Dita Von Teese recently admitted that the number of beauty products that she uses regularly goes in to the hundreds.
Dancer Dita Von Teese, born Heather Renée Sweet in Rochester, Michigan, has admitted she is such a beauty junkie that she couldn’t live without any of the multiple cosmetics and haircare products which she uses to achieve her glamorous retro look.
Asked what her three must-have items are, Dita Von Teese giggled: “Three? Oh my god, it’s more like 300! If you only knew, I have a lot of things that I absolutely can’t do without.
“Even for my shows, I do everything by myself, from make-up to choosing my own outfits.”
However, Dita Von Teese, 40, believes make-up can only go so far and the only way to exude s** appeal is to have confidence in yourself.
She explained: “For me, s** appeal is a very individual thing, it’s about finding yourself above all and mostly about having self-confidence. We have to find what suits us and makes us feel good.
“It’s all about being s**y, it’s nothing to do with what people think – on the contrary. It’s completely psychological.
“I love the process of getting ready, both in terms of hair as well as make-up. With only three things, I’d have a lot of trouble getting ready!”
Dita Von Teese admitted that the number of beauty products that she uses regularly goes in to the hundreds
Two years ago Dita Von Teese told the New York Times Style magazine that she uses Just For Men hair dye to achieve raven eyebrows, and also that perfect skin hasn’t come easy.
She spoke about how she visited several doctors in a bit to cure her rosacea, revealing: “I was told by a big name dermatologist, <<this is your life now>>, because he couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it.
“A million creams later, I went to a real skin doctor in Orange County. He prescribed a pill and one lotion, and boom, it was gone.”
Creme de la Mer is her choice of face cream – “it’s pricey, but so worth it”.
Her favorite beauty products include Dior Capture Totale foundation, MAC Mineralize face powder, Dior Dolce Vita lipstick, Guerlain Divinora liquid eyeliner and Dior Show mascara.
Dita Von Teese’s top tip for feeling good is adorning herself in a tasteful amount of jewels, and she especially loves rubies because they are so “sensual”.
She explained in an interview with French fashion website Pure Trend: “It’s true that I like jewellery, but I wear just the right amount to emphasize the statement piece I choose. I like diamonds but my real favorite has always been rubies.
“At the moment for instance, I’m wearing ruby earrings. I love touching them, playing with them, it’s a very sensual stone.”
Dita Von Teese has also said she relies on pink lights and a dimmer switch to banish cellulite, citing “it’s the only thing that works”.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart split became official when he moved his belongings out of the home he shared with the actress last week.
And while it has already been claimed Robert Pattinson’s friendship with singer Katy Perry was one of the reasons behind the doomed romance, it would seem there could be another leading lady who has also come between the couple.
RadarOnline reports the 27-year-old hunk’s close friendship with British playwright Polly Stenham was a “potential cause” for the Twilight co-stars’ sudden split.
And now a cozy Instagram picture of the pair has emerged, showing 26-year-old Polly Stenham with her arm draped around Robert Pattinson and another pal as they enjoyed a night out in New York City.
It is thought the arty black and white snap was taken in early May when Robert Pattinson and Polly Stenham enjoyed a night of partying together shortly before his shock split from Kristen Stewart.
Posted on Instagram by the star’s musician friend Matthew Daniel Siskin, known as Gambles, the undated picture was soon deleted from the social networking site.
Alongside the snap, it said: “Missing the New York crew.”
Polly Stenham with her arm draped around Robert Pattinson and another pal as they enjoyed a night out in New York City
And it has now been speculated that Polly Stenham was the mystery blonde the actor was spotted enjoying an intimate dinner with at Gemma in the Bowery Hotel on May 3.
A source told HollywoodLife.com at the time: “They seemed like old-time friends.”
However, it has also been claimed that Robert Pattinson’s close friendship with singer Katy Perry was one of the contributing factors to the split.
After weathering the storm of her s** scandal with Rupert Sanders last year, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson reportedly broke up for good earlier this month when he reportedly found text messages from her to the Snow White and The Huntsman director and became upset that they were still in contact.
A source told Life & Style magazine: “Katy never really supported Rob’s decision to get back with Kristen. She always said they wouldn’t last.
“Katy told Rob she didn’t think their relationship could withstand the cheating scandal. And he deserved better than someone who would destroy a family [like Rupert’s].”
A large moving truck picked up the last of Robert Pattinson’s belongings from the former couple’s home in Los Feliz, California, on Thursday.
Robert Pattinson initially struggled to cope with Kristen Stewart’s “momentary indiscretion” with married director Rupert Sanders, with friends revealing their relationship was strained for months after the fling.
A source previously said: “After everything that happened and the hurt she caused, he’s furious she’d be back in touch with him, even if she is saying it’s completely innocent. It does look like this it’s over for good. He simply can’t trust her.”
Beyonce’s newly unearthed High School photos prove that she had a flawless smile and impeccable hair long before she was famous.
Beyonce, now 31, the musical megastar attended Welch Middle School in Houston, Texas, where her 13-year-old self was captured for prosperity in the 8th grade year book.
In the black and white photo that looks like it could be from a professional shoot, Beyonce beams to the camera confidently as her signature long hair is knotted on the top of her head and tumbles down over her shoulders.
Beyonce began dancing in elementary school, but when her dance teacher realized that she could hit all the high notes to a tune, she began tapping into that hidden talent instead.
By the age of 8 she was already auditioning with an all-girl entertainment group with childhood friend – and future star – Kelly Rowland, called Girl’s Thyme.
A spot on Star Search, the biggest entertainment talent show in America at the time, failed to win the band a victory however, and it would be a few more years before fame came knocking on their doors.
In the meantime, Beyonce Knowles enrolled in the Houston School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and her freshman yearbook photo from 1996 reveals her ever-blossoming beauty and innate style.
With her hair now silky smooth and straight, Beyonce still had her polished smile and unblemished image.
Unlike most high school kids who are tortured by bad skin, breakouts or braces, the Dreamgirls star appeared to be camera-ready at all times.
Wearing a pinafore dress with a long-sleeved white jumper underneath, her taste in fashion was certainly a lot more conservative than the outfits that fans are now used to her wearing.
While still a school girl, the future pop star was working hard on her path to stardom thanks to the encouragement of her father, Matthew, and mother, Tina, who designed all her costumes.
Beyonce’s newly unearthed High School photos
By 1996 when her high school year book photo was shot, the group (who had changed their name to Destiny’s Child) won a contract with Columbia Records and began recording their first album under an agreement with Sony Music.
According to reports, Beyonce never actually got her high school diploma because she dropped out before graduation to tour with the girls’ group.
In 1997, the band released their debut major label song called Killing Time, which was featured on the Men In Black soundtrack, and went on to have huge hits including Jumpin’ Jumpin’ and Say My Name.
Since then Beyonce has catapulted to worldwide fame and global domination with huge hits such as Irreplaceable and the 2010 Grammy winning Song of the Year, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).
Every heroine needs a sidekick, and with husband of five years, Jay-Z, by her side, Beyonce has gone from strength to strength.
The power couple welcomed daughter Blue Ivy Carter in January 2012, and recently tell-tale signs have sparked rumors that they are expecting their second child.
“I would like more children. I think my daughter needs company. I definitely love being a big sister and at some point when it’s supposed to happen,” Beyonce told Good Morning America on May 6, while keeping mum about whether she was expecting again or not.
“My biggest job in the world is to protect my daughter and I am very protective. I just want to make sure that she can have a healthy, safe, normal life.
“I feel really, really just lucky that I can still do what I love and now have a way bigger meaning, and that’s to be her mother.”
Beyonce – who is the voice of Queen Tara in the upcoming animated film, Epic – is currently globe-trotting on The Mrs. Carter World Tour.
During a performance in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Monday night she got a bum-slapping surprise in the middle of a sing-a-long for Irreplaceable as a fan outstretched his arm out to touch her bottom!
In video footage capturing the moment, Beyonce is seen turning around and looking shocked as the crowd gasp at the man’s action, before she threatens to have him thrown out of the concert.
Looking directly at the slapper, she can be heard saying: “I will have you escorted out right now, alright?”
The next stop on the European leg of her tour is Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday, before Beyonce moves on to Stockholm, Sweden, and then Antwerp in Belgium on Friday – where hopefully none of the audience will overstep respectful boundaries.
Earlier this month, Beyonce fueled the second pregnancy speculation when she had to cancel a gig at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis due to “dehydration” and “exhaustion”, after which she promised fans she would make it up to them by returning and putting on a great show.
For once heavily pregnant Kim Kardashian relaxed her ever-glamorous style as she headed out for a quiet dinner with friends on Sunday night.
With her face clear of any make-up and her unwashed hair tied up in a messy topknot, Kim Kardashian, 32, certainly wasn’t dressed to impress.
Despite admitting she has struggled to cope with the changes pregnancy has brought to her body, Kim Kardashian has insisted on keeping up with her usual style as her body has changed.
But as the reality star left the exclusive Dan Tana restaurant in West Hollywood on Sunday night she appeared to have finally bent her self-inflicted rules.
In place of the sky-high heels Kim Kardashian normally favors, she wore a simple pair of black flip flops.
Kim Kardashian posted a series of the glamorous images online
And her bump was neatly dressed in a plain black dress, teamed with a fashionable denim jacket.
Kim Kardashian has complained about her “pregnancy lips”, saying they have grown ever more bloated as the months have gone on.
And even without a touch of make-up, they were certainly noticeable on her night out.
As she left the restaurant Kim Kardashian was for once less than thrilled to be spotted by the paparazzi.
The reality star hid behind her black leather handbag as she slipped in the car and headed home.
On Monday morning it was back to her normal self as Kim Kardashian slapped on lashings of makeup for a photoshoot.
“Getting ready for my close up,” Kim Kardashian tweeted, as she posted a series of the glamorous images online.
NFL star Mario Williams, who is suing his ex-fiancée Erin Marzouki to get back a $785,000 10-carat diamond engagement ring, actually sent her texts saying she could keep it, according to her lawyer.
Mario Jerrel Williams, 28, defensive end for the Buffalo Bills worth over $30 million with a $100 million contract, is suing Erin Marzouki for the return of the ring after their relationship turned sour.
Erin Marzouki, 31, who is counter suing to keep the ring levied accusations through her lawyer that Mario Williams lied in his lawsuit and repeatedly told her to keep the gift.
Her attorney, high profile Texas lawyer Anthony Buzbee, released a series of text messages this week that make it seem as if Mario Williams has in fact urged Erin Marzouki to keep the ring, contrary the allegations filed in his lawsuit, according a report from Ultimate Texans.
In the messages Mario Williams writes: “Keep those material things. It means nothing to me anymore,” later adding: “KEEP IT! Remember me by it.”
Anthony Buzbee described Mario Williams actions as emotionally unstable and said the football player is confused as to whether he wants to be married or single.
The lawyer also introduced into evidence an email written by Mario Williams earlier this year that asks Erin Marzouki to reconcile.
“I just want to verbally discuss and answer things knowing you have closed the door,” Mario Williams wrote.
“I still can’t say one thing bad about you that sticks.”
Mario Williams is suing his ex-fiancée Erin Marzouki to get back a $785,000 10-carat diamond engagement ring
Despite the new evidence coming to light Mario Williams vehemently denies the allegations, saying that the messages were taken out of context.
“Obviously it’s just a tactic to cover up the point of the whole thing,” Mario Williams told the website.
“It is what it is. I could really care less. All it is (is) allegations and text messages and what not, whatever information blown out of proportion. I mean, it’s completely out of context.”
Yet in another message released by Anthony Buzbee, Mario Williams was allegedly more explicit in his desire to give Erin Marzouki the ring.
“She said she was going to keep the ring n told her fine. I put down using material things as leverage long ago. She is free to be n do as she wants,” Mario Williams wrote.
In his lawsuit Mario Williams claims that Erin Marzouki ended the couple’s engagement after a year because she “never intended to marry and used the relationship as a means to get money and acquire gifts”, according to the court documents.
In response to the charges Erin Marzouki has filed a counter suit to what she calls her ex-fiancé Mario Williams’ “silly” accusations and doesn’t intend to give back the ring because it was given to her as an unconditional gift.
Erin Marzouki says Mario Williams was the one who broke off the engagement because part of him “wanted to be married and start a family, while another part wanted to continue to live the life of a wealthy bachelor who could do whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted”.
Mario Williams’ lawyers have asked the court to obtain the ring from Erin Marzouki until the legal action is resolved.
Mario Williams was the first selection in the 2006 NFL draft by the Texans and played in Houston through the 2011 season.
Although by regular standards the ring is a fortune, it is pocket change to Mario Williams who last year signed one of the most lucrative contracts for a defensive player in NFL history: a six-year, $100 million with the Buffalo Bills with $50 million in cash guaranteed.
Chinese firefighters have rescued a newborn baby boy lodged inside a sewage pipe leading off a toilet.
Residents of an apartment building in Jinhua city, Zhejiang province, eastern China, called rescuers on Saturday after they heard the infant’s cries.
Rescuers tried to pull the baby out of the pipe but failed and ended up sawing through a section of the pipe instead.
They took the pipe to hospital, where it was carefully pulled apart to release the infant.
The baby, thought to be just a few days old, was found inside a pipe 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, the China Daily newspaper said.
Footage from state television showed firefighters and doctors working together using pliers to cut the pipe apart to get to the baby.
The baby is now in stable condition, reports say.
The infant was named Baby No 59 – after the number of his hospital incubator, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Chinese firefighters have rescued a newborn baby boy lodged inside a sewage pipe leading off a toilet
A number of visitors had arrived at the hospital with contributions of nappies, baby clothes and powdered milk, it added.
Meanwhile, a police officer in Jinhua told Agence France-Presse that the baby’s unmarried mother had hidden her pregnancy.
The baby fell into the toilet after she unexpectedly gave birth, the officer said.
“The woman was on the scene during the entire rescue process… and admitted [she was the mother] when we asked her,” he told AFP.
He said police were still investigating whether “she had any malicious intentions” before deciding if charges should be filed. There was still no information on the baby’s father, he said.
The case generated condemnation on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
“The parents who did this have hearts even filthier than that sewage pipe,” one user was quoted by Reuters as saying.
“Can these people be called human beings?” another user quoted by AFP said.
China has strict family planning rules, with the one-child policy in place for more than three decades. Although there are a number of exceptions, couples can face fines if they violate the policy.
There have also been cases of babies born outside marriage being abandoned, or female newborns abandoned because of a traditional preference for sons.
Adele’s stylist has spilled the secrets to her sartorial success, revealing hold-in underwear is the key to the star’s confidence.
Speaking in an interview with theSunday Mirror, Gaelle Paul said: “She always wears Spanx on the red carpet. Good underwear is really important, it smoothes you out.”
Adele, who welcomed son Angelo into the world in October 2012, certainly isn’t lacking in the confidence stakes, with Gaelle Paul explaining the Londoner doesn’t suffer from the same “insecurities” which plague other stars.
The Los Angeles-based fashionista added: “Adele is really OK with how she looks. I don’t think she ever lacked confidence. She doesn’t have that insecurity that a lot of other people I dress have.”
However, it doesn’t look as though Adele will be stepping away from her love of black anytime soon.
Adele’s stylist has spilled the secrets to her sartorial success, revealing hold-in underwear is the key to the star’s confidence
Gaelle Paul explained: “Adele always wants to wear black because she loves Johnny Cash and he wore black. She also loves June Carter Cash because she and Johnny were so much in love and they had this wonderful marriage.
“Sometimes she’ll look at herself in the mirror and say, <<Oh I look like her, Gaelle!>>.”
Adele, 25, has previously explained she refuses to be worn down by pressure to be thin, and would rather enjoy her life than worry too much about what she looks like.
The singer said: “I’ve seen people where it rules their lives, who want to be thinner or have bigger b**bs, and how it wears them down. And I don’t want that in my life.
“I have insecurities, of course, but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out to me.
“My life is full of drama and I won’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like. I don’t like going to the gym. I like eating fine foods and drinking nice wine.”
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr says a report alleging Chinese hackers stole plans for Australia’s new intelligence hub will not hit ties with Beijing.
On Monday the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported blueprints setting out the building’s cable layouts and security systems had been illegally accessed by a server in China.
Bob Carr did not comment directly on the claims.
But he said the government was “very alive” to cyber security threats.
“I won’t comment on whether the Chinese have done what is being alleged or not,” he said.
“I won’t comment on matters of intelligence and security for the obvious reason: we don’t want to share with the world and potential aggressors what we know about what they might be doing, and how they might be doing it.”
Bob Carr said the ABC report had “no implications” for a strategic partnership.
“We have enormous areas of co-operation with China,” he said.
The claims were made in a report on Chinese cyber-espionage by ABC’s Four Corners investigative programme on Monday night.
Chinese hackers stole plans for Australia’s new intelligence hub
The programme alleged that blueprints to the new intelligence headquarters in Canberra – due to be finished last year but delayed – were stolen in a cyber attack on a contractor that was traced to a server in China.
The plans detailed communications cabling and server locations, floor plans and security systems, the programme alleged.
It quoted Professor Des Ball, an expert on cyber security from the Australian National University, as saying access to such details would enable an outside party to identify rooms used for sensitive activities and work out how to monitor them.
The programme also alleged that the Prime Minster’s Office, the Defence Ministry and the Department of Foreign Affairs had been breached in hacking operations.
Four Corners did not identify the source of its information.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei rejected the claims, saying “groundless” accusations would not solve the problem of cyber hacking.
“Since it is technically untraceable, it is very difficult to find the source and identify the hacker,” he said.
“Therefore we have no idea what is the evidence for their report in which they make the claim with such certainty.”
Earlier this year, hackers from China – which is now Australia’s biggest trading partner – were thought to be behind an attack on the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Australian Financial Review reported.
The issue of cyber espionage looks set to be high on the agenda when the US and Chinese presidents hold their first summit in California next month.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon for the first time directly accused the Chinese government and military of targeting US government computers as part of a cyber espionage campaign aimed at collecting intelligence on US diplomatic, economic and defence sectors.
China called the report “groundless”, saying it represented “US distrust”.
Argentina and Chile have ordered the evacuation of some 3,000 people living near the Copahue volcano in the south of their shared border.
The authorities in both countries issued a red alert – the highest possible – saying the Chilean volcano could erupt imminently.
The 2,965 m (nearly 10,000ft) volcano – which sits in the Andes cordillera – has so far only spewed gas.
Thousands of minor earth tremors have been registered in the area.
“This red alert has been issued after monitoring the activity of the volcano and seeing that it has increased seismic activity,” Chilean Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said in a news conference.
“There is a risk that it can start erupting.”
According to Chile’s Emergency Office, the evacuation will affect some 460 families living within a 25km (15 miles) radius of Copahue.
Argentina and Chile have ordered the evacuation of some 3,000 people living near the Copahue volcano
It said it could last about 48 hours, but could be delayed because of heavy rains in the region.
In Argentina, the authorities had first declared a “yellow alert,” but later revised it to the highest level.
They have now ordered the evacuation of about 600 people from the town of Caviahue to the neighboring city of Loncopue.
Last December, Chile also issued a red alert after Copahue – one of the most active volcanoes in the region – began spewing ash and gas, with smoke raising nearly 1.5km in the sky.
Nearby residents were temporarily evacuated, and planes flying over the southern Andes warned to avoid the area.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled last year due to the eruption of another volcano in southern Chile.
The Puyehue eruption caused huge economic damage not only to property in the area but also to tourism in Bariloche and other resorts.
Australia has been ranked as the world’s happiest country among developed economies for the third year running.
Australia won the top position, due to the overall strength of its economy, in the Better Life Index compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Sweden, Canada, Norway and Switzerland also made it to the top five.
The survey ranked more than 30 countries on criteria such as income levels, health, safety and housing.
“Australia performs exceptionally well in measures of well-being, as shown by the fact that it ranks among the top countries in a large number of topics in the Better Life Index,” the OECD said on its website.
More than 73% of Australia’s 23 million people aged 15 to 64 hold a paid job, which is above the OECD average.
Life expectancy at birth is also higher, at almost 82 years.
Australia has been ranked as the world’s happiest country among developed economies for the third year running
Australia’s economy has posted more than two decades of straight growth due to demand for its natural resources.
The nation also managed to sidestep the worst of the financial crisis and was the only major developed nation to avoid the global recession in 2009.
The country’s economic strength has been reflected in the Australian dollar, which is currently trading close to 30 year highs.
However, the government is starting to see challenges to growth as the mining boom tapers off, including rising unemployment.
As a result, Australia’s Labour government is now looking to move the economy away from its dependence on mining towards sectors such as construction and manufacturing.
Another challenge they face is a widening income gap. According to the OECD, the top 20% of Australia’s population earn six times more than the bottom 20%.
Blockbuster Iron Man 3 has become the fifth top-grossing film of all time, according to online movie tracker Box Office Mojo.
The sequel, which has now made $1.14 billion worldwide, overtook 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon to claim fifth place in the chart.
Avatar and Titanic remain the all-time box-office champions, having both grossed more than $2bn worldwide.
Iron Man 3 has become the fifth top-grossing film of all time
Avengers Assemble and the final Harry Potter are ranked third and fourth.
Iron Man 3 is the fourth film to feature Robert Downey Jr.’s metal-clad crime-fighter.
The third was 2012’s Avengers Assemble, known in the US as The Avengers, whose current worldwide box office tally stands at $1.51 billion.
Iron Man 3 continues to perform strongly, although it has some way to go before its takings exceed the $1.34 billion that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 conjured up in 2011.
Once figures have been adjusted for inflation, however, neither title features in the US domestic all-time top 100, which is headed up by Gone With the Wind.
EU foreign ministers have said they will not renew an arms embargo on the Syrian opposition, due to expire on Saturday.
However, there was no immediate decision to send arms to Syrian rebels and all other sanctions remained in force.
Even so, Russia said it would “directly harm” the prospects of an international peace conference on Syria.
The EU declaration on Syria came after 12 hours of talks in Brussels. Foreign ministers were unable to reach the unanimous decision required to extend the current arms embargo, and so agreed to renew the other sanctions – including an assets freeze on President Bashar al-Assad and his aides, and restrictions on trade in oil and financial transactions – without it.
The EU decision will not make much difference on the ground in the immediate future.
Member states can now decide their own policy on sending arms to Syria, but agreed not to “proceed at this stage with the delivery” of equipment.
The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council is to review this position before August 1, in light of fresh developments to end the conflict including the ongoing US-Russia peace initiative.
Britain and France had been pressing for the ability to send weapons to what they call moderate opponents of President Assad, saying it would push Damascus towards a political solution to the two-year conflict.
EU foreign ministers have said they will not renew an arms embargo on the Syrian opposition, due to expire on Saturday
There has been increasing pressure on the international community to act since allegations emerged of chemical weapons being used in the conflict. Syria has denied using chemical weapons.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the outcome of the Brussels talks, saying it was “important for Europe to send a clear signal to the Assad regime that it has to negotiate seriously, and that all options remain on the table if it refuses to do so”.
But other countries had opposed opening the way for weapons to be sent, saying it would only worsen the violence that has already cost at least 80,000 lives.
Austria had been a key opponent of arms being sent.
“The EU should hold the line. We are a peace movement and not a war movement,” Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called the EU move “a manifestation of double standards”. Russia and the US are leading efforts to organize a peace conference on Syria next month.
The Syrian opposition has not said whether to attend the conference, and was locked in talks in Istanbul, Turkey, as an unofficial deadline to decide on its attendance passed.
A spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Coalition, Louay Safi, was quoted by news agency AFP as saying that the EU move was “a positive step”, but that the coalition was “afraid it could be too little, too late”.
George Jabboure Netto, a spokesman for the Syrian National Council (SNC), another opposition group, said the dropping of the arms embargo was a “step in the right direction”.
He said the SNC was willing to negotiate an end to the conflict, but only on the condition that there was no place for President Bashar al-Assad in the new Syria.
“We think coupling the arming of [the] Free Syrian Army with diplomatic efforts is a must for any hopes for the diplomatic efforts to succeed.”
The EU embargo, first imposed in May 2011, applies to the rebels as much as the Syrian government.
But in February this year, foreign ministers agreed to enable any EU member state to provide non-lethal military equipment “for the protection of civilians” or for the opposition forces, “which the Union accepts as legitimate representatives of the Syrian people”.
Alex Robinson, an entrepreneur from Maryland, is charging $25 to drive motorists in their own cars across one of the world’s scariest bridges because they are too terrified to do it themselves.
The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, commonly known as the Bay Bridge, spans nearly five miles of the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland’s eastern and western shores. Standing 186 feet tall at its highest point, the structure, which is regularly subject to violent storms, instills fear in thousands of Baltimore and Washington residents every time they drive across it.
This gave Alex Robinson and his family the idea of doing driving across for them, charging them for the peace of mind of not having to tackle the nerve-racking stretch themselves. And this Memorial Day weekend, as the annual pilgrimage to the beach towns and sailing harbors of the Eastern Shore began, he said business has been booming.
“About 5,800 people use our service,” Alex Robinson, of Kent Island Express, told The New York Times on Friday as he fielded calls from some of those nervous customers.
The bridge, which when it first opened in 1952 was the longest continuous over-water steel structure, has been rated by Travel & Leisure Magazine as the ninth scariest bridge in the world for the panic it instills in Maryland residents.
When bad weather hits, which is often, drivers can barely see the shore when they get to the middle.
It also has tall ships that pass beneath it and flimsy-looking guardrails that reveal a vertigo-inducing drop to the choppy waters below.
“Everyone talks about the fear of crossing the bridge,” Carolyn Casey, who lives in Washington and has a second home near St. Michaels, Maryland, told The Times.
The William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge spans nearly five miles of the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland’s eastern and western shores
With the passenger seat taken up by two Labrador retrievers, she squeezed into the backseat between her three-year daughter and a nanny as Alex Robinson got behind the wheel.
“When I told people I’d found someone to drive me over the bridge, they laughed,” Carolyn Casey, 41, said.
“But it all came out – everyone is afraid of the bridge.”
That’s because crossing the bridge is quite an endeavor, even when the weather is fine.
First, drivers have to tackle a disconcerting comes a dogleg curve, then travel up a steep incline over the initial suspension span; then the bridge drops and the motorist drives downhill and over a second span, a cantilever with boxy sides and a roof that feels like a claustrophobic tunnel.
Alex Robinson took over the unique business last year from his mother and stepfather who ran it for five years. He told The Times it had made him something of an amateur psychologist.
He hires only upbeat drivers, and instructs them to talk about anything but the bridge for the 10-15 minutes it takes to cross.
“Their stress and anxieties feed off of your mood,” he explains to them.
Alex Robinson said most customers, nervous, talk a lot during the trip – about everything from their children to their first boyfriend.
But he also described construction workers who rode in the back seat of their trucks, hats pulled over their eyes and their ears plugged, and a woman who rode with a blanket over her head because she was so scared.
Alex Robinson of Kent Island Express charges $25 to drive nervous motorists across the Chesapeake Bay bridge
One man, Alex Robinson told The Times, asked to be put in the trunk, but the request was refused.
Another has paid $50-a-day for years to be driven across the bridge to his job in the morning and then back at the end of the day.
“Nervous about crossing over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?” the website states.
“If so, you’re not alone. Our Bay Bridge Drive-Over Help will let you relax and enjoy the ride and the view!”
The company instructs drivers who are “nervous or need assistance for any reason” to contact them an hour before they get to the bridge.
“Once you call we’ll coordinate a meeting location an assist you from there by driving your vehicle over the bridge for you,” the website states, adding that the drive-over service is provided from 5 a.m. till 12 a.m.
However, drivers of motorcycles, rental vehicles, or commercial vehicles are left to their own devices, as the company said it cannot accommodate such vehicles.
Customer, Kathleen Busch, explained her fear of the bridge stemmed from getting trapped in the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel for hours.
The next time she tried to drive through the tunnel she told the newspaper “everything went white. I had a full-blown panic attack. I thought I was going to pass out”.
Scared the same thing would happen on the Bay Bridge, Kathleen Busch hasn’t attempted to drive it herself.
The terrifying structure isn’t the only bridge to have driver assistance programs in place, but because it links two major cities, it is the only one with enough traffic to support a shuttle service industry.
Aside from Kent Island Express, two other companies ferry drivers across the nightmare bridge.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is part of U.S. Routes 50 and 301, and serves as a vital link in both routes. As part of U.S. Route 50, it connects the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area with Ocean City, Maryland and other coastal tourist destinations.
As part of U.S. Route 301, it serves as part of an alternate route for Interstate 95 travelers between northern Delaware and the Washington, D.C. area.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge has been closed four times due to extreme weather, mainly hurricanes.
On September 18, 2003, it was closed during Hurricane Isabel, and on August 27, 2011, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley ordered it closed to all traffic when sustained winds exceeded 55 miles per hour during Hurricane Irene. On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy brought traffic to close and on March 6, 2013, during a nor’easter, high winds again forced motorists to seek other routes.
A hilarious video shows the moment that all but one of the 29 members of Frank Fearon and Patricia Andrews wedding party plunged into the water as screams and laughter echoed around Lake Lanier near Gainesville, Georgia.
Frank Fearon, 30, and his 26-year-old bride Patricia Andrews married earlier this month, the wooden dock struggled to hold their extensive group and broke – dunking them into the water below.
Patricia Andrews’ brother Chase Andrews, who himself fell into the murky water, laughed as he recounted how the group – consisting of 13 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen – was preparing for photos when the dock gave way.
“We heard a little <<pop>> when the bolt came out and then it started falling,” said Chase Andrews.
“There were just too many of us standing there.
“The immediate reaction was, <<Is everyone OK?>>. And then it was, <<This is pretty funny>>.”
Chase Andrews said the newlyweds, who managed to clamber to dry land before the dock fell, immediately saw the funny side.
Patricia and Frank Fearon wedding party falls into Lake Lanier in Georgia
“They were shocked, but they were really laughing,” Chase Andrews said.
“Trish is such a good sport and she was just feeling so happy to be married.”
Only the bottom of her dress got wet, while her groom escaped without a splash. The bridesmaids threw their dresses in the driers, while many of the groomsmen just ignored it and hit the dance floor.
But the night didn’t end so well for one of the bridesmaids, who was nearest land when the dock collapsed. She ended up hitting concrete, fracturing her humorous and spending the night in E.R.
“Everyone got a little bit of something,” Chase Andrews added.
“There were bruises over our arms and shoulders, but everyone just laughed it off.”
After the incident, they went on to have a fantastic evening of partying in the beautiful surroundings of his grandmother’s home in Lake Lanier, Chase Andrews said.
“They had friends come from across the world to join in the party,” he said.
“It’s definitely going to be a memorable one.”
Chase Andrews, a video producer for Remedy Films, put together a short film of the hilarious moment the dock gave way and shared it on YouTube.
It shows the group giggling as nearly all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen swim for the bank in their finery. His sister, Patricia Andrews, a photographer, and her groom, Frank Fearon, an engineer, are seen laughing from dry land.
“Thankfully this was after the ceremony,” the video caption explains.
“It was deemed the <<wedding wetting>>. Everyone got dried off and the reception went on to be one of the best celebrations to date.
“Only minor injuries and a lot of wet iPhone 5’s. A fractured humorous, was the only thing not humorous about this.”
Pyongyang has announced it is willing to allow South Korean managers to visit the suspended jointly-run Kaesong Industrial Complex.
In a statement carried by state media, North Korea said it was prepared to discuss with the businessmen how normal operations could be resumed.
But South Korea expressed worry about its citizens’ safety and asked that government-level talks be held.
Operations at the joint industrial complex have been suspended since the North withdrew its workers in April.
North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK), responsible for ties with South Korea, said it would guarantee the businessmen’s safety.
“We have given permission for the visit and can even discuss the shipment of products at the industrial complex,” Yonhap news agency quoted the committee as saying.
South Korea “may send with them members” of the governing body that oversees the complex, the committee added.
Pyongyang has announced it is willing to allow South Korean managers to visit the suspended jointly-run Kaesong Industrial Complex
But a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, said what was needed at this stage was talks between both governments, which Seoul has been requesting.
Some 123 South Korean companies have factories inside the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which lies just across the border inside North Korea.
The firms employ some 53,000 North Koreans and the zone is a key revenue earner for the North.
But Pyongyang withdrew its workers two months ago as North-South tensions escalated following Pyongyang’s third nuclear test in February.
South Korea has decided to suspend operations at two more nuclear reactors over the use of unauthorized parts.
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission also delayed the start of operations at two other reactors, but said there was no public safety threat.
Two reactors were suspended in late 2012, amid a scandal over parts with fake safety certificates.
South Korea has 23 nuclear reactors which supply about a third of its electricity needs.
The suspension of two reactors raised questions about power supply over the summer, local media said.
The two reactors to be suspended pending replacement of the unauthorized parts are the Shin Kori Reactor 2 and Shin Wolsong Reactor 1, the commission said.
South Korea has suspended operations at two more nuclear reactors over the use of unauthorized parts
Shin Kori Reactor 1, which is currently undergoing maintenance, and Shin Wolsong Reactor 2, a new reactor, will also not operate until parts are replaced.
All components used in South Korean nuclear reactors require specific certification.
But last year a minister revealed that some parts used in two reactors at the Yeonggwang nuclear plant had not been properly vetted.
Knowledge Economy Minister Hong Suk-woo said these were “non-core” parts that included fuses, cooling fans and power switches – items which could be used in other industries but needed international certification for nuclear power plant usage.
Earlier this month, six nuclear power engineers and suppliers were jailed in connection with the supply of components with forged safety certificates mainly to the Yeonggwang complex.
Scientists have announced that plants that were frozen during the “Little Ice Age” centuries ago have been observed sprouting new growth.
Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions.
Researchers say this back-from-the-dead trick has implications for how ecosystems recover from the planet’s cyclic long periods of ice coverage.
The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
They come from a group from the University of Alberta, who were exploring an area around the Teardrop Glacier, high in the Canadian Arctic.
The glaciers in the region have been receding at rates that have sharply accelerated since 2004, at about 3-4 m per year.
That is exposing land that has not seen light of day since the so-called Little Ice Age, a widespread climatic cooling that ran roughly from AD 1550 to AD 1850.
“We ended up walking along the edge of the glacier margin and we saw these huge populations coming out from underneath the glacier that seemed to have a greenish tint,” said Catherine La Farge, lead author of the study.
Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions
Bryophytes are different from the land plants that we know best, in that they do not have vascular tissue that helps pump fluids around different parts of the organism.
They can survive being completely desiccated in long Arctic winters, returning to growth in warmer times, but Dr. Catherine La Farge was surprised by an emergence of bryophytes that had been buried under ice for so long.
“When we looked at them in detail and brought them to the lab, I could see some of the stems actually had new growth of green lateral branches, and that said to me that these guys are regenerating in the field, and that blew my mind,” she said.
“If you think of ice sheets covering the landscape, we’ve always thought that plants have to come in from refugia around the margins of an ice system, never considering land plants as coming out from underneath a glacier.”
But the retreating ice at Sverdrup Pass, where the Teardrop Glacier is located, is uncovering an array of life, including cyanobacteria and green terrestrial algae. Many of the species spotted there are entirely new to science.
“It’s a whole world of what’s coming out from underneath the glaciers that really needs to be studied,” Dr. Catherine La Farge said.
“The glaciers are disappearing pretty fast – they’re going to expose all this terrestrial vegetation, and that’s going to have a big impact.”
After recent reports of relationship problems with boyfriend Kanye West, pregnant Kim Kardashian was pulled over by police in Beverly Hills.
Kim Kardashian, 32, was driving her Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG down Wilshire Boulevard with close friend Brittney Gastineau on Saturday when she was pulled over by the Beverly Hills Police Department.
While the reasons for Kim Kardashian being stopped are as yet unknown, the expectant star looked distressed as she was spoken to by the officer.
Kim Kardashian is currently counting down the days until the birth of her first child with Kanye West.
However, the pair have sparked rumors that there could be an issue in their relationship as they haven’t been seen together since May 13.
Kim Kardashian pulled over by police amid rumors of relationship problems with Kanye West
Their time apart is despite the fact that Kim Kardashian travelled to Paris to see her baby daddy – who then headed to Milan.
The couple’s latest narrow miss came on Friday, when the pair were both in Los Angeles but not seen together.
Kim Kardashian tweeted fans from her hometown, sharing a picture of her in the backseat of a car.
The following day Kanye West was pictured looking decidedly glum as he left a Malibu restaurant without his girlfriend in tow.
The claims come after reports that Kim Kardashian had to beg Kanye West to attend her upcoming baby shower because it is being filmed for an E! special.
A source told gossip website RadarOnline.com Kim Kardashian had to beg Kanye West “to stop by the baby shower” which is taking place on June 2.
The baby shower will be filmed for Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and he just doesn’t want to appear on the show at all, period.
“Kim nagged him until he agreed when she said it would look really bad if he didn’t show up. Kanye thinks it’s silly to even go to the baby shower since he will be the only man there. He will be there for less than ten minutes, tops. It was important to Kim that he go, so he agreed.”
Denis Carré, a Psy lookalike, duped hundreds of people with various appearances during the recent Cannes Film Festival and now he has struck again, attending the Monaco Grand Prix over the weekend while the real singer performed in Italy on the same day.
Among those duped by Denis Carré’s appearance at the racing event were Amanda Holden and David Hasselhoff, who both posted pictures of themselves with the lookalike on their Twitter pages.
However, Amanda Holden appeared unsure if she was actually posing with Psy in the shot, captioning the picture: “Not sure if this guy is kosher?! Rumors circulating he was a fake? What do YOU think?!”
David Hasselhoff seemed a bit more certain that he wasn’t with the real Gangnam Style musician, tweeting with a picture of himself and girlfriend Hayley Roberts with “Psy”: “Was that really PSY ? I think not!!”
Amanda Holden posed with Psy lookalike Denis Carré at the Monaco Grand Prix
Other stars to have been duped by Denis Carré included Skyfall actress Naomie Harris, who unwittingly posted a picture of herself on Twitter with who she thought was Psy.
Speaking recently about how he managed to convince so many people that he was the singer, Denis Carré credited the scam to an intricate web of tricks.
He told Channel 5 News: “The game was pretty well played – we prepared a lot with my manager and communication team on how we were going to do that.
“We had the bodyguards, we had the cars, we had event managers ready for it… just to have the illusion.”
The trick was revealed when the real Psy appeared on US talk show Live with Michael and Kelly, which is filmed in New York City, while his imposter was in Cannes.
Denis Carré is said to have scammed free drinks and bottle service while lunching at the Torch Beach Club, a hotspot which has been frequented by Justin Timberlake and Mark Ronson during their time in Cannes, and was even surrounded by three security guards, according to the New York Post.
Later, Denis Carré partied at an A-list bash hosted by socialite Goga Ashkenazi at Château Garibondy, where the guest list included Rosario Dawson and supermodel Karolina Kurkova.
British authorities have arrested a 10th person in connection with the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.
The 50-year-old man was arrested in Welling, south-east London, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.
Police also confirmed an address in south-east London was being searched.
British authorities have arrested a 10th person in connection with the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich
Meanwhile shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said ministers must put “more effort” into fighting the “murderous narrative” of hate preachers.
Four of those arrested have been bailed, two released without charge and four remain in custody over the killing on Wednesday.
Two suspects, Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22 – both Britons of Nigerian descent who are understood to be converts to Islam – remain in custody in hospital in a stable condition after being shot and wounded by police at the scene after the killing.
The Metropolitan Police said the men would not be questioned until they had been discharged from hospital, and the time they had spent under arrest so far would not count towards the maximum amount of time they could legally be held without charge.
Questions are still being raised over what British authorities knew about the suspects before the killing.
Steven Soderbergh’s new HBO movie Behind the Candelabra stars Michael Douglas as Liberace, and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson, whose memoir Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace is the film’s source material.
The film suggests a focus on Scott Thorson, not Liberace.
Scott Thorson was a 16-year-old trainee veterinarian when he met Liberace. One of Liberace’s pet dogs was suffering from an eye infection, and Scott Thorson was called out to attend. Scott Thorson had been installed as live-in houseboy and not only commanded the Liberace estate by day, but featured nightly in Liberace’s Vegas stage act, driving the star on stage in a rhinestone encrusted limousine, tidying the train of Liberace’s fur gown, and being introduced to the audience by name.
Scott Thorson and Liberace lived together for five years, a period which demands a new word for “decadence”. When Scott Thorson said he loved Liberace’s gold-plated Rolls Royce, for example, Liberace wrapped the car in an enormous red bow and gave it to him, and Thorson was never seen without his ghastly gold-plated Zippo lighter, another gift from Lee, on a gold chain around his neck.
Scott Thorson claims he had plastic surgery to look more like Liberace, including a nose job and a chin implant. In a 2002 interview with Larry King, Scott Thorson said that after he put on weight during a trip with Liberace to Paris, Liberace introduced him to Priscilla Presley’s plastic surgeon. Scott Thorson said that Liberace accompanied him to his first consultation, instructing the surgeon to “make him look like my son”. But, the operations weren’t satisfactory, and Scott Thorson later had the chin implant removed.
Scott Thorson claims he had plastic surgery to look more like Liberace, including a nose job and a chin implant
Apparently, Liberace and his plastic surgeon drank bottles of vodka together before general anaesthetic was administered and cosmetic procedures were carried out at Liberace’s home. Robert Goulet, Charo, Phyllis Diller and Debbie Reynolds were routine houseguests. While Scott Thorson confessed to a daily diet of “co***ne, quaaludes, Biphetamine, demerol”, Lee only drank, and snorted amyl nitrate like a demon.
In 1982, after they’d broken up, Scott Thorson’s lawyers launched a $100 million palimony lawsuit. They finally settled in 1986 for $95,000, two dogs (including the one that originally had the infected eye) and the gold Rolls Royce. It was a smaller settlement than what the London tabloid the Daily Mirror demanded in 1987 once it was revealed that Liberace’s sudden weight loss was not in fact due to what his people had told everyone was the result of a watermelon diet – a refund of the half a million pounds it had been forced to pay him 30 years earlier when he sued them for implying he was homos***al without any proof when one of their journalists said this about him: “They say that this deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavored, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love has had the biggest reception and impact on London since Charlie Chaplin arrived at the same station, Waterloo, on September 12,1921.
“This appalling man – and I use the word appalling in no other than its true sense of terrifying – has hit this country in a way that is as violent as Churchill receiving the cheers on V-E Day.
“He reeks with emetic language that can only make grown men long for a quiet corner, an aspidistra, a handkerchief, and the old heave-ho. Without doubt, he is the biggest sentimental vomit of all time. Slobbering over his mother, winking at his brother, and counting the cash at every second, this superb piece of calculating candy-floss has an answer for every situation.
“There must be something wrong with us that our teenagers longing for s** and our middle-aged matrons fed up with s** alike should fall for such a sugary mountain of jingling claptrap wrapped up in such a preposterous clown.”
Around that time, Scott Thorson allegedly made statements like this to the world’s press: “I know three young men now that are dead because of AIDS because of him.”
But other reports are that when Liberace was on his deathbed, Scott Thorson was there, at Liberace’s request. After Liberace died, Scott Thorson stated that the conflicts between he and Lee had been exaggerated, and that it was his lawyers who were out for the money and he personally was primarily concerned about who was going to take care of the dogs.
Then, allegedly, Scott Thorson had an affair with Michael Jackson.
All that would be enough adventure for most people and it covers the action in Behind the Candelabra it’s just the beginning of Scott Thorson’s story.
The Wonderland murders, otherwise known as the Lauren Canyon killings, occurred on the night of 1 July 1981, while Scott Thorson was still living with Liberace. A few days later, John Holmes broke into the home of Eddie Nash, owner of West Hollywood clubs such as the Kit Kat and the Starwood. John Holmes was casing the joint for the Wonderland gang, who lived at 8763 Wonderland Avenue and traded drugs. The gang broke in the next day, tying up Eddie Nash and his bodyguard and stealing a bunch of stuff.
Later, Scott Thorson was over at Eddie Nash’s house picking up some deals when right in front of his eyes, Nash’s heavies dragged John Holmes in and knocked him around with knuckle dusters until he coughed up the address of the Wonderland gang, who were all soon shot dead. Scott Thorson agreed to testify against Eddie Nash, on the proviso he go straight into witness protection.
After several years in Alaska, Scott Thorson was transferred to Jacksonville, Florida and exited from the witness protection program due to his ongoing use of dr**s. According to his memoirs, he was watching a Pat Boone documentary on TV one night when d**g dealers broke into his motel room and shot him five times. Scott Thorson insists he had no prior dealings with his assailants and that the attack was not ordered by Eddie Nash who, incidentally, now owns the gold Rolls Royce after Thorson exchanged it for co***ne.
In 2008 Scott Thorson was sentenced to four years in prison on d**g and burglary offences and now lives with his wife in New England.
Australian Rules Football (AFL) is a physical contact sport that is described as a cross between rugby which is from the UK and Gaelic football which originated in Ireland.
AFL’s rules were codified in 1858 – predating soccer, football, rugby and Gaelic football.
Australian Rules Football is a physical contact sport that is described as a cross between rugby and football
Today it is the most popular sport in Australia – beating even cricket – and is a multi-billion dollar business.
It is played on an oval field and each team consists of 18 players who each attempt to kick the oval shaped ball through a configuration of 4 posts at the corresponding end of the field.
Each game lasts for 4 quarters of 20 minutes of playing time.
No player can be sin-binned during a game of Australian Rules Football – this can lead to terrible fights during a game.
Australian Rules footballer Adam Goodes has been praised for his uncompromising reaction after a 13-year-old girl shouted out a racist remark to him during a game on Friday night.
Sydney Swans forward Adam Goodes – who is an Aboriginal Australian – was called an “ape” by the girl as he ran past her and responded by turning around and pointing out the girl to security who escorted her from the Melbourne stadium.
Adam Goodes, 33, is the star player for the Sydney Swans but said that the racial abuse he received at the hands of the girl rendered his sides win “meaningless” – such was his disappointment.
“To come to the boundary line and hear a 13 year old girl call me an <<ape>>, and it’s not the first time on a footy field that I’ve been referred to as a <<monkey>> or an <<ape>>, it was shattering,” he told the ABC.
Adam Goodes and the Sydney Swans were playing Collingwood, at their home of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 13-year-old girl was a Collingwood fan.
Police in Melbourne said that a 13-year-old girl had been interviewed over the incident, but had been released after two hours pending further inquiries.
In the aftermath of the racial abuse that was directed his way, Adam Goodes told the Melbourne Herald Sun: “Racism had a face…and it was a 13-year-old girl. – but it’s not her fault.”
“That’s what hurt me so bad…when I turned around, I just saw this young face and…it was just sad.
“That’s why I had to leave the arena, it just broke my heart.”
Adam Goodes ran past racist girl and responded by turning around and pointing out her to security who escorted her from the Melbourne stadium
Early on Saturday morning, Adam Goodes took to his Twitter feed to announce that the girl had been in touch with him, apologizing for her actions.
Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Adam Goodes explained just how damaging it was for him as an Aboriginal Australian to hear her words.
“I’ve had fantastic support over the past 24 hours,” he said.
“I just hope that people give the 13 year old girl the same sort of support because she needs it, her family needs it, and the people around them need it,” said Adam Goodes to the ABC.
“It’s not a witch-hunt, I don’t want people to go after this young girl.
“We’ve just got to help educate society better so it doesn’t happen again.”
Adam Goodes added that the police in Melbourne had asked him if he wanted to press charges, but that he did not want to – preferring the girl instead undergoes an education program instead.
“It’s not her fault, she’s 13, she’s still so innocent, I don’t put any blame on her,” he said.
“Unfortunately it’s what she hears, in the environment she’s grown up in that has made her think that it’s OK to call people names.
“I guarantee she has no idea right now how it makes people feel to call them an ape.”
Australian PM Julia Gillard described Adam Goodes as “someone we can all look up to”.
“His words and actions today displayed the highest levels of respect and fairness – qualities he carries on and off the field,” the prime minister said.
“Adam is a credit to his club, his code and the entire community.”
The girl who is not being identified told Channel 10 news she was sorry.
“I didn’t mean it in a racist way and I’m sorry to the club and the AFL,” she said.
Rob Kardashian has been slowly and surely clawing his way back to a healthy weight after gaining over 40 pounds following the breakdown of his relationship with Rita Ora.
However, Rob Kardashian, 26, still looked chubby at a Neiman Marcus event in Las Vegas to promote his sock line, Arthur George, and admitted that he’s still got a long way to go.
“I still have to lose like 40 to 50 pounds believe it or not,” Rob Kardashian told Us Weekly at the event.
Before adding: “Six months I should be there.”
Rob Kardashian told the same magazine he weighed 235 pounds in March and was throwing himself into daily work-outs but revealed he has now recruited Lamar Odom’s trainer to help him shed.
He told the magazine: “I’m kind of doing my own thing with Lamar [Odom]’s trainer. He’s on salary since he was 19 years old, so he works for us. I’ve been spending time with him.”
Rob Kardashian also revealed his cutting out alcohol to keep down those empty calories.
Rob Kardashian weighed 235 pounds in March and was throwing himself into daily work-outs but revealed he has now recruited Lamar Odom’s trainer to help him shed
In a Kourtney & Kim Take Miami episode aired in February, Rob Kardashian blamed his weight gain on his break up with Rita Ora.
He said: “It’s crazy how this whole year, my whole relationship was only negative, all I did was gain f***ing 40 pounds and lose so much money.”
Rob Kardashian’s chubby face didn’t put off his girlie fans at the event on Saturday.
The reality star who jokily calls himself “fat boy Rob”, was joined at the Neiman Marcus footwear function by his mother Kris Jenner.
Kris Jenner, 57, proudly posed behind her only son and excitedly held up a handful of his colorful socks at the store’s display.
The Arthur George designer was famously accused of being a “jobless loser” by his sister Kim Kardashian on a 2011 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Rob Kardashian, who topped the scales at 240 pounds, has been trying to ditch the weight he gained after his breakup with British singer Rita Ora.
“I’m trying to lose 40 [by the fourth of July],” he told People Magazine in March.
“It’s a little journey.”
Rob Kardashian reportedly exercises in the morning with his trainer and then usually joins his friends on hikes, including his former dance partner Cheryl Burke.
Kourtney Karashian celebrated her partner Scott Disick’s 30th birthday in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Kourtney Kardashian, 34, looked proud as she walked the red carpet in a peacock inspired outfit which featured a teal lace top and black and green feathered skirt.
She wore her hair in a topknot with a fringe along with blue eye-liner to match her outfit.
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, who have a son Mason, 4, and daughter Penelope, who turns one in July, were celebrated at Hyde at the Bellagio hotel.
Scott Disick was dressed to impress in black tie attire.
Kourtney Karashian celebrated her partner Scott Disick’s 30th birthday in Las Vegas
While most of the Kardashian clan skipped the festivities, Kris Jenner showed her support by attending the party.
Kris Jenner, 57, wore a sequinned little black dress along with a Chanel Lego handbag.
Rob Kardashian was at the party too, but raced along the red carpet without stopping to pose for photographers.
It was a surprisingly shy move for the 26-year-old, who had been hamming it up for the cameras just 24 hours earlier while promoting his new sock line in Las Vegas.
Inside the club Scott Disick took inspiration from Kanye West by rapping at the deejay booth and later attempted to serenade his girlfriend, according toUs Weekly.
“It was tough to understand what he was saying as he was rapping to music, but it looked like he was just enjoying the moment,” the onlooker told the publication.
The couple smiled and giggled throughout the night and even put on a show of PDA.
“She was sitting on his lap at one point during the evening and the two genuinely appeared to be in love and appreciative of one another,” the insider added.
While Khloe Kardashian and pregnant Kim were absent, they did send birthday messages to Scott via Twitter.
Khloe Kardashian, 28, posted a picture of her with Scott Disick, adding: “Happy birthday to letthelordbewithyou we have come a long way my friend! I love you!”
Kim Kardashian tweeted a vintage snap of herself with Scott Disick, Kourtney and Khloe, adding: “OMG I almost died when I saw this! 2006 throwback! This one’s for you Scott!”
While Scott Disick has at times avoided Las Vegas because he struggles to control his drinking, it seems he enjoyed his time in Sin City.
After the party, Scott Disick tweeted: “Thank you @hydebellagio @sbenightlife for a great #vegasbirthday!”
