Home Blog Page 417

Robert Durst on suicide watch

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Robert Durst on suicide watch

Robert Durst, who is awaiting trial on a murder charge, has been moved to a mental health unit after being deemed a suicide risk.

The real estate tycoon was transferred on March 17 to a Louisiana state prison that handles severely mentally ill inmates.

Robert Durst appeared to confess to three killings while being filmed for documentary.

He was arrested in New Orleans on March 15 and has been charged with the murder of his friend, Susan Berman.

Also on March 17, investigators spent hours searching his home in Houston, Texas.

Officers were seen carrying away two boxes after spending several hours searching Robert Durst’s condominium.

Robert Durst’s lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, called the search “a publicity stunt” and said he would be surprised if investigators found any incriminating evidence.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

“I don’t know what they could be looking for 15 years after Susan Berman was killed 1,500 miles away,” Dick DeGuerin said.

“They can search now till kingdom come. They’re not going to find anything because there isn’t anything.”

Robert Durst is being held in Louisiana on gun charges while waiting to be transferred to Los Angeles to face a murder charge for the 2000 shooting death of Susan Berman.

In a recording that was made during a break in the filming of HBO documentary about his life – The Jinx – Robert Durst can be heard saying: “I don’t know what’s in the house,” just before saying he “killed them all”.

Robert Durst appears to be speaking to himself the recording, while wearing an active wireless microphone inside a bathroom. The recording was given to police months ago, the filmmakers say.

He has long been suspected in the disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen Durst, who went missing from their country home in New York state in 1982. He has never been charged.

In 2003, Robert Durst was acquitted of murder in the death of his elderly neighbor, Morris Black, whose body was found floating in a Texas bay.

On March 16, Robert Durst agreed to be transferred to California to stand trial for Susan Berman’s death, but the move was delayed by gun and drug charges that were later filed.

[youtube g0tLMKmja0k 650]

Solar eclipse 2015: Eye experts warn of selfie danger

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Solar eclipse 2015: Eye experts warn of selfie danger

Eye experts warn people not to take pictures of March 20 solar eclipse on a smartphone because of blindness risk.

The danger comes as people look directly at the Sun as they position themselves for selfies or other shots.

Inadvertently, glancing at the Sun – even briefly while setting up a shot – can lead to burns at the back of eye.

Experts advise indirect viewing, using pinholes and facing away from the Sun.

For many, this will be the first time they have witnessed the phenomenon in 15 years, but eye specialists say people should not use their camera phones to capture the event.Solar eclipse 2015

The safest ways to view the eclipse include using a pinhole camera to project an image of the eclipse on to a piece of card.

Other options involve using colanders to make multiple pinholes or using specifically designed eclipse viewing glasses.

Experts warn the glasses must be checked for damage first and should be put on before looking up at the sky.

It’s a Total Solar Eclipse in the Faroe Islands and Svalbard (Norway), and a Partial Solar Eclipse in Europe, northern and eastern Asia and northern and western Africa. The eclipse starts at 07:41 UTC and ends at 11:50 UTC.

The sky will darken but the Sun will still peek out from behind the Moon.

[youtube rDaqNvjYjUk 650]

Tunisia museum attack: 19 dead after gunmen storm Bardo Museum

Roy Siemens
-
0
Tunisia museum attack: 19 dead after gunmen storm Bardo Museum

Seventeen foreign tourists and two Tunisians have been killed after gunmen targeted Bardo Museum in Tunis, PM Habib Essid says.

Italian, Spanish, Polish and German citizens were among those killed, as well as a Tunisian and a police officer, the prime minister said.

Security forces killed two gunmen and were searching for accomplices, he added.

At the time of the attack deputies in the neighboring parliamentary building were discussing anti-terrorism legislation. Parliament was evacuated following the attack.

At least 22 tourists and two Tunisians were injured in the attack, Habib Essid said.

“It is a critical moment in our history, and a defining moment for our future,” he said.Tunisia Bardo Museum attack 2015

“We have not established the identity of the two terrorists,” the prime minister said.

He added: “Reports are not final, these two terrorists could have been assisted by two or three other operatives.”

Security operations were “still underway”, with forces “continuing to comb the area to find out the remaining operatives, if any”.

The remaining hostages held at the museum had been freed, Reuters news agency reported, citing an unnamed government official.

Local media reports said British, Italian, French and Spanish nationals were among those taken hostage during the attack.

Local television footage showed tourists fleeing to safety, escorted by security forces.

A museum employee told Reuters the two attackers “opened fire on the tourists as they were getting off the buses before fleeing into the museum”.

The attack is a huge blow for Tunisia’s tourism industry and its government, which only emerged at the end of a long political transition several months ago.

The Bardo museum, renowned for its collection of antiquities, is a major attraction in Tunis.

Tourism is a key sector of Tunisia’s economy, with large numbers of Europeans visiting the country’s resorts.

Concerns about security in Tunisia have increased in recent months as neighboring Libya has become increasingly unstable.

A large number of Tunisians have also left to fight in Syria and Iraq, triggering worries that returning militants could carry out attacks at home.

[youtube o7lzOTJ5uoA 650]

Andy Fraser dies after long battle with cancer and AIDS aged 62

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Andy Fraser dies after long battle with cancer and AIDS aged 62

Free bassist Andy Fraser has died in California aged 62.

The London-born musician died on March 16 after a long battle with cancer and AIDS, according to an official statement regarding his death.

The Riverside County coroner said the cause of death was not yet known and remains under investigation.

Andy Fraser became a founding member of the British group when he was just 15.

He wrote most of his material with Free lead singer Paul Rodgers, who went on to front bands Bad Company and The Firm.Andy Fraser dead at 62

“A survivor of both cancer and Aids, Andy was a strong social activist and defender of individual human rights,” the statement read.

“He leaves behind his daughters Hannah and Jasmine Fraser, and their mother Ri, his sister Gail, brothers Gavin and Alex, and many friends and associates in the industry.”

Andy Fraser’s All Right Now was Free’s biggest hit, peaking at No 2 in the UK singles chart and No 4 in the US.

All Right Now was recognized by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 1990 for achieving over a million radio plays.

In 2006, Andy Fraser and Free singer Paul Rodgers were honored by the BMI in London to mark three million radio and television plays of All Right Now in the UK.

According to an interview with Free drummer Simon Kirke, All Right Now was written “after a bad gig in Durham”.

Study: Longer breastfeeding boosts child’s IQ in adulthood

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Study: Longer breastfeeding boosts child’s IQ in adulthood

According to a long-term Brazilian study, there is link between breastfeeding and intelligence.

Children who are breast-fed for longer go on to become more intelligent, educated and successful adults, the study has found.

Researchers analyzed breastfeeding data on almost 3,500 babies who were given IQ tests when they reached the age of 30 and provided information on educational attainment and income.

The research found those who had been breastfed for longer went on to score higher on IQ tests as adults.

Experts say the results, while not conclusive, appear to back current advice that babies should be exclusively breastfed for six months.

However, they say mothers should still have a choice about whether or not to do it.

Regarding the findings – published in The Lancet Global Health – specialists stress there are many different factors other than breastfeeding that could have an impact on intelligence, although the researchers did try to rule out the main confounders, such as mother’s education, family income and birth weight.

Dr. Bernardo Lessa Horta, from the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, said his study offers a unique insight because in the population he studied, breastfeeding was evenly distributed across social class – not something just practiced by the rich and educated.Breastfeeding linked to higher IQ

Most of the babies, irrespective of social class, were breastfed – some for less than a month and others for more than a year.

Those who were breastfed for longer scored higher on measures of intelligence as adults.

They were also more likely to earn a higher wage and to have completed more schooling.

Dr. Bernardo Lessa Horta believes breast milk may offer an advantage because it is a good source of long-chain saturated fatty acids which are essential for brain development.

However, experts say the study findings cannot confirm this and that much more research is needed to explore any possible link between breastfeeding and intelligence.

Frankfurt riot: Blockupy protesters target new ECB headquarter

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Frankfurt riot: Blockupy protesters target new ECB headquarter

Some 350 people arrested and dozens injured as anti-austerity demonstrators clashed with police in Frankfurt, Germany.

Police cars were set alight and stones were thrown in a protest against the opening of a new base for the European Central Bank (ECB).

Violence broke out close to Frankfurt’s Alte Oper concert hall hours before the ECB building’s official opening.

Thousands of “Blockupy” activists were due to take part in a rally.

Organizers were bringing a left-wing alliance of protesters from across Germany and the rest of Europe to voice their anger at the ECB’s role in austerity measures in EU member states, most recently Greece.

The ECB, in charge of managing the euro, is also responsible for framing eurozone policy and, along with the IMF and European Commission, has set conditions for bailouts in Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus.

Photo RT
Photo RT

Police set up a cordon of barbed wire outside the bank’s new 600ft double-tower skyscraper, next to the River Main.

But hopes of a peaceful rally were dashed as clashes began early on Wednesday, March 18.

Tires and trash bins were set alight and police responded with water cannon as firefighters complained they were unable to get to the fires to put them out. One fire engine appeared to have had its windscreen broken.

Activists said many protesters had been hurt by police batons, water cannon and by pepper spray.

Police said as many as 80 of their officers had been affected by pepper spray or an acidic liquid. Eight suffered injuries from stone-throwing protesters.

Police spokeswoman Claudia Rogalski spoke of an “aggressive atmosphere” and the Frankfurt force tweeted images of a police van being attacked. They were braced for further violence as increasing numbers of activists arrived for the rally.

Blockupy accused police of using kettling tactics to cordon off hundreds of protesters and appealed for supporters to press for their release.

As the number of protesters grew in the streets away from the new ECB building, the bank’s president, Mario Draghi, gave a speech marking its inauguration.

The new headquarters, which had been due to open years earlier, cost an estimated €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) to build and is the new home for thousands of central bankers.

Blockupy activists said on their website that there was nothing to celebrate about the politics of austerity and increasing poverty.

[youtube 9f0AZtD5VvM 650]

St. Patrick’s Day 2015: White House fountain dyed green

Nancy Clayson
-
0
St. Patrick’s Day 2015: White House fountain dyed green

The White House gets in the fun by dyeing the water in the fountain on the south lawn green on St. Patrick’s Day.

The tradition started in 2009, when first lady Michelle Obama, a native of Chicago, decided to bring a version of her city’s tradition to Washington D.C.White House fountain dyed green St Patrick Day's 2015

For St. Patrick’s Day, some cites in the USA get festive by dyeing local bodies of water green.

Chicago officials dyed a portion of the Chicago River green on March 14. The tradition dates back to 1962 when Mayor Richard J. Daley and the chairman of the parade Stephen Bailey first did it. Stephen Bailey got the idea after realizing the dye used to detect leaks from plumbing into the river was a perfect shade of “Irish green”, according to the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee.

[youtube jcWwtUeOOiI 650]

Israel elections 2015 results: Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party wins surprise victory

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Israel elections 2015 results: Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party wins surprise victory

Benjamin Netanyahu has won a fourth term as Israel’s prime minister after his right-wing Likud Party has won a surprise victory in the country’s general elections.

Exit polls had forecast a dead heat but with almost all votes counted, results give Likud a clear lead over its main rival, the centre-left Zionist Union.

The outcome gives PM Benjamin Netanyahu a strong chance of forming a right-wing coalition government.

It puts the incumbent on course to clinch a fourth term and become Israel’s longest-serving prime minster.

The latest tally gives Likud 30 seats in the 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, with Zionist Union on 24 seats.

In a speech to jubilant supporters in Tel Aviv after Tuesday’s polls closed, Benjamin Netanyahu described the vote as a “great victory” for Likud, which had trailed the Zionist Union in opinion polls in the run-up to the election.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Benjamin Netanyahu “plans to immediately begin forming a government in order to complete the task within two to three weeks,” a statement from Likud said.

It said he had already spoken to parties he saw as possible coalition partners, including right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties and centrist Kulanu, which won 10 seats.

Zionist Union leader Yitzhak Herzog called Benjamin Netanyahu early on March 18 to congratulate him on the result and wished him “good luck”.

“Nothing has changed, we will keep fighting for a just society,” Yitzhak Herzog was quoted as saying by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

“This is not an easy morning for us and for those who believe in our way,” Yitzhak Herzog and Zionist Union co-leader Tzipi Livni said in a statement.

Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed not to allow the creation of a Palestinian state, while Zionist Union expressed support for a two-state solution and promised to repair relations with Palestinians and the international community.

In the wake of the vote, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Palestinians would step up their bid for statehood.

“It is clear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will form the next government, so we say clearly that we will go to the International Criminal Court in the Hague and we will speed up, pursue and intensify diplomatic efforts,” he told AFP news agency.

Almost 72% of those eligible voted in Tuesday’s election. Turnout was four points higher than the previous election in 2013.

Israel’s form of proportional representation always produces smaller parties and coalition government. None has ever won an outright majority under Israel’s proportional representation voting system.

The Joint Arab List, an alliance of Israeli Arab-dominated parties that united for the first time, came third with 14 seats.

[youtube SNnr-CVbzaI 650]

Solar Impulse 2 takes off from Ahmedabad heading to Varanasi

James J. Williams
-
0
Solar Impulse 2 takes off from Ahmedabad heading to Varanasi

Solar Impulse 2 is in the air again, crossing India and hoping to make it to Myanmar on March 19.

The solar-powered plane attempting to fly around the world, with Andre Borschberg at the controls, took off from Ahmedabad at 07:18 local time.

Solar Impulse 2 is heading to Varanasi in India’s Uttar Pradesh region, where it will make a short “pit stop” before pushing on over the Bay of Bengal.

The leg to Mandalay in Myanmar (Burma) will be flown by Bertrand Piccard.

The two pilots are taking it in turns to guide Solar Impulse 2 on its circumnavigation of the globe.

So far, they have covered about 2,000km in two segments since beginning the adventure in Abu Dhabi.

It will likely be another five months before they return to the United Arab Emirates, having crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the process.

Today’s take-off was delayed by almost two hours because of customs issues.Solar Impulse 2 heads to India

The roughly 1,100km from Ahmedabad to Varanasi is the third leg of the mission and should take Borschberg about 15 hours to complete.

The team will then lay over for a few hours before taking off for Mandalay.

This fourth leg is longer – about 1,500km – and has some tricky conditions to negotiate.

“In Varanasi, we can expect to have foggy mornings, which could be a problem for an early take-off,” explained Christophe Beesau, who works on flight strategy.

“And for leg four, of course, we will cross the Bay of Bengal. This may be challenging because we have often at altitude an important wind, and, on the other hand, due to air traffic control restrictions, we have to keep the track.

“We know that we will have to adjust carefully the flight profile to avoid this problem.”

About two hours before landing in Mandalay, Solar Impulse 2 will have to fly over a big range of mountains up to 3,000m in height.

It will aim to get this done before sunset so that it can then gently descend towards the Myanmar city in the dark.

The Solar Impulse project has already set plenty of world records, including the greatest distance covered in a single solar-powered flight.

This was the 1,468km attained on leg two from Muscat in Oman to Ahmedabad.

The wingspan of the vehicle is 72m, which exceeds that of a 747 jumbo jet airliner. It does, however, only weigh 2.3 tonnes.

Its light weight will be critical to its success over the coming months.

The Pacific and Atlantic crossings will require Solar Impulse 2 to fly non-stop for several days at a time.

[youtube Unz958DhsFo 650]

Chicago Bulls’ Jack Haley dies of heart disease aged 51

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Chicago Bulls’ Jack Haley dies of heart disease aged 51

Former NBA player Jack Haley has died at the age of 51.

Jack Haley’s family confirmed his death, saying the cause was heart disease.

The sportsman died on March 16 at Los Alamitos Medical Center, according to the Orange County coroner’s office website. There were no indications of foul play and an autopsy will be performed, the coroner said.

Jack Haley played for Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs during his career, when he averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds mostly as a reserve. He sat out the entire 1992-1993 season because of injury.

The Bulls drafted the 6-foot-10 forward-center as the 97th pick overall in 1987 out of UCLA, where he played three seasons and helped the Bruins with the NIT championship in 1985.

He graduated from Huntington Beach High and spent one season at Golden West College before transferring to UCLA. He played in Spain before joining the Bulls.Chicago Bulls Jack Haley dead at 51

Jack Haley had two different stints with the Bulls, starting his career with them and then returning to the team in 1995-1996. He appeared in only the final game of the regular season, scoring five points in seven minutes. He didn’t make the playoff roster, and the Michael Jordan-led Bulls set a record for victories in a season, going 72-10 on their way to winning the NBA title.

He was known on that team for his friendship with Bulls star Dennis Rodman, and he bristled at suggestions that he primarily served as a baby sitter for the eccentric rebounder.

Dennis Rodman posted a photo of Jack Haley kissing him on the cheek on Twitter, with the comment: “RIP to my brother Jack Haley. Sending love to his family.”

After his playing career ended, Jack Haley worked as an assistant for the Nets under current Kentucky coach John Calipari, who tweeted: “Jack was one of the most positive, upbeat guys I’ve ever been around. He was on that unbelievable 1996 championship team in Chicago. Sad day.”

Jack Haley later worked as a broadcaster on Lakers telecasts. He lived in the Orange County city of Seal Beach.

He appeared in the movies Eddie and Rebound, and was in Aerosmith’s music video Love in an Elevator.

Jack Haley is survived by his sons Jack Jr. and Jeff, his mother Jeanette, brother Tim, sister Sondra and ex-wife Stacey.

[youtube 2TCJn6TArWY 650]

Glastonbury 2015: Fans petition against Kanye West’s headlining slot

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Glastonbury 2015: Fans petition against Kanye West’s headlining slot

As Glastonbury festival organizers announced that Kanye West will headline this year festival’s Saturday lineup, outraged fans are already demanding that rapper be dumped from the lineup.

According to a Change.org petition signed by more than 21,000 people as of Tuesday afternoon, it’s because “Kanye West is an insult to music fans all over the world” and not “deserving.”Glastonbury fans petition against Kanye West's headlining slot

“Cancel Kanye West’s slot and get a rock band,” the petition demanded.

It then added: “We spend hundreds of pounds to attend glasto, and by doing so, expect a certain level of entertainment.”

For the record, Foo Fighters are headlining Friday night’s Glastonbury lineup.

In 2008, there was an outcry over Jay-Z being the first rapper to headline Glastonbury, apparently because he wasn’t “rock” enough to handle the top slot on the bill.

However, anyone on the Internet can sign this petition, regardless of whether they’re going to Glastonbury or even live in the UK. So these 21,000-and-counting signatures don’t exclusively come from Glastonbury fest-goers.

Cyanide letter posted to White House

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Cyanide letter posted to White House

Further tests are being conducted on an envelope posted to the White House which may contain cyanide, the Secret Service says.

Tests at a post screening facility were found to have traces of the poison.

The Secret Service, which is responsible for President Barack Obama’s security, said an investigation was under way.

Initial tests on March 16 were negative but more tests on March 17 returned a “presumptive positive” for cyanide.Cyanide letter posted to White House

“The sample was transported to another facility to confirm the results,” Secret Service spokesman Robert Hoback said in a statement.

He added there would be no further comment.

There were no injuries or exposure concerns for the screening facility employee who first opened the letter, a law enforcement official told CNN.

The discovery was first disclosed by The Intercept, which obtained an internal law enforcement document.

On March 17, the Secret Service director Joseph Clancy was questioned by a congressional committee about a series of recent security lapses.

[youtube QYlDrElwPXA 650]

Israel elections 2015: Likud and Zionist Union are neck and neck

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Israel elections 2015: Likud and Zionist Union are neck and neck

Israel’s ruling party Likud and the opposition Zionist Union are neck-and-neck in the country’s general election, according to exit polls.

Estimates by two Israeli broadcasters gave both sides 27 seats each in the 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.

Both would need support from other parties to form a governing coalition.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu described the vote as a “great victory” for his Likud party, which is credited with a better result than expected.

In a speech to his jubilant supporters in Tel Aviv, Benjamin Netanyahu said this was achieved “against all odds”.

Likud had trailed the centre-left Zionist Union in opinion polls in the run-up to the poll.Israel elections results 2015

However, the centre-left Zionist Union dismissed what it termed “spin” from Likud as “premature”.

Yitzhak Herzog, head of the Zionist Union, told his supporters that he was confident of forming the next government.

“We have achieved an unbelievable achievement today.

“I will do all that I can in order to create a real socially-minded government for Israel.”

While the final results were not yet known, Yitzhak Herzog said: “I will do all that I can in order to create a real socially minded government for Israel.”

Final results are not expected until Wednesday morning, March 18.

[youtube QKVJ90c0vkY 650]

Mia Robertson to undergo new cleft palate surgery on March 27

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Mia Robertson to undergo new cleft palate surgery on March 27

Duck Dynasty’s Mia Robertson is set to once again undergo cleft palate surgery on March 27.

Born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, Mia Robertson, now 11-year-old, has since been forced to endure one surgery after another.

Mia Robertson’s family posted an update about her on Facebook, explaining: “On March 27, our sweet Mia will have another surgery. It will be a major surgery which will involve breaking her jaw.”

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

Her mother, Missy Robertson wrote her website: “Some of my family members as well as Duck Commander have posted about this surgery on their Facebook pages, Twitter and Instagram because they want our fans and supporters to pray for Mia, the doctors and all the medical staff that will be performing this very intricate surgery.  The need for this surgery is not new as many children have needed and had this problem corrected by surgical means for many years.  However, Mia’s amazing surgeon, Dr. David Genecov, has invented a brand new procedure that will not be nearly as invasive as the one we have been dreading for the last year.  Originally, she was to have a procedure where a device called a “Halo” would be inserted into her skull to stabilize her top jaw, which will be broken and moved forward, for up to 12 weeks post-op.  As you can imagine, this is a very traumatic procedure and recovery for any child.  As relieved and excited as we are that Mia will not have to endure the Halo, we are also pretty frightened of the unknown.  Her jaw still has to be broken and moved to another position inside her mouth, but Dr. Genecov has a new way of stabilizing it, all to be done internally for less recovery time, hopefully somewhere between 6-10 weeks.  He and his entire team is an answer to our daily prayers to help spare Mia from the type of suffering she was on the road to endure.  This team loves these kids and is always looking for new and better ways to make their lives better.  And for that, we are most grateful!”

In spite of a long recovery period, Mia Robertson continues to put on a brave face, even joking to a doctor that her family has a history of brain disorders.

Mia Robertson’s cheer squad competing at 2015 UCA International All Star Championship in Disneyworld

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Mia Robertson’s cheer squad competing at 2015 UCA International All Star Championship in Disneyworld

Duck Dynasty’s Mia Robertson had a big event over the weekend – her cheer squad from North Elite Cheer Athletics in Monroe was competing at the 2015 UCA International All Star Championship in Disneyworld.

The UCA International All Star Championship brings together the best all star cheer and dance teams from around the globe at the most magical place on Earth—the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

Mia Robertson competed with North Elite Cheer Athletics on March 14 and 15 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

After the event, Mia’s mom, Missy Robertson, wrote on her Facebook page: „Headed home and couldn’t be more proud of our Mia last night! <<Work at it with all of your heart, as working for The Lord and not for men>> – Col. 3:23. We are Disney’d out!”

Honey Boo Boo moves in to new house in Hampton

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Honey Boo Boo moves in to new house in Hampton

Honey Boo Boo, her mother June Shannon and her sisters moved in to their $149,000 new home last month in Hampton, Georgia.

Mama June’s estranged partner Sugar Bear is reportedly allowed to visit Honey Boo Boo over the weekends.

Photo TLC
Photo TLC

Sugar Bear, also known as Mike Thompson, will be traveling the 90 minutes from his home in McIntyre to visit his daughter, TMZ reported.

June Shannon revealed she is having strict new cleaning rules – no shoes inside and all the girls will have chores to keep the home in tip-top condition.

Sugar Bear, 43, lives in a trailer with his brother.

TLC canceled Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on October 24 after only four seasons following reports that June Shannon had been involved with convicted child molester Mark McDaniel.

[youtube iO9ojLPUGjA 650]

Bruce Jenner gets a nose surgery to look more feminine

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Bruce Jenner gets a nose surgery to look more feminine

Bruce Jenner, who is the midst of a gender transformation, reportedly underwent a nose job a few weeks ago, TMZ has reported.

The 65-year-old former Olympian allegedly opted to smooth out his beak in effort to “soften his features” and make it “look more feminine,” the website noted.

Bruce Jenner’s reported new procedure follows his choice to go under the knife last year to reduce his Adam’s Apple.Bruce Jenner nose surgery

While Bruce Jenner has not yet spoken out on his new lifestyle, the topic will reportedly be addressed by him on this season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which premiered over the weekend.

The revelation was made to his daughters in front of the cameras and will air during episode 13 of the new season, a source told Us Weekly earlier this month.

St. Patrick’s Day 2015: Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer turns green

Nancy Clayson
-
0
St. Patrick’s Day 2015: Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer turns green

Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue turned green to mark St. Patrick’s Day.Christ the Redeemer St Patrick's Day 2015

[youtube Zb2CBLb2hjE 650]

Glastonbury 2015: Kanye West to headline Pyramid stage on Saturday night

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Glastonbury 2015: Kanye West to headline Pyramid stage on Saturday night

Kanye West will headline this year’s Glastonbury festival performing on the Pyramid stage on Saturday night, organizer Emily Eavis has confirmed.

Emily Eavis has tweeted: “We are thrilled to let you know we have the one and only Kanye West headlining Saturday night on the Pyramid stage!”

The Foo Fighters had already been confirmed as Friday night’s headliners, while the main act for the Sunday night has yet to be announced.

Tickets for Glastonbury 2015 sold out in less than 30 minutes in October 2014.

Photo Instagram
Photo Instagram

Music fans paid £225 ($340) for a ticket to the festival held at Worthy Farm in Somerset.

Back in 2008, Noel Gallagher claimed it was “wrong” to have a hip-hop headliner when Jay-Z performed on the Saturday.

Today’s announcement seemed to have passed Kanye West by at first as he spent much of it tweeting topless pictures of his wife.

Kanye West, 37, has since acknowledged the announcement tweeting: “Excited to announce I’m headlining Pyramid stage Saturday night @glastofest this year.”

AirAsia QZ8501: Search operation officially ended

Diane A. Wade
-
0
AirAsia QZ8501: Search operation officially ended

The search for remaining bodies from AirAsia plane crash in the Java Sea has been officially ended on March 17, head of Indonesia’s rescue agency Bambang Soelistyo has confirmed.

AirAsia lost contact with flight QZ8501 on December 28 as it was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board.

The search effort has recovered 106 bodies, with 56 unaccounted for.

The families of those missing are disappointed but understand that the search cannot go on indefinitely.

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes told reporters last week that he was satisfied with the search operation.

“We have been successful… To get more than 50% is considered a huge success,” he said.

Tony Fernandes added that the search could not “go on indefinitely”.AirAsia QZ8501 plane crash search

The fuselage of the crashed plane was located in the Java Sea in mid January and the final part of it that was recoverable was removed at the end of February. Divers established that those elements of fuselage that had to be left in the sea did not contain any bodies.

The bodies that were recovered were mostly found in and around the wreckage, with a few discovered some 625 miles away, off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Three were found as recently as March 14.

The plane’s two “black box” flight recorders were also found. They revealed several alarms were “screaming”, drowning out the sound of the pilots’ voices.

Indonesia’s transport minister has said that radar data showed the plane climbing at an abnormally high rate. This could have caused it to stall, experts say.

The plane is thought to have been attempting to fly above a storm. The pilot’s last contact was a request to divert around bad weather.

The less experienced co-pilot was at the controls at the time, investigators have said.

[youtube 7ge4ShDloYE 650]

LPSC 2015: Moon crater named after Amelia Earhart

James J. Williams
-
0
LPSC 2015: Moon crater named after Amelia Earhart

A large crater on the Earth-facing side of the Moon has been named after aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart – the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.

This the first detection of its kind in at least a century, scientists said.

The 200km-wide buried crater was found in data from NASA’s Grail spacecraft, which mapped the Moon’s gravity field.

The results were presented at a major scientific meeting in Texas.

The discovery was the outcome of work by Rohan Sood, Loic Chappaz and Prof. H. Jay Melosh at Purdue University, where Amelia Earhart was a member of the academic faculty from 1935 until her death in 1937.

The find was made while the scientists were searching the data for evidence of hollow underground structures known as lava tubes.

Speaking at the 46th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in The Woodlands, Prof. H. Jay Melosh said: “No-one to our knowledge has ever recognized this as the broken rim of a crater, and we wouldn’t have either except that gravity shows it up very clearly as a big circular anomaly [in the Grail data].”Amelia Earhart Moon crater

The Serenitatis Basin is thought to have been created by a giant impact about 3.9 billion years ago. So Earhart crater, which lies partially buried under the debris, must be at least that age, but how much older is not known at this stage.

Grail measured variations in the acceleration of gravity, which can provide a window into the Moon’s internal structure.

The researchers used a mathematical correction that takes away the part that is due to the topography of the lunar surface, in order to show what was underneath.

Further mathematical modeling carried out by Loic Chappaz revealed that the signature picked up near the Serenitatis Basin could be best explained by a crater 200km in diameter.

The team members chose Amelia Earhart because of her association with Purdue and her contribution as a female aviation pioneer.

Amelia Earhart became the first woman to complete a solo transatlantic flight in 1932, piloting a single-engined plane from Newfoundland to County Derry in Northern Ireland.

She set many other records during her lifetime.

Amelia Earhart disappeared in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Model 10 Electra aircraft.

The name is technically temporary, since the naming of astronomical objects and features needs to be approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). But the team is hopeful that the name will stick.

The LPSC runs from March 16 to 20 in The Woodlands, near Houston.

flymojo: Malaysia unveils plans for new airline after signing 1.5bn deal with Bombardier

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
flymojo: Malaysia unveils plans for new airline after signing 1.5bn deal with Bombardier

Malaysia has unveiled plans for a new airline, called flymojo, after signing a $1.5 billion deal with Bombardier for 20 new aircraft.

The new carrier would be based out of Johor Bahru in the south and Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia.

The deal with Bombardier includes the option to buy 20 more planes, taking its value up to $2.9 billion.

Malaysia has been coping with three aviation disasters in recent months.

In the latest incident, a Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia plane crashed into the Java Sea while en route from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore in December, killing all 162 people on board.flymojo Malaysia new airline

In July, a Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over pro-Russian rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people.

That followed another plane that vanished shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. No trace of the plane has been found.

The launch of the new airline was announced at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition on March 17, with PM Najib Razak in attendance.

Aziz Kaprawi, deputy minister of transport, said the new airline would play a key role in improving air travel between the Malaysian Peninsula and other parts of the region.

“As the only airline utilizing the southern corridor as its headquarters, flymojo will transform Senai [Johor Bahru’s airport] into a key regional aviation and logistics hub – augmenting the government’s initiatives in developing Iskandar Malaysia and the southern corridor,” he said in a statement by Bombardier.

The planes ordered from Bombardier are CS100 aircraft, which seat up to 125 people and would make flymojo the first airline in the region to operate the aircraft.

Local reports said flymojo was scheduled to start operating from October this year.

[youtube CwbGQbH9ous 650]

Cervantes’ tomb found in Madrid’s Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians

James J. Williams
-
0
Cervantes’ tomb found in Madrid’s Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians

Miguel de Cervantes’ tomb has been found in Madrid, nearly 400 years after his death, Spanish forensic scientists say.

Scientists believe they have found the bones of Spain’s most beloved author Miguel de Cervantes, his wife and others recorded as buried with him in Madrid’s Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians.

Separating and identifying his badly damaged bones from the other fragments will be difficult, researchers say.

The Don Quixote author was buried in 1616 and the church was later rebuilt.

Miguel de Cervantes’ remains were moved into the new building in the late 17th Century and the remains of the man known as Spain’s “Prince of Letters” were lost for centuries.

“His end was that of a poor man. A war veteran with his battle wounds,” said Pedro Corral, head of art, sport and tourism at Madrid city council.Cervantes tomb found in Madrid

The team of 30 researchers used infrared cameras, 3D scanners and ground-penetrating radar to pinpoint the burial site, in a forgotten crypt beneath the building.

In January, archaeologists found a coffin lid with the initials MC within the first of 33 niches found behind a wall.

The niche contained a number of adult bones matching the group of people with whom Cervantes had been buried before their tombs were disturbed and moved into the crypt.

“The remains are in a bad state of conservation and do not allow us to do an individual identification of Miguel de Cervantes,” said forensic scientist Almudena Garcia Rubio.

“But we are sure what the historical sources say is the burial of Miguel de Cervantes and the other people buried with him is what we have found.”

Further analysis may allow the team to separate the bones of Cervantes from those of the others if they can use DNA analysis to work out which bones do not belong to the author.

Investigator Luis Avial told a news conference on March 17 that Miguel de Cervantes would be reburied “with full honors” in the same convent after a new tomb had been built, according to his wishes.

“Cervantes asked to be buried there and there he should stay,” said Luis Avial, georadar expert on the search team.

The convent’s religious order helped pay for his ransom after he was captured by pirates and held prisoner for five years in Algiers.

The crypt will be opened to the public next year for the first time in centuries to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Cervantes’ death.

Born near Madrid in 1547, Miguel de Cervantes has been dubbed the father of the modern novel for The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615.

Don Quixote is one of the most widely read and translated books in the world.

[youtube VXeePxZZv6s 650]

Lufthansa pilots strike announced for March 18

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Lufthansa pilots strike announced for March 18

Lufthansa pilots have announced they would go on strike on March 18, affecting the airline’s short and medium-haul flights.

The strike action was called by the pilot’s union Vereinigung Cockpit in an ongoing dispute with the German national airline over its early retirement benefits.

Workers are also in a dispute over Lufthansa’s plan to expand its low-cost operations.

The move is the latest in a series of strikes that have plagued the airline.

Photo PA
Photo PA

The walkout would last 24 hours, affecting flights throughout Germany. But flights at the carrier’s budget units Germanwings and Eurowings would not be affected, the union said.

Pilots have held a series of strikes from last year over Lufthansa’s plans to change their pension arrangements.

Lufthansa wants to get rid of a program that allows pilots to retire at age 55 and receive up to 60% of their pay until they reach the statutory retirement age of 65.

Vereinigung Cockpit union also said that Lufthansa wants to offer younger pilots less attractive working conditions, forcing it to strike.

Strikes cost Lufthansa 232 million euros ($278 million) in 2014.

McDonald’s investigated for alleged employee burns

Nancy Clayson
-
0
McDonald’s investigated for alleged employee burns

McDonald’s is under investigation after 28 employees in 19 different US cities said they suffered injuries due to hazardous equipment and lax safety standards.

Some workers claimed they had been told to treat their injuries with condiments such as mustard and mayonnaise rather than medicinal cream.

A McDonald’s spokeswoman said the company would review the allegations.

The company could face fines of up to $70,000 for each violation.McDonald's investigated for alleged employee burns

The complaints by McDonald’s employees were filed in the past few weeks to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and publicized by the Fight for $15 group, which campaigns for better wages and conditions for fast food workers.

An OSHA spokesman confirmed that the agency had opened investigations as a result of the complaints.

He added that McDonald’s could face fines of between $7,000 and $70,000 for each safety infraction, depending on the severity.

In response to the allegations, McDonald’s spokeswoman Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem said the company and its independent franchisees were “committed to providing safe working conditions for employees in the 14,000 McDonald’s Brand US restaurants”.

A separate survey of 1,426 fast-food workers, carried out on behalf of the US National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, found that almost 80% had suffered burns in the past year.

One third of the burn victims said their manager suggested they treat their injuries with condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, butter, or ketchup.

1...416417418...1,239Page 417 of 1,239