Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has been honored with a huge monument in the capital city, Ashgabat, featuring his likeness atop a golden horse.
The Turkmen leader is galloping ahead in race to construct a cult of personality bigger than his predecessor’s, the late dictator Saparmurat Niyazov.
Cast in bronze and covered in 24-carat gold leaf, the statue of Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov soars 70 ft from the ground and is perched on an outcrop of white marble cliff.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who has run Turkmenistan since 2006 and is accused of presiding over one of the most pervasive personality cults in the world, is widely known as Arkadag, or the patron.
The composition was unveiled in Ashgabat on May 25, to cheers of “Glory to Arkadag!” from assembled students, as white doves and balloons were released into the sky, Reuters reported.
Officially, the monument was commissioned after public clamor.
Photo Reuters
In 2014, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov responded to the proposal to honor him with a statue: “My main goal is to serve the people and the motherland. And so, I will listen to the opinion of the people and do as they choose.”
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov’s image is ubiquitous in Turkmenistan, with huge portraits adorning billboards and buildings across the country. The gold statue, however, recalls the reign of his predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, who was known as Turkmenbashi, or leader of all the Turkmens.
Saparmurat Niyazov ensured that gas-rich Turkmenistan remained one of the most isolated countries in the world, ensuring no free media, allowing little foreign travel and enacting a series of decrees that renamed the days of the week and months of the year after himself and members of his family. Hospitals outside the capital were closed, opera and the circus were both banned, and all schools and universities had mandatory classes for studying the Ruhnama, Saparmurat Niyazov’s book. His ministers were forced to perform a gruelling annual “walk of health” through the capital. The dictator travelled by helicopter and met them at the finishing line.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who was formerly a dentist and then became Saparmurat Niyazov’s health minister, presided over a very gradual liberalization when he first came to power after Niyazov’s death, reversing some of the late president’s more eccentric decrees.
In time, however, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov built up a personality cult that now rivals that of his predecessor.
Saparmurat Niyazov famously had a gold statue of himself erected in the centre of Ashgabat that rotated to face the sun throughout the day. When Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov took over, the monument was moved to the outskirts of the city.
Members of soccer governing body FIFA are set to vote for their new president at their congress in Zurich, amid a huge corruption scandal.
Incumbent President Sepp Blatter is seeking a fifth term. His only challenger is Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.
The vote of FIFA’s 209 members comes two days after seven top officials were held in Zurich in a US fraud inquiry that indicted 14 people.
Sepp Blatter, 79, has faced calls to quit but says he is not responsible for the scandal and is favorite to win.
Both Sepp Blatter and Prince Ali bin- al-Hussein, 39, will have 15 minutes to address the delegates.
Each of the 209 member associations can then vote.
In the first round, a candidate must get two-thirds of the votes to win outright, or 140 votes.
If that is not achieved there will be a second round requiring a simple majority, even though there are only two candidates.
Sepp Blatter, who is in office for 17 years, remains the favorite, with strong support in Asia, the Americas and Africa.
At the congress opening on May 28, Sepp Blatter addressed the issue of corruption, insisting it fell to him to “fix things”.
He said: “We cannot allow the reputation of football and FIFA to be dragged through the mud and it has to stop here and now.”
However, Sepp Blatter distanced himself from the scandal, saying: “Many people hold me ultimately responsible for the… global football community… I cannot monitor everyone all of the time. If people want to do wrong they will also try to hide it.”
He said the “actions of individuals” had brought “shame and humiliation on football”.
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has the support of most of Europe.
Responding to the scandal, Prince Ali said that FIFA needed leadership that “accepts responsibility for its actions and does not pass blame… and restores confidence in the hundreds of millions of football fans around the world”.
He said: “I am a straightforward person with straightforward ideas and ethics – a person who loves our sport.”
The head of European football’s governing body, UEFA, Michel Platini, was one of those calling for Sepp Blatter to quit.
At an emergency meeting with other FIFA confederation heads and Sepp Blatter on May 28, Michel Platini said he had asked the president “as a friend” to resign, saying: “I have had enough – enough is enough, too much is too much.”
Sepp Blatter refused, and the other confederations agreed with him that Friday’s vote should go ahead.
Two criminal investigations were announced on May 27.
The US investigation accuses those indicted of bribery, racketeering and money-laundering involving tens of millions of dollars over 24 years since 1991.
It includes allegations of bribes to influence the outcome of bids to stage football tournaments such as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2016 Copa America in the US.
Two FIFA vice presidents were among those arrested in Zurich.
One of them, Jeffrey Webb, was on May 28 “provisionally dismissed” as head of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
Swiss prosecutors have launched a separate investigation into the bidding process for the World Cup tournaments in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar.
Meanwhile, many of FIFA’s major sponsors have expressed concern over the investigations.
Coca-Cola, Visa, Adidas, McDonald’s, Hyundai Motor and Budweiser are pressing FIFA to take immediate action to restore its reputation.
Neverland Ranch, the famed 2,700-acre property in Los Olivos, California that once belonged to the late Michael Jackson, is officially on the market for $100 million.
Now called again Sycamore Valley Ranch, the property was bought by private investment company Colony Capital in 2008 for $23.5 million.
With millions put into its restoration, the listing is being split by Sotheby’s broker Harry Kolb and Hilton & Hyland’s Jeffrey Hyland.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Jeffrey Hyland said that they’re “not encouraging a lot of showings”.
A Sotheby’s representative also said: “We’re not going to be giving tours.”
Michael Jackson owned the Neverland Valley Ranch from 1988 to 2005. The musician named the property for Neverland, the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up.
Following Michael Jackson’s death in 2009, media speculated that his family intended to bury him at the Neverland Ranch, eventually turning it into a place of pilgrimage for his fans, similar to how Graceland has become a destination for fans of Elvis Presley.
Since 2009, the Neverland Ranch rides Balloon Samba, Jeeps, Wave Swinger and Dinos have been featured attractions at the California State Fair in Sacramento.
Twelve young women have tried to leave Melbourne to join the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group.
According to Australian police, the women, aged between 18 and 29, have been recruited on social media.
Five of them are now living with ISIS militants in the conflict zones, according to a special investigation by Victoria Police.
Concern has been rising since mid-2014 about Australians going to the Middle East to fight for ISIS.
Australia’s government will soon introduce legislation allowing it to strip dual citizens fighting in Iraq or Syria of their Australian citizenship.
People working in Australia to support militant groups will also be targeted by the changes.
Task Force Pax was established in April to monitor Victorians believed to be involved with insurgents.
Officials from the task force told local media on May 29 that another four Melbourne women made it as far as Turkey before being turned back by authorities.
One other was stopped by customs officers in Australia while two remain unaccounted for.
The young women are all from Melbourne’s northern and south-eastern suburbs.
According to Assistant Commissioner Tracy Linford, two forensic psychologists had been embedded in the task force to help investigators understand why the young women were trying to join IS.
“The use of psychologists provides us with a far more comprehensive risk assessment and also assists in identifying early intervention opportunities,” she said.
“This gives us the chance to focus on identifying those youths most at risk of radicalization and to engage with them or their families directly.”
Police said the young women were being sold a romantic view of life with ISIS, and had lied to their families about their travel plans.
Authorities were warning parents and friends of young women about the lure of ISIS, saying the women could end up in arranged marriages, or forced into s**ual servitude in the Middle East.
The Australian government believes at least 100 Australians are fighting with militant groups in the Middle East.
Another 150 people in Australia are known to be supporting such groups, while Australia’s intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), is investigating about 400 high-priority terrorist cases.
Eight people have been found guilty of exploiting L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, according to a court in Bordeaux, France.
Liliane Bettencourt, 92, is one of the world’s richest people.
Among those convicted was celebrity photographer Francois-Marie Banier, given three years in prison and ordered to pay €158 million ($170 million) in damages.
François-Marie Banier, who had befriended Liliane Bettencourt, 25 years his senior, argued that he was the only person who made her laugh.
However, a former ally of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy was acquitted.
The verdict brings to an end a long-running case that began with a feud between Liliane Bettencourt and her daughter Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers.
In 2007, Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers filed charges against Francois-Marie Banier, who had become a close companion of her mother.
Liliane Bettencourt had lavished Francois-Marie Banier with gifts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including artworks by Picasso and Matisse.
The L’Oreal heiress even made Francois-Marie Banier her sole heir – although this was later revoked.
At the time Liliane Bettencourt said she was a free woman, and her daughter would just have to accept it.
Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers said her mother, who medical records later revealed suffers from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, was being exploited by Francois-Marie Banier.
The court agreed. The president of the hearing in Bourdeaux said Francois-Marie Banier had “a real moral and psychological hold” on Mrs Bettencourt.
Patrice de Maistre and Pascal Wilhelm, who oversaw Liliane Bettencourt’s estimated $40.1 billion fortune, were given fines and 18-month jail sentences.
Eric Woerth, who served as campaign treasurer during Nicolas Sarkozy’s successful bid for the presidency in 2007, was cleared of taking donations from her.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was placed under criminal investigation for allegedly receiving illegal funding from Liliane Bettencourt but this was dropped in 2013.
According to South Africa’s police minister Nathi Nhleko, President Jacob Zuma will not have to repay state money spent to upgrade his private home in Nkandla.
Nathi Nhleko said that the upgrades, including a pool costing almost 4 million rand ($328,000) were in fact security features.
In 2014, an independent inquiry found Jacob Zuma had “unduly benefited” from the upgrades.
Jacob Zuma has been heavily criticized over the issue.
In February, the Nkandla controversy prompted chaotic scenes in parliament as leftist lawmakers scuffled with security.
They had been interrupting a key annual speech by Jacob Zuma and demanding answers over the row.
In 2014, a report by South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog found Jacob Zuma had “unduly benefitted” from the renovations and recommended he pay back some of the money.
However, Jacob Zuma has maintained he would only pay money back if ordered to do so by Nathi Nhleko.
At a news conference Nathi Nhleko justified his decision not to make Jacob Zuma pay back any of the money by saying the upgrades were security features.
For example, Nathi Nhleko explained the pool was in fact intended for use in fighting fires, and he even had a video of four policemen demonstrating how this security feature worked.
A chicken run, a cow enclosure, an amphitheatre and visitors centre were also all classed as security features by Nathi Nhleko.
According to new reports, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have secretly separated after ten years of marriage.
The splitting rumors are surrounding the Hollywood stars in the run up to their 10th wedding anniversary.
National Enquirer and OK! Magazine have reported this week that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s marriage is in trouble, but the stars have yet to respond to the claims.
Photo Getty Images
A source told OK! Magazine that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, who married in 2005, have “already separated”.
Ben Affleck, 42, and Jennifer Garner, 43, share children Violet, 9; Seraphina, 6; and Samuel, 3, have already separated, according to the Enquirer, and heading for a $150million divorce.
The publications also claim an official statement will be released before their 10th anniversary in June.
Ben Affleck met on the set of film Pearl Harbor in 2001 and later starred alongside each other in Daredevil.
Jennifer Garner was previously married to actor Scott Foley while Ben Affleck was previously engaged to Jennifer Lopez.
Lenovo has unveiled the Smart Cast, a phone with a built-in laser projector that can be used to display a virtual keyboard or display.
The interactive display can replicate the phone’s touch screen, a full-size computer keyboard or even piano keys.
The laser projector can also be used to beam images and videos onto walls.
The Smart Cast phone was unveiled at Lenovo’s Tech World conference in Beijing, where the Chinese electronics giant also unveiled a new type of smart watch, called Magic View.
The laser projector measures just 34mm by 26mm by 5mm and, said Lenovo, does not need focusing to project sharp images onto walls or other flat surfaces.
A video showing the Smart Cast in action shows how twisting the mounting for the device’s lens turns it from a standard wall projector into “surface mode” that beams the display on to a table top.
A kickstand mounted on the back of the phone keeps the device upright while the virtual keyboard is in use.
At the Tech World conference, Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang used the virtual keyboard to play a version of The Entertainer.
Tech World also saw Lenovo show off a smartwatch, called Magic View, that has two screens.
Magic View smartwatch has a standard “public” screen viewable by anyone and a second “private” projected screen only visible when the watch is held close to the face and at a specific angle.
Tracy Morgan has settled the lawsuit against supermarket giant Walmart over a crash which left him seriously injured, and killed his friend, comedian James McNair.
In June 2014, a Walmart truck crashed in to the back of Tracy Morgan’s limo.
Prosecutors alleged the driver had not slept for more than 24 hours.
James McNair, known as Jimmy Mack, was killed in the crash.
Tracy Morgan’s lawyer, Benedict Morelli, said Walmart “took full responsibility for the accident”.
All sides had worked hard to reach the undisclosed agreement, the lawyer added.
Tracy Morgan said Walmart “did right by me and my family, and for my associates and their families”.
“I am grateful that the case was resolved amicably.”
A representative for Walmart also called it an “amicable settlement”.
Tracy Morgan, 46, was left in a critical condition following the crash, suffering a traumatic head injury, a broken leg, nose and ribs.
The 30 Rock star will give his first interview since the crash to NBC’s Today on Monday, June 1.
Tracy Morgan will be interviewed by Matt Lauer live in the Rockefeller Center – which was the setting for 30 Rock – and will be joined by his lawyer Benedict Morelli.
Walmart had previously reached an agreement with the family of James McNair, 62, who grew up with Tracy Morgan in New York.
Walmart driver Kevin Roper of Jonesboro, Georgia, has pleaded not guilty to death by auto and assault and is currently on bail.
Thousands of people took to streets of Memphis, Tennessee, on May 27 to pay tribute to B.B. King, who died earlier this month.
A Dixieland jazz band walked ahead of a black hearse down Beale Street – a street synonymous with American blues music.
The place is where the young King was nicknamed the Beale Street Blues Boy – a moniker later shortened to B.B.
B.B. King died on 14 May. US authorities are investigating claims the blues legend was poisoned after his daughters have alleged he was given “foreign substances to induce his premature death” by his business manager Laverne Toney and personal assistant Myron Johnson.
Photo Commercial Appeal
Lawyers for B.B. King’s estate have said the claims are unfounded and disrespectful.
The coroner initially said B.B. King had died of a series of small strokes connected to his Type 2 diabetes, although a further autopsy has now been carried out, with results expected in eight weeks.
At the street procession honoring B.B. King’s memory, the Memphis-based Mighty Souls Brass Band played the song When the Saints Go Marching In.
Drummer Rodd Bland – the son of the late blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland – carried one of B.B. King’s signature Lucille guitars.
Artists including singer Ruby Wilson, Bobby Rush and the Ghost Town Blues Band all performed tributes on stage.
B.B. King’s body is being taken to Indianola, Mississippi, which the blues legend considered his hometown, for his funeral on Saturday, May 30.
A mystery drone rained money down on people enjoying a picnic in Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 26.
People started screaming with excitement while scurrying to grab $1 bills from the ground.
Children and adults scrambled to collect the bills as an estimated $100 was released above picnickers, amid suggestions the operators were seen on top of a nearby JW Marriot Hotel.
However, no one has yet stepped forward to claim responsibility for the philanthropic stunt.
Although police admitted the event looked “fun”, they said they should have been warned in advance because of safety concerns.
Sgt. Terry Dixon, from Grand Rapids Police Department, told Fox 17: “In a situation like this, this looks fun – fun for everyone involved – especially the kids that are out there. There’s money dropping from the sky and how often does that happen?
“The problem is that it could become a safety hazard for the kids or the youths that are running to get to the money – they could be crossing the roadway and inadvertently be struck by a car or something like that.”
Madrid is the city that has it all. Sun and culture combine in a vibrant mix. Even the colour of the buildings in Madrid has a party atmosphere. Pastel oranges are lining the streets in curved rows.
Madrid is Spain’s beating heart. It survives and thrives because of its past, and its future. The youth of Madrid really comes to the foreground when you see the street art. Simple acts graffiti are made into outdoor art galleries.
If you’ve come to Madrid for indulgence, you’re well catered for. If you’ve never tried tapas before, there’s no better place than Biotza.
Tapas is a meal consisting of small snack-like dishes. For those amongst you who get bored with your food quickly, this is for you.
The Mediterranean countries are known for their cooking. Spain is no different, and Madrid makes you know that.
You’ll be able to practically smell where the good food is.
Likewise for drinks, expect something different but opulent. The Roof is situated on the top of the Plaza de Santa Ana. It’s a cocktail bar, but on top of a building. Not great for those who don’t like heights, but provides a spectacular view with your drink.
If you prefer something more grounded, try the Teatro Joy Eslava. It’s a dance club. So if pounding music and moving your body like no tomorrow is what you’re into, get ready to shake it.
In keeping with the finesse and beauty of the city, Madrid hotels are often pretty swanky. Stylish rooms and stylish lobbies alike from my experience. Check out Venere to see some of them.
If you want to have a night out on the down low, try La Venencia. La Venencia is a sherry bar, with a real old school feel. Lots of wood, and no music. Conversation is your soundtrack in here.
If you want a little culture in your visit the Museo del Prado is a great place to go look at some art. Appreciate it properly though, don’t go with a hangover.
You don’t want some of the greatest works mankind has made to be wobbling all over the place.
For a more everyday experience in Madrid try hanging around Plaza Mayor. While quite an extravagant building, it’s a nice place just to take a seat and enjoy yourself.
Nothing says you can’t just sit down with a book on holiday.
You can get a little stiff with inactivity if you’re having a relaxing holiday. Besides walking, keeping yourself active can improve your experience.
Madrid has cycling tours for instance. Get to know the area while on the move. Stay fit, and learn about the local area.
If you’re looking to spend some money though, El Rastro is the premiere flea market of Madrid. There’s no guarantee you’ll see anything you like.
The chance to find a figurative diamond in the rough is always there though. Besides, you might find something that’ll make a nice souvenir to take home with you.
Madrid is a city that likes to have fun. It has a quieter, gentler side though. Whether you’re looking to party all night or browse the markets, you could have the time of your life.
FIFA will open its annual congress despite warnings from sponsors that they may review ties over the arrest of seven top officials on corruption charges.
FIFA’s key sponsors have issued statements putting increasing pressure on the soccer governing body over the mounting corruption allegations.
Visa warned that it will reassess its sponsorship unless FIFA makes changes.
Coca-Cola said: “The lengthy controversy has tarnished the mission and ideals of the FIFA World Cup.”
Adidas, McDonald’s and Hyundai Motor also expressed concern and said they were monitoring the situation closely.
The European football body UEFA will decide whether to boycott May 29 vote for the next FIFA president.
Incumbent President Sepp Blatter has yet to appear in public since the arrests.
Sepp Blatter, who is hoping to secure a fifth term at FIFA’s congress in Zurich, was not named in the corruption investigations.
FIFA provisionally banned from football-related activity 11 of the 14 people charged by the US authorities on Wednesday.
They are accused of racketeering, fraud and money laundering, including charges of receiving bribes to influence the outcome of bids to stage football tournaments, such as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2016 Copa America in the US. South African’s main football body has denied the claim.
Sepp Blatter said on May 27: “Such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game.”
Swiss prosecutors plan to interview ten FIFA executive committee members as part of a separate investigation into the bidding process for the World Cup tournaments in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar.
UEFA reacted to the latest events by saying they were “a disaster for FIFA and tarnish the image of football as a whole”.
The European body said Friday’s congress risked becoming a “farce” and that the vote should be postponed.
Those indicted in the US case are accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150 million over a 24-year period beginning in 1991.
Spelling out details of the US case, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said some FIFA executives had “used their positions to solicit bribes. They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament”.
The seven arrested in Zurich were vice-presidents Jeffrey Webb and Eugenio Figueredo; Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel and Jose Maria Marin. They face extradition requests from the US.
An eccentric customer, who enjoyed a gumbo and a beer at Blue 44, a restaurant in upper Northwest Washington, left a $2,000 tip on a $93 bill, the Washington Post reports.
The owner of the four-year-old restaurant, Christofer Nardelli, said the man left the tip on May 25 after he and a friend ate fried chicken, gumbo and the patron’s favorite brew — Old Chub Scotch Ale.
After the men left the restaurant, bartender Laura Dally noticed something unusual.
She picked up the bill holder and noticed that inside was the credit card slip with a $2,000 tip, including details of how it should be divided among the three: $1,000 for chef James Turner and $500 each for the bartender and Christofer Nardelli.
The customer also wrote: “Thank you for the gumbo!”
According to the restaurant’s owner, the customer lives in the area and frequents the bar a few times a month. He is partial to the restaurant’s gumbo, chicken and andouille sausage base with a dark roux.
The customer and his friend ordered the Monday night special – a three-course meal of salad, fried chicken and dessert – with gumbo interspersed throughout, the bartender said.
Christofer Nardelli said he plans to use his money to help offset his toddler’s monthly day-care bill and believes chef James Turner will spend his money on his family as well.
Bartender Laura Dally, 29, said she plans to use her $500 to pay for a summer class at Montgomery College. She is working to become an occupational therapist.
The competition is fierce in the fast food industry. If you’re in this game, you know. If you’re just getting started in it, you’re in for a rough ride, especially in this economic climate. Here’s how to boost sales and profits to avoid becoming just another statistic.
Offer Collectibles
Collectibles are things that big brands have used for years to attract customers. For example, a brand might offer branded drinking glasses, Customized mugs, or figurines. It could even be toys for the kids.
Whatever it is, if you promote it as a “limited edition” something or other, you’re bound to get customers to “bite.” There’s almost always a crowd for collectible items, and it’s a great way to get referral business.
Photo Source: www.tquality.co.uk
Segment Your Market
Segmentation is a way to separate out your “A” customers from “B” customers. In the fast food industry, this information is usually obtained through research surveys, asking your demographic about their age, income, and household size.
You might learn that most of your customers, for example, are between 24 and 34 years old, instead of the typical 18 to 24.
Once you know your target demographic, hire a mailing list broker, collect names and addresses of everyone within your target age or household income bracket, and send out a mailer to them inviting them to come into your restaurant to try something new.
You could even mention that if they’re between the ages of 24 and 34 (or whatever your target demographic’s age happens to be), they’ll get a free dessert or gift just for stopping by. Since you did your market research beforehand, you can expect a high response rate. Get ready for a flood of business a few days after your mailer goes out.
Brand Your Products
Branding your products sounds intuitive, but you’d be surprised by how many missed opportunities there are in the industry. Are your napkins branded? What about your coffee cups? What about your frozen yogurt cups? If you haven’t branded everything, step it up.
Hand Out Samples
Handing out free samples is one of the simplest ways to prove that you have something worth stopping in for. Have employees set up a stand in town or in an area where you don’t have a store.
Have them hand out free samples of your food to people walking by, along with directions to your restaurant.
Hand Out Menus With Every Order
Chinese food restaurants have been doing this for ages, and for good reason: it works. Every time someone orders take out, include a copy of your menu. You’ll be encouraging future orders.
Hand Out Free Gifts With Orders
Every week, rotate a free gift when people buy. It doesn’t have to be anything huge, but it should be something that reminds your customer of your brand. Whether it’s a pin, a toy for kids, or a coupon for some free food, or discounted tickets for a local event, you should do something that will make you stand out from the giants in the industry that aren’t giving away free stuff.
Kelly S. Phillips is a business marketer. She likes to post about her experiences online. Her articles can be found on many marketing and business websites.
Former Chicago Bears defensive end Ray McDonald has been arrested for the second time this week.
He was arrested on May 27 for violating a restraining order by being at a residence in Santa Clara, the Santa Clara Police Department said.
The restraining order was issued after a domestic violence incident on May 25 in Santa Clara in which Ray McDonald allegedly broke down a bedroom door to get to his former fiancée and their infant.
Ray McDonald, 30, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and child endangerment, but was free on bail. The Chicago Bears released the lineman hours after that arrest.
On May 27, Santa Clara detectives found Ray McDonald at a Togo’s Sandwiches in Santa Clara, where they arrested him without incident. He was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on $5,000 bail.
Ray McDonald’s attorney, Steve DeFilippis, told the San Jose Mercury News that neither he nor his client had been notified about the restraining order.
Steve DeFilippis told the newspaper McDonald had gone to the residence on May 27 to meet with a defense investigator, who had spoken to the woman who lived there. She told him she would not be home.
The 49ers released Ray McDonald in December citing a “pattern of poor decision-making”.
That move came just a month after Santa Clara County prosecutors declined to file charges against Ray McDonald in a separate domestic violence investigation stemming from an arrest on August 31, 2014, while celebrating his 30th birthday at his home. Prosecutors cited conflicting versions of what happened, a lack of verifiable eyewitnesses and a lack of cooperation by the alleged victim, Ray McDonald’s fiancée, in explaining their decision.
Researchers have unearthed a new species of ancient human in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
The study, published in the journal Nature, says the research team discovered jaw bones and teeth, which date to between 3.3 million and 3.5 million years old.
It means this new hominin was alive at the same time as several other early human species, suggesting our family tree is more complicated than was thought.
The new species has been called Australopithecus deyiremeda, which means “close relative” in the language spoken by the Afar people.
The ancient remains are thought to belong to four individuals, who would have had both ape and human-like features.
The age of the remains means that this was potentially one of four different species of early humans that were all alive at the same time.
The most famous of these is Australopithecus afarensis – known as Lucy – who lived between 2.9 million and 3.8 million years ago, and was initially thought to be our direct ancestor.
However, the discovery of another species called Kenyanthropus platyops in Kenya in 2001, and of Australopithecus bahrelghazali in Chad, and now Australopithecus deyiremedaI, suggests that there were several species co-existing.
Nebraska became first conservative state in more than 40 years to abolish the death penalty after a veto-override was passed through its Legislature.
The lawmakers defied their Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, a staunch supporter of capital punishment who had lobbied vigorously against banning it.
The measure was backed by a coalition of conservatives who oppose execution as a form of punishment.
After more than two hours of emotional speeches at the Capitol here, the Legislature, by a 30-to-19 vote that cut across party lines, overrode the governor’s veto of a bill repealing the state’s death penalty law. After the repeal measure passed, by just enough votes to overcome the veto, dozens of spectators in the balcony burst into celebration.
Nebraska joins 18 other states and the federal district of Washington, DC, in banning capital punishment, and is the first traditionally conservative state in four decades to do so.
The state has not executed an inmate since a 1997 electrocution.
Some of the lawmakers said that they support the death penalty in principle, but said that legal obstacles meant the state would be unable to carry out executions in the future.
A Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman said her agency was investigating death threats made against a state senator who supported the measure.
Ten men are on currently Nebraska’s death row.
The state has never executed a prisoner using lethal injection – the current method for carrying out the death penalty in the state.
The state lost its ability to carry out an execution in December 2013, when one of the three lethal injection drugs used in the procedure expired.
North Dakota, another traditionally conservative state, abolished the death penalty in 1973.
The most recent state to eliminate the death penalty is Maryland, which ended capital punishment in 2013.
Street Outlaws driver Izzy Valenzuela was arrested and charged with murder for his part in a street racing crash that claimed the lives of two people in Los Angeles on February 25.
Izzy “Performance” Valenzuela was racing against Michael Gevorgyan on when one of the drivers lost control, according to police. The car careened into a crowd, killing two people and injuring a third.
The Street Outlaws star was driving a Nissan GT-R.
Izzy Valenzuela is currently in jail, charged with two counts of murder and faces up to 33 years to life in prison. Michael Gevorgyan, who is also in custody, claims he wasn’t in the Mustang when it crashed.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) recently came out against Street Outlaws threatening to suspend the competition licenses of drivers that had appeared on the show.
Bristol Palin talked about her broken engagement to war hero Dakota Meyer in a blog post.
Sarah Palin’s daughter wrote: “This is a painful time for family and friends and I would just really appreciate your prayers.”
Bristol Palin broke her silence just to thank her fans for their “love and support”.
She said: “I feel like I need to address the elephant-in-the-room on this blog, since you guys have been with me through thick and thin.
“When I first got engaged, you were the first ones I wanted to tell.
“I guess you have seen by now that the wedding — that was supposed to happen last weekend — was called off,” she wrote.
“I’m sure you’ve seen this has been all over the media, but this is a painful time for family and friends and I would just really appreciate your prayers.
“I know God’s plan is greater than anything else, and Tripp and I are in Alaska beginning to rebuild our lives under much different circumstances than we anticipated. Thank you for all of your love and support.”
Bristol Palin and Dakota Meyer called off their wedding earlier this month, just days before the scheduled nuptials.
Sarah Palin announced the news on her Facebook: “Trust in God’s timing. It’s better to wait a while and have things fall into place than to rush and have things fall apart.”
Bristol Palin and Dakota Meyer had gotten engaged back in March after meeting each other during an episode of the reality show Amazing America With Sarah Palin.
Bette Midler took to Twitter to sound off on all the molestation allegations that 19 Kids and Counting’s Josh Duggar is facing.
The 69-year-old singer wrote on May 25: “Josh Duggar resigned from an anti-gay <<family>> group due to molestation allegations.
“Kids, is there anything more delicious than irony?”
Bette Midler isn’t the first celebrity to give an opinion of the shocking Josh Duggar controversy.
After the 19 Kids and Counting star released an apology statement last week, Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee voiced his support for the Duggar family.
Meanwhile, Montel Williams went on a Twitter rant attacking the Duggars and the Family Research Council, the conservative group where Josh Duggar worked.
European Union states have been asked to take in 40,000 asylum seekers from Syria and Eritrea who land in Italy and Greece over the next two years.
Under the European Commission’s latest plan, Germany, France and Spain would receive the most migrants.
The idea of using quotas to resettle those who have made it to Europe has caused controversy in some EU states.
The UK government says that it will not take part in such a system.
France, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia and Estonia have also all voiced concerns, and a final decision will be taken by EU governments after a European Parliament vote.
Denmark has the right to opt out of the plan while Ireland and the UK can decide whether they wish to opt in.
The plan applies to Syrian and Eritrean nationals who arrive in Italy or Greece after April 15, 2015. The European Commission said it could also apply to Malta if it also faced a sudden influx of migrants.
This is in addition to moves announced earlier this month by the EU for a voluntary scheme to settle 20,000 refugees fleeing conflict who are currently living outside the EU.
Of the 40,000 migrants considered “in clear need of international protection”, the Commission says:
Germany would take in 8,763 (21.91%)
France would take in 6,752 (16.88%)
Spain would take in 4,288 (10.72%)
Dimitris Avramopoulos, the home affairs commissioner, said it was not proposing “the fixing of quotas… for migration in general” and but it was “up to each member to decide how many refugees they will grant refugee status [to]”.
“We only propose – and we insist on that – a fair distribution of a concrete number of migrants in clear need of international protection across the European Union,” he said.
Countries would receive €6,000 ($6,600) for every person relocated on their territory under the latest proposal, the commission said.
More than 1,800 migrants have died in the Mediterranean in 2015 – a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014.
Some 60,000 people have already tried to make the perilous crossing this year, the UN estimates.
Many are trying to escape conflict or poverty in countries such as Syria, Eritrea, Nigeria and Somalia.
The European Commission said Italy and Greece were facing an exceptional level of migration, with Italy seeing a 277% rise in irregular border crossings from 2013 to 2014 and Greece seeing an increase of 153%.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has also urged Europe to do more to help migrants, calling for search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean to be “further strengthened”.
Earlier this month, EU ministers backed plans for a naval force to set up to combat smuggling gangs, if necessary by military force, inside Libyan territorial waters.
Queen Elizabeth II delivered her speech at the UK’s annual State Opening of Parliament on May 27.
It was the Queen’s first speech under a majority Conservative government since 1992.
Queen’s Speech revealed that an EU referendum by the end of 2017 is among Conservative government’s program of new laws.
The packed program of laws also includes more free childcare, an income tax freeze and the right-to-buy for housing association tenants.
Prime Minister David Cameron said the 26-bill package was a “program for working people” that would create full employment and “bring our country together”.
The measures were unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II amid the usual pomp and ceremony.
The proposed legislation includes:
A ban on income tax, VAT and national insurance increases for five years
A freeze on working age benefits, tax credits and child benefit for two years from 2016/17
30 hours free childcare a week for three and four-year-olds by 2017
Cutting the total amount one household can claim in benefits from £26,000 to £23,000
More devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and “English votes for English laws” at Westminster
500 more free schools and more failing and “coasting” schools tuned into Academies
A ban on so-called legal highs
A “truly seven day” NHS by 2020
Many of the proposed new laws were promised by the Conservatives during this year’s general.
Photo Getty Images
Queen’s Speech 2015 transcript:
“My Lords and members of the House of Commons.
My government will legislate in the interests of everyone in our country. It will adopt a one nation approach, helping working people get on, supporting aspiration, giving new opportunities to the most disadvantaged and bringing different parts of our country together.
My government will continue with its long-term plan to provide economic stability and security at every stage of life. They will continue the work of bringing the public finances under control and reducing the deficit, so Britain lives within its means. Measures will be introduced to raise the productive potential of the economy and increase living standards.
Legislation will be brought forward to help achieve full employment and provide more people with the security of a job. New duties will require my ministers to report annually on job creation and apprenticeships. Measures will also be introduced to reduce regulation on small businesses so they can create jobs.
Legislation will be brought forward to ensure people working 30 hours a week on the National Minimum Wage do not pay income tax, and to ensure there are no rises in Income Tax rates, Value Added Tax or National Insurance for the next 5 years.
Measures will be brought forward to help working people by greatly increasing the provision of free childcare.
Legislation will be introduced to support home ownership and give housing association tenants the chance to own their own home.
Measures will be introduced to increase energy security and to control immigration. My government will bring forward legislation to reform trade unions and to protect essential public services against strikes.
To give new opportunities to the most disadvantaged, my government will expand the Troubled Families program and continue to reform welfare, with legislation encouraging employment by capping benefits and requiring young people to earn or learn.
Legislation will be brought forward to improve schools and give every child the best start in life, with new powers to take over failing and coasting schools and create more academies.
In England, my government will secure the future of the National Health Service by implementing the National Health Service’s own 5 year plan, by increasing the health budget, integrating healthcare and social care, and ensuring the National Health Service works on a 7 day basis. Measures will be introduced to improve access to general practitioners and to mental healthcare.
Measures will also be brought forward to secure the real value of the basic State Pension, so that more people live in dignity and security in retirement. Measures will be brought forward to increase the rights of victims of crime.
To bring different parts of our country together, my government will work to bring about a balanced economic recovery. Legislation will be introduced to provide for the devolution of powers to cities with elected metro mayors, helping to build a northern powerhouse.
My government will continue to legislate for high-speed rail links between the different parts of the country.
My government will also bring forward legislation to secure a strong and lasting constitutional settlement, devolving wide-ranging powers to Scotland and Wales. Legislation will be taken forward giving effect to the Stormont House Agreement in Northern Ireland.
My government will continue to work in cooperation with the devolved administrations on the basis of mutual respect.
My government will bring forward changes to the standing orders of the House of Commons. These changes will create fairer procedures to ensure that decisions affecting England, or England and Wales, can be taken only with the consent of the majority of Members of Parliament representing constituencies in those parts of our United Kingdom.
My government will renegotiate the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union and pursue reform of the European Union for the benefit of all member states.
Alongside this, early legislation will be introduced to provide for an in-out referendum on membership of the European Union before the end of 2017.
Measures will also be brought forward to promote social cohesion and protect people by tackling extremism. New legislation will modernise the law on communications data, improve the law on policing and criminal justice, and ban the new generation of psychoactive drugs.
My government will bring forward proposals for a British Bill of Rights.
Members of the House of Commons.
Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.
My Lords and members of the House of Commons
My government will continue to play a leading role in global affairs, using its presence all over the world to re-engage with and tackle the major international security, economic and humanitarian challenges.
My ministers will remain at the forefront of the NATO alliance and of international efforts to degrade and ultimately defeat terrorism in the Middle East.
The United Kingdom will continue to seek a political settlement in Syria, and will offer further support to the Iraqi government’s program for political reform and national reconciliation.
My government will maintain pressure on Russia to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and will insist on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.
My government looks forward to an enhanced partnership with India and China.
Prince Philip and I look forward to our state visit to Germany next month and to our state visit to Malta in November, alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. We also look forward to welcoming His Excellency the President of The People’s Republic of China and Madame Peng on a state visit in October.
My government will seek effective global collaboration to sustain economic recovery and to combat climate change, including at the climate change conference in Paris later this year.
My government will undertake a full strategic defense and security review, and do whatever is necessary to ensure that our courageous armed forces can keep Britain safe.
My government will work to reduce the threat from nuclear weapons, cyber attacks and terrorism.
Other measures will be laid before you.
My Lords and members of the House of Commons
I pray that the blessing of almighty God may rest upon your counsels.”
According to official reports, at least 17 people have been killed and dozens injured in Oklahoma and Texas following record rainfall over the weekend.
At least four deaths have been blamed on the storm in the Houston area. The storm led to major flooding and tornadoes sweeping across the southern part of America.
More heavy rains are expected over the next few days.
Parts of Houston – the US’s fourth most populous city – remain under water.
Thousands of cars have been abandoned on city streets and highways.
Scores of residents have been displaced and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed.
The number of people killed in Texas and Oklahoma is expected to rise as more bodies are discovered, officials say.
By May 26, most rivers in Houston were reported to have receded back within their banks.
The floodwaters affected virtually every part of the city, officials say, bringing some areas to a standstill.
Fire fighters rescued scores of stranded motorists and at least 2,500 vehicles were abandoned by drivers, officials said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency in 24 counties in Texas.
The bad weather does not appear to be coming to an end – forecasts have predicted a 20% to 40% chance of thunderstorms for the rest of the week in Houston.
The effects of the massive storms were also felt near the Texas border in Mexico.
On May 25, at least 14 people – including an infant – were killed by a tornado that hit the northern Mexico border city of Acuna.
Mexican authorities said that more than 1,000 homes were damaged by the storm.
Texas often experiences long periods of drought, despite heavy rainfall at times.
As of the week of May 19, areas in central Texas were experiencing abnormal to severe levels of drought, with 795,851 residents affected, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Six FIFA officials have been arrested in Zurich over corruption charges at the soccer governing body and face extradition to the US, Swiss authorities say.
Separately, Swiss prosecutors have launched a criminal case into the 2018 and 2022 football World Cup bids.
The suspects, who include a FIFA vice-president, allegedly accepted bribes worth $150 million over 20 years.
FIFA members are due to vote on May 29 in a presidential election when incumbent Sepp Blatter is seeking a fifth term.
However, Sepp Blatter is not understood to be one of those arrested.
Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein of Jordan – Sepp Blatter’s rival for the FIFA presidency – described the development as “a sad day for football”, but withheld from commenting further.
FIFA’s Zurich headquarters has also been raided, with documents seized, Swiss prosecutors say.
Among those arrested in Zurich are: Jeffrey Webb – head of the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, CONCACAF; Jack Warner, former FIFA vice-president; Costa Rica’s national football chief Eduardo Li, who was due to join FIFA’s executive committee on May 29; Uruguay’s Eugenio Figueredo, president of South American football governing body CONMEBOL; Brazil’s Jose Maria Marin, a member of FIFA’s club committee.
Police were seen carrying Jose Maria Marin’s suitcase and some of his possessions in plastic bags.
Several officials have already pleaded guilty, the US Department of Justice says. These include Charles Blazer, the former head of CONCACAF, who was previously on the FIFA executive committee.
A FIFA spokesman said the governing body was seeking to clarify the situation.
The Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) said in a statement on May 27 that US authorities suspected the officials of receiving $150 million worth of bribes since the early 1990s for football tournaments in Latin America.
The crimes were agreed to and prepared in the US via US bank accounts, the statement adds.
Swiss authorities can immediately approve the extradition, it continues.
In a separate move, prosecutors opened criminal proceedings “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups,” said a statement from the Swiss attorney-general.
