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Bubba the Love Sponge and Jill Kelley: how Florida socialite waded into diplomatic row over his threat to deep fry a Koran

Diane A. Wade
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Bubba the Love Sponge and Jill Kelley: how Florida socialite waded into diplomatic row over his threat to deep fry a Koran

Just like many other four-star generals and national intelligence chiefs, Bubba the Love Sponge had dealings with Tampa socialite and some-time honorary consul for South Korea, Jill Kelley.

Adding a tawdry new level to the Petraeus scandal, it has emerged that 37-year-old Jill Kelley and Bubba the Love Sponge, real name Todd Alan Clem, crossed paths when she involved herself in a spat over the radio host’s claims that he was going to deep fat fry a Koran earlier this year.

Bubba the Love Sponge has recently been in the news for settling a lawsuit with Hulk Hogan after he allegedly filmed the legendary wrestler and his then wife Heather Clem having sex and released it online.

When the Florida shock jock threatened to deep fat fry a Koran, General John Allen , the commander of the U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan and CIA Director David Petraeus both spoke to social climbing Jill Kelley asking to help them with a potential threat to the safety of serving American troops.

Emails released yesterday sent between Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Jill Kelley reveal that she was indeed acting at the behest of high-level U.S. government officials and implored the mayor to act.

“I have Petraeus & Allen both emailing me about getting this dealt with,” Jill Kelley wrote to Bob Buckhorn on March 7th.

The previous day, Jill Kelley told Bobb Buckhorn of similar requests she had received from General John Allen and Vice Admiral Robert Harward, deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command in Tampa.

“I just got off the phone with Gen. Allen & Adm Harward,” Jill Kelley wrote.

 “I’m going to need your assistance, vice versa with the potential crises we’ll be dealing with.”

When Bob Buckhorn responded to say it was being dealt with, Jill Kelley said: “They asked me to get involved, like I did when it happened with the Pastor last year.”

The emails offer proof that Jill Kelley may not have been boasting of her contacts with high level military figures and indeed show that she was in regular communication with General John Allen and David Petraeus.

Just like many other four-star generals and national intelligence chiefs, Bubba the Love Sponge had dealings with Tampa socialite and some-time honorary consul for South Korea, Jill Kelley
Just like many other four-star generals and national intelligence chiefs, Bubba the Love Sponge had dealings with Tampa socialite and some-time honorary consul for South Korea, Jill Kelley

This episode with Bubba the Love Sponge came right before she complained to a FBI agent about threatening emails she was receiving from Paula Broadwell who began an inquiry that uncovered her affair with the retired four-star general.

In addition the resignation of David Petraeus as CIA Director triggered a separate investigation that found “potentially inappropriate” email correspondence between General John Allen and Jill Kelley.

At the time of Jill Kelley’s emails about Bubba the Love Sponge military officials genuinely concerned that a Koran being deep fat fried would have disastrous consequences for U.S. troops serving in Muslim countries.

“It was absolutely a concern,” said Lt. Col. T.G. Taylor, CentCom spokesman to NBC News.

Revealing that he called Bubba the Love Sponge himself, T.G. Taylor said he told him: “Look Bubba, somebody’s going to get hurt if you do this.”

He was “completely reasonable and said he understood”, T.G. Taylor added.

The disc jockey told the Tampa Bay Times that he abandoned his plans to deep fat fry because a local law enforcement officer told him of the dangers to U.S. troops.

Reveling in his new found connection to the highest echelons of U.S. military power, Bubba the Love Sponge ordered one of his radio shows trucks to circle Jill Kelley’s Tampa home today playing a parody to the tune of Falco’s Rock me Amadeus about David Petraeus.

At the end of October, former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan settled a lawsuit with Bubba the Love Sponge over a sex tape involving Hogan and the DJ’s wife.

After the agreement between the former best friends, Hulk Hogan’s publicist said the terms of the settlement were confidential.

Hulk Hogan said in the lawsuit filed in October that he had consensual sex with his best friend’s wife, Heather Clem, six years ago in the Clems’ home, but he didn’t know he was being videotaped.

The disc jockey, Bubba the Love Sponge, apologized to Hulk Hogan and said that he’s convinced Hogan was unaware he was being filmed.

A lawsuit is still pending against the gossip website Gawker, which put excerpts of the video on its site.

Jill Kelley brands Paula Broadwell as a criminal who stalked her family

Diane A. Wade
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Jill Kelley brands Paula Broadwell as a criminal who stalked her family

With world’s media camped on her doorstep and her name and face plastered all over the news, Florida socialite Jill Kelley decided to lash out at Paula Broadwell, the woman she blamed for her life being turned upside down.

Branding Paula Broadwell, the mistress of General Petraeus a “criminal”, Jill Kelley pleaded with the city’s mayor Bob Buckhorn to intervene and remove the press from outside her house.

As recently as Wednesday, Jill Kelley was trading emails with Bob Buckhorn as the fall out from her complaint about threatening emails from Paula Broadwell intensified into the biggest sex scandal for decades.

“As you see on tv, my name (including Gen Petraeus & Allen) and home have been exploited by the media,” Jill Kelley wrote to Bob Buckhorn in an email time stamped 6:18 a.m. Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t care – if they got the facts right and focus on the criminal that stalked all of us. But the truth will one day prevail,” she continued, in an apparent reference to Paula Broadwell.

Jill Kelley lashed out at Paula Broadwell, branding her a criminal who stalked her family
Jill Kelley lashed out at Paula Broadwell, branding her a criminal who stalked her family

Jill Kelley has been tied to the scandal that prompted the resignation of retired General David Petraeus as CIA director.

David Petraeus admitted having an affair with his married biographer, Paula Broadwell.

Federal officials say Paula Broadwell sent emails to Jill Kelley, perceiving her as a romantic rival. That FBI investigation uncovered emails between Jill Kelley and General John Allen during his time as head of Central Command in Tampa.

She boasted of connections to David Petraeus and other high-ranking officials, and she sought Bob Buckhorn’s presence at events ranging from hosting a group of VIPs from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal to her daughter’s birthday party.

Honey Boo Boo portrait made from garbage by Jason Mecier

Diane A. Wade
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Honey Boo Boo portrait made from garbage by Jason Mecier

Artist Jason Mecier spent 50 hours and used 25 lbs of garbage to create a larger-than-life portrait of Honey Boo Boo.

The San Francisco-based artist, who has previously made junk portraits of Donald Trump, Andy Warhol, and Phyllis Diller, used the seven-year-old superstar as inspiration for his latest project.

Utilizing her trademark “sketti”, as well as butter, cheese balls, chicken nuggets and the infamous Go-Go Juice that kept her energetic while starring on Toddlers & Tiaras, Jason Mecier re-imagined her as a pile of garbage.

Jason Mecier said: “I used Red Bulls, Mountain Dew, two cans of hair spray, three tiaras, make-up, mascara, fake eyelashes, coupons, a pink Snuggy box, and all sorts of things that make Honey Boo Boo so unique.

“But don’t worry no roadkill was injured during the making of this portrait!” he joked, making reference to the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo family that often cook and eat roadkill animals found near their home in McIntyre, Georgia.

Artist Jason Mecier spent 50 hours and used 25 lbs of garbage to create a larger-than-life portrait of Honey Boo Boo
Artist Jason Mecier spent 50 hours and used 25 lbs of garbage to create a larger-than-life portrait of Honey Boo Boo

Hardly any pieces in Jason Mecier’s sculpture are coincidental.

For example, Honey Boo Boo, whose real name is Alana Thompson, recently got a pet chicken and named it Nugget.

Her mother, Mama June (June Shannon), wrote on her daughters official Facebook page: “[H]er and nugget have became very attached this weekend and it in the house but has a outside house too but alana refuses to let her sleep outside lol she she sleeps inside at night in her inside cage.”

Honey Boo Boo was also recently immortalized in cartoon form, in a garish new comic book titled 15 Minutes.

The colorful 23-page magazine charts Honey Boo Boo’s meteoric rise to fame over the past 11 months, from her TV debut in Toddlers and Tiara’s to landing her very own reality show.

Explaining his inspiration, writer and illustrator Michael Troy said: “Andy Warhol’s quote about 15 minutes of fame is one of my favorites and as a pop culture junkie I jumped at the chance to put my spin on spoon fed America’s latest reality obsession.”

Xi Jinping biography: from impoverished cave dweller to China’s president

Nancy Clayson
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Xi Jinping biography: from impoverished cave dweller to China’s president

Xi Jinping has just become the most powerful military leader-elect to the most populous country in the world, and yet there are details that remain unknown about China’s new president.

Xi Jinping is married to the honey-voiced megastar of popular Chinese folk music, Peng Liyuan, and they have only one child together, Xi Mingze.

But while Peng Liyuan’s is still one of the most famous faces in the country, comparatively little is known of her husband, a man who spent most of his teens living in a cave, laboring in the fields of one of China’s poorest regions.

Xi Jinping is the son of Communist revolutionary general Xi Zhongxun, a comrade of Chairman Mao Zedong.

But when he was in his teens, his father fell out with the Chairman and was sent to prison.

Xi Jinping was exiled to a far-flung, rural community of Liangjiahe, in Shaanxi province, where he lived in cave-dwellings and was forced to labor in the fields. Little more than 100 miles from Beijing, it is one of China’s poorest regions.

The family lived like peasants in a cave-like house carved out of the yellow rock formations that surrounded the village.

Xi Jinping is quoted as saying no problems he has encountered in political life compare to the hardship he suffered as a young man.

But he immersed himself in local politics and soon rose the ranks before today assuming the top posts in the Communist Party and the powerful military in a political transition unbowed by scandals, a slower economy and public demands for reforms.

Xi Jinping was introduced as the new party general secretary at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People a day after the close of a week-long party congress that underlined the communists’ determination to remain firmly in power.

The once-a-decade leadership change was carefully choreographed. It became clear Xi Jinping would lead China five years ago, when he was appointed to the Standing Committee – the nation’s apex of power – as the highest-ranked member who would not be of retirement age this year.

Xi Jinping’s colleagues in the new Standing Committee are Li Keqiang, the presumptive premier and chief economic official; Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang; Shanghai party secretary Yu Zhengsheng; propaganda chief Liu Yunshan; Vice Premier Wang Qishan; and Tianjin party secretary Zhang Gaoli.

In a speech broadcast live on Chinese state TV and worldwide, Xi Jinping said: “We shall do everything we can to live up to your trust and fulfill our mission.”

Xi Jinping, China’s new president, is the son of Communist revolutionary general Xi Zhongxun, a comrade of Chairman Mao Zedong
Xi Jinping, China’s new president, is the son of Communist revolutionary general Xi Zhongxun, a comrade of Chairman Mao Zedong

Xi Jinping biography: from impoverished cave dweller to China’s most powerful man

Very little is known about Xi Jinping’s upbringing – or his rise to power.

Xi Jinping is married to a popstar called Peng Liyuan who, for most of Xi’s career, has been more famous than him.

Chinese often tell a well-known joke: “Who is Xi Jinping? Why, he is the husband of Peng Liyuan.”

He is the son of Communist revolutionary general Xi Zhongxun, a comrade of Chairman Mao Zedong.

But when he was in his teens, his father fell out with the Chairman and was sent to prison.

Xi Jinping was exiled to a far-flung, rural community of Liangjiahe, in Shaanxi province, where he lived in cave-dwellings and was forced to labour in the fields.

Little more than 100 miles from Beijing, it is one of China’s poorest regions.

The family lived like peasants in a cave-like house carved out of the yellow rock formations that surrounded the village.

Xi Jinping is quoted as saying no problems he has encountered in political life compare to the hardship he suffered as a young man.

After leaving Liangjiahe, Xi Jinping headed to the busy coastal provinces that form China’s industrial heartland.

He quickly climbed the ranks to become the most senior party official first in Fujian, before Zhejiang and finally Shanghai.

There he developed the mind for business and economics that he is known for today.

Now with exports and the economy slowing, China hopes his skills can help get the nation back on track to overtaking America and becoming the biggest economy in the world.

Peng Liyuan: from The Peony Fairy showbiz superstar to China’s First Lady

Nancy Clayson
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Peng Liyuan: from The Peony Fairy showbiz superstar to China’s First Lady

Xi Jinping has just become the most powerful military leader-elect to the most populous country in the world, and yet there are details that remain unknown about China’s new president.

Xi Jinping is married to the honey-voiced megastar of popular Chinese folk music, Peng Liyuan, and they have only one child together, Xi Mingze.

Peng Liyuan has become China’s first high-profile political spouse since Jiang Qing, the late wife of Chairman Mao Zedong.

Her huge success in the entertainment industry has run alongside her staunch loyalty to the Communist Party.

Peng Liyuan joined the People’s Liberation Army aged 18 and rose to the rank of major-general, a post she still holds.

But when her superiors discovered her talent for singing, Peng Liyuan began touring army bases serenading troops in a program designed to boost morale.

From there her rise to fame was meteoric. Peng Liyuan is best known for performing at CCTV’s New Year’s Gala – a show watched by hundreds of millions of people throughout China – almost every year since its inception in 1982.

Almost all of her songs are in praise of the Communist Party and frequently appears on state television to sing propagandist ballads with names including Plains of Hope and People From Our Village.

In June 2011, Peng Liyuan was even appointed World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/Aids and tuberculosis.

Peng Liyuan has become China's first high-profile political spouse since Jiang Qing, the late wife of Chairman Mao Zedong
Peng Liyuan has become China’s first high-profile political spouse since Jiang Qing, the late wife of Chairman Mao Zedong

Peng Liyuan has also shied away from appearing in public with her husband or talking about their relationship until recently, fuelling speculation that she may take a more active role in his presidency than any of her predecessors.

In a rare interview in 2007, Peng Liyuan told a state-run magazine: “When he comes home, I’ve never thought of it as though there’s some leader in the house.

“In my eyes, he’s just my husband. When I get home, he doesn’t think of me as some famous star. In his eyes, I’m simply his wife.”

But while Peng Liyuan’s is still one of the most famous faces in the country, comparatively little is known of her husband, a man who spent most of his teens living in a cave, laboring in the fields of one of China’s poorest regions.

Xi Jinping is the son of Communist revolutionary general Xi Zhongxun, a comrade of Chairman Mao.

The Peony Fairy biography: from showbiz superstar to China’s First Lady

Born in 1962, Peng Liyuan is a Chinese folk singer and actress

  • Peng Liyuan has been married to Xi Jinping for 25 years with whom she has a daughter, Xi Mingze, 20
  • The couple are said to have met through friends in the mid 1980s
  • Nicknamed The Peony Fairy, Peng Liyuan has graced television screens in China for more than a decade, her honeyed tones punctuating state-run TV shows and Communist Party rallies
  • Peng Liyuan is best known for her propagandist ballads including Plains of Hope and People From Our Village
  • She joined the People’s Liberation Army aged 18 and rose to the civilian rank of major-general, a post she still holds
  • Peng Liyuan has performed all over the world, including, New York, Tokyo and Vienna
  • In June 2011, Peng Liyuan was even appointed World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis

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Xi Mingze, China’s new First Daughter, attends Harvard University under pseudonym

Diane A. Wade
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Xi Mingze, China’s new First Daughter, attends Harvard University under pseudonym

Xi Jinping has just become the most powerful military leader-elect to the most populous country in the world, and yet there are details that remain unknown about China’s new president.

While it is known is that Xi Jinping is married to the honey-voiced megastar of popular Chinese folk music, Peng Liyuan, and they have only one child together, details of their daughter’s life are few and far between.

Their 20-year-old daughter, Xi Mingze, is currently attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, though little is known about China’s new First Daughter.

It is believed that Xi Mingze has been studying at the Ivy League school since transferring in two years ago after going to school in China.

She studies under a pseudonym so as not to attract undue attention.

It is rumored that Xi Mingze is surrounded by a staff of Chinese bodyguards 24 hours a day.

Xi Mingze has been studying at the Ivy League school since transferring in two years ago after going to school in China
Xi Mingze has been studying at the Ivy League school since transferring in two years ago after going to school in China

The Washington Post reported last May that Xi Mingze joined Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and is described by peers at the school as “studious and discreet”.

She often studies at the sorority house and speaks with unaccented English.

Her name, Mingze, denotes innocence and “moral probity”, Asia Time noted in 2007, speaking of how Xi Jinping’s ascent into China’s highest office could see a sort of parallel to the White House in terms of a father showing affection for his wife and children.

Xi Mingze isn’t the only progeny of China’s political leaders to attend the American institution. Bo Guagua, the only son of embattled politician Bo Xilai, also attended the institution and had a playboy “princeling” reputation while at the school.

Israel air strikes hit Hamas headquarters in Gaza

Roy Siemens
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Israel air strikes hit Hamas headquarters in Gaza

Israeli air strikes have targeted the headquarters of Gaza’s Hamas leaders, as the bombardment of the coastal enclave moved into a fourth day.

Witnesses reported extensive damage to the building, which Egypt’s PM Hisham Qandil had visited on Friday.

At least 38 Palestinians and three Israelis have died since Israel killed Hamas’s military chief on Wednesday.

Israel earlier put 75,000 reservists on stand-by amid speculation of a ground invasion.

Militants in Gaza have continued to fire rockets into Israel, aiming at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Friday.

After a lull overnight – with correspondents reporting that the area was quiet but for the almost-constant buzz of drones overhead – Gaza City was hit by a string of large explosions shortly after 03:00 local time on Saturday.

There was another series of strikes in and around the city shortly after 05:00 local time, with several targeting Hamas’ cabinet buildings, which correspondents say were likely to have been empty.

Gaza sources say bodies were trapped under rubble at a house hit in Jabalia, north of Gaza City. Casualty figures remain unclear.

Three members of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, are said to have been among those killed overnight.

As well as Hamas buildings, Israeli aircraft targeted electricity transformers and the network of tunnels used to smuggle goods and weapons from Egypt into Gaza, reports said.

Israeli military spokeswoman Avital Leibovich said a total of 200 targets had been hit overnight, including 120 rocket launchers and 20 smuggling tunnels in southern Gaza.

Rumors have been swirling that a ground attack is imminent, but Israeli officials say no decision has been made.

Israel blocked access to three major routes leading into Gaza on Friday. Call-up papers have already been sent to 16,000 Israeli reservists, with officials authorizing the mobilization of another 75,000.

Israeli air strikes have targeted the headquarters of Gaza's Hamas leaders
Israeli air strikes have targeted the headquarters of Gaza’s Hamas leaders

Militants and civilians, including at least seven children, have been among the Palestinians killed during Israeli strikes in recent days, Hamas says.

The group’s military leader Ahmed Jabari was killed on Wednesday. A senior commander was killed on Friday, officials said.

Two Israeli women and a man died when a rocket hit a building in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi on Thursday, officials said.

Before the recent offensive, Israel had repeatedly carried out air strikes on Gaza, as Palestinian militants fired rockets across the border.

On Friday, Hamas said it fired rockets at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem: Haaretz newspaper said it was the first time since 1970 that a rocket had been fired at Jerusalem.

Israel’s army says the operation – codenamed Pillar of Defence – has hit more than 800 sites in Gaza, including underground rocket launchers & infrastructure.

It says hundreds of rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza since Wednesday, a quarter of which had been intercepted by its radar defence system, Iron Dome.

The army said about 10 rockets were fired from Gaza early on Saturday. There were no reports of casualties from those attacks.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of carrying out “massacres”.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem has arrived in Gaza through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt to show support for Hamas.

Western leaders and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have appealed for both sides to stop the violence.

In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, President Barack Obama reiterated US support for Israel’s “right to defend itself”.

Barack Obama also spoke to Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi. Mohammed Mursi has called the Israeli raids “a blatant aggression against humanity” and promised that Egypt “will not leave Gaza on its own”.

Ties between Hamas and Egypt have strengthened since Mohammed Mursi’s election earlier this year.

Hamas was formed as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Mohammed Mursi belongs.

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Twinkies maker, Hostess Brands, is going out of business

Diane A. Wade
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Twinkies maker, Hostess Brands, is going out of business

Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, the cream-filled sponge cakes well-loved in the US, has said it will close down the company, leading to the loss of 18,500 jobs.

Hostess Brands said a strike by the bakers union would force it to shut all operations and sell all assets.

It has long been in trouble – emerging from bankruptcy protection in 2009 only to file again in January 2012.

The wind-down also means the closure of 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centres and 570 bakery outlet stores.

“We deeply regret the necessity of today’s decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike,” said chief executive Gregory Rayburn.

“Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders.”

The company is also behind the Wonder and Merita bread brands, as well as Drake’s cakes.

Twinkies maker, Hostess Brands, has said it will close down the company, leading to the loss of 18,500 jobs
Twinkies maker, Hostess Brands, has said it will close down the company, leading to the loss of 18,500 jobs

Last week, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on a nationwide strike.

On Thursday, Hostess Brands said it determined that an “insufficient number of employees had returned to work to enable the restoration of normal operations”.

Hostess Brands was founded in 1930 and had revenues of $2 billion last year.

The union’s pension fund is its biggest unsecured creditor, and is owed about $944.2 million.

Bobby Brown pleads not guilty to third charge of DUI

Lisa.Felice
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Bobby Brown pleads not guilty to third charge of DUI

Bobby Brown, ex-husband of late star Whitney Houston, has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Bobby Brown, 43, maintained his innocence at Los Angeles court on Friday, despite the fact it is the third time he has been charged with DUI.

He denied multiple charges stemming from being pulled over at around 1:00 a.m. on October 24, 2012 after police believed he was driving erratically in the Tarzana area of Los Angeles.

Officers subsequently discovered Bobby Brown was behind the wheel without the dashboard breathalyser he was previously ordered by court to carry around with him.

Deputy City Attorney Diego Edber, told E! Online Bobby Brown was not in court but that his attorney, Tiffany Feder, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.

Bobby Brown maintained his innocence at Los Angeles court on Friday, despite the fact it is the third time he has been charged with DUI
Bobby Brown maintained his innocence at Los Angeles court on Friday, despite the fact it is the third time he has been charged with DUI

Bobby Brown is facing charges of driving under the influence with a refusal to submit to a chemical test, driving with a suspended license due to a conviction of an alcohol offence, and driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock device.

The last two counts are the result of another DUI arrest back in March in the San Fernando Valley. Bobby Brown received three years’ probation and did a spell in rehab after pleading no contest in that case.

The judge ordered Bobby Brown attend three Alcoholics Anonymous classes per week as a condition of his release until the next court date, with the next pretrial hearing scheduled for December 13.

However, the lawman also denied the prosecutor’s request to impose a $75,000 bail on the entertainer.

If convicted of the new charges, Bobby brown could face a maximum of two years in jail.

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez spotted out together on a secret date night at The Laugh Factory in LA

Lisa.Felice
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Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez spotted out together on a secret date night at The Laugh Factory in LA

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were spotted out together on a secret date night on Thursday.

The young superstars, who set tongues wagging last week as split rumors circulated, seem to be trying to build bridges as they went to The Laugh Factory in LA together.

Clearly in need of a bit of light relief Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez kept their heads down as they made their way into the comedy club to catch some stand-up.

While Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were rumored to have met up for crisis talks in Brooklyn last weekend, it was unclear whether they had resolved any of their problems.

While Justin Bieber performed in the city, Selena Gomez jetted back to Dallas to spend some time with her family on Tuesday, but obviously made a quick trip to Los Angeles two days later to see her on/off boyfriend.

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were spotted out together on a secret date night at The Laugh Factory in LA
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were spotted out together on a secret date night at The Laugh Factory in LA

According to TMZ, Selena Gomez was so angry with her popstar other half that she had blocked his number and deleted all his text messages.

The website also claimed that the reason behind the split was “absolutely, positively” because of another woman.

Selena Gomez, 20, is clearly intent on repairing the damaged relationship and appears to be giving her boyfriend another chance.

Looking causal for the reunion, Selena Gomez wore a pair of black leggings, a baggy white jersey top and a pair of tan, tasseled wedge boots.

Wearing her dark locks tied back, Selena Gomez added a silky scarf and wore heavy black eye make-up.

Justin Bieber tried to keep a low profile as he left the club, also looking dressed down in black shiny trousers, a white shirt and bright blue trainers.

Natalie Khawam and Jill Kelley visited the White House three times in the last three months

Diane A. Wade
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Natalie Khawam and Jill Kelley visited the White House three times in the last three months

Natalie Khawam and her twin sister Jill Kelley, the Florida housewife whose complaint over threatening emails revealed David Petraeus’ affair, have visited the White House three times in the past three months, it has emerged today.

In by far the most astonishing example of her determination to reach the top, Jill Kelley and Natalie Khawam were invited to two “courtesy” meals in the Executive Mansion mess hall as a guest of a White House aide, an Obama administration official has revealed.

Jill Kelley met the mid-level aide through her work with MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, where she also rubbed shoulders with the military’s top brass, including General David Petraeus.

On one further occasion, she received a White House tour with her family, the official added.

This latest revelation shows just how far Jill Kelley soared from her humble beginnings as the daughter of Lebanese immigrants in Pennsylvania to the host of lavish military parties at her Florida mansion.

Natalie Khawam and her twin sister Jill Kelley have visited the White House three times in the past three months
Natalie Khawam and her twin sister Jill Kelley have visited the White House three times in the past three months

It also suggests that Jill Kelley was telling the truth in an email she wrote to a reporter at the Tampa Bay Times on September 28, in which she boasted of visiting the White House.

“Btw I was made the [honorary] Ambassador to US Central Command’s Coalition!” Jill Kelley wrote.

“In addition to that, I was just recently appointed to be the Honorary Consulate General to South Korea! I’m in DC today – just left from breakfast at the White House…. I really hope to see you soon!”

Further examples also emerged today of how the married mother of three, who is reportedly steeped in debt, has attempted to exploit her connections as she finds herself at the centre of the military scandal.

Jessica Simpson shows off her 60 lbs weight-loss in new Weight Watchers commercial

Lisa.Felice
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Jessica Simpson shows off her 60 lbs weight-loss in new Weight Watchers commercial

Jessica Simpson began filming her next long-awaited advert for Weight Watchers on Thursday.

The singer is getting paid a reported $4 million to be the face of the diet program.

Jessica Simpson, 32, posted a sneak peek of her filming the advertisement on her Twitter account.

In the snap, Jessica Simpson is seen standing outside a gourmet market and is looking svelte in a pair of black figure-hugging trousers, a fitted blazer and sky-high heels.

“That’s a wrap on the @weightwatchers commercial!” she says in an accompanying caption.

Her former assistant and best friend CaCee Cobb, friend Erin Alexander and stylist Nicole Chavez also posed with the star for a behind-the-scenes happy snap.

In the photograph, Jessica Simpson is wearing a pair of jeans tucked into Ugg boots, a black vest top and a plaid shirt.

She look noticeably slimmer around the jawline and upper body.

Jessica Simpson’s first advert for the company was filmed back in July as she got stuck into her weight loss regime following the birth of baby Maxwell.

Yet the footage failed to capture her full figure, presumably the one thing that viewers want to see so that they can make a comparison between her before and after figure.

The advert instead focuses on Jessica Simpson’s upper body, with close-ups of her face.

“I’m Jessica Simpson and yes I’m doing Weight Watchers,” she tells the camera, smiling.

“There is a lot of pressure to lose weight but I’m not a supermodel. I’m just Jessica trying to eat real food in the real world and I really just wanna be healthy for my daughter.

“So I knew Weight Watchers was the only way to go. It’s working.

“I’m on my way and it feels amazing. Really I just wanna be a better version of myself.”

Jessica Simpson began filming her next long-awaited advert for Weight Watchers on Thursday
Jessica Simpson began filming her next long-awaited advert for Weight Watchers on Thursday

Talking on Katie Couric’s chat show not long after it was revealed, Jessica Simpson admitted that at the time she wasn’t comfortable revealing her whole frame.

Meanwhile, the filming of her newest commercial comes after Jessica Simpson’s unwavering dedication to her diet plan had apparently earlier this month hit a snag – with the stress of gay allegations about her father “derailing” her efforts.

Jessica Simpson was said to have lapsed from her Weight Watchers plan.

According to reports online, the singer was no longer sticking to the correct portion sizes, which had slowed her weight loss.

“Jessica’s diet has been seriously derailed ever since the gay allegations against her father were released,” a source told RadarOnline.

While she’s not diverting from the diet, Jessica Simpson isn’t sticking to the portion plan and isn’t losing as much weight as she should.

“She knows that as the Weight Watchers spokesperson she has to be more disciplined, but her emotions are all over the place right now.”

It has certainly been a tumultuous few months for Jessica Simpson’s family.

Her parents Tina and Joe Simpson recently revealed they had filed for divorce after 34 years of marriage.

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Lauren Scruggs speaks out about propeller accident on Today show

Diane A. Wade
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Lauren Scruggs speaks out about propeller accident on Today show

Former model Lauren Scruggs has revealed for the first time what actually happened in the horrific accident that robbed her of left arm and eye, and changed her life in an instant.

Lauren Scruggs, 24, from Dallas, Texas, spoke on Today show about the December 3 accident, where she walked into a still-spinning plane propeller, in the lead up to a Dateline interview that airs Friday November 16 at 10:00 p.m.

With little memory of the accident, Lauren Scruggs explained: “My dad actually went to look at the plane. I was always taught to get out in front of the wing, but when you do that [with this kind of plane] you’re basically on the propeller. So I think I basically just got out onto it.”

She added: “I remember getting into the plane, and I was fearful for some reason. We landed, which I thought was interesting, because I thought we might crash. I remember my feet touching the ground, but that’s all I remember.”

Her mother, who was also on the Today show with her husband, Lauren Scruggs’ father, explained how the pair had been to church, before going over to some friends’ for dinner, “like we always do”.

“They live in an airport so we ate dinner, and then they decided they were going to do some recreational flying, look at some Christmas lights and everything,” she said.

“Then, she was out there laying on her stomach in a pool of blood and I wasn’t really sure if she was dead or alive.”

Speaking about the bleak diagnosis given by the paramedics at the time, her father said: “They warned us there was a potential she wouldn’t have the same personality, that she may never form a sentence again, but as you can see today, that’s the case.”

Lauren Scruggs admits the hardest thing about the accident was losing her hand.

“It changes your life,” she said.

“You appreciate life a lot more, my compassion for people has strengthened, I have compassion I couldn’t have had before. It was a dose of reality, and was hard to see.”

Speaking about living life with only one hand, the fashion blogger and former model said: “It’s amazing how your body just does what it needs to do – things that were hard in the beginning a lot easier now. I don’t really think about them now.”

Lauren Scruggs has revealed for the first time what actually happened in the horrific accident that robbed her of left arm and eye
Lauren Scruggs has revealed for the first time what actually happened in the horrific accident that robbed her of left arm and eye

The blonde beauty is also honest in how her injured looks deeply affected her in her interview with Dateline.

“[When I saw myself], I think I just saw the reality of what had happened. I had my eye patch on, I didn’t have my hand, half my head was shaved. I was just thinking, <<Wow. How life can change in an instant and how that’s not the way I have looked in the past>>.”

The fashion blogger also spoke to People magazine this week about the future and learning to live with three different prosthetic limbs, hair extensions where her head was shaved and having to do everything with one hand.

A sometimes fashion model before the accident, Lauren Scruggs revealed she has struggled to come to terms with her changing looks.

She said: “Sometimes it’s easy to dwell on the fact that I don’t look the same. I still struggle with that – I want to look nice. But every day I’m feeling better and better.”

“When I got home from hospital I would cry a lot and it was hard to look in the mirror. Before the accident I would get a lot of attention for the way I looked, so I held a lot of my identity there.

“But these things aren’t going to make you feel whole. They’re empty things.”

Wondering if any guy would ever like her because of her prosthetic arms, she reveals she now feels good about them.

Lauren Scruggs has three different arms – her passive prosthetic which she can’t move but looks incredibly lifelike, her workout prosthetic which she uses for boxing and other exercises and another arm that come with attachments, including a paddle-like device for swimming.

She is in rehab for up to three hours a day to practice ordinary tasks without her left hand and can now tie her shoes, put her hair up and drive – which she does with the help of her knee.

Referring to losing her hand, she said: “Reality hit me when I got off my pain medication. I just wanted my hand back. I went through the process of grieving and still am today.

“My doctor told me that losing your hand is like losing someone in your family. Because it’s a part of you.”

David Petraeus Benghazi hearing: Obama administration altered CIA talking points on September attack

Diane A. Wade
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David Petraeus Benghazi hearing: Obama administration altered CIA talking points on September attack

David Petraeus has told US Congress that the CIA believed almost immediately that al-Qaeda-linked terrorists were behind the September 11th attacks in Benghazi, according to a leading Republican congressman.

Representative Peter King of New York, a member of the House Intelligence Committee that David Petraeus briefed, said that the former general left a “different impression” today than he had when he testified on Capitol Hill three days after the attack.

Now, Peter King said, David Petraeus insisted that the “original talking points prepared by the CIA were different than the final ones put out” and used by Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Sunday talk shows to say – incorrectly – that the attack was sparked by anger over an anti-Islam video made in California.

“The original talking points were much more specific about al-Qaeda involvement and yet the final ones just said <<indications of extremists>> even though it was clearly evident to the CIA that there was al-Qaeda involvement,” Peter King said.

The former CIA director was giving classified testimony and was accompanied by a CIA analyst. Peter King said David Petraeus did not speak under oath.

David Petraeus arrived early Friday for closed hearings on Capitol Hill as lawmakers seek details from the retired general about the September 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Peter King said that there was only brief mention by David Petraeus of his affair with biographer Paula Broadwell, which triggered his shock resignation last Friday.

“He was asked at the start did that have any impact on his testimony, he said no…10 seconds into it, that was off to the side.”

David Petraeus has told US Congress that the CIA believed almost immediately that al-Qaeda-linked terrorists were behind the September 11th attacks in Benghazi
David Petraeus has told US Congress that the CIA believed almost immediately that al-Qaeda-linked terrorists were behind the September 11th attacks in Benghazi

The New York congressman said that David Petraeus had explained that the talking points ultimately used by Susan Rice had been altered by inputs by a number of other government agencies after the CIA had made its assessment.

“He said that it goes though a long process, an interagency process and when they came back it was taken out.”
The House Intelligence Committee, which was hearing from David Petraeus before he briefed the Senate Intelligence Committee, met in a secure room several floors below the main area of the Capitol Visitors Centre, where tourists gather when they are visiting Congress.

Republicans and some Democrats have demanded an explanation of why the Obama administration initially described the attack at Benghazi as a protest gone awry, leading to the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, diplomat Sean Smith and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALS Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.

Five days after attack, the administration sent Susan Rice onto the Sunday news shows to describe what precipitated the assault. She relied on initial intelligence talking points that subsequently proved incorrect.

Deputy CIA Director Mike Morell told the House committee on Thursday that Susan Rice was provided with an unclassified version of events at the American mission, according to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, a committee member.

The assessment concluded that a spontaneous protest over anti-Islam video, The Innocence of Muslims, had evolved into an attack on the American consulate, a description that Rice presented in the television interviews.

David Petraeus hoped that by testifying he would put an end to some of the wilder rumors following his resignation over reveal of his affair with Paula Broadwell.

“He did not like the conspiracies going around that somehow he had something to hide on Benghazi,” said retired Colonel Peter Mansoor, who served as David Petraeus’ executive officer in Iraq.

“I think his offer to testify crossed with the Congress’ request to him to testify. But anyway he looks forward to that.”

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Hague war court clears Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac

Diane A. Wade
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Hague war court clears Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac

The Hague war crimes court has overturned the convictions of two Croatian generals charged with atrocities against Serbs in the 1990s.

Appeals judges ordered the release of Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac.

In 2011 they were sentenced to 24 years and 18 years respectively over the killing of ethnic Serbs in an offensive to retake Croatia’s Krajina region.

The men arrived in Zagreb later on Friday to a hero’s welcome. But their release was condemned in Serbia.

On Friday morning, the presiding judge at the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Theodor Meron, said the court had entered “a verdict of acquittal” for General Ante Gotovina and General Mladen Markac, both aged 57.

Last year the two men were convicted of murder, persecution and plunder.

Judges at the time ruled that they were part of a criminal conspiracy led by late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman to “permanently and forcibly remove” the Serb civilian population from Krajina.

But on Friday, Judge Theodor Meron said there had been no such conspiracy.

The appeals judges also said the 2011 trial chamber had “erred in finding that artillery attacks” ordered by General Ante Gotovina and General Mladen Markac on Krajina towns “were unlawful”.

The two former generals have always argued that they did not deliberately attack civilians.

Court officials also said prosecutors would not appeal against the ruling, describing it as “the final judgement”.

Neither defendant showed emotion in court, but their supporters in the gallery hugged each other and clapped after the verdict.

The Hague war crimes court has acquitted Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac charged with atrocities against Serbs in the 1990s
The Hague war crimes court has acquitted Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac charged with atrocities against Serbs in the 1990s

In Zagreb’s main square, thousands of people – who watched the proceedings live on giant TV – burst into applause.

“Our generals are heroes because they risked their lives to save our country and liberate the people,” student Andjela Anic, 26, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

“The verdict confirms everything that we believe in Croatia: that generals Gotovina and Markac are innocent,” Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said.

On Thursday, candle-lit vigils were held in Zagreb and Catholic churches around the country as war veterans and bishops asked supporters to “raise their voices against injustice”.

After the verdict, the two former generals were driven from The Hague to nearby Rotterdam airport before boarding the government plane to fly back home.

“I think it is only fair to get the boys back home,” Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic told reporters.

Meanwhile, Serbia’s President Tomislav Nikolic condemned the verdict as “political”, saying it “will open old wounds”.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Rasim Ljajic said The Hague tribunal had “lost all its credibility”, Serbia’s Beta news agency reported.

Rasim Ljajic said the appeals decision was “proof of selective justice which is worse than any injustice”.

He added that it was “a move backwards and the public opinion of the tribunal (in Serbia) will be worse than it already is”.

Gen. Ante Gotovina and Gen. Mladen Markac were last year convicted over the Croatian offensive in Krajina, which had been under Serbian control since the start of the war in 1991.

About 200,000 ethnic Serbs were driven from Croatia in 1995 and at least 150 were killed in a military offensive in Krajina known as Operation Storm.

The operation to retake the region was ordered by Franjo Tudjman. The Croatian leader died in 1999 while under investigation by The Hague tribunal.

The aftermath of the war is a key issue both in Croatia’s domestic politics and its external relations.

The European Union made it clear to former Yugoslav republics that they will not be considered for membership until war criminals were brought to justice.

Croatia is expected to join the EU in July 2013.

Jill Kelley emails to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn after David Petraeus scandal

Diane A. Wade
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Jill Kelley emails to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn after David Petraeus scandal

Jill Kelley, the Florida housewife whose complaint over threatening emails revealed David Petraeus’ affair, has attempted to exploit her connections once again.

In her first words since her part in the scandal was revealed over the weekend, Jill Kelley has sent a string of pleading emails to the Tampa Mayor, complaining she has been receiving threats and claiming: “The truth will one day prevail.”

The anguished messages, seen by the Tampa Bay Times, were sent in the early hours of Tuesday and Wednesday to Bob Buckhorn, whom she knows socially.

Jill Kelley claims her three children are scared to return home and her husband, Dr. Scott Kelley, has been forced to sleep at the hospital because he cannot get into their driveway, due to the swarms of media.

“Dear Mayor Bob,” Jill Kelley wrote, adding that she, David Petraeus and General John R. Allen – whom she was found to have exchanged “flirtatious” emails with – “have been exploited by the media”.

“I wouldn’t care – if they got the facts right and the focus was on the criminal that stalked all of us,” she added, apparently referring to David Petraeus’ mistress Paula Broadwell.

“But the truth will one day prevail.”

It is the second instance of her trying to exploit her “position” – after she called the police asking for “diplomatic protection” from the media due to her role as honorary consul to South Korea.

“I’m an honorary consul general, so I have inviolability, so they should not be able to cross my property,” Jill Kelley told the 911 operator.

 “I don’t know if you want to get diplomatic protection involved as well, because that’s against the law to cross my property because, you know, it’s inviolable.”

But the move backfired – with the police releasing the calls to the media and failing to provide her the protection reserved for those in positions of genuine authority.

“To put insult to injury, your police dept gave the local 911 tapes to the press!” Jill Kelley wrote to Bob Buckhorn, adding that the recordings included her cell number, so: “I have been receiving threats all night.”

“I’m scared and cannot believe what my city, in which I have contributed so much of my love, time, money and leadership, has now done to me and my innocent family,” Jill Kelley wrote.

Bob Buckhorn told the Times that he did nothing in response to Jill Kelley’s complaint and simply said that the 911 recordings were public records.

He added that he knew the Kelleys socially after he won the mayoral race in March 2011 – even though they did not support him in his bid and he had never met them before.

Jill Kelley with General David Petraeus and his wife Holly at her home in 2011
Jill Kelley with General David Petraeus and his wife Holly at her home in 2011

Yet just three weeks after Bob Buckhorn was sworn into office, Dr. Scott Kelley and his wife hosted a reception for him at their lavish $1.3 million home on Bayshore Boulevard.

Jill Kelley has since invited Bob Buckhorn to a string of social events, including her daughter’s sixth birthday party, which are also documented by email, the Times reported.

She invited him and his wife to a dinner party for the King of Jordan and, after he was unable to attend, she wrote to him again.

“The King and his sister [the Princess] are awesome people!” Jill Kelley said.

“Actually your name was brought up by the Generals when they were showing off the party I hosted you! (everyone loved that party).”

They met again when Bob Buckhorn and his wife gave her a ride home following an event at MacDill Air Force Base, for which she organized events as a volunteer social liaison officer.

“Gen. [James] Mattis, was so kind to offer, but I realized you two were passing my way,” Jill Kelley emailed the mayor the following day.

Their messages also show how she involved herself in a spat over a radio host’s claims that he was going to deep fat fry the Koran earlier this year, according to the Times.

Officers at MacDill told the mayor that the publicity stunt could harm troops, and asked him to speak with the host.

Jill Kelley also called the mayor to tell them she had been speaking with Gen. John Allen and Vice Admiral Robert Harward, the deputy commander of CentCom, who said they needed the mayor’s help.

When Buckhorn responded to say it was being dealt with, Jill Kelley said “they asked me to get involved, like I did when it happened with the Pastor last year”.

Her shrewd social-climbing tactics also came to light this week when she was pictured with Marco Rubio and her twin sister, Natalie Khawam, when he was running for the Senate.

The photograph was tweeted by Republican Angelette Aviles who said that it was taken at a March 2010 fundraiser, where tickets were $1,000.

But the twins didn’t pay – instead, they appeared, took the photo and left, Angelette Aviles told the Times. They did not contribute to his campaign.

Yet over the past week, Jill Kelley’s connections have given her more exposure than she was perhaps intending.

After David Petraeus dramatically resigned from the top of the CIA last Friday, it emerged that Jill Kelley had played a key role in exposing his affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

In May, Jill Kelley alerted the FBI that she had been receiving threatening, anonymous emails warning her to “back off” David Petraeus, whom Kelley and her husband are good friends with.

The FBI was forced to launch an in-depth investigation as some messages contained classified information about David Petraeus’ whereabouts, and they feared there could have been a security breach.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to modern health

Kathryn R. Bown
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Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to modern health

Experts warn that resistance to antibiotics is one of the greatest threats to modern health.

The warning from England’s chief medical officer and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) comes amid reports of growing problems with resistant strains of bugs such as E. coli and gonorrhea.

They said many antibiotics were being used unnecessarily for mild infections, helping to create resistance.

And they urged patients to take more care with how they used medicines.

This is particularly important as there are very few new antibiotics in development.

The chief medical officer, Prof. Dame Sally Davies, said: “Antibiotics are losing their effectiveness at a rate that is both alarming and irreversible – similar to global warming.

“I urge patients and prescribers to think about the drugs they are requesting and dispensing.

“Bacteria are adapting and finding ways to survive the effects of antibiotics, ultimately becoming resistant so they no longer work.

“The more you use an antibiotic, the more bacteria become resistant to it.”

To reinforce her message, Dame Sally Davies has issued a list of “dos and don’ts”.

These include:

  • Do remember antibiotics should      be taken only when prescribed by a health professional.
  • Do complete the prescribed      course even if you feel better, as not taking the full course encourages      the emergence of resistance.
  • Don’t share antibiotics with      anyone else.
  • Do remember that antibiotics      cannot help you recover from infections caused by viruses, such as colds      or flu.

Robert De Niro slams Jay-Z for not returning his calls at Leonardo DiCaprio’s birthday party

Lisa.Felice
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Robert De Niro slams Jay-Z for not returning his calls at Leonardo DiCaprio’s birthday party

Robert De Niro started an argument with Jay-Z at Leonardo DiCaprio’s birthday party in New York after the rapper failed to return not just one, but six of his phone calls.

Robert De Niro, 69, was sitting at a table at the upscale bash when Jay-Z came over to say hello, but the Raging Bull star was in no mood to be friendly.

A New York Post insider then overheard Robert De Niro complaining the rapper, who lives near the Oscar winner in the posh TriBeCa area, agreed to record a song for the Tribeca Film Festival, but failed to follow through.

Robert De Niro rang Jay-Z on several occasions to plan the project, but his calls were never so much as returned.

The insider said: “Bob wasn’t in any mood to make polite conversation.

“He told Jay that if somebody calls you six times, you call them back.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, that is just rude.”

Robert De Niro started an argument with Jay-Z at Leonardo DiCaprio's birthday party after the rapper failed to return his calls
Robert De Niro started an argument with Jay-Z at Leonardo DiCaprio’s birthday party after the rapper failed to return his calls

Jay-Z tried make light of the situation by claiming he is terrible on the phone, but that failed to douse Robert De Niro’s anger, and he continued to humiliate his foe in front of the likes of Martin Scorsese, Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz.

Even the feminine charms of his curvy wife Beyonce were not enough to get him off his high horse.

The source said: “De Niro kept telling him that he thinks he’s the man, but that he was disrespectful.

“Beyoncé came over, but that didn’t calm Bob down.

“It was the talk of the party. Everyone was saying there’s only one star in New York bigger and badder than Jay-Z, and that’s Robert De Niro.

“He can be quite scary when he’s angry.”

The latter is certainly an understatement, given his fame for playing characters with explosive tempers in the likes of Goodfellas and Raging Bull.

However, a source close to Robert De Niro tried to play down the seriousness of the incident.

The insider said: “It was a low-key private conversation between two people that was apparently overheard. It was not a heated discussion.”

Taliban mock David Petraeus’ affair and say he would be stoned to death in Afghanistan

Diane A. Wade
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Taliban mock David Petraeus’ affair and say he would be stoned to death in Afghanistan

The Taliban are not usually known for their sense of humor, but when it comes to the troubles of their enemies it seems they can see the lighter side.

A spokesman for the Islamic fundamentalist group this week mocked David Petraeus’ extra-marital affair which led to his resignation as director of the CIA, describing him as a “bastard”.

He added that David Petraeus would have been executed for his adultery under a Taliban regime, and blamed America’s “free sex society” for his infidelity.

David Petraeus was commander of the Western forces in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011, leading the effort to prevent the Taliban returning to power.

He joined the CIA last year, but suddenly resigned last week after an FBI investigation revealed he had been cheating on his wife with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

A Taliban official showed unusual levity when asked about the affair Agence France-Presse, bursting out laughing during an interview in Pakistan.

“What a bastard!”, the official said.

“But all Americans are the same, it’s nothing new.”

A spokesman for Taliban group mocked David Petraeus' extra-marital affair which led to his resignation as director of the CIA, describing him as a bastard
A spokesman for Taliban group mocked David Petraeus’ extra-marital affair which led to his resignation as director of the CIA, describing him as a bastard

While David Petraeus lost his job over the ongoing scandal, which has also roped in his successor in Afghanistan, General John Allen, the consequences could have been much worse if he lived under a regime controlled by the Taliban.

The anonymous official pointed out that adultery is a capital offence under the laws of the Pashtun people as well as under Islamic sharia law.

“From a Pashtun point of view, Petraeus should be shot by relatives from his mistress’ family,” he said.

“From a sharia point of view, he should be stoned to death.”

David Petraeus may have sacrificed his career and his reputation, but under U.S. law he is not expected to face any criminal charges.

The Taliban official said the former general’s indiscretion was unsurprising, given the permissiveness of Western societies.

“It’s quite normal for Americans and Western people to behave like this,” he told AFP.

“They live in free sex societies where nobody cares about this sort of thing, so what do you expect?”

While radical Islamists may believe that “nobody cares” about sex scandals in the U.S., those who have been dragged in to the Petraeus affair may not feel the same way.

As well as David Petraeus and John Allen, Paula Broadwell and Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite who uncovered the cheating after being sent threatening emails by Broadwell, have found themselves at the centre of a media storm since the scandal first hit last Friday.

IKEA admits using forced labor by political prisoners in communist East Germany

Clyde K. Valle
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IKEA admits using forced labor by political prisoners in communist East Germany

IKEA has said it “deeply regrets” the use of forced labor by political prisoners in communist East Germany.

The Swedish furniture giant asked accountants Ernst & Young to look into the matter, dating back to the 1970s.

The study, now published, indicates that political and criminal prisoners were involved in manufacturing for IKEA suppliers.

It also said that IKEA representatives at the time knew that political prisoners were possibly used.

IKEA gave contracts to the East German government in the 1970s.

Former political prisoners of the Stasi, the feared secret police, said they worked on the furniture, prompting IKEA to commission the Ernst & Young report.

Those former prisoners may now expect compensation.

“We deeply regret that this could happen. Using political prisoners in production has never been accepted within the IKEA Group,” said Jeanette Skjelmose, IKEA’s sustainability manager.

IKEA has said it deeply regrets the use of forced labor by political prisoners in communist East Germany
IKEA has said it deeply regrets the use of forced labor by political prisoners in communist East Germany

The company said that although it took steps to try to ensure that prisoners were not used in production, “it is now clear that these measures were not effective enough”.

Jeanette Skjelmose added that IKEA now had one of the most rigorous codes of conduct for suppliers and this, together with close co-operation with suppliers and external inspections, effectively reduced the risk of something similar happening again.

“IKEA had contracts with GDR Enterprises to produce their furniture here,” said Dr. Hubertus Knabe, director of the Stasi Prison Memorial, a former prison that has been turned into a museum.

“They didn’t ask who were producing their furniture and under what kind of conditions,” he said prior to the report being published.

“In each case you are responsible [for] with whom you are dealing and if you are dealing with dictatorship, if you don’t have a look under what kind of conditions your furniture is produced, then you are responsible for that.”

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Israel-Gaza violence: Egypt backs under-fire Palestinians

Roy Siemens
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Israel-Gaza violence: Egypt backs under-fire Palestinians

Egypt has promised to support Gaza against Israeli attacks, as violence escalated for a third day.

President Mohammed Mursi said he would not leave Gaza on its own and condemned Israel’s “blatant aggression”, hours after his prime minister visited Gaza.

Israel mounted a huge attack overnight, targeting dozens of locations. Later, Gaza militants targeted Tel Aviv with a missile but there were no casualties.

Twenty Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed since Wednesday.

Militants and civilians, including at least five children, were among the Palestinian dead, Palestinian officials said.

Two Israeli women and a man died when a rocket fired from Gaza hit a building in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi on Thursday, Israeli officials said.

The Israeli army began an initial draft of 16,000 reservists on Friday, after the government authorized the call-up of 30,000.

Rumors have been swirling that a ground attack is imminent, but Israeli officials have said no decision has yet been made.

Israel targeted more than 130 locations in an overnight assault it said was aimed at knocking out rocket-firing facilities.

Egypt has promised to support Gaza against Israeli attacks, as violence escalated for a third day
Egypt has promised to support Gaza against Israeli attacks, as violence escalated for a third day

Sporadic Israeli air strikes have continued throughout Friday, and militants in Gaza have fired dozens of rockets.

Mohammed Mursi sent Prime Minister Hisham Qandil to the territory for a three-hour visit on Friday to show solidarity with the Palestinians.

“Egypt will not leave Gaza on its own, and what is happening is a blatant aggression against humanity,” the president said shortly after Hisham Qandil returned from Gaza.

Ties between Hamas and Egypt have strengthened since Mohammed Mursi’s election earlier this year.

Hamas was formed as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Mohammed Mursi belongs.

Meanwhile, the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, some 75 km (45 miles) north of Gaza, came under attack for a second day.

A missile launched from Gaza sparked panic in the city and air-raid sirens once again sounded.

The missile appears to have done no harm, with police officials quoted variously as saying it had landed in the sea or in an unpopulated area.

It is the first time Tel Aviv has come under attack since the 1991 Gulf War.

Analysts say it is the first time Gaza militants have deployed such powerful missiles.

Western leaders have appealed for both sides to stop the escalation in violence.

Britain and Germany both said Hamas bears the brunt of the blame and should stop firing rockets immediately.

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Chanel mini Hula Hoop bag available for $2,400

Lisa.Felice
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Chanel mini Hula Hoop bag available for $2,400

Chanel Hula Hoop bag was the most talked-about item on the fashion house spring/summer 2013 catwalk creating a huge social media buzz when it was unveiled at the Grand Palais at Paris Fashion Week in October.

Baffled fashion critics declared it completely ridiculous and unusable but Chanel supremo Karl Lagerfeld wasn’t fazed: “It’s for the beach!” he said, hoping to explain away its bonkers design.

And although the full size bag isn’t actually going on sale, thanks to the hoopla that the hula hoop arm candy caused a smaller version of the design is going to be made will be available next spring.

Measuring 24 centimetres across, the mini hula hoop bag could be all yours for $2,400.

It incorporates the trademark quilted design as well as brand new hooped handle details.

Measuring 24 centimetres across, Chanel mini hula hoop bag could be all yours for $2,400
Measuring 24 centimetres across, Chanel mini hula hoop bag could be all yours for $2,400

“You need space for the beach towel and then you can put it into the sand and hang things on it,” Karl Lagerfeld explained of the larger catwalk version.

No word from Chanel yet on what you can fit in to the baby bag.

But the new design from the fashion house is bound to be spotted on the arms of the most fashion forward A-listers when it hits stores.

Avid fans of the French label include Keira Knightley, Blake Lively and Jennifer Lopez, who took up a front row seat alongside daughter Emme at the spring/summer show.

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Video of ambassador Chris Stevens being dragged out of Benghazi consulate shown to congressmen

Diane A. Wade
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Video of ambassador Chris Stevens being dragged out of Benghazi consulate shown to congressmen

Congressmen watched harrowing footage of the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, being dragged out of the consulate during the terror attack which killed him.

Members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees were shown a video of Chris Stevens being taken out of the building in Benghazi while it was attacked by radical Islamists on September 11.

The lawmakers watched the video during a hearing in which the acting director of the CIA told them that the administration’s mistaken statements on the causes of the raid were down to incorrect intelligence information.

The footage was shown as part of an attempt by the CIA to provide the fullest account yet of the deadly assault, which left Stevens and three other Americans dead.

It captured some of the last moments of Chris Stevens’ life, showing the attack on the consulate building as well as Stevens being removed from the building as he suffered from the injuries which would eventually kill him.

Mike Morell, the acting CIA director who took over for disgraced boss David Petraeus, told the committees that UN ambassador Susan Rice had been provided with an unclassified version of what happened during the deadly September attack in Libya that was incorrect
Mike Morell, the acting CIA director who took over for disgraced boss David Petraeus, told the committees that UN ambassador Susan Rice had been provided with an unclassified version of what happened during the deadly September attack in Libya that was incorrect

Senator Dan Coats told CNN the video was “combination of video from a surveillance camera and a drone”.

He added: “It gave us a good picture, from the surveillance standpoint, what was happening.”

Mike Morell, the acting CIA director who took over for disgraced boss David Petraeus, told the committees that UN ambassador Susan Rice had been provided with an unclassified version of what happened during the deadly September attack in Libya that was incorrect.

Emerging from the session, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said Michael Morell told the panel that Susan Rice was given an initial assessment that a spontaneous protest over an anti-Muslim video evolved into an attack on the consulate.

Susan Rice’s comments on national talk shows five days after the attack has drawn fierce criticism, with some Senate Republicans vowing to block her nomination if she is tapped to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Adam Schiff said the ambassador’s interview remarks were based on the “best initial assessment”.

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Fred Humphries’ topless picture sent to Jill Kelley revealed

Diane A. Wade
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Fred Humphries’ topless picture sent to Jill Kelley revealed

This is the topless photograph which FBI agent Frederick Humphries sent to Florida socialite Jill Kelley, who is at the centre of the David Petraeus sex scandal.

Frederick W. Humphries emailed the picture to Jill Kelley from an account he shared with his wife, two years before he started the investigation which would lead to David Petraeus’ resignation and very public disgrace.

The picture shows Fred Humphries with his shirt off, posing with two bullet-riddled dummies which look remarkably similar to the 47-year-old.

It was Fred Humphries who initiated the investigation into harassing emails sent to Kelley that ultimately led to the resignation of David Petraeus.

Amid the heat of that exposure the news of his own apparent indiscretion was treated as another layer of sexual intrigue in this tangled tale.

In fact, Frederick Humphries insists, it is nothing of the sort. The email was a joke that backfired more spectacularly than he could possibly have imagined and, perhaps, was allowed to.

The image in question was not some leering pose, directed at the object of his desire, but a round-robin joke – the sort of which the 47-year-old Special Agent was in the habit of sending – that ended with a picture punchline.

In stark contrast to the covert “dead drop” technique of Paula Broadwell and David Petraeus’s email correspondence, Fred Humphries’s message was sent from an account he shared with his wife, teacher Sara.

This is the topless photograph which FBI agent Frederick Humphries sent to Florida socialite Jill Kelley, who is at the centre of the David Petraeus sex scandal
This is the topless photograph which FBI agent Frederick Humphries sent to Florida socialite Jill Kelley, who is at the centre of the David Petraeus sex scandal

The snapshot showing Frederick Humphries – bald, muscular and shirtless – posed between two buff, bullet-ridden target dummies and carrying the punchline: “Which one is Fred?” was framed and displayed on his wife’s desk at work. His supervisor even pinned it on the notice board in the Bureau.

In fact as the Seattle Times reports, one of the newspaper’s staff was among those to receive the email, sent in 2010 shortly after the Special Agent had been transferred from Guantanamo Bay to the Bureau’s Tampa office.

The email was sent on 9 September 2010. All of which points to the motivation of the sources that first leaked word of its existence being mischievous at best.

Because if not quite an Icarus figure fallen to earth, Fred Humphries reputation has certainly been allowed to wilt in the heat of the media glare.

David Petraeus faces CIA investigation as he prepares for Benghazi hearing

Diane A. Wade
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David Petraeus faces CIA investigation as he prepares for Benghazi hearing

The CIA has opened an investigation into the conduct of its former director David Petraeus, who resigned last week citing an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell.

A CIA spokesman says the inquiry by the agency’s inspector general would see if there are any lessons to be learned.

Paula Broadwell, 40, was found to have classified information, but both she and General David Petraeus deny it came from him.

David Petraeus will testify on Friday on Capitol Hill about September’s deadly attack on the US consulate in Libya.

The CIA said in a statement on Thursday: “At the CIA we are constantly reviewing our performance. If there are lessons to be learned from this case we’ll use them to improve.

“But we’re not getting ahead of ourselves; an investigation is exploratory and doesn’t presuppose any particular outcome.”

In his first interview since resigning, David Petraeus told CNN on Thursday he had not given any classified information to his former lover.

He also said he quit because of the affair, not the assault two months ago on the consulate in Benghazi that left four Americans dead.

The CIA has opened an investigation into the conduct of its former director David Petraeus, who resigned last week citing an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell
The CIA has opened an investigation into the conduct of its former director David Petraeus, who resigned last week citing an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell

David Petraeus will be questioned by lawmakers behind closed doors on Friday about that attack, which has been the focus of Republican claims that the Obama administration misled the American people.

Meanwhile, intelligence officials continued on Thursday to defend their handling of the investigation into David Petraeus’ affair.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and acting CIA Director Michael Morell appeared before the House intelligence committee.

Dutch Ruppersberger, the panel’s top Democrat, said after the hearing that he was satisfied with the FBI’s investigation.

He said the agency was right not to have notified political leaders sooner, because of rules set up post-Watergate to prevent meddling in criminal investigations.

But another committee member, Representative Adam Schiff, also a Democrat, said “there’s a lot of information we need … with respect to the facts about the allegations against General Petraeus”.

At a press conference in New Orleans, US Attorney General Eric Holder was also asked why the justice department did not inform the White House or lawmakers earlier about the investigation.

Eric Holder said: “As we went through the investigation and looked at the facts and tried to examine them as they developed, we felt very secure in the knowledge that a national security threat did not exist.”

The scandal was discovered when FBI officials looked into harassing emails, allegedly from Paula Broadwell, that were sent to a Florida socialite who is a family friend of the Petraeuses.

The inquiry has also ensnared the US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen.

John Allen is under investigation for sending what officials describe as “flirtatious” emails to the Tampa hostess, Jill Kelley.

Adultery is illegal under military law, but General John Allen denies wrongdoing.

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