Russia and the United States have agreed to work towards holding an international conference to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State John Kerry announced it would follow on from an Action Group for Syria meeting in Geneva last June.
John Kerry said they would try to “bring both sides to the table”.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have been strained in the last two years by differences over Syria.
John Kerry held lengthy talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday during his first visit to Moscow since becoming secretary of state.
John Kerry held lengthy talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday during his first visit to Moscow since becoming secretary of state
He told Vladimir Putin that their two countries shared “some very significant common interests with respect to Syria”, including “stability in the region” and “not letting extremists create problems”.
“It is my hope that today we will be able to dig into that a little bit, and see if we can find common ground,” he added.
John Kerry then held further discussions with Sergei Lavrov, after which they jointly announced that they would try to organize an international conference on ending the conflict in Syria, if possible before the end of May.
It will try to convince both the Syrian government and opposition to accept a solution based on the core elements of the final communiqué issued on 30 June 2012, after the UN-backed Action Group for Syria meeting in Geneva.
The communiqué called for an immediate cessation of violence and the establishment of a transitional government that could include officials serving under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and members of the opposition.
“We believe that the Geneva communiqué is the important track to end the bloodshed in Syria,” John Kerry told a news conference.
He added that a negotiated settlement would help avert the danger of Syria breaking up and might influence Washington’s decision on whether or not to arm rebel groups.
Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s belief that the departure of President Bashar al-Assad should not be a condition for peace talks, but insisted he was not trying to keep him in power.
“We are not concerned by the fate of any individual. We are concerned by the fate of the Syrian people,” Sergei Lavrov said.
Ohio authorities have released pictures of the three Castro brothers arrested after three missing women – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight – were found at a Cleveland home where they had allegedly been held captive for a decade.
The mugshots of Ariel Castro, 52, who owned the property, and his brothers Onil, 50, and Pedro, 54, emerged as police sources claimed the women reportedly had multiple pregnancies at the home.
At least five babies were born at the house, while one of the victims, Amanda Berry, suffered as many as three miscarriages because she was so malnourished, police sources told NewsChannel5.
Ariel Castro and his brothers Onil and Pedro were arrested for kidnapping Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight a decade ago
Other sources told WKYC that the captors would beat the women when they were pregnant, meaning that the babies would not survive.
It is unknown what happened to any children who were born at the home, and it is not clear whether a 6-year-old girl who was found alive there on Monday is among the number cited by sources.
The girl was found after her mother, kidnap victim Amanda Berry, 26, climbed through a screen door on Monday afternoon while her alleged captor was out and fled to a neighbor’s home to call 911.
When police arrived minutes later, they found Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michele Knight, 32, who had also been missing for a decade, along with the young girl.
At the press conference, authorities confirmed that the little girl was born to Amanda Berry while she was in captivity, but it is not known which of the three suspects – if any – is the father.
Today police praised Amanda Berry, who went missing a day before her 17th birthday in 2003, for escaping and alerting authorities to the two other women at the home.
“The real hero here is Amanda,” Cleveland Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
“She came out of that house and that started it all.”
Katie Holmes revealed her bony back as she attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala on Monday night in New York City.
As she was seen getting into her chauffeured car to head to the soiree, her halterneck gown displayed her lithe frame.
Katie Holmes’ not known for her daring fashion choices on the red carpet.
But as she attended the Met Ball on Monday night she seemingly decided to think outside of the box.
Katie Holmes revealed her bony back as she attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala on Monday night in New York City
However, Katie Holmes’ choice of gown for the Punk: Chaos to Couture themed bash could only be described as a fashion faux pas.
The actress wore a white Francisco Costa gown, which was reminiscent of toilet paper as she glided down the red carpet.
The dress in question was a halterneck cut, showing off her back and shoulders.
Katie Holmes teamed the ensemble with a pair of white sky high stilettos that were a little too matchy matchy.
She also wore giant diamond earrings in her ears and stuck with the punk theme by styling her hair into a quiff and applying smokey eye make-up to her lids.
Katie Holmes was helped up the stairs to the famous museum by a suited and booted usher.
Michael Jackson autopsy report given in a Los Angeles court yesterday has revealed the King of Pop tattooed his lips pink, permanently inked his eyebrows and relied on a dark tattoo to blend his hairline into his wig.
As Michael Jackson’s tour promoter, AEG, continues, a disturbing photograph of the fallen pop star’s corpse was shown to the court on Monday by Dr. Christopher Rogers.
His coroner’s report described Michael Jackson as a man whose struggle to hide a skin pigmentation disease forced him to mask his true features but who would have lived a long life had he not overdosed on propofol.
The revelation of Michael Jackson’s permanent make-up comes during the trial brought by the singer’s mother and children who claim AEG shares blame in his death for neglecting to vet and supervise his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.
AEG, which was organizing Michael Jackson’s planned comeback concerts in London, claims it was not responsible for the star’s decision to employ Conrad Murray as his doctor.
Dr. Christopher Rogers confirmed from his autopsy that Michael Jackson’s skin became lighter in the 1980s owing to “vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disease”.
He added: “So some areas of the skin appear light and others appear dark.”
Michael Jackson autopsy reveals his eyebrows and forehead were tattooed black to make his wigs look better
The doctor also confirmed that an overdose of propofol killed the pop star although several other types of sedative administered by Dr. Conrad Murray the same morning contributed to his death.
Michael Koskoff, a lawyer for Katherine Jackson, asked the deputy medical examiner for Los Angeles County: “Would a fit, competent doctor administer propofol for insomnia?”
“I would not expect that, no,” Dr. Christopher Rogers responded.
Los Angeles coroner’s toxicologist Dan Anderson also testified on Monday that the level of propofol in Michael Jackson’s body was “consistent with major surgery anesthesia”.
Propofol, a sedative used in operations and even executions, was allegedly taken so often by Michael Jackson that he referred to it as “milk”.
Dan Anderson told the court: “It raises a red flag in my eyes. It’s very problematic to find it outside the hospital setting.”
He went on to explain how when propofol is administered to a patient, a number of staff should be on hand equipped with sophisticated medical devices to intervene if the patient stops breathing.
Faced with suggestions that Michael Jackson gave himself the lethal dose of propofol, Dr. Christopher Rogers countered: “…based on the history that was available, I don’t believe that that happened.”
Furthermore, he testified, were it not for the lethal dose of the drug, Michael Jackson’s overall health would have promised him a normal lifespan.
With no signs of addiction to street drugs, or any heart disease that some have insinuated triggered his death, “there was no indication from the autopsy that there was anything anatomically wrong with him that would lead to premature death”, Dr. Christopher Rogers said.
CNN noted the importance of Dr. Christopher Rogers’ testimony in calculating Michael Jackson’s expected lifespan as it would relate to damages. If he had not passed, the fact that the pop star would have continued to make billions of dollars will affect the number the Jackson family expect.
AEG continue to argue that Michal Jackson chose Dr. Conrad Murray as his tour medic and the company had no way of knowing what he was giving the singer to sleep at night.
Former cricketer and leading Pakistani politician Imran Khan has been injured after falling off a makeshift lift that was taking him onto a stage at an election rally in Lahore.
It is unclear how badly Imran Khan was hurt, but he suffered visible head injuries in the fall.
Imran Khan was taken to hospital for treatment by supporters afterwards.
He had been campaigning ahead of Saturday’s parliamentary elections, in which his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is expected to do well.
Imran Khan has been injured after falling off a makeshift lift that was taking him onto a stage at an election rally in Lahore
Dramatic television pictures from Tuesday’s campaign rally showed Imran Khan falling about 15ft from the lift platform together with several others, some of whom appeared to land on top of him.
A dazed and bloodied Imran Khan was later seen being carried away by supporters to a vehicle which drove him to a local hospital.
After receiving initial treatment he was moved to Lahore’s Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, which he founded.
A local PTI spokesman, Malik Ishtiaq, told the AFP news agency that Imran Khan had suffered head injuries. But another spokesman described his injuries as minor and insisted he would return to the rally.
“Imran Khan is all right. He has been taken to the hospital for first aid. He will be back to address the rally very soon after getting initial treatment,” Chaudhry Rizwan said.
Imran Khan’s former wife Jemima Khan wrote on Twitter: “He is in hospital and conscious now”.
His nephew, Hassan Niazi, tweeted: “Chairman reciting kalima in ambulance – he is fine – plz just pray”.
Hundreds of well-wishers and supporters later gathered outside the Shaukat Khanum hospital, chanting “Long live Imran Khan”, AFP said.
The PTI leader has been campaigning relentlessly in the run-up to Saturday’s poll and briefly collapsed on stage earlier this week.
Imran Khan is one of the key candidates in the election, and the PTI has been gaining momentum. He believes a “tsunami” of support will sweep him to power.
Charles Ramsey, the neighbor credited with saving three young women held captive in a Cleveland home for a decade, said he heard desperate screams and then kicked through a door to help one escape.
Charles Ramsey said he was eating a McDonald’s meal when he heard the cries, ran over to investigate holding a Big Mac and then came face to face with Amanda Berry, who was last seen in 2003 aged 16.
He told WEWS-TV: “I heard screaming, and I see this girl going nuts trying to get outside [of the house].
“I go on the porch and she said, <<Help me get out. I’ve been here a long time>>. I figure it was domestic violence dispute.”
“She comes out with a little girl and says <<Call 911, my name is Amanda Berry>>.”
Charles Ramsey said he didn’t immediately process that it was the same Amanda Berry who had disappeared from the neighborhood 10 years ago.
Charles Ramsey is the neighbor credited with saving three young women held captive in a Cleveland home for a decade
Soon afterwards, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were also found alive on inside the house.
When Charles Ramsey helped Amanda Berry out of the house, she was holding a young child, and there were other children in the home.
Charles Ramsey added: “I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway.”
Ariel Castro, 52, has been arrested and is in police custody in connection with the kidnapping case along with his two unnamed brothers, who are 50 and 54.
Charles Ramsey said: “When she told me, it didn’t register until I got the call to 911 and I’m like, <<I’m calling 911 for Amanda Berry? I thought this girl was dead>>.”
He handed Amanda Berry the phone, and she told police that she had been held captive in the home and to send help.
Also found in the home were two more women who had been reported missing at around the same time – Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. All three appeared to be in good health.
Dr. Gerald Maloney, of Cleveland MetroHealth Center, told reporters: “They’re safe… We’re in the process of evaluating medical needs. They appear to be in fair condition at the moment.”
Gina DeJesus vanished in 2004, while Michelle Knight was last seen in 2002.
There were also several children in the home.
When police arrived, officers asked Charles Ramsey if he knew who he rescued.
The revelations shocked Charles Ramsey, who said that he has known Ariel Castro and the two often spent time together.
He told NewsNet5: “I’ve been here a year. I barbeque with this dude, we eat ribs and what not and listen to salsa music. Not a clue that that girl was in that house or that anyone else was in there with.”
Charles Ramsey added: “He’s somebody you look and then you look away because he’s just doing normal stuff. You got some big testicles to pull this one off because we see this guy every day.”
Amanda Berry disappeared at age 16 on April 21, 2003, one day before her 17th anniversary, when she called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a Burger King.
Gina DeJesus went missing at age 14 on her way home from school about a year later.
The three missing women in Cleveland who were abducted a decade ago were all last seen on the same busy block in the city.
Michelle Knight, who was 20 years old when she went missing in August 2002, was last seen at a cousin’s house near West 106th Street and Lorain Avenue.
Three years later, in April 2003, Amanda Berry, disappeared after leaving her job at a Burger King – at West 110th Street and Lorain. It was the day before her 17th birthday.
A year later, Gina DeJesus, then 14 years old, was last seen leaving her middle school at West 105th Street and Lorain.
All three were found safe on Monday night after Amanda Berry bolted from a home on Seymour Avenue, about three miles from where they were last seen.
Amanda Berry told police that she and the other girls were being held prisoner by Ariel Castro, 52, who has been arrested along with his two brothers on suspicion of kidnapping.
The three missing women in Cleveland who were abducted a decade ago were all last seen on the same busy block in the city
The exact circumstances of the abductions is currently unclear, and it is not known whether or not the kidnapper deliberately targeted the block where all three victims were taken.
The story of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus’ disappearance has been well known in the area for the past decade, as their relatives have continually held vigils and kept the story alive in the press.
Michelle Knight’s case was less high profile – police told her family that she had probably run away of her own accord after her son was taken away from her, so the search effort was less concentrated.
Amanda Berry’s mother Louwanna Miller died in March 2006 aged just 44 after the years of her daughter’s disappearance had taken a toll on her deteriorating health. Local news reports said that she “died of a broken heart”.
Amanda Berry’s sister has continued to keep the case in the public’s attention since their mother died, and she has worked closely with the DeJesus family.
Last year, Gina DeJesus’ mother Nancy Ruiz raised concerns that her daughter might have been the victim of human trafficking.
“I always said it from the beginning; she was sold to the highest bidder,” Nancy Ruiz said.
Last night Ariel Castro’s neighbor Charles Ramsey described the amazing moment he became the first person to see Amanda Berry – who gave birth in captivity – since 2003.
“I go on the porch and she said, <<Help me get out. I’ve been here a long time>>. I figure it was domestic violence dispute,” he said.
“She comes out with a little girl and says <<Call 911, my name is Amanda Berry>>.”
Charles Ramsey continued: “When she told me, it didn’t register until I got the call to 911 and I’m like, <<I’m calling 911 for Amanda Berry? I thought this girl was dead>>.”
He handed Amanda the phone, and she told police that she had been held captive in the home and to send help.
The three women were rescued and taken to an area hospital where they were receiving treatment.
Ariel Castro has been identified as the prime suspect in the astonishing kidnapping case of three women held captive for ten years in Cleveland and he has been taken into custody – as well as two of his own brothers.
Ariel Castro, 52, of Cleveland, Ohio was arrested on Monday after one of the alleged victims, Amanda Berry escaped his home and called police.
He was a school bus driver in the Cleveland area, according to reports.
Only Ariel Castro lived at the home. The brothers lived elsewhere, police told reporters.
Ariel Castro has been identified as the prime suspect in the astonishing kidnapping case of three women held captive for ten years in Cleveland
Ariel Castro’s Facebook page depicts a man with a passion for motorcycles and the bass guitar.
His last post to the social networking site on May 2 says: “Miracles really do happen, God is good :)”
Cleveland’s police chief said on Monday night that the victims were tied up in the house where they were found and had been there since they disappeared.
The county prosecutor joined dozens of police officers and sheriff’s deputies at the scene as they began searching the house late Monday.
Authorities say the women have been taken to a hospital to reunite with relatives and seem to be in good health.
Michelle Knight had been missing since 2002, Amanda Berry since 2003 and Gina DeJesus since 2004.
Remarkably, Ariel Castro’s son – also named Ariel who now goes by “Anthony” – penned an article for the Cleveland Plain Press about the disappearance of Gina DeJesus back in 2004.
Anthony Castro told WKYC-TV reporter Sara Shookman: “This is beyond comprehension… I’m truly stunned right now.”
Also struck by the allegations, the suspects’ uncle, Julio Castro, told CNN: “I never want to see them again.”
Police didn’t immediately provide any details of how the women were found but said they appeared to be in good health and had been taken to a hospital to be reunited with relatives and to be evaluated.
They said a 6-year-old girl also was found in the home.
On a recorded 911 call Monday, Amanda Berry declared: “I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been on the news for the last 10 years.”
The woman said she had been taken by someone and begged for police officers to arrive at the home on Cleveland’s west side before he returned.
“I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been missing for 10 years,” Amanda Berry told the dispatcher.
“And I’m here. I’m free now.”
Amanda Berry disappeared at age 16 on April 21, 2003, when she called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a Burger King.
Gina DeJesus went missing at age 14 on her way home from school about a year later. They were found just a few miles from where they had disappeared.
Police said Michelle Knight went missing in 2002 and is 32 now. They didn’t provide current ages for the other two women.
A US official said North Korea has removed two medium-range missiles from a coastal launch site, indicating a lowering of tension on the peninsula.
Pyongyang was believed to be preparing for a launch last month, having threatened attacks in the region.
The threats followed tough new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea in March after its third nuclear test.
North Korea has been angered by wide-ranging annual US-South Korea military drills, which ended a week ago.
The news that the missiles had been removed from the site on the east coast came on the eve of a summit in Washington between the US and South Korean presidents.
South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye is to hold talks with US President Barack Obama later on Tuesday, with the two expected to reiterate a commitment to strong ties. Park, Geun-hye who took office in February, will also address the US Congress on Wednesday.
The Musudan missiles had been ready to launch at any moment but North Korea had now “moved them”, an unnamed US defense official told AFP news agency.
North Korea has removed two medium-range missiles from a coastal launch site, indicating a lowering of tension on the peninsula
A report from South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed senior government source, backed that up, saying Pyongyang appeared to have lifted its highest combat alert and moved the missiles, although their current location was not confirmed.
The move is the most tangible sign yet that North Korea has stepped back from its threats to launch missiles.
But a senior US official from the National Security Council warned that, given the North’s unpredictable behavior, it was “premature to celebrate it as good news”.
Pentagon spokesman George Little, who declined to comment directly on the missiles’ reported removal, told reporters “what we have seen recently is a provocation pause”.
“And we think that’s obviously beneficial to efforts to ensure we have peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.”
Meanwhile, the Beijing-based Bank of China said it was halting transactions from North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank.
The US imposed sanctions on North Korea’s main foreign exchange bank after the recent nuclear tests and had urged other countries, including China, to cut ties with the bank.
The Bank of China made the announcement in a statement but did not provide further details.
This is the first time that a Chinese entity has made a move against North Korean interests following the recent tension, according to reports.
North Korea unveiled medium-range Musudan missiles during a military parade in 2010 but had not yet tested them.
Last month, South Korea raised its alert level to “vital threat” amid indications that Pyongyang was preparing for a launch.
At least one ballistic missile with an estimated 2,000-mile range had been fuelled and ready for launch, according to US and South Korean sources.
A test launch would be a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718, passed in 2006, which states the North “must not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile”.
Pyongyang had issued a series of threats in apparent response to the expanded UN sanctions and the US-South Korea drills – which saw nuclear-capable B2 and B52 bombers flown over the Korean peninsula.
These included warnings of attacks on Japan, South Korea and US military bases in the region, and a pledge to restart a mothballed nuclear reactor that produced plutonium for its weapons programme.
In addition, it shut down an emergency military hotline between Seoul and Pyongyang, and later withdrew some 53,000 workers in April from Kaesong Industrial Complex on the border with South Korea.
Kaesong complex, which was launched in 2003, employed people from both countries and was seen as one of the last remaining symbols of inter-Korean co-operation.
The final South Korean workers left the factory last week – the first time they have done so since the zone began operating 10 years ago.
However the tone of the rhetoric from North Korea has softened somewhat in recent days, observers say.
Three women from Ohio, who were abducted more than a decade ago, have been found alive in the basement of a house in Cleveland – where they were apparently held captive in chains.
Amanda Berry, 26, and Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, escaped from the Cleveland house just a few miles from the city where they disappeared.
The extraordinary rescue came after Amanda Berry, who went missing at the age of 16, screamed for help when their captor left the house and she was found by a neighbor who helped her to call 911.
Amanda Berry disappeared aged 16 in 2003
Amanda Berry 911 call transcript
Amanda Berry: Help me, I’m Amanda Berry.
Operator: Do you need police, fire or ambulance?
Amanda Berry: I need police.
Operator: OK, and what’s going on there?
Amanda Berry: I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been missing for 10 years. And I’m here. I’m free now.
Operator: OK, and what’s your address?
(The operator tries to figure out where she is.)
Amanda Berry: I’m across the street. I’m using their phone
Operator: OK, stay there with those neighbors and talk to the police when they get there.
(The operator repeats her instructions several times.)
Amanda Berry: OK, are they on their way right now? I need them now.
Operator: We’re gonna send them as soon as we get a car open.
Amanda Berry: No, I need them now before he gets back.
Operator: All right. We’re sending them, OK?
Amanda Berry: OK. I mean, like, right now.
Operator: Who is the guy who went out?
Amanda Berry: His name is Ariel Castro.
Operator: All right. How old is he?
Amanda Berry: He’s like 52.
Operator: All right, and a…
Amanda Berry: And I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been on the news for the last 10 years.
Operator: OK, I got that, dear… what is his name again?
Amanda Berry: Uh, Ariel Castro.
Operator: And is he white, black or Hispanic?
Amanda Berry: Uh, he’s Hispanic.
Operator: What’s he wearing?
Amanda Berry: I don’t know cause he’s not here right now. That’s how we got away.
Operator: When he left, what was he wearing?
Amanda Berry: (Indistinguishable)
Operator: The police are on the way. Talk to them when they get there.
Mayon volcano has erupted in the Philippines, killing four German climbers and their guide.
Mount Mayon at 206 miles south-east of the capital Manila sent a cloud of ash and rocks into the sky early on Tuesday.
The ash blast caught a group climbing the mountain, which is famous for its near-perfect cone.
At least seven other climbers were hurt in the eruption, which lasted for just over a minute.
Mount Mayon at 206 miles south-east of the capital Manila sent a cloud of ash and rocks into the sky early on Tuesday
“Five killed and seven are injured, that is the latest report,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chief Eduardo del Rosario said.
Four of those killed were German nationals and the fifth was their Filipino guide, the NDRRMC said later in a statement.
A guide on the mountain told a local television station by telephone that those who died were hit by the rocks that rained down on them after the ash blast.
Twenty people were approaching the summit of the mountain when the eruption occurred.
In an advisory, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology called the eruption a “small phreatic event” that lasted about 73 seconds and sent ash 500m into the air. No intensification of volcanic activity was observed, it said, and the alert level would not be raised.
It said small steam and ash ejections could occur with little or no warning and advised against entry to the 4-mile radius Permanent Danger Zone around the volcano.
Chief state seismologist Renato Solidum described the eruption as a “stream driven explosion”, a “normal process” in any volcano. There was no need for local residents around the mountain to evacuate, he said.
Mt Mayon has erupted at least 48 times since records began. The most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and devastated several towns.
The most recent eruption was in late 2009, when tens of thousands of local residents were forced to evacuate as the volcano rumbled back to life.
Three young women – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight – who vanished in separate incidents about a decade ago in Ohio have been found alive in a house in Cleveland.
Amanda Berry disappeared aged 16 in 2003, Gina DeJesus went missing aged 14 in 2004, and Michele Knight disappeared in 2002 aged around 19.
Their discovery followed a dramatic bid for freedom by Amanda Berry on Monday, helped by a neighbor.
Three brothers have been arrested in connection with the case.
Cleveland police said the suspects are Hispanic, aged 50, 52 and 54, and one of them had lived at the house on Seymour Avenue.
One was named as Ariel Castro, who has worked as a school bus driver.
Police have said a six-year-old girl was also found at the home. They have not revealed any further details, although a relative of Amanda Berry said she told him she had a daughter.
The girls’ family reacted with shock and delight at news of their discovery, and many people gathered outside the home where they had allegedly been imprisoned.
“In all this time, 10 years, nobody never figured nothing about where she was at and this has come to an end and it’s right here on Seymour,” said Gina DeJesus’ uncle.
A doctor said the three women were in a fair condition and were being kept in hospital for observation.
“This isn’t the ending we usually hear to these stories,” said Dr. Gerald Maloney in a brief news conference outside Metro Health hospital in Cleveland.
“We’re very happy.”
Speaking amid cheers from spectators, he added the women were able to speak to hospital staff but he declined to give further details.
The disappearances of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus had been big news in Cleveland, and many had assumed them to be dead.
Little was made of the disappearance of Michelle Knight, who was older than the other two girls.
Her grandmother, Deborah Knight, was quoted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper on Monday as saying that the authorities concluded she had run away.
The dramatic events unfolded after Amanda Berry attempted to flee the house when her alleged captor went out.
Amanda Berry disappeared aged 16 in 2003, Gina DeJesus went missing aged 14 in 2004
Neighbor Charles Ramsey said he heard screaming.
“I see this girl going nuts trying to get outside,” he told reporters.
He said he suggested the woman open the door and exit, but she told him it was locked.
“We had to kick open the bottom,” he said.
“Lucky on that door it was aluminium. It was cheap. She climbed out with her daughter.”
Both Charles Ramsey and Amanda Berry called 911.
In her frantic call, released to the news media, Amanda Berry told the operator: “I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been kidnapped. I’ve been missing for 10 years. I’m free. I’m here now.”
She identified her kidnapper as Ariel Castro and said other women were in the house.
Charles Ramsey said he was stunned by the developments. He said he had shared barbeques with Ariel Castro and never suspected a thing.
“There was nothing exciting about him… well, until today,” he said.
Amanda Berry at the Cleveland Hospital alongside her sister and the daughter that she gave birth to during the 10 years she was held against her will
An uncle, Julio Castro, who has a shop nearby, confirmed his nephew had been arrested, and said Ariel Castro had worked as a school bus driver. The Cleveland school district confirmed he worked for them, but did not give specifics.
“I am thankful that Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight have been found alive,” Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said.
“We have many unanswered questions regarding this case and the investigation will be ongoing.”
Amanda Berry was last heard from when she called her sister on 21 April 2003 to say she would get a lift home from work at a Burger King restaurant.
In 2004, Gina DeJesus was said to be on her way home from school when she went missing.
Their cases were re-opened last year when a prison inmate tipped off authorities that Amanda Berry may have been buried in Cleveland. He received a four-and-a-half-year sentence in prison for the false information.
Amanda Berry’s mother, Louwana, died in March 2006, three years after her daughter’s disappearance.
Although much is still not yet known about this case, it recalled a series of recent high-profile child abduction cases.
Jaycee Lee Dugard was 11 years old when she was dragged into a car as she walked to a bus stop near her home in South Lake Tahoe, California in 1991.
She was discovered in August 2009, having spent 18 years held captive in the backyard of Phillip and Nancy Garrido in Antioch, some 170 miles from South Lake Tahoe. She had two children.
In Austria, Natascha Kampusch was abducted on her way to school at the age of 10. She was held for eight years by Wolfgang Priklopil in the windowless basement of a house in a quiet suburb of Vienna.
She managed to escape in 2006 while Wolfgang Priklopil was making a phone call. He committed suicide hours after she had fled.
Elizabeth Smart was 14 when she was taken from the bedroom of her Utah home in June 2002 and repeatedly raped during nine months of captivity.
She was rescued in March 2003 less than 20 miles from her home. Her abductor, Brian David Mitchell, was jailed for life in 2011.
Chris Brown has confirmed he and Rihanna are taking a break from one another after she was absent from his birthday celebrations all weekend.
“I’m always going to love that person … [but] I can’t be focused on wife-ing someone that young – I need to step forward and be a man and be the best Chris Brown I can be,” Chris Brown, 24, said on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show.
Chris Brown has confirmed he and Rihanna are taking a break from one another after she was absent from his birthday celebrations all weekend
“Live and you f***ing learn!” the singer tweeted Monday morning.
“I’m just focus on my music.”
“I mean at the end of the day, [Rihanna] is doing her own thing, she’s on the road,” he told the Australian radio hosts.
“It’s always gonna be love – I’m a grown man, just gotta fast forward.”
“I’m just trying to have, you know, the best time and basically celebrate with all my fans and all the people in the club,” Chris Brown explained.
Showing Chris Brown what he’s missing, Rihanna posted a picture with her gal pals Cara Delevigne and Georgia May Jagger on Sunday: “Yup! We definitely have more fun!! #blondelife #backstagebehavior @caradelevingne @georgiamayjagger.”
On Saturday, Chris Brown continued his 24th birthday bender at 1 OAK Nightclub in Las Vegas, where he wound up shirtless, smoking cigarettes and drinking the night away.
Lauryn Hill has been sentenced in New Jersey to three months in jail for tax evasion.
Lauryn Hill, 37, also faces three months of home confinement, after pleading guilty last year.
Lauryn Hill has been sentenced in New Jersey to three months in jail for tax evasion
The Grammy-winning singer failed to pay taxes on about $1.8 million of earnings between 2005 and 2007.
In a statement to the judge, Lauryn Hill said she intended to pay the taxes but could not after ending her music career. It is not clear when Lauryn Hill will report to prison.
“I needed to be able to earn so I could pay my taxes, without compromising the health and welfare of my children, and I was being denied that,” she told the judge in court on Monday.
Lauryn Hill has six children, five of whom she had with Rohan Marley, the son of Bob Marley.
She has largely withdrawn from public life while raising her children.
She started her career with Grammy-award winning hip-hop group Fugees alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel.
Lauryn Hill released her acclaimed solo debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in 1998, which won five Grammy awards and sold more than 19 million copies worldwide.
Robel Phillipos, friend of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who is accused of lying to FBI investigators, will be released on bail with house arrest, a federal judge has ruled today.
American citizen Robel Phillipos, 19, is to be freed on a $100,000 bond provided he wears an electronic monitoring bracelet and is confined to his home.
He and two other friends of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were charged last week with hindering the investigation.
Robel Phillipos faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.
Robel Phillipos, friend of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, will be released on bail with house arrest
He is accused of lying to investigators about visiting Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dormitory at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on April 18, three days after the bombings.
Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev, two other college friends, have been charged with conspiring to obstruct justice by taking a backpack with the remains of fireworks and a laptop from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room before the FBI searched it.
None of the three men are implicated in the planning of the bombings.
In court documents, defense attorneys for Robel Phillipos said their client had nothing to do with the attack and was not a flight risk.
According to a resume filed with the court, Robel Phillipos was studying marketing and sociology at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, and was expected to graduate in 2015.
But the university has said he was not enrolled during the current semester.
In letters filed with the court, friends and family members described Robel Phillipos as peaceful and non-violent.
“I do not believe that my beloved Robel crosses the line intentionally to support or assist such a horrendous act against us the people of the USA,” his aunt, Zewditu Alemu, wrote.
The Rolling Stones opened their North American 50 and Counting tour in Los Angeles on Friday in a packed house, but only after websites slashed ticket prices and the band released additional cheap seats at the last minute.
The 17-date tour is the Rolling Stones’ biggest in six years and follows a handful of dates in London, Paris and New York at the end of 2012 marking 50 years since they burst on to the music scene at London’s Marquee Club in 1962.
Only one week ago the band said it was slashing the ticket price of thousands of premium seats to avoid playing to half empty arenas.
The Rolling Stones opened their 50 and Counting tour in LA after being forced to slash ticket prices to ensure full houses
“Total disaster, too expensive and no vibe,” a source told The Observer, adding the band could see their $20 million tour fee revised.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are each 69 years old, and Charlie Watts is 71, but they transformed into their younger selves for the night.
Sir Mick Jagger might not hit all the notes he once did, but he still busted out his almost spastic, serpentine dance moves on song after song. He’s impossibly thin, and his spine showed through the light shirt he wore.
Staples Center was packed to capacity for the concert, the first of 17 dates the Stones are set to play throughout the US.
The stage was modeled after the band’s iconic logo, with lips and teeth above the stage and a tongue-shaped platform that extended into the crowd.
A video of famous folks sharing their favorite Rolling Stones memories played before the band took the stage, with Johnny Depp, Martin Scorsese, Perry Farrell and others, reminiscing about their favorite tunes.
Actress Cate Blanchett recalled “just how skinny they were”.
“It really, really pisses me off,” she said.
Other videos showed the aging rockers as young men.
Jack Nicholson was among the stars in the audience, and fans welcomed him with a round of applause as he took his seat.
“It was either us or the Lakers, so now you got us,” Mick Jagger said early in the show, referring to the basketball playoffs that forced the band to postpone its opening concert from Thursday to Friday.
“It doesn’t matter to Jack Nicholson because he was coming to both of them,” Mick Jagger continued.
Jack Nicholson wasn’t the only star in the house. Gwen Stefani, wearing long blond hair and a bedazzled Rolling Stones tank top, joined the group onstage to sing Wild Horses.
“I’ve got to get one of these T-shirts,” Mick Jagger said, admiring her top.
Keith Urban played guitar and sang backup on Respectable.
Former Stones member Mick Taylor added guitar to Midnight Rambler.
Keith Richards sang a pair of tunes: Happy and Before They Make Me Run. Mick Jagger also played guitar and harmonica, and came out in a floor-length marabou cape to perform Sympathy for the Devil.
“We first played in LA in 1965,” Mick Jagger said.
“Thank you for keeping on coming to see us.”
The Rolling Stones’ tour continues through June 21.
Jennifer Lopez was rushed to safety after gunshots were fired in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, near the place she was filming a music video.
Security guards took JLo to a vehicle after hearing several gunshots about 400 yards from where she was filming on Sunday night in Fort Lauderdale.
Security guards took JLo to a vehicle after hearing several gunshots about 400 yards from where she was filming in Fort Lauderdale
Police converged on the area, but the people involved in the shooting were not found, although police detained several people at the scene.
Jennifer Lopez, 43, was in Fort Lauderdale to shoot the music video for Live It Up, her upcoming collaboration with Pitbull.
She was filming an interview with Entertainment Tonight on the set of her music video when the shots were heard.
Entertainment Tonight‘s Rob Marciano, who was interviewing JLo, reported that “Security scrambled [Jennifer Lopez] away” after the shots rang out.
He tweeted: “BREAKING: Gunshots fired on Fort Lauderdale Beach DURING my JLo interview. No kidding. Security scrambled her away.”
Rob Marciano added: “Can hear & see ambulances converging ~400 yards down the street.”
Before adding: “Police confirming: <<shots fired. no one hit>>. Whew.”
Security officials said Jennifer Lopez was secure in her vehicle when the incident was reported, but it’s bound to have brought back memories from the time she and then boyfriend P. Diddy were arrested over a shooting at a nightclub in New York in the late ’90s.
JLo is being supported on the shoot by her partner, Casper Smart, 25, who has brought his mother along too.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the Boston Marathon bombers lived prior to their terror attack, has announced they will not allow dead suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s body to be buried there, it was revealed Sunday.
City manager Robert Healy said Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s body was not welcomed in one of its cemeteries.
Cambridge, MA, has announced they will not allow dead suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s body to be buried there
“I have determined that it is not in the best interest of peace within the city to execute a cemetery deed for a plot within the Cambridge Cemetery for the body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev,” Robert Healey said.
The news comes as Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, arrived in the Bay State to claim his nephew’s body and prepare for a funeral.
Meanwhile funeral director Peter Stefan, whose business is being protested and has turned away by every cemetery, is determined with burying Tamerlan Tamerlan’s body, saying everyone deserves a dignified burial regardless of the circumstances of their death.
Hans Lipschis, a 93-year-old alleged former guard at the Auschwitz extermination camp, has been arrested in southern Germany.
Hans Lipschis was taken into custody in Aalen after prosecutors concluded there was “compelling evidence” that he had been complicit in murder.
He acknowledges he served with the Waffen SS at the camp in occupied Poland, but claims he was only a cook.
Last month, the Simon Wiesenthal Center placed his name as number four on its list of most-wanted Nazis.
The organization accused him of participating in the mass murder and persecution of innocent civilians, primarily Jews, at Auschwitz between October 1941 and 1945.
Hans Lipschis is the first person arrested as a result of a series of new investigations launched by the German authorities into some 50 former Auschwitz guards who are still alive.
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report has revealed today that debt-laden Greece has made progress in improving its finances, but the country must do more to fight tax evasion.
In a report, the IMF said Greece had made “exceptional” progress on reducing its budget deficit since 2010.
But the IMF, one of the lenders that backed a bailout of Greece, said the “notorious” problem of tax evasion was still a major issue.
Also, Athens was still too slow to cut public sector jobs, the IMF said.
IMF report revealed Greece has made progress in improving its finances, but the country must do more to fight tax evasion
Cutting the budget deficit and making its economy more competitive were key conditions of the 240 billion-euro bailout from the European Union and the IMF.
“Progress on fiscal adjustment has been exceptional by any international comparison,” the IMF said in its report, which followed a visit by officials to the country.
“Greece has also made a significant dent in its competitiveness gap,” the report said.
But the IMF added that “insufficient” structural reforms have meant that deficit cutting has been achieved primarily through cutting jobs and salaries bringing “unequal distribution of the burden of adjustment”.
The IMF also said that “very little” had been done to tackle Greece’s “notorious tax evasion,” with the rich and self-employed “simply not paying their fair share” as austerity unfairly hits mostly public sector workers earning a salary or a pension.
It also called on the government to strengthen the independence of the tax administration to make it easier to reform the system.
On public sector jobs, the IMF said Greece is too reliant on voluntary departures.
“The taboo against mandatory dismissals must be overcome,” the report said.
Last month, the Greek parliament adopted a law that will allow the dismissal of 15,000 civil servants.
But under Greece’s current bailout plan agreed in November, Athens has to cut 150,000 public sector jobs overall from 2010 to 2015, about a fifth of the total.
Compulsory redundancies are a sensitive issue in Greece where unemployment has hit a record high of 27.2% and the economy is now in its sixth year of recession.
Last week, an EU report forecast that Greece would end years of recession in 2014 with growth of 0.6%, in line with an earlier forecast by the IMF.
Following what the IMF forecast will be a 4.6% contraction of the economy this year, the Fund warned that attempts to “artificially” stimulate growth should be resisted.
Justin Bieber kept his fans in Dubai waiting for two hours in humid 86F (30C) heat.
When he finally took to the stage in Dubai at 10 p.m. on Saturday Justin Bieber performed only one song before disappearing for a break.
By the time he returned, many of the 15,000-strong audience, who had paid up to $275 for tickets, were leaving because Sunday is a school day in the United Arab Emirates.
Some had travelled miles to get there as the concert venue is in the middle of the desert on the outskirts of Dubai then parents and fans vented their anger on Twitter.
In his first show in the Middle East, Justin Bieber, 19, opened at 10 p.m. with All Around the World – then disappeared while a DJ took over.
Justin Bieber kept his fans in Dubai waiting for two hours in humid 86F
By the time he reappeared in a different outfit, fed-up parents were already leaving in droves.
Justin Bieber’s performance was later interrupted when a male member of the audience tackled him and tipped over a piano after climbing onto the stage.
The singer managed to finish the song as security took the man away, and returned to perform the gig finale after a three-minute break.
It is not the first time that Justin Bieber has come under fire for treating his fans badly.
In March, he was two hours late for a performance at London’s O2 arena. Many of the youngsters had to leave before he even appeared on stage and others missed their last trains home.
Miley Cyrus claims she tops Maxim‘s annual Hot 100 list stealing the crown from Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli.
Miley Cyrus, 20, accidentally revealed in a Twitter post on Saturday that she’s been named Maxim‘s sexiest woman of the year.
Though her admission comes weeks before the magazine had planned to officially announce the results of the competition, Miley Cyrus gushed that it is “a dream come true” to top the compilation.
The Hannah Montana star tweeted: “Didn’t know this was coming out yet! I’m so happy to be #1 on Maxims HOT 100! #myfanskickass #dreamsdocometrue.”
Miley Cyrus claims she tops Maxim’s annual Hot 100 list stealing the crown from Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli
Miley Cyrus also posted an exclusive picture of herself from Maxim‘s upcoming steamy spread, in which she is laying seductively on a beach in a plunging gold swimsuit and an assortment of chain necklaces.
The singer shared the same image on her new Instagram profile, and wrote: “My 1st Instagram is dedicated to all my fans thank you for crowning me #1 Maxim Hot 100.”
Miley Cyrus recently claimed she was no longer interested in stripping down for photo shoots telling Elle magazine: “A star is someone who doesn’t have to take her clothes off to be sexy because you naturally have star power.
“Sex does sell, but you have to find a way that’s not just showing your t***.
“I don’t want to be a glorified model. They just walk on stage and it’s all about their clothes – or lack of clothes.”
The annual Maxim party celebrating the special issue dedicated to the 100 most beautiful women of the year is set to take place on May 15 in Hollywood.
Maxim has yet to comment on Miley Cyrus’ claims.
Last year Miley Cyrus earned a ranking of 68 on Maxim’s list, falling substantially behind victor Bar Refaeli and runners-up Olivia Munn, Mila Kunis, Katy Perry and Olivia Wilde.
Chris Brown celebrated his 24th birthday for a second night and he did not seem to be missing Rihanna.
Chris Brown continued his birthday bender on Saturday night at 1 OAK Nightclub in Las Vegas, where he wound up shirtless, smoking cigarettes and drinking the night away.
He brought an entourage of friends to the club where they took over the DJ booth and made the place their own until 5 a.m.
Chris Brown continued his birthday bender on Saturday night at 1 OAK Nightclub in Las Vegas
Chris Brown started the night off dressed in a rather civilized all-black hooded ensemble.
He posed outside of the 1 OAK Nightclub, sunglasses on and ready to party.
Chris Brown is said to have signed a lucrative deal with the club, which may be what brought him to the venue for the second round of his birthday celebrations.
Later in the night, the raging began when Chris Brown rid himself of the hooded sweater revealing a black singlet.
He popped a cigarette in his mouth and seemingly took control of the DJ booth whilst his friends partied it up at a VIP table.
It was not long before even the singlet became too much, so Chris Brown tore it off and danced raucously above the crowd with a group of friends, including a horde of excited women.
There was almost always a cigarette and drink in hand as singer partied for hours.
Chris Brown, who seems to have regained control of his Twitter account after having it suspended, gave all the gory details of what seems to have been a rather intense night of partying.
“Do too wasted at the party. Threw up crazy!! Lol!” he tweeted, giving away a little too much information.
Meanwhile, Chris Brown’s on-again-off-again girlfriend Rihanna enjoyed her own celebration – at a basketball game.
Rihanna looked glamorous in a slinky black outfit and sexy black lace-up heels as she sat courtside to watch the Chicago Bulls play against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.
She is currently in New York on her Diamonds World Tour… hence her inability to attend round one and two of Chris Brown’ s celebrations.
But if what the singer tweeted last week is anything to go by, a party with Rihanna may be next on his list.
“LA, VEGAS, NEW YORK! Celebrating this WEEK on to the next week! #birthdayturnup,” Chris Brown tweeted last Thursday.
YouTube, the video site owned by Google, is set to launch a paid-for subscription service later this week that will charge users to access content on some of its specialist channels.
A single-channel subscription is expected to cost $1.99 a month and will apply to as many as 50 YouTube channels, the Financial Times reported.
Paying customers will be able to get access to exclusive videos, TV shows and films from select specialist channels.
Paying a subscription may also remove adverts from free videos.
YouTube revamped the site and introduced channels in December 2011.
In October 2012, YouTube launched 60 partner channels, including BBC Worldwide On Earth, ITN, the Jamie Oliver Food Channel and Mixmag TV.
Other partners include Channel 4 and Film 4, Howcast and The Onion.
YouTube is set to launch a paid-for subscription service that will charge users to access content on some of its specialist channels
It is not yet known which of these partner channels will be included in YouTube’s subscription service when it launches.
A “person familiar with the plans” told the FT that the channels will show archived content or exclusive previews and clips.
The extra money is also expected to fund new TV and film shows that will be shown exclusively online.
Paid-for subscriptions are an alternative way for YouTube to make money, in addition to its advertising revenues.
The new channels have helped expand YouTube’s audience to 1billion users who watch 6 billion hours of video each month.
You can already subscribe to get updates from channels for free.
YouTube hasn’t confirmed the paid-for subscription plans, but a Google spokesman said: “We’re looking into creating a subscription platform that could bring even more great content to YouTube for our users to enjoy and provide our creators with another vehicle to generate revenue from their content, beyond the rental and ad-supported models we offer.”
Rumors about paid-for subscriptions began in January when AdAge reported YouTube had been in touch with a “small group of channel producers”.
The reports claimed YouTube had asked them to submit applications to create channels that users would have to pay to access.
Then in February, Android fan blog Android Police noticed the YouTube app had been updated to include “channel subscribe” code.
The code appeared to describe a function in the app which tells users they can only subscribe to or unsubscribe from paid channels from their desktop or laptop computers.
It reads: “<string name=”paid_channel_subscribe_message”>You can only subscribe to this paid channel on your computer.</string>”
And: “<string name=”paid_channel_unsubscribe_message”> You can only unsubscribe from this paid channel on your computer.</string>”
In addition to episodic content, YouTube is also considering charging for content libraries and access to live events on a pay-per-view basics, as well as self-help or financial advice shows.
YouTube is expected to launch the paid-for subscription as an experiment.
The revenue split between YouTube and the channel producers is expected to be similar to the 45-55 split that YouTube currently has with advertising revenue.
At a media conference last year, YouTube’s CEO Salar Kamangar said that a subscription model would give TV networks and producers of these networks a more direct line to their audience with lower costs.
A Google spokesman added: “We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models.
“There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we’re looking at that.”
Former Italian PM Giulio Andreotti, one of the most prominent political figures of post-war Italy, has died aged 94.
Giulio Andreotti was prime minister seven times between 1972 and 1992. He led the Christian Democrat party, which dominated Italian politics for decades.
He was dogged in later years by allegations of corruption and Mafia links.
Giulio Andreotti had been seriously ill for some time, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported.
Former Italian PM Giulio Andreotti, one of the most prominent political figures of post-war Italy, has died aged 94
He entered the Italian parliament in 1946 and remained there for more than 60 years, before seeing out his days as a senator-for-life.
He was reputed to have met the pope as an 8-year-old after sneaking away from a Vatican tour group.
Giulio Andreotti later became one of the founding fathers of the post-war Italian republic.
He was a junior minister at the age of 28, and went on to serve as either prime minister or a senior minister in the many frequently changing Christian Democratic coalitions that held power almost continuously between 1946 and 1992.
The party then lost power and collapsed.
Giulio Andreotti was known as a pro-European who committed Italy to European integration and helped forge the way forward to a single currency.
But he also faced a growing string of allegations, many related to his links with corrupt financiers and top criminals.
Giulio Andreotti was accused by a super grass of sharing a “kiss of honor” with the Mafia’s “boss of bosses”, Toto Riina, at a secret meeting in 1987.
And he was tried for allegedly ordering the murder of a journalist who had threatened to publish details of his alleged Mafia involvement.
Giulio Andreotti’s conviction and 24-year jail sentence for the killing was overturned on appeal.
However, in 2004, Italy’s top appeals court did uphold a verdict that he had “consciously and deliberately cultivated a stable relationship” with Mafia bosses right up to 1980.
But he was not formally convicted because the offence had lapsed under Italy’s statute of limitations.
Giulio Andreotti remained a senator and an influential political figure until his final years, not least because of his close ties with the Vatican.
