Pope Benedict XVI is about to create six cardinals from non-European countries, at a Vatican ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica.
The cardinals, the closest aides of the Pope, come from the Philippines, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Colombia and the US.
Analysts say it is unusual for the Pope to select only non-Europeans.
The Pope has said his choices aim to show “the Church is a Church of all peoples, [and] speaks in all languages”.
All six cardinal-designates are younger than 80 and therefore likely to be eligible to vote for a new Pope when the current pontiff dies.
Cardinals wear red hats, known as birettas, and vestments to symbolize their readiness to shed their blood to defend their Christian faith.
The new cardinals who will be presented with red birettas and gold rings at Saturday’s consistory, or cardinal-making ceremony, are:
US Archbishop James Harvey, 63, prefect of the papal household
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72
Indian Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, 68
Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, 70
Philippine Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, 55
Pope Benedict XVI is about to create six cardinals from non-European countries, at a Vatican ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica
Pope Benedict XVI has previously faced criticism for appointing mainly Europeans as cardinals.
It is the second consistory of the year.
In February he created 22 new cardinals including 16 Europeans, seven of whom were Italian.
By adding six non-Europeans to the number of 114 cardinal electors, the Pope has slightly shifted the geographical demographic of cardinal-electors.
Europeans will still make up the majority, but down from 55% to 51%.
The Church estimates less than a quarter of the world’s Catholics live in Europe.
In order better to reflect the international character of Catholic Church leadership, the Pope decided to give red hats to Catholic archbishops from three countries with large Muslim populations – India, Lebanon and Nigeria.
Cardinal-designate John Onaiyekan is the archbishop of Abuja in Nigeria, where Christians and Muslims each make up about half the population, and dialogue between the two faiths is increasingly important.
He says the Pope’s elevation of Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al Rahi, the head of the Maronite Church – an ancient Lebanese Christian Church in communion with Rome – is seen as a sign of Vatican support for religious diversity in Lebanon.
During a visit to Beirut in September, the Pope said Lebanon was a model for the region.
He has called on Christians to remain in the Middle East despite rising Islamism.
Before Saturday’s ceremony, Pope Benedict met Lebanese President Michel Sleiman.
A representative of the Shia militant group Hezbollah will attend Saturday’s ceremony.
Jennifer Aniston’s first boyfriend, Adonis Tsilimparis, has spoken out about his fleeting high school relationship with the Hollywood star.
Jennifer Aniston might have dated a string of the world’s most desirable men, including Brad Pitt and John Mayer, but musician Adonis Tsilimparis was the first man to pucker up with the A-list actress.
It might have been over 30 years ago, but the seventh grade romance between the 12-year-olds is still fresh in his memory, and he even has a Valentine’s Day card to prove it.
“Dear Adonis,” Jennifer Aniston had written.
“Love & Friendship Always. Jennifer A.”
Now working as an author of musical scores for TV and film, the New Yorker told theNew York Daily News that the two youngsters used to sneak behind a school staircase to “make-out”.
“She was very open, very, very sweet. She was very, very loving, and she had a very big heart,” Adonis Tsilimparis told the paper.
Jennifer Aniston’s first boyfriend, Adonis Tsilimparis, has spoken out about his fleeting high school relationship with the Hollywood star
Adonis Tsilimparis went on to claim that, although he had tried, he hadn’t got any further than kissing with the now superstar: “I tried. But she didn’t let me…We used to go to the back stairs at school at lunchtime and make out.”
Even though Jennifer Aniston, 43, is now happily engaged to actor Justin Theroux, her first boyfriend still remembers her fondly.
“She was just goofballs…But that’s why I loved her. Total clown, very lovable and that’s why everybody liked her,” Adonis Tsilimparis said of the actress.
While he went on to say that he didn’t remember how the young couple split, classmate Tom Friedner, who also had a brief romance with Jennifer Aniston, said that Adonis Tsilimparis ended it.
Edwarda O’Bara, the world’s longest coma patient, who had been called the “Sleeping Snow White” during the 42 years she remained comatose, has died at the age of 59.
Edwarda O’Bara was a cheery high school student in 1970 when she suddenly fell ill, threw up her medicine and slipped into a diabetic coma.
But before she became comatose Edwarda O’Bara turned to her mother and pleaded with her to “promise … you won’t leave me”.
Her mother stayed true to her word, enduring a grueling schedule to constantly stay near her daughter until the mother died five years ago and the woman’s sister became her primary care giver – until Edwarda O’Bara passed away on Wednesday.
As a popular 16-year-old, Edwarda O’Bara had a bright future ahead of her but then she became ill with a severe bout of pneumonia.
In the early hours of January 3 in 1970, Edwarda O’Bara “woke up shaking and in great pain because the oral form of insulin she had been taking wasn’t reaching her blood stream”, according to her family.
She was rushed to hospital and as she lay in her bed, she turned to her mother, Kaye O’Bara, and pleaded with her to stay near.
“Promise me you won’t leave me,” the teen begged her mother, according to the Miami Herald.
Terrified, Kaye O’Bara assured daughter: “Of course not. I would never leave you, darling,” having no idea of the long ordeal ahead.
The mother kept that promise, taking care of her daughter, until Kaye O’Bara herself died five years ago.
For more than 35 years, Kaye O’Bara remained constantly by Edwarda’s bedside, enduring a grueling schedule to give her daughter around the clock care.
Kaye O’Bara would only sleep for 90 minutes at a time, so she would always be accessible to her daughter.
The devoted mother would not institutionalize Edwarda O’Bara, even though the financial burden became a great challenge to the family.
Though Kaye O’Bara died at the age of 80 on March 7, 2008, she never gave up hope that her daughter would one day wake up from her coma.
Edwarda O’Bara’s father, Joe, had passed away in 1977. He died from a heart attack, believed to have been brought on by the strain of caring for his ailing daughter.
After their mother’s passing, Edwarda O’Bara’s sister Colleen stepped in and continued the tradition to offer constant care to Edwarda at her home in Miami Gardens.
Colleen O’Bara quit her previous job as a horse trainer to care full time for her sister.
“I didn’t give it a second thought. She’s my sister and I love her.” Colleen O’Bara said.
As part of her care, her body was turned every two hours to keep away bedsores, she was given insulin and fed through a tube.
Colleen O’Bara would also lovingly braid her sister’s grey hairs, suck the mucus from Edwarda’s throat to allow her to breath and constantly speak to her sister, assuming Edwarda was soaking up her every word.
She mixes baby food, milk, eggs, orange juice, Mazola oil, brewer’s yeast and a piece of white bread into a blender and then a wire mesh strainer, pouring the concoction into Edwarda’s feeding tube every two hours, day and night.
She suctions mucus from Edwarda’s throat, whispers endearments in her ear and braids her long gray hair.
Edwarda O’Bara, the world’s longest coma patient, who had been called the Sleeping Snow White during the 42 years she remained comatose, has died at the age of 59
Family and friends would also visit her, playing music and reading to the woman.
Kaye O’Bara was a devout Catholic who said she felt the presence of the Virgin Mary in her daughter’s room.
That led Dr. Wayne Dyer to write a book about the family and their unconditional care for Edwarda O’Bara, A Promise Is A Promise: An Almost Unbelievable Story of a Mother’s Unconditional Love and What It Can Teach Us.
The book attracted widespread attention and visitors from around the world would come and visit the ailing woman and encourage her family.
“I had to learn to let strangers in because they aren’t strangers,” Colleen O’Bara said.
Remembering Edwarda as “the best sister in the whole wide world”, Colleen O’Bara said that she learned so much from the experience.
“She taught me so much, and I’m talking about now, after she was in the coma,” Colleen O’Bara said.
“She taught me so much about unconditional love that I couldn’t say I had it before. She taught me about patience, that I didn’t have before. I learned so much from taking care of my sister. It’s like I grew up overnight.”
This April, Colleen O’Bara gathered friends and family to Miami to celebrate Edwarda’s 59th birthday.
“We all had a good time at the party especially Edwarda. Everyone was so amazed at how aware of everything going on she was. It was just a good day,” the sister shared with her friends and supporters on Facebook.
“My mom’s spirit was so strong that we all felt her with us,” Colleen O’Bara added.
Throughout the year, Colleen O’Bara had updated supporters on Facebook on her sister’s condition.
“She is still making different sounds and is so much more aware of her surroundings,” the sister wrote in a posting in October.
“When I am talking to her I have her total attention, I can tell by the look in her eyes. This just really makes me smile.”
“Thank you for all the cards and letters I received. They always make me smile,” she added, expressing gratitude.
Even though Colleen O’Bara was optimistic about her sister’s improvement, she noticed that on Tuesday night, Edwards was having difficulty keeping her food down.
By Wednesday, the woman seemed to be feeling better and her sister told Edwarda O’Bara that she was going to grab a cup of coffee.
“I noticed her looking directly at me and gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen,” her sister said.
When Colleen O’Bara returned with her coffee, Edwarda had already passed away.
“She then closed her eyes and joined my Mom in Heaven,” Colleen O’Bara announced.
Edwarda O’Bara is survived by her sister, nephew Richard O’Bara and great-nephew Joseph Michael O’Bara.
EYES OPEN BUT STILL ASLEEP: COMAS CAN LEAVE PATIENTS UNABLE TO FEEL, SPEAK OR MOVE FOR DECADES
A person is deemed to be comatose, or in a coma, when they are unconscious for more than six hours.
While comatose, a patient cannot be woken up and though they sometimes appear to be awake, they cannot consciously feel, speak, hear, or move.
Around 40% of comas are drug induced while others are caused by a lack of oxygen reaching the brain (25%) or strokes (20%). Trauma to the head, malnutrition or abnormal glucose levels are the catalyst in around 15% of cases.
Comas can last just a few days or span to several weeks or even years.
Elaine Esposito, of Tarpon Springs, Florida, was comatose for 37 years – the second longest recorded period, after Edwarda O’Bara.
Elaine Esposito was a 6-year-old child when she was anesthetized for an appendectomy on August 6, 1941 but she never awoke from the operation.
Her last words to her mother were: “Mommy, I’m not afraid. Don’t worry.”
She died on November 25, 1978 at the age of 43.
Edwarda O’Bara had been in a coma since 1970.
Over the 42 years she was effectively asleep, the woman missed scores of historical events including the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Former senior aides to Mitt Romney have hit back at the “hypocrites” in the Republican party who just days before the election were clamoring for jobs in a Romney administration and are now belittling him.
“I’m sure Governor Romney is finding out now who his real friends are,” said a former adviser.
“There were one or two well-known figures who were late committing to support him, were the most eager to curry favor when it looked like we would win and are now out there trashing the governor.
“In politics, when you win you are a genius and when you lose everyone calls you an idiot. But to see the way certain craven hypocrites are acting right now really sticks in the craw.”
Speaking on MSNBC, Dan Senor, a former top foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney, accused some of the former Massachusetts supporters of being fair weather friends.
At a big event in Ohio just days before the election, he said, there were leading figures cozying up to Mitt Romney and trying to land cabinet positions.
“Tens of thousands of people, you could feel the energy, a hundred top-tier Romney surrogates were at the event,” he remembered.
“I’m backstage with some of them – I won’t mention their names – but they’re talking about Romney like he’s Reagan.
“<<His debate performances were the best performances of any Republican nominee in presidential history. He’s iconic>>. They were talking about him because they believed he was going to win in four or five days. And in fact, some of them were already talking to our transition to position themselves for a Romney cabinet.”
Mitt Romney aides blast Republican “hypocrites” like Bobby Jindal and Newt Gingrich
Within days, however, there was a “stunning” turnaround as the same people turned on Romney with a vengeance.
“They were on television, it was unbelievable, it was five, six days later, absolutely eviscerating him,” Dan Senor said.
But the other senior adviser, who declined to be named when criticizing senior Republicans, singled out Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Newt Gingrich as among those who had been quickest to lambast Mitt Romney.
After Mitt Romney told donors on a post-election conference call that many voted had plumped for President Barack Obama because he had offered them “gifts”, Bobby Jindal said Romney’s comments were “absolutely wrong”.
He said: “We have got to stop dividing American voters. We need to go after 100 per cent of the votes, not 53 per cent – we need to go after every single vote.”
That was a reference to Mitt Romney’s notorious “47 per cent” comments in which he said that proportion of voters was dependent on government and would inevitably back a Democrat.
Newt Gingrich called the “gifts” comments “nuts” and “insulting” to voters.
The anonymous adviser said: “Bobby Jindal wanted very, very much to be Vice President. He appeared publicly with Governor Romney after the 47 per cent comments, which the governor himself said were totally wrong.
“Newt Gingrich made it clear to us he wanted to be part of a Romney administration.
“Both these guys – and others – were the governor’s best friend when it seemed he was on the brink of becoming our 45th President. Now they’re calling him a bum. Real profiles in courage.”
Larry Hagman, who played for more than a decade TV villain JR Ewing, has died at the age of 81, his family says.
Larry Hagman, who had suffered from cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, died in hospital on Friday afternoon, according to a family statement.
“Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most,” said the family.
“He was surrounded by loved ones.”
Long-time friend Linda Gray, who played Sue Ellen, was by his bedside.
“Larry Hagman was my best friend for 35 years,” said Linda Gray in a statement released by her agent Jeffrey Lane.
“He was the Pied Piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented and I will miss him enormously.
“He was an original and lived life to the full.”
Jeffrey Lane added that Patrick Duffy, who played his brother Bobby in Dallas, was also at Larry Hagman’s bedside at Medical City Dallas Hospital.
“They had been friends for 35 years and they had worked together for many years, so obviously it is devastating,” Jeffrey Lane told The Sun.
During 13 years as the most scheming oil tycoon in Dallas, JR in his Stetson became one of the most distinctive faces on television screens across the world.
It quickly became one of the network’s top-rated programmes – with its 356 episodes being seen by an estimated 300 million people in 57 countries – and was revived this year.
Larry Hagman, who played for more than a decade TV villain JR Ewing, has died at the age of 81
Born in Texas, Larry Hagman later moved to Los Angeles where he was cared for mainly by his grandmother.
After a brief period spent working in the fields, Larry Hagman followed his mother into showbusiness and even toured and played in musicals with her.
Moving into television, he played astronaut Tony Nelson in the 1960s television comedy I Dream of Jeannie.
He first performed as JR Ewing in 1978 and became its highest-paid star, as the programme came to define 1980s excess.
The actor himself owned more than 2,000 cowboy hats.
When Dallas finally finished in 1991, Larry Hagman went on to appear in hit films Nixon and Primary Colors.
His forthright biography, Hello Darlin’, detailed his youthful drug-taking exploits and revealed the extent of his 50-year battle with alcoholism.
Even on the hardworking set of Dallas, he consumed five bottles of champagne a day for years and was finally diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 1992.
Three years later he had a liver transplant and kept a photo of the organ donor above his mirror.
“I say a prayer for him every morning,” he said.
Despite this, Larry Hagman continued to drink secretly until a further life-saving operation in 2003 forced him to stop.
Larry Hagman announced in October 2011 that he had a “treatable” form of throat cancer and would receive treatment while filming the Dallas reboot.
At the time the star said: “As J.R. I could get away with anything – bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer. I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer.
“I will be receiving treatment while working on the new Dallas series. I could not think of a better place to be than working on a show I love, with people I love.”
The late actor added: “Besides, as we all know, you can’t keep J.R. down!”
Larry Hagman is survived by wife Maj, who he married in 1952. In 2008, Maj was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.
The actor was last seen in public on November 15, when he attended the White Bridle Society’s Da Vinci, Wine and Roses benefit at held at the Lisa Blue Baron Mansion in Dallas.
He always refused to let his wife’s illness get him down and said: “She’s not very well. But those were the cards we were dealt, so we’ll play with them. More than half a century of happy years is a lot to draw on.”
The couple have two children: Heidi Kristina, born in 1958, and Preston, born in 1962.
First Lady Michelle Obama has kicked off the holiday season by welcoming the White House Christmas Tree to her home – a 19-foot Fraser fir from Peak Farms in Jefferson, North Carolina.
Michelle Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha, and the first dog Bo were also in attendance for the presentation of the giant tree, which arrived on a horse-drawn carriage on Friday morning.
As the carriage, driven by two men in dapper top hats and red bow ties, pulled up outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as the Marine Band played Oh Christmas Tree.
With Malia and Sasha smiling and petting Bo, Michelle Obama gave the “thumbs up” after inspecting the tree, which she called “perfect”.
“I think we’ll take it!” Michelle Obama laughed.
“We can have Christmas now.”
Yet the inspection was merely a formality as the tree was selected by White House staffers in early October and harvested this month.
First Lady Michelle Obama has kicked off the holiday season by welcoming the White House Christmas Tree to her home
The tree will be placed on display in the Blue Room, where it will become the centerpiece of the White House Christmas decorations.
It came from Rusty and Beau Estes, this year’s grand champion winners of the National Christmas Tree Association, which has provided the White House tree each year since 1966.
Trees from Cool Springs Nursery in Banner Elk, North Carolina were chosen for the vice president’s home.
“This is the first time the White House tree and vice president’s tree have come from the same state,” said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
“It speaks volumes about the quality of trees available in North Carolina.”
North Carolina ranks second in the nation in Christmas tree production, after Oregon, and more than 5 million trees are harvested there each year.
Last year’s White House tree, an 18-and-a-half-ft balsam fir, came from Neshkoro, Wisconsin.
The official Christmas tree for the Capitol will arrive on Monday and will be lit by House Speaker John A. Boehner on December 4.
The 65-foot Engelmann spruce is stopping in 28 different communities on its journey across the country from the White River National Forest in Colorado to Washington.
It will be decorated with around 5,000 ornaments handcrafted by Coloradans to celebrate this year’s theme, Celebrating Our Great Outdoors.
A new survey has found that more customers are opting to shop from the comfort of their homes this Thanksgiving weekend, forgoing the chaos of Black Friday for the ease of Cyber Monday deals.
But web shoppers beware: For the first time, residents in California, Texas and Pennsylvania will be automatically charged state sales tax at the checkout on Amazon and other online stores.
And next year, they will be joined by shoppers in Virginia and New Jersey, and by January 2014, those in Nevada, Indiana and Tennessee.
What comes as bad news for shoppers comes as good news for Amazon’s competitors, who have expressed their relief at finally “leveling the playing field” with the e-commerce giant, which earned a staggering $17.45 billion in the holiday quarter last year.
Other stores have claimed that Amazon’s success is partly due to the fact it can undercut them by avoiding sales tax, which is as high as 9% in some states.
The changes are coming into play after individual states have passed legislation on online sales tax after Congress has failed to pass a national law. Chains including Wal-Mart and Target have been lobbying the bills, Politico reported.
“Now for a sizeable chunk of the U.S. population, Amazon is playing by the same rules as the rest of the retailers,” Jason Brewer, a spokesman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, told the site.
“There are going to be fewer people who shop online solely for the sales tax benefit.”
But Amazon maintains that it expects this holiday season to be its most successful yet.
“As analysts have noted, we offer customers the best prices with or without sales tax,” said Scott Stanzel, an Amazon spokesman.
“We collect sales tax or its equivalent in more than half of the areas where we do business and we are pleased to say we are thriving in those geographies because Amazon offers low prices, vast selection and fast delivery.”
Residents in California, Texas and Pennsylvania will be automatically charged state sales tax at the checkout on Amazon and other online stores
Yet some retailers said they are already noticing a difference in states were Amazon is collecting sales tax.
Best Buy has seen a four to six per cent increase in sales in California, Texas and Pennsylvania compared to the rest of the chain, Amy Von Walter, a spokesperson at Best Buy, told Politico.
“These are encouraging data points,” she said.
“It lends itself to the idea that a level playing field is good for business.”
Online sales during Cyber Monday last year reached $1.25 billion, up 22% from the previous year, according to ComScore. This year, the data firm expects $1.5 billion in sales that day.
Despite changes to sales tax, research has shown that more people are shunning the mania of Black Friday to shop from their homes on Cyber Monday.
A survey by shopping comparison site PriceGrabber.com revealed that almost half of all Thanksgiving weekend shoppers will shop online on Monday – and more than half of these said they would shop more online than at shops on Black Friday.
Of the 5,000 people surveyed, 41% of people said they would shop on Cyber Monday – up from the 37% in 2011, and 33% in 2010, Fox News reported.
Eighty-four per cent of Cyber Monday shoppers said they wanted to take advantage of one-day deals, discounts and free-shipping offers.
A third of shoppers said they would be shopping on Monday after scouting for deals over the weekend.
But although the interest in online shopping is growing, the total sales will still not come close to those in shops on Black Friday. Stores are expected to take as much as $11.4 billion.
Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, was created in 2005 as an online alternative to Black Friday.
This year, as Black Friday begins earlier than ever – with retail giants nudging their opening times into Thanksgiving – e-commerce departments are doing the same.
Walmart emailed customers this week to reveal that its Cyber Monday sale will start this Saturday and last until Sunday, December 2, 2012 for deals on toys, electronics and video games.
Target, Best Buy and Amazon also announced they would have tech deals starting on Black Friday.
Amazon is also offering special Sunday deals – so that bargain hunters don’t have to click from their work computers come Monday – on golf equipment, clothing, lamps, books, clothes and cameras.
The Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick, Germany, is the world’s largest indoor beach with 400 sunloungers – and not a cloud in sight.
Yet with up to 6,000 visitors allowed in at a time, there are bound to be towel-fights over them – especially as this “indoors paradise” is in Germany.
The Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick, south of Berlin, also boasts the largest indoor pool, 50,000-plant forest – and enough space to fly a hot air balloon inside.
The former aircraft hangar has been transformed into a paradise offering tourists a tropical escape, if you can ignore the fact that you are miles from any ocean – or the tropics, for that matter.
The gigantic hangar was built to produce transport zeppelins but after the company went bankrupt in 1992 the hangar fell into disuse.
A Malaysian company saw the potential in the hangar, which is the world’s largest freestanding building, and Tropical Islands Resort opened in 2004.
The Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick, Germany, is the world’s largest indoor beach with 400 sunloungers
Despite the impressive interior of the hot hangar, visitors reviewing the indoor tropical resort on Reddit complained about high prices on everything from beverages to accommodation and additional fees to use the popular water slides.
Some users went as far as to vent their disappointment in the type of crowd attracted by the tropical escape.
User Antares42 wrote: “A good proportion of the audience is folks who’d love to fly to the beach but can’t afford it… and it shows,” complaining about “Mallorca youths – loud, obnoxious, inebriated, strutting about as if they owned the place.”
“It’s nice for families with small kids, but we weren’t overwhelmed (3 people in our late 20s)” another Reddit user said.
“There simply wasn’t much fun stuff to do all day, just the pools, even the mediocre slides cost extra.”
The Tropical Islands Resort, located on an old World War II runway, keeps a pleasant temperature of 26C, thanks to the modified 70,000 square metre dome allowing sunlight to shine through massive windows.
And naturally, if it rains or pours, a quick common can be sent to close the roof – and everyone can remain dry and happy in their tropical paradise.
EU budget summit held in Brussels has ended without agreement on the 27-strong union’s next seven-year budget.
Another meeting will have to be called to sort out the difficulties but it is unclear how differences will be resolved.
European Council chief Herman Van Rompuy said he was confident a deal would be reached early next year.
Hours of talks failed to bridge big gaps between richer countries and those which rely most on EU funding.
The UK said current EU spending levels must be frozen.
The EU’s divisions are very clear and have become even more stark at a time of economic crisis.
Herman Van Rompuy had reshuffled the allocations in his original proposed budget during the summit, but he kept in place a spending ceiling of 973 billion euros ($1.2 trillion).
With the eurozone’s dominant states, Germany and France, unable to agree on the budget, UK Prime Minister David Cameron had warned against “unaffordable spending”.
The failure to decide on a budget came just days after the finance ministers of the 17 eurozone states failed to agree on conditions for releasing a new tranche of bailout money to Greece, raising questions about the union’s decision-making process.
Herman Van Rompuy’s budget had been unacceptable to a number of other countries, not just Britain, David Cameron told reporters.
“Together, we had a very clear message: <<We are not going to be tough on budgets at home just to come here and sign up to big increases in European spending>>,” he said.
“We haven’t got the deal we wanted but we’ve stopped what would have been an unacceptable deal,” he added.
“And in European terms I think that goes down as progress.”
EU budget summit held in Brussels has ended without agreement on the 27-strong union’s next seven-year budget
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was sympathetic towards David Cameron’s view – but no more than she was to all countries involved in the discussion.
“The discussions, both the bilateral discussions and the common discussion, have shown us that there is sufficient potential for an agreement,” she added.
French President Francois Hollande said the summit had made “progress”.
“There were no threats, no ultimatums,” he told reporters.
“Angela Merkel and I both agreed that it would be better to take some time out because we want there to be an agreement.”
Without naming the UK, he also said it was time the system of budget rebates was reconsidered.
“It is a paradox, because some net contributors [EU countries that pay in more than they get back] get some of the money back even though they are in a situation where they are wealthy enough for them not to get this money back,” Francois Hollande said.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite remarked that the atmosphere at the summit had been “surprisingly good because the divergence in opinions was so large that there was nothing to argue about”.
European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said the talks had failed owing to “important differences of opinion – especially in overall size of the budget”.
The Commission, which drafts EU laws, had originally called for a budget of 1.025 trillion euros.
Its position was supported by the European Parliament and many countries which are net beneficiaries, including Poland, Hungary and Spain.
While most EU members supported some increase in the budget, several, mostly the big net contributors, argued it was unacceptable at a time of austerity.
Germany, the UK, France and Italy are the biggest net contributors to the budget, which amounts to about 1% of the EU’s overall GDP.
Herman Van Rompuy’s revised budget would have softened the blow to the two main areas of spending: development in the EU’s poorer regions, and agriculture.
Instead, there would have been greater cuts to energy, transport, broadband and the EU’s foreign service.
His proposal, put to leaders on Thursday evening, would have made no change to the level of administrative costs – something the UK might have found unacceptable.
Speaking after the summit, Herman Van Rompuy said: “My feeling is that we can go further… It has to be balanced and well prepared, not in the mood of improvisation, because we are touching upon jobs, we are touching upon sensitive issues.”
Failure to agree on the budget by the end of next year would mean rolling over the 2013 budget into 2014 on a month-by-month basis, putting some long-term projects at risk.
Pakistani authorities are suspending mobile phone services in major cities to prevent sectarian violence during key Shia Muharram commemorations.
More than 90% of bombs are detonated by attackers using phones, officials say.
In some areas, motorbikes carrying passengers have been banned because of fears that this is how attackers could be brought to their targets.
Attacks on minority Shia by hard-line Sunnis have increased in recent months across Pakistan.
In the deadliest attack this week, 23 people were killed at a Shia procession in the city of Rawalpindi.
On Friday, mobile phone services were temporarily blocked in parts of the capital Islamabad, the southern port city of Karachi, and in Quetta in the south-east.
Pakistani authorities are suspending mobile phone services in major cities to prevent sectarian violence during key Shia Muharram commemorations
The authorities said that more areas would be cut off over the weekend – the climax of the holy month of Muharram for Shias.
“More than 90% of bomb blasts have been carried out through mobile sims,” Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters.
“Most recently, all the blasts that occurred in the last 15 days were mobile phone-based,” he added.
Thousands of extra police are also being deployed and aerial surveillance will be carried out to monitor Shia processions across the country.
Muharram marks the anniversary of the battle where the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad was killed.
In the weeks since election night, the emerging styles of the Obama daughters, and especially Malia, has taken center stage – the 14-year-old blossoming from the President’s wide-eyed “baby” into a self-assured young woman who has inherited her mother’s confidence, bold fashion sense and looks.
Wearing a shiny blue full skirt from ASOS with a neon pink Zara belt, and J. Crew flats, Malia Obama proved she has inherited her mother’s classic but bold sensibility on election night – seamlessly following in her well-heeled footsteps.
“The torch has been passed,” said the designer Gregory Parkinson, who sent out a press release after a recent sighting of the White House’s resident teenager.
Lucky magazine’s executive fashion director, Alexis Bryan Morgan, told USA Today: “I’m hard pressed to think of anyone, period, who had such great style potential at 14.
“She has all the elements that make a great fashionista. It’s really exceptional.”
Malia Obama, standing nearly as tall as her 5-foot-11 mother, now carries herself with confidence, striding alongside her mother like two-peas-in-a-poised-pod.
Unlike many teens unused to their new height, she shows no trace of awkwardness or embarrassment, instead, she embraces her lean figure with smart, yet bang-on-trend, wardrobe choices.
Seventeen fashion director Gina Kelly explained: “How her mother dresses is obviously rubbing off on Malia.
“It’s very pretty and feminine. It’s a little bit preppy-classic, but it’s never boring.”
And recent appearances throughout Washington D.C. have proven Malia Obama can certainly hold her own in the style stakes, mixing and matching bold colors and layers like a pro.
Lucky‘s Alexis Bryan Morgan added: “She’s smart in that she seems to be aware so many eyes are on her.
“[But] her style seems very genuine. It doesn’t look like somebody just put something on her on election night. She’s adding her own twist and having fun. You can’t really have style unless you’re being true to herself.”
Since turning 14 on Independence Day, Malia Obama has slowly started to tick off some age-appropriate milestones – like her first mobile phone.
Michelle Obama admitted in June that she “scared the heck” out of Malia with “days of lectures” on the dangers of talking to strangers before handing the device over.
Malia Obama proved she has inherited her mother’s classic seamlessly following in her well-heeled footsteps
And although Malia Obama, and her younger sister Sasha, 11, are forbidden from using Facebook until they are 17, Malia seems to be growing up like any other teenager, taking her first daughter responsibilities in her stride.
Since becoming the White House’s resident teenager last Independence Day, Malia Obama has slowly started to tick off some age-appropriate milestones – like her first mobile phone.
President Barack Obama, who often talks highly of both Malia, and his younger daughter Sasha, says they are kind, respectful, responsible and well-behaved girls.
Malia Obama has started to wear make-up too – with her mother’s wise counsel to guide her.
In an appearance on The View last year, Michelle Obama revealed: “We do a lot of talking. Sometimes it’s too much.
“After our… military families tour, I came in, it was 10.30 at night – we were beat, we did four cities in two days, and Malia’s like, <<Ma, I need to talk to you>>.
“And it was 10.30 and we talked. And we talked, and we talked. We talked about make-up, actually.”
In fact, it seems the only person struggling with Malia Obama’s coming-of-age is the President himself.
Barack Obama admitted in an interview last year, before her two-inch growth spurt: “Even though she’s 5ft 9in, she’s still my baby. And she just got braces, which is good, because she looks like a kid and she was getting … she’s starting to look too old for me.”
One occasion in particular came as a shock, as Michelle Obama revealed on The View.
She said: “He says he’s cool, but you know… The first time Malia went out for a party and she was dressed, she had her hair done and she’s tall, she had on a pretty dress, you could see him, he was sort of like… gulp. And I was like, <<Easy dad>>.”
President Barack Obama often talks highly of his two children, saying they are kind, respectful, responsible and well-behaved girls.
“I could not ask for better kids,” he told ABC News in June.
“I’m not anticipating complete mayhem for the next four, five years. But I understand teenage-hood is complicated. I should also point out that I have men with guns that surround them often.”
Era of shoguns and samurai is long over, but Japan does have one, or maybe two, surviving ninjas.
Experts in the dark arts of espionage and silent assassination, ninjas passed skills from father to son – but today’s say they will be the last.
Japan’s ninjas were all about mystery. Hired by noble samurai warriors to spy, sabotage and kill, their dark outfits usually covered everything but their eyes, leaving them virtually invisible in shadow – until they struck.
Using weapons such as shuriken, a sharpened star-shaped projectile, and the fukiya blowpipe, they were silent but deadly.
Ninjas were also famed swordsmen. They used their weapons not just to kill but to help them climb stone walls, to sneak into a castle or observe their enemies.
Most of their missions were secret so there are very few official documents detailing their activities. Their tools and methods were passed down for generations by word of mouth.
This has allowed filmmakers, novelists and comic artists to use their wild imagination.
Hollywood movies such as Enter the Ninja and American Ninja portray them as superhumans who could run on water or disappear in the blink of an eye.
“That is impossible because no matter how much you train, ninjas were people,” laughs Jinichi Kawakami, Japan’s last ninja grandmaster, according to the Iga-ryu ninja museum.
However, ninjas did apparently have floats that enabled them move across water in a standing position.
Kawakami is the 21st head of the Ban family, one of 53 that made up the Koka ninja clan. He started learning ninjutsu (ninja techniques) when he was six, from his master, Masazo Ishida.
“I thought we were just playing and didn’t think I was learning ninjutsu,” he says.
“I even wondered if he was training me to be a thief because he taught me how to walk quietly and how to break into a house.”
Era of shoguns and samurai is long over, but Japan does have one, or maybe two, surviving ninjas
Other skills that he mastered include making explosives and mixing medicines.
“I can still mix some herbs to create poison which doesn’t necessarily kill but can make one believe that they have a contagious disease,” he says.
Kawakami inherited the clan’s ancient scrolls when he was 18.
While it was common for these skills to be passed down from father to son, many young men were also adopted into the ninja clans.
There were at least 49 of these but Jinichi Kawakami’s Koka clan and the neighboring Iga clan remain two of the most famous thanks to their work for powerful feudal lords such as Ieyasu Tokugawa – who united Japan after centuries of civil wars when he won the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
It is during the Tokugawa era – known as Edo – when official documents make brief references to ninjas’ activities.
“They weren’t just killers like some people believe from the movies,” says Jinichi Kawakami.
In fact, they had day jobs. “Because you cannot make a living being a ninja,” he laughs.
There are many theories about these day jobs. Some ninjas are believed to have been farmers, and others pedlars who used their day jobs to spy.
“We believe some became samurai during the Edo period,” says Jinichi Kawakami.
“They had to be categorized under the four caste classes set by the Tokugawa government: warrior, farmers, artisan and merchants.”
As for the 21st Century ninja, Kawakami is a trained engineer. In his suit, he looks like any other Japanese businessman.
The title of “Japan’s last ninja”, however, may not be his alone. Eighty-year-old Masaaki Hatsumi says he is the leader of another surviving ninja clan – the Togakure clan.
Hatsumi is the founder of an international martial arts organization called Bujinkan, with more than 300,000 trainees worldwide.
“They include military and police personnel abroad,” he tells me at one of his training halls, known as dojo, in the town of Noda in Chiba prefecture.
It is a small town and not a place you would expect to see many foreigners. But the dojo, big enough for 48 tatami mats, is full of trainees who are glued to every move that Masaaki Hatsumi makes. His actions are not big, occasionally with some weapons, but mainly barehanded.
Masaaki Hatsumi explains to his pupils how those small moves can be used to take enemies out.
His reputation doesn’t stop there. He has contributed to countless films as a martial arts adviser, including the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, and continues to practice ninja techniques.
Both Kawakami and Masaaki Hatsumi are united on one point. Neither will appoint anyone to take over as the next ninja grandmaster.
“In the age of civil wars or during the Edo period, ninjas’ abilities to spy and kill, or mix medicine may have been useful,” Jinichi Kawakami says.
“But we now have guns, the internet and much better medicines, so the art of ninjutsu has no place in the modern age.”
As a result, he has decided not to take a protégé. He simply teaches ninja history part-time at Mie University.
Despite having so many pupils, Masaaki Hatsumi, too, has decided not to select an heir.
“My students will continue to practice some of the techniques that were used by ninjas, but [a person] must be destined to succeed the clan.” There is no such person, he says.
The ninjas will not be forgotten. But the once-feared secret assassins are now remembered chiefly through fictional characters in cartoons, movies and computer games, or as a tourist attractions.
The museum in the city of Iga welcomes visitors from across the world where a trained group, called Ashura, entertains them with an hourly performance of ninja tricks.
Unlike the silent art of ninjutsu, the shows that school children and foreign visitors watch today are loud and exciting. The mystery has gone even before the last ninja has died.
Egypt’s President Mohammed Mursi has appeared before supporters in Cairo to defend a new decree that grants him sweeping powers.
Mohammed Mursi told them he was leading Egypt on a path to “freedom and democracy” and was the guardian of stability.
He was speaking as thousands of opponents gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and offices of the president’s party were attacked in several cities.
The decree says presidential decisions cannot be revoked by any authority.
Speaking at a rally at the presidential palace in Cairo, Mohammed Mursi said he was working to secure a strong and stable nation, for which there was a “great future”.
He said: “I am for all Egyptians. I will not be biased against any son of Egypt.”
Mohammed Mursi said he was the guardian of political, economic and social stability and wanted to see a “genuine opposition, a strong opposition”.
“I am the guarantor of that and I will protect for my brothers in the opposition all their rights so they can exercise their role.”
Mohammed Mursi also vowed to defend the independence of the executive, judiciary and legislature and not issue decrees to settle scores.
But across the capital in Tahrir Square, thousands of the president’s opponents heeded calls to demonstrate against the decree.
Chants of “Mursi is Mubarak… revolution everywhere” rang out.
There were clashes between protesters and police in the square, with tear gas fired at demonstrators and Molotov cocktails thrown in return.
Mohammed Mursi has appeared before supporters in Cairo to defend a new decree that grants him sweeping powers
According to Egypt’s state-run news agency, Mena, three people were injured in violence in Cairo’s central Mohammed Mahmoud street.
Offices of the president’s Muslim Brotherhood party have reportedly been attacked in the cities of Port Said and Ismailia.
Clashes between rival demonstrations took place in Alexandria.
Protesters in the Mediterranean city stormed the offices of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, throwing out books and chairs, and starting a fire.
Up to 2,000 demonstrators stormed the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Suez, while hundreds of people also protested against the new decree in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
In a joint news conference on Thursday, Sameh Ashour, head of a lawyers association, and key opposition figures Mohamed ElBaradei and Amr Moussa accused Mohammed Mursi of “monopolizing all three branches of government” and overseeing “the total execution of the independence of the judiciary”.
Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, wrote on his Twitter account that the president had “appointed himself Egypt’s new pharaoh. A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences”.
US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Friday that the decree had “raised concerns” in the international community, because Egypt’s revolution “was to ensure that power would not be overly concentrated in the hands of any one person or institution”.
She said the US wanted “democratic dialogue” within Egypt to solve constitutional issues.
The new decree bans challenges to Mohammed Mursi’s laws and decisions, and says no court can dissolve the constituent assembly, which is drawing up a new constitution.
It also opens the way for a retrial of people convicted of killings during Egypt’s 2011 uprising which toppled President Hosni Mubarak.
The declaration also gives the 100-member constituent assembly two additional months to draft a new constitution, to replace the one suspended after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.
The rewrite of the constitution, which was meant to be finished by December, has been plagued by lawsuits questioning the make-up of the constituent assembly.
Once completed, the document is due to be put to a referendum. If it is approved, legislative elections will be held two months later.
Korean giant Samsung has filed papers at a US court claiming that Apple’s latest iPad mini, released this month, infringes eight technology patents.
Samsung has asked a judge to add the 7.9-inch Apple tablet to a list of products, including the iPod Touch 5, and the iPad 4, which it claims violate patents on radio signaling technologies.
A patent war has engulfed technology giants with firms trying to make sure the others’ latest products are involved in the legal dispute in a bid get sales banned.
Apple and Samsung have filed cases against each other in more than 10 countries, each accusing the other of violating its patents.
Last week Apple successfully applied to add Google’s latest mobile operating system, Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, to the case.
In a minor victory for Samsung, on Wednesday, the judge ordered Apple to disclose the financial details of its patent licensing deal with HTC.
Samsung has filed papers at a US court claiming that Apple’s latest iPad mini, released this month, infringes eight technology patents
Apple and HTC signed a 10-year license agreement earlier this month, but did not make the details public.
But the court ordered Apple to produce a full copy of the settlement agreement “without delay”, subject to an “attorneys’ eyes only” designation, meaning it will not be made public.
Legal experts say the question of which patents are covered by the HTC settlement, and licensing details, could be instrumental in Samsung’s efforts to thwart Apple’s subsequent quest for a permanent sales ban on its products.
Samsung has argued it is “almost certain” that the HTC deal covers some of the same patents involved in its own litigation with Apple.
It seeks to show Apple is willing to license its technology if the price is right.
It has been speculated that HTC has agreed to pay Apple a royalty of up to $8 on each smartphone it sells, but the figure has been flatly denied by the firm’s chief executive.
The settlement of Apple and HTC ended their worldwide litigation and brought to a close one of the first major flare-ups in the global smartphone patent wars.
Apple first sued HTC in 2010, setting in motion a legal conflagration that has since circled the globe and engulfed the biggest names in mobile technology.
Dentists insist flossing will keep our teeth sparkling and free from decay, as well as keeping our gums healthy.
Regular flossing has even been said to protect us from heart disease.
Yet, for most of us who try wrestling with the tape, it only results in a cricked neck and bleeding gums.
And now, according to a provocative new book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, it seems that dedicated followers of flossing could actually be wasting their time.
The book is causing waves because it’s written by U.S.-based Dr. Ellie Phillips, who was among the first women dentists to train at Guy’s Hospital in London.
Dr. Ellie Phillips says that flossing – and that goes for whichever gizmo, gadget or bit of tape you choose to use – will do nothing to reduce your risk of tooth decay.
The science, she says, is on her side. Only one study has shown a benefit, and that involved a group of schoolchildren who did not floss themselves, but instead had their teeth flossed by a hygienist five days a week for two years.
And a study published in the British Dental Journal in 2006 found no difference in the number of cavities suffered by adults who flossed and those who did not.
So is Dr. Ellie Phillips right? Surprisingly, it seems she may be – but only up to a point.
“In all fairness, there is no evidence that flossing is effective in preventing tooth decay in the long run,” says Dr. Graham Barnby, a dentist from Marlow, Bucks, who is also a member of the Simply Health Advisory Research Panel, which analyses the latest research and medical thinking.
“So in a sense, she does have a point. Yet although the benefits of flossing may be limited with tooth decay, flossing does have a role in the prevention of gum disease.”
Tooth decay occurs when acid in the mouth eats away at the teeth. This acid is found in foods, but is mainly produced when bacteria in the mouth “digest” sugar – hence the reason sweets rot our teeth.
Gum disease, on the other hand, is caused by plaque – a film of bacteria on the teeth which, if not removed with brushing, irritates the gums, causing them to bleed and recede.
If left, the plaque hardens into tartar, which irritates the underlying bone of the gums and, in severe cases, can lead to wobbly teeth.
Some studies have even linked gum disease to heart disease, as the same bacteria found in the mouth have also been found in the heart.
Christina Chatfield, an independent dental hygienist based in Brighton, who is nominated for hygienist of the year, says effective flossing should help reduce both tooth cavities and gum disease.
She argues that the reason studies have shown it to have little effect is that too few people actually do it properly.
“The majority of those who do use floss (which I believe to be around 5% of the population), don’t use it effectively, so it is of minimal benefit to them,” Christina Chatfield says.
“To remove plaque, you need to hook the floss like a C around the tooth, so it hooks out the plaque from between the contact points of the teeth.
“I liken bad flossing to trying to clean a bottle neck with a piece of string floating in the middle – which, in effect, is all most people achieve.”
Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, says flossing is definitely not a waste of time – provided you’re doing it properly.
“We certainly shouldn’t be encouraging people not to do it,” he says.
“If you don’t clean between the teeth, you’re cleaning only 60% of the tooth’s surface.
“The dental profession has been pushing it for 20 years, yet we’ve got only 5% of the population to do it – because it’s fiddly.
“Most dentists recommend interdental brushes – small brushes that can get right below the gum line.
“They are much easier to use, and get into the curves of teeth so it’s easier to clean each side of the tooth.”
According to a provocative new book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, it seems that dedicated followers of flossing could actually be wasting their time
However, Dr. Ellie Phillips argues that rather than flossing or using brushes, all you need to do is use three different mouthwashes – one before brushing, and two after.
People often clean their teeth immediately after eating, yet this can lead to the teeth wearing away, she says, because food softens teeth.
Instead, she recommends using Ultradex mouthwash before brushing, which stops this happening. It contains chlorine dioxide, which studies show may help remove bacteria.
After brushing teeth, Dr. Ellie Phillips advocates Listerine, to enhance the cleaning process, and then a fluoride rinse such as Fluorigard to help strengthen and repair teeth.
In addition, she advocates using lozenges or chewing gum containing the sweetener xylitol, which has been found in tests to reduce tooth decay.
So does Dr. Ellie Phillips’ method work?
“The bacteria around teeth that cause gum disease are extremely protective and hard to shift – they don’t even respond to antibiotics,” says Christina Chatfield.
“The idea that these bacteria could be shifted by mouthwash alone is ludicrous. The only option is to shift them physically, and even with the most thorough flossing some get left behind.”
But could xylitol still be the secret to a healthy mouth?
Xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener found mainly in the bark of the silver birch tree but also in the fibres of many berries, fruits and mushrooms, works by suppressing production of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
“There are clearly dental health benefits with xylitol, therefore products that contain it can help fight tooth decay,” says Dr. Nigel Carter.
Hundreds of studies show it is a proven force against tooth decay. A study of 80 adults who, for three weeks, were given xylitol gum to chew three times a day after meals revealed that the gum brought about a dramatic decline in bacteria numbers.
In Scandinavia – which is a major producer of xylitol thanks to its high numbers of birch trees – xylitol lozenges are popular.
“The lozenges have about 100% xylitol, but in the chewing gums you’ll get only about 30%,” says Dr. Nigel Carter.
“Many dentists now recognize the benefits of xylitol and encourage their patients to use it.”
He adds that many European countries use xylitol in sweets instead of sugar. In Spain, for instance, around 70% of confectionary is sugar-free, whereas in the UK it is closer to 30%.
Peppersmith mints and gum are made with pure xylitol (these are available at most large supermarkets and in Holland & Barrett), and you can also buy granulated xylitol in the sugar aisle of supermarkets. Lozenges can be bought online and in some health food stores.
The recommended dose is about 5g a day. Regular intake of xylitol can cause flatulence and diarrhoea, but Dr. Nigel Carter says this effect will only be temporary.
Professor Stephen Porter, director of the Eastman Dental Institute in London, cautions that xylitol lozenges should be avoided by some groups.
“It’s certainly not suitable for children or the elderly, because it can have a laxative effect and cause tummy upsets.”
Rather than mouthwashes and sweets, most dental professionals say it is simple measures that will help protect dental health.
“That means avoiding sugary snacks between meals as sugar leads to more acid which then attacks the teeth, and you want to limit the time that this happens,” says Prof. Stephen Porter.
“You also need to brush and floss thoroughly to clean plaque off, and use fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen the teeth.
“You don’t need fancy equipment – just dental tape and a toothbrush will do fine
“Above all, people must remember that flossing will do them absolutely no harm whatsoever, and will actually most probably have an awful lot of benefits.”
Black Friday’s extreme shoppers are coming up with such conniving ways to thwart the competition that some people decided to forgo their Thanksgiving feast altogether.
The biggest consumer spending day of the year isn’t what it used to be; with retailers now opening earlier than ever, day-long lines, and watchful policemen, so shoppers have revised their strategies for the ultimate trip in bargain hunting.
Taking friends to divide and conquer, camping out for days prior, using sign language to communicate across the store, lying about fake sales, and hiding merchandise before the sale even starts are just some of the strategies that extreme bargain hunters are employing.
One 21-year-old college senior admitted to tricking other customers into thinking they could get a better deal elsewhere so that she can cut the queue.
Amanda Willis, who was in an hour-long line at J Crew told Today.com that she secretly made her phone ring, before yelling into it: “Are you kidding? Yankee Candle is giving away those big candles for free for the next 10 minutes?!”
Most of the people in front of her fled the store at Jersey Shore Premium Outlets to run over to the candle store. Amanda Willis then made her purchases in under 15 minutes.
By way of explanation for her ruse, she said: “I’m on a schedule.”
Meanwhile Louise Sattler, 53, admitted to being manipulatively nice to other shoppers in her Los Angeles area.
She said people are then much more willing to help you, if you need your place in the line held while you go to the bathroom, or by letting your child step into the line with you.
Louise Sattler’s family is fluent in sign language which they use to coordinate with each other inside loud stores, because “it’s faster than texting”.
Black Friday’s extreme shoppers are coming up with such conniving ways to thwart the competition that some people decided to forgo their Thanksgiving feast altogether
In Salt Lake City, Utah, Chace Cannon, 26, waited outside all night in six degree temperature so he could purchase a-40 inch Westinghouse HDTV for $299, usually $600.
He explained that he and his friends put eight televisions in their shopping carts, and on the way to the checkout, a swarm of latecomers tried to take the boxes. The team raced to a corner and protected their shopping carts until reinforcement friends and family arrived.
And now that Black Friday is quickly getting supplanted by Grey Thursday with retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Sears opening their doors yesterday at 8 pm and Target at 9 p.m. means that the rush to get in first has intensified further.
Melissa Rush from Florida said she is “hooked” on the “adrenaline high of getting all these great sales”.
The 24-year-old’s aim today was to buy a present for each of her 30 different family members, without spending more than $300 total.
Using a spreadsheet on her phone that she synced from her computer, a bevy of coupons, price matching, and manufacturer’s rebates, she says it is all about meticulous research.
She says it is most important to look at the catalogues from the week before, as well as Amazon.com, to make sure the Black Friday “deals” are actual savings – and to make sure you go with at least one other person who can get into the checkout line as soon as you enter the store.
She admitted: “At first people thought I was crazy. Then they saw the receipt.”
And Holden Hanson, who won’t take any chances in missing out of his must-have products on Black Friday, said he goes to Walmart on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to hide the items on his list so other shoppers won’t find them.
The more sinister elements of Black Friday shopping are still prevalent however.
After a Wal-Mart worker was trampled to death in 2008 by uncontrolled crowds, some shoppers such as David Galloway from South Carolina, said his Thanksgiving will be spent with family and watching the great American tradition of football.
He told The Huffington Post:“I think greed is winning out over family but I think [stores] will get enough of a backlash to make some change next year.”
Millions are battling for bargains across America today as Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, has got off to a flying start despite bad weather, giant crowds and fights in the supermarket aisles.
The first giant scrums started at a Walmart where families battled with each other to get their hands on a pair of $5 headphones, while paramedics rushed to help a Dick’s store cashier who passed out.
With sales on Black Friday expected to soar by 3.8% this year to a staggering $11.4 billion, thousands of shoppers queued around blocks before stores opened. As many as 11,000 lined around Macy’s flagship store in New York City’s Herald Square before it threw open its doors.
In one Walmart, the fights were underway within minutes of opening – as captured on a video posted to YouTube by a father who brought his two children along to the sales.
The youngsters are filmed sitting in a shopping trolley as the person with the camera asks them if they’re “here for the craziness” adding that they are about to watch people fight over a $5 deal for a pair of headphones.
A large crowd are standing in a circle around the box of headphones waiting for the go-ahead from the Walmart staff.
The cameraman, posting on YouTube as David Quigley, struggles to keep his camera steady as the deal drops and the crowd goes wild, throwing themselves over the box.
Men, women and children are seen mercilessly elbowing each other as they shove to grab a pair.
Violence also escalated at a San Antonio mall after a shopper allegedly pulled a gun on another man who had tried to cut to the front of the line at a Sears, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
The man had rushed into the store when it opened Thursday night to get to the front of a line and started arguing with people as he tried cutting in front of them.
A man who was punched in the face during the scuffle pulled a gun and shoppers scattered. But the man had a gun permit and has not been charged with a crime.
There was also drama elsewhere. One shopper from Juneau, Alaska tweeted a picture of a woman being carried from a Dick’s store on a stretcher as crowds focused on the shelves.
“Cashier passed out at Dick’s,” Stevie Hendrix tweeted.
“Black Friday was too much… No one cared, it was kind of sad, they just wanted their stuff.”
Black Friday 2012 fights at Wal-Mart over headphones
In Woodland Mall in Kentwood, Michigan, two teenagers were arrested after a brawl broke out between 15 men outside a JC Penney at 1.30 a.m. Witnesses said pepper spray was used.
At a Walmart in Altamonte Springs, Florida, 28-year-old Samantha Chavez was arrested after being disruptive in the traffic line, and allegedly bullying the officer directing vehicles.
Once inside the store, she allegedly threw merchandise on the floor.
Witnesses, who caught the arrest on video, claimed she only made a scene after losing her sister in the store and becoming scared, CFNews13 reported.
Police also responded to reports of shooting at 1 a.m. in Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, where nine people were killed five years ago.
Authorities later learned that while a fight had broken out, witnesses had heard trash cans being knocked over, rather than gunshots. There were no arrests.
An hour later at nearby Oak View Mall, police got into a scuffle with a shoplifter who allegedly tried to spray mace at store security guards.
Another video from Black Friday shows hundreds of girls and women storming the entrance of a Victoria’s Secret Pink store at Oak Park Mall, Kansas as it opened at midnight.
And in Springfield, Massachusetts, Anthony Perry, 34, was arrested after he allegedly left his girlfriend’s two-year-old in his car so he could by a 51 inch television from Kmart.
Security notified police about the boy sleeping in the Nissan Venza, broke into the vehicle and took him to hospital for a check-up.
Police found Perry at his home in Springfield with his new television, but do not know how he got there without his car. He claimed the youngster was in the store with him and became lost but will be charged for reckless endangerment of a child.
The shopping frenzy got off to its earliest ever start as the nation’s customers put down their turkey and headed straight to the malls, with some stores opening as early as 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
Shops typically open in the small hours of the morning on the day after the national holiday – named Black Friday because it is traditionally when they turn a profit for the year.
But openings have crept earlier and earlier over the past few years and this year, stores such as Target and Toys R Us opened on Thanksgiving evening, while retailers from Macy’s to Best Buy opened their doors at midnight on Black Friday.
Despite the YouTube videos, many shoppers claimed the crowds were largely peaceful, avoiding the riots seen in previous years.
Many stores had an unusually heavy police presence, and there were some reports of scuffles between customers in packed-out shopping aisles.
And amid the shopping frenzy, two customers – a husband and a wife – were hit by a car in the parking lot of a Walmart on the edge of Seattle on Thursday evening, with the wife being airlifted to hospital after the accident which saw her pinned under the vehicle.
Stores from Target to Toys R Us opened their doors on Thanksgiving evening, hoping Americans will be willing to shop soon after they finish their pumpkin pie.
Target opened its doors at 9 p.m. on the holiday, three hours earlier than last year. Sears, which didn’t open on Thanksgiving last year, opened at 8 p.m. on Thursday through 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
Toys R Us opened at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than last year. And others such as Macy’s are opening at midnight on Black Friday.
When Macy’s flagship Herald Square store in New York opened its doors at midnight, about 11,000 shoppers showed up.
Overall, about 17% of shoppers plan to take advantage of Thanksgiving hours, according to a International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs survey of 1,000 consumers.
It is estimated that sales on Black Friday will be up 3.8% on last year, to a total of $11.4 billion.
Michael Prothero, 19, and Kenny Fullenlove, 20, were even willing to miss Thanksgiving dinner altogether for deals. They started camping out on Monday night outside a Best Buy store in Toledo, Ohio, which was slated to open at midnight.
147 million people are expected to shop this Thanksgiving weekend
Stores are expected to make a total of $11.4 billion on Black Friday
The average spend per customer is expected to be $398
In 2008, Walmart employee Jdimytai Damour was trampled to death on Black Friday when shoppers at Green Acres Shopping Center, Valley Street, New York pushed the doors open and streamed inside. Paramedics who arrived to help him were also trampled and seriously injured
Last year, two dozen shoppers at a Walmart in California were pepper sprayed as Elizabeth Macias, 33, battled them for reduced video games
Stores are expected to make a total of $11.4 billion on Black Friday 2012
“Black Friday” is believed to be the day retailers get “in the black” because of the profits they make. But the term was first used in January 1966, when Bonnie Taylor-Black of the American Dialect Society wrote: “Black Friday is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. Black Friday officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.”
According to Google Trends, people started widely searching online for “Black Friday” on October 14
Some eager shoppers have been camping out at a Best Buy in California since November 12 – that’s 11 days before doors opened
Experts have warned that the top five celebrity fad diets should be avoided in the New Year.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) said that diets followed by the rich and famous were becoming “more extreme” and increasingly involved “medical intervention”.
Dieticians warned there really is “no quick fix” to a slim, trim body for 2013 and said that following celebrity fads could lead to health problems.
Among the most disturbing entries was the Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition Diet (KEN), said to be followed by top fashion models.
The KEN diet involves eating nothing at all. Instead, a liquid formula is administered through a feeding tube inserted through the dieter’s nose. You are attached to a portable pump and liquid bag for ten days and can unhook yourself for only 60 minutes every 24 hours.
BDA consultant dietician Sian Porter described the procedure as “shocking” and something ‘usually reserved for the chronically ill’.
The list also included the bizarre Party Girl IV Drip Diet. Offered at private clinics for about £225 ($340) a time, it involves a high-dose cocktail of vitamins and nutrients administered via a drip of the type used to treat the severely malnourished and clinically ill, supposedly providing a “power boost”.
Sian Porter said: “There is very little evidence that this even works in well people. Even if it did, food and drinking water or other healthy drinks is preferable to having an IV drip inserted into your body.”
She added: “Our concern is that many of these diets are quite invasive. It shows the extreme lengths that people are willing to go to in order to lose weight.
“Eating is a pleasure and people should enjoy their food.”
The carb-free Dukan Diet was named as the worst offender for the third year in a row. The Dukan Diet became the bestselling diet book of all time, with more than a million copies sold in Britain alone. It is credited with Carole Middleton’s svelte figure at her daughter Kate’s wedding to Prince William.
But the BDA described it as “confusing, time-consuming, very rigid” and warned it could cause “lack of energy, constipation and bad breath”.
The Six Weeks To OMG [Oh My God] Diet was dismissed as “six weeks of hell and isolation”. Its London-based creator, Venice A. Fulton, recommends doing exercise first thing in the morning after drinking black coffee, and sitting in a cold bath to burn stored fat.
The BDA attacked as “madness” the increasingly popular Alcorexia or Drunkorexia Diet, which encourages followers to shun calories during the week so that they can binge on alcohol at the weekend. Sian Porter said: “After Christmas, people often look for a quick fix. They see air-brushed celebrities and aspire to look like that.
“But if it looks too good to be true, it usually is. We see new health fads and diets every year but there is no substitute for exercising and a balanced diet.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she doubts an agreement can be reached on the European Union’s 2014-2020 budget at the summit taking place in Brussels.
Angela Merkel spoke after negotiations on the 2014-2020 budget were adjourned until midday on Friday.
The opening of the summit was delayed for three hours because of stark differences over the budget plans.
Most EU members support an increase in the budget but several countries say it is unacceptable at a time of austerity.
Earlier, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy circulated a revised proposal for the new budget and said he believed that a compromise was possible.
“I think we’re advancing a bit, but I doubt that we will reach a deal,” Angela Merkel said.
She has previously said that another summit may be necessary early next year if no deal can be reached now.
French President Francois Hollande also cautioned that an agreement might not be possible.
But he added: “We should not consider that if we don’t get there tomorrow or the day after, all would be lost.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she doubts an agreement can be reached on the European Union’s 2014-2020 budget at the summit taking place in Brussels
The 90-minute session late on Thursday followed a grueling day of face-to-face meetings between Herman Van Rompuy and each of the bloc’s leaders, followed by a flurry of backroom discussions.
Before suspending talks, leaders nominated Luxembourg’s Yves Mersch to the executive board of the European Central Bank.
The EU Commission, which drafts EU laws, has called for an increase of 4.8% on the 2007-2013 budget.
The UK is the most vocal of EU member states seeking cuts in the budget to match austerity programmes at home.
“No, I’m not happy at all,” Prime Minister David Cameron said about Herman Van Rompuy’s offer to cap spending at 973 billion euros ($1.2 trillion).
“Clearly, at a time when we’re making difficult decisions at home over public spending, it would be quite wrong – it is quite wrong – for there to be proposals for this increased extra spending in the EU.”
The statement called the rebate “fully justified”. The EU Commission and some EU governments want the rebate scrapped.
David Cameron has warned he may use his veto if other EU countries call for any rise in EU spending. The Netherlands and Sweden back his call for a freeze in spending, allowing for inflation.
Poland and its former-communist neighbors, which rely heavily on EU cash, want current spending maintained or raised.
Francois Hollande has also called for subsidies for farming and development programmes to be sustained for poorer nations.
France has traditionally been a big beneficiary of EU farm support.
Failure to agree on the budget would mean rolling over the 2013 budget into 2014 on a month-by-month basis, putting some long-term projects at risk.
Possible outcomes
A deal after intense negotiations which may continue into the weekend
Failure to agree and a follow-up budget summit
If no agreement is reached by the end of 2013, the 2013 budget ceilings will be rolled over into 2014 with a 2% inflation adjustment, amid uncertainty over long-term EU projects
David Petraeus has consigned himself to a year in the doghouse with his wife Holly Petraeus even though he is getting “cabin fever” stuck at home while he waits for the attention around his sex scandal to die down.
Friends have revealed that David Petraeus has given up his relentless schedule of high level meetings for “self-imposed exile” and groveling to his family.
Gone are his five-mile runs in the open air every morning in Washington D.C. – instead he has confined himself indoors and is working out on a treadmill.
David Petraeus has also traded CIA briefings for emailing friends to chat and catching up on his reading.
Meanwhile his wife of 38 years, Holly Petraeus, has made a point of going to work every day and leaving him home alone.
Among the blog posts she has written in her role as a spokeswoman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the line: “You know the old saying: <<If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is>>.”
According to the New York Times, friends of David Petraeus are “concerned” that a man so used to constantly working has nothing to do for the first time in his life.
His main focus is lying low and salvaging his marriage given that Holly Petraeus is said to be “furious” over his conduct and has threatened to divorce him.
David Petraeus’s close friend Jack Keane, the former vice chief of staff of the Army, said: “Basically he’s the same guy but considerably more subdued, in terms of his spirit.
“And that’s understandable. His voice doesn’t have the same peppiness in it.”
Friends have revealed that David Petraeus has given up his relentless schedule of high level meetings for self-imposed exile and groveling to his family
David Petraeus is said to be weighing up his options about what to do the in the future including offers for a book deal, speaking engagements and interest from various corporations to serve on their boards.
Having hired media super-lawyer Robert Barnett he could also become a talking head on TV.
For now, however, he hardly leaves the house and is having to prove to Holly Petraeus that he deserves her trust again. The New York Times said he plans to put his life on hold for the next 12 months to sort out the mess.
A friend said: “Several of us are concerned. He’s a very active individual. He needs to stay active.”
Another friend said: “I asked him whether he’d seen a certain article, and he said: <<No, send it my way. I’m looking for something to read right now>>.
“He kept such a grueling schedule. This is unchartered territory for him right now.”
Meanwhile Holly Petraeus has been in the office every day at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in her role running the Office of Service Member Affairs.
She has written two blog posts in the last week including one about the dangers of buying a flood damaged car which includes the line: “Once you’ve signed the contract you’re committed, so Know Before You Owe!”
Until the scandal became public, the Petraeuses seemed to have a rock solid marriage.
They met on a blind date when David Petraeus was a student at the military academy at West Point, where Holly’s father was the superintendent.
He graduated in June 1947 and the couple married the following month, before going on to have two children, Ann and Stephen, and traveling the world with his work.
Despite moving 24 times in 38 years, Holly Petraeus has also built her own career.
She became a volunteer, performing military and family support roles on bases, before assuming her current title.
A source has told the National Enquirer that David Petraeus has been “falling all over himself” apologizing but she “isn’t listening”.
The source said: “After all his lies, she doesn’t believe anything he says anymore, and she’s thinking about consulting a divorce attorney.”
Friends have also given fresh insight into how David Petraeus became involved with Army reservist Paula Broadwell whilst she was writing his biography.
A friend said that the general initially thought it was a book on Afghanistan and that he “belatedly” realized it was about him.
When Paula Broadwell told him about the six-figure advance he thought: “Well, I better help her to get it halfway right rather than pushing her away to have something come out that was half-baked.”
He also admitted that after breaking off the relationship he continued to help Paula Broadwell with the project to try and put things back on a more “professional plane”.
Olivier Martinez was injured during a “brutal fight” with his fiancée Halle Berry’s ex lover Gabriel Aubry, which left both men hospitalized and saw Aubry charged with battery.
The shocking brawl came as Gabriel Aubry dropped off his daughter Nahla at Halle Berry’s house on Thanksgiving morning.
Olivier Martinez reportedly tried to speak to Gabriel Aubry about the ongoing custody dispute between him and Halle Berry.
After Olivier Martinez said to Gabriel Aubry: “We have to move on,” the Canadian model is said to have pushed the French actor and tried to punch him before a full blown fight broke out.
Gabriel Aubry and Halle Berry – who split in 2010 – have been at odds ever since she tried to convince a judge to allow her to move to France with Nahla, a move which was recently blocked by the courts.
Sources told TMZ the fight was “brutal” with the website describing a blow-by-blow account of the melee.
“Olivier blocked [Gabriel’s punch] and the punch struck him in the shoulder instead… Gabriel then pushed Olivier to the ground, a struggle ensued, ending when Olivier pinned Gabriel to the ground.”
Olivier Martinez was injured during a brutal fight with his fiancée Halle Berry’s ex lover Gabriel Aubry
Police were called to the home and arrested Gabriel Aubry for battery. He was charged on his release from hospital and released after meeting the $20,000 bail.
Andrew Smith, Commanding Officer, LAPD Media Relations and Community Affairs Group told People: “He [Aubry] was booked for a private persons arrest for battery.”
A judge then issued an emergency protective order – meaning Gabriel Aubry has to stay 100 yards away from Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez and Nahla.
Gabriel Aubry was taken to hospital for his injuries after suffering a broken rib, bruises to the face and a possible more serious head injury.
Olivier Martinez has a possible broken hand and neck injuries. He arrived at the same Los Angeles hospital for treatment as Gabriel Aubry around an hour after him.
It is unclear whether 4-year-old Nahla witnessed the fight between her father and stepfather.
However, sources told TMZ that Halle Berry rushed her daughter inside to prevent her seeing the fight.
The youngster was later seen being carried in her mother’s arms as the anxious looking actress arrived home with Olivier Martinez following his discharge from hospital.
After a brief stop at home, the pair headed to a friend’s house nearby.
Gabriel Aubry, a French-Canadian model who lives and works in Los Angeles, had petitioned the court to stop Halle Berry’s plans to move to France.
He argued it would give him limited access to his daughter, while Halle Berry countered the privacy laws are stronger in France and would keep Nahla safe from the paparazzi.
Halle Berry, 46 – who split with Gabriel in 2010 – and Olivier Martinez, had put their wedding plans on hold while the actress focused on her custody battle.
The biggest shopping day of the year has begun, as stores began to open their doors as early as 8 p.m. on the evening of Thanksgiving in an effort give customers as much time as possible to get their hands on Black Friday deals.
And shoppers wasted no time tearing themselves away from their families to take advantage of the sales, with stores such as Walmart, Target and Sears packed with desperate bargain-hunters.
While initial accounts indicated that the crowds were largely peaceful, avoiding the riots seen in previous years, many stores had an unusually heavy police presence, and there were some reports of scuffles between customers in packed-out shopping aisles.
And amid the shopping frenzy, two customers – a husband and a wife – were hit by a car in the parking lot of a Walmart on the edge of Seattle on Thursday evening, with the wife being airlifted to hospital after the accident which saw her pinned under the vehicle.
Stores from Target to Toys R Us opened their doors on Thanksgiving evening, hoping Americans will be willing to shop soon after they finish their pumpkin pie.
Target opened its doors at 9 p.m. on the holiday, three hours earlier than last year. Sears, which didn’t open on Thanksgiving last year, opened at 8 p.m. on Thursday through 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
Toys R Us opened at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than last year. And others such as Macy’s are opening at midnight on Black Friday.
When Macy’s flagship Herald Square store in New York opened its doors at midnight, about 11,000 shoppers showed up.
Overall, about 17% of shoppers plan to take advantage of Thanksgiving hours, according to a International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs survey of 1,000 consumers.
Shoppers queued up at Toys R Us in New York’s Times Square on Thursday evening
Retailers are trying everything they can to lure consumers into stores by making shopping as easy as possible.
In addition to expanding their hours into Thanksgiving, many are offering free layaways and shipping, matching the cheaper prices of online rivals and updating their mobile shopping apps with more information.
“Every retailer wants to beat everyone else,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, a research firm based in Charleston, S.C. “Shoppers love it”.
Indeed, there were 11 shoppers in a four-tent encampment outside a Best Buy store near Ann Arbor, Michigan. The purpose of their wait? A $179 40-inch Toshiba LCD television is worth missing Thanksgiving dinner at home.
With 41million people expected to shop on what has been dubbed “Gray Thursday”, police have responded to fights and threats between bargain-hungry customers, some of whom have camped outside stores for days.
The spats add to the discontent surrounding the stores, with employees frustrated about working on Thanksgiving, and Walmart workers threatening to protest over their pay, schedules and benefits.
Outside a Kmart in Indianapolis, which opened at 6 a.m. on Thursday, officers responded to a brawl between shoppers as some attempted to sell vouchers the store had handed out for limited items.
“Everybody started going crazy about it, and then the cops got called in and it just became a madhouse,” one shopper told News 8.
And at a Kmart on Stockton Boulevard in South Sacremento, one shopper threatened to stab people while waiting in line for K-Mart’s doors to open and told people he “wasn’t joking”.
Police arrived at the scene shortly after the threat – made after shop staff came outside to hand out “doorbuster deal” vouchers to the first in the line – to help control the crowds.
In a bid to minimize trouble, the Los Angeles Police Department deployed helicopters over some malls, while a cavalry of police officers on bikes and horses monitored from streets below.
According to the L.A. Times, others scoured crowds from rooftops and signs warned shoppers against becoming victims of theft.
It comes after a series of previous Black Friday incidents; at a Wal-Mart in the city last year, scores of people were injured when a woman pepper sprayed her competition in a bid for discounted video games. Two years ago, gunfire broke out at a Toys R Us, killing two people.
“For some people, shopping is a competitive sport,” LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith told the paper.
“But it should not be a contact sport.”
Officers are also working with stores to keep violent outbursts under control, and Best Buy even participated in training drills to handle the large crowds.
The Walmart where the pepper spray incident occurred will hand out vouchers for some items to avoid a scramble. If customers do not get a voucher for the item, they should expect there will be none left, management told the Times.
If you can face the lines! Top deals on BLACK FRIDAY
Target
Canon T3 body, lens, memory card and camera bag: $499 – usually $749
Nook Simple Touch: $49 – usually $99
Best Buy
8GB iPhone 4S with a two-year contract: $1
Kohl’s
50% of all toys
60% off certain kids’ clothing lines
Discovery Kids Digital Camera: $19.99 – usually $69.99
Black Friday 2012 Top Deals
Amazon
Canon PowerShot s100: $309 – usually $429
Sears
Toshiba 50-inch LEDL: $299 – usually $849
Toys ‘R Us
Power Wheels Barbie or Silver Cadillac Escalade: $269.99 ($150 off)
DS, PS3 and Wii Games are buy one, get another for $1
Get a $15 iTunes gift card when you buy $50 iTunes gift card
Walmart
$75 gift card when you purchase the iPad 2
