we found, that she had a reaction to a medication.

“She’s also missed work and had not been feeling well for the past week.

“She was taking unspecified medication that she had a bad reaction to.

“She probably shouldn’t have come in. She should have called in.

Annie Stensrud has been anchoring weekend evening broadcasts for a year and her Sunday show had been cut down because of an over-running NFL game.

In one of the strangest segments, Annie Stensrud says: “Today’s event featured Christmas fo… music, food and a chance to meet the Santa dog.

“They felt three ways for Christmas…parents and grandparents,” Annie Stensrud adds, as she speaks over a man giving a pre-recorded interview.

The Huffington Post suggested Annie Stensrud could have been drunk, whereas Gawker.com added that she might just have a strange accent.

KEYC news director Dan Ruiter told TV Spy that although station may work in a “very public business, personnel issues need to remain private”.

Dan Ruiter told the Mankato Free Press that there is no proof she was intoxicated and viewers are jumping to conclusions if they believe this.

The incident had echoes of when CBS Los Angeles journalist Serene Branson garbled her words live on air, causing speculation she had a stroke.

Doctors said she was suffering from symptoms of a stroke, but had actually suffered a complex migraine during a live Grammys broadcast.

[youtube 1XoKdX8L_Pg]

Florida: cheating Jody Mary Ryan filed fake rape claim against her lover forced by her angry husband

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Florida: cheating Jody Mary Ryan filed fake rape claim against her lover forced by her angry husband

Jody Mary Ryan from Fort Myers, Florida, hoped to cover her tracks and appease her angry husband by telling police her lover – her husband’s best friend – had raped her.

Jody Mary Ryan, 18, is the one in jail, arrested on a charge of making a false police report, after investigators discovered her sex assault claims were bogus, cops said.

Jody Mary Ryan later confessed her husband, Mahmoud Koush, 27, put her up to making the phony claims when he found out about the extra-marital tryst. It was his way of getting back at his adulterous pal.

Police say Mahmoud Koush called cops and reported his friend had touched his wife inappropriately.

When police and paramedics arrived at Jody Mary Ryan’s house, she told officers the man had raped her and that she didn’t want her husband to find out.

Jody Mary Ryan, 18, is the one in jail, arrested on a charge of making a false police report, after investigators discovered her sex assault claims were bogus
Jody Mary Ryan, 18, is the one in jail, arrested on a charge of making a false police report, after investigators discovered her sex assault claims were bogus

The woman claimed her husband’s best friend had forced himself on her at a hotel in Fort Myers.

But staff at the hotel said she seemed perfectly amicable when the pair rented a room there.

And nurses who examined Jody Mary Ryan for signs of sexual assault at Gulf Coast Hospital said she never made any comments about being raped.

The woman was only concerned about whether she was pregnant, police said.

And then there was the surveillance video.

Cops say video footage shows Jody Mary Ryan showing up at her lover’s workplace and throwing a ring he gave her because she was upset her husband found out.

When cops confronted her, Jody Mary Ryan admitted that Mahmoud Koush had put her up to the phony rape claims.

Jody Mary Ryan said Mahmoud Koush found out about the two-week affair between the couple and was furious.

Avery Blandin stabbed to death his wife at Walmart store in Greenville County

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Avery Blandin stabbed to death his wife at Walmart store in Greenville County

Avery L. Blandin from South Carolina has been charged with murder of his wife, who was fatally stabbed inside a Greenville County Walmart this weekend.

It was reported that while shoppers looked on in horror, store management roped off the area for homicide investigators and continued to operate as usual.

Avery L. Blandin, 46, is accused of killing Lilia Blandin, 38, who worked at the Woodforest Bank inside the discount retail store in Berea.

Avery L. Blandin from South Carolina has been charged with murder of his wife, who was fatally stabbed inside a Greenville County Walmart this weekend
Avery L. Blandin from South Carolina has been charged with murder of his wife, who was fatally stabbed inside a Greenville County Walmart this weekend

Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Jenning said police were called to at 1:21 p.m. on Saturday to the Walmart at 6134 White Horse Road, where they found Lilia Blandin with stab wounds.

Lilia Blandin was transported to the hospital but she died shortly after.

Witnesses told deputies they heard a verbal fight between the woman and a male suspect, which escalated to a physical fight.

Shopper Phillip Tallent told local station WYFF4 he was looking for Christmas lights with his family when the horrifying scene unfolded, and he intervened.

Phillip Tallent told the station: “When I looked, I could see a couple of stabbing motions, and I really started to run towards the front (of the store).

“I’ve seen it when [the man] was making a stomping motion at [Lilia Blandin] across her chest and neck area. I picked up the chair and I hit him.”

Phillip Tallent told deputies that a man, identified as Avery Blandin, ran towards the door with several witnesses failing in attempts to stop him.

Lilia Blandin, 38, who worked at the Woodforest Bank inside the discount retail store in Berea, was transported to the hospital but she died shortly after
Lilia Blandin, 38, who worked at the Woodforest Bank inside the discount retail store in Berea, was transported to the hospital but she died shortly after

The witness said the man fled the scene after pulling out a second knife.

“That’s when I let him go because I already seen what he did with the first one, so I wasn’t going to get involved with the next one,” Phillip Tallent said.

Deputies confirmed a male suspect fled the scene. Phillip Tallent told WYFF4 he was able to get the tag number of the car the man got into and gave it to investigators.

Walmart company spokesman Dianna Gee told Greenville’s News Channel 4 the company is assisting with the investigation and had turned over surveillance video footage from the store.

“We did, as requested, close our grocery checkout area to allow the police to do their work and provide some level of privacy, given the circumstances,” Dianna Gee said.

“This was a senseless act of violence, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family during this difficult time.”

Avery Blandin, of Simpsonville, was identified and located after the stabbing when he was involved in a traffic collision.

According to deputies, Avery Blandin was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital to receive treatment for injuries and will later be taken to Greenville County Detention Center to await a bond hearing on Monday.

Couple kicked-off from a train for having sex, but they continued on the platform at Toronto subway

Diane A. Wade
-
0

A couple was kicked-off from a train for having sex at Toronto subway, but, unperturbed, they got off and continued the deed on the station platform, with the man’s naked derriere and the woman’s legs – akimbo – in full view for all to see.

The as-yet-unidentified couple was caught on a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) train on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. after a horrified passenger who witnessed the copulation pressed the emergency button.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross told the Toronto Sun: “They were on the subway train itself…they were having intercourse.

“This is the first report I’ve seen of this type of behaviour in the almost four years I’ve been here.

“They appeared to be extremely intoxicated, I’m not sure if it was from alcohol or drugs.”

He said activation of the emergency bar alerted the operator and a security supervisor.

Cell phone footage of the less-than-romantic encounter was posted online and has since went viral.

The couple was arrested when Toronto police were alerted and arrived at the station. They were also taken to Mount Sinai for a checkup as a precaution.

The man and the woman were charged with being engaged in a lewd act.

Brad Ross told the Sun: “We took the action we did because children ride the subway. We can’t have people engaging in sexual activity on the subway system, buses or streetcars.

“It’s a public system and the TTC carries 1.6 million people a day, from all ways of life, including children. No matter what your background is, it is not appropriate to have sex this way.

“I’d suggest to people, if they are deeply in love, that they find a more appropriate venue.”

The train was delayed for 14 minutes.

[youtube xqbtDBYGlsI]

Liege explosion UPDATE: death toll rose to 6 and 122 are wounded

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Liege explosion UPDATE: death toll rose to 6 and 122 are wounded

The death toll from yesterday’s grenade attack at a Christmas market in Liege, Belgium, rose to six, including the killer himself.

According to Belgian police, the body of a woman was found at an address used by the gunman Nordine Amrani.

Nordine Amrani, 32, was armed with grenades and an assault rifle when he attacked holiday shoppers at Place Saint-Lambert in Liege.

Attacker’s victims included two teenage boys aged 15 and 17, a 75-year-old woman and an 18-month-old baby, who died in hospital last night. A total of 122 were also wounded.

Prosecutor Cedric Visart de Bocarme told Belgian La Premiere radio station that the woman – a 45-year-old cleaner – had been found in a warehouse used by Nordine Amrani.

Cedric Visart de Bocarme said: “A search last night revealed in a warehouse used by the attacker, notably to grow cannabis, the body of a woman killed by the attacker.”

The death toll from yesterday's grenade attack at a Christmas market in Liege, Belgium, rose to six, including the killer himself
The death toll from yesterday's grenade attack at a Christmas market in Liege, Belgium, rose to six, including the killer himself

Nordine Amrani, who was previously jailed for possession of arms and drugs offences, hurled grenades and sprayed bullets into crowds of Christmas shoppers and children in Place Saint-Lambert.

The attack paralyzed the centre of Belgium’s fifth largest city, with workers trapped in offices as police sealed off the area. It is still unclear what drove Nordine Amrani to carry out the attack.

The shoppers, many of them children, ran screaming for safety in the panic as the gunman opened fire.

Men, women and children fled down the streets of the city centre – some still carrying shopping bags – as ambulances and police descended on the area.

Reports said Nordine Amrani used an FN FAL automatic rifle, a Belgian-made rifle capable of firing 700 rounds a minute, a pistol and threw three grenades in the attack.

In the initial chaos, reports said up to three men had taken part in the attack, but the Interior Ministry later confirmed only one was involved, adding the incident was not terrorism-related.

Nordine Amrani was on his way for police questioning when he attacked a crowd near a bus stop at Place Saint Lambert, a central shopping square which is the site of the city’s Christmas market and its main courthouse. It was not clear whether he committed suicide or died accidentally.

Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo expressed horror at the attack and travelled to the city. The nation’s King and Queen also arrived on the city this evening to visit survivors.

Interior Ministry official Peter Mertens said emergency medical teams were called in from as far away as the Netherlands.

The broadcaster Radio Television Belge Francophone said during the attack that all buses had been asked to leave the city centre and all shops in the area were closed, some with many customers stranded inside.

Police helicopters were flying over the city and a medical post has been set up in the courtyard of the palace of the Prince Bishops (the court house) located on the site.

Police were on the scene quickly and sealed off the square. TV images showed blood splattered across the cobblestones.

Place Saint-Lambert is a busy crossroads. Every day 1,800 buses serve the square, which leads to downtown shopping streets.

The Place Saint-Lambert and the nearby Place du Marche host Liege’s annual Christmas market which consists of 200 retail cabins and attracts some 1.5 million visitors a year.

[youtube LAUKR4vBTR8]

[youtube qmXfy0KKeoc]

US National Transportation Board wants to ban the use of all mobile device while driving (including hands-free)

Diane A. Wade
-
0
US National Transportation Board wants to ban the use of all mobile device while driving (including hands-free)

American transportation safety regulators want to ban the use of mobile devices while driving, going so far as to say they should never be used in cars unless in case of emergency.

The National Transportation Board said Tuesday that states should ban all driver use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices, even including hands-free devices.

NTSB made the radical recommendation following a deadly highway pileup in Missouri last year when a 19-year-old pickup driver sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes immediately before the crash which killed him and a 15-year-old student.

The pickup, travelling at 55 miles per hour, collided into the back of a tractor truck before the pickup was rear-ended by a school bus that overrode the smaller vehicle, and a second school bus rammed into the back of the first bus.

NTSB made the radical recommendation following a deadly highway pileup in Missouri last year when a 19-year-old pickup driver sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes immediately before the crash which killed him and a 15-year-old student
NTSB made the radical recommendation following a deadly highway pileup in Missouri last year when a 19-year-old pickup driver sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes immediately before the crash which killed him and a 15-year-old student

The recommendation, unanimously agreed to by the five-member board, significantly exceeds any existing state laws restricting texting and cell phone use behind the wheel.

While the NTSB doesn’t have the power to impose restrictions, its recommendations carry significant weight with federal regulators and congressional and state lawmakers.

NTSB has previously recommended bans on texting and cell phone use by commercial truck and bus drivers and beginning drivers, but it has stopped short of calling for a ban on the use of the devices by adults behind the wheel of passenger cars.

The problem of texting while driving is getting worse despite a rush by states to ban the practice, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last week. In November, Pennsylvania became the 35th state to forbid texting while driving.

About two out of 10 American drivers overall – and half of drivers between 21 and 24 – say they’ve thumbed messages or emailed from the driver’s seat, according to a survey of more than 6,000 drivers by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Even more, many drivers don’t think it’s dangerous when they do it – only when others do, the survey found.

At any given moment last year on US streets and highways, nearly 1 in every 100 car drivers was texting, emailing, surfing the Web or otherwise using a handheld electronic device, the safety administration said. And those activities spiked 50 per cent over the previous year.

Driver distraction wasn’t the only significant safety problem uncovered by NTSB’s investigation of the Missouri accident.

Investigators said they believe the pickup driver was suffering from fatigue that may have eroded his judgment at the time of the accident. He had an average of about five and a half hours of sleep a night in the days leading up to the accident and had had fewer than five hours of sleep the night before the accident, they said.

Regardless of the personal contributions to the accident, the fatal Missouri crash is a “big red flag for all drivers”, NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said at a meeting to determine the cause of the accident and make safety recommendations.

It is not possible to know from cell phone records if the driver was typing, reaching for the phone or reading a text at the time of the crash, but it’s clear he was manually, cognitively and visually distracted, she said.

“Driving was not his only priority,” Deborah Hersman said.

“No call, no text, no update is worth a human life.”

Missouri had a law banning drivers under 21 years old from texting while driving at the time of the crash, but wasn’t aggressively enforcing the ban, board member Robert Sumwalt said.

“Without the enforcement, the laws don’t mean a whole lot,” Robert Sumwalt said.

Kris Humphries invited two blondes to the marital suite just weeks before split from Kim Kardashian

Lisa.Felice
-
1
Kris Humphries invited two blondes to the marital suite just weeks before split from Kim Kardashian

As Kim Kardashian marriage to Kris Humphries was crumbling, the NBA star is said to have enjoyed a late night party with two blondes, inviting them back to couple’s martial suite.

One of the blondes, named Shell Maci according to her Twitter page, posted numerous photos to the social networking site as she and her friend snooped around the apartment, with Kim Kardashian notably absent.

The party, which took place at the presidential penthouse at the Gansevoort Hotel on Park Avenue, is said to have happened on September 22, less than a month before Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kris Humphries.

As well as taking plenty of snaps the girls filmed two short videos.

In one a girl looks into the camera with Kris Humphries stood behind but her it appears that he was actually being filmed by a TV camera, which can be seen in the far right side of the shot.

Kris Humphries is said to have enjoyed a late night party with two blondes, inviting them back to couple's martial suite
Kris Humphries is said to have enjoyed a late night party with two blondes, inviting them back to couple's martial suite

Whether they were the E! reality cameras have not been confirmed but were also in the room, sparking speculation it may have been a manufactured publicity stunt.

The blonde girls are seen them holding up the KK branded towels and Kris Humphries is seen clearly in the background.

As the girls film Kris Humphries appears oblivious to the face he has been caught on camera entertaining in the New York hotel suite.

As well as posing on Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian’s bed the girls were also seen exploring the reality star’s closet as well as climbing into their bathtub.

The two blonde girls are seen them holding up the KK branded towels and Kris Humphries is seen clearly in the background
The two blonde girls are seen them holding up the KK branded towels and Kris Humphries is seen clearly in the background

While filming in the bathroom Kris Humphries can be seen walking past the doorway indicating he didn’t mind the ladies exploring the apartment.

The girls appeared excited an animated by their experience inside the couple’s plush New York pad, where they were filming Kourtney and Kim Take New York.

To prove they were in Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian’s apartment, the girls were seen holding up the couple’s towels with the KK and KH initials embroidery on them.

It is not clear if they stayed the night or simply enjoyed the party but Shell Maci tweeted: “omggggg crazy night last night.”

It was not clear why Kim Kardashian was not at the apartment at the time but the couple were not spotted together for three days from the Thursday September 22, and were pictured together again on Sunday September 25 grabbing a bite to eat.

Kourtney and Kim Take New York is currently airing on E! depicting the couple’s enjoying time together as newlyweds and Sunday’s episode saw the couple agree to try for a baby.

But by the end of the episode it became clear they were on very different pages and Kim Kardashian had changed her mind about trying for a child with Kris Humphries.

Kim Kardashian famously filed for divorce from Kris Humphries on October 31, after just 72 days of marriage.

Kris Humphries is now seeking an annulment and last week he gave an awkward interview on Good Morning America, where he deflected questions about his estranged wife.

Duchesse of Alba took the red carpet with Tom Cruise at Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol premiere

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Duchesse of Alba took the red carpet with Tom Cruise at Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol premiere

The Spanish aristocrat, Duchesse of Alba took to the red carpet with Tom Cruise at the premiere of Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.

Duchesse of Alba, a 85-year-old billionaire, posed for pictures with her 60-year-old husband and Tom Cruise, 49, who looked a little awkward.

The mother-of-six, who has more titles than Queen Elizabeth II, appeared more than happy to cozy up next to Tom Cruise and bask in the Callao cinema in the Spanish town.

While he is yet to turn down a Mission it appeared the prospect of entertaining the eccentric aristocrat for the evening proved too much for Tom Cruise, who appeared happy to get back to his glamorous co-stars.

Paula Patton looked simply stunning in a purple leopard print strapless gown which boasted lace detail.

The actress teamed the dramatic dress with her hair up and matching purple earrings.

The Spanish aristocrat, Duchesse of Alba took to the red carpet with Tom Cruise at the premiere of Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
The Spanish aristocrat, Duchesse of Alba took to the red carpet with Tom Cruise at the premiere of Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

While Tom Cruise has been looking dapper on the red carpet at the other Mission Impossible premieres it appears he decided to dress down for the Spanish screening.

Tom Cruise, who is married to actress turned fashion designer Katie Holmes, opted for a camel coloured leather jacket which he teamed with a cream polo neck and brown trousers.

His British co-star Simon Pegg was dressed in a grey suit which left Tom looking a little out of place.

Despite his casual attire, Tom Cruise was still in high demand from the crowd and many fans were eager to catch a glimpse or snap a photo of the actor.

But it appeared Tom Cruise’s biggest fan for the evening was the Duchess of Alba who was seen gazing at him with a look of admiration on her face.

The Duchess was joined by her 60-year-old husband who she married in a ceremony in October.

[youtube V0LQnQSrC-g]

1...1,1791,1801,181...1,227Page 1,180 of 1,227