Brazil has opened Latin America’s elephant sanctuary to provide a home for an estimated 50 circus animals from across the region.
The first residents of the elephant sanctuary are Guida and Maia, both over 40 years old.
They will be provided with veterinary care and live out their lives in forested areas with pastures.
US-based Global Sanctuary for Elephants bought the land to give the animals a refuge as zoos in the region close and more laws prohibit the use of animals in circuses.
Both elephants are thought to have come from Thailand, where they were illegally taken to be used in circus, Brazil’s G1 website reports.
The Global Sanctuary for Elephants bought the land of 2,800 acres, for $1 million to be paid over five years.
The area is located in the western state of Mato Grosso.
The first phase of the project will host up to six animals.
The elephant sanctuary will not be open for visitors.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones have been banned on all US flights after reports of the device catching fire, the US Department of Transportation has announced.
Passengers will not be able to take their Galaxy Note 7 phones on flights or in their luggage to and from the US from 16:00 GMT on October 15. The passengers attempting to travel with the device are informed that the phone will be confiscated and the traveler can be fined.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously advised against packing the phones in luggage.
Photo Samsung
This week, Samsung permanently stopped Galaxy Note 7 production.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement: “We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority.
“We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident in-flight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”
The South Korean tech giant recalled around 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7phones in September after complaints of exploding batteries.
While the company later insisted that all replaced devices were safe, there were reports that those phones were catching fire too.
Samsung then said it would stop Galaxy Note 7 production.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Elliot Kaye said: “The fire hazard with the original Note 7 and with the replacement Note 7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall.
“I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It’s the right thing to do and the safest thing to do.”
Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman will be extradited to the United States by February 2017, Mexico’s top security official says.
However, El Chapo Guzman can appeal any decision to extradite him and his lawyers say they will “fight until the end”.
El Chapo Guzman faces multiple charges in the US, including drug trafficking and murder.
The drug lord is being held in a maximum security prison in Ciudad Juarez, near the US border.
El Chapo Guzman was arrested in January after six months on the run following his escape through a tunnel in his jail cell.
He had already escaped a maximum security facility once before, spending 13 years at large.
In a TV interview, Renato Sales Heredia, Mexico’s national security commissioner, said that the government hoped to extradite the cartel boss “in January or February”.
However, El Chapo Guzman’s lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said there were too many appeals pending for the extradition to happen so quickly.
“That’s not enough time,” Jose Refugio Rodriguez said, adding that the only way to send Guzman to the US by early next year would be “to take him out [of jail] by force”.
Mexico agreed to transfer El Chapo Guzman in May after the US guaranteed he would not face the death penalty.
A judge began reviewing the case in September, but it is unclear when a ruling will be announced.
A team of surgeons in New York have separated twins Jadon and Anias McDonald who were conjoined at the tops of their heads.
The 13-month-olds underwent 16 hours of surgery, and are now undergoing additional procedures to rebuild their skulls.
On October 14, the boys’ mother, Nicole McDonald, wrote on Facebook that she is excited but “aches with the uncertainty of the future”.
Nicole McDonald also posted a photo of Jadon alone in his own hospital bed.
Image source Nicole McDonald Facebook
“I actually asked why they rearranged the room because I hadn’t really internalized the idea that there would be two beds in here,” she wrote with the photo, also wishing her son a “happy rebirth day”.
In an earlier post, Nicole McDonald wrote: “It’s a bit surreal to sit here and type this… I should feel so happy… TWO SEPARATE BABIES!!!…and yet I ache with the uncertainty of the future.”
The boys were born with shared blood vessels and brain tissues, a very rare condition that occurs once in about 10 million births, doctors say.
Dr. James Goodrich from Montefiore Medical Center, who has performed similar operations for other children including two Syrian twins earlier this year, prepared for the operation by creating 3D models of the attached heads.
The McDonalds moved house with their two-year-old son and twin boys from Chicago to New York to be closer to Montefiore hospital.
The twins’ family has raised more than $100,000 for the costs of surgery.
Donald Trump’s running mate Mike Pence has said new evidence will emerge on October 14 that will undermine the latest accusations against the Republican presidential candidate.
Mike Pence said the “Clinton political machine” was using slander and lies to deflect from real issues.
Several women have accused Donald Trump of groping them or kissing them forcibly, which he has strongly denied.
First Lady Michelle Obama said some of Donald Trump’s boasts about women were “shocking and demeaning”.
On October 14, President Barack Obama said America was a better place than Donald Trump’s remarks about women, minorities and other group suggested it was.
Photo Getty Images
Donald Trump was heard bragging on tape that he could force himself on women because he was a star.
However, Mike Pence rejected Michelle Obama’s description, saying he did not understand the basis of her claim.
Donald Trump had categorically denied the allegations and they are unsubstantiated, said the Indiana governor.
“Before the day is out there will be more evidence publicly that calls into question these allegations.”
More information will back Donald Trump’s claim that “this is all categorically false”.
When the 2005 video tape of Donald Trump’s inappropriate remarks emerged last week, Mike Pence was unequivocal in his condemnation of the remarks.
However, for dozens of Republicans, strong words were not enough and they said they could no longer endorse their party’s nominee.
At the second presidential debate on October 9, Donald Trump denied that he had ever committed assault.
A few days later, women began to come forward with stories of Donald Trump forcing himself on them.
On October 13, he was defiant, calling the women “horrible liars”.
Polls suggest Donald Trump is losing ground in some of the key battleground states.
Donald Trump has told supporters in Florida that latest groping claims are “totally and absolutely false”.
He said the women making the allegations were “horrible liars” and the media was colluding with rival Hillary Clinton.
Several women say Donald Trump groped them or forcibly kissed them.
First Lady Michelle Obama earlier said Donald Trump’s boasts about groping women were “shocking and demeaning”.
Photo AP
“Leaders should meet a basic standard of human decency,” she said during a campaign appearance in New Hampshire.
Seeing Donald Trump make inappropriate comments about women, on a video leaked last week to the Washington Post, “has shaken me to my core in a way that I cannot have predicted,” Michelle Obama said, her voice cracking with emotion.
The first lady never mentioned Donald Trump by name but her references made her target obvious.
Two women told the New York Times that Donald Trump groped or kissed them.
A People magazine reporter also said she was forcibly kissed, while another woman said Donald Trump grabbed her bottom.
Making his first public appearance since the allegations were made, Donald Trump told a rally in West Palm Beach these stories were “a conspiracy against the American people” by the political and media establishment.
Donald Trump said he had evidence the accusations were unfounded and would release that at the “appropriate time”.
In one reference, the Republican presidential runner appeared to imply People magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff could not have been telling the truth because of her appearance.
“Take a look. You take a look. Look at her, look at her words, you tell me what you think. I don’t think so, I don’t think so.”
The media, Donald Trump said, “will seek to destroy your career and your family”.
Donald Trump has threatened to sue the New York Times, which published accusations from two women on October 12.
The publication has responded by saying it would welcome the opportunity to make its case in court.
Many of the women said Donald Trump’s denial during the second presidential debate prompted them to come forward.
Hurricane Nicole has hit Bermuda, tearing roofs from buildings and uprooting trees, before moving out into the Atlantic Ocean.
It had weakened from a Category 4 to a Category 3 storm, but still had maximum sustained winds of more than 125mph.
Teams are out clearing roads and repairing buildings and power lines.
Image source National Hurricane Center
Last week Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of Haiti, killing hundreds of people.
Bermuda’s PM Michael Dunkley told Reuters: “At this point, there is no indication of any loss of life or serious injuries.”
“Nicole is now racing away,” said James Dodgson, deputy director at the Bermuda Weather Service.
“There has been a bit of sunshine trying to poke through.”
Although the impact of Hurricane Nicole was less than feared, there has been some damage to the island’s infrastructure, daily newspaper The Royal Gazette reported.
Some walls and roads had collapsed, it said, and some boats had been smashed.
Schools and government offices in Bermuda were closed on October 13 and airlines canceled flights as Hurricane Nicole approached.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been hit with a criminal summons for his alleged role in the 2013 closure of George Washington Bridge.
The case will move to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether an indictment will follow.
The news comes as two former aides of the governor are on trial for allegedly closing part of the bridge after a mayor refused to endorse the governor.
The Republican governor has repeatedly denied knowing about the lane closures.
Photo Reuters
Bridget Kelly, Chris Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, a former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey executive, are facing conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly closing part of the George Washington Bridge, a major bridge connecting New Jersey to New York City.
Federal prosecutors say the move was political retribution to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing the governor in his re-election bid.
Revelations about “Bridgegate” have dogged Chris Christie, who endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in a surprising move after dropping out of the primary race earlier this year.
Chris Christie has become a prominent supporter of his former rival, Donald Trump, and manages the New York businessman’s transition team should he win the White House.
David Wildstein, a former Port Authority official who pleaded guilty last year, testified late last month that Chris Christie was told about the bridge closure at a 9/11 memorial service two days after the lanes were blocked and laughed about the revenge plot.
Activist Bill Brennan filed the official misconduct complaint against Chris Christie in September after David Wildstein’s testimony.
The prosecutor’s office will decide whether there is enough evidence to indict Chris Christie for official misconduct, which could lead to a sentence of five to 10 years in prison.
Chris Christie appointed the prosecutor who will review the case.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office had “no comment at this time”, spokeswoman Maureen Parenta said in an email to Reuters.
Chris Christie’s spokesman Brian Murray said the ruling would be appealed and reiterated the governor had no knowledge of the plot.
“This is a dishonorable complaint filed by a known serial complainant and political activist with a history of abusing the judicial system,” he said.
“This matter has already been thoroughly investigated by three separate independent investigations.”
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has died at the age of 88.
King Bhumibol was widely revered but had been in poor health in recent years, making few public appearances.
After 70 years as head of state, the king was seen as a stabilizing figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will be the new monarch, the prime minister has said.
After two days of speculation and rumors surrounding King Bhumibol’s deteriorating health, the palace announcement confirming the monarch’s death finally came early on Thursday evening, October 13.
“His majesty has passed away at Siriraj Hospital peacefully,” a statement said, adding he had died at 15:52 local time.
In a TV address to the nation, PM Prayut Chan-ocha said Thailand would hold a one-year mourning period, that flags would fly half-mast and all entertainment functions must be “toned down” for a month.
In a later statement the prime minister urged vigilance, saying national security was a top priority.
“Everyone will need to be alert in every region and throughout the country to ensure safety,” he said.
King Bhumibol’s death comes as Thailand remains under military rule following a coup in 2014.
A palace official, speaking to crowds outside the hospital, said the king’s body would be moved to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok on October 14.
The king was widely respected across Thailand, and thought of by many as semi-divine.
Hundreds of mourners gathered outside the Bangkok hospital where he died, stricken with grief at the news.
Many held pictures of King Bhumibol and wore yellow or pink clothing in his honor.
Although the prime minister said Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn would become the new monarch, he added that the official proclamation would be made at a later date.
PM Prayut Chan-ocha said the crown prince had confirmed that he would perform his duty as heir to the throne, but had asked for time to mourn his father’s death.
The 64-year-old crown prince is much less well known to Thais and has not attained his father’s widespread popularity. He spends much of his time overseas, especially in Germany.
King Bhumibol, who was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, acceded to the throne on June 9, 1946 after his brother, King Ananda Mahidol, died.
Though a constitutional monarch with limited official powers, many Thais looked to King Bhumibol to him to intervene in times of high tension. He was seen as a unifying and calming influence through numerous coups and 20 constitutions.
However, the king’s critics argued he had endorsed military takeovers and at times had failed to speak out against human rights abuses.
Following the death of King Bhumibol, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has become the world longest-reigning monarch, having been on the throne for 64 years.
The 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Bob Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941, and began his musical career in 1959, playing in coffee houses in Minnesota.
Image source Wikipedia
Much of Bob Dylan’s best-known work dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal historian of America’s troubles.
Songs like Blowin’ in the Wind and The Times They are A-Changin’ became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements.
Bob Dylan’s move away from traditional folk songwriting, paired with a controversial decision to “go electric” proved equally influential.
His many albums include Highway 61 Revisited in 1965, Blonde on Blonde in 1966 and Blood on the Tracks in 1975.
Since the late 1980s Bob Dylan has toured persistently, an undertaking he has dubbed the Never-Ending Tour.
Bob Dylan had long been tipped as a potential Nobel recipient, but few experts expected the academy to extend the prestigious award to a genre such as folk rock music.
The award will be presented alongside this year’s other five Nobel Prizes on December 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel’s 1896 death.
Two new women accuse Donald Trump of inappropriate contact, after media outlets reported claims from several women.
Both of them told the New York Times that Donald Trump groped or kissed them.
A reporter for People magazine wrote a first person account describing being forcibly kissed by Donald Trump.
The Republican nominee’s campaign have rejected the claims, describing the NYT article as “defamatory”.
Donald Trump’s camp has made public a letter to the NYT threatening legal action unless the paper retracts the article, which it called “a politically-motivated effort to defeat Mr. Trump’s candidacy”.
The publication said it was standing by its article.
Late last week, a video shot in 2005 emerged which showed Donald Trump making inappropriate remarks about groping women.
The Republican apologized for the comments – which were widely condemned – but described them as “locker-room talk”.
Many top Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, have since distanced themselves from Donald Trump.
However, four Republican members of Congress who had urged Donald Trump to step aside have changed position, saying they backed their party.
In the NYT article, Jessica Leeds, 74, from Manhattan, said she had been sitting next to Donald Trump in the first-class cabin of a flight to New York when he lifted the armrest and began to touch her.
“He was like an octopus… his hands were everywhere,” said Jessica Leeds, who was 38 at the time.
“It was an assault.”
A second woman, Rachel Crooks, said she was kissed on the lips by Donald Trump outside a lift in Trump Tower when she was a 22-year-old receptionist at a real estate company there.
“It was so inappropriate,” Rachel Crooks told the NYT.
“I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.”
Neither women reported their accounts to the authorities, but both shared what happened to them with friends and family.
In People magazine, meanwhile, writer Natasha Stoynoff said an incident took place in December 2005, when she went to interview the Trumps ahead of their first wedding anniversary.
Donald Trump said he wanted to show her around their Florida estate, including one “tremendous” room.
“We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat,” Natasha Stoynoff wrote.
A spokesman said the account in People had “no merit or veracity”.
Another woman, Mindy McGillivray, now 36, told the Palm Beach Post she was 23 when Donald Trump grabbed her bottom at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in 2003.
Her companion that day, photographer Ken Davidoff, told the newspaper he remembers her pulling him aside moments afterwards and telling him: “Donald just grabbed my ass!”
Donald Trump’s campaign rejected this claim.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign said the “disturbing” New York Times story “sadly fits everything we know about the way Donald Trump has treated women”.
“These reports suggest that he lied on the debate stage and that the disgusting behavior he bragged about in the tape is more than just words.”
A car is the equivalent of freedom. You have a car, you have the liberty to move around the world. Nothing is off limits when you have a good vehicle, courage and enough fuel to run into the sunset with your friends. Owning a car comes with plenty of advantages, but, as we already know, if we want something to stay in our lives for as much as possible we have to take care of it as best as possible.
From time to time you will have to find replacement parts in order to ensure that your car is running smooth and it doesn’t break down when you most need it. But what do you need to know when it comes to choosing the right car parts?
How to choose the best car parts for your vehicle?
Do some research – the key to success starts off with an attentive research on the best company and quality brands. Don’t declare yourself satisfied with the first results you find. Be patient and continue digging so that you can compare various products and prices.
Triple check the features of the car parts you are looking for. Better yet, quadruple check them. It is highly important to order the car parts which correspond to your car. Otherwise the part you order will not fit or you will have to return it. And we all know the time and effort that this involves.
Get coupons – not only mothers get to enjoy the luxury of discounts using coupons. You can use the same trick and get the same type of results. This site might get you great deals. And remember that in the case of ordering from a website that promises free delivery if you reach a certain amount, you can buy stuff that you will always use like filters, coolant, etc.
Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free? If you don’t manage to find rare parts for your car or you simply need more than one part to bring your car back on the right track think about buying a car from a salvage auction and use the parts that you need from there. This might cost you more than buying just one single piece but at the same time it will give you more advantages on the long term.
Whenever you are looking for something, make sure that you do your research and weight all the information that you receive. Asking around might also get you connected to different automotive businesses.
And don’t forget to check out Boodmo which is an online marketplace for shops. With a huge database of genuine and aftermarket parts replacement, Boodmo is the place to go if your car has any malfunctions. What’s the best part about working with them? You get worldwide delivery, a customer friendly return policy, updated catalogs and the guarantee that the parts ordered will match your car.
Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf will step down immediately in the wake of a scandal over its sales practices, the bank has announced.
The bank is investigating how two million accounts were opened without customers’ permission.
In September, it said John Stumpf, who was paid $19.3 million in 2015, would not receive a salary during the inquiry.
John Stumpf will be succeeded by the bank’s current president and chief operating officer, Timothy Sloan.
Image source Flickr
Wells Fargo’s independent chairman, Stephen Sanger, will take over as board chairman.
Last month, the bank was fined $185 million and accused of “widespread illegal practice” by the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
The fine imposed on Wells Fargo by the CFPB was the largest to date by the watchdog.
“While I have been deeply committed and focused on managing the company through this period, I have decided it is best for the company that I step aside,” John Stumpf said.
The bank has fired more than 5,000 staff in response to the scandal.
Wells Fargo has said it will be contacting every deposit customer across the country to see if their accounts were properly authorized.
The bank will also contact hundreds of thousands of customers with valid credit cards to see if they want or need those cards.
In the future, confirmation emails will be sent to customers within one hour of the opening of a new deposit account.
Wells Fargo’s former head of retail operations, Carrie Tolstedt, has forfeited $19 million of bonuses and left without a payoff.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s health has “overall not yet stabilized”, the Thai palace has said.
On October 9, the palace announced that King Bhumibol was in an unstable condition after receiving haemodialysis treatment.
The 88-year-old monarch is widely revered and a crowd of well-wishers have gathered outside Siriraj hospital.
Thailand’s PM Prayuth Chan-ocha canceled an official engagement to meet the Crown Prince.
A palace statement late on October 12 said the king’s “blood pressure lowered and breath quickened”.
It said King Bhumibol’s liver and kidneys were not working properly and he remained on a ventilator.
The unprecedented concern over the king’s health has caused stocks and Thailand’s currency, the baht, to tumble.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand closed down 2.5%, its lowest since the end of May.
A government spokesman urged people to rely on official announcements for updates on the situation, rather than on “uncorroborated information in social media circles”.
King Bhumibol is the world’s longest reigning monarch, having acceded to the throne when his brother died in 1946.
During his seven decades on the throne King Bhumibol, who is seen as a unifying force, has intervened when events threatened to plunge Thailand into crisis.
Amid increasing concerns about his health in recent months, the Royal Household Bureau has issued more frequent bulletins.
Earlier this month, a statement said King Bhumibol was recovering from a respiratory infection.
Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws mean public discussion of the king’s health and succession plans are not permitted, and are punishable by lengthy jail terms.
John Podesta, the Chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, has said the FBI is investigating whether Russia was behind a hack on his private email.
He also suggested Donald Trump’s campaign was given advance notice of the breach.
John Podesta’s remarks come after WikiLeaks published a trove of his hacked emails.
Hillary Clinton’s top adviser said the enquiry was part of a wider probe into hacks on the Democratic Party by groups with Russian ties.
“I’ve been involved in politics for nearly five decades,” John Podesta told reporters aboard the Clinton campaign plane.
“This definitely is the first campaign that I’ve been involved with in which I’ve had to tangle with Russian intelligence agencies, who seem to be doing everything they can on behalf of our opponent.”
John Podesta pointed to a tweet by Donald Trump’s adviser Roger Stone in August that said Podesta’s “time in the barrel” was coming.
Image source Wikipedia
However, the tweet was posted shortly after WikiLeaks released thousands of hacked emails from other Democratic officials.
John Podesta also claimed Roger Stone has been in touch with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, but acknowledged evidence was “circumstantial”.
Roger Stone told the AP that John Podesta’s claims were “categorically false” while WikiLeaks tweeted that it “has had no contact with Roger Stone”.
John Podesta also speculated that the timing of the first WikiLeaks release on October 7 was intended to distract from the explosive 2005 footage showing Donald Trump making inappropriate comments about groping women.
The Clinton campaign has not verified the authenticity of the leaked emails, adding that they could have been altered.
Hillary Clinton’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Palmieri said: “The pattern is they hack, they leak truthful things, and then they build up to leaking documents that are either doctored or wholly fabricated.”
The latest batch of emails offer a glimpse into Hillary Clinton’s political network, suggesting that Donna Brazile, Democratic National Committee interim chairman, had given the nominee advance notice of a question she would be asked at a CNN town hall event.
Donna Brazile denied any impropriety on October 11.
US relations with Russia have taken a central role in the presidential election.
Last week, US intelligence officials said the Russian government was behind a series of hacks aiming to influence the presidential election.
Hillary Clinton has also questioned Donald Trump’s praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader, his connection to Russian businessmen and his criticism of the NATO alliance.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told CNN the hacking allegations were flattering but ridiculous.
When asked about Donald Trump’s comments about women, Sergey Lavrov said there were “pussies” on both sides.
Janet Jackson has confirmed she is pregnant with her first child, at the age of 50.
The singer told People magazine after posing for a picture with her growing baby bump: “We thank God for our blessing.”
Speculation about Janet Jackson’s pregnancy surfaced in April when she postponed her Unbreakable tour, saying she wanted to focus on planning a family with her husband, Wissam al-Mana.
Janet Jackson was recently spotted in London shopping for baby essentials.
The People magazine quoted a source close to the singer as saying: “She is super excited about her pregnancy and is doing extremely well. She actually feels very good about everything.”
Photo Getty Images
In a video posted on Twitter in April, Janet Jackson told her fans that she was postponing her world tour because “there’s been a sudden change”.
“I thought it was important that you be the first to know. My husband and I are planning our family,” she said.
She added: “Please if you can try and understand that its important that I do this now.”
Janet Jackson went on to say: “I have to rest up, doctor’s orders.”
The singer is far from the only famous face to give birth later in life.
In 2013, Halle Berry had her second child at 47, while John Travolta’s wife, Kelly Preston, gave birth to her third child at 48.
Geena Davis became a mother later in life after falling in love with an Iranian-American neurosurgeon in her 40s. Her first child, a girl, arrived when she was 46, followed two years later by twin boys.
Then there was Swiss billionaire Maria Louis-Dreyfus, who gave birth to twin girls in March 2016, at the age of 53.
However, these mothers – including Janet Jackson – are all positively young when compared to the world’s oldest new mothers.
In fact, there are at least three women in India who claimed to have carried their children to term when at least twenty years older than Janet Jackson.
Each time, the births caused a debate over the ethical issues surrounding having a baby so late in life – especially after Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara, the Spanish woman who once held the title of the world’s oldest mother, died three years after having twin boys.
All three are understood to have used donated eggs in order to have their children.
Conventional date scenarios work for anybody, true. However, they get really boring with time. If you are a geek, you likely date someone who shares your interests. And this is what you should use to make your mate’s heart melt. So what are the top 7 date ideas for geeky couples? Discover now with Russian Singles Dating site!
Play board games
Without any doubt, it’s simple, convenient, and relaxing. There’s no need to use your wits or get out of your cozy home. Spend an evening together with your partner or even set a double date. Another variant is to host an overnight game party – invite your friends or neighbors for snacks and amusements.
How about cookery?
We don’t mean you have to stick at the kitchen stove to make something ordinary, no. Pick some geeky cookbook instead – there are many can be found on the Internet. Any popular modern fandom has its own book of thematic recipes. Food is actually one of the proper ways to immerse in a special atmosphere. Choose what you two like above all and simply cook it; then, enjoy your meal together!
Take a fun in sports
Enough of sitting at your computer table! Take your geeky soul mate outside. Physical activity really helps establish a mutual bond. As your organism produces various hormones, the chemistry between the two of you strengthens. In the summer, that may be rollerblading, biking, or skating, in the winter, you may get to skiing or bowling. Just decide what cheers you the most!
Go to a museum
Educational activities can also be fun and romantic. Take your sweetheart and visit some museum nearby; let it be relevant to what you two adore. Art, science, craft, history, technology – everything contains geeky features. Why not deepen your knowledge of some field? Like learning new cool things about the Universe if you are a Star Wars fun or studying history to get a better insight into “A Song of Ice and Fire”.
Spend a trivia night
Check out local bars: there must be some options for geeky couples as well as for groups of friends. Or merely set a quiz night on your own. Pick up a topic referred to your area of interests, think out questions, and bring snacks. Invite some buddies if you wish or stay with your dearest person. And you are free to decide what prize should be like.
Take up some art
Another way to get pleasantly busy for a weekend. There’s a great variety of nerdy things to do together: draw fun arts, work out a home décor project, create a geeky story, write poetry etc. First, this upgrades your creativity. Next, this brings you two even closer. Finally, you will travel to the world of your dreams and fantasies – and get a piece of art in the end.
Visit a fan convention
Well, that’s rather a trip than a date. But isn’t it even more fabulous? Spend a nerdy vacation with your beloved. Artisan alleys, panels, role plays are at your disposal. Only consider that you should arrange this trip in advance – tickets are quickly sold out.
If you are deciding whether a reverse mortgage is the right move for you, it’s important to have an honest conversation with your adult children if they are still living at home. Ultimately, it is your decision to get a reverse mortgage, but informing them on the product can help eliminate any miscommunication and conflict down the road.
Explain the basics
First, informing your children on what a reverse mortgage is all about is vital. A common misconception among many people is that in a reverse mortgage transaction, the bank takes ownership of the borrower’s home. This is not true. The borrower maintains ownership throughout the course of the loan, which typically becomes due and payable when he or she moves or passes away.
Next, talk to your kids about what people actually use reverse mortgages for. Explain that the payments from the loan could help to cover the costs of things that your retirement savings and finances may not be able to cover such as home renovations or medical care. You may be less of a financial burden on your kids due to the reverse mortgage. Many adult children are relieved to hear this. Also share that you won’t have to pay back the loan until you either pass away or move out of the house permanently.
Explain the basics of what your responsibilities will still be in terms of loan obligations. Even though you will not be responsible for making a monthly mortgage payment with a reverse mortgage, this does not mean all other payments go away. You are still responsible for keeping up on property taxes and insurance on the home and ensuring the property is kept in good condition.
Share their role
Adult children are often skeptical of their parents taking out a reverse mortgage because they fear that when they pass away, they will have to pay back the loan. This is another misconception.
Explain to your kids that a reverse mortgage is a non-recourse loan. This means that no matter how large the loan balance gets; they will never have to pay back more than the appraised value of the home at the time of sale.
If the loan balance is higher than the appraised value of the home, then the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insurance fund absorbs that loss. This is one of the benefits of FHA insurance, which is a requirement of all Home Equity Conversion Mortgage reverse mortgages. So share with your kids that if you pass away, they can use the value of the home to pay back the loan, but they won’t go into debt over it.
In fact, if the loan balance is less than the value of the home, share with your kids that they will be able to keep the difference as inheritance, if you choose to name them as your heirs. This is a very possible outcome if you live in an area with high home appreciation because the value of your home could go up over the years.
It is also extremely important to explain non borrowing spouse rules of the loan to your adult children, if you are married. This can give your children peace of mind knowing the protections available for spouses of reverse mortgage borrowers.
Bringing this topic up may not be the easiest, so try to start off by talking about your broader financial planning agenda. You could even include your adult kids in the reverse mortgage counseling that’s required for all borrowers. This counseling can take place over the phone, which can make it easier for adult children to be included.
If you would like to learn more about how to talk to your adult kids who still live at home about a reverse mortgage and speak to your trusted adviser.
President Barack Obama has signed a new law making baby changing stations available in men’s bathrooms.
Male toilets in public buildings in the United States must now have baby changing facilities.
According to the new law, both male and female bathrooms should have a “physically safe, sanitary and appropriate” place to change a diaper.
Known as the Bathrooms Accessible in Every Situation (BABIES) Act, it was first raised back in April by Congressman David N. Cicilline.
Image source Pixabay
“Federal buildings are paid for by taxpayers,” he says.
“It’s important to ensure that they are as open, as accessible, and as family-friendly as possible.”
The BABIES Act only affects bathrooms in government-owned or government-financed buildings like courthouses and public libraries.
But it is a first step toward reducing the indignity that parents frequently face when trying to care for their babies in bathroom stalls. US federal law previously did not require changing tables anywhere.
The BABIES Act makes public places “more accommodating for working moms and dads” across the United States.
Kim Kardashian is suing celebrity gossip website Media TakeOut and its founder for claiming that she faked being the victim of a robbery in Paris last week.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for defamation and names both Media TakeOut and Fred Mwangaguhunga.
Kim Kardashian was tied up by gun-wielding robbers who broke into a Paris flat earlier this month, police say.
Image source Instagram
They made off with jewelery worth about $10 million.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in New York said that after being “the victim of a horrific and traumatic armed robbery in France, Kim Kardashian returned to the US only to again be victimized, but this time by an online gossip tabloid that published a series of articles in early October 2016 referring to her as a liar and thief”.
The articles, the lawsuit said, “claimed, without any factual support whatsoever, that Kardashian faked the robbery, lied about the violent assault, and then filed a fraudulent claim with her insurance company to bilk her carrier out of millions of dollars”.
Fred Mwangaguhunga refused to publish a retraction and an apology “for calling her a liar and a criminal”, the lawsuit added.
Media TakeOut has so far not commented.
Kim Kardashian, 35, who is married to rapper Kanye West, became a household name thanks to the reality TV series Keeping up with the Kardashians.
Barack Obama has blasted Republican nominee Donald Trump’s recent remarks about women, saying they would be intolerable even for someone applying for a job at a 7-Eleven convenience store.
At a rally supporting Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, President Obama also urged senior Republicans to formally withdraw their endorsement of Donald Trump as presidential candidate.
Many top Republicans have withdrawn their support for Donald Trump afer a video in which he boasts of groping women emerged last week.
Donald Trump accused them of disloyalty.
The New York billionaire was particularly scathing about House Speaker Paul Ryan whom he described as a “weak and ineffective” leader.
Addressing a campaign rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, on October 11, Barack Obama referred to Donald Trump’s crude remarks about women, saying: “Now you find a situation in which the guy says stuff that nobody would find tolerable if they were applying for a job at 7-Eleven.”
The president said: “You don’t have to be a husband or a father to say that’s not right. You just have to be a decent human being.”
Barack Obama questioned how senior Republican politicians could still want Donald Trump to be president.
“The fact is that now you’ve got people saying: <<We strongly disagree, we really disapprove… but we’re still endorsing him>>. They still think he should be president, that doesn’t make sense to me,” he told the crowd.
Barack Obama was interrupted several times by anti-Clinton campaigners but seemed unfazed, saying: “This is democracy at work. This is great.”
The hecklers were escorted from the venue by security officials.
In another development, Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Chairman John Podesta has said that Russia was behind an apparent hacking of his emails and may have been colluding with the Trump campaign.
John Podesta said on October 11 that the FBI was investigating the hacking of the emails that were published by WikiLeaks.
The 2005 video released on October 7 revealed Donald Trump describing how he had sought to have s** with a married woman and making other aggressive comments about women.
Nearly half of the 331 incumbent Republican senators, House members and governors have condemned the lewd remarks and about 10% have called for Donald Trump to drop out of the race, according to Reuters.
On October 10, Paul Ryan said he would not defend Donald Trump over the remarks.
Paul Ryan told fellow House Republicans he would instead focus on congressional elections to ensure Republicans could maintain legislative control.
Donald Trump fired back in a string of tweets, saying the “shackles” had been removed, allowing him to “fight for America the way I want to”.
He said he neither wanted nor needed Paul Ryan’s support.
Donald Trump said “disloyal” Republicans “come at you from all sides. They don’t know how to win – I will teach them!”
He attacked Senator John McCain, who has denounced Donald Trump’s conduct and faces a close re-election battle in Arizona, as “foul-mouthed”.
Despite a widening divide within the Republican Party, some members insist they are sticking by Donald Trump.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he was “really disturbed” by Donald Trump’s comments about women but still planned to support him, saying the election was “about bigger issues than that”.
Texas Senator and former rival Ted Cruz also said he would still cast his ballot for Donald Trump, telling a Texas TV station that Hillary Clinton was an “absolute disaster”.
Donald Trump delivered a gaffe while addressing supporters in Florida on October 11, telling them to go out and vote on the wrong date.
ABC News footage showed Donald Trump saying: “Go and register. Make sure you get out and vote, November 28.”
The election date is November 8.
A recent PRRI/Atlantic poll suggested Hillary Clinton holds a 49-38 lead over Donald Trump.
Samsung Electronics has revised down its Q3 profit forecast due to the scrapping of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.
The company now expects Q3 profits of 5.2 trillion won ($4.7 billion), which is a third lower than its original estimate of 7.8 trillion won.
The Galaxy Note 7 was recalled last month after battery fires, but after replacement phones experienced the same problem, Samsung scrapped the device.
Ahead of the profit warning, the South Korean company’s shares fell 0.8% on October 12.
That added to October 11 8% fall.
Photo Samsung
Samsung has seen more than $20 billion wiped off its market value in two days.
Its shares have fallen on concerns that the current crisis will go beyond the costs of the recall and affect the brand’s overall reputation.
According to analysts, the Note 7 crisis could cost Samsung in the long run, particularly coming just as rivals, such as Google and Apple, have announced new high-end smartphones.
The Galaxy Note 7 had been seen as the main rival to Apple’s new iPhone 7 model. Samsung’s woes have sent Apple’s shares to a 10-month high.
Last month, Samsung recalled around 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones after complaints of exploding batteries.
The company later insisted that all replaced devices were safe. However, that was followed by reports that those phones were catching fire too.
On October 11, Samsung said it would permanently cease production of the device and urged owners to turn it off.
Salah Abdeslam’s lawyers say they will no longer defend the main suspect in last year’s Islamist attacks in Paris.
He will use his right to remain silent, one of the lawyers, Frank Berton, told BFM TV.
“We said from the beginning… that if our client remained silent we would quit his defense,” Frank Berton said, alongside fellow lawyer Sven Mary.
The attacks in Paris in November 2015 on bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France killed 130 people.
ISIS said it was behind the attacks.
Salah Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels in March 2016 and has kept silent since his transfer to France in April.
The attacker is being monitored 24 hours a day by video in his prison cell.
Frank Berton said in May the suspect was “particularly disturbed” by the surveillance.
Salah Abdeslam is thought to have played a key role in planning the Paris attacks and transporting the attackers, but investigators are yet to determine his specific role.
The lawyers informed Salah Abdeslam they would no longer represent him on October 6, BFM TV reports. It says that at present, he does not want to be represented by anyone else.
Legal representation is not required while the investigation continues but will be at his trial.
“The real victims of all of this are the victims of the Paris attacks, because they are entitled to this truth and they have the right to try to comprehend the incomprehensible,” Sven Mary said.
New finds suggest that China and the West were in contact more than 1,500 years before Marco Polo arrived in Asia.
Archaeologists say inspiration for the Terracotta Warriors, found at the Tomb of the First Emperor near today’s Xian, may have come from Ancient Greece.
Researchers also say ancient Greek artisans could have been training locals there in the Third Century BC.
Marco Polo’s 13th Century travel to China had been thought the first by a European.
Senior Archaeologist Li Xiuzhen, from the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum said: “We now have evidence that close contact existed between the First Emperor’s China and the West before the formal opening of the Silk Road. This is far earlier than we formerly thought.”
A separate study shows European-specific mitochondrial DNA has been found at sites in China’s westernmost Xinjiang Province, suggesting that Westerners may have settled, lived and died there before and during the time of the First Emperor.
Image source Wikimedia
Farmers first discovered the 8,000 terracotta figures buried less than a mile from the tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang in 1974.
But there was no tradition of building life-sized human statues in China before the tomb was created. Earlier statues were simple figurines about 7.9ins in height.
To explain how such an enormous change in skill and style could have happened, Dr. Li Xiuzhen believes that influences must have come from outside China.
“We now think the Terracotta Army, the Acrobats and the bronze sculptures found on site have been inspired by ancient Greek sculptures and art,” she said.
According to Prof. Lukas Nickel from the University of Vienna, statues of circus acrobats recently found at the First Emperor’s tomb support this theory.
Lukas Nickel believes the First Emperor was influenced by the arrival of Greek statues in Central Asia in the century following Alexander the Great, who died in 323BC.
“I imagine that a Greek sculptor may have been at the site to train the locals,” he said.
Other discoveries include new evidence that the First Emperor’s tomb complex is much bigger than first thought and 200 times bigger than Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
They also include the mutilated remains of women, believed to have been high-ranking concubines of the First Emperor, and the skull of a man with a crossbow bolt embedded in it.
The skull is believed to have belonged to the First Emperor’s eldest son, thought to have been killed along with others during a power struggle after the emperor’s death.
