Home Blog Page 669

Honey Boo Boo car crash 911 call released

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Honey Boo Boo car crash 911 call released

Days after Honey Boo Boo and her family were involved in a car crash, an audio from the 911 call that was reported by a witness to the wreck has emerged.

According to E! Online, a woman phones in to a 911 emergency operator, saying: “There’s a wreck right in front of Lowe’s. They just hit each other.”

The operator asks if there are injuries, to which the woman responds: “I don’t think so. I’m at the light and they hit each other but it don’t look too bad.”

An ambulance arrives to the scene at the end of the one-minute call before the woman hangs up.

After the accident, which involved 8-year-old Alana, Mama June, Sugar Bear, Pumpkin and Chubbs, occurred in Milledgeville, Georgia, when a pickup truck hit the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo stars’ vehicle as they were making a left turn at the light. The other car was being driven by 19-year-old Seth Cagle.

Honey Boo Boo and her family were involved in a serious car crash
Honey Boo Boo and her family were involved in a serious car crash

Seth Cagle’s attorney, Walter Green, told E! News: “He [Seth] went to the hospital last night. [He] is experiencing pain in the lower and upper back. He is waiting to hear back from the doctor and see what the doctor recommendations are and will follow the doctor’s recommendations.”

Walter Green hasn’t been in contact with the Thompson family or their attorneys or TLC.

Seth Cagle’s attorney added that his client’s insurance company has been in contact with the Thompsons.

“His vehicle isn’t drivable,” he said.

“They have sent someone to investigate the accident. Seth reported the accident to his insurance as well. He wants to let the insurance companies take its course just like any accident. It is nothing out of the ordinary.” 

“He [Seth Cagle] is doing good and he is going to be fine but he is a little sore right now,” he added.

June Shannon told E! News post-crash and after a family visit to the hospital: “As many of you have heard we were in a car accident last night. It was really scary for us, since it was the first time any of us had ever been in a wreck. We are definitely really sore today, but our top priority is to celebrate Pumpkin’s birthday. She turned 14 today and no matter how sore we feel we are going to go out and celebrate. As always we want to thank everyone for their support and well wishes.”

[youtube L-iMcOF6_3I 650]

Hypnotist Scott Lewis plunges to his death from Sydney balcony

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Hypnotist Scott Lewis plunges to his death from Sydney balcony

Hypnotist Scott Lewis has plunged to his death from the balcony of a Sydney apartment, Australian police said on Sunday.

Scott Lewis was in the city performing his hypnosis act along with six other performers in the show The Illusionists 2.0, which opened at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday last week.

A police spokeswoman said officers were called to an apartment building in downtown Pyrmont at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday to find a body lying on a balcony.

Media reports said Scott Lewis had fallen from an 11th floor balcony to the fourth floor. Scott Lewis was staying with other performers at the building, which is a short drive from the opera house.

The spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing police policy, said investigators had ruled out any suspicious circumstances.

Scott Lewis was in Sydney performing his hypnosis act along with six other performers in the show The Illusionists 2.0
Scott Lewis was in Sydney performing his hypnosis act along with six other performers in the show The Illusionists 2.0

Police had yet to determine whether Scott Lewis’s fall was the result of “misadventure or self-harm,” she said.

Co-producer Tim Lawson said the show would continue.

“The company is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Dr. Lewis,” Tim Lawson said in a statement.

“The entire company has decided to continue the show in his honor, and send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends,” he added.

Sydney Opera House said in a statement that Scott Lewis “was a wonderful performer and he will be greatly missed.”

His website said he had the distinction of having “the longest-running family-friendly comedy hypnosis show in Las Vegas history.”

Scott Lewis appeared at Las Vegas’ Riviera Hotel for nine years.

[youtube Q1GrG5WGkLQ 650]

Kim Kardashian’s gym selfie photobombed by Kendall Jenner

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Kim Kardashian’s gym selfie photobombed by Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner photobombed her older sister Kim Kardashian during a selfie at the gym on Friday.

“Barging in on Kim’s booty self,” Kendall Jenner, 18, wrote.

Kendall Jenner photobombed her older sister Kim Kardashian during a selfie at the gym
Kendall Jenner photobombed her older sister Kim Kardashian during a selfie at the gym

In the mirror snapshot, Kendall Jenner leaned into Kim Kardashian, 33, from behind.

Kendall Jenner matched her workout gear with a gray headband, while the flash from the camera concealed Kim Kardashian’s face.

Taylor Smith’s letter to future self goes viral after her death

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Taylor Smith’s letter to future self goes viral after her death

Just days after 12-year-old Taylor Smith died, her parents found a sealed envelope containing a letter she had written to her 22-year-old self.

Taylor Smith died of pneumonia on January  5.

“To be opened by Taylor Smith on April 13, 2023 only unless said otherwise,” Taylor Smith had written on the envelope of the letter in April 2013.

“Sorry, baby, we opened it,” her father, Tim Smith, told WJHL TV station, before reading it aloud with a sometimes-quavering voice.

“Dear Taylor, how’s life? Life is pretty simple 10 years in your past. I know I’m late for you, but as I’m writing this early, so: congratulations on graduating high school! If you didn’t, go back and keep trying. Get that degree! … Do you have your own place yet? If we’re in college, what are we majoring in? Right now I wanna be a lawyer.”

The letter also addresses the importance of prayer and religious missions (Taylor Smith was, like her family, a devout Christian), Dollywood, her iPad (with a drawing of it attached) and the show Dr. Who.

Taylor Smith died of pneumonia on January 5
Taylor Smith died of pneumonia on January 5

The last, heartbreaking line reads: “Well, I think that’s all, but remember it’s been 10 years since I wrote this. Stuff has happened, good and bad. That’s just how life works, and you have to go with it.”

Tim Smith talked with WJHL about his feelings of grief.

“Initially it’s shock and waves of depression, and hoping that it’s not real, and hoping that every time you take a nap or go to sleep you find out it wasn’t real,” he says.

But, he added: “If it’s God’s time, it’s God’s time, and he loved her more than we could ever love her. So much so that he said <<Come on>>. A lot of people are probably wondering why it’s so easy for a father who just lost his daughter to say something like that, to not curse God, to not hate God. The only thing I can say is that right now it’s easy for me to trust God because my baby girl trusted him.”

Tim Smith told Buzz Feed: “She liked doing quirky things and she liked doing meaningful things, she always created stuff. The fact that she wrote this letter wasn’t a surprise, but what she wrote was.”

A huge turnout of friends and surviving family members, which include older brother, Judah, celebrated Taylor Smith’s life at a church memorial service Wednesday.

Shortly beforehand, Tim Smith posted a message on his daughter’s Facebook page.

“I just wanted to write this so that ALL of her friends, not just the ones who know her parents, would know that Taylor loved you all immensely! If you knew her at all you know that she was never fake. So if you made it into her list of friends here on Facebook, then believe me, you were a friend,” the post reads.

“Thanks for loving our daughter/sister.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMJDGf7KB8o

Pope Francis baptizes 32 infants in Sistine Chapel

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Pope Francis baptizes 32 infants in Sistine Chapel

Pope Francis baptized 32 infants at a Vatican ceremony on Sunday.

Formally welcoming the children into the Catholic Church Sunday, Pope Francis poured water from a shell-shaped dish over the heads of the babies held in their mothers’ arms.

Pope Francis baptized 32 infants at a Vatican ceremony
Pope Francis baptized 32 infants at a Vatican ceremony

The pontiff pronounced the babies’ names one by one, as parents held their children.

In the same Sistine Chapel last year, Francis was elected as the first Latin American pope. He is the first pope to choose the name Francis. Among the children were two Francescas.

[youtube RAdFw8qBX-k 650]

Pope Francis to appoint new cardinals on February 22

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Pope Francis to appoint new cardinals on February 22

Pope Francis will appoint 19 new cardinals in February, including churchmen from Haiti and Burkina Faso, reflecting his commitment to the poor.

Cardinals, who wear red hats and robes, are the most senior clergymen in the Roman Catholic Church below the Pope.

Sixteen of the new appointees are under 80, making them eligible to enter a conclave to elect the Pope’s successor.

The new cardinals will be formally instated at a ceremony, known as a consistory, on February 22.

The three clergymen over 80 come from Spain, Italy and the Caribbean island of St Lucia. They will assume the title cardinal emeritus.

Pope Francis named the new cardinals during Sunday address to worshippers gathered in St Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis will appoint 19 new cardinals, including churchmen from Haiti and Burkina Faso
Pope Francis will appoint 19 new cardinals, including churchmen from Haiti and Burkina Faso

They come from all corners of the world, including Italy, Germany, Britain, Nicaragua, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Chile and the Philippines.

But among those chosen are also men from countries like Haiti, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

The Vatican spokesman said that this was in keeping with Pope Francis’ drive to put the world’s poor at the core of the Church’s mission.

New Cardinals

  • Archbishop Pietro Parolin (Italy)
  • Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri (Italy)
  • Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller (Germany)
  • Archbishop, Beniamino Stella (Italy)
  • Archbishop Vincent Nichols (Britain)
  • Archbishop Leopoldo José Brenes Solórzano (Nicaragua)
  • Archbishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix (Canada)
  • Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa (Ivory Coast)
  • Archbishop Orani João Tempesta (Brazil)
  • Archbishop Gualtiero Bassetti (Italy)
  • Archbishop Mario Aurelio Poli (Argentina)
  • Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo Jung (South Korea)
  • Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello (Chile)
  • Archbishop Philippe Nakellentuba Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso)
  • Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo (Philippines)
  • Archbishop Chibly Langlois (Haiti)
  • Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla (Italy) *
  • Archbishop Fernando Sebastián Aguilar (Spain) *
  • Monsignor Kelvin Edward Felix (St Lucia) *

* Cardinal emeritus, without voting rights

[youtube FDxlL6mwZw4 650]

Valerie Trierweiler hospitalized after alleged Francois Hollande affair

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Valerie Trierweiler hospitalized after alleged Francois Hollande affair

Valerie Trierweiler, President Francois Hollande’s official partner and France’s first lady, has been admitted to hospital after media reports of an alleged affair involving the president.

Valerie Trierweiler’s office said she had been admitted on Friday “for rest and some tests”.

She was admitted a day after Closer magazine published images of Francois Hollande’s alleged affair with actress Julie Gayet.

Francois Hollande has not denied secretly visiting actress Julie Gayet at a flat near the Elysee Palace but protested at the magazine’s invasion of his privacy.

Valerie Trierweiler is expected to leave hospital on Monday, her office told AFP news agency.

Valerie Trierweiler has been admitted to hospital after media reports of an alleged affair involving President Francois Hollande
Valerie Trierweiler has been admitted to hospital after media reports of an alleged affair involving President Francois Hollande

On Friday, Closer magazine printed a seven-page article about the alleged affair between Francois Hollande and Julie Gayet.

It was illustrated with photos showing a man said to be the president visiting a flat at the same time as Julie Gayet.

The man said to be the president is wearing a helmet and is ferried to and from the building on a moped.

Francois Hollande threatened to sue over the report, which he called an “attack on the right to privacy”, without denying the allegation.

A presidential news conference scheduled for Tuesday on plans to boost the flagging economy now looks like being overshadowed by Francois Hollande’s private life, correspondents say.

Opinion polls already suggest Francois Hollande is the most unpopular president in a generation – one on Thursday indicated that only 25% of French people trusted him.

The French media face strict privacy laws but the tradition of secrecy over the private lives of public figures has been steadily eroded in recent years. But polls suggest the French public appears be averse to reporting politicians’ private lives.

[youtube MYBmkd_Q5MU 650]

Libya: Deputy industry minister Hassan al-Droui shot dead in Sirte

Roy Siemens
-
0
Libya: Deputy industry minister Hassan al-Droui shot dead in Sirte

Libya’s deputy industry minister Hassan al-Droui has been shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of the capital Tripoli.

Local media quoted officials as saying unknown gunmen “sprayed bullets” at Hassan al-Droui near a central market.

It is the first assassination of a member of Libya’s transitional government.

Libya's deputy industry minister Hassan al-Droui has been shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte
Libya’s deputy industry minister Hassan al-Droui has been shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte

Libya has suffered continuing lawlessness since the overthrow of Col Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011.

The motive behind Hassan al-Droui’s assassination is unclear.

Hassan al-Droui was a former member of the National Transitional Council, the political arm of the 2011 uprising.

He was appointed to his role by the transitional government’s first prime minister and kept his position when Ali Zeidan took over.

Sirte was the site of the final battle of Libya’s civil war, during which Col. Muammar Gaddafi was captured and shot dead while trying to hide from rebels.

Niagara Falls frozen by polar vortex 2014

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Niagara Falls frozen by polar vortex 2014

Plummeting temperatures in the US and Canada have caused chaos for many but have created a spectacular sight at Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls hasn’t frozen over, but it has become an icy spectacle, thanks to a blast of arctic wind and cold that blew around and froze the mist on surfaces and landscaping.

Despite the urban legends, Niagara Falls doesn’t freeze solid in the winter, tourism officials say.

Plummeting temperatures in the US and Canada have caused chaos for many but have created a spectacular sight at Niagara Falls
Plummeting temperatures in the US and Canada have caused chaos for many but have created a spectacular sight at Niagara Falls

However, a section of the American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up the natural attraction, has frozen. The Niagara River rapids and larger Horseshoe Falls continue to flow unimpeded.
Visitors who normally see a thundering waterfall have travelled to see part of the cascades frozen solid.

[youtube -2xGtKuHzCc 650]

Golden Globes 2014: Hollywood prepares for awards ceremony

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Golden Globes 2014: Hollywood prepares for awards ceremony

Hollywood is preparing for Golden Globes ceremony.

The Golden Globe awards are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and they are often seen as a good indication of who will pick up an Oscar.

The 71st Golden Globe Awards honoring the best in film and American television of 2013, will be broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 12, 2014, by NBC.

The 71st Golden Globe Awards honoring the best in film and American television of 2013
The 71st Golden Globe Awards honoring the best in film and American television of 2013

Woody Allen was announced as the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree for his the lifetime achievements on September 13, 2013.

On October 15, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were announced as the co-hosts for the second time in a row and as the co-hosts for the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.

Golden Globes 2014 nominations were announced on December 12, 2013 by Aziz Ansari, Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde.

[youtube 2dd8S6YDNnU 650]

Ariel Sharon funeral: Israel’s ex-PM to lie in state

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Ariel Sharon funeral: Israel’s ex-PM to lie in state

Israel begins a short period of mourning for ex-PM Ariel Sharon who died at 85 of heart failure after 8 years in a coma.

The public will pay their respects when Ariel Sharon’s body lies in state on Sunday before a private burial on Monday.

Israeli and world figures have paid tribute to a man who fought in four major wars before taking to the political stage.

But there was little sorrow among Palestinians who saw him as an enemy.

The head of the Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv confirmed Ariel Sharon’s death on Saturday afternoon, the Jewish Sabbath, more than a week after it emerged that his health was in decline.

Gilad Sharon, one of his two sons, said outside the hospital: “He has gone. He went when he decided to go.”

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama spoke of a leader “who dedicated his life to the state of Israel”.

The public will pay their respects when Ariel Sharon’s body lies in state on Sunday before a private burial on Monday
The public will pay their respects when Ariel Sharon’s body lies in state on Sunday before a private burial on Monday

Israel’s President Shimon Peres, a long-time friend and political rival who joined a unity government with Ariel Sharon in 2001, said he was “an exceptional man and an exceptional commander who moved his people and loved them and the people loved him”.

Ariel Sharon, known as “The Bulldozer”, was a giant of Israel’s military and political scene whose term as prime minister ended abruptly when he had a major stroke that put him in a coma in January 2006.

Months before his stroke, he had guided Israelis through a unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, with the declared aim of easing tensions with the Palestinians.

Ariel Sharon’s reputation among Palestinians was such that, in the Gaza Strip, sweets were handed out in celebration of his death. One senior official in the Fatah movement said he was a criminal whom Palestinians had wanted to see on trial.

Palestinian political figure Mustafa Barghouti said while no-one should gloat at his death, Ariel Sharon had taken “a path of war and aggression” and had left “no good memories with Palestinians”.

Ariel Sharon’s coffin will be placed at a plaza in front of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on Sunday to allow the public to pay their respects for six hours, from 12:00 to 18:00 local time.

A ceremony will be held there on Monday morning, which international figures are to attend. US Vice-President Joe Biden will lead a US delegation and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also expected to go.

A few hours later Ariel Sharon will be buried in a private ceremony at his farm in the Negev desert where his late wife Lily was laid to rest in 2000.

[youtube aPxiF7d3oj4 650]

Black rhino hunt permit sold for $350,000 at Dallas auction

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Black rhino hunt permit sold for $350,000 at Dallas auction

A permit to hunt and kill an endangered Black Rhino in Namibia has been sold at a Dallas auction for $350,000.

The Dallas Safari Club in Texas says the hunt will help protect the species by removing an old aggressive rhino, and funding future conservation.

However, the auction has been fiercely criticized by conservationists, and has even drawn death threats.

Namibia is home to about a third of the world’s 5,000 black rhinos, and issues just three hunting permits a year.

It is the first time a permit has been auctioned outside the southern African nation.

The Dallas Safari Club in Texas says the hunt will help protect the species by removing an old aggressive rhino
The Dallas Safari Club in Texas says the hunt will help protect the species by removing an old aggressive rhino

The auction was held amid tight security at a Dallas convention centre, where dozens of protesters had gathered.

The winning bidder – who has not been named – will hunt an old, non-breeding male rhino.

The organizers say such animals actually pose a threat to younger rhinos, which they sometimes charge and kill.

All proceeds will be donated to the Namibian government and will be earmarked for conservation efforts, safari club officials said.

Animal rights groups described the hunt’s conservation claim as “a sad joke”.

“This auction is telling the world that an American will pay anything to kill their species,” Jeffrey Flocken of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) told the Associated Press.

“This is, in fact, making a spectacle of killing an endangered species.”

More than 80,000 people signed online petitions against the auction.

The FBI says it is investigating a string of death threats over the auction.

At present it is estimated that there are around 20,000 white rhinos left.

[youtube 2jXGnnFTWcE 650]

Stephen Baldwin makes new payment on New York tax bill

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Stephen Baldwin makes new payment on New York tax bill

Stephen Baldwin has made another $100,000 installment payment on his unpaid New York taxes, the actor’s attorney has said.

Attorney Russell Yankwitt says Friday’s payment brings Stephen Baldwin’s total paid to $300,000. He’s got $100,000 more to go.

Stephen Baldwin, 47, admitted last March that he failed to pay state taxes for 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Stephen Baldwin has made another $100,000 installment payment on his unpaid New York taxes
Stephen Baldwin has made another $100,000 installment payment on his unpaid New York taxes

The total bill in taxes, interest and penalties was $400,000, but Stephen Baldwin paid $100,000 before entering his guilty plea.

Russell Yankwitt says the actor paid the same amount in October.

Under a deal with prosecutors, Stephen Baldwin’s record will be wiped clean if he pays the full amount by April 11. If not, Stephen Baldwin faces five years of probation.

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala drops Le Mur show after ban

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala drops Le Mur show after ban

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, who has convictions for anti-Semitic hate speech in France, has dropped his controversial show Le Mur (The Wall) after it was banned.

The comedian told reporters in Paris he would no longer perform The Wall, after France’s highest court upheld a ban on the opening night of his tour on Thursday.

Citing “blatant political interference”, he said he wanted to perform a new show devoted to Africa.

This new show has already been banned by the authorities in Paris.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls is seeking to keep Dieudonne M’bala M’bala off all stages in France, condemning the comic’s “mechanics of hate”.

Dieudonne M'bala M'bala has dropped his controversial show Le Mur after it was banned
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has dropped his controversial show Le Mur after it was banned

“The Dieudonne controversy and the Le Mur show are over,” Dieudonne M’bala M’bala said in a statement on French TV.

“Now, I think we will get a chance to laugh more intensely with my new show.”

“We live in a democratic country and I have to comply with the laws, despite the blatant political interference,” he said.

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala also denied being an anti-Semite.

Several police vans lined the street outside a Paris theatre where he had been due to perform on Saturday.

Supporters of Dieudonne M’bala M’bala and critics of the bans accuse the authorities of denying his freedom of speech.

[youtube mzeD8sAjoj0 650]

Monica Spear death: Venezuela targets corrupt police officers

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Monica Spear death: Venezuela targets corrupt police officers

Venezuela’s Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres has given out his personal mobile phone number on live television, and urged police officers to call him directly to report cases of corruption within the force.

Miguel Rodriguez Torres said rooting out corruption was the only way for the police to regain public trust.

Police corruption is seen as one reason why Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

His comments come amid public anger after the murder of former beauty queen Monica Spear.

Monica Spear and her ex-husband, Thomas Berry, were gunned down in their car in front of their five-year-old daughter, who was wounded.

Monica Spear and her ex-husband, Thomas Berry, were gunned down in their car
Monica Spear and her ex-husband, Thomas Berry, were gunned down in their car

Seven people have been arrested in connection with the crime.

“New police officers will always have some great superiors, well-prepared ones,” Miguel Rodriguez Torres said at an official ceremony in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

“But they also are going to get some bad eggs. Report them fearlessly because their (corruption) undermines police authority for the Venezuelan people.”

“Just give me the information right away, and we will rip the head off that immoral police superior,” the minister warned, after giving the officers his mobile number.

The murder of Monica Spear, thought to have been a botched robbery, has reignited debate about insecurity in Venezuela.

Experts often cite police corruption as part of the crime crisis; most homicides go unpunished.

Last year, nearly 25,000 people were killed in the South American country, according to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, a non-governmental organization.

Monica Spear and her former partner were buried on Friday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

[youtube BLoTTjRAfQ0 650]

West Virginia chemical spill: Tap water may be out for days

Nancy Clayson
-
0
West Virginia chemical spill: Tap water may be out for days

A water company executive said it could be days before uncontaminated water is flowing again in West Virginia.

About 300,000 people remained without clean tap water for a third day Saturday following a chemical spill into the Elk River.

Water sample test results must consistently show that the chemical’s presence in the public water system is at or below 1 parts per million, the level recommended by federal agencies, before residents can turn on their taps again, West Virginia American Water President Jeff McIntyre said Saturday at a news conference.

The company told residents in nine counties to not drink their tap water or use it to bathe or wash dishes or clothes after a foaming agent used in coal processing escaped from a Freedom Industries plant in Charleston and seeped into the Elk River. The only allowed use of the water was for flushing toilets.

About 300,000 people remained without clean tap water for a third day following a chemical spill into the Elk River
About 300,000 people remained without clean tap water for a third day following a chemical spill into the Elk River

Thirty-two people sought treatment at area hospitals for symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Of those, four people were admitted to the Charleston Area Medical Center. Their conditions were not immediately known, Allison Adler of the Department of Health and Human Resources said Saturday.

Federal authorities, including the US Chemical Safety Board, opened an investigation into Thursday’s spill. The Chemical Safety Board said Saturday that its investigative team is scheduled to arrive in West Virginia on Monday.

About 7,500 gallons of the chemical escaped from a storage tank and a containment area, said Michael Dorsey, chief of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Homeland Security and Emergency Response office.

[youtube V6WSrXguzbY 650]

Duck Dynasty Season 5 sneak peek

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Duck Dynasty Season 5 sneak peek

Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15th at 10/9c on A&E.

Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15
Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15

[youtube R80pFsU3t0k 650]

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala appeals against ban on show

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala appeals against ban on show

Comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, viewed as a dangerous anti-Semite by the French government, has appealed against a ban on his show, Le Mur (The Wall).

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala lodged the appeal with France’s highest court, the Council of State, after it overruled a provincial judge on Thursday and reinstated the ban.

The ban took effect as fans gathered for the first show of a tour, in the western city of Nantes on Thursday.

Authorities in other cities on the tour have also banned the performance.

Legal analysts say that while the Council of State decision applied specifically to Nantes, judges in other cities will have to take it into account and a flurry of further bans is likely.

Among the performances of The Wall which have been banned is one that was scheduled for the city of Tours on Friday.

Supporters of Dieudonne M’bala M’bala and critics of the bans accuse the authorities of denying the comic freedom of speech.

Dieudonne M'bala M'bala has appealed against a ban on his show
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has appealed against a ban on his show

However, government lawyers argue that the fundamentally racist nature of his act means it cannot be afforded protection under France’s constitutional provisions on freedom of speech.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls wants Dieudonne M’bala M’bala kept off all stages in France, condemning the comic’s “mechanics of hate”.

PM Jean-Marc Ayrault said he was satisfied with the Council of State ban.

“What’s at stake is the struggle against the drift towards anti-Semitism in which Dieudonne was engaged,” he said on Friday.

“Over the course of time, each show leads to a spiraling out of control. And we can’t accept that in our society there is the slightest complacency with regards to anti-Semitism. It’s totally alien to our values and principles.”

Shocked fans booed outside the concert hall in Nantes, where more than 5,000 people had been due to see the show.

Some gave Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s trademark “quenelle” gesture, which is regarded by many as an inverted Nazi salute, while some brandished pineapples.

One of Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s most notorious songs, Shoananas, roughly translates as Pineapple-Holocaust and mocks commemoration of the Nazi extermination of the Jews.

[youtube A-vagVgGQt0 650]

Rebecca and Korie Robertson launch Duck & Dressing clothing boutique

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Rebecca and Korie Robertson launch Duck & Dressing clothing boutique

Duck Dynasty’s Korie Robertson and her foster daughter Rebecca recently launched a clothing boutique together called Duck & Dressing.

Rebecca Robertson, 24, wrote in a blog post earlier this year: “Welcome to the Duck & Dressing blog! It’s a new year and just wanted to start a new adventure so that maybe I can share some of the fun behind the scenes stuff that goes on around the store and also share some of the styles that we are featuring. We’ve been working around the clock getting the store running but we’ve been having some fun too!”

Rebecca Robertson recently joined the Duck Dynasty cast for the fifth season
Rebecca Robertson recently joined the Duck Dynasty cast for the fifth season

The store’s online website will be launching in Spring this year.

Rebecca Robertson recently joined the Duck Dynasty cast for the fifth season.

Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15th at 10/9c on A&E.

[youtube R80pFsU3t0k 650]

Who is Rebecca Robertson from Duck Dynasty?

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Who is Rebecca Robertson from Duck Dynasty?

A new family member has joined Duck Dynasty reality for this fifth season: Korie and Willie Robertson’s adopted daughter, Rebecca.

Rebecca Robertson, 24, has remained off-screen up until now, but she’s decided to step in front of cameras this year.

Becca came to the family as an exchange student from Taiwan, and eventually, Willie and Korie Robertson took her in full-time as a foster child.

Rebecca came to the Robertson family as an exchange student from Taiwan
Rebecca came to the Robertson family as an exchange student from Taiwan

Now, Rebecca and Korie are extremely close and have even opened a boutique together in Monroe, Louisiana, called Duck & Dressing.

Korie Robertson is so proud of her new daughter, that she included her in her Twitter tagline:  “Mom to four awesome kids plus a sweet exchange student who became ours.”

Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15th at 10/9c on A&E.

[youtube R80pFsU3t0k 650]

Duckhorn Wine Company files trademark lawsuit against Duck Dynasty wines

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Duckhorn Wine Company files trademark lawsuit against Duck Dynasty wines

Duckhorn Wine Company has filed a trademark lawsuit against Duck Commander, Inc., Trinchero Family Estates and Wal-Mart.

The suit claims Duck Commander wines violate the trademark of Duckhorn Vineyards.

Duckhorn has a history of going after wineries that dare to use a duck in their names or labels.

The Napa Valley winery is going after the Duck Dynasty folks because they’ve used the word “Duck” and an image of a duck on their wines.

Duckhorn Wine Company has filed a trademark lawsuit against Duck Commander wines
Duckhorn Wine Company has filed a trademark lawsuit against Duck Commander wines

In November, the Robertson family collaborated with Trinchero Family Estates to produce three wines from California grapes: Triple Threat red blend, Wood Duck chardonnay and Miss Priss pink moscato.

“We decided to create Duck Commander Robertson Family Wines because we know that many of our customers and our viewers choose to celebrate family moments with wine,” Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson said at the time.

The St. Helena winery, which produces wines that largely sell for $50 and up, has taken on a number of what it deems to be trademark violators in recent years, although not always successfully.

“It turns out that Duckhorn doesn’t own the word <<duck>>,” said Jay Behmke, an intellectual property attorney at Santa Rosa law firm Carle, Mackie, Power & Ross.

“I know that Duckhorn has an interest in trademarks, and I’ve seen their interest, but there are a lot of duck trademarks, so they don’t have an exclusive on that.”

Duckhorn took aim at Duck Pond Cellars in Oregon in the mid ‘90s, but that case settled. Greg Fries, president of Duck Pond Cellars, confirmed the case was resolved, but said he was bound by the settlement not to comment.

Plasma thermogram can be used to detect cervical cancer

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Plasma thermogram can be used to detect cervical cancer

A new test – plasma thermogram – that uses heat to examine blood can be used to detect cervical cancer, according to US scientists.

The plasma thermogram examines the proteins inside blood, including those produced by tumors.

The new study, published in the journal Plos One, showed the test could detect cervical cancer and how advanced it was.

Screening for cervical cancer currently involves a looking for abnormal cells in a smear test and detecting high-risk viruses that can cause the disease.

The study, at the University of Louisville, used the plasma thermogram technology to analyze blood samples.

The plasma thermogram examines the proteins inside blood, including those produced by tumors
The plasma thermogram examines the proteins inside blood, including those produced by tumors

The sample will respond differently to heat depending on the types of proteins contained in the blood. It results in a thermogram – like a fingerprint – of the protein content.

The system was tested on 67 women with different stages of the cervical cancer to see if it could detect the differences between the patients and healthy people.

Lead researcher Dr. Nichola Garbett said: “We have been able to demonstrate a more convenient, less intrusive test for detecting and staging cervical cancer.”

She said the test could be used to determine which cancers needed to be treated and which needed monitoring.

“Comparing blood samples of patients who are being screened or treated against those thermograms should enable us to better monitor patients as they are undergoing treatment and follow-up,” she added.

“This will be a chance for us to adjust treatments so they are more effective.”

Jessica Chastain portrays Princess Merida for O, The Oprah Magazine

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Jessica Chastain portrays Princess Merida for O, The Oprah Magazine

Jessica Chastain has portrayed fictional Scottish Princess Merida from 2012’s animated movie Brave for O, The Oprah Magazine photo shoot.

Jessica Chastain posed for award-winning photographer Annie Leibovitz in Cold Spring, New York.

The image will appear in O, The Oprah Magazine‘s February issue.

Jessica Chastain has portrayed Princess Merida from animated movie Brave for O, The Oprah Magazine photo shoot
Jessica Chastain has portrayed Princess Merida from animated movie Brave for O, The Oprah Magazine photo shoot

Made by Disney-Pixar, Brave is a fairytale featuring a fictional Scottish royal family, bears and a witch.

Merida, a young, flame haired Scottish princess, refuses to conform with traditional rules on marriage and princess-like behavior.

Disney-Pixar has described it as a story about mothers and daughters and families.

[youtube fC-I0IRxplE 650]

LEGO to make Simpsons construction set

Nancy Clayson
-
0
LEGO to make Simpsons construction set

World’s second-biggest toymaker LEGO has confirmed that it will produce a construction set based on the hit TV animation, The Simpsons.

The new kit will include figures of the main characters including Homer, Bart, Marge and Ned Flanders.

LEGO struck the deal with the show’s owners, Twentieth Century Fox.

Fox is scheduled to air an episode of The Simpsons featuring the cast in Lego form in May, in the US.

LEGO will produce a construction set based on hit TV animation The Simpsons
LEGO will produce a construction set based on hit TV animation The Simpsons

“We know our fans will love the challenge of building the Simpsons’ family home in great detail and the ability to collect quintessential characters in Lego minifigure form,” Jill Wilfert, from the LEGO Group said in a statement.

The Simpsons, a satirical parody of family life, has been running for 25 years making it the longest running scripted TV show in the US.

LEGO new set will go on sale in the US in February priced at $199.99. The company plans to launch a separate line of 16 Simpsons mini figures in May.

[youtube -wuqB1wimSA 650]

Salman Khurshid: There was no stand-off with US following Devyani Khobragade scandal

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Salman Khurshid: There was no stand-off with US following Devyani Khobragade scandal

Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters in Delhi there was “no stand-off” with the US and predicted problems would be sorted out.

The row erupted after the diplomat, Devyani Khobragade, was arrested in New York on charges of visa fraud and underpaying her housekeeper.

Devyani Khobragade is now back in India after an apparent agreement with Washington.

“If there are any issues” India and the US will “sort them out mutually”, Salman Khurshid said in televised remarks.

Salman Khurshid was speaking a day after Devyani Khobragade arrived in India, where she was greeted by her father, Uttam. On Saturday, the two were welcomed by Salman Khurshid.

Surrounded by reporters on leaving the Maharashtra Sadan state guesthouse, Devyani Khobragade gave little away.

“No comments, I am really thankful for all your support… I cannot make any comments right now. My government will speak for me, my lawyer will speak for me,” she said.

Devyani Khobragade is now back in India after an apparent agreement with Washington
Devyani Khobragade is now back in India after an apparent agreement with Washington

Devyani Khobragade was asked to leave the US as the diplomatic rift deepened.

The US meanwhile confirmed that an American official will leave its embassy in Delhi at India’s request – Salman Khurshid described this as an expulsion.

“We have our reasons and have informed the US about it. We are in touch with the US. We will do what needs to be done. I do not think that this needs more discussion,” Salman Khurshid said.

Washington said it deeply regretted the move but hoped that it would bring closure to the case and lead to a return to constructive ties.

The expelled US diplomat has not been named.

Sources told Agence France Presse that the individual was of similar rank to Devyani Khobragade and had been involved in the Khobragade case.

India had demanded an apology after Devyani Khobragade, 39, was handcuffed and strip-searched following her arrest last month. It refused to waive her immunity so she could be prosecuted in the US.

Devyani Khobragade has always denied any wrongdoing.

On Thursday Devyani Khobragade was indicted by a US federal grand jury in Manhattan, but was also granted immunity by US officials, paving the way for her to return to India.

[youtube 6hEbT9bc0ss 650]

[youtube nXDb-oYP6TY 650]

1...668669670...1,245Page 669 of 1,245