Jackie Barden, the mother of a high school student who collapsed and died after a football game was only notified of her son’s death via Facebook.
The mother wasn’t told of her 16-year-old son Ridge’s death at a high school football match because she was not listed as an emergency contact.
Jackie Barden‘s ex-husband, whom she is not on “speaking terms” with and was the boy’s emergency contact, also did not tell her.
“On Facebook, on the news, that’s how I had to learn of my son’s death,”Jackie Barden told WSYR-TV.
Once the news had finally reached her, Jackie Barden says she was told the last opportunity to view her son’s body had passed.
Jackie Barden learned about her son Ridge's death via Facebook
By the time police became involved in the Ridge’s death on October 14th, they had assumed all of boy’s family had been notified.
Being divorced and not listed as an emergency contact for her son, only Ridge’s father who was listed as a contact was notified and he never told her.
Cortland County Coroner Kevin Sharp told WSYR-TV:
“If the people that are there are not forthcoming that there is an estranged spouse or a parent who they are not speaking to, and it doesn’t need to be a spouse, it can be a parent, child, sister, brother, anyone.”
“We don’t know who to contact.”
Police Chief Dan Mack says he regrets the assumption made on the family notification and that future steps will be taken so it doesn’t happen again.
“I would really hope that people just take a look and start realizing that things have to change so that no other parent would have to suffer and go through what I went through,” Jackie Barden said.
Jackie Barden’s son, Ridge collapsed on the field and he later died at the hospital. Autopsy results showed that the teenager died from blunt force trauma.
Speaking out to the other players on his varsity team and their opponent that night, Jackie Barden hopes any possible guilt or responsibility felt for his death will be dismissed.
“He just would not want those people to think that it was their fault,” Jackie Barden explained. “It was just an accident. Everything that Ridge did, he did with full gust. I’d say just take that attitude with you,” she insists.
Ridge’s father released a statement on the loss of his son, WSYR he was too emotional for an interview. “I have no words right now. My world has been devastated. But, I want to say thank-you to all of you who have written me and are sending your prayers to me. October 14th will go down as the worst day of my life. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you Ridge. I love you so much and cannot even grasp that you are not here,” he wrote.
Jackie Barden said: “It still is shocking. He’s with us and he’s gone.”
Qantas airline announced that 68,000 passengers were affected by its grounding of 108 aircraft in 22 cities worldwide due to the industrial action yesterday.
Australian airline also announced it would lock out staff involved in industrial action, after months of strikes.
As a result, the pilots union has threatened legal action against the move.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called for an end to industrial action which has seen Qantas ground all its international and domestic flights.
Prime Minister said the government had applied to regulator Fair Work Australia, “the industrial umpire”, to try to get planes back in the air.
Julia Gillard also said she was concerned about damage that could be caused to the national economy.
“I believe Australians want to see this dispute settled. I want to see this dispute settled and we have taken the appropriate action to bring this before the industrial umpire,” the prime minister told a news conference from the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (Chogm) being held in the western Australian city of Perth.
68,000 Qantas passengers were affected by airline grounding of 108 aircraft in 22 cities worldwide due to the industrial action yesterday
It was reported that among thousands of stranded passengers were 17 world leaders attending the Commonwealth summit in Perth, but PM Julia Gillard said they had found alternative flights.
Fair Work Australia reconvened an emergency panel at 14:00 (03:00 GMT) on Sunday, after an earlier hearing was adjourned in the early hours of the morning.
Fair Work Australia can decide whether to order an end to industrial action by both unions and Qantas airline management.
Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO said his planes could be in the air again by late Sunday if the panel ordered a termination of all industrial action, but he warned an order to simply suspend it – as the unions were seeking – would not be good enough.
Qantas airline – the world’s 10th largest – has been hit by a series of costly strikes and other industrial action, which the company said was costing A$15 million ($16 million) a week.
It was reported that pilots have been engaged in protracted talks with management over wages, conditions and outsourcing of jobs to Asia, but they have yet to walk off the job – unlike baggage handlers, engineers and ground staff.
Captain Richard Woodward, the Australian International Pilots Association (AIPA) vice-president said work stoppages were not in their plans.
“Pilots have made it clear from the start that we would not take industrial action that disrupts passengers. We have stuck to that to this day,” Richard Woodward said.
“Alan Joyce, on the other hand, has opted to disrupt passengers in the most devastating way possible.
“Pilots have not been on strike and we are not seeking anything that would damage profitability.”
Captain Richard Woodward described Qantas’s action as “a cynical act of insanity”.
A statement by the Australian airline said all employees involved in industrial action would be locked out from Monday evening and flights grounded from 06:00 GMT on Saturday with aircraft currently in the air would complete their flights, but there would be no further departures.
Qantas airline also issued a statement on its Facebook page saying customers booked on its flights should not go to the airport until further notice. Qantas said a full refund would be available to those affected.
Relations between the unions and Qantas airline management started deteriorating in August after the company announced plans for restructuring and moving some operations to Asia.
Qantas airline has a 65% share of the domestic Australian market, but has been making heavy losses on its international flights.
It was reported that restructuring is expected to mean the loss of 1,000 jobs from its 35,000-strong workforce.
Three people died and more than 2.3 million homes have lost power as the US East Coast has been hit by an unusual early period snowstorm.
New York City has been hit by more than one inch of snowfall before Halloween for the first time ever – with experts predicting much more on the way.
It was reported that an 84-year-old man from Pennsylvania died when a tree crashed into his house in Temple on Saturday afternoon, while he was having a nap in his recliner chair. He was killed “instantly” according to police.
Another death was in Colchester Connecticut, according to Governor Dannel Malloy who warned that some parts of the state could expect as much as 18 inches of snow.
A third man in his 20s died in Springfield, Massachusetts, after he ignored police warnings and cross a barricade around a downed power line. The man was killed when he touched a metal guard rail that was charged.
October snowstorm killed 3 people and left 2.3 M houses without power on East Coast.
There are reports saying that some places in mid-Atlantic states saw more than half a foot of snow on Saturday and approximately 250,000 customers lost power in Pennsylvania and Maryland, requiring utility crews from Ohio and Kentucky to fix it.
More than 1,000 flights into or out of the United States were cancelled today, with New York particularly affected. JFK airport had around 230 called off by 5:00 p.m. local time.
New York City has been hit by more than one inch of snowfall before Halloween for the first time ever - with experts predicting much more on the way
According to meteorologists, about 60 million people will experience the rare October snowstorm, which should unleash heavy, wet snow and wind, causing fallen tree branches and potential travel chaos.
Halloween weekend looks set to see huge amounts of sleet and snow covering the North East, invariably causing power outages and travel chaos.
In New York City By, 1.3 inches of snow had fallen in Central Park by 2:00 p.m.; never before in October has an inch of snow fallen on a given day in New York City, AccuWeather reported.
AccuWather website reported 10 inches of snow in Ogletown, Pennsylvania, 9.5 inches in Frostburg, Maryland, and 8.5 inches in Lost River, West Virginia.
New York has received measurable snow before Halloween only three times since 1869 – and never more than one inch, as happened today.
Autumn Street in Lodi, New Jersey, where Governor Chris Christie called a state of emergency after the October snowstorm
The heaviest snow is forecast for later in the day on Sunday in the Massachusetts Berkshires, the Litchfield Hills in northwestern Connecticut, southwestern New Hampshire and the southern Green Mountains.
Chris Vaccaro, a NWS spokesman said:
“It’s going to be wet, sticky and gloppy. It’s not going to be a dry, fluffy snow.”
The snowstorm comes on a busy weekend for many along the Eastern Seaboard, with trick-or-treaters going door-to-door in search of Halloween booty, hunting season opening in some states and a full slate of college and pro football scheduled.
Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy warned residents that they could lose power due to the anticipated wet, heavy snow.
The heaviest snows are expected between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. this evening, although the temperatures could bring light snow throughout the night.
According to meteorologists, the storm is expected to come hard and fast, with the heaviest snow set for the Virginia and West Virginia border through eastern Pennsylvania and southeastern New York state, northwestern New Jersey, northern Connecticut, Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.
Six inches of snow has already fallen in New England, where is also expected to be powerful winds which could be very dangerous – bringing down trees and power lines.
Temperatures in the 30s and 40s and wind chills in the 20s will make it feel like winter has truly arrived.
Forecasters at weather.com say the heaviest amounts of snow will fall in parts of Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, upstate New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
“Precipitation will start as rain in these locations, but may change over to snow. How quickly this occurs and how much snow falls is dependent on the availability of enough cold air, which is difficult to forecast early in the season.”
Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York City remained in their tents overnight despite snowstorm and low temperatures which plunged below 40 degrees F.
In the footage from thermal imaging cameras taken late on Friday night in New York, the presence of body heat from humans is represented by yellow and red inside the tents.
On Friday, NYC authorities took away the generators they were using to keep warm and power electronic devices.
According to an Occupy Wall Street spokesman, this was “a pretext to make the protest less sustainable and more difficult for us”. But authorities insisted they had to remove the equipment for safety reasons.
Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York City remained in their tents overnight despite the snowstorm and low temperatures which plunged below 40 degrees F
A blanket of cold air that brought the first flurries of the season to Colorado on Wednesday is continuing to spread south and east, bringing the lowest temperatures to the Northeast since spring.
The unusually early snow is bad news for those camping in city centres across the country, as critics speculate that the days of the Occupy movement may now be numbered.
In the footage from thermal imaging cameras taken late on Friday night in New York, the presence of body heat from humans is represented by yellow and red inside the tents
It was reported that several Occupy Denver protesters had to be taken to hospital on Thursday night to be treated for hypothermia.
Occupy Wall Street demonstrators have erected tents and tarpaulins over parts of Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, but appeared to be failing in their battle to keep warm and dry.
It seems that authorities will welcome the dramatic weather forecast. Law enforcement officials in some cities such as Oakland, California, have cleared out protests.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there is little he can do about the New York protest until the owners of the park where the camp is located, Brookfield Office Properties, file a complaint.
Meteorologists said that temperatures will plummet with some areas of the north east such as Syracuse reaching lows of 27 at night. In major cities such as New York and Boston overnight temperatures will remain in the 30s.
Snow this heavy this early is highly unusual along and near I-95 in the Northeast. In Philadelphia, the average date for the first accumulating snow is December 18.
Volunteers are being vigilant and do nightly checks for signs of hypothermia among the faithful.
The cold weather will add to the Occupy movement’s existing problems. On Tuesday, police evicted activists in Oakland using used tear gas and stun grenades.
In New York mediation is under way between demonstrators and some of the movement’s musicians, who were drumming up to 10 hours a day.
Protesters staffing the camp’s kitchen, which Occupy Wall Street says feeds up to a 1,000 people daily, have downsized their menu to deter the homeless and freeloaders who have been taking advantage of the hospitality.
Workers at Everglades National Park, Florida captured and killed a 16-foot-long Burmese python, who was found to have a whole adult deer in its stomach.
The Burmese python, one of the biggest ever found in South Florida, had recently swallowed a doe the size of a child.
An autopsy was conducted at Everglades National Park by Skip Snow, a python specialist who said the reptile had a girth of 44 inches (112 cm) with the 5st 6lb (35 kg) deer inside its stomach.
Skip Snow told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
“This is clearly an extreme event.
“It shows you they can eat huge things.
“The Burmese python – an ambush predator – would have staked out a known deer trail, seized the animal in its sharp teeth, crushed it by coiling around it and then eaten the corpse.”
Workers at Everglades National Park, Florida captured and killed a 16-foot-long Burmese python, who was found to have a whole adult deer in its stomach
It is the first time a snake has been caught so soon after eating a deer, allowing biologists to see just how large their prey can be.
According to Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the capture of the snake was crucial to help prevent the spread of pythons further north.
“It’s pretty clearly one of the biggest snakes we’ve seen,” Scott Hardin said.
“We haven’t gotten anything longer than 16ft in the wild in Florida.”
The Burmese python, one of the biggest ever found in South Florida, had recently swallowed a doe the size of a child
Specialists said the population of Burmese pythons in the Everglades has grown over the past several years, after being bought by people in the area as exotic pets.
According to state and federal wildlife officials, the dangerous snakes have been set loose by owners after growing too big, or escaped from enclosures destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
specialists also said the pythons primarily eat smaller mammals and birds, but larger specimens are happy to munch on alligators, deer and hogs.
The 16-foot-long python was discovered by workers from South Florida Water Management District, who were removing non-native plants from a tree island.
The world’s largest captive snake is a 25 feet, 22st (140 kg) python called Medusa, who lives in Kansas City and is capable of killing and consuming animals that weigh as much as a healthy adult.
In 2010, scientists from Denmark used computer technology to look inside the organs of a python after it had swallowed a whole rat.
The scientists noted that it took 132 hours for the snake to fully digest the rat, with the snake’s intestine expanding and its heart rate increasing to help it break down its substantial food.
According to researchers, pythons often fast for months and then eat enormous meals, and are able to consume up to 50% of their own bodyweight.
The pythons have in recent years been documented eating cockatoos, frogs and even other snakes.
Ernesto Bustamante, a University of Idaho professor shot to death Katy Benoit, one of his students he had previously dated, and then committed suicide.
The 22-year-old student, Katy Benoit was killed by psychology professor Ernesto Bustamante in August, after she and other students warned the university that he had talked in class about shooting students and was having “sex orgies” with students.
It was reported that the University officials urged Katy Benoit to take safety precautions and go to police, but that they could not tell officers details of the allegations because of confidentiality.
According to the documents released today, a student evaluating Ernesto Bustamante last fall complained his teaching was erratic and that he had discussed shooting students.
Ernesto Bustamante, a University of Idaho professor shot to death Katy Benoit, one of his students he had previously dated, and then committed suicide
In December 2010, a complaint called into a university hotline accused Ernesto Bustamante of having sex with students and coercing one into having sex with him and others.
University of Idaho have defended their response to Katy Benoit’s complaint, saying they contacted Moscow police immediately after she came forward.
They told law enforcement that a student had been involved in a domestic violence issue but did not detail Katy Benoit’s allegations, including claims she was threatened with a gun.
Katy Benoit “did not want us to discuss the allegations in her complaint with police and we honored her wishes”, University of Idaho said in a statement.
Katy Benoit was killed by psychology professor Ernesto Bustamante in August, after she and other students warned the university that he had talked in class about shooting students and was having "sex orgies" with students
According to Idaho University spokeswoman Tania Thompson, Ernesto Bustamante first had a chance to respond to the complaint, which he was served in early July after university officials received permission from Katy Benoit.
“He, at that point, has a right to respond to those allegations,” Tania Thompson said.
Ernesto Bustamante denied Katy Benoit’s allegations and told administrators that they had a friendship that had dissolved after she stole prescription pills from him.
Katy Benoit later told university officials she “screwed up” the relationship by stealing the pills, but she was really scared after he threatened her with a gun.
Ernesto Bustamante resigned his position effective August 19, and three days later, police said he shot Katy Benoit nearly a dozen times outside her Moscow home.
Ernesto Bustamante committed suicide in a hotel room shortly after shooting Katy Benoit and was found with six guns and medications for bipolar disorder and severe anxiety, according to police.
Ernesto Bustamante, who had been known to alternately refer to himself as a “psychopathic killer” and “the beast”, disclosed he took medication for bipolar disorder shortly after he was hired in 2007.
As early as he started the first semester at the university, three or four students went to psychology department chairman Ken Locke to express concerns about professor’s behavior, saying he was “flirtatious” and showed favoritism to students.
Katy Benoit had met Ernesto Bustamante in the fall of 2010 when she took a psychology course he was teaching, and by the end of the semester, they were dating.
During student evaluations of Ernesto Bustamante that fall, another student complained about the professor’s behavior.
“He talked about shooting students, which was disturbing, and implied that he was [and we should be] drunk and high every other day,” said the student, who is not identified in the teaching evaluations.
University of Idaho acknowledged that certain items in the documents, including this student’s comment, were troublesome in hindsight.
“In this case, the department chair did discuss with Bustamante his concerns regarding comments he had received from students about his classroom behavior,” the university said in a statement.
In December 2010, Ernesto Bustamante met with administrators to discuss a complaint that an anonymous caller put into a university hotline, saying professor was having sexual relationships with students.
The call reported that one of these relationships had become mentally abusive and the student had been coerced by Ernesto Bustamante into having sex with other people.
“They have also gotten into sexual orgies,” the caller said, according to a copy of the hotline complaint.
The student at the center of the abuse allegations was not Katy Benoit and denied that Ernesto Bustamante had exhibited improper behavior, refusing to file a complaint against him.
Ernesto Bustamante denied any violations of university policy during a December meeting with university administrator.
The student’s name was not mentioned during the meeting, but she later informed administrators that Ernesto Bustamante had called her immediately afterward and warned her that the dean of the college might make inquiries regarding a sexual harassment complaint.
Katy Benoit’s relationship with Ernesto Bustamante ended in May, after he put a gun to her head a third time and told her how he would use it to kill her.
Ernesto Bustamante had informed the chairman of his department April 30 that was experiencing withdrawal symptoms due to a change in his medication.
On October 3, a judge ordered Ernesto Bustamante’s personnel records to be released.
Christine Hemming, wife of British Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, has yesterday escaped a prison sentence for stealing her husband lover’s cat during a burglary.
Christine Hemming, 53, from the city’s suburb of Moseley, was last month convicted at Birmingham Crown Court of stealing the pet from the home of Emily Cox, the mistress of her husband.
The wife was spared a stringent punishment as she was given a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Christine Hemming, wife of British Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, has yesterday escaped a prison sentence for stealing her husband lover's cat during a burglary
Christine Hemming was also ordered to complete 150 hours of community service and pay costs of £1,000 ($1,500) after she was seen on CCTV abducting four-month-old kitten Beauty.
MP John Hemming, from Birmingham, said last week that he did not think locking up his estranged wife would “be of any benefit to anyone”.
John Hemming, who is a MP for Yardley, said he supported the decision to arrest his wife over pet’s disappearance but did not want her jailed.
MP John Hemming and his mistress Emily Cox
CCTV footage of the incident, played to the jury at Christine Hemming’s trial, showed her crawling across Emily Cox’s garden at night and leaving through the back door with Beauty tucked beneath her arm.
Christine Hemming has previously accused her husband, with whom she has three children, of having “about 26 affairs”.
MP John Hemming said that the allegation was a “much-repeated myth”, although he admitted he was unfaithful before his wife walked out on him.
Christine Hemming told ITV News yesterday: “I’m not a criminal, yet I have a conviction.
“I did not deliberately take the cat. The whole process has been very unfortunate.
“Why I stepped in, I’ll never know. And then I tried to hide in the adjacent room, but when it’s cut and clipped [the CCTV footage] it looks terrible. Particularly when I left holding the cat.
“I think that the cat’s the victim.”
The stolen kitten Beauty
During her trial, Christine Hemming said that she had no recollection of taking the kitten, describing the incident as “a blur”.
Judge Elizabeth Fisher told Christine Hemming: “Emily Cox made it clear in her evidence that you had no permission to enter her house and that you would never be welcome in her home.
“The kitten has not been seen since the burglary offence. This inevitably would have caused a degree of upset to the victim and her young daughter.”
Judge Fisher added that she accepted Christine Hemming was “under considerable emotional pressure” in the period leading up to the burglary.
MP John Hemming said last week: “My wife took Emily’s kitten in September 2010 and, having initially kept it at her home, she then put it through a fence in Sparkhill about a mile from Emily’s house.
“I supported referring the theft of the kitten to the police because I felt it was necessary to stop my wife from feeling she was free to trespass in Emily’s garden at will.
“I was aware there would be media attention in the story but my priority was protecting Emily and our daughter from any potential further harm.”
An unseasonable snowstorm warning has been issued for US East Coast on Halloween weekend, with forecasts of up to 10 inches (25 cm) of early snowfall.
A winter storm warning has been issued by the US National Weather Service (NWS) starting with Saturday morning until Sunday.
The NWS also says travel conditions may be hazardous.
About 10,000 people in Pennsylvania, as well as in Maryland and West Virginia, are without power after heavy snow has begun falling across.
In October 1979, southern New England received a record 7.5 inches of snow.
A region of low pressure brewing off the mid-Atlantic coast is expected to produce heavy, wet snow as it moves north-east, according to the NWS.
A winter storm warning has been issued by the National Weather Service from Saturday morning to Sunday
The Massachusetts Berkshires, north-western Connecticut and southern New Hampshire could see the most snow.
Big coastal cities are set to be hit, forecasters say, with New York expecting four inches (10 cm) on Saturday, and Boston 3 inches.
Winds along East Coast could reach 45 mph (72km/h), further damaging powerlines, the NWS said.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has warned some residents could lose power, while NWS meteorologist Bill Simpson said the snowfall could break records.
Mountainous areas in Pennsylvania could see as much as six to 10 inches of snow while more than 6 inches of snow are predicted to fall in Maine on Saturday night.
“This is very, very unusual. It has all the look and feel of a classic mid-winter nor’easter. It’s going to be very dangerous,” John LaCorte, a NWS meteorologist in Pennsylvania told the Associated Press.
John LaCorte added that the last time Pennsylvania saw a major storm so early was in 1972.
In New England it is usual for measurable snow to fall in early December.
Six inches snowfall in Vermont on Friday morning
Meteorologist Bill Simpson said temperatures could return to normal by the middle of next week.
“This doesn’t mean our winter is going to be terrible. You can’t get any correlation from a two-day event,” Bill Simpson said.
An industrial dispute made the Australian airline Qantas to ground all international and domestic flights with immediate effect.
All employees involved in industrial action would be locked out from Monday evening and flights grounded from 06:00 GMT on Saturday.
With regard to the aircrafts currently in the air, they will complete their flights, but there will be no further departures.
Fair Work Australia, the national industrial tribunal, adjourned a hearing on the Qantas dispute on Saturday night. The tribunal – which has the power to suspend or terminate industrial action – is to reconvene later on Sunday.
It was reported that Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that the dispute could have “implications” for the national economy.
Qantas airline has been hit by a series of costly strikes. Baggage handlers, engineers and pilots have been involved in the action which the company says is costing A$15 million (US$16 million) a week.
Qantas airline issued a statement on its Facebook page saying customers booked on Qantas flights should not go to the airport until further notice. Qantas said a full refund would be available to those affected.
An industrial dispute made the Australian airline Qantas to ground all international and domestic flights with immediate effect
Relations between the unions and Qantas management started deteriorating in August after the airline announced plans for restructuring and moving some operations to Asia.
Qantas airline has a 65% share of the domestic Australian market, but has been making heavy losses on its international flights.
Qantas restructuring is expected to mean the loss of 1,000 jobs from its 35,000-strong workforce.
The disruption to Qantas flights has also affected a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Perth, with reports that members from 17 delegations have been stranded in the city because of the dispute.
The dispute comes on a busy travel weekend, just days before the country’s biggest horse race, the Melbourne Cup.
Anthony Albanese, Australian minister for transport said the government would take action to intervene in the dispute.
“We are very concerned about Qantas’ actions, of which we were notified only mid-afternoon, with no advance notice from Qantas at any stage,” Anthony Albanese said.
“The government is making an urgent application to Fair Work Australia to terminate all industrial action at Qantas. This will be aimed at both actions by unions and by Qantas management.”
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announced the grounding of the airline on Saturday: “The airline will be grounded as long as it takes to reach a conclusion on this.”
Alan Joyce said that he would not take “the easy way out” and agree to union demands.
“That would destroy Qantas in the long term.
“I’m actually taking the bold decision, an unbelievable decision, a very hard decision, to ground this airline.”
Alan Joyce said he made the decision early Saturday and then gained the approval of the Qantas board.
“We are locking out until the unions withdraw their extreme claim and reach an agreement with us,” he said.
“This is the fastest way to ensure the airline gets back in the air.
“They are trashing our strategy and our brand.
“They must decide just how badly they want to hurt Qantas, their members… and the travelling public.”
The Australian pilots association criticized the grounding.
“It’s unprecedented and really it has hijacked the nation. It really has put everyone on notice and… it’s forcing the government’s hand on this,” Barry Jackson of the Australian and International Pilots Association told Sky News.
“We really need to address this sooner rather than later and get the aircraft back in the air.”
Qantas said as of 04:00 GMT on Saturday, there were 64 aircraft in the air – 36 domestic and 28 international – carrying more than 7,000 passengers. In total, 108 aircraft will be grounded in 22 airports around the world.
Qantas also said 13,305 passengers were booked to travel on its planes from overseas airports to Australia in the next 24 hours. About 1,310 international passengers may be at international airports now waiting for their flights to depart.
St Louis Cardinals beat Texas Rangers 6-2 in the decisive seventh game and won baseball’s World Series 2011.
Both teams drove in two runs in the first innings, but St Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter then began to dominate as the runs dried up for Texas Rangers.
Allen Craig’s solo home run in the third put St Louis Cardinals ahead before Texas Rangers bullpen contrived to walk in two more runs in the fifth.
St Louis Cardinals added another run in the seventh as they cruised to victory. It was heartbreaking for Texas Rangers, who was beaten by San Francisco Giants in last year’s World Series – and had been one strike away from winning 2011’s Fall Classic on two occasions in Thursday’s epic Game Six.
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington admitted:
“Someone has to win, someone has to lose and the Cardinals did it.
“They were the better team.”
The game started badly for Texas Rangers when leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler was caught stealing, but Josh Hamilton and Michael Young drove in a pair of runs as Texas got after Chris Carpenter early on.
St Louis Cardinals beat Texas Rangers 6-2 in the decisive seventh game and won baseball's World Series 2011
St Louis Cardinals drew level in the bottom of the first innings after Rangers starter Matt Harrison walked Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman.
The stage was set for Game Six hero David Freese, who steered a double into left field to score both runners and level the score at 2-2.
While Carpenter, pitching on only three days’ rest, threw five scoreless innings, St Louis Cardinals took the lead for the first time when Allen Craig smashed his homer over the right field fence.
Allen Craig was only starting the game as regular left fielder Matt Holliday was ruled out with a sprained right wrist he sustained in Game Six.
St Louis Cardinals threatened another rally in the bottom of the fifth when reliever Scott Feldman walked Allen Craig and hit Albert Pujols with a pitch.
Lance Berkman grounded out, but Texas Rangers gambled by intentionally walking Freese to load the bases for Yadier Molina – and it backfired as Feldman walked in a run.
That prompted Washington to lift Scott Feldman in favour of CJ Wilson – who had started Games One and Five but began his career as a closer – and the left-hander’s first pitch hit Rafael Furcal to walk in another run and leave the Rangers trailing 5-2.
Allen Craig made a great leaping catch in front of the left-field fence to deny Nelson Cruz a home run, while Chris Carpenter was eventually pulled early in the seventh innings as manager Tony La Russa – the master of matching pitchers with specific batters – turned to his bullpen.
“I was hoping to have an opportunity to go ahead and pitch in this game and fortunately it worked out,” said Chris Carpenter.
“It started off a little rough in the first. But I was able to collect myself, make some pitches and our guys did an awesome job to battle back.”
Lance Berkman, a Texan who was a World Series runner-up with Houston Astros in 2005, hustled well to start another St Louis Cardinals rally in the seventh innings, and this time Mike Adams was the Rangers reliever to suffer as Yadier Molina drove in Berkman to make it 6-2.
With the record 47,399 crowd joined by thousands more surrounding Busch Stadium to share St Louis Cardinals’ moment of glory, Jason Motte was handed the chance to come in as closer and retired the side in style.
Fittingly, it was Allen Craig in left field who caught a David Murphy fly ball for the final out as St Louis Cardinals wrapped up their 11th Fall Classic triumph.
Five ideas for a last minute Halloween costume that can be picked up at your local thrift store or the back of your closet:
The 99%: Make a sign and wear your grungy clothes to dress up as a political protester. Keep it in the spirit of Halloween by protesting the living or protesting for more candy.
The 99 per cent protester Halloween costume
Your Facebook profile: Take a piece of white poster board and decorate it like your Facebook profile. Cut out a window for your “profile picture” and simply hold the board up to your face. Bonus points: cover the poster board with a sheet of lamination film to make a write on-wipe off surface, then tape a dry erase marker to your board so friends can add “updates” to your “page.”
Instant cowboy: If you have jeans, boots and a long sleeve shirt you can dress up as a cowboy. Add a Nerf gun or cap pistol from the toy aisle and you’re ready to rustle up Halloween fun.
Tourist: If you have a Hawaiian shirt, this one is a cinch. Dig in the back of your closet for an old 35mm camera (or two) to hang around your neck. Bonus points: wear a set of mouse ears or other souvenir hat from a past vacation.
Thrift store zombie: Fenton has two thrift stores to search for frightfully cheap Halloween costumes: Value Village and Goodwill. Thrift store clothes are cheap enough that you can tear them up and splatter them with blood, and just throw them away when your spooky evening is over.
Forecasts for north eastern US have changed in the last couple of days and the prospect of a snow-free Halloween weekend have now gone.
October has been relatively mild so far but now north eastern states are suddenly braced for snow this weekend.
Low pressure will track up the East Coast on Saturday possibly bringing significant amounts of the white stuff across the tri-state area, Pennsylvania and New England.
New York has received measurable snow before Halloween only three times since 1869 – and never more than one inch, which is what some experts are predicting.
It would be the earliest one-inch snowfall in New York since the Civil War.
Forecasts for north eastern US have changed in the last couple of days and the prospect of a snow-free Halloween weekend have now gone
The heaviest snow falls are expected between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday night, although the temperatures could bring light snow throughout the night.
Temperatures in the 30s and 40s and wind chills in the 20s will make it feel like winter has truly arrived.
Forecasters at weather.com say the heaviest amounts of snow will fall in parts of Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, upstate New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
These areas could see between two to four inches late on Saturday.
Weather.com said: “Precipitation will start as rain in these locations, but may change over to snow. How quickly this occurs and how much snow falls is dependent on the availability of enough cold air, which is difficult to forecast early in the season.”
Early season snows, when the leaves are still on the trees, are notorious for causing tree damage and power outages and this storm will be no exception.
The biggest impact from the weekend’s storm will not come from snow accumulation, but from the rain and melted snow freezing on bridges and overpasses.
Sunday morning could be particularly treacherous on the roads.
Overnight freeze warnings are in effect across the north east region.
The forecast for the country is mostly dry, though a few disturbances could bring some showers to parts of Pennsylvania and upstate New York.
Goodwill is in the process of promoting a “being green” campaign, with management officials at the store chain noting that every costume or item bought at Goodwill is one less item in a landfill.
According to Goodwill, the 26 stores in Northern New England are stocked with items from nearly one million donors.
The Goodwill store on Loudon Road still has a bunch of different costume ideas and many other Halloween accessories.
Assistant Manager Dawn Cole noted that they have already gone through six racks full of clothes with Halloween costume potential, including old prom dresses, wedding gowns, princess outfits, superhero costumes, scrubs, “crazy jackets,” or orange T-shirts with Halloween slogans and logs.
Goodwill store still has a bunch of different costume ideas and many other Halloween accessories
“What we do is when we’re process things, which is how we go through our donations and hang clothes to sell, we’ll find that have been donated from the 1960s, things that people aren’t going to wear, and we’ll set them aside for Halloween,” she said.
Goodwill also receive costumes from stores that go out of business.
“For usually under $10, they can get a $200 costume,” Dawn Cole said.
Dawn Cole said there have been “lots and lots and lots of people” coming through the store of late. She said there were more sales on a Saturday last week than when the store held a bridal show earlier this year. Cole said business has been steady and growing in recent years.
“We’d like to think we’re recession proof, because of where our price line is,” she said.
“But that’s not always the case. The customers can vary from a guy who lives in a tent down by the Merrimack River to the guy who drives up in the Mercedes. That’s my customer base. It’s not just people who can’t shop in regular retail stores. It’s everybody.”
Goodwill not only sells used items but also new items that are often bought by the store in bulk, according to Dawn Cole. She said the store offers new items of things one might not want to buy used like socks and underwear. Those items tend to be priced lower than most retail outlets, even if they aren’t donated to the store, she said.
Halloween is nearly upon us and with it, the need for some seriously spooky last minute costumes. So whether you seek some full-on Dracula attire, a ghostly frock, a dash of fake blood or pair of comedy fangs, you’ll find them all here:
London’s most famous and well-equipped fancy dress shop stocks everything from opulent Elizabethan frocks to contemporary, freakish rubber costumes. There are new costumes being added constantly, from Angry Birds to the Honey Monster. Online store is also excellent.
One of London’s biggest and best second-hand shops and an excellent place to get kitted out for a fancy-dress party, with a mighty selection of cheap garments and accessories from the 1920s-1980s. They’ll be choosing extra stock especially for Halloween so there will be plenty to choose from for vintage scares. Also have branches in Dalston, Soho and Brighton.
Charles H. Fox Ltd., 22 Tavistock Street, WC2E 7PY (020 7257 6159)
This is the place professionals in the film and theatre industries come for make-up, wigs, latex and lashes. 1-2-1 tranny workshops are also on offer, alongside glamour, editorial and avant-garde make-up workshops.
An impressive selection of authentic-looking costumes and trimmings but at a price: around £80 an outfit for a week’s hire. Their attention to detail makes them a popular choice for costume drama inspired dress. If you’re channeling Downton Abbey or Jane Eyre, The Costume Studio can help.
Find your memorable Halloween costume in one of the London shops
This well-known Camden shop has an extensive range of masks and accessories, as well as full character outfits from Harry Potter to Superman. You can also order from their website to avoid the inevitable and enormous Halloween queues.
With more than 35,000 costumes from historical to comic, crammed into a warehouse basement, this is Old Street’s hidden gem. These guys are well prepped for Halloween, but transformed many people’s outfits during Vintage at Southbank too.
National Theatre Costume Hire, Chichester House, Kennington Park Business Estate, 1-3 Brixton Road, SW9 6DE (020 7735 4774).
Any member of the public can can make an appointment at the National Theatre’s costume warehouse, whether they’re looking for a specific item or a whole ensemble. Rails are arranged chronologically from dramatic 18th century ballgowns to 1920s flapper dresses for women, and top hats and tails to Elizabethan ruffs and doublets for men. Enthusiastic staff are on hand to help you build a top-to-toe look.
Prangsta, 304 New Cross Road, SE14 6AF (020 8694 9869).
A bespoke costumier in New Cross with a unique made-to-measure service as well as ready made costumes and staff who can help you put an outfit together thanks to their styling service. This is the go-to venue for circus styling, and 18th century outfits are their bestsellers, but recent demand means they’ve just increased their 1920s range.
A vast selection of theatrical make-up, fake eyelashes and body jewellery will help you get into character. Plenty of scary effects available for Halloween, from realistic gelatin wounds to dental fit vampire fangs. Book in for a dramatic make-over if you’d like them to do the hard part for you.
MTV’s most famous animated duo, Beavis and Butt-Head made their triumphant return last night.
From hilarious commentary about other MTV shows to plenty of misadventures and snarky asides from the Beavis and Butt-Head, there’s a lot to love about this reboot – as especially evidenced by the three funniest moments from the premiere.
To toast the launch of the much-talked-about Beavis and Butt-Head series reboot, some of the original B&B pioneers, including Baboon Animation and Titmouse staff, reunited last night over drinks and to watch the premiere, at Blue Haven, a pub in Manhattan.
Included among the butt-munchers were some of today’s strongest powerhouses in new media and animation for both kids and adults.
Among participants were Emmy-nominated director-writer Mike de Seve, known for his writing/directing work on DreamWorks’ Madagascar and Monsters vs. Aliens, and directing several SNL shorts, over 50 episodes of the Beavis and Butt-Head series, Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas, and on the B&B feature film; Kit Lybourne, an Executive Producer of the original Liquid Television, on which Beavis and Butt-Head premiered in 1993 and co-founder of the Oxygen network and The Whistle, a new transmedia sports network for kids; Machi Tantillo, former Studio Director at MTV Animation and executive at Oxygen; and directors and artists from Adult Swim’s Superjail and The Venture Brothers series.
Beavis and Butt-Head series reboot premiered last night in New York
Only few of the original crew went back to their seats to help on the Beavis and Butt-Head reboot in Los Angeles, but most are on to new territories like iPad and transmedia, said Mike de Seve.
“The new Beavis is just hilarious. But I think a lot of us can’t help ourselves-breaking the new ground is what gets our motors going” Mike de Seve said. “Rrrrrrr,” he added, “Like that.”
Superjail co-creator Ben Gruber, who broke into the biz through Beavis and Butt-Head and also Mike de Seve’s writing team at MTV Films, remembers the B&B crew:
“They were some of the kindest and some of the filthiest people I ever worked with.”
“It was a blast. B&B was fun, it was provocative, and it was actually universal in the same way that Dreamworks and Pixar movies are. No, I’m serious,” said Mike de Seve over a bottom-shelf whiskey.
“The point is, make it from the heart – characters who really, really want something that you can relate to, and are going for it against absolutely impossible odds. That works whether it’s chicks and beer they want, or to find Nemo. That drive is what gets audiences cheering. And in B&B fans’ case, farting.”
Ben Gruber recalled about the Beavis and Butt-Head crew:
“It was just a really great, nice group of people. We were all young. We’d work hard during the day, then go out drinking at Siberia, this bar actually down in the subway. If you worked all night (studio head) Machi would give you a toothbrush in the morning.”
Former MTV Animation VP John Andrews (now a development executive at Six Point Harness, makers of MTV’s other premiering cartoon, Good Vibes) joined the party by teleconference.
John Andrews recalls: “It was amazing to have your own cartoon studio right in the middle of Times Square. Like having a pinball machine in your living room.”
He also remembers that it occasionally got hairy, like the time a Beavis and Butt-Head episode was so controversial they had to move Mike Judge’s voice recording to a secret location for a week.
“And we hired Joe Frasier’s nephew as bodyguard,” says John Andrews.
“He was large,” says Mike de Seve.
“We needed large.”
Mike de Seve noted: “It’s amazing to me that so many friends and colleagues still work together. We’re not afraid to try new things. Have you had this calamari with bacon sauce for example?”
Ben Gruber is currently writing with Mike de Seve’s collective, Baboon Animation, on KikoRiki, which is the number one cartoon in Russia today.
“We’ve gone global,” laughs Mike de Seve.
“Till they take our passports.”
Baboon Animation is a collective of NY and LA writers, directors and artists in animation and new media, whose motto is “Cartoons for Humans.”
Baboon is providing the writing for Russia’s number one family series, KikoRiki; and Kit Laybourne’s new transmedia network The Whistle; and providing the writing and co-direction on the 5-star-rated iPad spy app, Operation Ajax from Cognito Comics (due for full release November 16).
Sinead O’Connor debuted her newly shaven head and her tattoos at amfAR Inspiration Gala in Hollywood last night.
With her fuller figure, unmatching purple dress and ensemble of tattoos, Sinead O’Connor, 44, looked a far from her chart-topping self in the 1990s.
The Irish singer explained in an interview once: “I’d been trying to grow it, but someone asked if I was Enya. I was so shocked, I shaved all my hair off.
“I don’t feel like me unless I have my hair shaved. So even when I’m an old lady, I’m going to have it.”
Sinead O’Connor and Blondie singer Deborah Harry looked more erratic than elegant as they posed together at the amfAR Inspiration Gala held at West Hollywood hotel, The Château Marmont.
Sinead O’Connor showed off her colourful Jesus tattoo in the centre of her chest and the inking down her forearms.
Sinead O’Connor and Deborah Harry looked more erratic than elegant as they posed together at the amfAR Inspiration Gala held at West Hollywood hotel, The Château Marmont
Deborah Harry also looked bizarre, with an unflattering tartan red, black and white dress which she eccentrically teamed with fishnet pop socks, black elbow length gloves and high heels.
The singers seemed particularly happy to see each other at the event, in aid of amfAR, the foundation for AIDS research, and posed for several photographs together.
Sinead O’Connor has recently been hitting the headlines for her personal life, splitting from her third husband Steve Cooney in March.
Sinead O’Connor has also recently criticized the UK X Factor for the way the judges treat the contestants.
“I find it hard to watch it,” the singer said.
“I don’t think the people running the show are the kind of people who think about the effect of their behaviour upon people.”
Sinead O’Connor and Deborah Harry also performed at the event which attracted many celebrities as Sandra Bullock, Colin Farrell and Rose McGowan.
Sinead O’Connor put in an energetic performance on the outdoor stage to the assembled partygoers.
Deborah Harry, 66, tours and releases records with Blondie which still consists of her former boyfriend Chris Stein.
Ashley Brown, mother of a three-year-old girl rescued her daughter from a burning building by tossing her from a third-story window.
Ashley Brown, 23, from Stone Mountain, Georgia, said her first thought was to save her two babies when a fire broke out from a ground floor apartment, leaving the family trapped inside.
A video footage shows the frantic Ashley Brown manoeuvring her toddler down the building, after dropping her six-month-old son into a stranger’s arms.
Lawrence Fort caught the baby moments after a kitchen fire broke out in his apartment.
After pounding on neighbours’ doors to alert them of the fire, Lawrence Fort saw the family of three was trapped, grabbed a fluffy coat and yelled to the mother to drop her baby into his arms.
Ashley Brown, mother of a three-year-old girl rescued her daughter from a burning building by tossing her from a third-story window
Ashley Brown said dropping the baby was “the most difficult decision of her life”, according to local TV station Channel 2.
The mother-of-two also told AJC.com: “Some people were saying drop him. And some people were saying don’t.
“He looked at me and I looked at him. I said <<Please catch my baby>>. He said, <<I promise I will>>, and he caught him.”
From the balcony, Ashley Brown dropped her baby, James. Then, the woman tied a rope to her three-year-old daughter Jayda’s waist and arm, and lowered the child to a crowd of neighbours.
The incident was captured on a cell phone with video showing the rope slipping from the toddler’s ankle and catching her at the ankle as the child tumbles into a crowd below.
Ashley Brown and her six-month-old son, James
Ashley Brown was reportedly helping her mother-in-law, Denise Watson, to safety when fire and rescue officials arrived to the scene, and she was rescued.
According to AJC, fire damaged the building in the 500 block of 3 Oaks Bend after starting at approximately 6:45 p.m.
DeKalb Police Officer Miguel Anchundia said authorities also helped two other women trapped in another apartment on the third floor.
It was reported that a cat also survived after being tossed from a third-floor window.
According to police, four people, including the children, were transported to a hospital in stable condition. AJC reports Ashley Brown’s both children are doing fine after the ordeal.
Alexa Ray Joel revealed an ex-boyfriend gave her an STI, HPV, during a bizarre interview.
Alexa Ray Joel, 25, made the shocking revelation that she contracted HPV (human papillomavirus) while speaking with XO Jane.
During the interview XO Jane began talking about when an ex-boyfriend have given her a sexually transmitted disease, then Alexa Ray Joel, who is the daughter of Joel and Christine Brinkley, revealed she had contracted HPV.
Alexa Ray Joel said: “I had it. But I mean, a lot of people get it from my ex.
“I mean it was fine, you know. There are no side effects.
“You just go and get it taken care of.”
Alexa Ray Joel revealed an ex-boyfriend gave her an STI, HPV, during a bizarre interview
Alexa Ray Joel, who is also a singer and a songwriter just like her father, said:
“It’s something like, I think the statistics were something like 98% of people will have it.”
While Alexa Ray Joel revealed she was living with the ex, at the time she did not give the name of the man who she believes gave her the disease.
HPV, which has nearly 200 known types, causes no symptoms in most people some types can cause warts while others can lead to cancer in the genital areas.
In 2009, Alexa Ray Joel swallowed a handful of sleeping pills in what was reported as a suicide attempt following a break-up with her boyfriend.
After the ambulance came, Alexa Ray Joel was taken to New York’s St. Vincent’s Hospital where she was treated and released after a few hours.
In 2010, she spoke about the incident for the first time saying: “My West Village apartment never felt like my home. It was lonely. I was out of a relationship, and I was struggling with it. It was too big for me.”
“I have a flair for the dramatic,” Alexa Ray Joel told the New York Post of the incident.
“I got caught up in my own head. It was a panic. I didn’t want to die. I just didn’t want to feel what I was feeling at that moment anymore.”
Alexa Ray Joel’s drama was triggered by her split from boyfriend of five years, rock musician Jimmy Riot, whom she met when she was 19 and he was 34.
A major British study found that taking aspirin regularly can reduce the long-term risk of cancer by 60%.
Researchers found that aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer by 60% in people with a family history of the disease.
The huge study covered 16 countries and is the first proof that aspirin has a preventive action that is likely to benefit anyone using it every day.
Many people who take low-dose aspirin to prevent heart disease will gain from its anti-cancer properties, while healthy people may follow the example of increasing numbers of doctors who take it for insurance.
A major British study found that taking aspirin regularly can reduce the long-term risk of cancer by 60 per cent
The study included 861 patients with Lynch syndrome, a genetic fault leading to bowel and other cancers at an early age, half of them were given two aspirins a day, 600 mg in total, for two years.
The rest of the patients included in the study were given placebo, or dummy, pills, says a report published online in The Lancet medical journal.
Initially, the researchers found no change in cancer rates between the groups. However, when they followed up the study after 5 years, they detected a significant difference.
By 2010, the researchers had identified a total of 19 new bowel cancers among those given aspirin and 34 among the placebo group, a cut of 44% among patients taking the drug.
Then, researchers focused on the 60% of patients who they were certain had conscientiously taken aspirin for at least two years they found an even more striking result.
In that group, only ten cancers were discovered compared with 23 in the placebo group, a cut of 63%.
Rates of other cancers linked to Lynch syndrome were almost halved by taking aspirin.
Professor Sir John Burn from Newcastle University, who led the research, said:
“What we have finally shown is that aspirin has a major preventive effect on cancer but it doesn’t become apparent until years later.”
The study is being hailed as the last piece of the jigsaw after years spent trying to prove that aspirin has a direct effect in stopping tumours.
A big step forward came last year with a study which showed that low-dose aspirin cuts overall death rates by a third after five years’ use.
However, it used records to look at the incidental benefits for patients taking it to stave off further heart attacks and strokes. The latest trial actually set out to prove that cancer could be prevented in people taking it for no other reason.
According to experts, healthy middle-aged people who start taking aspirin around the age of 45 or 50 for 20 to 30 years could expect to reap the most benefit because cancer rates rise with age.
There is widespread concern that side-effects such as stomach bleeding and haemorrhagic stroke outweigh any advantage among healthy people.
Prof. Burn, who takes aspirin every day, estimates there are 30,000 people with Lynch syndrome in the UK who might benefit from aspirin treatment.
“If we put them all on two aspirins a day now, in the next 30 years or so we would prevent 10,000 cancers. On the other hand, this would cause around 1,000 ulcers.
“If we can prevent 10,000 cancers in return for 1,000 ulcers and 100 strokes, in most people’s minds that’s a good deal, especially if you’ve grown up in a family with three, four, five, six people who have had cancer.
“On the other hand, if you’re just in the general population and you don’t have cancer in your family, then that’s going to be a much finer balance.”
According to Prof. Burn, further research will take place to discover the ideal dose of aspirin.
Angry at the fate of the euro, Greeks are comparing the German government with the Nazis who occupied their country in the Second World War.
In a Greek newspaper some cartoons have presented modern-day German officials dressed in Nazi uniform.
Meanwhile, a street poster depicts Chancellor Angela Merkel dressed as an officer in Hitler’s regime accompanied with the words: “Public nuisance”.
Angela Merkel wears a swastika armband bearing the EU stars logo on the outside.
The campaign has been provoked by Germany’s role in driving through painful measures to stop Greece’s debt crisis from spiralling out of control.
Angela Merkel wears a swastika armband bearing the EU stars logo on the outside
Greek people are furious at the deal; even though it means the banks will write off 50% of the country’s debt and Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou said his country had “avoided a mortal national danger”.
In the same time, Greek opposition blasted the landmark agreement, with conservatives warning it condemned the country to “nine more years of collapse and poverty”.
The Greek government officials, who agreed to the belt-tightening moves, have been also portrayed in cartoons giving the Nazi “Sieg Heil” salute.
Germany’s interference has revived historical enmities and evoked comparisons to the massive destruction of Greece at the hands of Hitler’s Germany more than 65 years ago.
Cartoons have sprung up depicting the European Union’s “troika” as ferocious soldiers in Second World War uniforms.
The liberal newspaper Eleftherotypia is regularly targeting Greek finance minister Evangelos Venizelos, who is often shown in cartoons making a Nazi salute.
One of the cartoons shows a German soldier watching over Minister Evangelos Venizelos as he barks at a Greek citizen to pay more taxes.
Another cartoon presents a young Greek answering a German soldier asking why there were no names on a list of Greece’s newly formed labour reserve, saying: “They are empty as you exterminated the Communists, the Jews, the homosexuals, the gypsies and the crazies last time.”
Ferhat Tokay, a 13-year-old boy has been pulled alive from the rubble in Ercis after 108 hours since earthquake hit the south-eastern Turkey.
Ferhat Tokay was rescued from a collapsed building in Ercis.
Only few hours before the boy has been rescued, another man was freed from a flattened apartment block and taken to hospital.
According to Turkish authorities, 570 people are known to have died in Sunday’s 7.2-magnitude quake and more than 2,500 were injured.
Up to now, 187 people have been rescued, but hundreds are still missing and hopes are fading of finding any more survivors.
Meanwhile, rain and snow are hindering the rescue and relief effort.
Ferhat Tokay, a 13-year-old boy has been pulled alive from the rubble in Ercis after 108 hours since earthquake hit the south-eastern Turkey
Ferhat Tokay, the rescued 13-year-old boy was found alive late on Thursday and pulled out by search teams early in the morning.
“He was taken to hospital in Sahra and his health appears good,” said a rescue official.
Rescue workers are continuing to dig through the debris in some places, but at other sites they have stopped work and attention is turning to the needs of the survivors.
Authorities delivered tents and other aid supplies are being after some initial criticism that the response was too slow.
People in Ercis, the hardest-hit town, have formed long queues to try to get hold of tents but many have been told there are none left.
“Everyone is getting sick and wet,” said Fetih Zengin, 38, whose house was badly damaged.
“We have been waiting in line for four days and still nothing.”
Zeki Yatkin, who lost his father in the quake, said:
“They say we will get prefabricated houses in one-and-a-half months.
“We can’t tolerate the cold, but what else can we do?”
Yesterday, the south-eastern Turkey was hit again by another 5.2-magnitude aftershock, but there are no reports of any further casualties.
Turkish PM Recep Erdogan had initially said country did not need any help from abroad, but later changed his mind.
Turkish government accepted an offer of clothes, blankets and other supplies from Israel, despite the recent deterioration in their relationship.
There are also reports saying that prefabricated homes from Israel have been sent to Van province.
The United Nations says it is sending thousands of tents as well as blankets and mattresses.
Aid from several other countries is starting to arrive in Turkey too.
A small passenger aircraft crashed on Russ Baker Way, a busy street from Richmond, Canada, injuring all nine aboard, but miraculously all passengers were alive.
The aircraft broke in half and burst into flames as it hit the ground near Vancouver International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
Three people, two of them believed to be crew members, are in critical condition. A person on the ground was also injured in the crash and taken to hospital.
A small passenger aircraft crashed on Russ Baker Way, a busy street from Richmond, Canada, injuring all nine aboard, but miraculously all passengers were alive
The Beech King Air 100 caught fire after it came to rest on a street just 900 meteres from Vancouver International Airport.
Witness Steven Baran told CBC News that the aircraft slammed onto the road and slid into a car before stopping.
Steven Baran, who works for the post office at the airport, said no-one in the car appeared to be hurt and his first instinct was to help the plane passengers.
“The rear door was ajar and one of the fellows pulled it down. One after another, we just pulled passengers out real quick.”
According to Alyssa Polinsky, spokeswoman for Vancouver Coastal Health, three people were taken to Vancouver General Hospital in critical condition, while three more were stable.
Another three people were taken to the nearby Richmond General Hospital with injuries considered to be non-life threatening.
A pedestrian was also sent to hospital after being struck by a flying object. The person’s condition was unknown.
Two people in a car were also reported to have suffered minor injuries.
During an interview, Alyssa Polinsky said:
”We have everything from burns to fractures and back injuries.”
She also said she had no information on any identities.
The aircraft capacity is up to nine passengers.
“The plane’s basically broken in half, as far as I can see,” said Graeme Wallace, who works at a nearby pilot supply store.
Graeme Wallace also said about half of the plane was burning, but emergency crews put out the fire.
The aircraft was operated by British Columbia-based Northern Thunderbird Air and was bound for Kelowna.
According to Bill Yearwood, from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the flight took off at 3:40 p.m. but turned around when the crew got the “indication of a problem” about 15 minutes after take-off.
The plane did not make it back to the airport, crashing on Russ Baker Way in Richmond, about 900 metres short of the runway.
In an audio recording, obtained by CBC News, the pilot can be heard telling air traffic control that he is declaring an emergency and turning back to Vancouver, but is confident he can reach the airfield.
The air traffic controller asks the pilot to confirm whether he “doesn’t need equipment or help” on the runway.
The pilot responds: “Negative, everything’s good here at the moment”.
Visibility was good with clear skies at the time of the crash, according to meteorologists.
Vancouver Airport Authority went into emergency mode at 4:12 p.m. local time.
Charla Nash, the woman who had her face and hands ripped off in a horrifying attack by a pet chimpanzee has spoken publicly for the first time since she had a face transplant.
Charla Nash, 55, is single mother from Stamford, Connecticut, nearly died after the mauling in 2009.
The woman tried to catch her boss’ escaped pet ape Travis, when the 14-year-old male chimp went berserk.
The chimp attack left Charla Nash terribly disfigured, but a 20-hour operation earlier this year that involved scores of doctors has given her a new face.
Charla Nash has decided today to bravely face the cameras.
Charla Nash has spoken publicly for the first time since she had a face transplant
Charla Nash’s interview is part of a documentary series called Extraordinary People.
Charla Nash said: “A lot of people tell me I look beautiful and I never had anyone tell me that before.
“I look OK now and I don’t have to worry about scaring anyone.”
The chimp attack has left Charla Nash blind, but family members have been doing everything in their power to help her through her ordeal.
Charla Nash before the chimp attack
Charla Nash spoke of her disappointment that her hand transplant was unsuccessful, but she’s optimistic she may one day get a successful hand transplant.
Charla Nash’s recovery will take years and she will always have to take anti-rejection drugs.
One of her doctors, Bohdan Pomahac said it would be a gradual recovery.
“Nine months to a year is typically when they can control the face and smile,” Dr. Pomahac said.
Charla Nash’s twin brother, Mike said: “I saw her and I said <<wow>>. It’s amazing, the miracles of science.”
Despite her trauma, Charla Nash remains determined to lead as normal a life as possible.
“I think in the beginning, I always wondered <<why me?>>
“But then again, my whole life has not been easy but I never gave up.”
Charla Nash’s face transplant operation was carried out in May, when more than 30 surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, led by Dr. Bohdan Pomanhac, worked to rebuilt her face.
The team kept the date secret to protect Charla Nash’s privacy.
The doctors took the donor’s skin, underlying muscle, nerves and upper palate and transplanted the whole face on to Charla Nash’s skull.
Charla Nash’s hands had to be removed after she developed severe complications, including kidney failure and pneumonia, which caused low circulation in the new hands.
She has hidden her face under a veil for the past two years.
Charla Nash bravely revealed her disfigured features in an interview with Oprah Winfrey just a few months after the attack, when she said:
“I wear (the veil) so I don’t scare people. Sometimes other people might insult you, so I figure maybe it’s easier if I just walk around covered up.”
The chimp that attacked Charla Nash two years ago was later shot by police. Sandra Herold, the chimp owner speculated the pet was trying to protect her and didn’t recognize Charla Nash because she had changed her hairstyle.
Sandra Herold died of an aneurysm in 2010.
Charla Nash’s family are suing her estate for $50million and wants to sue the state for $150million, saying officials failed to prevent the attack.
Steven Tyler, Aerosmith front man has struggled with addiction problems for most of his life but this morning he spoke out on The Today Show to refute claims that his horrific fall on Tuesday was caused by intoxication.
Steven Tyler, 63, called in to The Today Show to discuss the issue with host Matt Lauer and revealed an image of himself taken shortly after the fall in which he sported broken teeth and a nasty black eye.
The singer, who fell whilst taking a shower, first entered rehab back in 1984 but insists that this time he was completely sober.
Steven Tyler revealed on The Today Show an image of himself taken shortly after the fall in which he sported broken teeth and a nasty black eye
“I went in looking like Baryshnikov, and walked out looking like [boxer] Leon Spinks!” Steven Tyler told Matt Lauer.
“Just quite frankly I passed out… I fell on my face, I woke up with the water running on me, not knowing where the hell I was.”
When Matt Lauer approached the subject of a relapse, Steven Tyler was only too happy to clear the air.
“Being in the program I’m in, it’s something we have to accept. I went public with my problems only to address them straight on – people thinking [I relapsed] is natural and normal.”
“It still bothers me a little, but it’s something I’ll have to deal with the rest of my life.”
Obviously it takes more than a nasty knock to keep him down, and last night Steven Tyler proved his resilience.
Steven Tyler took to the stage in Paraguay for a make-up concert to replace the one he missed the previous night due to a nasty shower fall.
“I wore my sunglasses for my first song, took ’em off and the crowd roared.
“Not only did I break my face but we broke the house record – life is beautiful Matt!”
Steven Tyler has a black eye and had two new teeth implanted in the wake of the accident for which he was hospitalized, meaning that he had to cancel the original concert.
He performed at the Jockey Club in Asuncion with all his usual gusto, clearly not allowing his injuries to distract him from the show.
Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry tweeted: “Steven even played harp with his busted lip my mind was blown. He put on one of his best shows ever. Aerosmith rocks on.”
“Gotta hand it to Steven for playing the show tonight considering how sick was from food poisoning the night before. He’s amazing.”
Steven Tyler suffered a cut on his forehead and knocked out two teeth after he fell in a hotel shower during a stop on Aerosmith’s South American tour.
He was taken to hospital for a CT and walked out by himself a few hours later.
Steven Tyler is fine and back in action thanks to a Paraguyan dentist who replaced his missing teeth.
The dentist, Maria Bastos, called into a local radio station today claiming that the singer is “doing splendidly” after the procedure.
Steven Tyler’s daughter Mia thanked fans on Twitter for “all the love regarding my dad and his accident”, adding:
“My dad takes a lickin but always keeps on tickin. Can’t nothin bring down the Demon Of Screamin!”
Steven Tyler was staying at the Bourbon Hotel in Asuncion, Paraguay, where he was due to perform a concert tonight with his band, Aerosmith.
Facebook has a new server farm located in the northern Swedish city of Lulea.
Facebook’s Lulea plant is the firm’s first facility outside the U.S., in a location chosen because the fierce cold will help to keep the company’s racks of high-performance computers cool.
The company looked at several sites across Europe, and picked Lulea for its cold climate. The move will see Facebook become faster for European users.
“Facebook has more users outside the U.S. than inside,” said Tom Furlong, Facebook director of site operations.
“It was time for us to expand in Europe.”
Tom Furlong said users across Europe would get better performance from having a node for data traffic closer to them.
Facebook’s Lulea plant is the firm's first facility outside the US, in a location chosen because the fierce cold will help to keep the company's racks of high-performance computers cool
Facebook currently stores data at its sites in California, Virginia and Oregon and is building another facility in North Carolina.
Companies rely on additional data centres not only to provide faster connections for people nearby, but also as backup in event of a system failure.
BlackBerry’s recent service collapse showed how much damage can be caused by companies having too few data centres to shoulder the load if one hits a technical hitch.
Lulea is located 60 miles (100 kilometers), south of the Arctic Cicle and lies near hydropower stations on a river that generates twice as much electricity as the Hoover Dam on the border of Nevada and Arizona, Facebook said.
In case of a blackout, construction designs call for each building to have 14 backup diesel generators with a total output of 40 MW.
Facebook’s Lulea data center, which will consist of three 300,000-square foot (28,000-square meter) server buildings, is scheduled for completion by 2014. Lulea site will need 120 MW of energy, fully derived from hydropower.
While many server farms rely on chiller systems, Facebook’s will use an advanced cooling system powered by evaporating water.
For around eight months of the year, Lulea plant will cool itself using the icy outside air.
The heat from the server racks will also warm up the offices at the plant.
Facebook didn’t comment on the price of its investment, but Lulea officials have previously projected construction costs of up to 5 billion kronor ($760 million).
“We knocked on doors at Facebook’s head office (in Palo Alto, California) and today they’re moving in to Lulea – this is huge, really huge,” said Matz Engman, who heads the Lulea Business Agency, a public-private partnership working to attract businesses to the region.
As winter temperatures well below freezing and summertime highs that rarely climb above 80F (25 degrees C), Lulea has used its frigid climate as a selling point in its efforts to establish itself as a hub for server farms.
It was reported that other Nordic cities have adopted similar strategies.
Google purchased a paper mill in Hamina, southern Finland, two years ago and turned it into a data center, using seawater from the Baltic Sea for its cooling system.
Servers inside data centers are the backbone of Internet services such as Facebook. The servers store and transmit billions of status updates, links, photos and all the outside apps used by Facebook’s members.
