Sources close to the internal investigation into the David Petraeus scandal said that the commander of US Forces in Afghanistan General John Allen exchanged emails with 37-year-old Jill Kelley.
General John Allen, who is married who two daughters and leads US troops in Afghanistan denies any wrongdoing.
Officials claim his emails to Jill Kelley, who is also married with children, were simply friendly and not “inappropriate” or flirtatious.
Another official said that the Defense Secretary Leon Panetta would not have referred this matter to an internal investigator without being sure that he had to – such would be the effect on John Allen’s family and the US war effort.
“This was a serious enough matter that those who examined the emails thought it should be referred to the secretary of defense, and the secretary made the decision to turn it over to the inspector general,” the official said to Fox News.
“He would not have thrust this into the limelight without good cause.”
Sources are reviewing between 20,000 to 30,000 pages of emails between Jill Kelley and General John Allen which date from between 2010 to 2012.
The investigation into the burgeoning scandal is ongoing – on Monday evening FBI agents searched Paula Broadwell’s Charlotte, North Carolina home and left with electronic equipment.
Further deepening the mire is news that the FBI agent who began the investigation into David Petraeus was taken off the case after it was found that he sent shirtless pictures of himself to Jill Kelley.
He is facing an internal investigation.
John Allen, 58, succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO’s top commander – but his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Jill Kelley is investigated.
“General Allen disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter,” one official close to the case said to Fox News. He said John Allen currently is in Washington.
Since she was named as the “other other” woman in the David Petraeus affair, the spotlight has shone on Jill Kelley and her identical twin sister Natalie Khawam.
It has been revealed that Paula Broadwell has taken refuge at her brother’s Washington D.C. home as she hides away from the fall-out of her affair with disgraced former CIA boss David Petraeus.
The 40-year-old mother-of-two is staying in the Petworth suburb of the capital as the scandal she set off by sending threatening emails to alleged love rival Jill Kelley blew up publicly on Friday – causing David Petraeus’ resignation.
This was confirmed this evening when the Associated Press released a photograph of Paula Broadwell standing in the kitchen wearing a pink top with a glass of red wine in hand looking like any other housewife on a weekday evening.
It was Paula Broadwell’s threatening emails to Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite who is a Petraeus family friend that led to the FBI’s discovery of the affair between the biographer-turned-mistress and the nation’s top spy-chief.
And in another jaw-dropping development it has been claimed that Paula Broadwell also sent emails to General John Allen under the pseudonym “KelleyPatrol” – calling the unpaid social liaison for the military a “seductress”, warning the general about becoming entangled in a relationship with her.
This in turn led to a dramatic twist when sources close to the internal investigation into the scandal said that the commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan General John Allen exchanged emails likened to “phone sex” with 37-year-old Jill Kelley.
Paula Broadwell has taken refuge at her brother’s Washington DC home as she hides away from the fall-out of her affair with David Petraeus
General John Allen, who is married who two daughters and leads U.S. troops in Afghanistan denies any wrongdoing.
Officials claim his emails to Jill Kelley, who is also married with children, were simply friendly and not “inappropriate” or flirtatious.
However, sources have told Fox News that the emails between the pair were so explicit that they could be compared to “the equivalent of phone sex over email”.
Another official said that the Defense Secretary Leon Panetta would not have referred this matter to an internal investigator without being sure that he had to – such would be the effect on John Allen’s family and the U.S. war effort.
“This was a serious enough matter that those who examined the emails thought it should be referred to the secretary of defense, and the secretary made the decision to turn it over to the inspector general,” the official said to Fox News.
“He would not have thrust this into the limelight without good cause.”
Sources are reviewing between 20,000 to 30,000 pages of emails between Jill Kelley and General John Allen which date from between 2010 to 2012.
The investigation into the burgeoning sex scandal is ongoing – on Monday evening FBI agents searched Paula Broadwell’s Charlotte, North Carolina home and left with electronic equipment.
And further deepening the mire is news that the FBI agent who began the investigation into David Petraeus was taken off the case after it was found that he sent shirtless pictures of himself to Jill Kelley.
David Petraeus and his biographer-turned-mistress Paula Broadwell used some handy espionage tradecrafts to keep their liaisons a secret for nearly a year.
David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell would communicate using a dummy Gmail account that they set up as a modern version of the classic spy “dead drop” trick, where they would leave their messages in the account’s draft folder to save it for the other to see.
Rather than sending each other actual emails, which would create an electronic paper trail, they would write messages and save them as drafts.
The other would then log in to the same account, view the message, delete it and then leave a response that would also be saved rather than sent.
Dead drops, wherein spies leave messages for their sources or informants at a neutral location and then the individual would go and pick up the message before returning with their own response.
David Petraeus and his mistress Paula Broadwell used some handy espionage tradecrafts to keep their liaisons a secret for nearly a year
In the digital era, however, Gmail’s draft folder creates an easy space for teenagers, terrorists, and apparently philandering politicians to do the same.
David Petraeus was the one to set up the fake account in this case, and he used a pseudonym to do so.
The pair may never have been caught if Paula Broadwell didn’t go against the papertrail the save-but-don’t-send trick safeguarded the lovers from.
The scandal came under investigation only after Paula Broadwell used one of her email accounts to send anonymous emails to Florida housewife Jill Kelley.
Jill Kelley, the socialite at the centre of the David Petraeus sex scandal who sent thousands of “inappropriate” emails to General John Allen, “flirted outrageously” with a string of military chiefs, a friend claimed today.
In a dramatic new twist in the David Petraeus sex scandal on Monday night, it emerged that General John Allen exchanged 20,000 to 30,000 messages – as many as 40 a day – with Jill Kelley, the woman who sparked the probe into the CIA boss.
Jill Kelley, an unpaid social liaison for the military in Tampa, tipped off the FBI about threatening emails from David Petraeus’ mistress, Paula Broadwell – exposing his affair and leading to his resignation.
General John Allen, who is married with two daughters and leads U.S. troops in Afghanistan, denies any wrongdoing. Officials claim his emails to Jill Kelley, who is also married with children, were simply friendly.
And Jill Kelley is clearly not shy of the extra media attention, as the glamorous socialite confidently strutted outside her home for the second day in a row today – while Paula Broadwell remains in hiding.
Jill Kelley, who kicked off an FBI probe into General David Petraeus, watches TV coverage of his affair with Paula Broadwell
Paula Broadwell sent Jill Kelley half a dozen emails from anonymous accounts earlier this year warning Kelley to stay away from David Petraeus. In one, she accused Jill Kelley of groping the CIA boss under the table.
She also accused Jill Kelley of “parad[ing] around the base”, adding: “You need to take it down a notch” and “Who do you think you are?”
A friend today described how Jill Kelley would “flirt outrageously” with senior military figures invited to parties at her $1.3 million mansion, saying: “She was a very sexy lady and she knows it.”
“She always looks a million dollars in her designer dresses and heels. She turns heads,” said the friend, who did not wish to be named but has attended numerous parties at her home.
“At the parties she would flirt with all the senior military guys. She’s touchy feel-y. Her hands would be on their arms. She was attentive.It’s not hard to see why she had some guys under her spell.”
A top U.S. official revealed that some of the emails exchanged between Jill Kelley and John Allen from 2010 until 2012 were “flirtatious”.
John Allen, 58, succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO’s top commander – but his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Jill Kelley is investigated.
If General John Allen is found to have engaged in an extramarital affair – a crime in the military – he faces being court martialed, bringing a spectacular fall from grace and the end to a glittering army career that has spanned nearly 40 years. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Dennis Avner, the Nevada man who spent years trying to transform his body into that of a cat has died aged 54.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Dennis Avner underwent a series of radical body modification procedures to make himself look like a female cat, from whiskers and ears to a mechanical tail.
Dennis Avner’s dead body was found in his home in Tonopah on November 5.
His operations have included bifurcation (splitting) of his upper lip, surgical pointing of the ears, silicone cheek and forehead implants, tooth filing, tattoos, and facial piercing.
Dennis Avner likes to go by his Indian name “Stalking Cat”.
“I am Huron and following a very old tradition have transformed myself into a tiger,” he said on his now-defunct website.
Dennis Avner’s dead body was found in his home in Tonopah on November 5
Descended from American Indians, Dennis Avner felt inspired after a discussion with a Native chief who inspired him to “follow the ways of the tiger”.
With his overgrown fingernails, fangs and striped skin tone, Dennis Avner was a highly recognizable figure in his neighborhood.
His cause of death has not yet been revealed, yet some are speculating that up speculation that Dennis Avner may have killed himself.
Shannon Larratt, the former editor and publisher of BMEzine and friend of Dennis Avner, wrote in a blog post: “A wonderful and complex person, he was at times as troubled as he was remarkable, and he recently took his own life at the age of 54.”
His surgeries were done by Steve Haworth, an artist and pioneer of body modification techniques.
While Dennis Avner worked as a computer programmer, he often appeared at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! events around the world.
With President Barack Obama secured for a second term, the Beltway is abuzz with chatter over who will end up where in his imminent cabinet reshuffle.
Sources are opining that the president is considering Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) for the post of Secretary of Defense instead of Secretary of State, which has been thought to be the apple of the veteran senator’s eye.
Despite his deep-rooted longing for the post of chief diplomat, it is believed Barack Obama will select Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to fill the expected vacancy left when current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, could soon announce her departure from Obama’s administration.
Hillary Clinton has insisted that she will be a one-term Secretary, fueling rumors she has her eye on a presidential run in 2016.
Susan E. Rice, 47, has been part of the coterie of Barack Obama advisers since the early days of his campaign for president in 2007.
But she has been on the receiving end of much criticism since she is believed to have been the driving force being the Obama administration’s initial choice to label the recent attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, in which U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed, as a violent protest as opposed to a planned terrorist attack.
Despite the negativity over her alleged influence and claims by at least one Republican senator, Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) that she would have an “incredibly difficult time” being confirmed as head of the State Department in the senate, Barack Obama is expected to stand firm in his support for her nomination, sources have told The Washington Post.
Susan E. Rice, 47, has been part of the coterie of Barack Obama advisers since the early days of his campaign for president in 2007
“I cannot imagine promoting anybody associated with Benghazi at this point,” the Republican said on CBS’ Face The Nation on Sunday.
But Susan E. Rice was a shoo-in during her confirmation hearings for her post at the UN back in 2009, impressing both Democrats and Republicans alike with her grasp of foreign policy and world affairs.
So with Susan Rice rumored to be Hillary Clinton’s heir apparent, the conjecture is now that John F. Kerry would be the top choice for Defense.
Current Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who had previously served as the Director of the CIA, assumed the role at the Pentagon after Robert Gates stepped down in July 2011.
Leon Panetta himself has said he doesn’t think he would remain in the post during Barack Obama’s second term but in a moment of candor told reporters “who the hell knows?” when he was asked about his future.
“It’s no secret that at some point I’d like to get back to California,” he said on Monday.
The Monterey native moved to DC to serve as a Congressman from 1977 to 1993 and was served as President Bill Clinton’s White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997.
He later served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1993–1994.
And with the personnel changes expected to soon come down the pipeline, Leon Panetta could soon have his wish fulfilled.
Though John Kerry has been the top name floated as a replacement for Leon Panetta, sources told The Post that Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and former undersecretary for policy at the Pentagon, Michele Flournoy, have also been mentioned as contenders.
John Kerry, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is expected to have earned a place among Barack Obama’s top brass – especially after his defense of the president’s national security record at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in September.
Barack Obama’s appointments are expected to be announced any day now though his press secretary, Jay Carney, remained tight lipped on any potential changes in his first press briefing since Obama’s reelection on November 9.
The President will hold a full press conference this coming Wednesday, in the White House’s East Room, where the president will take questions from the press and possibly announce major changes to his cabinet.
France has become the first Western country to recognize Syria’s opposition coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
The move was announced by President Francois Hollande at a televised news conference in Paris.
Syrian opposition groups struck a deal in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday to form a broad coalition to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
The US and Britain have both signaled support for the coalition.
But they stopped short of recognizing it as a government-in-exile.
Gulf Arab states have declared the coalition to be the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
Opposition and human rights activists estimate that more than 36,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule began in March 2011.
More than 408,000 Syrians have fled to neighboring countries, and more are fleeing every day, according to the United Nations.
Francois Hollande told reporters: “I announce today that France recognizes the Syrian National Coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people and as the future government of a democratic Syria, allowing it to bring an end to Bashar al-Assad’s regime.”
Francois Hollande’s announcement is a clear sign that the West is now pinning its hopes on the Syrian opposition finally being able to offer a united and effective alternative to President Bashar al-Assad.
The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces has been calling on European nations to recognize it as the country’s transitional government, enabling it to buy weapons to assist its attempts to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
Fancrois Hollande said France would look at the question of arming the coalition, but that it would not support doing so “as long as it wasn’t clear where these weapons went”.
“With the coalition, as soon as it is a legitimate government of Syria, this question will be looked at by France, but also by all countries that recognize this government,” he said.
In Washington, state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said the US regarded the National Coalition as “a legitimate representative” of the Syrian people.
“We now have a structure in place that can prepare for a political transition,” he told reporters.
“But… we’re looking for it to still establish the types of technical committees that will allow us to make sure our assistance gets to the right places.”
Today it was revealed that Jill Kelley had access to “influential figures in the global area” before she was even out of school.
Jill Kelley, now 37, was a member of the World Affairs Council while still a student at Lower Moreland High School in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.
Students were taken on trips and given the opportunity to meet dignitaries at the highest level including presidents, prime ministers and princes.
Among those who have spoken at her local branch of the respected organization include Prince Albert of Monaco, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Tony Blair.
General David Petraeus also made an appearance, but it was in 2010 and long after she had left school.
Jill Kelley has become the central figure in the scandal which has caused David Petraeus, 60, to step down as head of the CIA and forced General John Allen to stand down from his post leading US troops in Afghanistan.
General John Allen, who is married, sent her between 20,000 to 30,000 e-mail messages, some of which were of an inappropriate nature.
General David Petraeus’ mistress, Paula Broadwell, an Army reservist who was also his biographer, is said to have emailed Jill Kelley and warned her to back off because she was jealous, which led to the affair becoming public when the FBI got involved.
Judging by pictures in her high school yearbook, Jill Kelley was glamorous even at the age of 18 and well aware of her charms.
She posed wearing a black dress and pearls around her neck with her jet black hair tumbling over her left shoulder.
Her body is turned to the left and she has a radiant grin on her face.
Jill Kelley appears not to have been a prominent member of school but did take part in a number of activities, notably the World Affairs Council.
According to the Philadelphia branch of the nationwide non-profit organization, it was founded in 1949 to inform people of all ages “on matters of national and international significance”.
Among the other guest speakers have been Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Joe Biden, Al Gore and Donald Rumsfeld.
Its website says: “The Council provides its members and the greater Philadelphia community with access to influential figures in the global area as well as opportunities to visit fascinating destinations through its unique travel program.”
Jill Kelley, now 37, was a member of the World Affairs Council while still a student at Lower Moreland High School in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Jill Kelley – who appears in the yearbook under her maiden name Khawam – was also a “Mathlete” and would have competed against other schools in math competitions.
She claims to have written for student newspaper Lion’s Roar which allowed students to “freely vent their creative juices”, the yearbook says.
The newspaper also started up a world news section because, according to its 1993 editor Sharon Herring, there was concern students were “lacking in their knowledge of the outside world|.
Another string to Jill Khawam’s bow was the Future Business Leaders of America whose members took part in competitions where they learned skills that would be useful at work, such as typing and accounting.
In the yearbook Stephanie Simon said: “I believe that FBLA not only exposes students to the important field of business, but it also aides the community.
“Students are able to get a taste of the real world in more ways than one.”
Jill Khawam also appears to have had a strong moral compass and was a member of SADD – Students Against Drunk Driving – another group called Students For a More Conscious Society, the student council, a community outreach program called Operation Smile and the Red Cross
Her other activities were computer club, science club, orchestra basketball, cross country running, field hockey, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field and orchestra.
Jill Khawam grew up in Philadelphia with her family, who emigrated there from Lebanon in the 1970s.
Her parents, John and Marcelle Khawam, once ran a Middle Eastern restaurant and now live in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania.
In her yearbook entry, Jill Khawam’s twin sister Natalie Kwaham wears the same clothes as her sister and is also smiling.
Her activities included concert choir, the World Affairs Council and Students For A More Conscious Society.
The sisters moved to Tampa, Florida around ten years ago where they both became regulars on the social circuit.
Jill Kelley’s husband Scott works as a surgeon, while Natalie Khawam is a lawyer who specializes in dealing with whistleblowers, which has newfound irony considering Jill was the one whose contact with the FBI led to the resignation of a well-respected general and the investigation into another.
A friend, who has known Jill Kelley for almost a decade, said that the revelation that she exchanged between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of communications with General John Allen comes as a surprise.
“This has come as a complete shock. You never know what goes on behind closed doors, but no one in her circle saw this coming,” said one of her friends.
“Jill was well known for throwing parties where the military attended and she reveled in her role as honorary ambassador but sending all those emails to a general is another thing.”
Her brother, David Khawam, has also revealed their fear that she will be branded the “other woman”.
Speaking to the Today show, he said: “This is something that is going to brand her for life.
“My sister, number one, is a mother. She has three kids and is extremely dedicated to those kids.
“Number two she is a wife. She is extremely dedicated to her husband and he to her. For her to have an affair with General Petraeus is ludicrous.”
Jill Kelley regularly kept in touch with then-General David Petraeus when he became commander of the Afghan war effort, the two exchanging near-daily emails and instant messages, two of his former staffers say.
But those messages were exchanged in accounts that his aides monitored as part of their duties and were not romantic in tone, the staffers said.
David Khawam added that he expected his sister, who has hired the crisis management firm employed by Monica Lewinsky and the attorney who represented John Edwards earlier this year, to address reports about her involvement with two of the top US military chiefs.
More than 100,000 Americans have petitioned the White House to allow their states to secede from the US, after President Barack Obama’s re-election.
The appeals were filed on the White House’s We the People website.
Most of the 20 states with petitions voted for Republican Mitt Romney.
The US constitution contains no provisions for states to secede from the union. By Monday night the White House had not responded.
In total, more than 20 petitions have been filed. One for Texas has reached the 25,000-signature threshold at which the White House promises a response.
The last time states officially seceded, the US Civil War followed.
More than 100,000 Americans have petitioned the White House to allow their states to secede from the US, after President Barack Obama’s re-election
Most of the petitions merely quote the opening line of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain, in which America’s founders stated their right to “dissolve the political bands” and form a new nation.
Currently, the most popular petition is from Texas, which voted for Mitt Romney by some 15 percentage points more than it did for the Democratic incumbent.
The text complains of “blatant abuses” of Americans’ rights.
It cites the Transportation Security Administration, whose staff has been accused of intrusive screening at airports.
Valeria Lukyonova, a Ukrainian model, is making waves in the US, not for her natural good looks however, but for her cosmetically-enhanced Barbie looks that have turned her into a living doll.
Valeria Lukyonova, 21, became an internet sensation after a video was released about the epic plastic surgery procedures she allegedly underwent to transform into a real-life Mattel doll.
Now Valeria Lukyonova has posed for V magazine’s latest “Girl Power” issue, with her doll-like proportions taking center-stage.
The model, who calls herself “the most famous Russian woman on the Russian-speaking internet” in the interview, has overly enhanced body proportions which aim to emulate that of Mattel’s doll, Barbie.
In the new issue, which goes on sale November 15, she describes her average day for those fascinated fans.
“In the morning I work on my face and I get a massage, then I spend some time on the Internet,” she says.
“I meditate and travel in my astral body, and after that I work out at the gym. I go for a walk with my best girlfriend, I get home, and I make dinner for the man I love.
“Then I spend some more time on the Internet, do some reading and meditating, and go to bed.”
Valeria Lukyonova is making waves in the US for her cosmetically-enhanced Barbie looks that have turned her into a living doll
While many people were skeptical of Valeria Lukyonova’s porcelain looks, wondering if she was a simply internet Photoshop creation, V magazine was able to track her down through an anonymous source.
The magazine writes: “Our source also claimed that the Security Service of Ukraine is having Lukyanova’s activities monitored. <<Be careful>>, we were warned. <<We’re worried for you and do not want you to suffer from her>>.”
Valeria Lukyonova, whose spiritual name is Amatue, tells V magazine that her “real job” is “a teacher at the School of Out-Of-Body Travel… an international school in which our instructors show students how to leave their physical body and travel in their spiritual body, where you can visit any place on the planet and in the universe”.
She adds: “I know that this is the future of mankind.”
Almost 500,000 people have signed an online petition requesting that Macy’s ends it association with Donald Trump.
Macy’s, which exclusively sells Donald Trump’s clothing line and fragrance, has also made him central to its just launched Christmas advertising campaign.
The petition at SignOn.org says Macy’s should break with Donald Trump because of his “especially unpleasant, nasty and despicable behavior”.
“Donald Trump does not reflect the <<magic of Macy’s>>. We urge you to sever ties with him,” the petition reads.
Cher is amongst those who has signed the petition. She has called Donald Trump a “loudmouth, racist cretin” over his criticism of Barack Obama.
“I’ll NEVER GO TO MACY’S AGAIN! I didn’t know they sold Donald Trump’s Line!” she wrote on Twitter.
Donald Trump had yet to personally addressed the petition on his Twitter feed, but made a point of tweeting about his Macy’s-stocked clothing line and fragrance.
“My fragrance – <<Success>> – is flying off the shelves @Macys. The perfect Christmas gift!” he wrote.
Yesterday he posted: “Just saw my new line of shirts, ties & suits @Macys – they are fantastic! Would make great holiday presents!”
Macy’s, which exclusively sells Donald Trump’s clothing line and fragrance, has also made him central to its just launched Christmas advertising campaign
The petition was created by Angelo Carusone, who has previously campaigned against Glenn Beck.
The homepage for the petition cites several examples of Donald Trump’s “despicable behavior”, including his “sexist” comments about women, his denial of climate change and his hypocrisy by manufacturing his own clothes in China but criticizing others for sending jobs abroad.
Donald Trump is also notorious for long promoting the discredited conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the United States.
Prior to last week’s presidential election, Donald Trump raised the issue once again and issued an ultimatum to Barack Obama, claiming that he would donate $5 million to charity if the President released his college records and passport application.
On election night itself, Trump tweeted that the final result was “a travesty, a total sham, a disgusting injustice” and “urged Americans to march on Washington”.
Macy’s new holiday ad, which spoofs “Miracle on 34th Street”, makes light of Donald Trump’s support of the so-called “birther” movement.
Assuming the role of the skeptic, Donald Trump yanks on Santa’s beard after asking: “What’s with the get-up, Kris?”
The commercial ends with Santa Claus saying to Donald Trump: “If I can win you over, there’s still hope.”
Donald Trump’s spokesman Michael Cohen has expressed confidence in the strength of his client’s relationship with the retailer.
“Mr. Trump is important to Macy’s, both as a brand and as an endorser. His ties, shirts, cufflinks, fragrances and other merchandise are top-selling items across the country – in particular Mr. Trump’s ties are the number one selling ties at Macy’s,” he told The Daily News.
General John Allen and his wife Kathy were pictured laughing as they rip open Christmas presents and serious-faced as they support each other at official events.
But this solidarity now threatens to crumble, after John Allen was found to have sent thousands of “inappropriate” emails to military socialite Jill Kelley, launching an FBI and Pentagon investigation.
The general, who leads U.S. troops in Afghanistan, allegedly exchanged tens of thousands of messages with Jill Kelley, the Florida housewife who sparked the probe into the David Petraeus affair.
But intimate photo albums give a glimpse into John Allen’s happy family life, while his daughter’s blog reveals how their support and love of music helped her realize her dream of becoming a singer.
John Allen, who grew up in Oakton, Virginia and has enjoyed a glittering military career spanning nearly four decades, has a wife, Kathy, and two daughters, Bobbie and Betty.
In photographs from the family Christmas, Kathy Allen, who calls herself “PudgeMom” on social networking sites, laughs as she opens presents and chats with her family.
In photographs from the family Christmas, Kathy Allen, who calls herself PudgeMom on social networking sites, laughs as she opens presents and chats with her family
Bobbie Allen, 27, has revealed how her military upbringing shaped her, and has told how she was inspired to sing by her mother, who would always sing in the house.
Now living in Washington DC, Bobbie Allen revealed that music helped her during a transient childhood.
She called Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, home twice while growing up – and even performed there last year.
According to Bobbie, her mother Kathy Allen carried their stereo system by hand to every new duty station they moved to and it was the first thing they set up in their new homes, saying: “That’s when life could begin.
“If we’d had a bad day at school, she would put on happy music and make us dance. Music was the fifth member of our family.”
Writing on her blog, Bobbie Allen said she was inspired by Karen Carpenter, calling her voice “liberating and inspiring”.
Bobbie Allen said she always kept her tape deck playing, and sang to herself in the backseat of the car as the family moved around.
InStyle‘s annual Best Dressed chart is a hotly contested list, with editors and fashion writers agonizing over who should land the top spot.
And this year, the title of InStyle‘s best dressed woman was awarded to Hollywood actress Emma Stone.
The 24-year-old pipped Kristen Stewart, Cheryl Cole and even the Duchess of Cambridge to the top spot.
The list, compiled by the InStyle‘s fashion team, features 50 of the most stylish women on the planet and saw Spider Man’s leading lady receive great fashion plaudits for her dazzling red carpet looks.
In close second position came Diane Kruger, while sultry vampire Kristen Stewart took third place.
Flying the flag for the British were style icons Alexa Chung, Victoria Beckham, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Moss and Florence Welch, all securing five of the top ten places.
Youngest to make the list was Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ 6-year-old daughter Suri Cruise, who came in at number nine.
No stranger to best dressed lists, the budding fashionista is a regular poll topper in both child and adult categories.
Cited as mixing Gap and Zara with Marni and Roger Viviers, the six year old is praised for knowing her fashion.
Also making the InStyle list was Pixie Geldolf who came 23rd. One-time chart topper Cheryl Cole made it to 42nd place and Emma Watson took 48th.
Men to make the list include David Beckham, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Robert Pattinson and Eddie Redmayne.
Eilidh MacAskill, Editor of InStyle said: “From Emma Stone to Frieda Pinto, Instyle’s top 50 best dressed women, men [and little girls] each have a very individual inspirational style.”
This year, the title of InStyle’s best dressed woman was awarded to Hollywood actress Emma Stone
Natalie Khawam, the twin sister of Jill Kelley, the Petraeus sex scandal whistle blower and now alleged “sweetheart” of General John Allen, is the latest person to be named in the saga, after it emerged both men wrote a letter to help her in a nasty custody battle with her ex-husband.
Divorced mother-of-one Natalie Khawam, 37, lives in the same $1.3 million house in Tampa, Florida, as her sister Jill Kelley and cancer surgeon husband Scott.
It emerged today that Generals David Petraeus and John Allen wrote letters supporting the child-custody battle between Natalie Khawam – who was described as being “psychologically unstable” – and her ex-husband Grayson Wolfe.
The New York Post reported David Petraeus wrote the letter just two months ago, supporting a motion to overturn a ruling made almost a year earlier by a judge.
At this time, the judge resoundingly denied custody to Natalie Khawam, saying he had serious concerns and reservations over her mental stability and her grasp on reality.
He also cited her with “outrageous conduct”, “bad faith litigation tactics”, and “illogical thinking” before awarding full custody to the father, Grayson Wolfe – who had been unable to see his child for more than a year.
According to court documents, David Petraeus wrote in the September 20 letter to the DC judge: “My wife and I have known Natalie for approximately three years, getting to know her while serving in Tampa, Florida, through our friendship with Dr. and Mrs. Scott Kelley.
“It is clear to me that [child’s name] would benefit from much more time with his Mother and from removal of the burdensome restrictions imposed on her when she does get to spend time with him.”
David Petraeus added that he had observed Natalie Khawam and her son, “including when we hosted them and the Kelley family for Christmas dinner this past year. In each case, we have seen a very loving relationship – a mother working hard to provide her son enjoyable, educational and developmental experiences”.
A separate letter from General John Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, dated two days later said: “Natalie clearly loves [child’s name] and cherishes each and every opportunity she has to spend time with him. She is a dedicated mother.
“In light of Natalie’s maturity, integrity and steadfast commitment to raising her child, I humbly request your reconsideration of the existing mandated custody settlement.”
David Petraeus and John Allen helped Natalie Khawam, the twin sister of Jill Kelley, in a nasty custody battle with her ex-husband
John Allen said he got to observe the mother and child “at command social functions”.
He is currently under investigation by the FBI after the agency discovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of communication between him and Jill Kelley.
According to the New York Post, a judge in November 2011 gave Grayson Wolfe sole custody of the couple’s son after finding that Natalie Khawam, a lawyer, repeatedly lied under oath and filed false domestic-violence and child-abuse claims against her husband.
Natalie Khawam was also accused of defying court orders to allow her estranged husband Grayson Wolfe access to their son and sent emails to his friends and colleagues telling them he was a “horrible father and husband”.
She was reprimanded for giving false evidence and a psychiatrist found the allegations against her ex-husband were a “part of an ever-expanding set of sensational accusations…that are so numerous, so extraordinary and so distorted that they defy any common-sense view of reality”.
But Natalie Khawam’s troubles don’t just end there. She is also currently being sued in Montgomery County for failing to pay the lawyer’s fees in her divorce – believed to be in the region of $100,000.
The case has been on the court docket for nearly a-year-and-a-half but took a backward step in April when she filed for bankruptcy.
On the bankruptcy filing, Natalie Khawam lists $3.2 million in unpaid debt, plus $53,000 she owes the Internal Revenue Service.
Earlier this year, Natalie Khawam’s former employer, prominent Tampa Bay lawyer Barry Cohen, claimed that she “fraudulently omitted Rolex watches, sable mink furs and a diamond ring” from her list of assets in the April bankruptcy.
In July of this year, Natalie Khawam and her attorney Will Florin sued Barry Cohen on six counts including sexual harassment and breach of contract claims.
Natalie Khawam said that Barry Cohen owed her money and failed to properly take action when she reported a sexual harassment issue involving a financial officer doing work for the law firm.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Barry Cohen is trying to dismiss the case and is fighting back with claims of perjury and bankruptcy fraud against Natalie Khawam.
He told the paper he has been delving into her background ever since the filing and, as well as discovering the bankruptcy documents, he found the 19-page child custody order from the Washington DC, superior court judge calling Natalie Khawam out in 2011 for a lengthy “history of abusing the litigation process” and a “willingness to say anything, even under oath, to advance her own personal interests”.
Barry Cohen said in August the lawsuit has only further inspired him to continue advocating for his own clients.
“It takes a long time to build a good reputation, and it only takes a one accusation to tear it down,” Barry Cohen said.
“What this did was re-inspire me to protect the people I protect. It makes me able to better empathize when they’re falsely accused and gives me more motivation because I’ve been there.”
Paula Broadwell sent an anonymous email to General John Allen about Florida socialite Jill Kelley, as she suspected Kelley of having a romantic relationship with David Petraeus as well.
The cyber love triangle expanded as it was revealed today that John Allen was electronically connected with Paula Broadwell after he received an email from one of her dummy accounts. He then went on to tell Jill Kelley, a married mom that he denies having an affair with, who in turn reported the emails to the FBI.
Because of their respective involvement in the unfolding case, the Pentagon has requested access to the 20,000-30,000 pages of communications between John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and Jill Kelley.
In light of the extra marital affair between Paula Broadwell and David Petraeus, Pentagon spokesmen have been quick to dismiss ideas of a similar affair between John Allen and Jill Kelley though their confirmation of some “inappropriate communication” among those thousands of pages of emails has sparked further curiosity about the nature of their relationship.
One divulged example reported in The Washington Post was John Allen’s use of the word “sweetheart” in referring to married Jill Kelley, but a senior Pentagon official said that proves nothing as the 58-year-old general is from Virginia and the word is used in the south as a platonic phrase and not one demonstrating a romantic relationship.
Paula Broadwell sent an anonymous email to General John Allen about Florida socialite Jill Kelley, as she suspected Kelley of having a romantic relationship with David Petraeus as well
Jill Kelley runs in the same social circle as both David Petraeus and John Allen as she serves as an unpaid social liaison for the military and often hosts events at her million-dollar home located only a couple of miles from MacDill Air Force base. John Allen served there from July 2008 to June 2011.
John Allen, a four-star Marine general, succeeded David Petraeus as the top American commander in Afghanistan in July 2011.
Paula Broadwell reportedly sent the emails from dummy accounts she had set up to Jill Kelley, FoxNews.com reported.
Spooked by the bullying in her inbox, Jill Kelley notified the FBI.
A government official told the New York Post that the emails contained such language as: “I know what you did”, “back off” and “stay away from my guy”.
What followed was an intense FBI probe in which Paula Broadwell and David Petraeus – both married with two children – admitted to investigators that they had engaged in on-the-side sexual trysts.
The emails were not the first time Paula Broadwell had raised red flags while behind a computer.
Advisers to David Petraeus had become suspicious Paula Broadwell due to her playful Facebook status updates they claim disclosed sensitive details about military operations in Afghanistan.
The Treasury in Ickham is a sumptuous barn conversion and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt would have paid $5,000 a month to rent the pad while he filmed scenes for World War Z
When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie descended on Ickham, Kent, UK, and rented a luxury village cottage, complete with grand piano and shag carpets, even the landlords didn’t believe it was actually them.
Angelina Jolie, 37, even took their six-strong brood to the village shop to buy sweets and magazines, while Brad Pitt, 48, was rumored to have popped next door for a pint in the local pub.
Brad Pitt had returned to Kent as he was re-shooting scenes from upcoming blockbuster zombie movie World War Z.
The family is famously for travelling together when either parent is working on location and are known to only choose the best accommodation.
Staying in the Treasury in Ickham, a sumptuous barn conversion featuring “breath-taking huge rooms, floor to ceiling windows and beamed vaulted ceilings throughout”.
On the rental firm Mulberry Cottage website it says the property is: “A stunning barn conversion located within the most idyllic Kent village yet within easy distance of the historic City of Canterbury and a short distance from the coast. Recently awarded the acclaimed four star gold award for excellence.
“Stylishly furnished with wonderfully spacious open plan rooms, this luxury barn is quite literally breath-taking with huge rooms, floor to ceiling windows and beamed vaulted ceilings throughout.”
The website adds: “There is a den area at the top of the house and is ideally suited to teenagers with comfortable bean bags, flatscreen 3D TV and DVD blueray player thoughtfully provided by the owner.”
This may have been handy for Angelina Jolie, if she wanted to take a load off and just send her six children Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne upstairs to watch CBeebies.
The kitchen is also wonderfully luxurious, boasting: “The state of the art kitchen has been equipped with every conceivable appliance including five ring range style cooker, American fridge freezer, dishwasher and microwave oven.
“The kitchen has floor to ceiling windows that flood the room with sunlight and has been beautifully finished with cream granite work surfaces and teak colored units.”
A spokeswoman at Canterbury-based rental firm Mulberry Cottages told local website Kent News that: “We have only just found out they were staying with us. It was booked through a production company.”
Reports even suggested Brad Pitt popped along to nearby The Duke William pub, but owner Kate Coleman refused to divulge what the superstar ordered.
A source told E! News the dad of six “would also go drinking after work at The Duke William pub in Ickham”.
Angelina Jolie is also said to have taken their children Knox, to nearby Howletts Zoo in Bekesbourne.
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E! Online reported: “The kids all took their fishing rods and bikes and spent a lot of time playing outside while Brad was shooting reshoots for World War Z.”
General John Allen, who is now under investigation by the FBI for allegedly exchanging thousands of “inappropriate” emails with military socialite Jill Kelley, simply called her “sweetheart”, a top official has claimed today.
In a dramatic new twist in the David Petraeus sex scandal, General John Allen reportedly exchanged 20,000 to 30,000 emails with Jill Kelley, the woman who sparked the probe into the CIA boss.
Jill Kelley, a housewife and unpaid social liaison for the military in Tampa, tipped off the FBI about threatening emails from David Petraeus’ mistress, Paula Broadwell, exposing the affair and leading to his resignation.
These latest revelations mean General John Allen, who is married with two adult daughters, is the second top military official to be dragged into the David Petraeus scandal.
John Allen, who is under FBI investigation for exchanging thousands of inappropriate emails with Jill Kelley, simply called her sweetheart
John Allen, 58, succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO’s top commander – but his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Kelley is investigated.
A top official told theWashington Post that John Allen simply used the word “sweetheart” – which he said proves nothing as the general is from Virginia, where it is used as a platonic phrase.
“He’s never been alone with her,” the official said.
“Did he have an affair? No.”
The senior official added that Kathy Allen, the general’s wife, and Jill Kelley were “good friends”.
An anonymous Wikipedia editor may have tried to reveal General David Petraeus’s extramarital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell back in January this year.
In January, Paula Broadwell appeared on the Daily Show to pitch her book about the CIA director titled All In.
The day after Wikipedia editor Vanobamo created a page for the author, which is common practice on the user-contributed online encyclopedia.
But less than an hour later an anonymous editor logged on to the website and wrote: “Petraeus is reportedly one of her many conquests.”
It was the anonymous user’s first and only Wikipedia edit, reports Gawker.
Their post, with the IP address 64.101.72.113, was deleted within an hour by editor Dsutton, who flagged it as “libel/vandalism”.
At the time news of their affair had not surfaced and Wikipedia reserves the right to delete libelous material posted on the website.
An anonymous Wikipedia editor may have tried to reveal David Petraeus’s affair with Paula Broadwell back in January this year
But now in hindsight, is unknown if Paula Broadwell’s Wikipedia outing was speculation by a Daily Show viewer, or if the poster had secret knowledge of David Petraeus cheating on Holly his wife of 37 years.
Since news of the posting was released, several attempts have been made to track the IP address and determine the poster.
An IP address is an address assigned to every computer and other devices are logged onto the Internet to uniquely define them.
When Gawker ran it through the American Registry for Internet Numbers, they failed to come up with a name, but the result showed a company called Cisco Systems, Inc.
They explained that this means “Cisco, the tech giant based in San Jose, was given that IP address, but anyone could have been using it, and it could have been ported to another location around the world”.
Before last Friday Paula Broadwell’s Wikipedia page was quite bare, but then former CIA director David Petraeus resigned.
General John Allen’s daughter, Bobbie Allen, a 26-year-old singer and songwriter, joined her mother Kathy to support her father at the committee in March.
But while they appeared the picture of unity, the family has been thrown into the midst of a scandal, after General John Allen was found to have sent thousands of “inappropriate” emails to military socialite Jill Kelley.
John Allen is now under investigation by the FBI for his communication with Jill Kelley, a housewife and volunteer who organizes social events for military families in the Tampa area.
His daughter, Bobbie Allen, has revealed how her military upbringing shaped her, and has told how she was inspired to sing by her mother Kathy, who would always sing in the house.
Now living in Washington DC, Bobbie Allen, who has a sister called Betty, revealed that music helped her during a transient childhood.
Bobbie Allen called Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, home twice while growing up – and even performed there last year.
General John Allen’s daughter, Bobbie Allen, a 26-year-old singer and songwriter, joined her mother Kathy to support her father at the committee in March
According to Bobbie Allen, her mother carried their stereo system by hand to every new duty station they moved to and it was the first thing they set up in their new homes, saying: “That’s when life could begin.
“If we’d had a bad day at school, she would put on happy music and make us dance. Music was the fifth member of our family.”
Writing on her blog, Bobbie Allen said she was inspired by Karen Carpenter, calling her voice “liberating and inspiring”.
She said she always kept her tape deck playing, and sang to herself in the backseat of the car as the family moved around.
But despite her lifelong love of singing, Bobbie Allen had never seriously considered a music career until after graduating college from Virginia Tech with an English degree.
She said: “I realized that life isn’t about waiting around for things to happen to you.
“I know it sounds cliché but I have never felt more comfortable than with a guitar in my hands and singing.”
Bobbie Allen released her debut album, Ready or Not, in June 2011 and it is available on iTunes and Amazon.com.
But while she has great hopes for a future in the spotlight, now Bobbie Allen is getting the sort of attention she cannot have hoped for.
Her father, General John R. Allen, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, is under investigation by the FBI after the agency discovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of communication between him and 37-year-old housewife Jill Kelley.
Jill Kelley entered the public eye when she was the target of threatening emails from General David Petraeus’ mistress, Paula Broadwell, which the FBI used to uncover the affair, leading to his resignation.
John Allen was due to take over as NATO’s top commander, but his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Jill Kelley is investigated.
Holly Petraeus, wife of disgraced ex-CIA chief David Petraeus, can hardly imagine a life outside the military as she counts four generations of servicemen, “my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, husband, brother”.
Their son, Stephen Petraeus, 25, is in the army too.
Daughter Anne Petraeus, 29, teaches English overseas.
“I am privileged to have two extraordinary men — my husband and my father — in my life,” Holly Petraeus, now 59, said during an interview in 2009.
Her father, the late Army Gen. William A. Knowlton, was superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy when Holly met David Petraeus on a blind date in the fall of their senior year.
Holly Knowlton was a French and English major at Dickinson College. David Petraeus was a West Point cadet.
“He had no idea the blind date was with <<the boss’ daughter>> until it was too late to get out of it!” Holly Petraeus said.
Holly and David Petraeus married in 1974, two months after he graduated at the top of his class
Holly and David Petraeus married in 1974, two months after he graduated at the top of his class. For nearly 38 years, Holly Petraeus has been holding down the home front as her husband climbed the ranks.
Asked for adjectives that best describe her, Holly Petraeus supplies two: self-sufficient and reliable.
“I’ve never lived more than four years in one place,” she said.
Holly Petraeus has moved many times and lived multiple times in Washington, but never gets rid of books. She favors biographies. She has been reading about Islam and the Middle East, but has not been to Iraq.
General John R. Allen is the second top military official dragged into the David Petraeus sex scandal after being accused of sending thousands of “inappropriate” emails to socialite Jill Kelley, the woman responsible for exposing the former CIA director’s extra-marital affair.
General John R. Allen, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, is under investigation by the FBI after the agency discovered between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of communication between him and 37-year-old housewife Jill Kelley.
Jill Kelley entered the public eye when she was the target of threatening emails from Paula Broadwell, which the FBI used to uncover the affair between Broadwell and david Petraeus, leading to the former general’s resignation from the CIA.
John Allen, 58, who is married with two daughters, succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO’s top commander – his appointment has been suspended while his relationship with Jill Kelley is investigated.
John Allen, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1976, was Deputy Commander of Central Command, based in Tampa, prior to taking over in Afghanistan. He also is a veteran of the Iraq war.
He lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Kathy, with whom he has two daughters, Bobbie and Betty. Betty is a teacher, while Bobbie, a 27-year-old graduate of Virginia Tech, is a singer and released her debut album last year.
John Allen, who is married with two daughters, succeeded David Petraeus in Afghanistan and was due to take over as NATO’s top commander
After growing up in Oakton, Virginia, John Allen graduated with military honors from the Naval Academy with the class of 1976. He is a 1998 distinguished graduate of the National War College.
John Allen holds a master of arts degree in national security studies from Georgetown University, a master of science degree in strategic intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College, and a master of science degree in national security strategy from the National War College.
General John R. Allen assumed his duties as the Commander, International Security Assistance Force – Afghanistan and United States Forces – Afghanistan on July 18, 2011.
John Allen played a key role in countering the Iraq insurgency between 2006 and 2008. He then oversaw a surge in US troops in Afghanistan in battling the Taliban.
In Afghanistan, General John R. Allen commanded coalition troops from 50 different countries.
He was nominated in October by President Barack Obama to be Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command – that is now on hold.
But if John Allen is found to have engaged in an extramarital affair – a crime in the military – he faces being court martialed, bringing a spectacular fall from grace and the end to a glittering army career that has spanned nearly 40 years.
President Barack Obama had nominated John Allen to take over as chief of the military’s European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, but that nomination is now on hold as the Pentagon investigates Allen’s relationship with Kelley, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters.
John Allen had been expected to take that new post in early 2013 if confirmed by the Senate, as had been widely expected.
The FBI notified the Pentagon of its investigation into John Allen’s communications with Jill Kelley on Sunday evening, an unnamed senior defence official said.
Leon Panetta said he immediately notified the White House and top leaders in Congress of the investigation.
Leon Panetta said John Allen would remain as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan for now, “while the matter is under investigation and before the facts are determined”.
Pentagon officials have declined to comment on the nature of the relationship between Jill Kelley and John Allen except to say that it was “potentially inappropriate”.
Officials have not said whether any national security secrets were breached.
North Korea has been conducting tests at a rocket launch site, according to recent satellite images captured by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said its analysis of images “indicates that North Korea continues to develop long-range missiles”.
There had been at least two tests of rocket motors since a failed rocket launch in April, it said.
The 30 m (100 ft) rocket crashed into the sea shortly after take off.
Pyongyang said the launch was aimed at putting a satellite into orbit, but it was widely criticized by the US, South Korea and Japan as a banned test of long-range missile technology.
North Korea has been conducting tests at a rocket launch site, according to recent satellite images captured by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University
“Since the failed launch, the North has conducted at least two, and possibly more, tests of large rocket motors at its Sohae Satellite Launching Station, the most recent in mid-September 2012,” a report on the institute’s 38 North blog said.
The tests appear to have involved “liquid-fuelled, first stage engines” for either North Korea’s existing satellite launch vehicle, or a new long-range missile first seen during a military parade this year, the institute said.
There had also been indications of construction activity on the rocket site’s upper gantry platform “required for future launches of long-range rockets”, it said.
The report suggested North Korea could be planning test activities once both the US and South Korean presidential elections are finished. The South Korean poll takes place in December.
“Whether the testing of large rocket motors or construction at the launch pad are in preparation for such activities remains unclear at this point,” it said.
Advances in the country’s missile technology are watched carefully in both Seoul and Washington because of fears that North Korea could one day use long-range missiles to deliver nuclear weapons.
Scott Routley, a Canadian man who was believed to have been in a vegetative state for more than a decade, has been able to tell scientists that he is not in any pain.
It’s the first time an uncommunicative, severely brain-injured patient has been able to give answers clinically relevant to their care.
Scott Routley, 39, was asked questions while having his brain activity scanned in an fMRI machine.
His doctor says the discovery means medical textbooks will need rewriting.
Vegetative patients emerge from a coma into a condition where they have periods awake, with their eyes open, but have no perception of themselves or the outside world.
Scott Routley suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident 12 years ago.
None of his physical assessments since then have shown any sign of awareness, or ability to communicate.
But the British neuroscientist Prof. Adrian Owen – who led the team at the Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario – said Scott Routley was clearly not vegetative.
“Scott has been able to show he has a conscious, thinking mind. We have scanned him several times and his pattern of brain activity shows he is clearly choosing to answer our questions. We believe he knows who and where he is.”
Scott Routley, a Canadian man who was believed to have been in a vegetative state for more than a decade, has been able to tell scientists that he is not in any pain
Prof. Adrian Owen said it was a groundbreaking moment.
“Asking a patient something important to them has been our aim for many years. In future we could ask what we could do to improve their quality of life. It could be simple things like the entertainment we provide or the times of day they are washed and fed.”
Scott Routley’s parents say they always thought he was conscious and could communicate by lifting a thumb or moving his eyes. But this has never been accepted by medical staff.
Prof. Bryan Young at University Hospital, London – Scott Routley’s neurologist for a decade – said the scan results overturned all the behavioral assessments that had been made over the years.
“I was impressed and amazed that he was able to show these cognitive responses. He had the clinical picture of a typical vegetative patient and showed no spontaneous movements that looked meaningful.”
Observational assessments of Scott Routley since he responded in the scanner have continued to suggest he is vegetative. Prof. Bryan Young said medical textbooks would need to be updated to include Prof. Adrian Owen’s techniques.
Another Canadian patient, Steven Graham, was able to demonstrate that he had laid down new memories since his brain injury. Steven Graham answers yes when asked whether his sister has a daughter. His niece was born after his car accident five years ago.
The Panorama team also followed three patients at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) in Putney, which specializes in the rehabilitation of brain-injured patients.
It collaborates with a team of Cambridge University neuroscientists at the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre at Addenbrooke’s hospital, Cambridge.
One of the patients is diagnosed as vegetative by the RHN, and he is also unable to show awareness in an fMRI machine.
A second patient, who was not able to be fully assessed by the RHN because of repeated sickness, is later shown to have some limited awareness in brain scans.
Power flat is proving to be strong competition as the go-to shoe for female executives who have had enough of sore feet while trying to keep up with their male counterparts.
Christina Binkley, from The Wall Street Journal, wrote: “Long stuck in the purgatory of casual wear, flats are suddenly being promoted for polished occasions.”
Although power heels create height, lengthen the legs and arch the foot just so, they also slow women down.
So flats that are sleek enough to be dress shoes are now taking women from the boardroom to the bar with the same attention and authority.
Women, who often spend the day changing in and out of uncomfortable power heels, usually lag behind the fast-paced strides of male colleagues, teetering over cobble-stoned streets and dodging sidewalk cracks.
They have long lugged around over-size handbags just to carry a pair of walking shoes, so they can awkwardly change into stilettos for their next big meeting.
Or, they simply spend enormous amounts of wasted income on cabs thanks to sore, pinched feet from four-inch heels.
However, this season flats are commanding attention just as much as the highest heel, a sign perhaps that a woman’s average day is becoming more demanding, faster and busier than ever – jugglinglong days at work, families, trips to the gym and active social lives.
Power flat is proving to be strong competition as the go-to shoe for female executives who have had enough of sore feet while trying to keep up with their male counterparts
Luisa De Paula, Buying & Merchandising Director of My-Wardrobe.com, explained: “Today’s woman has an ever busier lifestyle.
“Walking or even running to a meeting or to the school gates means practicality. It doesn’t mean scrimping on style, it’s a modern chic and very 60s look, which is very key for next season.”
Pointy toes, metal toe caps and embellishments like spikes, studs and gemstones; as well as strong colors, materials like snakeskin, tweed and patent leather are some of the details that give these flats their powerful edge.
While masculine Oxfords were all over the fall collections, pointy-toed flats and smoking slippers are on the agenda for next spring – and none of them hold the quintessential casual image that often comes with flat shoes – such as ballet flats.
At both Marc Jacobs and Giorgio Armani, flats were paired with tailored suits and eveningwear.
Power flats are an especially welcome alternative for the many executives who are unable to wear heels for health reasons. And working women have taken note.
“We have seen a significant increase in sales of flat shoes against last season and what we term the <<statement flat>>,” said Luisa De Paula.
“Key sellers have been glitter, studded and patent styles by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Lucy Choi, Sam Edelman and Red Valentino.”
But how to wear the new angular flat? Christina Binkley advised: “Think of the way Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has worn them since marrying her much-shorter husband, the former president of France.
“Often with slim pants or a trim skirt or dress that elongates the body.”
The pressure to maintain a perfect figure has driven women to embrace a trend previously reserved for period dramas: the corset. The old-fashioned one-time wardrobe staple is still the simplest way to achieve a smaller waist and stomach while creating curves where they are needed.
The latest brand cashing in on this season’s hourglass trend is the Oh My Corset! company which uses the same material used in the construction of Formula 1 cars, scuba material and even mesh that holds back avalanches on the mountains to make its super-strength corsets.
No wonder it already has a host of famous fans.
Oh My Corset! is an Italian brand that was born from the idea of reinventing the old corset into a modern one using high-tech fabrics.
F1 seat fabric is a favorite due to its ability to stretch, breath and its malleability.
The latest range of corsets by Italian brand Oh My Corset uses F1 seating technology to provide stretch and shape
The corsets, which range from $500 to $1,450 and are available in Paris and London boutiques, combine the modern fabrics with detailing and materials originating from traditional Italian couture like silk, satin, wool yarns, pearlage embroideries, crystals and glass stones.
All the corsets are assembled in a factory in Piedmont, one of the only two remaining specialists working in Italy.
They use old machinery, which upholds the traditional craftsmanship and helps keep this tradition alive, but the modern fabrics plus the company’s one size-fits-all approach means less labor, less travel and therefore a more sustainable product that doesn’t take months to make.
The aim is to create a product that works hard and still keeps the wearer comfortable – no more breathing in required.
