The investigation into the Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo crash in California’s Mojave Desert could take about a year, the head of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has said.
Christopher Hart said Virgin Galactic would be able conduct further test flights while the investigation took place.
SpaceShipTwo broke up in mid-air during a test flight on October 31.
One of the pilots was killed and the other injured.
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson says he is “determined to find out what went wrong” and learn from the tragedy.
The NTSB team had completed its first full day of investigation, Christopher Hart said, and would be examining evidence at the scene for four to seven days.
He said the craft’s debris was spread over an area measuring five miles from end to end.
Christopher Hart told a news conference the test flight had been “heavily documented” and his team would have to trawl through “extensive data”, which was why the full investigation could take “about 12 months or so”.
Peter Siebold, right, survived the incident but his co-pilot, Michael Alsbury, died
He said there were six cameras on the craft itself, with another three on its launcher, an aircraft called WhiteKnightTwo, although it was unclear whether SpaceShipTwo’s cameras had been found.
The co-pilot who died when SpaceShipTwo disintegrated shortly after take-off was named as 39-year-old Michael Alsbury.
The pilot who survived was identified as Peter Siebold. Scaled Composites, the company both pilots worked for, said Peter Siebold, 43, was “alert and talking with his family and doctors”.
Christopher Hart said his team was waiting for doctors to allow them to interview Peter Siebold.
Speaking earlier at the at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where the craft was being developed, Richard Branson said “nobody underestimates the risks involved in space travel”.
Virgin Galactic had hoped to launch commercially in 2015. It has already taken more than 700 flight bookings at $250,000 each, with Sir Richard pledging to travel on the first flight.
The spacecraft was flying its first test flight for nine months when it crashed near the town of Bakersfield.
Virgin Galactic said SpaceShipTwo had experienced “a serious anomaly” after it separated from WhiteKnightTwo.
SpaceShipTwo craft was using a new type of rocket fuel never before used in flight, although officials said it had undergone extensive ground testing.
Burkina Faso’s opposition parties and civic groups have called a mass rally for Sunday, November 2, in protest at the army takeover after the resignation of President Blaise Compaore.
They said the management of the transition belonged to the people and should not be confiscated by the army.
The move came hours after the army said Lt-Col Isaac Zida, second-in-command of the presidential guard, had been chosen as the nation’s transitional leader.
Blaise Compaore has fled to Ivory Coast.
“The victory born from this popular uprising belongs to the people, and the task of managing the transition falls by right to the people,” opposition groups said in a statement.
“In no case can it be confiscated by the army.”
There were protests earlier this week after Blaise Compaore sought to amend the constitution and extend his long hold on the presidency.
Burkina Faso’s opposition parties and civic groups have called a mass rally in protest at the army takeover after the resignation of President Blaise Compaore
On October 30, protesters set fire to parliament and government buildings in the capital Ouagadougou.
Under Burkina Faso’s new constitution, the president of the Senate should take over after the national president resigns, with elections taking place between 60 and 90 days afterwards.
The African Union (AU) has called for a “civilian-led transition” culminating as soon as possible in “the holding of free, fair and transparent elections”.
In a statement, AU chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma urged the military to “refrain from any acts or statements that may lead to further instability”.
The US state department urged an immediate transfer of power to civilian authorities in Burkina Faso and a move towards free and fair presidential elections.
The unveiling of Lt-Col. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as interim leader came after what analysts say was a 24-hour power struggle within the army.
The army statement’s was signed by army chief General Honore Traore, who had declared himself head of state in the immediate aftermath of President Blaise Compaore’s resignation.
Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on the iconic sci-fi show, was detained at LA Airport after law enforcement officials allegedly caught the 81-year-old’s travel companion with drugs in his luggage, reports TMZ.
Authorities discovered “meth and drug scales” after the companion’s suitcase spilled open in the American Airlines terminal, the website reported.
The companion’s luggage, which had Nichelle Nichols’ luggage tags on it, was reportedly attached to the actress’ bags.
Nichelle Nichols played Uhura on the iconic sci-fi show Star Trek
After the discovery, the man was allegedly arrested for drug possession.
According to Nichelle Nichols’ rep, her companion, who was identified as a male in his twenties, has been serving as her assistant.
Nichelle Nichols’ rep also denied the allegations and said that all authorities found was an e-cigarette.
The authorities briefly detained the former ’60s television star but concluded that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. After being cleared, Nichelle Nichols boarded the flight solo.
Bolivia will start to build a new presidential palace for President Evo Morales.
Evo Morales, who signed the contract, said it was inspired by the architecture of the Tiahuanaco civilization of pre-Hispanic Bolivia.
The new palace will replace the current colonial building, in use since the 16th Century.
The new building will be decorated to remind Bolivians – a majority indigenous nation – of their heritage.
President Evo Morales, who has just started his third term in office, said the old building, known as “The Burnt Palace” because it was sacked and burnt during a revolt in 1875, was “full of European symbols and felt as small as a mousehole” .
He said the new palace, which would be called “The Great House of the People”, had been designed by Bolivian architects and would be decorated with indigenous motifs to pay homage to Bolivian traditional culture.
Bolivia’s Burnt Palace was sacked and burnt during a revolt in 1875 (photo Reuters)
It will be built behind the current palace, which will be turned into a museum.
Evo Morales said the new building was “not a luxury”. He said the 29-floor building would also house cabinet meeting rooms and rooms for exclusive presidential use.
The plans for the new palace include a heliport, a centre for indigenous ceremonies and a 1,000-seat auditorium.
The new presidential palace is expected to cost about $36 million.
A government spokesman, Joan Ramon Quintana, said the current palace was where “former governments despoiled the Bolivian state of its wealth, its heritage and its memory”.
Evo Morales said that within the building, acts of betrayal, corruption, and murder had occurred – as well as heroic acts.
“The most terrible history was written there as well as the most noble,” he said.
The new palace is also expected to house a room to celebrate the history and social significance of the coca leaf.
President Evo Morales is a former coca growers’ union leader. Coca plays an important role in Andean societies. In addition to its medicinal value – as a stimulant, anaesthetic and appetite suppressant – it has a leading role in social interaction and religious ceremonies.
Rebels in eastern Ukraine are holding elections denounced by the West as “illegitimate”.
Presidential and parliamentary polls are being held in the two self-proclaimed people’s republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Ukraine, the US and EU say they will not recognise the elections but Russia has given its support to the polls.
At least seven Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Friday amid intensified clashes in the region.
The Donetsk and Luhansk regions fell to separatists after months of fighting in eastern Ukraine that ended with the Minsk ceasefire deal in September.
Rebel leaders say that as independent states they are not required to observe Ukrainian law and therefore did not participate in Ukraine’s national elections last week.
They say three million ballots have been printed for the polls, which will provide for directly elected presidents and parliaments.
Presidential and parliamentary polls are being held in the two self-proclaimed people’s republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions
“These elections are important because they will give legitimacy to our power and give us more distance from Kiev,” Roman Lyagin, election commission chief of the Donetsk region, told the AFP news agency.
Western leaders and ministers in the capital Kiev say the territories must abide by the truce, which was agreed with Russia, and hold local elections under Ukrainian law in December.
“We deplore the intent of separatists in parts of eastern Ukraine to hold illegitimate so-called local <<elections>> on Sunday,” the White House said in a statement on October 31.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Minsk deal provided for elections “in co-ordination with, not in line with” Ukrainian plans.
Alexander Zakharchenko, the acting head of government in Donetsk, is widely tipped to become the region’s president.
Meanwhile, Igor Plotnitsky is being touted by Russian media as the favourite to win in Luhansk.
The elections come amid continuing violence in eastern Ukraine.
A spokesman for Ukraine’s army said on November 1 that seven soldiers had been killed and 10 wounded during 24 hours of fighting across the breakaway regions.
At least 3,700 people have been killed in fighting since armed separatists took over government buildings in Donetsk and Luhansk in April.
Beloved Thomas Menino, the longest serving mayor in Boston’s history, has died at age 71.
Thomas Menino, a Democrat, was diagnosed with advanced cancer in February shortly after leaving political office.
He was elected mayor in 1993 and served for more than 20 years before health problems led him to not seek re-election for a sixth term.
Tributes have poured in. President Barack Obama called Thomas Menino “bold, big-hearted” and Secretary of State John Kerry said: “Tom Menino was Boston.”
State Governor Deval Patrick ordered government flags flown at half-staff out of respect for Thomas Menino’s passing.
Thomas Menino was the longest serving mayor in Boston’s history
The Italian-American ended years of Irish dominance in city politics when he was elected Boston’s mayor.
Thomas Menino provided leadership and support for city residents following the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and was known for his affable verbal gaffes.
The long-time mayor never sought or demonstrated interest in a higher office, instead focusing his efforts on representing the people of Boston.
“I paid attention to the fundamentals of urban life – clean streets, public safety, good schools, neighbourhood commerce,” Thomas Menino wrote in a 2014 memoir.
Thomas Menino died surrounded by friends and family on October 30, just days after announcing he had suspended further treatment and cancelled a tour to promote his new book.
Jennifer Lopez admits that her first big heartbreak was when her relationship with Ben Affleck ended in 2004, naughtygossip.com reports.
In an interview with Maria Shriver airing next on November 3 and 4 on Today show, J-Lo, 45, opens up about the failed engagement to Ben Affleck and her quick rebound with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
Jennifer Lopez admits that her first big heartbreak was when her relationship with Ben Affleck ended in 2004
“Right away when you broke up with Ben Affleck, Marc Anthony was there, like, two days later, and you were in,” said Maria Shriver, referring to J-Lo who broke up with Ben Affleck in January and had married Anthony by June.
“Right, you’re absolutely right,” acknowledged the singer.
Jennifer Lopez added: “It was probably my first big heartbreak, and to have one of my best friends who I’d known for years who I actually love and did have chemistry with come into my life and say, <<I’m here>>. What you need to know is, nobody can save you or heal you. Only you can do that for you.”
J.K. Rowling has released a new Harry Potter story on her website, Pottermore.
This time it’s a biography of Dolores Umbridge, the pink-loving, sweet-smiling, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
A complex personality, Dolores Umbridge dabbled in the kind of nastiness that was plastered over with a sweet childish grin.
With her love of kittens and teacups, Dolores Umbridge often manages to hide her true nature from authority.
Dolores Umbridge first appears in the Order of The Phoenix and was not only Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts but also worked at the Ministry for Magic as Senior Under-Secretary.
Her evil was different from Lord Voldemort’s and she operated within the system.
Nonetheless her soft, fluffy exterior masks a dark, sadistic character.
It was perhaps first revealed when she made Harry Potter write lines in his own blood after giving him a magical quill that etched whatever he wrote into his skin.
J.K. Rowling reveals that Dolores Umbridge is the character she hates the most.
J.K. Rowling reveals that Dolores Umbridge is the character she hates the most
“Her desire to control, to punish, and to inflict pain, all in the name of law and order, are, I think, every bit as reprehensible as Lord Voldemort’s unvarnished espousal of evil,” she says.
J.K. Rowling’s dislike of Dolores Umbridge can be seen in some of the details in the books.
For example, Dolores Umbridge has a short stubby wand which is meant to reflect her stunted, imperfect character.
The author also says in the new Pottermore essay that Dolores Umbridge is based on a real person.
J.K. Rowling said she once shared an office with a woman who liked “pictures of fluffy kitties” as well as frills, bows and undersized handbags.
She said this woman was also “the most bigoted, spiteful champion of the death penalty”.
J.K. Rowling explains: “I have noticed more than once in life that a taste for the ineffably twee can go hand-in-hand with a distinctly uncharitable outlook on the world.
“A love of all things saccharine often seems present where there is a lack of real warmth or charity.”
It is also revealed that Dolores Umbridge is a half-blood in the 1,700 word essay.
This is important because Dolores Umbridge is particularly cruel to non-magical humans in her role as Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, where she sends many supposed muggles to Azkaban, the wizarding prison, for “stealing magic” from magical beings.
The reason J.K. Rowling chose the name Dolores Jane Umbridge is also explained.
The author writes: “Dolores means sorrow, something she undoubtedly inflicts on all around her.
“Umbridge is a play on <<umbrage>> from the British expression to <<take umbrage>> meaning to take offence.
“Dolores is offended by any challenge to her limited world view; I felt her surname conveyed the pettiness and rigidity of her character.”
J.K. Rowling published several other entries on the site on October 31, including a history of Azkaban prison and details of everyone who has held the post of Minister for Magic.
US authorities are investigating why Virgin Galactic’s space rocket crashed over California’s Mojave desert on a test flight.
One pilot died and the other was badly injured when SpaceShipTwo exploded shortly after take-off on October 31.
A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team arrived in Mojave on November 1 and was heading to the crash site.
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson said he was “determined to find out what went wrong” and learn from the tragedy.
The dead pilot was named as 39-year-old Michael Alsbury. The pilot who survived Friday’s crash has not been identified.
Speaking at the at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where the craft was being developed, Richard Branson said “nobody underestimates the risks involved in space travel”.
SpaceShipTwo was flying its first test flight for nine months when it crashed shortly after take-off near Bakersfield (photo EPA)
Virgin had hoped to launch commercially in 2015. It has already taken more than 700 flight bookings at $250,000 each, with Richard Branson pledging to travel on the first flight.
“We owe it to our test pilots to find out what went wrong, and once we find out, if we can overcome it, we will make sure that the dream lives on,” Richard Branson added.
Richard Branson said Virgin Galactic and its partners had “been undertaking a comprehensive testing program for many years and safety has always been our number one priority”.
A team of between 13 and 15 NTSB investigators – including specialists in structures, systems, engines and vehicle performance – arrived in Mojave on Saturday morning and would begin on-site work later in the day, NTSB acting chairman Christopher Hart said.
Their work would include detailed examination of all available data, work at the crash site and interviewing witnesses, Christopher Hart said.
“This was a test flight and test flights are typically very well documented in terms of data,” he added.
Wreckage from the crash is scattered across a large area of the Mojave desert, north-east of Los Angeles. Police secured the site amid fears that some of the debris could be explosive.
SpaceShipTwo was flying its first test flight for nine months when it crashed shortly after take-off near Bakersfield.
In a statement, the company said SpaceShipTwo experienced “a serious anomaly” after the craft separated from its launcher, an aircraft called WhiteKnightTwo.
WhiteKnightTwo landed safely.
It later emerged that the space craft was burning a new type of rocket fuel never before used in flight, although officials said it had undergone extensive ground testing.
ISIS militants have killed at least 50 members of an Iraqi tribe in western Anbar province, officials and tribal leaders say.
The men and women from the Al Bu Nimr tribe are reported to have been lined up and shot in retaliation for resisting the jihadists.
A number of people from the same tribe were also found dead in mass graves earlier this week.
ISIS militants control large areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria.
Meanwhile, AFP news agency quoted the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying that at least 100 ISIS fighters had been killed in three days of fighting for the strategic Syrian border town of Kobane.
On October 31, some 150 Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters crossed from Turkey to join Syrian Kurds who have been defending the town against ISIS for six weeks.
The Observatory says that more than 950 people have died in the battle, more than half of them from IS.
A local official told the Associated Press news agency that the Sunni Muslim tribesmen and women were killed on October 31 in the village of Ras al-Maa, north of the provincial capital Ramadi.
Faleh al-Issawi said many members of the tribe had to flee their homes near the town of Hit last month when it was captured by ISIS.
ISIS militants control large areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria
The Al Bu Nimr tribe had joined the Shia-dominated government’s campaign against ISIS.
There have been many other such killings, as pressure mounts on the tribes to swing one way or the other.
Analysts say mass killings are also a very deliberate strategy by ISIS to spread terror in their opponents.
One local official, Sabah Karhout, described the killings in Anbar province as a crime against humanity and called for more international support for Sunni tribes fighting the militants in Anbar.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the killing of Sunni tribesmen in Iraq by Islamic State fighters was the brutal “reality of what we’re dealing with” in the conflict.
The US carried out an air drop of food supplies, the first of its kind, to the Al Bu Nimr tribe just a few days ago.
ISIS has taken over large parts of Anbar province as it expands its territory, currently about one-third of both Iraq and Syria.
Canada has decided to suspend visa applications from residents and passport-holders from West African countries in the grip of the Ebola outbreak.
The decision follows a similar decision by Australia, which drew criticism from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The ban would apply to countries with “widespread and persistent-intense transmission”, Canada said.
Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are battling to contain Ebola, which has killed almost 5,000 people.
The WHO said on October 31 that 4,951 people had died during the current outbreak, with 13,567 reported cases up to October 29.
Although Canada currently has no cases of Ebola, the country’s federal citizenship ministry said “the introduction or spread of the disease would pose an imminent and severe risk to public health”.
A government spokesman said the move was less restrictive than Australia’s plan, with the ability to grant visas on a case-by-case basis retained.
Canada has decided to suspend visa applications from residents and passport-holders from West African countries in the grip of the Ebola outbreak
The ban would also not apply to Canadians travelling from the Ebola zone – allowing health workers and volunteers to return home.
There are no direct flights to Canada from the three worst-affected countries, and the numbers of annual visitors from those states is understood to be small.
The WHO opposes travel bans as a method of containing Ebola.
David Fidler, a professor at Indiana University in the US, told Canadian media that the government’s move undermined international regulations drawn up after the SARS outbreak of 2003.
“The whole thing that so many years and so many efforts and so much money was spent on just seems to be disintegrating in this Ebola panic,” he told CBC News.
Canada’s visa ban comes as trials get under way in Switzerland on the latest round of testing of an experimental vaccine.
The vaccine, jointly developed by US disease authorities and pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is already being tested on volunteers in the US, UK and Mali.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo space tourism craft crashed in Mojave desert killing at least one person, the California Highway Patrol has said.
The craft was flying a manned test when it experienced what the company described as “a serious anomaly”.
SpaceShipTwo is carried aloft by a jet, then launched into sub-orbit.
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson tweeted he was flying to California “to be with the team”.
“Thoughts with all @virgingalactic & Scaled, thanks for all your messages of support,” Richard Branson said.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo space tourism craft crashed in Mojave desert killing at least one person
Television images shot from a helicopter showed what appeared to be wreckage bearing the Virgin logo.
In a statement, Virgin Galactic said the “vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of SpaceShipTwo”. The aircraft that held the spaceship, known as White Knight 2, has landed safely, Virgin Galactic said.
Ken Brown, a photographer who witnessed the crash, said the craft exploded after it was released from a plane that carries it to a high altitude.
Kern County Sheriff’s spokesman told the Reuters news agency the craft’s co-pilot was killed, while the pilot ejected and was seriously injured.
Virgin Galactic has been a front-runner in the nascent space-tourism industry and Sir Richard said earlier in October he expected to see the craft make it to sub-orbital space within a few months.
More than 800 people have already paid or put down deposits for a trip on SpaceShipTwo, which costs about $200,000 per person.
During his appearance as a guest on SiriusXM’s OpieRadio show, Mike Tyson revealed that he was abused as a child.
Mike Tyson said that he was once “bullied … and s**ually abused” as a 7-year-old child by an “old man” who lived in the same neighborhood as him.
Mike Tyson appeared as a guest on SiriusXM’s OpieRadio show
The crime was largely unknown to the public, as Mike Tyson had only previously revealed it to those close to him.
Mike Tyson said that he isn’t “embarrassed or ashamed” of the assault, but did indicate that he hasn’t perhaps fully grappled with the incident and its effects on his life.
Amanda Bynes has been released from Las Encinas hospital, the Pasadena, California, facility where she’s been on an involuntary psychiatric hold since October 10.
According to TMZ, who obtained pictures of Amanda Bynes walking down Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard last night, a hearing officer Thursday “felt Amanda was stable enough so she could not be held involuntarily, so he ended the 30-day hold that had been granted last week and Amanda walked out the front door”.
Amanda Bynes has been on an involuntary psychiatric hold at Las Encinas hospital in California
According to court documents previously obtained by E! News, this “status hearing” was required by law to happen within 12 hours of Amanda Bynes’ release from Las Encinas into the care of her temporary conservator, mother Lynn Bynes.
Amanda Bynes’ presence was required at this status hearing in order to “address the continuation of the temporary conservatorship”. A February 24, 2015 court date was issued to revisit the status of Lynn Bynes’ conservatorship on Amanda.
Halloween originates from a Celtic tradition called Samhain, a festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They believed it was a time that spirits or fairies could enter our world, and the Celts would put out treats and food to placate the spirits – sometimes, a place at the table was even set for the souls of the dead.
Wiccans still celebrate Samhain as a New Year celebration today.
2. The moniker “Halloween” comes from the Catholics.
Hallowmas is a three-day Catholic holiday where saints are honored and people pray for the recently deceased. At the start of the 11th century, it was decreed by the pope that it would last from October 31 (All Hallow’s Eve) until November 2, most likely because that was when Samhain was celebrated and the church was trying to convert the pagans.
3. Dressing up on Halloween comes from the Celts.
Celts believed Samhain was a time when the wall between our world and the paranormal world was porous and spirits could get through. Because of this belief, it was common for the Celts to wear costumes and masks during the festival to ward off or befuddle any evil spirits.
“All Hallow’s Eve” then evolved into “All Hallow’s Even,” and by the 18th century it was commonly referred to as “Hallowe’en.”
4. Halloween symbols aren’t random.
Black cats, spiders, and bats are all Halloween symbols because of their spooky history and ties to Wiccans. All three were thought to be the familiars of witches in the middle ages, and are often associated with bad luck.
Bats are even further connected to Halloween by the ancient Samhain ritual of building a bonfire, which drove away insects and attracted bats.
5. We should carve turnips, not pumpkins.
The origin of Jack-O-Lanterns comes from a Celtic folk tale of a stingy farmer named Jack who would constantly play tricks on the devil. The devil responded by forcing him to wander purgatory with only a burning lump of coal from hell. Jack took the coal and made a lantern from a turnip, using it to guide his lost soul.
The myth was brought over by Irish families fleeing the potato famine in the 1800s, and since turnips were hard to come by in the US, America’s pumpkins were used as a substitute to guide lost souls and keep evil spirits like “Jack of the Lantern” away.
Dressing up on Halloween comes from the Celts
6. Halloween and the candy industry supposedly influenced Daylight Savings Time.
Candy makers supposedly lobbied to extend daylight savings time into the beginning of November to get an extra hour of daylight so children could collect even more candy (thus forcing people to purchase more sweets to meet the demand).
They wanted it so badly that during the 1985 hearings on daylight saving time, they put candy pumpkins on the seat of committee members, according to NPR. (The candy industry disputes this account, according to The New York Times.)
7. Candy Corn was originally known as “chicken feed.”
Invented by George Renninger, a candy maker at the Wunderle Candy Company of Philadelphia in the 1880s, Candy Corn was originally called “butter cream candies” and “chicken feed” since back then, corn was commonly used as food for livestock (they even had a rooster on the candy boxes).
It had no association with Halloween or fall, and was sold seasonally from March to November. After World War II, advertisers began marketing it as a special Halloween treat due to its colors and ties to the fall harvest.
8. Fears of poisoned Halloween candy are unfounded.
One of parents’ biggest fears is that their child’s Halloween candy is poisoned or contains razor blades.
In reality, this fear is almost entirely unfounded. There are only two known cases of poisoning, and both involved relatives, according to LiveScience. In 1970, a boy died of a heroin overdose. The investigators found it on his candy, but in a twist they later discovered the boy had accidentally consumed some of his uncle’s heroin stash, and the family had sprinkled some on the candy to cover up the incident.
Even more horrifically, in 1974 Timothy O’Bryan died after eating a Pixy Stix his father had laced with cyanide to collect on the insurance money, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
And now, parents in Colorado are worried about their children eating candy infused with marijuana.
9. Trick-or-treating has been around for a long time.
Versions of trick-or-treating have existed since medieval times. In the past, it was known as “guising” where children and poor adults went around in costumes during Hallowmas begging for food and money in exchange for songs or prayers. It was also called “souling.”
10. Trick-or-treating as we know it was re-popularized by cartoons.
Trick-or-treating was brought to America by the Irish and became popular during the early 20th century, but died out during WWII when sugar was rationed. After the rationing ended in 1947, children’s magazine Jack and Jill, radio program The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and the Peanuts comic strip all helped to re-popularize the tradition of dressing up in costumes and asking for candy from door-to-door.
By 1952, trick-or-treating was hugely popular again.
11. Halloween is the second-most commercial American holiday of the year.
The candy industry in America rakes in an average of $2 billion annually thanks to Halloween (that’s 90 million pounds of chocolate).
Americans spend an estimated $6 billion on Halloween annually, including candy, costumes, and decorations, according to History.com.
The most commercial holiday in the US is obviously Christmas.
12. A full moon on Halloween is extremely rare.
Though a common trope in horror movies and Halloween decorations with witches flying across the full moon, it’s actually extremely uncommon for the monthly event to coincide with October 31, or any other date, for that matter.
The next full moon on Halloween won’t occur until 2020. The most recent Halloween full moon was back in 2001, and before that it was in 1955.
13. There’s a $1,000 fine for using or selling Silly String in Hollywood on Halloween.
The prank product has been banned in Hollywood since 2004 after thousands of bored people would buy it on the streets of Hollywood from illegal vendors and “vandalize” the streets. The city ordinance calls for a maximum $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail for “use, possession, sale or distribution of Silly String in Hollywood from 12:01 AM on October 31 to 12:00 PM on November 1.”
Rolf Harris has lost the first appeal against his conviction for assault.
The 84-year-old disgraced entertainer was jailed in July for nearly six years for 12 indecent assaults on four girls, including one aged just seven or eight.
The Judicial Office confirmed a judge had refused Rolf Harris’ application for permission to appeal, lodged in August.
Rolf Harris can still renew the application before three judges at the Court of Appeal.
Rolf Harris has lost the first appeal against his conviction for assault
The artist, TV presenter and musician was convicted at London’s Southwark Crown Court in June.
Rolf Harris was jailed for five years and nine months for the offences, which took place between 1968 and 1986.
Attorney General Jeremy Wright decided in July not to refer Rolf Harris’ sentence to the Court of Appeal despite 150 complaints over its “leniency”.
He said he did not think judges would find it to be unduly lenient and increase it.
Rolf Harris’s victims included a young autograph hunter, two girls in their early teens and a friend of his daughter’s against whom he committed a catalogue of abuse over several years.
Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore has resigned following violent protests at his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.
Blaise Compaore issued a statement saying the presidency was now vacant and urging elections within 90 days.
Military chief General Honore Traore said he had taken over as head of state “in line with constitutional measures”.
Crowds danced and cheered in the capital, Ouagadougou, after Blaise Compaore’s resignation was broadcast.
On October 30, protesters angry at his attempt to amend the constitution had set fire to parliament and government buildings.
Blaise Compaore had earlier vowed to remain in power until a transitional government completed its work in 2015, although he had agreed not to seek another term.
President Blaise Compaore has resigned following violent protests at his attempt to extend his 27-year rule
However, the opposition continued to demand that he resign – a key leader, Zephirin Diabre, urged protesters to occupy public spaces.
Blase Compaore’s statement, read on television, said: “In order to preserve the democratic gains, as well as social peace, I declare a power vacuum to allow the establishment of a transition leading to free and fair elections within a maximum of 90 days.”
He added: “For my part, I think I have fulfilled my duty.”
His whereabouts now remain unclear.
However, Reuters news agency reported that a heavily armed convoy believed to be carrying Blaise Compaore was travelling towards the southern town of Po.
France welcomed the resignation, saying it “allows a solution to be found to the crisis”.
In a statement, Gen. Honore Traore said: “In line with constitutional measures, and given the power vacuum… I will assume as of today my responsibilities as head of state.”
He added: “I undertake a solemn engagement to proceed without delay with consultations with all parties in the country so as to start the process of returning to the constitutional order as soon as possible.”
Late on Thursday, Gen. Honore Traore had announced the creation of the transitional government, declared the dissolution of parliament and imposed a night curfew.
Blaise Compaore was a young army officer when he seized power in 1987, a taciturn man who became known as Beau Blaise – good looking Blaise. The nickname did not necessarily suggest he was popular. Many blamed him for the death of his predecessor, the charismatic revolutionary Thomas Sankara, who was killed by soldiers in mysterious circumstances.
Controversy would be a perpetual feature of Beau Blaise’s time in power. The president was accused of stoking rebellions around West Africa. Yet over time Blaise Compaore oversaw a transformation of his image, internationally at least. This inflammatory figure became a man relied upon to put out fires around the region.
Blaise Compaore won a series of elections, though the opposition always complained the odds were stacked dramatically in his favor. He largely followed the economic orthodoxy prescribed by international financial institutions. But Burkina Faso did not escape the poverty trap. It remains one of the least developed countries in the world.
Gottfrid Warg, the Pirate Bay co-founder, has been found guilty of hacking into computers and illegally downloading files in Denmark.
The Danish court found Gottfrid Warg and his co-defendant guilty of breaking into computers owned by technology services giant CSC.
Once they won access to the computers, the pair downloaded police and social security files.
Gottfrid Warg will be sentenced on October 31 and could face six years in jail.
His accomplice walked free from the court on October 30 as he had served 17 months in pre-trial detention.
The initial hack attack took place in February 2012 and gave the pair access to the sensitive information for about six months.
Defense lawyers said although the hack attacks were carried out using a computer owned by Gottfrid Warg, he was not the person that used it to steal the files. Instead, they said, an unnamed hacker took over this machine and used it to carry out the attacks. Gottfrid Warg has declined to name this other hacker.
Gottfrid Warg has been found guilty of hacking into computers and illegally downloading files in Denmark
After considering evidence, the judge and jury in the case said it was “unlikely” that other people were responsible.
The court’s decision is the third to go against Gottfrid Warg in the last five years.
He was deported from Cambodia in September 2013 to Sweden where he served a jail term for copyright theft because of his involvement with the Pirate Bay file-sharing site.
In a separate trial in 2013, Gottfrid Warg was sentenced to two years in a Swedish jail for hacking into a bank’s computers. This sentence was reduced to one year on appeal.
In that trial, Gottfrid Warg and accomplice were found guilty of breaking into the computer systems of computer services firm Logica, which was doing work for Sweden’s tax office and a bank. On that occasion his accomplice was put on probation.
In late November 2013 Gottfrid Warg was deported to Denmark to face charges in the CSC hacking cases.
Malaysia Airlines and the Malaysian government are being sued by two children whose father, Jee Jing Hang, was on MH370 flight that disappeared on March 8.
It is believed to be the first legal case filed in Malaysia since the incident.
The lawsuit accuses the civil aviation department of negligence for failing to contact the plane within a reasonable amount of time after it disappeared.
Flight MH370, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, had 239 people on board.
Lawyers representing the two underage sons of passenger Jee Jing Hang filed the suit with the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
They are suing the national carrier for breach of contract, saying it failed to take all measures to ensure a safe flight. They are also suing civil aviation authorities, the immigration department and the air force for negligence.
Flight MH370, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared with 239 people on board
“We have waited for eight months. After speaking to various experts, we believe we have sufficient evidence for a strong case,” said their lawyer Arunan Selveraj.
“A big plane missing in this age of technology is really unacceptable,” he said.
The legal team said they would seek damages but did not give a figure.
In March a civil action case was brought in the US by a law firm on behalf of relatives. But a judge dismissed it, calling it an improper filing.
The Malaysian government believes MH370 ended its journey in the southern Indian Ocean, in seas far off the Australian city of Perth.
But there is no explanation yet for what happened to the plane or caused it to stray so far off course.
Despite extensive searches coordinated by Australian authorities, no wreckage of any kind has been found yet.
Some legal experts say this could hamper any lawsuits filed, as it leaves much to speculation.
Doctors Without Borders has warned some mandatory Ebola quarantine measures in the US are having a “chilling effect” on its work.
The charity group has said it may shorten some assignments to West Africa as a result of recent state restrictions.
One of the charity’s volunteers, nurse Kaci Hickox, has defied orders by the state of Maine that she remain quarantined in her house after being in Sierra Leone.
There have been nearly 14,000 cases worldwide, but only nine in the US.
Doctors Without Borders – also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) – has 270 international and 3,000 locally hired staff in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
But the foreign workers now have additional concerns when heading home, said executive director Sophie Delaunay.
“There is rising anxiety and confusion among staff members in the field over what they may face when they return home upon completion of their assignments in West Africa,” she told Reuters news agency.
Some health workers are delaying returning to the US and staying in Europe for 21 days, she added, “in order to avoid facing rising stigmatization at home and possible quarantine”.
Some people are being discouraged by their families from returning to the field, she added.
Doctors Without Borders has 270 international and 3,000 locally hired staff in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
Lawyers for Kaci Hickox, a nurse recently returned to the US from treating Ebola patients in Africa, have vowed to fight a court order that would enforce a 21-day quarantine.
Maine Governor Paul LePage said the state was willing to agree to arrangements that would have allowed Hickox to go for walks, runs and bicycle rides, but not allow her to go to public places.
The governor said discussions with Kaci Hickox, 33, had failed.
She says her freedom should not be limited when she is perfectly healthy.
People are not infectious until they show symptoms, usually a fever.
Another worker, Dr. Craig Spencer, travelled around New York City before he fell ill. He is currently in isolation in hospital.
After his case was announced, New York, New Jersey and other states ordered the mandatory quarantine of healthcare workers who had been exposed to Ebola patients.
President Barack Obama has warned that overly restrictive measures could discourage volunteering in West Africa.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the actions of US states ordering medics to be isolated.
A new report claims that Ashton Kutcher cheated on girlfriend Mila Kunis in the early days of their relationship.
Another report, however, is debunking that claim.
A Swedish makeup artist named Linn Massinger told U.K.’s The Sun that she and Ashton Kutcher hooked up in June 2012 at Ashton’s Hollywood home, a few months after he and Mila Kunis started dating each other.
The hookup, Linn Massinger said, began after Ashton Kutcher met her a bar and they decided to go back to his place.
Linn Massinger and Ashton Kutcher hooked up in June 2012, a few months after he and Mila Kunis started dating each other
“He just took my hand and took me upstairs,” she said, before they shared an “intimate embrace.” The two ended up spending the night together, she claims.
Star Magazine even published pictures that appear to be Linn Massinger and Ashton Kutcher sleeping on top of a bed.
The accusations and pictures come a month after Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis recently welcomed their first child, Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher. Earlier this year, the couple also got engaged.
Linn Massinger told The Sun: “When I was there he didn’t mention Mila or anyone.”
The Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif has been reopened by Israeli police after its closure amid tensions following the shooting of prominent right-wing Jewish activist Rabbi Yehuda Glick.
Jerusalem holy site was reopened ahead of Muslim Friday prayers, but with restrictions on worshippers as a security measure.
Meanwhile the Palestinian suspected of wounding Rabbi Yehuda Glick has been buried in East Jerusalem.
There has been an escalation of tension in the city in recent weeks.
On October 30, a spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas described Israel’s temporary closure of the holy site as a “declaration of war”.
The compound – known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif – is the holiest site in Judaism, and contains the al-Aqsa Mosque – the third holiest site in Islam.
The site was reopened to Muslim worshippers on Friday morning, with entry to men restricted to those over 50 amid fears of unrest after Friday prayers
On Thursday night hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of Moataz Hejazi amid a heavy police presence. The burial passed off without incident, police said.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism
Moataz Hejazi, 32, was shot after opening fire when police surrounded his home, officials said.
He was suspected of having attacked Rabbi Glick as he left a conference on Jewish claims to the Jerusalem holy site.
Rabbi Yehuda Glick is a well-known campaigner for the right of Jews to pray at the site, which is currently prohibited.
He was seriously wounded and is on a life-support machine in a Jerusalem hospital.
On Wednesday night there were clashes in the neighborhood of Abu Tor between police and Palestinians protesting against the killing of Moataz Hejazi.
Police used tear gas and rubber bullets against stone-throwing youths.
Moataz Hejazi’s cousin alleges that he was shot by police after being detained within his house. Israeli police say Moataz Hejazi was killed after he began shooting at police who then opened fire in response.
Secretary of State John Kerry said he was “extremely concerned” by the escalation in tensions and had urged Israel to reopen the holy site.
“It is absolutely critical that all sides exercise restraint, refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount in word and in practice,” he said.
Some districts of East Jerusalem have seen nightly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces since the Gaza conflict last summer.
Marion “Suge” Knight may remain in a Las Vegas jail at least through the weekend following his arrest as a fugitive in a California robbery case.
His attorney, Richard Schonfeld, says a judge ordered the founder of Death Row Records to pay a $190 fine on what had been a June 2013 suspended-license charge in Las Vegas.
Suge Knight was arrested on October 29 in Las Vegas and remains jailed ahead of an extradition hearing on November 3.
Suge Knight and comedian Katt Williams stole a celebrity photographer’s camera in Beverly Hills
Richard Schonfeld says Suge Knight hopes to post bail pending his appearance in court in California.
That case stems from a celebrity photographer’s complaint that Suge Knight and comedian Katt Williams stole her camera September 5 in Beverly Hills.
Katt Williams was arrested in the Los Angeles area.
