Pope Benedict XVI made his first public appearance since announcing his resignation and thanked the public for their “love and prayers”.
The Pope was cheered by crowds as he entered and began speaking, at a weekly audience in a hall at the Vatican.
Pope Benedict said he resigned because he was aware of his own diminishing spiritual and physical strength.
Later he will hold what is expected to be his last public Mass, for Ash Wednesday, in St Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Benedict cited his advanced age and failing strength as reasons for stepping down at the end of February.
The 85-year-old pontiff will continue with his diary as usual until the day he officially retires, Vatican officials say.
By the end of Lent, in six weeks’ time, there is expected to be a new Pope.
The Pope is holding his weekly general audience at its traditional venue, the audience hall in the Vatican.
However, the afternoon Mass has been relocated.
The pontiff had been scheduled to celebrate Ash Wednesday at the small Sant’ Anselmo church, then lead a procession to Santa Sabina Basilica on Rome’s Aventine Hill.
Pope Benedict XVI was cheered by crowds as he made his first public appearance since resignation announcement at a weekly audience
The Vatican said the change to St Peter’s was to accommodate the crowds, but it will also save the Pope the effort of the procession.
“It will be an important concelebration, and the last led by the Holy Father in St Peter’s,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
Pope Benedict XVI will anoint the foreheads of the faithful with ashes, in a service attended by cardinals, bishops, monks, friars and pilgrims.
Ash Wednesday begins Lenten season, a period of penitence before Easter – celebrated this year by western Christians at the end of March and beginning of April.
The Vatican holds a Lenten retreat from 17 to 24 February. The Pope will hold one more Wednesday audience on February 27, again in St Peter’s Square.
At 78, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest popes in history at his election.
He took the helm as one of the fiercest storms the Catholic Church has faced in decades – the scandal of child sex abuse by priests – was breaking.
Pope Benedict XVI said in his Monday’s statement: “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”
Lady Gaga has postponed several dates of her Born This Way Ball tour after suffering an injury and being in “chronic pain”.
Lady Gaga, 26, posted a message to her Facebook page on Tuesday to break the news to her fans and apologized for having to pull out of the shows.
The singer wrote: “There’s an unfortunate announcement coming out right now, concerning myself and the Born This Way Ball. I’m so sorry. I barely know what to say. I’ve been hiding a show injury and chronic pain for some time now, over the past month it has worsened.
“I’ve been praying it would heal. I hid it from my staff, I didn’t want to disappoint my amazing fans. However after last night’s performance I could not walk and still can’t.”
Lady Gaga added: “To the fans in Chicago Detroit & Hamilton I hope you can forgive me, as it is nearly impossible for me to forgive myself. I’m devastated & sad. It will hopefully heal as soon as possible, I hate this. I hate this so much. I love you and I’m sorry.”
Lady Gaga has postponed several dates of her Born This Way Ball tour after suffering an injury and being in chronic pain
On Lady Gaga’s website her injury was described as “synovitis [severe inflammation of joints]” and it was confirmed that she has been told to rest on doctors orders.
Tuesday and Wednesday night’s concerts in Chicago were postponed along with Saturday and Sunday’s shows in Detroit and Hamilton respectively.
The website states that additional concerts are set to go ahead as planned.
The next scheduled show is set to be on Tuesday, February 19, in Philadelphia.
Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas have confirmed they are expecting their first child together.
Alec Baldwin, 54, and his yoga instructor wife of eight months said her pregnancy came as “a wonderful surprise” and they feel very “lucky”.
Hilaria Thomas, 28, confirmed the news on Tuesday on Extra, for which she acts as a part-time correspondent, saying: “We’ve having a baby. [It] was a surprise, a wonderful surprise.”
Alec Baldwin has a 17-year-old daughter Ireland with ex-wife Kim Basinger.
The actor revealed he was unaware that his wife was even taking a pregnancy test at their country home and was amazed to discover the news when he heard her screaming in the bathroom.
Alec Baldwin said: “There’s a scream I heard, which is a scream normally reserved [for] if there’s a spider in the house. It really is the most amazing thing. I’m lucky.”
Hilaria Thomas has already noticed a change in her body and she can’t wait to start preparing their home for the new arrival.
She said: “I’m showing. This is actually gonna happen, now we can start the nursery, the everything, the dreaming!”
Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas have confirmed they are expecting their first child together
Alec Baldwin previously revealed that he hoped to become a stay at home father if Hilaria Thomas ever got pregnant.
He joked: “I want her to get rich because I want to retire. She teaches yoga.
“I want her to become the world’s first billionaire yoga teacher. I know it is a long shot, but that’s the plan I’m sticking with right now.
“I want to have a baby and stay home and make the pancakes before I send my wife out to work every day to pay the bills.”
Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas were recently denied reports they were having a baby because they weren’t ready to announce the news.
Hilaria Thomas first sparked speculation she was expecting late last month when she showed off what looked like a baby bump while filming a segment for Extra that saw her pull off some impromptu dance moves.
Bobbi Kristina Brown turned to shopping for some much needed therapy following her mother’s death along with her boyfriend and foster brother Nick Gordon.
They were seen making their way through the Target carpark in Atlanta, Georgia.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, wore a mask of indifference as she puffed on a cigarette, clasping in her hand both a blended coffee drink and her cigarettes as the couple made their way back to the car.
Whitney Houston’s daughter was dressed in a nearly all black ensemble, featuring a black leather jacket, grey and black striped shirt and black trousers along with black trainers.
She kept her face down and expressionless.
Bobbi Kristina Brown let Nick Gordon, 22, who was dressed down in a red and black tracksuit, push the trolley full of purchases.
Bobbi Kristina Brown turned to shopping for some much needed therapy following her mother’s death along with her boyfriend and foster brother Nick Gordon
Four days ago, Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon hit up another store in town where they bought a small flat screen television among other things.
Once again, Bobbi Kristina Brown occupied herself by smoking a cigarette while wearing a blank look.
Even as she struggles with the loss of her mother, Bobbi Kristina recently was quick to speak out about her grandmother Cissy Houston’s book Remembering Whitney.
Actress Penelope Cruz has confirmed she is pregnant with her second child.
Penelope Cruz, 38, revealed the happy news through her publicist, Javier Giner, to explain her decision to not travel to Spain for Goya awards show on February 17.
Javier Giner said the actress was “extremely happy and very excite” about the news.
Penelope Cruz is nominated for Best Leading Actress at the Goya awards in Spain and because of her condition didn’t want to take a long haul flight, Javier Giner told broadcaster RTVE.
The new baby will be a sibling to two-year-old sibling Leo.
Penelope Cruz and husband Javier Bardem – who had been friends for years – started dating in 2007 and married in early July 2010 in an intimate ceremony at a friend’s home in the Bahamas.
The actress has previously spoken out about how motherhood has transformed her life.
Penelope Cruz has confirmed she is pregnant with her second child
Penelope Cruz said: “From the first second, you feel so much love.
“It is a revolutionary experience. That’s the best way I can describe it. It transforms you completely, in a second.
“Nature is very wise and gives you nine months to prepare, but in that moment, when you see that face, you are transformed forever.”
Penelope Cruz is also determined to keep her kids out of the public eye, despite hers and 43-year-old Javier Bardem’s successful careers.
She explained: “I want my son and my kids – if I have more – to grow up in a way that is as anonymous as possible.
“The fact that his father and I have chosen to do the work we do doesn’t give anybody the right to invade our privacy.”
British advertising watchdogs have banned showings of Keira Knightley’s commercial for Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle around children’s programmes and films.
The idea that children’s eyes need to be shielded from Keira Knightley’s performance will surprise viewers. Chanel defended the commercial, insisting it was playful and sensual rather than overtly sexual.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in UK disagreed at a time when many parents, including PM David Cameron, are becoming increasingly concerned about the sexualization of children.
The commercial opened with Keira Knightley in tight leathers astride a motorbike racing through city streets, before cutting to a modeling scene where she is being photographed on a bed.
The relationship with the photographer becomes increasingly flirtatious and sexual as the man is seen unzipping her leather boots and attempting a kiss.
At one stage Keira Knightley’s bare shoulders are seen, while she is assumed to be naked beneath some sheets.
Just as the relationship seems certain to become even more intimate, she disappears out of the window and rides off leaving her would-be lover disappointed.
The commercial was aired during a screening of the cartoon Ice Age 2, which has been a hit with families. A woman viewer complained that it was not suitable to be shown during a children’s film because it was overtly sexual.
British advertising watchdogs have banned showings of Keira Knightley’s commercial for Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle around children’s programmes and films
Chanel rejected the claim and said its founder, Coco Chanel, was known for being a strong, independent woman and the character in the ad was intended to reflect her spirit.
The perfume giant pointed out that there was no nudity in the ad and that the character only briefly revealed her shoulders as part of a photo shoot.
They said the photographer helped Keira Knightley remove her boots, rather than her clothes, as part of a wardrobe change during the photo shoot.
Chanel said while a degree of sexual tension was common in perfume ads, this particular commercial was “playful and sensual”.
However, the ASA sided with the complainant arguing the scenes involved “sexually suggestive content”.
The ASA said: “We noted that the photographer was directly involved in unzipping the actress’s garments and that there was a suggestion that she was naked aside from a bed sheet.
“We also noted that there was clear sexual tension between the pair and that they appeared about to kiss on the bed.
“We considered the ad was suitable for older children, but that the sexually suggestive material was unsuitable for young children.”
Kim Kardashian has posed for the March issue of Elle magazine where she is styled by Lady Gaga’s fashion director Nicola Formichetti.
Kim Kardashian, 32, poses for a series of sultry shots for the publication, with some of the pictures showing her looking distinctly different from her usual image.
The majority of the photographs show the reality star with dramatic dark cats eye make-up and darkly drawn eyebrows.
One shot shows Kim Kardashian channeling a 1960s look with big backcombed hair, pale lipstick and round Chanel drop earrings, sporting a Tom Ford patent leather jacket.
Kim Kardashian’s famous curves are also on show – one snap shows her in a low cut white Viktor & Rolf dress and a beaded wool Roberto Cavalli blazer.
“I love being transformed and I love your vision of who you think I am – that’s always so inspiring for me and so interesting seeing someone’s take on me,” Kim Kardashian tells Nicola Formichetti on a behind-the-scenes video on Elle’s website.
“When I work with someone I really respect, I work with trust,” the reality star adds.
“Even if I’m not comfortable in something, I trust your vision to push me a little bit.”
However, Kim Kardashian admits she was “really nervous” to take part in the shoot as working with Nicola Formichetti was “just a dream come true”.
Kim Kardashian has posed for the March issue of Elle magazine where she is styled by Lady Gaga’s fashion director Nicola Formichetti
Stylist Nicola Formichetti, who has worked with Lady Gaga since 2009 on her album covers, performances and videos, says he was impressed with Kim Kardashian’s down to earth air and the fact she arrived at the shoot with no entourage.
“I travel alone,” reveals Kim Kardashian, who is expecting her first child by boyfriend Kanye West.
“I don’t have an entourage and I’m sick of my family right now and they’re my only entourage!
“I like to vibe out by ourselves and sometimes when you have lots of other people there, it gets in the way.”
But it wasn’t all plain sailing, Nicola Formichetti admitted that designers refused to lend him clothes because of “fashion snobbery”.
According toRadar Online, Nicola Formichetti revealed that it posed “a challenge” for him after the stylist claims he approached several designers who declined having their clothes worn by the star.
“People wouldn’t lend me the clothes,” Nicola Formichetti explains.
Actor Steve Martin has become a father for the first time at the age of 67.
Steve Martin and his wife Anne Stringfield, 41, are believed to have welcomed a baby into their lives back in December.
Although the fiercely-private couple had managed to keep their happy news a secret until now, they were recently spotted doting on their child near their Los Angeles home.
A source told the New York Postnewspaper: “They’ve had a baby, and how they kept it a secret nobody knows.
“Steve’s very private. They are thrilled. They worked hard to have the baby.”
Steve Martin – who played a father of 12 in the comedy movie Cheaper By The Dozen – and Anne Stringfield married in July 2007 after three years together.
Their wedding took place at Steve’s Los Angeles home with former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey presiding over the ceremony, while Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels acted as best man.
Guests, who included Tom Hanks and Diane Keaton, did not know the couple were getting married and instead thought they had been invited to a party.
Steve Martin and his wife Anne Stringfield are believed to have welcomed a baby into their lives back in December
Steve Martin was previously married to actress Victoria Tennant for nearly 8 years.
It’s reported that Anne Stringfield – a writer for The New Yorker magazine – encouraged Steve Martin to pen his hugely successful autobiography, Born Standing Up, released in 2007.
The memoir chronicles Steve Martin’s early life, days working for Disneyland, working at low tier coffee shops and clubs as a comedic act and also his later days of the Bird Cage, his relationships, his eventual fame, and the reason why he quit stand-up altogether in 1981.
US cable provider Comcast is to acquire the full ownership of TV and film company NBCUniversal for $16.7 billion.
Comcast will buy the 49% stake in the joint venture that it doesn’t own from US industrial conglomerate General Electric (GE).
It will also buy the well-known 30 Rockefeller Plaza building in New York and another property for $1.4 billion.
Comcast took a majority stake in NBCUniversal in 2009.
NBCUniversal owns the Universal Studios theme parks, TV networks like MSNBC and E! and film studios like Universal Pictures, which made movies like Jaws, ET and Jurassic Park.
GE was planning to shed its stake in the business and the deal accelerates the takeover.
US cable provider Comcast is to acquire the full ownership of TV and film company NBCUniversal for $16.7 billion
“Our decision to acquire GE’s ownership is driven by our sense of optimism for the future prospects of NBCUniversal and our desire to capture future value that we hope to create for our shareholders,” said Brian Roberts, chairman and chief executive of Comcast.
The deal will be funded by $11.4 billion of cash on hand, with the rest funded by debt and stock.
In terms of properties, Comcast is buying NBC’s headquarters in New York and CNBC’s headquarters in New Jersey.
The takeover must still be approved by regulators and is expected to be finalized by the end of the first quarter.
President Barack Obama has urged US Congress to back government action to revive the country’s sluggish economy, in his annual State of the Union speech.
Barack Obama promised “smarter” rather than bigger government for “the many, and not just the few”.
He also called for action on gun violence, climate change and immigration reform.
In the Republican response, Senator Marco Rubio urged Barack Obama to drop his “obsession” with raising taxes.
Speaking in the House of Representatives, Barack Obama told his audience that his generation’s task was “to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class”.
“We have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is strong,” Barack Obama said in an hour-long address.
Delivering growth and jobs will be the “North Star that guides our efforts”, he added.
But he insisted that nothing he planned would raise the deficit “by a single dime”.
Barack Obama proposed reforms to reduce the cost of Medicare, a federal healthcare programme for pensioners, but argued “we can’t just cut our way to prosperity”.
In his speech, Barack Obama went on to call for federal investment in infrastructure, clean energy and education.
And he vowed to act on climate change himself if Congress failed to enact legislation.
“I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change…,” he said.
“But if Congress won’t act sooner to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”
President Barack Obama has urged US Congress to back government action to revive the country’s sluggish economy, in his annual State of the Union speech
Barack Obama also said he would reduce by more than half the number of US troops in Afghanistan over the next year.
He asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, called for legislation to ensure women are paid equally to men, and announced a commission to improve the voting process.
On gun control, Barack Obama said an “overwhelming” majority of Americans supported “common-sense reform” on firearms, including tighter background checks and restrictions on “weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines”.
And he urged gun-control opponents to allow a vote in Congress on his proposals.
“The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence – they deserve a simple vote,” the president said.
He also praised bipartisan efforts to draw up an immigration reform bill, adding that if he is sent legislation: “I will sign it right away.”
Less than a day after North Korea tested a nuclear device, Barack Obama said the US will “lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats”.
Barack Obama will take to the road in the coming days to push his economic recovery proposals, stopping in the US states of North Carolina and Georgia and in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
Senator Marco Rubio, a possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate, delivered his party’s official riposte.
In it, he attacked Barack Obama’s economic policies and said “more government isn’t going to help you get ahead, it’s going to hold you back”.
The Cuban-American senator, who also made his address in Spanish, referred to the pain felt by residents of the working-class neighborhood in which he grew up.
He told Barack Obama: “I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich. I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.”
The Florida senator also warned the president that the “tax increases and the deficit spending you propose will hurt middle-class families”.
Underscoring conservative divisions, immediately after the Rubio speech Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul delivered the Tea Party’s rebuttal to Barack Obama’s address.
He said both parties had failed voters by driving up trillion-dollar deficits.
Former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner is believed to be dead inside a burning cabin last night, likely ending a five-day game of cat and mouse that has claimed at least four lives and captivated the nation.
Christopher Dorner, 33, was believed to be hiding out in the cabin, which burned to the ground after a raging gun battle in which he killed one sheriff’s deputy and wounded another.
The case has gained national attention after Christopher Dorner’s online manifesto was discovered, which included how he was targeting family members of LAPD cops who had wronged him, and shoutouts to celebrities like Charlie Sheen and Larry David.
In a press conference last night, Commander Andrew Smith of the LAPD denied reports that a body had been pulled out of the collapsed cabin, saying that the home is still too hot to search.
If his body is found among the rubble of the home, authorities will likely be looking for identifying marks on the charred remains like tattoos before confirming the identity.
Officials have not yet confirmed that the ex-LAPD cop is dead, but they say he did not leave the cabin before it was engulfed in flames and collapsed.
San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department public information officer Cindy Bachman said during a late night news conference: “They have a very large crime scene to process… At the same time, they’re mourning one of their brothers who was killed today.”
Cindy Bachman added that no one from the sheriff’s department has been able to get into the cabin, saying: “It is not safe to do that.”
Christopher Dorner had taken cover in the small building about 2:00 p.m. local time. At 4:15 p.m., it caught fire after SWAT officers fired several tear gas canisters into the windows.
The blaze spread rapidly, but deputies did not appear to budge from their positions.
A single gunshot was heard coming from inside the cabin before the cabin was fully engulfed in flames.
SWAT officers stood down and walked away from the building about 45 minutes later, KCAL-TV reported.
Earlier in the afternoon, hundreds of gunshots could be heard in the woods in San Bernardino National Forest as officers exchanged assault weapons fire with Christopher Dorner, who had promised to “wage war” against police and kill any officers who tried to stop him.
Christopher Dorner, a combat-trained U.S. Navy reserve officer, shot two San Bernardino sheriff’s deputies as he tried to make an escape from the cabin, but was driven back inside under heavy gunfire.
The firefight began when a California Fish and Game warden spotted Christopher Dorner in a stolen pickup on Tuesday morning and tried to stop him. Christopher Dorner opened fire as he fled.
He crashed the truck and then bailed out and he ran through the mountains on foot.
Christopher Dorner was believed to be hiding out in the cabin, which burned to the ground after a raging gun battle in which he killed one sheriff’s deputy and wounded another
Federal agents and San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies pursued Christopher Dorner and engaged him in a running gun battle, KCAL-TV reports.
The Los Angeles Timesreports that Christopher Dorner wounded a deputy while shooting through a window in the cabin.
He reportedly shot a second deputy after he threw a smoke bomb and tried to escape out of the back door of the building.
He was driven back by gunfire from the other officers on the scene.
The heavy gunfire meant a medical evacuation helicopter could not land near the scene.
Police threw smoke bombs to could obscure the roads so the wounded deputies could be driven to a waiting n the back of a pickup to the chopper.
Christopher Dorner has been on the run since Thursday, when he allegedly killed a police officer in Riverside and wounded two others.
He is also wanted for murdering a couple in Irvine on Feburary 3.
Police engaged with Christopher Dorner after he reportedly robbed and tied up a couple in a remote cabin 20 miles from the town of Big Bear, California.
He held the pair hostage for several days – possibly hiding out right under the noses of 150 SWAT officers who were combing the mountains looking for him.
The incident could explain how Christopher Dorner was able to survive the frigid, snowy weekend on the mountain.
He then stole their pickup truck – which is the vehicle that game wardens attempted to stop.
The encounter came as police had scaled back their presence in the mountains 100 miles east of Los Angeles six days after police across Southern California began hunting for him.
He was reportedly hiding out in a campground in the middle of the national forest, far from where police found his burned-out truck on Thursday.
Christopher Dorner purchased scuba gear two days before beginning his alleged spree, it was revealed today.
The development comes as more than 9,000 sick fans have shown their support for the alleged murderer on a Facebook page.
In video footage, Christopher Dorner can be seen purchasing the oxygen tanks at Sports Chalet in Torrance, California, on February 1.
Christopher Dorner, who was a Naval reservist, paid for the equipment in cash and appeared friendly towards the cashier, the surveillance footage shows.
The purchase further backs up how Christopher Dorner, whose online manifesto details how he planned to target the family members of LAPD cops who he feels wronged him, plotted out his revenge plot in advance.
Former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner accused of three murders has been involved in a shoot-out with police in California, reports say.
The fugitive exchanged shots with federal officers in California’s Big Bear Lake region, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Two officers are reported to have been wounded and one airlifted to hospital.
Christopher Dorner, 33, has been on the run since last week, after the murders in southern California.
He had sworn revenge on police officers he blamed for his sacking in 2008.
US television networks showed police and vehicles surrounding a cabin, but it was not clear if Christopher Dorner was inside.
Authorities near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernadino mountains were alerted after Christopher Dorner reportedly broke into a house and tied up two people.
Former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner accused of three murders has been involved in a shoot-out with police in California
John Alleman, an unofficial spokesman for Las Vegas Heart Attack Grill restaurant, which prides itself on “taste worth dying for” – has died of a heart attack at the age of 52.
John Alleman visited the infamous restaurant, which holds the Guinness world record for the “most calorific burger”, on a daily basis and would often stand outside encouraging other people to enter.
He suffered a heart attack last week and was rushed to Sunrise Hospital, where he remained until doctors removed his life support on Monday.
The owner of the hospital-themed restaurant, “Doctor Jon” Basso told the Las Vegas Sun: “I told him if you keep eating like this, it’s going to kill ya.
“He’d say, <<I just love your place, Jon>>. He’s the only person I know who was probably at the restaurant more than I.”
John Alleman was such a valued member of the Heart Attack Grill Community that he was given his own caricature – “Patient John” – that featured on merchandise for the restaurant.
The caricature also appeared on the front of the menu, along with other hospital-themed characters representing staff.
“For the past 18 months if you happen to walk by the Heart Attack Grill you were probably approached by our new spokesman John Alleman,” the restaurant wrote on its Facebook page.
“John truly loved HAG and would spend hours every day getting the word out to anyone who would listen.”
John Alleman lived with his only relative, his brother, Paul, and had never married nor had children. He worked night shifts as a security guard at a high-rise construction site on the Vegas Strip.
The restaurant added on its Facebook page: “John was a fun spirited man who valued laughter above all else.”
“He was loved deeply and will be missed.”
Heart Attack Grill holds the Guinness world record for the most calorific burger
John Alleman is the second Heart Attack Grill spokesman to die; in March 2011, 29-year-old Blair River passed away.
At the time, Jon Basso said River had succumbed to flu-related pneumonia.
The following year, a customer suffered a heart attack while eating a triple bypass burger in the restaurant, and two months later, a customer collapsed while eating a double bypass burger.
Speaking to Eater Vegas last year, Jon Basso said his business was “absolutely honest” and said he warned people against going to the restaurant more than once a month.
“I say it right in the door, <<Caution this establishment is bad for your health>>,” he said.
The Heart Attack Grill’s menu includes “Flatliner Fries” which are cooked in lard, and a Quadruple Bypass Burger, which weighs more than three pounds and contains 9,982 calories.
The restaurant is hospital themed and customers are referred to as “patients”, orders are called “prescriptions” and the waitresses are “nurses”.
Customers weighing more than 350 pounds are invited to unlimited free food provided they weigh themselves on an electronic platform in front of other diners.
Rick Huxley, the bassist of 60s pop group The Dave Clark Five, has died at the age of 72.
Rick Huxley joined the band in 1958 and played on hits including BitsAnd Pieces and Glad All Over.
His death leaves just two original members of the group – drummer and leader Dave Clark and guitarist Lenny Davidson.
Rick Huxley died on Monday and Dave Clark described the news as “devastating”.
The bass player had been battling emphysema after years of heavy smoking, but David Clark said he had recently been given a clean bill of health and his death had come as a shock.
“We’d talk once a week. I spoke to Rick on Friday, he was in great spirits,” David Clark said.
“Rick was a dear friend and an immensely talented musician with an amazing sense of humor, he always made me smile.”
David Clark went on to describe him as a “real gentleman”, adding: “He was very kind and had an amazing sense of humor – he was the funny one in the group, and a very talented musician.”
The band’s successes included a number one in January 1964 with Glad All Over; and two songs which reached number two with Bits And Pieces later that year and Everybody Knows in 1967.
They also appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960s, not long after The Beatles did the same.
Rick Huxley, the bassist of 60s pop group The Dave Clark Five, has died at the age of 72
Rick Huxley attended when The Dave Clark Five were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by actor and fan Tom Hanks in 2008.
A band featuring Joan Jett, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp and Billy Joel performed some of their biggest hits.
Saxophone player Denis Payton died in December 2006 and singer and keyboard player Mike Smith died in 2008.
Rick Huxley, who was from Dartford in Kent, stayed in the group until it split in 1970 and then pursued a career in property and in the music business.
Drinking large quantities of Coca-Cola was a “substantial factor” in the death of 30-year-old Natasha Harris in New Zealand, a coroner has said.
Natasha Harris, who died three years ago after a cardiac arrest, drank up to 10 litres of the fizzy drink each day.
This is twice the recommended safe limit of caffeine and more than 11 times the recommended sugar intake.
Coca-Cola had argued that it could not be proved its product had contributed to Natasha Harris’ death.
The mother of eight, from the southern city of Invercargill, had suffered for years from ill health.
Her family said she had developed an addiction to Coca-Cola and would get withdrawal symptoms, including “the shakes”, if she went without her favorite drink.
Natasha Harris drank Coke throughout her waking hours and her teeth had been removed because of decay.
Coroner David Crerar said her Coca-Cola consumption had given rise to cardiac arrhythmia, a condition when the heart beats too fast or too slow.
“I find that when all the available evidence is considered, were it not for the consumption of very large quantities of Coke by Natasha Harris, it is unlikely that she would have died when she died and how she died,” David Crerar’s finding said.
Drinking large quantities of Coca-Cola was a “substantial factor” in the death of 30-year-old Natasha Harris in New Zealand
The coroner calculated that drinking 10 litres (17.5 pints) of Coke amounted to more than 1 kg (2.2 lb) of sugar and 970 mg of caffeine, Television New Zealand (TVNZ) reports.
David Crerar said that Coca-Cola could not be held responsible for the health of consumers who drank excessive quantities of its product.
But he called on soft drinks companies to display clearer warnings on their beverages about the risks of too much sugar and caffeine.
Natasha Harris and her family should have heeded the warning signs about her ill health, the coroner added.
“The fact she had her teeth extracted several years before her death because of what her family believed was Coke induced tooth decay, and the fact that one or more of her children were born without enamel on their teeth, should have been treated by her, and by her family, as a warning,” TVNZ quotes his statement as saying.
Outgoing Pentagon chief Leon Panetta has declared today that North Korean military ambitions are a “serious threat” to the US.
In a speech made after Pyongyang carried out its third nuclear test, Leon Panetta likened the North to Iran, describing them as “rogue states”.
In New York, the UN Security Council “strongly condemned” the nuclear test.
The council said it would begin work on measures against North Korea, after UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the test was a “clear and grave violation”.
Earlier, Pyongyang said “even stronger” action might follow, saying its test was a response to US “hostility”.
Nuclear test monitors in Vienna say the underground explosion had double the force of the last test, in 2009, despite the use of a device said by the North to be smaller.
If a smaller device was indeed tested, analysts said this could take Pyongyang closer to building a warhead small enough to arm a missile.
UN sanctions on North Korea were expanded after the secretive communist state launched a rocket in December, in a move condemned by the UN as a banned test of missile technology.
North Korea’s latest nuclear test comes as senators in Washington prepare for the first votes on whether to confirm Chuck Hagel as successor to current Defence Secretary Leon Panetta.
In a farewell speech at the Pentagon, Leon Panetta said the US would continue to be tested by unpredictable regimes in years to come.
“We’re going to have to deal with weapons of mass destruction and the proliferation. We’re going to have to continue with rogue states like Iran and North Korea.
“We just saw what North Korea’s done in these last few weeks – a missile test and now a nuclear test. They represent a serious threat to the United States of America. We’ve got to be prepared to deal with that.”
Outgoing Pentagon chief Leon Panetta has declared today that North Korean military ambitions are a “serious threat” to the US
President Barack Obama, who is to make his State of the Union speech later, called the test a “highly provocative act” and called for “swift” and “credible” international action in response.
China, North Korea’s main ally and a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, summoned North Korea’s ambassador to Beijing to express its concern over the test.
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi delivered a “stern representation”‘ to Ji Jae Ryong and expressed China’s “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the test, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, it urged the North to honor its commitment to denuclearization and “not take any actions which might worsen the situation”.
The test was condemned by North Korea’s immediate neighbors, South Korea and Japan, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for a revival of talks on the North’s nuclear arms programme.
In a defiant message to the UN’s disarmament forum, the North said it would never bow to resolutions on its nuclear programme and blamed the failure of diplomacy on the US.
“The US and their followers are sadly mistaken if they miscalculate the DPRK [North Korea] would respect the entirely unreasonable resolutions against it,” the North’s envoy, Jon Yong Ryong, told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
North Korea confirmed the test after international monitors recorded seismic activity consistent with a powerful underground explosion at 11:57 on Tuesday.
Activity had been observed at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site for several months.
State-run KCNA news agency said the test was “carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously”.
North Korea said the nuclear test was a response to the “reckless hostility of the United States”.
“The latest nuclear test was only the first action, with which we exercised as much self-restraint as possible,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“If the US further complicates the situation with continued hostility, we will be left with no choice but to take even stronger second or third rounds of action.”
The Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization said the “explosion-like event” was twice as big as the 2009 test, which was in turn bigger than that in 2006.
It is the first such test under new leader Kim Jong-un, who took over the leadership after his father Kim Jong-il died in December 2011.
The Vatican has acknowledged that Pope Benedict XVI has had a pacemaker for years, one day after his resignation.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi reiterated that Pope Benedict was not stepping down because of any specific illness.
The Pope’s last public appearance will be his final mass in Saint Peter’s Square on February 27, Federico Lombardi said.
The pontiff would have no role in the running of the church after his resignation, he added.
The unexpected development – the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years – surprised governments, Vatican-watchers and even the Pope’s closest aides.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 after John Paul II’s death.
In theory there has never been anything stopping Pope Benedict or any of his predecessors from stepping aside.
Under the Catholic Church’s governing code, Canon Law, the only conditions for the validity of such a resignation are that it be made freely and be properly published.
But resignation is extremely rare: the last pontiff to step aside was Pope Gregory XII, who resigned in 1415 amid a schism within the Church.
According to a report in Il Sole 24 newspaper, the Pope had surgery to replace a pacemaker just under three months ago.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi reiterated that Pope Benedict was not stepping down because of any specific illness
At a news conference at the Vatican, Father Federico Lombardi confirmed that the batteries in the pacemaker, which had been fitted several years ago, had been replaced in the routine operation.
“That hasn’t affected his decision [to resign] in any way and simply he felt that his strength was diminishing with the advancement of age,” he said.
Earlier the pontiff’s brother, Georg Ratzinger, said the Pope had been advised by his doctor not to take any more transatlantic trips and had been considering stepping down for months.
“When he got to the second half of his 80s, he felt that his age was showing and that he was gradually losing the abilities he may have had and that it takes to fulfill this office properly,” he said.
He said the resignation therefore was part of a “natural process”.
The Vatican now says it expects a new pontiff to be elected before Easter.
Father Federico Lombardi said the Pope would continue with his diary as usual until the day he officially retires on February 28.
He is due to officiate at an Ash Wednesday service at the Vatican.
“The last general audience [on 27 February] will be held in the square since a lot of people will come,” AFP news agency quotes Father Lombardi as saying.
After that the Vatican has said he will retire to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo before moving into a renovated monastery used by cloistered nuns for “a period of prayer and reflection”.
“He’ll stay in Rome and will certainly have some duties and of course will continue to educate himself intellectually and theologically,” said Georg Ratzinger.
“Where he’s needed he will make himself available, but he will not want to want to intervene in the affairs of his successor,” he said.
At 78, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest popes in history at his election.
Giuseppe Orsi, chief executive of the Italian aerospace and defence firm, Finmeccanica, has been arrested on corruption charges.
Giuseppe Orsi has been under investigation for embezzlement for several months. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors allege he profited illegally from the sale of 12 helicopters to India.
Shares in the company did not open for trade in Milan.
In a statement, Finmeccanica expressed solidarity with Giuseppe Orsi and said: “Finmeccanica confirms that management activity and the initiatives it has undertaken are continuing in an orderly fashion.”
Italy’s Prime Minister, Mario Monti, said in an interview with Italian television: “Magistrates will do their work. I’m sure they will do it thoroughly and in the best way possible.”
He added: “There is a problem with the governance of Finmeccanica at the moment and we will face up to it.”
Giuseppe Orsi, chief executive of the Italian aerospace and defence firm, Finmeccanica, has been arrested on corruption charges
Arrest warrants have been issued for two people living in Switzerland.
India’s foreign ministry said it had not been informed of the raid.
“We had asked the government of Italy through our mission in Rome for details of the investigation, but were told that it is a judicial process and the government of Italy is unable to share any information,” said foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.
“That remains the position even today.”
For Italy, it is the latest in a string of corporate scandals – including risky trades at the bank Monti Paschi di Siena and allegations of bribery at the oil services group Saipem.
Asian markets have had a mixed reaction to the nuclear test carried out by North Korea, its third since 2006.
South Korea’s Kospi index dipped 0.3%. Analysts said the test was widely anticipated and was unlikely to have a major impact on investor sentiment.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index held on its earlier gains of nearly 2%
Japanese shares were boosted after the yen continued to dip, raising hopes of a profit boost for the country’s leading exporters.
“This is kind of a known – unknown event,” Jasper Kim, said founder of Seoul-based Asia-Pacific Global Research Group.
“Everyone knew that North Korea would conduct a nuclear test, the only questions were when, and how successful it would be.”
“The markets have already factored in the test,” he added.
Markets in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan were closed for Lunar New Year holidays.
The yen fell after a US official voiced support for Japan’s recent policy moves to try and spur economic growth.
The moves have seen the yen slide more than 15% since November, leading to concerns that some countries may oppose Japan’s aggressive stance.
Asian markets have had a mixed reaction to the nuclear test carried out by North Korea
The fear was that such criticism might prompt Japan to tone down its policy and the currency could rise again.
Analysts said that the support from US Treasury Under Secretary Lael Brainard, especially ahead of the meeting of the G20 group of nations later this week, had helped allay those fears.
The finance ministers and central bank officials from the G20 nations are scheduled to meet in Moscow and currency policies are expected to be a key topic of discussion.
“Investors were worried that finance ministers would criticize the recent weakness in the yen,” said Hiroichi Nishi of SMBC Nikko Securities.
“While currency moves have been sensitive to officials’ comments in general, people thought any comment from the G20 would trigger yen buying.
“But such worries are receding as she [Lael Brainard] said she supports Japan’s efforts to end deflation,” he added.
The Japanese currency fell nearly 2% to 94.25 yen against the US dollar and to 126.4 yen versus the euro in early Asian trade on Tuesday.
A weak yen bodes well for Japan’s exporters as it not only makes their goods less expensive to foreign buyers but also boosts profits when they repatriate their foreign earnings back home.
Fashion designer Alfred Fiandaca, who was responsible for many of Ann Romney’s campaign outfits, has died at the age of 72.
Alfred Fiandaca – whose designs were favored by Ann Romney during the 2012 Presidential race – died Saturday of a major stroke in West Palm Beach, Florida.
He divided his time between Boston, New York and Palm Beach, and is survived by his daughter, son and spouse, Carl Bartels.
After founding his eponymous line in 1960, Alfred Fiandaca opened up his first shop in Boston, Massachusetts.
His tailored skirt suits and elegant dresses soon attracted the attention of political figures in Washington, among them Joan Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson.
Actresses Julie Andrews and Audrey Hepburn also wore his creations.
Ann Romney, 63, had been a supporter of his ever since her husband Mitt was governor of Massachusetts.
On the campaign trail, relatively unknown Alfred Fiandaca earned recognition for being the go-to designer for the Republican candidate’s wife.
Fashion designer Alfred Fiandaca, who was responsible for many of Ann Romney’s campaign outfits, has died at the age of 72
Ann Romney wore a crisp cream-colored skirt suit from his fall 2006 collection to the first presidential debate.
And the edgy black leather skirt suit she sported on the Jay Leno show was also one of his creations.
Although Alfred Fiandaca was a Democrat, he had no qualms about dressing the wife of the former Republican hopeful, both of whom he counted as friends.
In an interview with New York Magazine last year, Alfred Fiandaca’s rep described him as “apolitical”, noting that he had dressed just as many Democrats as Republicans.
Alfred Fiandaca’s designs are sold in boutiques in Boston and Palm Beach, as well as an atelier in Manhattan’s Garment District.
He was known among friends and in social circles in New York and Palm Beach for his outgoing and friendly demeanor.
A third-generation member of the garment trade, Alfred Fiandaca began cutting clothes when he was only nine.
His glamorous designs have earned him recognition in the art world as well as the fashion world.
In 2000, the Massachusetts College of Art presented an exhibition on Alfred Fiandaca’s forty years of work, as well as creating a scholarship in his name.
President Barack Obama is set to make gun control – as well as taxes and spending – a key part of his 2013 State of the Union speech after the first lady invited the parents of the slain Chicago teenager who has become the poster child for gun violence in the president’s home city.
Barack Obama is also expected to press Congress for additional tax hikes, fewer spending cuts, outreach for military families and immigration reform, which is shaping up to be a key part of his second term agenda.
The agenda Barack Obama will outline will include more money for infrastructure, clean energy technologies and manufacturing jobs, as well as expanding access to early childhood education.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama would outline “his plan to create jobs and grow the middle class” as the nation struggles with persistently high unemployment.
President Barack Obama is set to make gun control, as well as taxes and spending, a key part of his 2013 State of the Union speech
President Barack Obama’s talking points:
Gun control: A mission since December’s Sandy Hook massacre, Barack Obama has pushed for intensified background checks and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Immigration reform: Barack Obama’s proposed plan would put 11 million undocumented residents on the path to American citizenship.
Tax hikes: The president is looking to ramp up tax hikes on the wealthy in an effort to repair the economy while stabilizing the middle class.
Military families: Barack Obama is expected to call for increased outreach to those closest to those fighting overseas
Clean energy initiatives: The development of and investments in clean energy has long been a priority of the Obama administration as part of his ongoing effort to bolster the economy.
President Barack Obama has presented the Medal of Honor to former Staff Sgt Clinton Romesha for his heroism during a huge firefight in Afghanistan.
Sgt Clinton Romesha, 31, led a battle against hundreds of Taliban fighters four years ago.
About 50 US soldiers were at Combat Outpost Keating near Pakistan when it was almost overrun by insurgents.
Clinton Romesha is the fourth living veteran of Afghanistan or Iraq to receive America’s highest military award.
The father-of-three lives with his family in Minot, North Dakota, and works in oil-field safety.
According to the Army’s official narrative, at about 06:00 on 3 October 2009, some 400 Taliban fighters targeted Combat Outpost Keating in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, while many key US officers were off base.
The outpost was surrounded on four sides by insurgents who had occupied the high ground and began to attack with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), mortars, heavy machine-gun fire and small-arms fire.
Sgt Clinton Romesha is said to have frequently exposed himself to withering enemy fire as he led the fightback.
He killed a team of machine-gun fighters, and was peppered with shrapnel when an RPG landed close to his position.
Ignoring his wounds, Sgt Clinton Romesha then killed more enemy fighters, including a nest of machine-gunners and a sniper.
He then killed three Taliban fighters as they were breaching the outpost’s perimeter.
President Barack Obama has presented the Medal of Honor to former Staff Sgt Clinton Romesha for his heroism during a huge firefight in Afghanistan
Sgt Clinton Romesha also led a team to secure an ammunition supply point and then turned his attention to defending a vulnerable entry point.
From there, he was able to pinpoint the origin of enemy fire at a nearby village, Urmul, and at an Afghan National Police checkpoint that had been seized by the insurgents.
According to the official narrative, he helped to direct air support and 120 mm mortars to target the enemy positions.
Finally, Sgt Clinton Romesha helped wounded troops to withdraw to a safe location and recovered the bodies of two soldiers who died in the attack.
Eight US soldiers were killed and other 22 were wounded, including Sgt Clinton Romesha.
The official citation says that Sgt Clinton Romesha personally killed 10 Taliban fighters and was instrumental in the deaths of another 35.
Last month, after learning he would get the award, Clinton Romesha told a news conference: “You’re not going to back down in the face of adversity like that. We were just going to win, plain and simple.”
It seems Karrueche Tran has finally moved on after her split from Chris Brown as she showed off her latest boyfriend J. Ryan La Cour at the Grammys on Sunday.
Karrueche Tran dragged self-styled public relations mogul J. Ryan La Cour along as they partied with the likes of Drake and Diddy in Los Angeles.
The couple enjoyed refreshments at the star-studded bash held by drink giants Hennessy at the trendy Hyde nightclub.
Karrueche Tran smiled for the cameras for a series of photos posted online by the charismatic young professional on his Twitter page.
It will surely be a relief to the model and designer’s legion of fans, as even in recent weeks she has been speaking about Chris Brown, who she dated between 2010 and 2012.
It seems Karrueche Tran has finally moved on after her split from Chris Brown as she showed off her latest boyfriend J. Ryan La Cour at the Grammys on Sunday
Just last month Karrueche Tran said: “At the end of the day, he will always be a friend. We’ll always care about each other.
“We won’t allow that to interfere. Our business is business.
“It’s a lot going on but it could be a lot worse, and that’s how I look at life. I take it for what it is.
“I move forward, grow from it and at this point, that’s what I’m doing.
“I’m not gonna sit and dwell and become consumed in that negativity because I could very much be that person, especially when things are so public and so thrown in my face.
“But like I said, things can be much worse. So I’m good.”
Meanwhile Chris Brown was at another part of town whisking away his lover Rihanna, who he was convicted of beating back in 2009, in his fancy sports car.
Luxury smartphone maker Vertu has launched Vertu Ti, its first Android-operated handset.
The Vertu Ti costs 7,900 euros and is made at the firm’s headquarters in Church Crookham, Hampshire.
The device had a titanium frame and sapphire screen but was not 4G-enabled, said its designer Hutch Hutchison.
Until last year the company was owned by Nokia and specialized in highly priced handsets designed for the Symbian operating system.
Vertu had chosen Android over Windows as an operating system because it was more established, said chief executive Perry Oosting.
“You need to be part of an ecosystem,” he said.
“Your device will have to integrate with other devices. I think the Windows phone will have success but it is still a relatively small market share. At the moment it doesn’t have the global reach of Android – which is about 60% of the market.”
Head of design Hutch Hutchison said that Vertu was not interested in being a tech pioneer.
“Vertu will never be at the bleeding edge of technology,” he said.
“It has to be about relevant technology and craftsmanship – it’s not a disposable product.”
Luxury smartphone maker Vertu has launched Vertu Ti, its first Android-operated handset
The firm is also not focused on the mass market, with just 326,000 Vertu smartphone owners worldwide after 10 years in the industry.
“We don’t make massive numbers of phones and the price point is reflective of that,” said Perry Oosting.
Each device is assembled by hand. The name and signature of the person who assembled the phone is laser inscribed onto the inside lid of the SIM card holder.
Vertu handsets can only be purchased in 500 retail outlets, 70 of which are the company’s own boutiques, around the world.
Each device has a “concierge” button that connects the caller with a global team who can provide localized advice and help with events and restaurant bookings.
Weighing 180 g (6oz), the Vertu Ti is heavier than most current generation smartphones – the Samsung Galaxy S3 weighs 118 g and the iPhone 5 is 112 g.
One reason for this is that it has been designed for intense durability. One handset – and its screen – remained intact and working after being accidentally run over by a delivery truck.
“People think sapphire is just posh glass,” said Hutch Hutchison.
“But sapphire is to glass what steel is to blancmange. The only thing that scratches it is a diamond.”
Vertu does not release figures but says sales have increased every year for the past 10 – with the exception of 2008, when the bank Lehman Brothers collapsed.
It also says China is its biggest market.
Other luxury brands such as Tag Heuer and Goldvish are also now competing in the niche yet lucrative space for handsets costing thousands of pounds.
However some experts believe the wider market is moving towards lower-end smartphones.
Huawei has just launched a budget Windows device in Africa and there are rumors of a cheap version of the iPhone 5.
