Kourtney Kardashian showed off her newly svelte beach body, after shedding over 40 lbs following the birth of her one-year-old daughter Penelope.
Kourtney Kardashian, 34, has recently made it a habit of parading around in various skimpy bikinis as she vacations at the Setai Hotel in Miami, Florida.
Wearing her dark locks over her shoulders, Kourtney Kardashian appeared to be enjoying the feel of the soft wind caressing her skin as she strolled along in the warm summer weather.
Kourtney Kardashian showed off her newly svelte body, after shedding over 40 lbs following the birth of her daughter Penelope
The reality star sported a gold pendant that rested over her sternum, bringing attention to her incredible post-baby curves.
Kourtney Kardashian donned simple rubber flip flops for her frolic on the balmy coastline.
Sporting her stripy two-piece, the dark-haired beauty dipped her toes in the frothing surf.
Kourtney Kardashian has been on holiday with her long-time beau Scott Disick and their two children Penelope and 3-year-old Mason.
Speaking of her dramatic weight loss after birthing Penelope, Kourtney Kardashian toldUS Weekly magazine earlier this year: “It was harder to lose weight the second time around.
“I gained 45 pounds with Penelope. I’m 5ft tall so that’s a lot.
“It took me twice as long as last time but I feel healthy and really much better about it.
“This time, the focus is really on being a mom and being present, knowing my priorities.”
At least 100 people are reported to have been killed in Egypt’s capital Cairo at a protest held by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Clashes are still taking place around the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.
A doctor at a field hospital close to the protest said that in addition to the dead, more than 1,000 were injured.
Both pro- and anti-Morsi supporters had been holding huge protests overnight.
Many thousands occupied Cairo’s Tahrir Square in support of the army, which removed Mohamed Morsi from office earlier this month.
Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had urged people to take to the streets to give the military a mandate for its intervention.
It is not yet clear whether the clashes around the mosque represent a concerted effort by the security forces to clear the area.
Early on Saturday, Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim had vowed to end the sit-in at the mosque.
At least 100 people are reported to have been killed in Cairo at a protest held by supporters of Mohamed Morsi
He said local residents had complained about the encampment and that the protest would be “brought to an end soon and in a legal manner”.
The minister said the prosecutor would issue an order, but this has yet to happen.
Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad told Reuters news agency: “They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill.”
A senior Brotherhood politician, Saad el-Hosseini, told the agency that this was an attempt by security forces to clear the mosque area.
“I have been trying to make the youth withdraw for five hours. I can’t. They are saying they have paid with their blood and they do not want to retreat,” he said.
There has also been violence in Egypt’s second city of Alexandria, where at least 10 people have been killed in clashes between rival factions.
Since Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president, was ousted on July 3, dozens of people have died in violent protests.
Mohamed Morsi has now been formally accused of conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip and has strong links with the Muslim Brotherhood.
He is alleged to have plotted attacks on jails in the 2011 uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak.
Mohamed Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were freed during a breakout at a Cairo prison in January 2011.
He is to be questioned for an initial 15-day period, a judicial order said.
The order issued on Friday was the first official statement on Mohamed Morsi’s legal status since he was overthrown and placed in custody at an undisclosed location.
North Korea is holding a huge parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War.
State TV showed soldiers and military hardware parading through the capital Pyongyang in a carefully choreographed display.
Troops and spectators shouted their allegiance to North Korea’s young ruler, Kim Jong-un.
The 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce although North Korea and South Korea remain technically at war.
Correspondents say the lavish parade of weapons and goose-stepping soldiers is reminiscent of marches held by the Soviet Union and China at the height of the Cold War.
The TV pictures showed Kim Jong-un walking up to the podium on a red carpet with a military band playing in the background. The North Korean leader oversaw the parade flanked by military and ruling party leaders.
North Korea is holding a huge parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War
Large banners hung from gas-filled balloons and the main square in Pyongyang was filled with North Korean flags.
Over the past week North Korea has staged mass rallies and fireworks displays to commemorate the anniversary.
It comes as North and South Korea try to restore ties following a period of high tension.
Earlier this month, they ended a third round of talks on the re-opening of a jointly-run industrial zone without reaching a deal.
Work at Kaesong has been suspended since mid-April when North Korea withdrew its workers.
The move came amid tense relations between the two Koreas after Pyongyang’s nuclear test in February.
In South Korea, the anniversary was marked with a speech by President Park Geun-hye.
Park Geun-hye vowed not to tolerate provocations from North Korea but also said Seoul would work on building trust with the North.
“I urge North Korea to give up the development of nuclear weapons if the country is to start on a path toward true change and progress,” she said.
Crowds of Roman Catholic pilgrims in Rio de Janeiro have joined Pope Francis for a re-enactment of Jesus carrying the cross to his crucifixion.
The Stations of the Cross march comes on the Pope’s fifth day in Brazil for World Youth Day – a weeklong event for more than a million young Christians.
Pope Francis spoke about the lack of faith in political institutions perceived as selfish and corrupt by young people.
A planned field vigil outside Rio de Janeiro was moved to the city because of rain.
Young Catholics played drums on Copacabana beach as they waited for the Pope. People from all over the world travelled to Brazil for the pontiff’s visit.
“Jesus is united with so many young people who have lost faith in political institutions, because they see in them only selfishness and corruption,” Pope Francis said.
Protests, sometimes violent, broke out in cities across Brazil last month against corruption, poor public services and the high cost of events like the 2014 World Cup.
Pope Francis, 76, also expressed understanding for Christians who had lost faith in the church because of what he called the “incoherence of Christians and ministers of the gospel”.
The Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by scandals over abuse by priests.
Crowds of Roman Catholic pilgrims in Rio de Janeiro have joined Pope Francis for a re-enactment of Jesus carrying the cross to his crucifixion
A pilgrim described the Pope as “very clever” and “very humble” with “a lot” of personality.
“It’s what our religion… our church is needing right now,” she said.
Shortly after Pope Francis finished speaking, police held a group of protesters who tried to invade the stage. They were demonstrating against the state governor of Rio, Sergio Cabral.
In Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, some 300 demonstrators attacked several bank branches and at least one police post in protest against the state governor there.
Police said at least eight bank branches were attacked, and for a time several of Sao Paulo’s main avenues were blocked.
Tear gas was used to disperse the protesters.
Earlier, Latin America’s first pontiff met a group of prisoners in a palace of the Rio archdiocese.
Pope Francis then emerged on a balcony to address the crowd, urging them to cherish the elderly on Grandparents’ Day.
“How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society,” he said.
Pope Francis then went to a park where he heard three Brazilians, a Venezuelan and an Italian confess their sins.
Brazil is the world’s biggest Roman Catholic country, despite the growing popularity of Pentecostal Christianity in the country.
Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened legal action against British newspaper Times for publishing an open letter criticizing his handling of recent protests.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Times of “renting out its pages for money”.
Hollywood celebrities and academics were among those who signed the letter this week accusing Turkey’s government of “dictatorial rule”.
A row over a park in Istanbul last month triggered widespread anti-government protests.
At least four people were killed and thousands more injured as police cracked down on demonstrators who accused Recep Tayyip Erdogan of becoming increasingly authoritarian.
“The press wants to throw mud to see if it sticks,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in comments broadcast on Turkey’s NTV channel.
Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened legal action against British newspaper Times for publishing an open letter criticizing his handling of recent protests
“The Times is renting out its own pages for money. This is the Times’ failing. We will pursue legal channels regarding the Times.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said those who signed the letter – taken out as an full-page advertisement – had “rented out their thoughts” and did not genuinely support democracy.
“If they truly believed in democracy, they couldn’t have displayed such a lack of character to call the leader of a party that won 50% of the vote a dictator,” the prime minister said.
The Times has so far not commented on the remarks.
The open letter was signed by 30 people including Turkish pianist Fazil Say, film stars Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, film director David Lynch and British historian David Starkey.
They condemned the crackdown on anti-government protesters and compared giant pro-government rallies – organized by Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party to counter the protests – to the huge rallies staged in Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.
The wave of unrest in Turkey was sparked by demonstrations against controversial plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park.
Lady Gaga’s make-up artist uploaded a video of the singer getting her septum pierced.
The video, which shows Lady Gaga looking calm, features hard electronic music throughout the nose piercing process.
Following the process Lady Gaga, 27, posed alongside piercer Steve Bennet, showing off her natural beauty as she went make-up free once again.
Lady Gaga reveals her newly pierced septum
Shortly after the video went online fans began to speculate about whether the music was in fact a hint of what to expect from her forthcoming album ARTPOP.
However, Lady Gaga’s make-up artist quickly dispelled the rumors tweeting: “The music’s not from the album, it’s from the experience xoxo.”
But looking for any information they could get her fans quickly started quizzing her piercer who posted the picture, captioned: “Getting hype with Lady Gaga at my studio in Chicago. (pierced her septum with 16 anatometal seamless).”
Answering some of their questions he wrote: “She was so fun and full of energy. It was such a pleasure meeting her. Cannot wait till her new album is released!”
And fans won’t have long to wait to hear new music as Lady Gaga is set to perform at the MTV Music Awards next month.
Honey Boo Boo’s sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon and father Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson have met their match in the form of a 4 lb sandwich.
In the latest episode of hit reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, 13-year-old Pumpkin got ready to tackle the “Pigzilla” – consisting of 3 lbs of meat and a 1 lb bun.
The reality show family from McIntyre Georgia decamp to Papa Buck’s BBQ to get gluttonous, with Pumpkin hoping to be the first woman to win.
“Pigzilla has been challenged 55 times and it’s only defeated once – by a professional eater,” family matriarch June Shannon explains.
“I think it’s going to be defeated twice because, hey, I’ve got my own professional eater on my hands. We’ll see which beast wins.”
With winnings of $200 up for grabs and only 45 minutes to scarf the giant meat and bread creation, Pumpkin and Sugar Bear steel themselves for the task ahead.
Pumpkin Shannon getting ready to tackle the Pigzilla, consisting of 3 lbs of meat and a 1 lb bun
“Before I eat Pigzilla, I need to concentrate,” says Pumpkin.
“I need to get in the zone. I don’t need any distractions.”
Luckily, Mama June had plenty of advice for her eating prodigy, who she hoped would be the “redneck Kobayashi”.
“Dip the bun in the water,” June Shannon tells Pumpkin, who put on her “professional shirt” for the occasion.
“Every time she wears her professional shirt, you know she’s being serious,” says June Shannon.
After learning the sandwich would cost her $30 if it didn’t get eaten, she urges her family onward: “Hell no, you better eat that s***.”
However, the challenge is only complete if the participant keeps the sandwich down for five minutes, according to Mama June.
June Shannon has revealed that she is legally blind as a result of childhood cataracts that were not properly treated.
Mama June’s eyesight is obviously an issue during Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Season 2, when the family goes go-karting to celebrate her husband Sugar Bear’s 41st birthday.
Honey Boo Boo’s mother admits that her blurry vision make her afraid to get into a go-kart, and has prevented her from getting a driver’s license.
June Shannon’s eyesight has been an issue in the past when interacting with seven-year old daughter Honey Boo Boo and her sisters Pumpkin, 13, Chubbs, 16, and 18-year-old Chickadee.
During the season premiere, June Shannon, 33, was shown putting her daughters’ cell phones into a cheese ball bucket when they refused to stop texting. But when Mama June uses her own phone, she is forced to squint and hold it inches from her face.
June Shannon has revealed that she is legally blind as a result of childhood cataracts that were not properly treated
During the first season, June Shannon was shown having to squint incredibly hard to see the numbers at Bingo. Her imperfect vision is also an issue when she tries to save money by doing Honey Boo Boo’s pageant make-up herself.
“My mama better stick to couponing and stay away from the makeup table,” Alana Thompson aka Honey Boo Boo says.
Though cataracts are very common in older people – with around 50% of adults developing them by age 80 – experts estimate that a baby’s chances of being born with cataracts is only around one in 5,000.
In the past Mama June has expressed insecurities about her “forklift foot” that was run over by a piece of heavy machinery. Even Sugar Bear wasn’t allowed to see her sockless.
But for the most part, June Shannon is confident, happy and doesn’t let physical issues get her down.
After encouragement from her family, Mama June takes the wheel at the go-kart track – and even laughs when the kart gets jammed and she has to be rescued by three attendants.
What are childhood cataracts?
A cataract is an eye disease in which the clear lens of one or both eyes becomes cloudy
It is estimated that one in 5,000 children are born with cataracts
In most cases, the exact cause is not known, but some possible causes include genetic conditions or infections during pregnancy
Doctors recommend performing surgery within the first two months and definitely by four months
Cataract operations are generally very successful, with a low risk of serious complications
Maternity brand Séraphine sales have soared by 40% since it was revealed Kate Middleton is a fan of their designs.
After donning one of their dresses on her first Royal outing since the birth of Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, Séraphine saw sales rocket further.
New mother Kate Middleton was photographed arriving at her parents’ home in Bucklebury wearing the £50 ($80) Blossom Knot Front Lavender Dress on Wednesday.
Demand for the dress has been so high that the site has now stated that orders will not be shipped for at least another month.
This isn’t the first time that Kate Middleton has worked her magic on Séraphine’s sales.
Maternity brand Séraphine sales have soared by 40 percent since it was revealed Kate Middleton is a fan of their designs
Sales of one item, the £39 ($60) Brooke dress, quadrupled after Kate Middleton was reported to have taken a fancy to it when she was shopping in Sloane Square, according to founder Cecile Reinaud.
Total sales are up 40% since March, when Kate Middleton was linked with the brand.
Kate Middleton has been a fan of Séraphine throughout her pregnancy, ordering over a dozen designs from the brand; who have two West London boutiques, one of which is conveniently located on Kensington Church Street, near Kensington Palace.
Séraphine has four London outlets and sells through the internet to more than 30 countries.
Cecile Reinaud said: “The Kate effect is worldwide. From China, Russia to South Africa, sales are boosted due to the fact she chose our brand to dress her royal bump.”
Séraphine reported a turnover of £5.2 million ($8 million) in the year ending March 2013 and Cecile Reinaud expects turnover for 2014 to reach £8 million ($12 million).
Séraphine prides itself on offering unrivalled wardrobe solutions for pregnant women, available in their London boutiques and at selected Peter Jones and John Lewis stores, and online through their international websites.
Created by Cecile Reinaud, Séraphine’s collections hope to exude effortless Parisian chic, and have earned the brand an A-list following including Angelina Jolie, January Jones, Claudia Schiffer, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner and Kate Hudson.
The FBI and Russian FSB security services are “in talks” over fugitive Edward Snowden, according to President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman.
However, Dmitry Peskov repeated Russia’s position that it would “not hand anyone over”.
Edward Snowden, 30, has been stuck in transit at a Moscow airport for the past month as he has no valid travel documents.
The US Attorney General, Eric Holder, has sought to assure Moscow he would not face the death penalty in America.
Washington wants him extradited for leaking details of surveillance programmes.
Dmitry Peskov did not specify what the nature of the talks between the agencies was.
He did, however, remind reporters that President Vladimir Putin had expressed a strong determination not to allow the case to interfere with US-Russian relations.
The FBI and Russian FSB security services are “in talks” over fugitive Edward Snowden
Vladimir Putin had not taken part in any discussions with the American authorities over Mr Snowden case, Dmitry Peskov said.
Edward Snowden “has not made any request that would require examination by the head of state”, Dmitry Peskov added.
The Russian president has refused to hand him to the American authorities, but said he could stay in Russia only if he stopped leaking US secrets.
Edward Snowden, whose passport has been cancelled by the US, has been in the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport since arriving from Hong Kong on June 23.
On Thursday Edward Snowden’s lawyer Anatoly Kucherena denied earlier reports that Snowden had been given Russian travel documents.
Edward Snowden has requested temporary asylum in Russia, and said recently his favored final destination was Latin America.
In a letter to Russian Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov, Eric Holder said that the charges against Edward Snowden were not punishable by death.
If additional charges were brought which could incur capital punishment, the US would not seek to impose such a penalty, he added.
The Snowden affair has caused diplomatic ructions around the world, upsetting America’s close allies and traditional enemies.
Leaks by the former CIA worker have led to revelations that the National Security Agency (NSA) is collecting Americans’ phone records.
On Wednesday evening, an attempt to block funding for the programme narrowly failed in a 205-217 vote in the House of Representatives.
The White House had lobbied Congress to support the surveillance.
Opponents of the US, including Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua, have all offered Edward Snowden asylum.
Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro appeared in court today to accept a plea deal under which he will serve a life sentence plus 1,000 years for the kidnap and rape of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.
Ariel Castro, 53, was said to have agreed to the deal – after initially pleading not guilty to all 977 counts against him – to spare him the death penalty. His previous not guilty pleas were withdrawn.
Under the offer, Ariel Castro will spend the rest of his life behind bars without the possibility of parole, meaning he will die in prison.
It also means his three victims Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus will not have to testify about their more than ten-year ordeal in front of a jury.
Speaking in court today, Ariel Castro said: “I said I was willing to work with the FBI and I would tell them everything.”
The judge asked him if he understood that he would die in prison and there would never be a possibility he would be released from prison.
Ariel Castro replied: “I do understand that and I said because of the s** crimes I knew I would have the book thrown at me.
“There are some things I do not comprehend because of my s**ual problems throughout the years. But I trust my lawyers and I understand my rights and the sentence.”
Ariel Castro appeared in court to accept a plea deal under which he will serve a life sentence
Offering some form of an explanation for his despicable crimes, Ariel Castro said: “I was a victim as a child and it just kept going.”
The judge cut him off and told him to save his story for his sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said if evidence of additional crimes came to light, Ariel Castro could still be indicted on future charges that included the death penalty.
Ariel Castro’s lawyers have said for weeks that they would consider an agreement under which the former Cleveland school bus driver would plead guilty to some charges in return for his life.
He has been charged with 977 counts including kidnapping and repeated rape. He has also been charged with murder under a fetal homicide law for allegedly forcing one of the women to miscarry.
Gina DeJesus, 23, Michelle Knight, 32, and Amanda Berry, 27 were freed from Ariel Castro’s home in a rundown area of Cleveland in May.
The house will be torn down, it was revealed this week.
Also freed was a six-year-old girl who, according to DNA evidence, was fathered by Ariel Castro with Amanda Berry during her captivity.
A grand jury on July 17 added 648 charges to a previous indictment against Ariel Castro and an $8 million bond was put in place.
The indictment against Ariel Castro alleges he repeatedly restrained the women, sometimes chaining them to a pole in a basement, to a bedroom heater or inside a van.
It says one of the women tried to escape and he assaulted her with a vacuum cord around her neck.
Prince Harry has talked about his duties as an uncle to his new nephew Prince George, saying that he will “make sure he has fun”.
Prince Harry, 28, said that he had already cuddled the prince, who was born on Monday and has been named George Alexander Louis – Prince George of Cambridge.
He said it was “fantastic to have another addition to the family”, and that the newborn “was crying his eyes out” when he met him.
Prince George is third in line to the throne.
Prince Harry – who is now fourth in line to the throne – spoke while on a visit to a photographic exhibition in London documenting the work of his Africa-based charity Sentebale.
The charity helps children living in Lesotho who are orphaned by the country’s HIV/Aids epidemic.
Prince Harry has talked about his duties as an uncle to his new nephew Prince George
When asked what his mission was as an uncle he replied: “To make sure he has a good upbringing, and keep him out of harm’s way and to make sure he has fun.
“The rest I’ll leave to the parents.”
Prince George was born at 16:24 BST on Monday at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, where Prince William and Prince Harry were also born.
The prince joked: “I only hope my brother knows how expensive my babysitting charges are.”
And asked what his nephew was like he held up his hands and said: “Well he’s about that long and about that wide.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William left hospital with their son on Tuesday evening, staying overnight at Kensington Palace.
The Queen spent 30 minutes with her new great-grandson on Wednesday. At a reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, the monarch said she was “thrilled” at the arrival of her third great-grandchild.
Kate Middleton and Prince William left Kensington Palace shortly after the Queen’s visit and were driven to the home of the duchess’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
It had been expected that the couple would want to spend time at Middleton family home but it is not known how long they will stay.
Prince William has two weeks’ paternity leave before he is due back at work in Anglesey where he is an RAF search and rescue pilot.
Former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is being held over allegations of links with Palestinian militants Hamas and plotting attacks on jails in the 2011 uprising, it has been announced.
The ousted president is to be questioned for an initial 15-day period, a judiciary order said.
Mohamed Morsi has been held at an undisclosed location since his removal by the military on July 3.
The announcement comes as supporters and opponents of the deposed president prepare to stage mass rallies in Cairo.
The order issued on Friday is the first official statement on Mohamed Morsi’s judicial status since he was overthrown.
It says the former president is suspected of conspiring with Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and has strong links with Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, during the uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak.
The state-run Mena news agency says Mohamed Morsi is accused of colluding with the Palestinian group to storm police stations and jails, “setting fire to one prison and enabling inmates to flee, including himself, as well as premeditated killing of officers, soldiers and prisoners”.
Mohamed Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were freed during a breakout at a Cairo prison in January 2011.
Mohamed Morsi is being held over allegations of links with Palestinian militants Hamas and plotting attacks on jails in the 2011 uprising
A spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, Gehad el-Haddad, described the accusations as “ridiculous”. He told Reuters news agency that the order marked the return of the “old regime”.
The army has warned any attempt to use violence during mass rallies planned on Friday will be “dealt with decisively and with force”.
On Wednesday, army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on people to take to the streets to give the military a mandate to confront violence and “terrorism”.
Since Mohamed Morsi was ousted, dozens of people have died in clashes between supporters and opponents of the Islamist leader.
Militants have also staged deadly attacks in the Sinai peninsula.
The Tamarod movement that organized protests which preceded Mohamed Morsi’s removal has urged its supporters to take part in Friday’s rallies.
“We call on all of the great Egyptian people to gather in the squares on Friday to officially demand that Mohamed Morsi be put on trial and to support the Egyptian armed forces in its coming war on terrorism,” it said.
Some analysts say the military could be preparing to move against sit-ins by Morsi supporters, including one in front of the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in a Cairo suburb.
Mohamed Morsi narrowly won the presidential election in June 2012 to become Egypt’s first democratically elected president, but his opponents accused him of trying to impose an Islamist agenda on the country.
Interim President Adly Mansour has set out a “roadmap” towards a revision of the constitution introduced by Mohamed Morsi and for fresh elections in early 2014, but this has been rejected by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Hisham Qandil, who was prime minister under Mohamed Morsi proposed his own roadmap on Thursday, involving:
the release of those detained by the army since Mohamed Morsi’s removal
an independent investigation into the deaths of at least 51 people at the Presidential Guards HQ earlier this month
a delegation to be allowed to visit Mohamed Morsi to check on his health
a halt to protest marches, with both sides agreeing to hold rallies only in specific locations
There has been no official response to Hisham Qandil’s suggestions, and military spokesmen have previously given the Muslim Brotherhood a deadline of Saturday to join the official process.
Boyband One Direction has decided to capitalize on their female fans’ adulation by launching a cosmetics range in collaboration with high street beauty brand MUA.
One Direction has unveiled the “Little Things” beauty range, which will sell for pocket money prices.
One Direction has decided to capitalize on their female fans’ adulation by launching a cosmetics range in collaboration with high street beauty brand MUA
The range includes lipsticks, lip gloss, cheek tints and nail polish.
The Lip Polish products come in a different color and flavor for every band member and are available in Harry loves Strawberry, Zayn loves Watermelon, Louis loves Vanilla, Niall loves Cherry and Liam loves Blueberry.
Meanwhile, the “Kiss You” Lipstick range is named after their songs, with shades that include “Be Mine”, “Moments”, “I Wish”, “Rock Me” and “I Want”.
Last but not least, the boys have each put their face to a different shade of nail polish, with Harry Styles plumping for hot pink and Liam Payne choosing emerald green.
Lipsticks and lip polishes come decorated with autographs, while polish bottles come with plectrum charms featuring photographs of One Direction band members.
Fans have been tweeting about the range, and despite some initial skepticism, the reception has been generally warm.
Kate Middleton’s sapphire blue Issa dress worn for her engagement announcement in 2010 is a silk wrap design by Brazilian designer Daniella Helayel.
The dress was reproduced in the same shade and went on to sell out again and again on net-a-porter and in Harvey Nichols, as “copy-Kates” rushed out to emulate their style icon.
Now, a more purse-friendly version has been unveiled as the star piece in the brand’s new capsule collection for Banana Republic, which goes on sale next month.
The jersey dress is a tad shorter than the original sell-out version but still features a wrap waist and ruched detailing. It’s available in both navy and plum and another similar style features short sleeves and a deep V-neck.
When Kate Middleton wore the sapphire blue Issa dress for her engagement announcement in 2010, she sparked one of the first of many Kate fashion frenzies
The collaboration was first announced back in April 2013, almost two years after Camilla Al Fayed bought a majority stake in the company and one month before founder and designer Daniella Helayel left the brand following rumors that both sides were unhappy.
The 40 piece collection promises that Kate Middleton’s style “will soon be within reach” thanks to a limited edition range that includes plenty of Duchess inspired wrap dresses as well as light knits, tops and accessories.
Speaking about the project earlier this year Simon Kneen, Banana Republic’s creative director and executive vice president of design, told WWD: “We always love animal prints such as zebra and giraffe stripes.
“Issa took that and modernized it. I love that the collection is our world and their world.”
Brazilian designer Daniella Helayel left the company after nine years, saying in May: “The time has come for me to move on to focus on my art, travel and other interests.”
“Creating Issa has been one of the most rewarding things in my life. I may be leaving, but the Issa girl will live forever in my heart.”
Camilla Al Fayed, daughter of ex-Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed, remains the majority shareholder as she oversees the company’s global expansion.
Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, the driver of the Spanish train that derailed on Wednesday killing 78 people, has been formally detained, police say.
Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, who was injured and is under guard in hospital, is accused of “crimes related to the accident”, they say.
There are reports that the train was travelling at more than double the speed limit at the time of the crash.
Spain has declared three days of national mourning over the crash, one of its worst-ever rail disasters.
The police chief in the Galicia region, Jaime Iglesias, said on Friday that 52-year-old driver Francisco Jose Garzon Amo would be questioned “as a suspect for a crime linked to the cause of the accident”.
He added that Francisco Jose Garzon Amo could not yet testify because of his medical condition.
Police also put the confirmed number of deaths at 78 – down from 80 announced earlier.
Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, the driver of the Spanish train that derailed on Wednesday killing 78 people, has been formally detained
They said the difference arose because human remains had been wrongly identified in the initial stages.
At least 130 people were taken to hospital after the accident near the north-western city of Santiago de Compostela, and 95 are still being treated.
The 32 seriously injured include children. People from several nationalities are among the wounded, including five Americans and one Briton. One American was among the dead.
On Thursday junior transport minister Rafael Catala said early indications suggested the train had been going too fast.
The Madrid to Ferrol train’s data recording “black box” is now with the judge in charge of the investigation.
It is unclear whether anyone else is subject to investigation.
The president of railway firm Renfe, Julio Gomez Pomar, was quoted by El Mundo newspaper as saying the driver had 30 years of experience with the company and had been operating trains on the line for more than a year.
He said the train which derailed had no technical problems.
Renfe said the train came off the tracks about 3 or 4 km (2-2.5 miles) from Santiago de Compostela station at 20:41 local time on Wednesday.
It was on the express route between the capital, Madrid, and the port city of Ferrol on the Galician coast, with 218 passengers on board and four crew.
The derailment happened on the eve of Santiago de Compostela’s main annual festival where thousands of Christian pilgrims were expected to flock to the city in honor of St James.
Valeria Lukyanova has sparked international controversy by turning herself into a human doll using plastic surgery and thick layers of dramatic make-up, confessing she wishes to be considered “the most perfect woman on the internet”.
Ukraine’s Valeria Lukyanova, 23, believes she has become a living, breathing Barbie, something she sees as the ultimate embodiment of perfection.
Vice.com documentary-maker Will Fairman has gone behind the scenes with Valeria Lukyanova – who currently has 876,000 fans on her Facebook page – journeying to Ukraine to capture her idiosyncratic life on film.
Will Fairman negotiated coming to the Ukraine to film Valeria Lukyanova, despite the model being “a little bit skeptical” at first.
Valeria Lukyanova believes she is from another planet – possibly Venus, but she isn’t quite sure – so isn’t really human like the rest of us.
“She’s not a fraud,” clarified Will Fairman.
“She genuinely believes she’s from another planet. 100 per cent. She’s not making any money from her life – not even from the seminars she gives – which is originally why I thought she was doing this.”
Valeria Lukyanova has sparked international controversy by turning herself into a human doll using plastic surgery and thick layers of dramatic make-u
Valeria Lukyanova, who is supported by her construction-working husband who also acts as her manager, spends the film discussing theories about her pre-Earth space life, and how she has become an object of hatred within some internet communities.
“I come from a place where only love and joy exist,” she says.
“But I noticed the media is only interested in negativity: show someone in a bad light, show someone’s mistakes.
“There are hate blogs and communities about me who post bad pictures about me and try and worsen my mood.
“Perhaps at some point I was an energy vampire, because I constantly received their negative reactions and enjoyed it. Specifically for them I created posts that would make them angry.
“But people who think badly of me just aren’t happy in their own lives. When they are happy they will forget about me.”
Valeria Lukyanova, who says she has a “small group of friends who accept me for who I am”, also admits she has visited a psychiatrist about the voices in her head.
Describing how he found Valeria, Will Fairman added: “She’s kind of like the really pretty, popular girl at school who you’re completely blown away by.
“She’s like a little queen, and she carries herself like that all the time. She never breaks. It’s not like the camera turns off and she whips out a cigarette and gets into a tracksuit.
“She’s naturally like that: a girl who has been getting attention ever since she was a teenager and gets crazy attention wherever she is.
“And she is paranoid about not looking perfect. I don’t know exactly where it comes from, but I suspect really it’s down to… she seems to have a quite a lot of issues about her physical self, and is incredibly fixated with her image.
“She manages it down to the finest detail, which is why something so much as a missing belt can trigger a stroke.”
Researchers have uncovered the first evidence that blood pressure drugs, called ACE inhibitors, may actually boost brainpower, as doctors have long recognized that taking the drugs may slow the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Those with high blood pressure are more at risk of developing Alzheimer’s and similar diseases, but the study found their memory and thinking skills were protected by the drugs they were taking.
ACE inhibitors – whose names include ramipril, captopril and perindopril – have become increasingly popular in the past ten years, particularly for younger patients.
Researchers in Ireland and Canada investigated drugs which target a specific biochemical pathway called the renin angiotensin system – a hormone system which is thought to affect the development of Alzheimer’s.
The study compared the rate of cognitive decline in 361 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia (caused by problems in blood supply to the brain), or a mix of both. Of that group, 85 were already taking ACE inhibitors; the rest were not.
Doctors have long recognized that taking ACE inhibitors may slow the onset of Alzheimer’s
The researchers also analyzed the impact on 30 patients, with an average age of 77 years, who were taking the drugs for the first time.
They were assessed over six months, using the Standardized Mini Mental State Examination or the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment tests.
Those taking ACE inhibitors experienced marginally slower rates of cognitive decline than those who were not, found the study in the journal BMJ Open.
Meanwhile, the brainpower of those patients who had been newly prescribed ACE inhibitors actually improved, the experts from University College Cork in Ireland and McMaster University in Ontario, Canada found.
It is the first evidence to suggest these drugs may not only halt cognitive decline, but may actually improve brainpower.
The researchers said: “Although the differences were small and of uncertain clinical significance, if sustained over years, compounding effects may well have significant clinical benefits.”
They warn that ACE inhibitors are harmful to some patients, so if larger studies confirm they work well in dementia, it may be only certain people with high blood pressure who stand to benefit.
Previous studies have linked other forms of blood pressure medication with anti-dementia benefits.
Among the most widely used ACE inhibitors are perindopril (also known as Coversyl), ramipril (Tritace), captopril (Capoten), trandolapril (Gopten), fosinopril (Staril), lisinopril (Zestril and prinivil).
They work by stopping the body from creating the hormone angiotensin II. This has a variety of effects but essentially relaxes blood vessels and helps reduce the amount of water re-absorbed by the kidneys – helping decrease blood pressure.
King Juan Carlos of Spain has said all Spanish people feel the pain of the families of the 80 people killed in a high-speed train crash near Santiago de Compostela.
The king was speaking on a visit to the dozens of hospitalized survivors in Santiago de Compostela, near to where the train derailed on Wednesday night.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who hails from the city of the crash, declared three days of official mourning on Thursday.
One of the train drivers is under formal investigation, officials say.
The driver, named by Spanish media as Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, was slightly injured and will be questioned by police in hospital, the Galicia Supreme Court said in a statement.
Spain’s national train operator Renfe said it was too early to say what caused the train to derail. However, survivor accounts and media reports suggest the train was travelling at excessive speed as it hit a curve in the track.
Footage captured by a security camera shows the train crashing as it hurtled round a bend.
King Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia visited survivors and the families of victims at Santiago’s University Hospital on Thursday.
“All Spanish people join in the sorrow of the relatives of the deceased,” he said, praising what he called the spirit of citizenship shown by rescue workers and blood donors.
King Juan Carlos of Spain on a visit to the dozens of hospitalized survivors in Santiago de Compostela
PM Mariano Rajoy was at the scene of the crash on Thursday.
“For a native of Santiago like me, this is the saddest day,” he said.
At least 130 people were taken to hospital after the crash, and 94 are still being treated, health officials say.
Thirty-two people are seriously injured, including children.
People from several nationalities are among the wounded, including five Americans and one Briton. One American was among the dead.
The Madrid to Ferrol train’s data recording “black box” is now with the judge in charge of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the train’s carriages have been removed from the track by cranes and sent for analysis.
The president of railway firm Renfe, Julio Gomez Pomar, was quoted by El Mundo newspaper as saying the driver, who was aged 52, had 30 years of experience with the company and had been operating trains on this line for more than a year.
He said the train which derailed had no technical problems.
“The train had passed an inspection that same morning. Those trains are inspected every 7,500km… Its maintenance record was perfect,” he told Spanish radio.
But Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, who was trapped in the cab after the accident, is quoted as saying moments after the crash that the train had taken the curve at 190 km/h (120mph) despite a speed limit on that section of 80 km/h.
If this is the case, it remains to be seen whether a systems failure or driver error was the cause, correspondents say.
Spain has invested huge amounts of money in its rail network and has a relatively good safety record.
According to official figures, the crash is one of the worst rail disasters in Spanish history.
Renfe said the train came off the tracks a few kilometres before Santiago de Compostela station at 20:41 local time on Wednesday.
It was on the express route between the capital, Madrid, and the port city of Ferrol on the Galician coast, with 218 passengers on board – in addition to an unknown number of staff and crew.
Witnesses to the crash described seeing carriages “piled on top of one another” after the train hit a curve.
The derailment happened on the eve of Santiago de Compostela’s main annual festival where thousands of Christian pilgrims were expected to flock to the city in honor of St James.
The local tourism board cancelled all festivities as the city went into mourning.
Pope Francis has met thousands of pilgrims at Copacabana beach, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, to hold the greeting ceremony for World Youth Day.
After arriving by helicopter, Pope Francis drove along the 2.5 miles of the beach, stopping many times to greet the crowd.
An estimated 1 million pilgrims attended the event, following a papal visit to a shanty town, or favela.
Meanwhile, bad weather has forced this weekend’s events to be moved from a drenched farm on the outskirts of Rio.
A site set up at a farm on the western outskirts of the city for Saturday’s vigil and Sunday’s service, where up to 2 million people are expected, was covered with mud and puddles after two days of relentless rain.
The authorities have announced that these events will now also take place at Copacabana beach.
Hours before Pope Francis arrived at Copacabana on Thursday, young pilgrims started gathering along the beach.
“I’ve always heard that Cariocas [Rio-born people] did not like the cold or the rain. But you are showing your faith is stronger. Well done!” Pope Francis joked with the crowd at the start of his address.
Groups resembling Olympic delegation were holding up the flags of their countries and many were carrying the distinct World Youth Day backpacks in yellow, green or blue, the colors of the host-country’s flag.
Pope Francis has met thousands of pilgrims at Copacabana beach to hold the greeting ceremony for World Youth Day
Big screens were set up on the sand and the rain stopped before the event.
On the fourth day of his visit to Brazil, the first international trip of his papacy, Pope Francis also addressed Argentine faithful in Rio’s cathedral.
During the event, the pontiff told pilgrims to take to the streets and “stir things up”.
“I expect a messy World Youth Day. But I want things messy and stirred up in the congregations, I want you to take to the streets. I want the Church to take to the streets,” the Argentine-born pope told the crowd.
Before the meeting with his fellow countrymen, Pope Francis blessed the new altar at a tiny church and hugged and kissed locals who crowded the Varginha community streets.
Security was tight in the shanty town, which is part of the larger Manguinhos favela, one of the many hillside shanty towns which surround Rio.
Helicopters and sharpshooters were on patrol as Pope Francis visited the area while school children waved flags and held up balloons.
The Brazilian government has made the “pacification” of these communities, once a byword for poverty, crime and drugs, one of its priorities.
Heavily-armed police have moved into some of the more lawless favelas, including Varginha, to “flush out” the criminals and drug dealers who controlled large swathes of these communities.
According to official estimates, more than 20% of the population of the city live in favelas.
Pope Francis, who has called for a “Church of the poor” and who during his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires regularly visited some of the poorest areas of that city, specifically asked for a favela to be included in his schedule.
Locals say the government’s policy of sending large numbers of police to the area has gone some way towards calming the area, but not enough.
The visit comes just a day after Pope Francis said it was key to tackle the roots of drug abuse rather than consider legalizing them.
At a Mass at the shrine of Aparecida, the Pope also warned tens of thousands of faithful against the “passing idols” of money, power and pleasure.
B29, a juror in the trial of George Zimmerman, who killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, has come forward to say he “got away with murder”.
But the 36-year-old, named as Maddy in an ABC News’ Good Morning America interview, said they could not find him guilty based on the law.
The only non-white member of the six-woman jury, Maddy suggested the trial had been little more than a sham.
Florida neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman was cleared after shooting dead 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012.
There were nationwide protests following his acquittal of murder and manslaughter charges earlier this month. George Zimmerman claimed self-defense.
Maddy, a nursing assistant and a mother of eight who had recently moved from Illinois to Florida, said she feels she owes an apology to Trayvon Martin’s parents.
Juror B29 has come forward to say George Zimmerman got away with murder
“I felt like I let a lot of people down, and I’m thinking to myself, <<Did I go the right way? Did I go the wrong way?>>” she told Good Morning America programme.
But she said that based on instructions from the judge, she could not convict George Zimmerman under Florida law.
“That’s where I felt confused, where if a person kills someone, then you get charged for it,” Maddy said.
“But as the law was read to me, if you have no proof that he killed him intentionally, you can’t say he’s guilty.”
Known as Juror B29, she said she initially voted to convict 29-year-old George Zimmerman of second-degree murder, but changed her mind after nine hours of discussing evidence on the second day of deliberations.
“I was the juror that was going to give them the hung jury,” she said.
“I fought to the end.”
Maddy, who is of Puerto Rican background, said the trial was “a publicity stunt”, because she believes Florida laws provided no opportunity to convict. But she said George Zimmerman will still be judged.
“George Zimmerman got away with murder, but you can’t get away from God. And at the end of the day, he’s going to have a lot of questions and answers he has to deal with.”
Earlier this month, another juror – known only as B37 – told broadcaster CNN that she believed George Zimmerman had good intentions, but events “just went terribly wrong”.
Anthony Weiner’s online mistress Sydney Leathers, the political wannabe at the center of the mayoral candidate’s latest texting scandal, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and appeared before Vanderburgh Superior Court, Indiana, in 2008.
Sydney Leathers, 23, had dropped out of Mt Carmel High School without graduating the previous summer.
And until just three months ago, Sydney Leathers was being pursued through the small claims court for close to $2,000 in unpaid medical fees in a case that lasted two years.
In an interview with Inside Edition, Sydney Leathers revealed Anthony Weiner told her he loved her and claims he even consulted her before deciding to run for mayor.
Sydney Leathers revealed Anthony Weiner told her he loved her and claims he even consulted her before deciding to run for mayor
“You told Anthony Weiner that you loved him?” Sydney Leathers was asked, according to a statement from Inside Edition.
“Yes,” she said.
“Did he tell you he loved you?”
“Yes,” she replied, adding that she was embarrassed by the whole thing.
“I feel embarrassed. I wish I could go back and change it but I know that I can’t so I just have to live with it. It’s embarrassing but it was how I felt at the time, and how he felt at the time,” Sydney Leathers said.
Sydney Leathers also started crying as she apologized for the hurt she has caused to Anthony Weiner’s wife Huma Abedin.
The revelation came as high school friends of Sydney Leathers described her as someone who was always desperate for fame just as it emerged she had got herself an agent and was hoping to make $100,000 by selling her story.
Sydney Leathers hoped Anthony Weiner would be her ticket out of “Conservative Hell” Indiana and alleges he promised to put her up in a condo in Chicago and a possible job at Politico.
She lives with her machinist father in Princeton and had a difficult relationship with her thrice-married mother since they split six years ago, it also emerged today.
Sydney Leathers’ mother Laura only learned about her daughter’s involvement with Anthony Weiner when the story broke nationally and are said to be still trying to absorb the shock.
On Wednesday, Laura Leathers blasted Anthony Weiner and his run for office.
“I have nothing to say except God help New York if he gets to be mayor. You can print that,” she told the New York Daily News.
It also emerged yesterday that Anthony Weiner and Sydney Leathers’ online relationship started when she emailed him in 2011.
Anthony Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, was aware of her husband’s most recent indiscretions months before he decided to run for New York City mayor, her friends have revealed.
When 23-year-old Sydney Leathers released messages on Tuesday that showed Anthony Weiner continued his inappropriate online relationships well beyond his 2011 resignation from Congress, all eyes were turned to Huma Abedin to see if she knew.
Huma Abedin stood by her man – though looking nervous and uncomfortable while doing so – and declared that she was aware of his behavior and they decided a mayoral run was right for the family.
Her friends have now spoken out saying that she was devastated when she originally learned about his relapse but she has had months to come to terms with the news.
“When she found out, she was furious. She was furious, and she thought long and hard about leaving, and ultimately decided what was best for her and her son and her family was to continue to try to work through it,” unidentified friends told The Wall Street Journal.
They added that it was her decision to attend and speak at the press conference on Tuesday, and Huma Abedin did not make that choice under any pressure from her husband or his campaign.
Huma Abedin has taken a number of tactical steps during the campaign, as she made a conscious choice to speak to People Magazine alongside Anthony Weiner and their son Jordan in June 2012.
She also has been on the campaign trail with Anthony Weiner, appearing in his official launch video and attending events at his side.
An essay Huma Abedin wrote about their difficult journey over the past two years is scheduled to appear in next month’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar, timed so that the publication coincides with the Democratic primary on September 10.
Huma Abedin herself marked the biggest difference between Anthony Weiner’s two devastating press conferences – the first when he resigned in 2011 following the accidental release of a photo on his Twitter account, and then the press conference on Tuesday.
In 2011, a then-pregnant Huma Abedin was lauded for choosing not to stand next to her disgraced, weepy husband though he said that they decided to work on their marriage.
Anthony Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, was aware of her husband’s most recent indiscretions months before he decided to run for New York City mayor
But now, following her press conference debut, immediate comparisons were drawn between she and Silda Spitzer, who served as the inspiration for CBS’s hit show The Good Wife following her decision to stand next to the former Governor when he admitted to using prostitutes.
“She’s not the <<good wife>>. If she had found out yesterday she wouldn’t have been standing there,” her friends told the Wall Street Journal.
“She knew it was going to be a long and tough time, and she knew he hadn’t hit rock bottom.”
In her statement on Tuesday, Huma Abedin was clear to mention that they have gone through “a whole lot of therapy” to get to the point where they are now, and other friends believe she sees his relapse as part of the healing process.
“She’s not fine and she’s not in good spirits. No one‘s fine when they go through this. But the emotional part of this was last fall,” and unidentified confidante told The New York Daily News.
“I assume [she stayed] because he was trying to beat this, and knew that’s part of the process.”
Aside from her appearance at Tuesday’s press conference, Huma Abedin has reverted to her low-profile ways, holing up in the couple’s Manhattan apartment on Wednesday with a brief escape when she went into an awaiting car.
No official statements or plans have been released but insiders expect Huma Abedin will keep a lower profile moving forward in the campaign.
Huma Abedin’s decision to stay with Anthony Weiner after the first revelations in 2011 was largely accepted by the public, under the assumption that he stopped communicating other woman and focusing on their marriage.
“I tell my friends things that Anthony does and they’re always like, <<Really? He does that?! My husband doesn’t do that>>. I mean, I have not washed a single piece of clothing ever. Anthony does all our laundry. I have not been to our dry cleaner. He does that. He makes my tea when I get up in the morning. He’s just a loving, caring, thoughtful spouse and partner,” she told People in late June 2012.
Now his messages with Sydney Leather prove that he struck up a new virtual romance less than two weeks later.
“I have no way of knowing whether Huma, for whom I have great respect, is responding out of new motherhood, the Stockholm syndrome or a mystery,” women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem told The New York Times.
A number of commentators have linked her behavior – or her “Post Scandal Playbook” – come straight from the pages of her mentor and longtime boss Hillary Clinton. Huma Abedin is the former Secretary of States’ top aide and has worked with her since 1996 when she was First Lady.
Though the Clintons have said from the beginning of the mayoral race that they will not be endorsing any candidate – citing their close ties to many from when Hillary Clinton was the Senator of New York – Huma Abedin has used her connections to help bring in big money donors for her husband.
“Her loyalty is to Hillary Clinton and her role model is Hillary Clinton. Doormats. Doormats with the promise of a payoff later down the road,” conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said.
The criticism is not only coming from the right, though the Democrats are tending to focus on Anthony Weiner rather than Huma Abedin.
Minority leader Nancy Pelosi, who was one of the most vocal voices calling for Anthony Weiner’s resignation in 2011, today told NBC’s Luke Russert that his recent conduct is “reprehensible, disrespectful of women”.
Congressman Charles Rangel, who has been the Democratic representative for Harlem for over 40 years, echoed those sentiments on MSNBC Wednesday morning.
“Nobody that I know understands at all what Anthony Weiner was thinking about. And right now, I think you would agree that we all are concerned about his wife. She’s a brave lady,” Congressman Rangel told MSNBC on Wednesday.
“I have seen a lot of things like this in politics where males have to lean on their wives for support, but I don’t ever recall seeing a wife looking and feeling so sad and embarrassed, because Huma is a very private person, a very delicate, sophisticated person. And all the years that I’ve known her, putting her into this political situation, as bright and as intelligent as she is, is very awkward.”
New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has admitted that he started three different virtual relationships with women after he resigned from Congress following his Twitter messages scandal in 2011.
Disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner held a press conference on Thursday afternoon where he disclosed an approximate break down of his texting timeline, just hours after the latest poll revealed he has lost his front-runner lead in the New York City mayoral race.
New York Magazine reports that at a press conference on Thursday, Anthony Weiner said “it’s six to ten [women] I suppose” as the total number of women he has had virtual relationships with in his lifetime.
When asked to clarify how many of those relationships started after he resigned from Congress in June 2011, he said: “I don’t believe more than three.”
The renewed discussion about Anthony Weiner scandal comes after one of the women, Sydney Leathers, came forward on Tuesday sharing the illicit chats and photos that they shared one year after he resigned.
Today has not been good in terms of any numbers for Anthony Weiner, as the first poll since Sydney Leathers revelation shows that he has been bumped out of the lead in the mayoral race.
His drop in the polls comes as Anthony Weiner confirmed he had virtual relationships with three women after his 2011 resignation from Congress and between six and ten similar situations prior to leaving office.
The first poll conducted after his relationship with then-22-year-old Sydney Leather was revealed just came out Thursday afternoon and has City Council Speaker Christine Quinn leading with 25% of the Democratic vote.
Anthony Weiner comes in second place with only 16% – down from his earlier 26% lead from a different poll that measured the public’s thinking the week preceding the Tuesday revelations.
“These new revelations have cost Anthony Weiner the lead in the Democratic field,” director of Marist College polling Lee Miringoff told The Wall Street Journal, which co-sponsored the poll.
In addition to taking away his lead, the release of photos and chats have driven up his unfavorability rating, bringing him up to an “all-time high” of 55%.
By comparison, his unfavorables were only at 36% in June.
This latest survey took place entirely on Wednesday, the day after the former Barack Obama campaign worker shared her illicit chats and photos of Anthony Weiner with gossip site The Dirty.
Later that same day, the disgraced congressman and his wife Huma Abedin held a joint press conference declaring their dedication to both one another and the campaign.
The Wall Street Journal/Marist poll suggests that there is a good number of New Yorkers who agree with that decision.
Of the 1,199 people surveyed, 47% of registered Democrats said he should stay in the race – which is the same number who believe he deserves a second chance.
That percentage of the electorate is just slightly bigger than the 43% who said he should drop out. And 45% of New York Democrats believe he does not have the character to be mayor of the country’s largest city.
Prior to this afternoon’s poll, things were still looking positive for Anthony Weiner.
The latest poll Quinnipiac University poll reveals that during the week leading up to the Sydney Leather scandal, Anthony Weiner came out on top with 26% of the Democratic vote, with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn following with 22% and former comptroller Bill Thompson with 20%.
The poll may not carry the same weight now, however, as it weighed the opinions of voters between July 18 and July 23, and Anthony Weiner’s messages to Sydney Leather were only made public on the 23rd.
Antony Weiner sent an email to supporters on Wednesday, just hours after he and his wife Huma Abedin gave a joint press conference about the messages and photos, where he said that the bid for New York City’s mayor was “too important” to give up over “embarrassing personal things”.
Anthony Weiner came in second place in latest NY mayoral poll conducted after the latest chat messages were revealed
Rivals, newspaper editorial pages and former New York congressional colleagues urged the Democrat to quit after he acknowledged exchanging raunchy messages and photos online after he had resigned from Congress for similar behavior.
Jerrold Nadler, Democratic representative for New York’s 10th congressional district, said: “I think he should pull out of the race. I think he needs serious psychiatric help.”
Nydia Velázquez, who was also Anthony Weiner’s colleague back when he was a Democratic representative for the city, said his antics were a “total distraction” from the real issues the mayoral campaign should be debating.
The latest scandal erupted on Tuesday after the gossip website The Dirty posted messages and photos it said Anthony Weiner exchanged with a woman last year while using the online alias “Carlos Danger”.
The New York Times cited his “marital troubles and personal compulsions’ as reasons for the 48-year-old Democrat to leave the race while The Wall Street Journal claimed he should be forced out “simply because of what he’s forced his wife to endure”.
“The serially evasive Mr. Weiner should take his marital troubles and personal compulsions out of the public eye and the mayoral race,” the Times wrote.
The Daily News declared Anthony Weiner to be “lacking the dignity and discipline that New York deserves in a mayor”, and said “his demons have no place in City Hall”.
At least three of his mayoral rivals, Bill de Blasio and Sal Albanese, both Democrats, and billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis, a Republican, said he should drop out.
“Anthony’s presence in this race has become a never-ending sideshow that is distracting us from the debate of the serious issues of this election,” Bill de Blasio said.
Anthony Weiner’s strongest rivals in the polls, Christine Quinn and Bill Thompson, criticized him but didn’t directly call on him to quit.
Bill Thompson said on WNYC-AM that Anthony Weiner should “think about the people of this city and make the right decision”, while Christine Quinn said at a news conference that it is up to Weiner and his family to decide whether he should end his run, but New Yorkers “need a mayor whose is sole focus isn’t self-aggrandizement”.
Anthony Weiner already made it clear that criticisms from the crowded field of competitors, though he did not pay it much mind, saying at the Tuesday press conference: “I’m sure many of my opponents would like me to drop out of the race.”
Democratic strategists in New York and Washington, where Anthony Weiner served seven terms before resigning in 2011, said there are few external means of pressuring Weiner to drop out.
Anthony Weiner has nearly $5 million to spend on the campaign, allowing him to mount a vigorous defense on television.
He is not particularly close to his colleagues in the congressional delegation, the strategists said, so he might be unmoved if they urge him to exit the race.
The public does not appear to be taking his decision to stay in the race much better, as he was greeted with boos as he took the stage to speak at a public housing meeting on Wednesday evening. That said, the crowd were cheering by the end of his speech.
Speaking afterwards he said: “I thought these things would come out by the end of the campaign, and some of them have. Look, I am pressing forward, running a campaign about the issues, and I’m getting a good response.”
Much of the attention at his Tuesday press conference went directly to his wife Huma Abedin, who made a purposeful statement in 2011 when she did not attend his resignation speech following the first Twitter scandal.
Huma Abedin, an advisor to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, reaffirmed her love and support for her husband and said the matter was “between us”.
Anthony Weiner has emphasized that he said when launching his campaign that more messages might emerge. But until Tuesday, he never said directly that some were sent as recently as last year.
“I regret not saying explicitly when these exchanges happened,” he told supporters in an email on Wednesday.
British scientists have discovered how allergic reactions to cats are triggered, raising hopes of preventative medicine.
A University of Cambridge team has identified how the body’s immune system detects cat allergen, leading to symptoms such as coughing and sneezing.
New treatments to block this pathway raise hopes of developing medicines to protect sufferers, they say.
British scientists have discovered how allergic reactions to cats are triggered, raising hopes of preventative medicine
Researchers led by Dr. Clare Bryant of the University of Cambridge studied proteins found in particles of cat skin, known as cat dander, which is the most common cause of cat allergy.
They found that cat allergen activates a specific pathway in the body, once in the presence of a common bacterial toxin.
This triggers a large immune response in allergy sufferers, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, sneezing and a runny nose.
Dr. Clare Bryant said: “We’ve discovered how the cat allergy proteins activate the host immune cells.
“By understanding the triggering mechanism, there are now drugs that have been designed that are in clinical trials for other conditions, such as sepsis, that could potentially then be used in a different way to treat cat allergy and to prevent cat allergy.”
Allergic reactions happen when the immune system overreacts to a perceived danger.
Instead of responding to a harmful virus or bacteria, it misidentifies allergens, such as cat dander, and mounts an immune response.
The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council.
