Bulgarian archaeologists say that have uncovered the oldest prehistoric town found to date in Europe.
The walled fortified settlement, near the modern town of Provadia, is thought to have been an important centre for salt production.
Its discovery in north-west Bulgaria may explain the huge gold hoard found nearby 40 years ago.
Archaeologists believe that the town was home to some 350 people and dates back to between 4700 and 4200 BC.
That is about 1,500 years before the start of ancient Greek civilization.
The residents boiled water from a local spring and used it to create salt bricks, which were traded and used to preserve meat.
Salt was a hugely valuable commodity at the time, which experts say could help to explain the huge defensive stone walls which ringed the town.
Bulgarian archaeologists say that have uncovered the oldest prehistoric town found to date in Europe
Excavations at the site, beginning in 2005, have also uncovered the remains of two-storey houses, a series of pits used for rituals, as well as parts of a gate and bastion structures.
A small necropolis, or burial ground, was discovered at the site earlier this year and is still being studied by archaeologists.
“We are not talking about a town like the Greek city-states, ancient Rome or medieval settlements, but about what archaeologists agree constituted a town in the fifth millennium BC,” Vasil Nikolov, a researcher with Bulgaria’s National Institute of Archaeology, told the AFP news agency.
Archaeologist Krum Bachvarov from the institute said the latest find was “extremely interesting”.
“The huge walls around the settlement, which were built very tall and with stone blocks… are also something unseen in excavations of prehistoric sites in south-east Europe so far,” he told AFP.
Similar salt mines near Tuzla in Bosnia and Turda in Romania help prove the existence of a series of civilisztions which also mined copper and gold in the Carpathian and Balkan mountains during the same period.
This latest discovery almost certainly explains the treasure found exactly 40 years ago at a cemetery on the outskirts of Varna, 35 km (21 miles) away, the oldest hoard of gold objects found anywhere in the world.
President Barack Obama is visiting the state of New Jersey, to survey the devastation two days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall nearby.
With Republican Governor Chris Christie, he is to meet rescue workers and residents in Atlantic City.
The massive cyclone killed at least 50 people across the north-eastern US and millions are still without power.
Some businesses and services reopened after a two-day forced closure, and Wall Street is trading again.
President Barack Obama has put campaigning on hold for a third day ahead of next Tuesday’s US election, as he directs the federal response to the storm.
Initial estimates suggest the cost of clearing up after the storm could total as much as $30-40 billion.
New Jersey’s Republican governor has lavishly praised the Democratic president for his leadership.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney cancelled campaign events during the height of the disaster, but was back on the trail on Wednesday in the crucial swing state of Florida.
Across the north-east, 6.2 million homes and businesses are without power because of the storm, says the US Department of Energy.
New York, which is also counting the cost of Sandy’s trail of destruction, is slowly getting on the move again.
Hurricane Sandy brought a record storm surge of almost 14 ft (4.2 m) to central Manhattan, well above the previous record of 10ft during Hurricane Donna in 1960, the National Weather Service said.
The unprecedented water levels brought blackouts across lower Manhattan and other parts of the city.
President Barack Obama is visiting the state of New Jersey, to survey the devastation two days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall nearby
The New York Stock Exchange reopened on Wednesday, albeit on running on generator power. The Nasdaq was also back in business after two days’ closure.
Partial subway service is due to begin running on Thursday in New York City, which was paralyzed by chronic traffic gridlock in Wednesday’s rush hour.
Many bus services have already resumed, and most of the city’s bridges have re-opened.
Flights started arriving at JFK and Newark Liberty airports on Wednesday morning, but the city’s LaGuardia airport remains closed.
In New York City alone, at least 22 people were killed by the storm. Among those who died were:
Artur Kasprzak, 28, an off-duty police officer who was moving his relatives, including a 15-month-old baby, to the attic of their home in Staten Island. He died in the basement of his home as water flooded in
Lauren Abraham, 23, caught fire and burned to death after a live wire touched her as she tried to take pictures of a damaged power line outside her house in Queens
Jessie Streich-Kest, 24, and her friend Jacob Vogelman, 23, were killed by a falling tree as they walked Jessie’s dog, Max, in a Brooklyn park
In all, storm Sandy has claimed some 120 lives, after killing nearly 70 people as it hit the Caribbean.
Impoverished Haiti is facing severe food shortages after 70% of crops were destroyed by the storm, officials said.
Hurricane Sandy’s impact on US, in figures:
50+ people killed
6.2 million left without power
139 mph – highest gust of wind – Mt Washington, New Hampshire
Eurozone unemployment rate hit to a new high of 18.49 million in September, the EU statistics agency has said.
The number of people out of work rose by 146,000, pushing the unemployment rate up to 11.6%. This compares with 10.3% a year earlier.
The highest unemployment rate was recorded in Spain, where 25.8% of the workforce is out of a job, and the lowest of 4.4% was recorded in Austria.
In Spain and Greece, more than half the workforce aged under 25 has no job.
The lowest youth unemployment rate of 8% was recorded in Germany, where 5.4% of the overall workforce is out of work.
The eurozone as a whole is struggling to generate the economic growth needed to stimulate employment. Its economy shrank by 0.2% between April and June, with Italy and Spain stuck in recession and France registering no growth for the past three quarters.
The notable exception is the German economy, Europe’s biggest, which grew by 0.3% in the second quarter.
Growth there is expected to slow when preliminary figures for eurozone GDP between August and October will be published on 15 November.
Across the wider 27-nation European Union, unemployment rose by 169,000 to 25.75 million people, Eurostat said, with the unemployment rate rising slightly to 10.6%.
A Japanese government audit has found that funds intended for reconstruction after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been spent on unrelated projects.
Projects financed by the $150 billion fund include roads in Okinawa, an ad campaign for Japan’s tallest building and support for whaling research.
Some 325,000 people remain displaced 18 months on from the disaster.
In some areas little reconstruction work has been carried out, reports say.
Some 19,000 people were killed or remain missing following the tsunami and earthquake that struck north-east Japan in March 2011.
A Japanese government audit has found that funds intended for reconstruction after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been spent on unrelated projects
The government has passed a number of supplementary budgets to fund reconstruction efforts in affected areas.
But a government audit showed money had been used for unrelated projects reportedly included on the basis that they could boost national economic revival.
The findings come at a time when questions are being asked about the speed of Japan’s reconstruction effort.
Takashi Kubota, deputy mayor of Rikuzentakata, a fishing port where nearly half of the houses were destroyed, told the Associated Press news agency that “not one single new building yet” had been built in the destroyed downtown area.
“In 19 months, there have basically been no major changes,” he said.
Speaking in parliament on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda promised that problems would be addressed.
“There have been various criticisms made regarding how the budget for reconstruction has been spent,” he said.
“We must listen sincerely to the voices calling for the utmost priority to be accorded to disaster area reconstruction. We will properly provide allowances for budget items that are truly needed by the disaster-affected areas and strictly narrow down other items.”
Donald Trump launched into a self-serving attack on President Barack Obama just hours after devastating Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast.
And as the city struggled to recover from a blackout, Donald Trump, 66, lashed out as he accused the President of using Sandy to win votes for next week’s election.
Donald Trump tweeted: “Not only giving out money, but Obama will be seen today standing in water and rain like he is a real President – don’t fall for it.
“Hurricane is good luck for Obama again- he will buy the election by handing out billions of dollars.”
After offering $5 million to charity in a bid to get Barack Obama to produce his college records and passport application in a desperate publicity stunt, Donald Trump today said he was extending the deadline until midday on Thursday due to the hurricane.
He tweeted: “Another great cause Obama could send my $5M donation to is a charity for 9/11 First Responders. They are American heroes.
“Don’t let Obama buy the election by handing out unlimited free money to states.”
He added: “Remember this: Obama wants to raise taxes, @MittRomney wants to lower taxes – need I say more.”
Donald Trump launched into a self-serving attack on President Barack Obama just hours after devastating Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast
Donald Trump also boasted that Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in Manhattan had stayed open last night during the storm, saying: “We are taking care of hundreds of people in the Trump Tower atrium – they are seeking refuge. Free coffee and food.”
And posting a picture on Facebook, he wrote: “People having a great time in the Trump Tower atrium – unlike others, I stayed open.”
He then boasted: “The Trump Tower atrium is such a great place & kept thousands of people warm & safe during the storm – thanks, staff.”
As a broken crane continues to dangle 90 stories above a luxury building on West 57th street, Donald Trump even found time to gripe: “I am the best builder but if that were my building with the crane mishap, I would have been lambasted from coast to coast.”
Even Donald Trump’s good friend Barbara Walters has made a plea for him to stop.
On The View last week, Donald Trump begged: “You and I have known each other for many years.
“And you know that I am your friend, and I think you are a brilliant businessman, and you are great on television, and you have a fascinating personality. Donald, you’re making a fool of yourself.
“You’re not hurting Obama. You’re hurting Donald, and that hurts me because you’re a decent man.
“Stop it. Get off it, Donald.”
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama last week joked that Donald Trump’s issue with him stemmed from a childhood feud in Kenya.
Donald Trump’s outpouring was met by general disdain from New Yorkers – including by model Chrissy Teigen, the fiancée of singer John Legend.
The stunning brunette tweeted today: “Finally unfollowed donald trump. my blood pressure skyrockets when he tweets and I will not allow him to have the pleasure any longer.”
Donald Trump was keen not to stop as he continued with his onslaught of tweets, writing: “The election is trending towards @MittRomney. Americans know we can’t afford another 4 years of the Obama economic decline.
“These last 4 years have not had a single quarter over 4% GDP. Obama has overseen the weakest economic recovery in American history.”
To add insult to injury, Donald Trump will inflict his views on the rest of America tonight when he appears on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
Jessica Simpson has rediscovered her confidence after losing 60 lbs of baby weight and she opted for a racy Halloween costume that showed off her newly slimmed-down waist.
Jessica Simpson, 34, gave birth to baby Maxwell in May.
The wench costume also revealed plenty of cleavage and leg and she finished off the look with long hair extensions and heavy make-up.
In the family portrait, Jessica Simpson poses alongside her fiancé Eric Johnson in a Braveheart costume and their daughter, who was dressed as a rooster.
Jessica Simpson tweeted the picture on Wednesday morning, with the caption: “Happy Halloween!!!”
Jessica Simpson opted for a racy Halloween costume that showed off her newly slimmed-down waist
The star is understood to have lost 60 lbs in six months as part of her deal with Weight Watchers, which is rumored to be worth $3 million.
She also works out four times a week with celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak.
Harley Pasternak recently told Us Weekly: “In over 20 years, I’ve never seen as consistent of a weight loss. Jessica’s right where she needs to be. She’s gotten so much stronger.”
Wearing a curve enhancing bodysuit, Ellen DeGeneres slipped into an imitation of the blue sequined dress that Sofia Vergara suffered a wardrobe malfunction in during the Emmy Awards.
Sporting her chosen Halloween costume for season 10 of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the 54-year-old tried her best to channel Sofia Vergara’s Colombian accent, and even joked it was “fake”.
As Ellen DeGeneres performed her hilarious skit, while wearing a brunette wig which had the audience in stitches, an unimpressed Sofia Vergara walked in and stood with her arms folded.
Trying to keep a straight face as Ellen DeGeneres to tease her, Sofia Vergara snapped: “Your ass looks huge!”
Biting back as the show host kept up with her charade, Sofia Vergara quipped: “I can also speak American English like you.”
Turning Ellen DeGeneres around, the 40-year-old beauty screeched: “What is this? My dress was not like that!”
To which the comic mimicked and replied: “Yes, it was like that!”
And having the final word Sofia Vergara said: “You look ridiculous!”
Ellen DeGeneres slipped into an imitation of the blue sequined dress that Sofia Vergara suffered a wardrobe malfunction in during the Emmy Awards
Ellen DeGeneres then asked Sofia Vergara to teach her some Spanish.
Failing to grasp the pronunciation of the words that Sofia Vergara presented her with, the show host asked to know what she was saying.
Sofia Vergara, then said: “Oh please with that dress you should know. Let’s go dancing!” and with that said the pair began dancing to Pitbull’s song, entitled, I Know You Want Me.
Back in September, Sofia Vergara’s famous curves proved too much for her designer gown at the award show after her dress split open, right over her derriere.
Her wardrobe malfunction occurred just 20 minutes before her hit TV show won a prestigious gong at the ceremony.
But despite the embarrassing situation, Sofia Vergara shared pictures of her fashion mishap on her Twitter page, showing the busted back zip of her Zuhair Murad teal cut-out gown.
The picture showed Sofia Vergara’s pert derriere fully visible as the rear of the dress failed to contain her Latin curves.
Sofia Vergara tweeted the shot along with the caption: “Yes!!!! This happend 20 min before we won!!!! Jajajajja. I luv my life!!!!”
CNN earned itself another black eye after wrongly reporting that the New York Stock Exchange was flooded with three feet of water following the worst of Hurricane Sandy.
“There has been no damage to our building or systems, and we will conduct tests with the industry today with the aim of reopening U.S. markets on Wednesday,” NYSE spokesman Ray Pellecchia said in a statement.
During a live segment on Piers Morgan’s show Monday night, the anchor spoke with the network’s meteorologist who based the sensational claim solely on a comment left in a chat room.
“You have an update on the stock exchange situation. Do we still think that three feet of water got into the exchange? There seem to be conflicting reports now,” Piers Morgan asked meteorologist Chad Myers.
“Oh, is that right? You know, I got that from the National Weather Service chat bulletin board. It was right on there; it said three feet of water on the floor. I don’t know if there’s conflicting reports or not,” Chad Myers said.
CNN wrongly reported that NYSE was flooded with 3 feet of water following the worst of Hurricane Sandy
The claim instantly went viral, spreading quickly on social networks and circulating as fact.
An NYSE official quickly tried to thwart the rumor, saying that the infrastructure of the landmark Wall Street building was “fine”.
A spokesman for the network issued a vague apology, purposefully avoiding the point of the fact that their sources were as murky as the alleged sea water that covered much of lower Manhattan.
“Chad referenced a National Weather Service report that turned out to be incorrect. We quickly made an on air correction. We regret the error,” CNN spokesman Bridget Leininger said.
The New York Stock Exchange reopens for regular trading today (Wednesday, October 31st) after being shut down for two days because of Hurricane Sandy.
The exchange said in a statement Tuesday that its building and trading floor are fully operational and that normal trading will resume at the usual starting time of 9:30 a.m.
There had been erroneous reports Monday that the exchange floor had flooded. Exchange spokesman Ray Pellecchia said the exchange’s building did not have any flooding or damage
Tuesday marks the first time since 1888 that the NYSE remained closed for two consecutive days because of weather. The earlier shutdown was caused by a massive snow storm.
Sections of Manhattan were inundated with water on Tuesday and power was shut off to millions of people and businesses up and down the East Coast.
Manhattan’s financial district was one of the hardest hit when Hurricane Sandy slammed New York Monday afternoon and through the night.
Initial reports that the exchange was three feet underwater were denied by a press spokesman.
“There has been no damage to our building or systems, and we will conduct tests with the industry today with the aim of reopening U.S. markets on Wednesday,” NYSE spokesman Ray Pellecchia said in a statement.
Though they would not go into specifics, a number of generators must be located onsite in order for the prospect of a Wednesday reopening to be considered, since lower Manhattan remains without power and will likely continue as such for as long as week, according to city power executives.
The closure has made several records in the history of the exchange, as Monday’s closing was the first time that the markets were formally shut since the days following the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Beyond that, it was the first time that it closed since Hurricane Gloria 27 years ago.
When today’s closure was announced it was became first time that the NYSE was closed for two consecutive days due to weather since 1888.
The New York Stock Exchange reopens for regular trading today after being shut down for two days because of Hurricane Sandy
Like much of the city, the Exchange braced for the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Sunday, lining up a sandbag barrier outside the building on iconic Wall Street.
Nasdaq officials began employing their contingency plans as soon as they came to the decision to close on Sunday around 10.30pm.
Traders were able to continue to complete a drastically-reduced level of orders electronically, as many banks have remote systems set up so that employees can work from home in crisis situations.
The New York Stock Exchange, which is a privately-held company in itself, keeps a secondary location up and running in case of emergency where all data is stored.
The problem there, however, is that the data centre is in Mahwah, New Jersey, which is dealing with potentially more structural damage than New York.
According to Wall Street and Tech, the centre boasts a supply of 28 megawatts of power, which equates to the amount used to power 4,500 residential homes.
Additionally NYSE spokesman Robert Rendine told The New York Times that they have a number of generators and sufficient fuel to power the site for at least one week if electricity does not return.
“I’m a little surprised that the exchanges couldn’t secure the technology needed to keep the market operating,” said Dominic Salvino, a trader from the Chicago Board Options Exchange told Bloomberg Businessweek.
“It seems unreasonable that the nation’s financial markets have to shut down just because everyone has located themselves within five miles of each other in New Jersey. A snow storm in Chicago wouldn’t shut down trading on the East Coast.”
The ripple effects are already being seen, as companies are postponing their quarterly earnings, which were scheduled to be released earlier this week.
According to CBS News, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and media conglomerate Thomson Reuters are two of the tardy reportees.
Dozens of companies have postponed earnings reports this week because of the storm, but Ford Motor Co. did release results for the third quarter that topped Wall Street expectations.
Ford’s revenue fell 3% to $32.1 billion because of the economic crisis in Europe and falling sales in South America. The company exceeded Wall Street’s revenue forecast of $31.5 billion largely because of North America, where revenue jumped 8%.
European stock markets rose broadly Tuesday after falling the day before. Trading was subdued in the wake of the storm. Britain’s FTSE 100 index rose 0.9%, Germany’s DAX rose 1.1 percent and the CAC-40 in France was 1.5% higher.
Crude oil rose 14 cents to settle at $85.68 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
U.S. bond trading was closed Tuesday.
Electronic trading for U.S. stock index futures was open, but trading volume was very light and the price moves were minuscule.
As of the regular close of trading at 9:15 a.m., Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 8 points to 13,062. S&P 500 futures added 3.50 points to 1,411.10. Nasdaq futures slipped 3.75 points to 2,655.25.
On Monday, when regular U.S. stock trading was also closed, stock index futures fell slightly.
Experts have warned that it could take the New York City subway system three full weeks to come back online.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Tuesday that the subway service would be shut down until Saturday or Sunday – a total closure of six to seven days.
But a group of Columbia University researchers analyzing the effects of a smaller hurricane or tropical storm suggest that it would shut down the subways for 21 days.
The predictions came in a report authored by Klaus Jacob, a geophysicist who specializes in disaster management, that examined the effects on the city’s transportation infrastructure of a 100-year storm.
And the model used a storm less powerful than a superstorm such as Sandy.
Limited bus service began again on Tuesday and was expected to expand throughout the week.
Experts have warned that it could take the New York City subway system three full weeks to come back online
Trains stopped running at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday as the MTA preemptively closed down service for only the second time in its history.
The closure was an effort to secure the subway system against the impending storm, but massive damage came anyway.
The tunnels beneath the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn flooded and dozens of stations across the city were inundated by the storm surge that rose water levels by 13 feet.
Dr. Klaus Jacob and his researchers used a lesser storm as a model for their report – one that has only a one percent chance of happening in any given year.
A statement from the MTA on Monday said Hurricane Sandy was the worst disaster in the subway’s 108-year history.
Dr. Klaus Jacob’s report estimated that a hurricane hitting nearby could result in 1billion gallons of water flooding each of the subway’s 14 tunnels that run under the East River.
Each tunnel was expected to take at least five days to pump dry.
The study’s 21-day estimate includes the time Dr. Klaus Jacob predicted it would take city workers to bring the subway system back to 90% function.
One week before a close election, Superstorm Sandy has confounded the presidential race, halted early voting in many areas and led some to ponder whether the election might even be postponed.
It could take days to restore electricity to more than 8 million homes and businesses that lost power when the storm pummeled the East Coast – leading experts to question whether the election can be put back from November 6th.
While the answer is of course yes in theory, the probability of the choice between Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama being postponed is unlikely despite the devastating effect Hurricane Sandy had on 60 million people across the north-east, or one-sixth of the population.
But as the storm left its trail of destruction behind, even some of those intimately involved in the election seemed in the dark about what options are available to cope with the storm.
Asked Monday whether President Barack Obama had the power to reschedule the election, White House press secretary Jay Carney said he wasn’t sure.
However, constitutionally, the President doesn’t set the date for the election, Congress does.
Congress could act within the next week to change the date, but that would be tough because lawmakers are on recess and back home in their districts campaigning for re-election.
Plus, it’s likely that would mean changing the date for the entire country, not just those affected by the storm.
What’s more, Congress only selects the date for federal elections, so changing the date would wreak havoc for state and local elections also scheduled for November 6th.
Election Day could be postponed due to Hurricane Sandy
“For those states that don’t already have an election emergency process in place, any departure from the established election process could easily give rise to court challenges about the legitimacy of the election,” said Steven Huefner, professor at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law to ABC News.
“Even states with an emergency plan might find themselves facing litigation over specific ways in which they’ve implemented their emergency plan.”
Some have asked if it is likely for the election to go ahead but to allow New Jersey and New York to vote at a different time afterwards.
That is possible, but the legal issues get tricky. States, by and large, are in charge of their own elections.
Each state has its own laws dealing with what to do if an emergency jeopardizes voting and who can make the call.
Federal law says that if a state fails to conduct an election for federal races on the day Congress chooses, the state legislature can pick a later date.
Nevertheless, experts told ABC News that even minor contingency arrangements, like keeping polls open longer in some precincts or moving polling locations, will probably lead to legal challenges and more provisional voting, which can delay election results.
But state and federal laws don’t always jive perfectly. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has said his state’s laws don’t grant him authority to reschedule the presidential election.
Despite no presidential election ever being postponed, some are pointing to past precedents where voting has been delayed.
New York City was holding its mayoral primary when terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, and the city rescheduled the election.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Louisiana’s governor postponed municipal elections in New Orleans after elections officials said polling places wouldn’t be ready.
However, what is most likely is a compromise for those affected by the havoc caused by the storm.
Voting hours could be extended at various locations and in places where electronic voting machines are in use, paper ballots could be used instead.
Some areas also might choose to move polling locations if existing ones are damaged, inaccessible or won’t have power on Election Day.
But even amending Election Day to accommodate the affected would create problems in themselves.
If poll hours are extended, under a 2002 law passed by Congress in response to the disputed 2000 presidential election, any voters who show up outside of regular hours must use provisional ballots, which are counted later and could be challenged.
Hurricane Sandy’s impact was felt in some of the most competitive states in the presidential race, including Virginia and Ohio.
The more provisional ballots that are cast, the greater the chances are that the winner won’t be known until days or even weeks after the election.
There’s another issue if poll hours are extended in some areas – such as counties with the worst storm damage – and not in others.
That could prompt lawsuits under the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause, said Edward Foley, an election law expert at The Ohio State University.
Relocating polling places is also risky because it could drive down turnout, said Neil Malhotra, a political economist at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
“If you disrupt their routine and the polling place they’ve always been going to, even if you don’t move it very far, they vote less,” he said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s administrator, Craig Fugate, said Monday he anticipated the storm’s impact could linger into next week and affect the election.
He said FEMA would look at what support it could provide to states before the election.
“This will be led by the states,” Craig Fugate said.
At least 50 people have died in the devastation wreaked by Superstorm Sandy – including two children killed instantly by a falling tree.
The children – named locally as Jack Baumler, 11, and Michael Robson, 13 – were crushed by the toppled tree as they played inside their home in Westchester County, New York state, at 6:45 p.m. on Monday.
Other fatalities include a woman who was electrocuted to death by falling wires on Manhattan’s 134th Street and a 29-year-old man who was killed in a car crash in Queens.
A man was crushed by a falling tree in Ulster County, New York State, and one death has been reported in Connecticut and two people were killed when their pick-up was crushed by a falling tree in New Jersey.
At least 50 people have died in the devastation wreaked by Superstorm Sandy, including two children killed instantly by a falling tree
Police in Toronto said a woman was killed by a falling sign as high winds closed in on Canada’s largest city.
A 30-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his house on 166th Street in Flushing, New York City.
Meanwhile a 62-year-old man was killed as he let his dog out on his porch in Oley, Pennsylvania.
An 8-year-old boy died when he was crushed by a falling tree in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
And a jogger was reportedly hospitalized after being crushed by a falling tree in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
The devastating aftermath of Hurricane Sandy was beginning to emerge as the death toll hit 50 and damage was expected to reach $50 billion.
As Frankestorm passed over the region, startling before-and-after pictures revealed what was left of the East Coast.
At first glance, New Jersey’s Mantoloking Bridge appeared to be completely different highways – until it becomes clear that just one solitary house was left standing.
Row after row of Atlantic vacation homes on the horizon were wiped out by the 900-mile storm following surging waters and winds which reached peaks of 95 mph.
The colossal scale of the devastation was mounting today as the death toll continued to rise – 50 people were dead in the wake of the storm but that number was expected to grow as rescue missions and clear-up continued.
The cost was originally estimated at around $20 billion but financial forecasters now expected it somewhere between $30 and $50 billion of damage.
Sandy will likely be among the ten costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. It would still be far below the worst – Hurricane Katrina, which cost $108 billion in 2005.
Insured losses were expected to reach up to $15 billion, according to NBC, before the additional toll of the damage done to uninsured buildings and infrastructure such as roads, bridges and transport systems.
However, experts said a slightly slower economy in the coming weeks will likely be matched by reconstruction and repairs that will contribute to growth over time.
Some of those losses won’t be easily made up. Restaurants that lose two or three days of business, for example, won’t necessarily experience a rebound later. And money spent to repair a home may lead to less spending elsewhere.
The storm cut power to more than eight million homes and shut down 70% of East Coast oil refineries. It inflicted worse-than-expected damage in the New York metro area – which produces about 10% of economic output in the U.S.
President Barack Obama, who will visit New Jersey tomorrow, declared the storm as a “major disaster” as submerged streets were littered with debris and downed power lines, homes were razed and a tanker had washed ashore.
Mantoloking Bridge leads to the Jersey Shore village of Brick Township, home to more than 76,100 people. Dozens of people have been rescued from roofs of properties where areas were flooded with at least 6 ft of seawater.
The devastating aftermath of Hurricane Sandy was beginning to emerge as the death toll hit 50 and damage was expected to reach $50 billion
Barack Obama will join New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Wednesday for a helicopter tour of the ravaged state.
At press conference on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. EST Governor Chris Christie said: “It was an overwhelming afternoon for me – very emotional for a boy who was brought up in this state.”
He pledged to rebuild the Jersey Shore but said that a lot of it had been washed into the sea. Chris Christie confirmed that six had died in the state and told residents of the Garden State to “hang in”. He added that he didn’t want to guess the cost of the damage but believed it would run into billions.
New Jersey’s barrier islands were hit directly as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on Monday night and were left with colossal damage due to their exposed location on the open ocean.
The gambling mecca of Atlantic City was battered by the storm with the historic boardwalk left in splinters after it was smashed by waves and torn up by the wind. The city’s mayor Lorenzo Langford was denounced by Governor Chris Christie after he advised people not to evacuate and 500 had remained in flimsy shelters, only a block from the beach.
Chris Christie said on Monday that the decision was “stupid and selfish” because the precarious location of Atlantic City would place rescue workers in danger.
He said: “I feel badly for the folks in Atlantic City who listened to him and sheltered in Atlantic City, and I guess my anger has turned to sympathy for those folks, and we’re in the midst now of trying to go in and save them.”
The Jersey Shore appeared completely flattened in the before-and-after shots. And in Hoboken, an entire fleet of New York city’s iconic yellow cabs were almost entirely submerged by flood waters.
Around 120 miles to the south-west, New York City had its own pictorial record of the devastation.
A ferocious fire in Breezy Point, Queens, destroyed 111 homes. The New York Fire Department battled to save houses in a neighborhood that is home to hundreds of their fellow firefighters, plunging into neck-deep water and fighting winds to reach the raging inferno.
In Dumbo, Brooklyn, the painstakingly restored Jane’s Carousel, which is a popular tourist attraction in the area, was badly damaged by flood waters and cut off on its own little island in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Sandy, one of the biggest storms ever to hit the United States, roared ashore with fierce winds and heavy rain on Monday at 8:00 p.m. EST and forced evacuations, shut down transport and interrupted the presidential campaign.
New York City was all but closed off by car, train and air. The superstorm overflowed the city’s waterfront, flooded the financial district, subway tunnels and cut power to hundreds of thousands. Power is expected to be fully restored in Manhattan and Brooklyn within four days.
The New York Stock Exchange will reopen for regular trading on Wednesday after being shut down for two days.
Most homeowners who suffered losses from flooding won’t be able to benefit from their insurance policies.
Standard homeowner policies don’t cover flood damage, and few homeowners have flood insurance.
But Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said they will offer help to borrowers whose homes were damaged or destroyed, who live in designated disaster areas and whose loans the mortgage giants own or guarantee.
Among other steps, mortgage servicers will be allowed to reduce the monthly payments of affected homeowners or require no payments from them temporarily.
Climate change could lead to bananas becoming a critical food source for millions of people, a new report says.
Researchers from the CGIAR agricultural partnership say the fruit might replace potatoes in some developing countries.
Cassava and the little known cowpea plant could play increasingly important roles in agriculture as temperatures rise.
People will have to adapt to new and varied menus as traditional crops struggle say the authors.
Responding to a request from the United Nations’ committee on world food security, a group of experts in the field looked at the projected effects of climate change on 22 of the world’s most important agricultural commodities.
They predict that the world’s three biggest crops in terms of calories provided – maize, rice and wheat – will decrease in many developing countries.
They suggest that the potato, which grows best in cooler climates, could also suffer as temperatures increase and weather becomes more volatile.
The authors argue that these changes “could provide an opening for cultivating certain varieties of bananas” at higher altitudes, even in those places that currently grow potatoes.
Dr. Philip Thornton is one of those behind the report. He said that while bananas also have limiting factors, they may be a good substitute for potatoes in certain locations
“It’s not necessarily a silver bullet but there may be places where as temperatures increase, bananas might be one option that small holders could start to look at.”
The report describes wheat as the world’s most important plant derived protein and calories source.
But according to this research, wheat will face a difficult future in the developing world where higher prices for cotton, maize and soybeans have pushed wheat to marginal land, making it more vulnerable to stresses induced by climate change.
One substitute, especially in South Asia, could be cassava which can tolerate a range of climate stresses.
But how easy will it be to get people to adjust to new crops and new diets?
Bruce Campbell is program director of the climate change, agriculture and food security research group (CCAFS) which co-ordinates work among leading institutions around the world. He said that the types of changes that will happen in the future have already happened in the past.
“Two decades ago there was almost no rice consumption in certain areas of Africa, now there is. People have changed because of the pricing, it’s easier to get, it’s easier to cook. I think those sort of shifts do occur and I think they will in future.”
One of the big concerns among researchers is how to tackle the need for protein in the diet. Soybeans are one of the most common sources but are very susceptible to temperature changes.
The scientists say that the cowpea, which is known in sub-Saharan Africa as the “poor man’s meat” is drought tolerant and prefers warmer weather and could be a reasonable alternative to soya. The vines of the cowpea can also be used as a feed for livestock.
In some countries, including Nigeria and Niger, farmers have already moved away from cotton production to growing cowpeas.
There are also likely to be developments animal protein sources says the report including a shift from to smaller livestock.
This is an example of something that’s happening already,” says Bruce Campbell.
“There’s been quite a shift from cattle keeping to goat keeping in southern Africa in face of droughts – when the farmers see the problems they are having with production, they really are willing to shift.
“Change is really possible. It’s not just a crazy notion.”
Businesses and services in the north-eastern US are expected to start re-opening on Wednesday after two days of closure forced by Hurricane Sandy.
Some airports, government buildings, schools and the New York Stock Exchange are due to return to business.
But many homes still have no power and the New York subway will remain shut. More than 40 people are dead.
President Barack Obama, who has suspended his election campaign, is due to visit affected areas in New Jersey.
The cost of clearing up after storm Sandy has been estimated at $30-40 billion.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: “We have not seen damage like this in a generation.”
The storm is still causing severe disruption after moving inland from the coast. It is forecast to weaken as it turns north into Canada, but to continue dumping heavy snow and rainfall.
At least 22 people were killed in New York City alone.
JFK and Newark Liberty – two of the New York area’s three main airports – were scheduled to open for a limited service on Wednesday, but severe delays were expected after the cancellation of more than 18,000 flights across the affected area.
The New York Stock Exchange says it will also re-open after two days’ closure, as will the Nasdaq exchange. The last time the stock exchange shut down for two days was in 1888.
Businesses and services in the north-eastern US are expected to start re-opening on Wednesday after two days of closure forced by Hurricane Sandy
New York’s subway system sustained the worst damage in its 108-year history, said Joseph Lhota, head of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
Subway tunnels were flooded and electrical equipment will have to be cleaned before the network can re-open.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there was “no timeline” for when the subway would restart, but he hoped buses could begin running again on Wednesday.
Trams and ferries were resuming services, but most of New York’s bridges remain closed.
Across the north-east, at least eight million homes and businesses are without power because of the storm, says the US Department of Energy.
Sandy brought a record storm surge of almost 14 ft (4.2 m) to central Manhattan, well above the previous record of 10 ft during Hurricane Donna in 1960, the National Weather Service said.
Maryland appeared to have the worst of the rain and snow – with falls of 12.5 in (32 cm) and 28 in respectively.
President Barack Obama was due to tour disaster areas in New Jersey on Wednesday with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Chris Christie, a Republican and staunch supporter of Mitt Romney, went out of his way to praise the Democratic president for his handling of the storm.
“I spoke to the president three times yesterday,” Chris Christie told CNN.
“He’s been incredibly supportive and helpful to our state and not once did he bring up the election… If he’s not bringing it up, I’m certainly not going to bring it up.”
Mitt Romney resumed low-key campaigning on Tuesday, converting a rally into a storm relief event in the swing state of Ohio.
In other developments:
• US federal agencies in Washington DC will re-open on Wednesday
• Fire destroyed about 50 homes in the New York City borough of Queens
• More than 200 patients were evacuated from New York University’s Tisch Hospital after power went out and a backup generator failed
• Three nuclear reactors have been closed due to electrical supply and cooling system problems; a fourth was put on alert because of rising water.
In all, storm Sandy has claimed well over 100 lives, after killing nearly 70 people as it hit the Caribbean.
Somali poet, playwright and songwriter Warsame Shire Awale has been killed in the capital, Mogadishu by unknown gunmen near his home on Monday evening.
Warsame Shire Awale wrote and acted in radio plays critical of the militant group, al-Shabab, who he accused of misleading people in the name of Islam.
The National Union of Somali Journalists says he had received death threats because of his work and songs calling for people to join the police.
Warsame Shire Awale had contributed to the Somali arts scene for more than 30 years.
He also worked for Radio Kulmiye and had recently become popular with young Somalis who enjoyed his comic plays urging them to reject violence and join those working for the UN-backed government.
He had long been a member of the police band, renowned before the civil war for its performances – and had in more recent times been writing tunes encouraging people to join the struggling police force.
Warsame Shire Awale has been killed in Mogadishu by unknown gunmen near his home on Monday evening
Warsame Shire Awale, who was in his 60s, is the 18th person to have worked in the media to be killed this year in Somalia.
Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for killing more than 10 journalists this year. One of them was beheaded in Mogadishu.
The group was expelled from Mogadishu more than a year ago by African Union troops and the Somali army but its al-Qaeda-aligned fighters still launch frequent attacks in the city.
Since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, Islamist militants and its neighbors all battling for control of the country.
Star Wars creator George Lucas has sold his film production company Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company in a deal worth $4.05 billion.
George Lucas said: “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of film-makers.”
In a statement announcing the purchase, Disney said it planned to release a new Star Wars film, episode seven, in 2015.
That will be followed by episodes eight and nine and then one new movie every two or three years, the company said.
The last Star Wars film was 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, and Disney said it believed there was “substantial pent-up demand”.
Disney will pay about half in cash and half in stock, issuing 40 million Disney shares in the transaction.
The deal follows Disney’s acquisitions of Pixar studios for $7.4 billion in 2006 and Marvel comics for $4.2 billion in 2009.
“Our valuation of Lucasfilm is roughly comparable to the value we placed on Marvel when we announced that acquisition in 2009,” Disney said, adding that the valuation was almost entirely driven by the Star Wars franchise.
Star Wars creator George Lucas has sold his film production company Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company
George Lucas launched Lucasfilm in 1971 and the first Star Wars film was released in 1977.
“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” George Lucas said.
“I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime.”
George Lucas will continue as a creative consultant.
Kathleen Kennedy, currently co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will become president of the firm and will be the executive producer on the new Star Wars films.
When the later Star Wars films were released in the 1990s and 2000s, although they did well at the box office, they were generally not well-received by fans.
But Josh Dickey, film editor at Variety magazine in LA, said that Disney was a “great fit” to update Star Wars.
“They’re so good at branding and brands. They’re so good at working with existing intellectual property and making it resonate with fans and marketing it very well,” he said.
“They’re not as good at creating original content, except for their Pixar division.
“I think if you bring together the minds from Pixar [and] the minds from Disney, the news that Disney is going to reboot Star Wars was a lot more exciting to fans than just <<there’s gonna be another Star Wars>>.”
Lucasfilm is also the production company behind the Indiana Jones franchise, and fantasy films Willow and Labyrinth.
Michael Corty, analyst at Morning Star, said Disney’s deal was clearly part of a pattern in buying new franchises.
“Pixar was the first big one, then Marvel, and now this one here,” he said.
“Because Lucas is private, I would assume most investors would be surprised.”
Robert Pattinson has reportedly signed a $12 million fragrance deal with Dior to become the new face of the French fashion house’s fragrance line.
Robert Pattinson is set to star in Dior’s advertising campaign in the coming months, which will likely mean a glossy print campaign combined with some film footage.
According to E! News, the deal is for three years with a source close to the actor saying: “Rob likes the brand.”
Robert Pattinson has reportedly signed a $12 million fragrance deal with Dior to become the new face of the French fashion house’s fragrance line
If the deal goes ahead, Robert Pattinson will be following in the footsteps of his on and off screen lover Kristen Stewart, who is the face of Balenciaga fragrances, and with whom he is said to have recently reunited after her infidelity with Snow White And The Huntsman director Rupert Sanders caused the two to split.
Robert Pattinson’s career as a Dior fragrance model sees him following Jude Law, Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman as faces of the fashion house.
Jack Daniel’s distillery has unveiled a colorless unaged rye whiskey for the first time since the Prohibition Era, which will hit stores across the U.S. early next year.
According to Uncrate, the white liquor has “a sweet and fruity smell, plenty of rye bite, and a crisp, dry finish”.
It contains a combination of 70% rye – 19% above the legal minimum for a rye whiskey –18% corn and 12% malted barley.
Jeff Arnett of Lynchburg, Tennessee, who is the seventh master distiller in Jack Daniel’s 146-year history, said that the formula provides a “new and unique tasting experience”.
Jeff Arnett told The Spirit Business: “We feel that whiskey enthusiasts and Jack Daniel’s aficionados alike will enjoy discovering the new and unique tasting experience.”
Jack Daniel’s distillery has unveiled a colorless unaged rye whiskey for the first time since the Prohibition Era
The color of whiskey is a result of the maturation process and can often give a clue as to the type of cask – sherry or bourbon – used to age it.
The addition of legal spirit caramel is also sometimes used to darken the alcohol.
Jack Daniel’s has hinted that it has also been experimenting with an aged rye expression, but as yet, there are no plans to go to market.
Jeff Arnett added: “We’ve produced just a little bit to experiment around and let some mature in case should this be a long term offering.
“We’ve done a couple of rounds of it and from that we’ll decide whether or not we officially enter ourselves into the rye market.”
Jack Daniel’s Unaged Tennessee Rye will be available from January at selected stores across the U.S. in 750 ml bottles, priced at $49.99.
It seems not everyone in Hurricane Sandy’s path has been paying attention to the storm warnings.
A significant number of foolhardy north-easterners are apparently refusing to follow orders – and instead are doing their best to get as close as possible to the hurricane’s effects.
Whether they are hanging out on piers which are threatened with destruction, or taking photographs of towering waves, these brave souls show little regard for their personal safety.
More worryingly, some seem to be putting their children in harm’s way too, with several images of youngsters playing on the very beaches which are expected to bear the brunt of the attacks.
And the pictures also bear witness to the willingness of some to ignore evacuation orders, with natives of New York’s City Island staying put even as the storm surge reaches as far as their homes.
Hurricane Sandy has impacted the East Coast with surging waves, torrential rain and winds of up to 90 mph – leaving 1.5 million people without power.
As Hurricane Sandy slams into New Jersey, where the water has already reached five feet high, hundreds of thousands of people across Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia are without power.
A significant number of foolhardy north-easterners are apparently refusing to follow orders ahead of Hurricane Sandy
Utilities company ConEd had called customers to warn it will shut off power lines across Manhattan and Brooklyn, meaning millions more will be affected. The company shut off power in 200,000 homes in the area in last year’s Hurricane Irene – but this year’s storm packs a much fiercer punch.
Sandy, which forecasters said could be the largest hurricane in U.S. history, has revealed the first signs of her monstrous power, dumping snow, breaching rivers and forcing floodwaters into towns.
During a press conference at lunchtime on Monday, Barack Obama said: “Do not delay. Don’t pause. Don’t question the instructions that are being given, because this is a serious storm and it could potentially have fatal consequences.”
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg was even more forceful, saying: “If you don’t evacuate, you are not only endangering your life, you are also endangering the lives of the first responders who are going in to rescue you.”
He was particularly insistent that thrill-seekers should not risk their lives by trying to take advantage of the record waves.
Despite the warning, one man was pictured surfing just off Coney Island in Brooklyn.
When Queen Elizabeth appeared to parachute into the Olympic Stadium this summer it was hailed as one of the greatest moments in British television history.
As part of the lavish London 2012 opening ceremony the Queen was shown jumping from a helicopter with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, but ever since there has been mystery surrounding how, exactly, she was persuaded to do it – until now.
Lifting the lid on her first movie role, Lord Sebastian Coe has revealed the audacious stunt had been kept a secret from the Queen’s own dumbstruck family who watched it unfold on July 27 this year.
Prince Charles “roared with laughter” and Princes Harry and William began yelling “Go Granny!” as she was shown flying across the London sky before appearing in the Royal box, he said.
In his autobiography, Running My Life and serialized in The Times, Lord Coe discusses how director Danny Boyle, LOCOG CEO Paul Deighton and even Prime Minister David Cameron had helped make it happen and admitted he was “speechless and nervous” about it.
“When we saw those shoes and peach colored dress disappearing into the night sky under a billowing parachute, we [he and Paul Deighton] looked at each other, both thinking <<Oh my God! What have we sanctioned here!>>,” he wrote.
During the ceremony Prince William and Prince Harry were sat behind Lord Coe, who was sat next to Prince Charles.
“Prince Charles looked at me and began laughing rather nervously, wondering where on earth this was going. And when the film cut to the shot of the Royal back, he had exactly the same reaction as everyone else, which was to assume that it was the lady who does the impersonations. But the moment she turned around and everyone realized <<My God! It really is the Queen!>> he began roaring with laughter. As for his sons, they were beside themselves.
“As she started her descent, two voices behind me [William and Harry] shouted in unison <<Go Granny!>>.”
When Queen Elizabeth appeared to parachute into the Olympic Stadium this summer it was hailed as one of the greatest moments in British television history
Danny Boyle had the original idea and Lord Coe knew the Queen’s deputy private secretary Edward Young. David Cameron was then informed, who also thought it was a great idea, so brought it up with the Queen during their weekly audience at the Palace.
“I’ll never forget when Danny showed Paul [Deighton] and me the finished film. Even though we had been involved at every stage from storyboard to final script. the wit, fun and sheer audacity left us speechless.”
The recorded sequence opened at Buckingham Palace, where a tuxedo-wearing Daniel Craig as 007 was presented to the Queen by her personal footman as she was writing a letter and training her corgis Monty, Willow and Holly to roll over.
Greeting him with an “Evening, Mr. Bond”, the Queen, in a rose-pink dress, was seen striding briskly through the palace with the action hero before climbing into a helicopter emblazoned with the Union Flag.
The two were depicted as soaring over the streets of London and through Tower Bridge until they finally reached the Olympic Park.
As the film reached its climax, spectators inside the east London stadium heard an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter, which finally appeared hovering above.
As the aircraft steadied in the movie sequence, Bond was seen opening the door and appearing to hesitate. While he dithered, the figure of the Queen pushed past him and dived out into the air followed by 007 – Union Jack parachutes streaming behind them. Meanwhile, from the real helicopter above the stadium, the same two figures appeared to plunge to earth.
And, with the familiar Bond theme tune sounding around the stadium, the spotlight shone on the Royal Box to reveal the Queen in exactly the same dress she wore in the film.
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen entered to rapturous applause with Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee.
The Union Flag was then carried into the stadium and raised by representatives of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF.
Director Danny Boyle said: “The Queen made herself more accessible than ever before.”
Nic Brown, BBC Director of UK Drama Production, who produced the sequence, filmed in March, said it had required “a huge amount of planning and resources”.
He said he hoped the result was a film “full of warmth, joy, affection, wit, surprise and excitement and sunshine”.
Organizers said that having to secure permission to fly along the Thames through Tower Bridge – which had never been done before – was a challenge in itself.
The two parachutists who actually leapt from the helicopter last night were Gary Connery, a professional base jumper, and Mark Suttan, a former officer in the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Ri Sol-ju, the young wife of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, has made her first public appearance in two months, bringing to an end what might have been a period of “home detention” for being too carefree.
Ri Sol-ju had been photographed earlier this year smiling and strolling about in a casual manner when accompanying her husband Kim Jong-un, the newly appointed leader of the secretive Stalinist state.
But then she disappeared from view, provoking speculation that she might be pregnant but more likely because she was not presenting the dour image promoted by her husband’s late father, Kim Jong-il.
Analysts say that despite the young Kim Jong-un’s appointment as supreme commander of the nation, he is still under the control of the military hierarchy who make sure he presents a rigid, authoritative image to the rest of the world.
That means that his wife must remain aloof and untouchable in the eyes of the masses, say North Korean experts.
But now Ri Sol-ju is back in the public eye and fuzzy TV pictures from North Korea show her enjoying the company of her husband at a football match and a musical concert on Monday.
According to the official KCNA news agency, the couple’s appearance at the concert “drew a thunderous cheer from the audience”.
The couple’s attendance also marked the first public appearance in two weeks by Kim Jong-un himself, raising speculation that he has been receiving behavioral advice from the military hierarchy.
Ri Sol-ju made her public appearance joining Kim Jong-un at a football match and a musical concert on Monday
South Korea’s intelligence agency is convinced that the sudden disappearance of Ri Sol-ju from state media since early September is because the nation’s elders had raised an issue over her casual and cheerful demeanor.
“The analysis has been that there was concern over breach of discipline [by Ri Sol-ju] among North Korean elders, plus the speculation of pregnancy,” reported South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper, quoting the National Intelligence Service which had giving a closed-door briefing to parliament.
Photos taken at the concert showed Ri Sol-ju in a long cream coat and what appeared to be a thickening waistline, strengthening speculation that she is pregnant.
It was also being suggested Ri Sol-ju had been kept at home as a disciplinary measure because she had been seen in public not displaying a red lapel pin bearing the image, or images, of the two previous leaders.
All senior North Koreans and any working for the government must wear them.
A pin is not visible in the latest photos of Ri Sol-ju but she might be wearing it under her coat.
If Ri Sol-ju is pregnant and she gives birth to a son the Kim dynasty is assured.
If she has a girl, analysts say the hierarchy will insist she “tries again”.
The South Koreans have carefully studied photographs of Kim Jong-un and his wife, published over four pages in the North’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper. Facial expressions and the people who accompany the couple are all of vital importance to intelligence-gatherers.
It was last July that North Korea finally put an end to speculation about the young woman seen accompanying Kim Ri Sol-ju at numerous events in and around the capital, Pyongyang.
She was, said state media, his wife – and that announcements was seen as a slight lifting of the veil of mystery hiding events in the country.
But just as it seemed North Korea was lightening its hard, reclusive image, the temporary disappearance of Ri Sol-ju has left analysts wondering if anything has really changed there at all.
Anderson Cooper’s new talkshow has been cancelled after just two seasons.
Anderson Cooper had been expected to become a star of daytime TV when his show launched last autumn, but ratings, and the accompanying advertising revenue, failed to materialize.
In a statement, Warner Brothers blamed the “difficult marketplace”.
“We are extremely proud of Anderson and the show that he and the entire production team have produced,” they said.
“While we made significant changes to the format, set and produced it live in its second season, the series will not be coming back for a third season in a marketplace that has become increasingly difficult to break through. We will continue to deliver top-quality shows throughout next summer.”
Anderson Cooper’s new talkshow has been cancelled after just two seasons
Anderson Cooper, 45, said he was “sorry” about the cancellation.
“I am very proud of the work that our terrific staff has put into launching and sustaining our show for two seasons, I am grateful to Telepictures for giving me the opportunity, and I am indebted to the audience, who have responded so positively,” Anderson Cooper said.
“I look forward to doing more great shows this season, and I’m sorry we won’t be continuing, but I have truly enjoyed it.”
A source told the New York Times that the decision was not due to Anderson Cooper failing to deliver, but was simply economic.
The source said bosses “could have renewed the show but could not create a viable economic business model to move forward”.
After months of denials Robert Kardashian has finally gone public with his romance with Rita Ora, posting a picture of the pair kissing onto his Twitter page.
The sultry shot shows a smiling Rita Ora in a back-to-front camouflage hat and a full face of makeup, being embraced by Rob Kardashian as he leans in.
Another image, in black and white, shows Rita Ora and Robert Kardashian sitting cuddling on a pavement, looking blissfully happy.
The pictures follow months of them denying dating rumors – with her saying: “He’s a great friend. But the only relationship I’m having now is with the tour bus.”
But the rumors continued, with the pair repeatedly pictured together.
After months of denials Robert Kardashian has finally gone public with his romance with Rita Ora
Just last week Robert Kardashian was seen in the crowd as the British singer began the U.S. leg of her tour.
Rita Ora was then pictured in the reality star’s hugely expensive car – with Rob Kardashian tweeting: “This crazy b***h just stole my car.”
By landing himself a pop star girlfriend Rob Kardashian, 25, is following in the footsteps of his big sister Kim.
Kim Kardashian’s new relationship with rapper Kanye West has helped her find even more fame, and has dominated the gossip pages.
Robert Kardashian has failed to emulate the huge success of his three sisters, despite appearing on Dancing With The Stars.
He has been seen on the show complaining about his lack of success.
