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Atlantic City under water ahead of Hurricane Sandy approach

Diane A. Wade
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Atlantic City under water ahead of Hurricane Sandy approach

Rising waters put most of Atlantic City under water on Monday as the approach of Hurricane Sandy flooded towns up and down the New Jersey shore, knocked out power to thousands and left some people stranded in homes inundated with water.

Emergency officials said they expected conditions to get much worse at evening high tide when they expect the center of the storm to hit.

“The city’s basically flooded,” said Willie Glass, Atlantic City’s public safety director.

“Most of the city is under water.”

The same could be said of much of the southern New Jersey shore. The storm surge went over the seawall in Cape May with high tide early Monday and punched through dunes in other communities. The Garden State Parkway south of Atlantic City was shut down in both directions. Officials reported rescues in Pleasantville.

Hurricane Sandy was just one component of a massive storm coming together over the eastern third of the U.S., bringing damaging wind and flooding and fears of prolonged power outages.

Rising waters put most of Atlantic City under water on Monday as the approach of Hurricane Sandy flooded towns up and down the New Jersey shore
Rising waters put most of Atlantic City under water on Monday as the approach of Hurricane Sandy flooded towns up and down the New Jersey shore

By 11:00 a.m. on Monday, the National Hurricane Center indicated that Sandy had strengthened with top sustained winds of 90 mph. The center was expected to make landfall in southern New Jersey late Monday night.

“It’s going to be a slog through the history books but we’re doing OK so far,” Willie Glass said.

Atlantic City and its casinos were ordered evacuated on Sunday. The city’s historic boardwalk remained intact despite the rising floodwaters, though an old section at the north end broke up and washed away.

State Emergency Management spokeswoman Mary Goepfert said about 115,000 residents were ordered to evacuate the state’s barrier islands, and local officials ordered many more in their towns. It was not known how many heeded the warning. She said more than 2,200 people were in shelters statewide.

About 35,000 homes and businesses across the state were without power by midday Monday as officials braced for a storm surge that was expected to cause record-breaking flooding.

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Windows Phone 8 officially launched

Nancy Clayson
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Windows Phone 8 officially launched

Microsoft has formally launched the Windows Phone 8 operating system in a bid to reclaim smartphone market share.

It boasted that the system’s internet browser, Internet Explorer 10, was the fastest on any mobile, and also suggested it offered the closest integration with video chat app Skype.

Microsoft had a 3.1% share of the handset system market in the April-to-June quarter, according to IDC.

The low figure has discouraged some developers from building apps for it.

HTC, Nokia and Samsung have all unveiled flagship WP8 devices over recent months, but had been unable to release them while they waited for Microsoft to sign off its software.

The handsets will now go on sale in Europe at the weekend and rollout worldwide during November.

“It can’t be underestimated how important it is to Microsoft to get a successful handheld platform,” said Ben Wood, director of research at CCS Insight.

“It’s the fastest growing and most prolific sector – 800 million smartphones will be sold this year, within three years that number will be up to one billion annually. Nokia has also bet the ranch on this at a time when the market is dominated by Apple and Google’s systems – and Microsoft is seen as being late to the party.”

WP8 resembles the Windows 8 PC operating system released last week. Users navigate the interface by swiping through tiles which also display information pulled from the internet – for example weather conditions, Facebook status updates or recently received emails.

While its predecessor WP7.5 was based on the firm’s ageing Windows Mobile platform, WP8 shares its kernel – or software core – with its PC equivalent, which should help make it easier to port programs between the two environments.

Microsoft has formally launched the Windows Phone 8 operating system
Microsoft has formally launched the Windows Phone 8 operating system

Much of the details of WP8 were announced at a previous event in June. But Microsoft had held a few features back until the San Francisco launch.

These included the speed of Internet Explorer 10 which it said was up to seven times faster than the version on WP7.5 at handling webpages based on the commonly used Javascript language. In addition it has been designed to make use of devices’ graphics processing units (GPUs) to render videos or animations written in the HTML5 computer language.

The firm also showed off Kid’s Corner – a function designed for parents who give their handsets to their children to play with. It allows them to restrict access to a limited number of apps without giving access to email, phone call or text message functions.

Microsoft said a survey had suggested about two-thirds of smartphone-owning parents in the US had used the handsets to occupy their children while out shopping, visiting friends or some other activity.

Another new feature is Rooms which allows users to create an invitation-only environment in which members share their calendars, notes, photos and other material. The firm suggested it might be used to help families, sports teams and other community groups stay “in sync”.

Microsoft also made much of an “always-on” Skype experience.

This addresses one of the major flaws with its previous mobile system which had not allowed the video chat program to run in the background. That had meant that users of iOS and Android phones had been able to receive calls while using other apps, but WP7.5 devices had not – a notable omission bearing in mind Microsoft paid $8.5 billion to buy Skype in 2011.

On WP8 Skype runs in the background even if the app is closed and the phone locked. It uses a similar method introduced in the full Windows 8 system to reduce its battery use by effectively being “asleep” until an incoming notification of a call wakes up the program.

Microsoft stressed the facility would also be available to other video chap apps including Tango and Qik so that its own program would not be given an unfair advantage.

Despite the new features some analysts believe Microsoft could have an uphill struggle to lure customers away from Google’s market-leading platform Android, and iOS which powers Apple’s iPhones.

“Windows Phone as a platform still has very low awareness among consumers, and that’s the biggest challenge,” said Francisco Jeronimo, mobile devices research manager at the consultants IDC.

“Apple still has a strong brand thanks to the advantage it gained by offering the best smartphone experience of its kind in 2007 with the launch of the iPhone. Android benefits from the fact it powers about 147 devices on the market in Western Europe.

“There are only about 8 to 10 handsets running Windows Phone and that makes it hard for it to stand out. It won’t be until we see 20 to 30 devices and people relate it to the desktop system that consumers understand there is something going on.”

WP8 runs software written for previous versions of the system. But Stuart Miles, founder of the gadget site Pocket-lint, said some consumers might be put off by the fact some apps remained unavailable.

“Windows Phone 8 will encourage the release of more software, and some of the apps that are already there work well – but the problem is that I’ve been to several launches where the developers say that a release for the system is on their roadmap but is not a priority.

“So if you are a die-hard app fan you may be disappointed, but if you don’t care so much about the latest third-party software then it is worth looking at.”

Microsoft said they have 46 of the top 50 apps on the platform so far.

“That’s huge progress for us,” said Joe Belfiore, manager of the Windows Phone program.

 

Hurricane Sandy live progress and essential links

Diane A. Wade
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Here is a selection of links to help you keep updated on the progress of Hurricane Sandy and find other useful information.

United States

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) dedicated Hurricane Sandy page contains links to the latest advisories, satellite images and weather reports.

The NOAA’s National Weather Service page has the latest US weather reports.

The NOAA’s National Hurricane Centre has the latest US hurricane advisories.

Twitter updates are available from the National Hurricane Centre (@NHC_Atlantic) and NOAA (@NOAA).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has advice on hurricane preparation and evacuation plans.

Fema’s Twitter feed (@Fema) and Facebook page also provide updates.

The American Red Cross has a search tool and map to help you find your nearest emergency storm shelter, or text SHELTER and a Zip Code to 43362 (standard rates apply).

The latest information on sea levels and high tides is available from the NOAA’s National Ocean Service.

Google’s interactive crisis map of the hurricane shows the predicted path of the storm, the affected areas and links to local weather reports and warnings.

Watch a live stream from the top of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour as the storm approaches.

This live map shows the winds currently flowing over the United States.

Canada

The Canadian Hurricane Centre has the latest updates on how the storm is expected to affect Eastern Canada including a clickable map of local weather warnings.

State-by-state

New York: The NY-Alert web portal has some of the latest information and alerts from state authorities, or follow @NYSDHSES for updates. New York residents can call the Hurricane Sandy helpline on 1-888-769-7243 or 1-518-485-1159 for updates and shelter advice or visit Google’s New York City crisis map.

New Jersey: Visit the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management for forecasts and travel information, or see the Twitter feed (@NJOEM2010) and Facebook page.

Maryland: Maryland’s Emergency Management Agency website has details of the state’s evacuation plan, and are tweeting at @MDMEMA.

Massachusetts: Massachusetts state authorities have information on storm preparations, while the latest weather reports and forecast can be found by searching #MASandy on Twitter.

Pennsylvania: Visit Pennsylvania’s Emergency Management Agency website here.

Connecticut: Visit the Connecticut governor’s website for information or call 211 for storm shelter information in the state.

Delaware: Visit the Delaware Emergency Management Agency website for more information, or residents can call the Delaware Hurricane Sandy Hotline on (800) 464-4357.

Washington DC: The District of Columbia website has information on relief centres as well as public building and transport closures.

Enrique Iglesias Finally Found You videoclip gets 5 million hits on YouTube after one week

Lisa.Felice
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Enrique Iglesias Finally Found You videoclip gets 5 million hits on YouTube after one week

Enrique Iglesias, who sent out a teaser for the music video to accompany his new single Finally Found You two weeks ago, has now provided the music video in its entirety.

Enrique Iglesias, 37, said no to an American Idol hosting job because he wanted to concentrate on his music career.

Fans will be happy to see that the singer’s 3 minute and 58 second video doesn’t disappoint.

In one sexy scene, Enrique Iglesias is standing shirtless over a bed where he’s just made love to the woman of his dreams. Then he pulls on his T-shirt as he watches her sleeping.

Other parts of the video has Enrique Iglesias showing his stuff in a tight grey T-shirt and flashing back to when he was an adolescent boy.

The clip also features him jetting down a nighttime freeway in a sports car and then standing in a crowded disco while staring at a mysterious blonde dressed all in black. She’s watching him over her shoulder watching her and next thing you know they’re making out against a wall.

Enrique Iglesias Finally Found You videoclip gets 5 million hits on YouTube after one week
Enrique Iglesias Finally Found You videoclip gets 5 million hits on YouTube after one week

Flash forward to the bedroom where Enrique Iglesias and the blonde heat up some more. The blonde gets up and all you see are her bare legs kicking the sheets away.

All this while his body-shaking single, Finally Found You, is playing.

The new single from the upcoming album Reloaded – Enrique Iglesias’ 10th studio effort – is definitely a hit with his fans as it gets almost 5 million hits on YouTube after less than one week.

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Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran at GreyStone Manor Halloween Party

Lisa.Felice
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Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran at GreyStone Manor Halloween Party

Chris Brown attended the same Halloween party on Sunday night as Karrueche Tran – prompting reports that he has got back together with his ex.

Chris Brown, 23, and Karrueche reportedly ended their relationship earlier this month, with rumors suggesting that he has rekindled his relationship with music superstar Rihanna.

However, Rihanna will be less than happy when she discovers that Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran both attended the GreyStone Manor Halloween Party together.

Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran arrived and left in separate vehicles during the horror themed event, which saw Brown dress up in a baseball top and ghoulish white and black make-up.

Karrueche Tran wore an Oriental style dress as she partied with revellers.

Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran at GreyStone Manor Halloween Party
Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran at GreyStone Manor Halloween Party

Chris Brown looked to be in high spirits on the night, and certainly has been struck by Halloween fever.

On Saturday, Chris Brown was spotted at a Halloween themed party at the Playboy mansion.

While he never dressed up that night, he made some effort for Sunday’s night bash – and pulled a series of creepy faces as he attended the party.

Despite the partygoing atmosphere, Karrueche Tran was seen almost constantly on the phone.

 

Steve Jobs’ yacht Venus completed one year after his death

Nancy Clayson
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Steve Jobs’ yacht Venus completed one year after his death

Steve Jobs’ custom-built 260-foot yacht was finally completed by a Dutch shipbuilder this month – one year after his death.

The sleek ship is made of light-weight aluminum and Steve Jobs employed the chief engineer of his Apple stores to help design special glass that allowed the ship to be installed with ten-foot-high windows across the hull.

The yacht is christened Venus, after the Roman goddess of love.

The cost of the superyacht is unknown, though Steve Jobs was obsessed with completing it near the end of his life.

“I know that it’s possible I will die and leave Laurene with a half-built boat,” he told biographer Walter Isaacson.

“But I have to keep going on it. If I don’t, it’s an admission that I’m about to die.”

Steve Jobs' custom-built 260-foot yacht Venus was finally completed by a Dutch shipbuilder this month
Steve Jobs’ custom-built 260-foot yacht Venus was finally completed by a Dutch shipbuilder this month

Sadly, Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011 of complications from pancreatic cancer, never saw his creation finished.

The Dutch technology blog One More Thing reports that the Jobs family will be on hand for the formal unveiling of the yacht at the Feadship custom yacht building company in Aalsmeer, Netherlands.

Steve Jobs’ family gave out custom iPod Shuffle mp3 players to each of the crew members who helped build the yacht. Each one came with a note thanking them for their “hard work and craftsmanship”.

Among the high-tech features inside the ship are seven 27-inch iMac computers.

Steve Jobs employed renowned designer Philippe Starck to lay out in the interior.

It is unknown when the breathtaking ship will make its maiden voyage.

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Nancy Shevell ditches stylish outfit for comfortable trainers

Lisa.Felice
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Nancy Shevell ditches stylish outfit for comfortable trainers

Nancy Shevell is normally seen in stylish outfits, but she opted for some comfortable gear as she and Sir Paul McCartney took in a stroll in New York.

Nancy Shevell, 51, and Paul McCartney, 70, walked arm in arm as they pounded the city’s pavements, with the Beatles legend seemingly hanging onto his wife’s every word.

And the clever couple also made sure they were wearing the right gear for their long walk.

Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell both wore comfortable trainers for their stroll – with Nancy wearing black trousers and a tight pink sports top.

Sir Paul McCartney wrapped up warm in jeans, a hooded top and a jacket as they took in the long walk.

Nancy Shevell opted for some comfortable gear as she and Sir Paul McCartney took in a stroll in New York
Nancy Shevell opted for some comfortable gear as she and Sir Paul McCartney took in a stroll in New York

 

How Frankestorm was created

James J. Williams
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How Frankestorm was created

Meteorologists have called Frankestorm a “once-in-a-lifetime” storm but as East Coast residents stockpile imperishables and fill their bathtubs with water in preparation for the looming tempest, many are left scratching their heads over what makes this particular weather system so epic.

The Frankenstorm, as it has been dubbed given its proximity to Halloween, is the mash-up of Hurricane Sandy from the South and an unnamed nor’easter gaining strength as it moves from the West.

And when Hurricane Sandy and the wintery blast finally meet, East Coasters could be on the receiving end of one of the coldest, wettest and most dangerous assaults from nature.

Hurricane Sandy is arriving on the tail end of the hurricane season, with September typically the most active period.

The storm threatening to wreak havoc on the Atlantic coast began to form on October 19 in the Caribbean Sea and in October 22 forecasters labeled it a Tropical Storm and named it Sandy.

It made landfall on October 24 near Kingston, Jamaica with 80 mph winds and it moved toward Cuba the same day, sustaining winds of 110 mph and claiming an estimated 51 lives.

Its strength has waned and then re-intensified as it moved toward the Atlantic Coast of the U.S., with meteorologists saying a high pressure ridge of air centered around Greenland is steering it toward land, as it is expected to make landfall off the New Jersey coast on Monday.

The Frankenstorm is the mash-up of Hurricane Sandy from the South and an unnamed nor'easter gaining strength as it moves from the West
The Frankenstorm is the mash-up of Hurricane Sandy from the South and an unnamed nor’easter gaining strength as it moves from the West

Hurricane Sandy is responsible for an estimated 67 deaths so far in the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, the wintery storm from the West is helping to pull the hurricane to land when it might have otherwise fled back into the Atlantic.

The nor’easter is a winter storm conceived by the meeting of cold arctic air with the warmer ocean air from the Gulf Stream.

The storms usually develop from a low-pressure system in the south, typically in the Gulf of Mexico, and then pushed upward.

Nor’easters usually bring massive amounts of precipitation, high winds and large waves and with a full moon, when tides are at their highest, the storm surge could reach as high as 6 to 11 feet.

“The total is greater than the sum of the individual parts,” said Louis Uccellini, the environmental prediction chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologists about the dramatic weather.

Another meteorologist has said the weather system is combining the end of the hurricane season with the start of the winter storm season, “it’s kind of taking something from both – part hurricane, part nor’easter, all trouble”, Jeff Masters, director of the private service Weather Underground told the Associated Press.

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Hurricane Sandy: National Guard soldiers deployed to East Coast

Diane A. Wade
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Hurricane Sandy: National Guard soldiers deployed to East Coast

The first deadly signs of Hurricane Sandy’s monstrous power were revealed as it barreled towards land on Monday – with snow falling, rivers breaching and floodwaters submerging cities across the East Coast.

Hurricane Sandy, which forecasters said could be the largest in U.S. history, strengthened overnight to nearly 1,000 miles wide with winds in excess of 85 miles per hour as it accelerated towards Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York.

The worst of the Category 1 storm is expected to bring a “life-threatening” surge of seawater up to 11 feet high, coastal hurricane winds and a barrage of heavy snow in the Appalachian Mountains.

Already the hurricane is showing its breathtaking power as hundreds of thousands of residents scrambled to higher ground, public transport systems shut down and thousands of flights across the country were cancelled.

The Hudson River which connects New Jersey and Manhattan’s west side has breached – already inflicting more damage than Hurricane Irene last year.

Across Norfolk, Virginia, residents were knee-deep in floodwaters as they travelled to work or scrambled to stock up on last-minute groceries. In the southeast of the state, tides are expected to run between five and eight feet above normal.

Floodwaters were also seeping into New York, with homes in Gilgo, Long Island becoming quickly submerged.

In Boone, North Carolina, snow began falling at 8:00 a.m.; the Appalachian mountain town is expected to suffer a miserable few days with snow, rain and temperatures struggling to get out of the 30s. Up to eight inches of snow is expected but, in places of higher elevation, there may be as many as 12.

In Oak Orchard, Delaware, rescue efforts by the National Guard and local authorities were already underway for residents who had failed to heed the mandatory evacuation issued over the weekend.

Hurricane Sandy has already killed at least 66 people – including 51 in Haiti – in the Caribbean before pounding U.S. coastal areas with rain.

But the New Jersey shore is expected to take the brunt of the massive weather front as Sandy hits near Atlantic City, which has already suffered heavy flooding, on Monday night and churns north, with 50 million people in its path.

Nine U.S. states have declared states of emergency with the National Guard poised to swoop in, and President Barack Obama has warned the nation to brace itself.

“This is a serious and big storm,” Barack Obama said after a briefing at the federal government’s storm response center in Washington.

“We don’t yet know where it’s going to hit, where we’re going to see the biggest impacts.”

National Guard and local authorities are underway for East Coast residents who had failed to heed the mandatory evacuation issued ahead of Hurricane Sandy
National Guard and local authorities are underway for East Coast residents who had failed to heed the mandatory evacuation issued ahead of Hurricane Sandy

Between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Monday, winds increased by 10 mph to a maximum of 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Landfall is expected between late Monday and early Tuesday, with Google providing a tracking map to show the storm’s progress.

Forecasters said Sandy, dubbed Frankenstorm, could surge to a “super storm” as it joins an Arctic jet stream, sparking flash floods and snow storms – and making it unlike anything seen over the eastern United States in decades.

“The last time we saw anything like this was never,” Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said on Sunday.

“I don’t know how to say it any clearer than that it is the largest threat to human life our state has experienced in anyone’s lifetime.”

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie added: “Don’t be stupid. Get out!”

New York and other cities and towns have closed their transit systems and ordered mass evacuations from low-lying areas ahead of the storm surge.

Classes were cancelled on Monday for more than two million public school students in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore, while universities and government offices in states including Washington and New Jersey were shut down.

All U.S. stock markets will be closed on Monday and possibly Tuesday, the operator of the New York Stock Exchange said late on Sunday, reversing an earlier plan that would have kept electronic trading going on Monday.

Hurricane Sandy forced Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to cancel some campaign stops and fuelled concern it could disrupt early voting – encouraged by the candidates this year more than ever – before the November 6 election.

The United Nations, Broadway theaters, New Jersey casinos, schools up and down the Eastern Seaboard, and myriad corporate events were also being shut down on Monday.

Residents along the New Jersey coast were warned they may not survive Hurricane Sandy if they do not evacuate low-lying areas.

The National Weather Service issued the stark warning last night as the massive weather front surged closer to the East Coast.

A statement read: “If you are reluctant [to evacuate], think about your loved ones…think about the rescue/recovery teams who will rescue you if you are injured or recover your remains if you do not survive.”

About 50 million people from the Mid-Atlantic to Canada are in the path of the 1,000-mile-wide monster, which is expected to topple trees, damage buildings, cause power outages and trigger heavy flooding.

Many workers planned to stay home on Monday, while thousands of flights into and out of the U.S. northeast were grounded on as airports closed, stranding passengers from Hong Kong to Europe.

The massive storm threatens to bring a near halt to air travel for at least two days in a key region for both domestic and international flights.

Frankestorm is also expected to inflict power outages along the east coast, with officials already expressing fears that homes and businesses could be without power for days.

“We could be talking about weeks,” Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy warned.

Officials told residents to head for higher ground as evacuations were ordered on the East Coast including a mandatory one for New York City which saw Mayor Michael Bloomberg advise 375,000 people to leave low-lying areas.

Buses were no longer running and flights in and out of the city cancelled. More than 7,000 flights have been cancelled so far – already leaving a backlog of tens of thousands.

The New York subway closed at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday for only the second time in history, meaning that almost 12 million people will be prevented from taking their usual route to work.

The MTA said the duration of the service suspension is “unknown” and that “service will be restored only when it is safe to do so, after careful inspections of all equipment and tracks”.

Transport officials warned: “Even with minimal damage this is expected to be a lengthy process.”

The New York Stock Exchange said on Sunday it is putting in place contingency plans and will announce later when the trading floor will reopen.

It is the first time in 27 years the NYSE has been forced to close due to the weather.

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Terry Callier dies in Chicago aged 67

Sonia Pantiss
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Terry Callier dies in Chicago aged 67

Singer-songwriter Terry Callier, who collaborated with Massive Attack and Beth Orton, has died at the age of 67.

Chicago-born Terry Callier, who began his career at 17 when he signed to Chess records, recorded his final album in 2009.

Hidden Conversations was written and produced with Bristol collective Massive Attack.

He also worked on Orton’s Mercury prize nominated album, Central Reservations.

Terry Callier died in hospital in Chicago.

The news was confirmed by record label Mr. Bongo, which worked with him on six albums between 2001 and 2009.

His funeral will take place on 3 November in his home city and a memorial is planned for London. The date is yet to be announced.

Many musicians have taken to Twitter and YouTube to pay tribute to the jazz and soul musician.

Beth Orton shared a YouTube video with fans, saying: “This was one of the best nights of my life. Such a privilege and joy – RIP dear Terry Callier.”

Singer-songwriter Terry Callier has died at the age of 67
Singer-songwriter Terry Callier has died at the age of 67

Tim Burgess of The Charlatans posted: “The world has lost another beautiful voice. Rest in peace Terry Callier.”

Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody posted a video of Terry Callier’s track Ordinary Joe, saying: “Terry Callier RIP. A great soul-folk legend. A sad day.”

David Buttle, founder of Mr. Bongo, wrote on the company’s website: “I first worked with Terry when recording him at the Jazz Cafe in Camden, London in the late 90s. This was a spiritual home for Terry’s fans; most nights that he played you could hear a pin drop when he sang and many people passed out, overwhelmed by the light that shone from him.”

Terry Callier was born on 24 May, 1945.

He grew up singing alongside soul singers Jerry Butler, Major Lance and Curtis Mayfield.

“That was a dynamite neighborhood. All of us were doo-woping at the time in different groups,” Terry Callier wrote on his MySpace page.

He released his first single Look at me now in 1963.

Terry Callier released three jazz-funk albums in the 1970s but in the 1980s, he left music behind after he was granted custody of his only daughter Sundiata, and re-trained as a computer programmer.

“When I got custody of my daughter I had to give up music to raise her properly, she needed me and the music business just didn’t seem like a viable option at that point,” Terry Callier said, although he continued to perform.

His music career was resurrected in the early 1990s when his Chess/Cadet recordings were re-discovered by acid jazz fans in the UK.

Terry Callier sang vocals on Massive Attack’s single Live With Me, which was released in 2006.

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HMS Bounty abandoned in North Carolina amid Hurricane Sandy

Diane A. Wade
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HMS Bounty abandoned in North Carolina amid Hurricane Sandy

Seventeen people aboard HMS Bounty have abandoned ship off the coast of North Carolina amid Hurricane Sandy.

The captain gave the order for the crew to enter the lifeboats at 4:30 EST and a rescue attempt by a US coastguard helicopter is under way.

The HMS Bounty Organization said it would assess whether the ship could be saved but its concern was for the crew.

HMS Bounty is a replica of the original Bounty, famous for its ill-fated trip to Tahiti and the West Indies in 1789.

Tracie Simonin, director of the HMS Bounty Organization, said that the ship began to experience difficulties at about 18:30 EST on Sunday when it lost power and was unable to continue “de-watering”.

Seventeen people aboard HMS Bounty have abandoned ship off the coast of North Carolina amid Hurricane Sandy
Seventeen people aboard HMS Bounty have abandoned ship off the coast of North Carolina amid Hurricane Sandy

“At that time we contacted the US coastguard for assistance,” she said.

“A C-130 plane was sent to their position, which was 90 miles south-east of Cape Hatteras, and then at 04:30 EST this morning the captain ordered all hands to abandon ship.

“All 17 crew were accounted for in the liferafts and a US coastguard helicopter is on the scene rescuing them now.”

Tracie Simonin added: “As far as we know the ship is still upright and we’re going to assess the situation to see if anything can be done to save the ship but at this point our main concern is with the crew.”

Tracie Simonin said everyone on board was American.

 

Frankestorm closes all Broadway performances and outdoor TV shows

Sonia Pantiss
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Frankestorm closes all Broadway performances and outdoor TV shows

Broadway shows The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark have closed in preparation for Hurricane Sandy.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had announced the city’s subway, buses and trains would be halted on Sunday night.

All Broadway performances on Sunday and Monday night were scrapped.

Several film events were cancelled too, including the New York premiere of Keira Knightley film Anna Karenina.

Keira Knightley was due to attend Tuesday night’s premiere in Union Square, along with director Joe Wright, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

New York screenings of several films, including Denzel Washington’s Flight, have also been cancelled.

Nearly all cinemas closed their doors by late Sunday afternoon, sending their staff home until at least Tuesday.

It is not known how long Broadway’s lights will stay out as the densely-populated city awaits the arrival of the storm, with productions of Evita, Mary Poppins and Chicago affected, along with several off-Broadway plays.

Broadway shows have closed in preparation for Hurricane Sandy
Broadway shows have closed in preparation for Hurricane Sandy

A statement on The Broadway League’s website said performances were cancelled, “as a result of the suspension of public transportation by government authorities in preparation for the incoming storm”.

Executive director Charlotte St Martin added that “the safety and security of theatregoers and employees is everyone’s primary concern.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also suspended all of New York’s outdoor shooting permits until further notice, affecting several TV shows such as Blue Bloods, Elementary, The Good Wife, Gossip Girl and The Carrie Diaries.

Meanwhile the music world has also been affected, with acts such as Mercury prize-winners The xx, Rita Ora and John Legend all cancelling US shows.

John Legend scrapped Sunday night’s scheduled performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, while British band The xx have postponed the last leg of their US tour, including dates in the Bronx, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

As Hurricane Sandy approaches, schools, businesses and government departments have all closed, while hundreds of thousands are being advised to evacuate and seek higher ground.

The storm, which forecasters say could be the largest ever to hit the US mainland, is expected to topple trees, damage buildings and cause widespread power cuts and flooding when it moves inland.

Hurricane Sandy has already passed through the Caribbean, killing more than 60 people.

Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and parts of North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency.

 

South Korea activists send propaganda leaflets to North Korea

Diane A. Wade
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South Korea activists send propaganda leaflets to North Korea

South Korean activists have sent propaganda leaflets to North Korea, a week after Pyongyang threatened military action over a similar launch.

The group floated 50,000 leaflets in several balloons from a park near the border town of Paju, watched by a heavy police presence.

Local residents trying to stop the move got into minor scuffles with activists.

Authorities prevented a similar launch last week after North Korea said it would respond with a “military strike”.

Residents in the area concerned that Pyongyang would carry out its threat gathered to protest against the release of the balloons.

“Paju residents can’t live properly due to worries. They come here way too frequently,” a local shop owner, Kim Bok-nam, told Reuters news agency.

”Last time the North warned to directly strike here, so we came to protest since we can’t tolerate it anymore.”

One of the activists, Choi Woo-won, dismissed the North’s warning as “empty threats”.

Activists – some of whom are defectors from North Korea – have sent leaflets on many past occasions. North Korea condemns the move but specific threats are rare.

Last week, however, Pyongyang threatened to fire on South Korean territory if activists went ahead with a launch.

South Korean authorities prevented the launch from taking place, as the military went into a state of alert and hundreds of residents were evacuated.

Tensions have been high on the Korean peninsula since the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in March 2010 which Seoul blamed on Pyongyang, and the shelling of a border island eight months later.

North and South Korea remain technically at war following the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice. But North Korea has not fired on the Southern mainland since the end of the war.

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Mila Kunis pregnant: actress denies she is expecting Ashton Kutcher’s baby

Lisa.Felice
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Mila Kunis is at the centre of a pregnancy riddle after the actress was seen out on Saturday sporting what looked like a baby bump during a romantic stroll with Ashton Kutcher.

However, it seems that Mila Kunis had maybe just enjoyed a hearty lunch instead as her spokeswoman denies she is expecting.

While Mila Kunis, 29, has expressed her desire to have children sooner rather than later, it seems she and Ashton Kutcher’s relationship hasn’t yet moved on to such a serious level.

Seen out wearing a striped vest, Mila Kunis appeared to be showing a significant roundness in the stomach area.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, 34, sparked dating rumors for months before finally going public with their romance after they were spotted kissing each other in New York in September.

However, Ashton Kutcher’s estranged wife Demi Moore will at least heave a sigh of relief. The pair were said to have tried to have a child together without success.

Mila Kunis was seen out on Saturday sporting what looked like a baby bump during a romantic stroll with Ashton Kutcher
Mila Kunis was seen out on Saturday sporting what looked like a baby bump during a romantic stroll with Ashton Kutcher

Earlier this year Mila Kunis told GLAMOUR magazine : “I do want a family. I’d rather be in love and have a baby than a movie.”

In August, a friend of Ashton Kutcher’s told Star Magazine that he’s desperate to become a father.

The source said: “Ashton feels his biological clock ticking – he’s wanted kids for years but he and Demi Moore didn’t have luck conceiving, most likely because of her age.

“And he’s on a campaign to get Mila to agree to be a mom, he’s reminded her that he’s had plenty of father practice with Demi’s three daughters.”

 

Justin Bieber becomes the new king of pop with 47M Facebook fans and 29 M Twitter followers

Lisa.Felice
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Justin Bieber becomes the new king of pop with 47M Facebook fans and 29 M Twitter followers

Justin Bieber, the world’s richest self-made teenager, has now 47 million Facebook fans, 29 million Twitter followers and three billion YouTube hits.

As the world’s first social-media superstar, Justin Bieber, 18, built up a fan base of millions before he’d even signed a record deal.

His world record puts him ahead of Lady Gaga, Rihanna or Eminem.

“The genius of Justin Bieber is he used the power of social media like no other artist – and he doesn’t stop,” said Simon Cowell.

“Only a fool would underestimate him.

“I’ve met him a few times. He’s bright. The kid is more in charge than people think. I know this industry, I know what it takes, and he will be around for a very long time,” added Simon Cowell.

With a fortune estimated at $105 million – which is set to double in the next two years on the back of a world tour, a movie and the returns from numerous investments – Justin Bieber is part teenage heart-throb, part superstar businessman.

His latest album, Believe, topped the charts in the U.S. and throughout Europe, and his tour is sold out.

This amazing success has brought him a $6 million, 10,000sq ft house north of LA, a Disney-princess girlfriend, Selena Gomez, and a $750,000 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van customized with three high-definition TVs and a recording studio. About the only thing lacking in his fairy-tale world is a private jet.

“No way,” he says emphatically.

“It’s a total waste of money. You buy the plane, then you have to pay for storage, and on top of that you have to think about the fuel, the cost of the fuel – that’s maybe $4,000.

“Even hiring a private plane is like 50 or 60K. Once you get into that it becomes a habit – a bad habit.

“I’ll get one when I need it – if I have to go somewhere instantly – but you don’t want to buy a plane; it’s definitely not worth it.”

What makes this exchange truly surreal isn’t the fact that Justin Bieber barely even shaves yet – but that he’s only out by $100 on the cost of a tank of jet fuel.

“I never stop working,” says Justin Bieber.

“In what I wanted to do in music I’ve never had any fear. But now I’m at the top there’s nowhere to go but down; for me it’s about staying standing at the top.

“I’m not a kid any more – I’m an adult, I’m making the decisions and I want to keep on growing, and I believe I can.”

Unlike, for example, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber didn’t spring fully formed from a major TV show.

Instead, aged 12, he appeared from nowhere – or more precisely, from YouTube, where his mother, Pattie Mallette, posted videos of her son singing in a local competition and in their tiny basement apartment in the blue-collar town of Stratford, Canada.

Justin Bieber has now 47 million Facebook fans, 29 million Twitter followers and 3 billion YouTube hits
Justin Bieber has now 47 million Facebook fans, 29 million Twitter followers and 3 billion YouTube hits

Justin Bieber’s backstory is straight out of a Hollywood script. Troubled teen (Pattie Mallette) gets pregnant by her on-and- off boyfriend (Jeremy Bieber).

At 18, Pattie Mallette gives birth, and – besotted by her baby – turns her back on drugs and alcohol and embraces Christianity.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Bieber, 19, languishes in jail for assault. Jeremy Bieber and Pattie Mallette eventually separate.

At the age of two, Justin Bieber starts playing the drums, and soon he’s astounding his mother’s friends with his natural talent.

A hyperactive child, he teaches himself to play the guitar, piano and trumpet too, and begins performing in his home town.

Then, when Justin Bieber was 13, talent manager Scooter Braun spots him on YouTube. Scooter Braun flies him and his mother to Atlanta, attracts interest from R&B star Usher and gets him a record deal with Usher’s mentor LA Reid.

At 16, Justin Bieber’s debut album goes double platinum. His dad reforms and settles down, and his mother tours the world with him.

“What happened was I found something I wanted to be good at,” says Justin Bieber now.

“I wasn’t good at school because I had no passion for it. If I hadn’t found music my life would have been bad.

“My family are all poor, so the cycle would have continued. My kids would have been poor, and their kids would have been too. I feel I broke the cycle, and when you get to break the cycle, you don’t go back.”

Justin Bieber was originally painted as a pretty puppet, with Scooter Braun, now 31 and worth $23 million, pulling the strings.

“That’s the greatest misconception of me,” he smiles.

“People think I’m a product, that they found this good-looking kid, cut his hair nice and put Auto-Tune on his voice, wrote him good songs, taught him how to dance and then said, <<Here is a pop star for you>>.

“I am the furthest thing from that. I’m a musician; I play instruments, I write songs. I’m a businessman; I want to create an empire. I want people to know I don’t just sing songs. I’m the guy who signed the girl who just had the biggest single all round the world [Carly Rae Jepsen with Call Me Maybe; he brought her to the attention of Scooter Braun, who gave him a 50% cut when he signed her].

“I’m going to do movies – I’m talking with Mark Wahlberg about my first big movie. I invest in start-ups and IT. I have a very smart manager, but I always wanted to learn from him.

“The education I’ve had you couldn’t get in any school. If I want to be good at something I will be. I’m good at this.”

With all his money and fame Justin Bieber can do anything, except walk down a street without being mobbed. You wonder how he gets his thrills.

“On stage,” he says.

“Playing a song acoustically.”

 

Nanotubes boost computer chips performance

James J. Williams
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Nanotubes boost computer chips performance

Scientists have demonstrated methods that could see higher-performance computer chips made from tiny straws of carbon called nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes have long been known to have electronic properties superior to current silicon-based devices.

But difficulties in manipulating them have hampered nanotube-based chips.

The experiments, reported in Nature Nanotechnology, show a kind of two-part expoxy approach to individually place the nanotubes at high density.

The race is on in the semiconductor chip industry to replace current silicon technology – methods to make smaller and therefore faster devices will soon come up against physical limits on just how small a silicon device can be.

Study co-author James Hannon, a materials scientist at IBM, said that there are few realistic successors to silicon’s throne.

“The problem is you have to put it in to production on a 10- or 15-year time scale, so the kinks have to be worked out in the next few years,” he said.

“If you look at all the possibilities out there, there are very few that have actually produced an electronic device that would outperform silicon – there are exotic things out there but they’re all still at the <<PowerPoint stage>>.”

Though single nanotubes have shown vastly superior speed and energy characteristics in lab demonstrations, the challenge has been in so-called integration – getting billions of them placed onto a chip with the precision the industry now demands.

Current chips are made using lithography, in which large wafers of silicon are layered with other materials of different electronic properties and then devices are simply “etched” out using a focused beam of electrons or charged atoms.

Scientists have demonstrated methods that could see higher-performance computer chips made from tiny straws of carbon called nanotubes
Scientists have demonstrated methods that could see higher-performance computer chips made from tiny straws of carbon called nanotubes

To address the integration challenge, Dr. James Hannon and his colleagues came up with a solution – two of them in fact.

The first was a chemical that coats nanotubes and makes them soluble in water.

The second was a solution that binds to the first chemical and to the element hafnium, but not to silicon.

The team used standard techniques to etch a pattern of channels in hafnium deposited on silicon.

Then they simply “double-dipped” the chip into the two solutions – one chemical stuck to the hafnium, and the other chemical acted as the second part of a two-part epoxy, tightly binding nanotubes to the hafnium regions on the chip but not to silicon.

The result was a series of neatly aligned nanotube devices, already wired up within the pattern, at a density of a billion per square centimetre.

“That’s one nanotube every 150 or 200 (billionths of a metre) or so,” explained Dr. James Hannon.

“That’s not good enough to make a microprocessor yet – it’s a factor of 10 away.

“But it’s a factor of 100 better than has been done previously.”

The demonstration is a “huge improvement”, but Dr. James Hannon said several issues are still to be solved.

They include finding more efficient ways to sort through nanotubes – which are made in a wide variety of sizes and types – to select in large quantity and high accuracy the kind suitable for devices.

The etching process that sets the ultimate size of a transistor on the chip must also be improved.

For now, the team has modelled what it can do with the technique in its current form – a vast array of transistors, each comprising six nanotubes spaced 10 nanometres apart.

Their models suggest a 10-fold jump in performance – a chip run at more than three times the frequency and consuming just a third the energy.

However, in the longer term, nanotube chips would run up against the same limits that silicon faces; as Dr. James Hannon puts it, “we’re limited by the size of an atom eventually”.

“But this at least gives us a way to gain performance while shrinking the device.”

 

Viktor Yanukovych’s party claims victory in Ukraine’s parliamentary election

Diane A. Wade
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Viktor Yanukovych’s party claims victory in Ukraine’s parliamentary election

President Viktor Yanukovych’s party has claimed victory in Ukraine’s parliamentary election.

The Party of Regions has more than 36%, and the opposition party of Yulia Tymoshenko, who is in jail, has just over 21%, with one-third of party list votes counted.

It appears Viktor Yanukovych’s party is also ahead in single mandate districts, which form half of all the seats.

Western governments have condemned the jailing of Yulia Tymoshenko.

Yulia Tymoshenko leads a coalition of opposition groups – the United Opposition Fatherland bloc. She was given a seven-year jail sentence last year for abuse of power, and voted from her prison cell.

Her bloc says its own parallel vote count confirms that Viktor Yanukovych’s party is in the lead, but with a smaller percentage of votes than the party claims.

The complicated electoral system means a final result is some way off.

Thousands of observers were in Ukraine for the vote, whichViktor Yanukovych hopes will boost his democratic credentials.

His bitter rivalry with Yulia Tymoshenko dates back to the 2004 Orange Revolution, in which Tymoshenko and her allies established a pro-Western government, overturning Viktor Yanukovych’s victory in an election widely condemned as rigged.

Since his dramatic political comeback Viktor Yanukovych has forged closer relations with Moscow, Ukraine’s former master in the Soviet era.

The regional security organization OSCE is expected to give its verdict on Sunday’s election at a news conference at 14:30 local time.

Correspondents say the signs are that the Party of Regions will get a simple majority in the 450-member parliament.

Officials said the election had passed off smoothly, with a turnout of some 45%, about average for Ukraine.

Early results indicated the Communists – traditional allies of Viktor Yanukovych – were in third place with about 15%.

The new party of world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, called Udar (Punch), was on about 13%.

The ultra-nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party was also poised to surpass the 5% threshold necessary to get seats in parliament. It was polling 8%, according to the early results.

Party of Regions MP Borys Kolesnikov, a deputy prime minister, said his party was likely to dominate the single-seat constituencies.

“There are 225 single-seat constituencies and we see our candidates winning two-thirds of them,” he said.

And Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said “we are expecting that the Party of Regions will take a majority in the new parliament”.

After casting his vote in the capital, Kiev, Vitali Klitschko said he was “going to parliament to fight”.

He listed his “five key punches” as corruption, indifference of the authorities, lack of local governance, inequality and poverty.

There were 3,500 accredited foreign observers, including more than 600 from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Earlier, Western officials expressed concerns over campaigning.

In a New York Times editorial, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton cited “worrying trends” in the interim election report from the OSCE (of which Ukraine is due to take over the rotating chair in January).

These included government resources being used to favor ruling-party candidates, media restrictions, vote-buying and lack of transparency on the electoral commissions.

Opposition supporters say Yulia Tymoshenko was prosecuted and imprisoned last year in order to prevent her running in the election.

The EU indefinitely postponed its association agreement, including a free trade pact, after the jailing.

Viktor Yanukovych, who has been president for three years and faces re-election in 2015, has rejected calls to free his rival. He says she was sentenced by an independent court.

Ukraine, with a population of 46 million, has been hit by the global economic downturn and unpopular pension and tax policies.

The Party of Regions recently attempted to assuage public opinion by boosting public-sector salaries and pensions.

But the reforms exacerbated a $2 billion budget deficit and called into question the likelihood of securing IMF lending, correspondents say.

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Family communication tips in case of hurricane or other disasters

Nancy Clayson
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Family communication tips in case of hurricane or other disasters

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another. Think about how you will communicate in different situations.

Complete a contact card for each adult family member. Have them keep these cards handy in a wallet, purse or briefcase, etc. Additionally, complete contact cards for each child in your family. Put the cards in their backpacks or book bags.

Check with your children’s day care or school. Facilities designed for children should include identification planning as part of their emergency plans.

Complete a contact card for each family member in case of disasters
Complete a contact card for each family member in case of disasters

Family Communication Tips

Identify a contact such as a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.

Teach family members how to use text messaging (also known as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

Subscribe to alert services. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your local Office of Emergency Management web site.

 

How to avoid hurricane damages. A checklist for homeowners.

Nancy Clayson
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How to avoid hurricane damages. A checklist for homeowners.

Preparing for hurricane season means more than just making a disaster kit and reviewing your family‘s disaster plan, although those are critical first steps.

There’s much more you can do to protect your home and your family before a hurricane hits. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration recommends you take the following additional steps to prepare for hurricane season.

 

FEDERAL INSURANCE AND MITIGATION ADMINISTRATION CHECKLIST

Preparing for hurricane season means more than just making a disaster kit and reviewing your family‘s disaster plan
Preparing for hurricane season means more than just making a disaster kit and reviewing your family‘s disaster plan

 

How to build a Disaster Supplies Kit ahead of hurricanes or other emergency situations

Nancy Clayson
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How to build a Disaster Supplies Kit ahead of hurricanes or other emergency situations

A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.

Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.

FAMILY SUPPLY LIST

Ready Kids & The Federal Emergency Management Agency present:

Family Supply List

Emergency Supplies:

Water, food, and clean air are important things to have if an emergency happens. Each family or individual’s kit should be customized to meet specific needs, such as medications and infant formula. It should also be customized to include important family documents.

Recommended Supplies to Include in a Basic Kit:

– Water, one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation

– Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

– Battery-powered radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, and extra batteries for both

– Flashlight and extra batteries

– First Aid kit

– Whistle to signal for help

– Infant formula and diapers, if you have an infant

– Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

– Dust mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air

– Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

– Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

– Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)

A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency
A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency

Clothing and Bedding:

If you live in a cold weather climate, you must think about warmth. It is possible that the power will be out and you will not have heat. Rethink your clothing and bedding supplies to account for growing children and other family changes. One complete change of warm clothing and shoes per person, including:

– A jacket or coat

– Long pants

– A long sleeve shirt

– Sturdy shoes

– A hat and gloves

– A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person

Family Supply List (continued)

Below are some other items for your family to consider adding to its supply kit. Some of these items, especially those marked with a * can be dangerous, so please have an adult collect these supplies.

– Emergency reference materials such as a first aid book or a print out of the information on www.ready.gov

– Rain gear

– Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils

– Cash or traveler’s checks, change

– Paper towels

– Fire Extinguisher

– Tent

– Compass

– Matches in a waterproof container*

– Signal flare*

– Paper, pencil

– Personal hygiene items including feminine supplies

– Disinfectant*

– Household chlorine bleach* – You can use bleach as a disinfectant (diluted nine parts water to one part bleach), or in an emergency you can also use it to treat water. Use 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.

– Medicine dropper

– Important Family Documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container

 

Hurricane Saftey Tips

Nancy Clayson
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Hurricane Saftey Tips

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued the following safety tips on how to cope with a hurricane.

Before a Hurricane

To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.

• Know your surroundings.

• Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecasted.

• Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you.

• Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to evacuate.

• Make plans to secure your property:

• Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.

• Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.

• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.

• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.

• Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.

• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.

• Determine how and where to secure your boat.

• Install a generator for emergencies.

• If in a high-rise building, be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.

• Consider building a safe room.

Hurricanes cause heavy rains that can cause extensive flood damage in coastal and inland areas. Everyone is at risk and should consider flood insurance protection. Flood insurance is the only way to financially protect your property or business from flood damage. To learn more about your flooding risk and how to protect yourself and your business, visit the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (NFIP) Web site,www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419. For more detailed information on how you can protect your property, view NFIP’s printer-friendly handout Avoiding Hurricane Damage.

During a Hurricane

If a hurricane is likely in your area, you should:

• Listen to the radio or TV for information.

• Secure your home, close storm shutters and secure outdoor objects or bring them indoors.

• Turn off utilities if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.

• Turn off propane tanks

• Avoid using the phone, except for serious emergencies.

• Moor your boat if time permits.

• Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purpose such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other larger containers with water.

• Find out how to keep food safe during and after and emergency.

You should evacuate under the following conditions:

If you are directed by local authorities to do so. Be sure to follow their instructions.

• If you live in a mobile home or temporary structure – such shelter are particularly hazardous during hurricane no matter how well fastened to the ground.

• If you live in a high-rise building – hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations.

• If you live on the coast, on a floodplain, near a river, or on an island waterway.

Read more about evacuating yourself and your family. If you are unable to evacuate, go to your wind-safe room. If you do not have one, follow these guidelines:

• Stay indoors during the hurricane and away from windows and glass doors.

• Close all interior doors – secure and brace external doors.

• Keep curtains and blinds closed. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm – winds will pick up again.

• Take refuge in a small interior room, closet or hallway on the lowest level.

• Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.

• Avoid elevators.

After a Hurricane

• Continue listening to a NOAA Weather Radio or the local news for the latest updates.

• Stay alert for extended rainfall and subsequent flooding even after the hurricane or tropical storm has ended.

• If you have become separated from your family, use your family communications plan or contact FEMA or the American Red Cross.

• FEMA has established the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS), which has been developed to help reunite families who are separated during a disaster. The NEFRLS system will enable displaced individuals the ability to enter personal information into a website database so that they can be located by others during a disaster.

• The American Red Cross also maintains a database to help you find family. Contact the local American Red Cross chapter where you are staying for information. Do not contact the chapter in the disaster area.

• If you evacuated, return home only when officials say it is safe.

• If you cannot return home and have immediate housing needs. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).

• For those who have longer-term housing needs, FEMA offers several types of assistance, including services and grants to help people repair their homes and find replacement housing. Apply for assistance or search for information about housing rental resources

• Drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed¬ out bridges. Stay off the streets. If you must go out watch for fallen objects; downed electrical wires; and weakened walls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks.

• Keep away from loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company.

• Walk carefully around the outside your home and check for loose power lines, gas leaks and structural damage before entering.

• Stay out of any building if you smell gas, floodwaters remain around the building or your home was damaged by fire and the authorities have not declared it safe.

• Inspect your home for damage. Take pictures of damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance purposes. If you have any doubts about safety, have your residence inspected by a qualified building inspector or structural engineer before entering.

• Use battery-powered flashlights in the dark. Do NOT use candles. Note: The flashlight should be turned on outside before entering – the battery may produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.

• Watch your pets closely and keep them under your direct control. Watch out for wild animals, especially poisonous snakes. Use a stick to poke through debris.

• Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are sure it’s not contaminated.

• Check refrigerated food for spoilage. If in doubt, throw it out.

• Wear protective clothing and be cautious when cleaning up to avoid injury.

• Use the telephone only for emergency calls.

• NEVER use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas, even when using fans or opening doors and windows for ventilation. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.

 

 

Hurricane Sandy: US begin Frankestorm shutdown in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and North Carolina

Diane A. Wade
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Hurricane Sandy: US begin Frankestorm shutdown in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and North Carolina

President Barack Obama has warned Americans to take Hurricane Sandy seriously as authorities started shutting down the eastern seaboard ahead of its arrival.

Several states have declared emergencies, with tens of millions of people affected as schools are closed and transport services suspended.

Experts fear Hurricane Sandy may become a super-storm when it makes landfall later.

Some election rallies have been called off, with Barack Obama warning affected citizens to take precautions.

International travel has been badly affected. Air France, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic grounded Monday’s transatlantic flights to and from East Coast cities, including New York, Baltimore, Newark, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia.

At 02:00 EDT, the storm was turning north, its eye swirling about 425 miles (760 km) south-east of New York City, according to the National Hurricane Center.

With winds of 75 mph, Hurricane Sandy, dubbed “Frankenstorm”or “Superstorm”, is expected to bring a “life-threatening” surge flood to the mid-Atlantic coast, including Long Island Sound and New York Harbour.

The winds are expected to strengthen when Hurricane Sandy makes landfall anywhere between Virginia and southern New England on Monday.

The prospect of merging with a wintry storm coming from the west during a full moon has many fearing dangerous high tides.

Sandy is some 520 miles (835 km) across. It is also very slow, moving north-east at just 15 mph, and could linger over as many as 12 states for 24-36 hours, bringing up to 25 cm of rain, 60 cm of snow, extreme storm surges and power cuts.

States of emergency have been declared in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and parts of North Carolina.

The two presidential election contenders have modified their campaign engagements, with Mitt Romney pulling out of an event in Virginia and Barack Obama cancelling rallies in Virginia and Colorado.

The president has pulled out of a Monday event in Ohio – considered a key swing state – in order to return to Washington to monitor the storm – although he is still set to attend a rally with former President Bill Clinton in Florida earlier on Monday.

Visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington on Sunday, Barack Obama vowed his government would “respond big and respond fast” after Hurricane Sandy had passed.

Con Edison workers prepare for Hurricane Sandy using sandbags to cover up power vaults in New York
Con Edison workers prepare for Hurricane Sandy using sandbags to cover up power vaults in New York

Amtrak has started suspending passenger train services across the north-eastern US and air travel has been badly hit, with some 6,800 flights cancelled.

New York City’s subway, bus and train services were suspended from 19:00 on Sunday, and schools will be shut on Monday.

With predicted storm surges of up to 11 ft, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered 375,000 people in the city’s vulnerable low-lying areas to leave their homes.

Evacuation shelters have been set up at 76 public schools.

“If you don’t evacuate you’re not just putting your own life in danger, you are also endangering lives of our first responders who would have to rescue you,” he said.

The Statue of Liberty was reopened on Sunday after a year of renovation, but only a group of army cadets got a tour before it was shut again until at least Wednesday.

Some 200 National Guardsmen will patrol Manhattan and 300 more will be deployed in Long Island.

The New York Stock Exchange will be fully closed on Monday, its operator said, and possibly on Tuesday as well.

It had earlier said electronic transactions would be possible but on Sunday announced it was closing fully because “the dangerous conditions developing as a result of Hurricane Sandy will make it extremely difficult to ensure the safety of our people and communities”.

Similar precautions were taken last year as Hurricane Irene approached the East Coast. It killed more than 40 people from North Carolina to Maine and caused an estimated $10 billion worth of damage.

FEMA has warned that the threat extends well inland, and has issued safety tips on how to cope with the hurricane.

Blustery winds were already being felt in New York on Sunday night and the anxiety felt on the streets indicated that residents were taking city orders seriously and with haste.

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie confirmed a swathe of mandatory evacuations, told civil servants to stay at home on Monday and said the casinos in Atlantic City had closed.

“The weather will turn ugly [on Monday] and we want everyone off the roads,” he said.

“Don’t be stupid. Get out. Don’t try to be a hero and act as if nothing is going on here.”

New Jersey authorities expect very significant flooding, with three increasingly high tides on Monday, possibly creating surges of 13-14 ft – the worst since 1903, authorities said.

Hurricane Sandy has already killed 60 people in the Caribbean during the past week.

TRAVEL CHAOS IN NEW YORK

• New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced service on subways will be curtailed beginning at 7:00 p.m.

• The bus network will cease to operate at 9:00 p.m.

• Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will start their finals trains by 7:00 p.m. from terminal locations

• Stations will close once the last trains pass through

• New Jersey has suspended all services from 4 p.m. Sunday until 2 a.m. Monday

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Penguin and Random House agree on merger

Sonia Pantiss
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Penguin and Random House agree on merger

Publisher Pearson announces agreement with German media group Bertelsmann to combine their Penguin and Random House businesses.

Under the terms of the deal, the two businesses will be run in a joint venture called Penguin Random House.

Bertelsmann will own 53% of the joint venture while Pearson will own 47%.

The two firms said last week that they were discussing a deal. A report at the weekend also said News Corporation was planning a bid for Penguin.

The Sunday Times reported that News Corp – which owns publisher HarperCollins – was prepared to make a “substantial cash offer” for Penguin, expected to be about $1.5 billion.

The tie-up between Penguin and Random House marks the first deal between the world’s big six publishers.

Publisher Pearson announces agreement with media group Bertelsmann to combine their Penguin and Random House businesses
Publisher Pearson announces agreement with media group Bertelsmann to combine their Penguin and Random House businesses

When news of the talks emerged last week, industry observers said that such deals were inevitable as firms sought to adapt to the changing publishing landscape.

The rapid take-up of e-books means publishers are now attempting to bolster their negotiating strength. most notably with Amazon.

Pearson chief executive Marjorie Scardino, who is leaving the firm at the end of the year, said: “Penguin is a successful, highly-respected and much-loved part of Pearson. This combination with Random House… will greatly enhance its fortunes and its opportunities.

“Together, the two publishers will be able to share a large part of their costs, to invest more for their author and reader constituencies and to be more adventurous in trying new models in this exciting, fast-moving world of digital books and digital readers.”

Based on recent results, combining the two firms will create a business with annual revenues of about $3.8 billion.

In 2011, Random House’s revenues were 1.7 billion euros with an operating profit of 185 million euros. Meanwhile, Penguin recorded revenues of $1.5 billion and a $170 million operating profit.

The joint venture is subject to regulatory approval, but the two firms hope the deal will be completed in the second half of 2013.

 

Cheap colour test could detect HIV, other viruses and some cancers

Kathryn R. Bown
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Cheap colour test could detect HIV, other viruses and some cancers

British researchers have developed a cheap test which could detect even low levels of viruses and some cancers.

The colour of a liquid changes to give either a positive or negative result.

Researchers from Imperial College London say the device could lead to more widespread testing for HIV and other diseases in parts of the world where other methods are unaffordable.

The prototype, which needs wider testing, is described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

The test can be configured to a unique signature of a disease or virus – such as a protein found on the surface of the HIV.

Cheap colour test could detect HIV, other viruses and some cancers, blue for yes, red for no
Cheap colour test could detect HIV, other viruses and some cancers, blue for yes, red for no

If that marker is present it changes the course of a chemical reaction. The final result is blue if the marker is there, red if the marker is not.

The researchers say this allows the results to be detected with “the naked eye”.

Prof. Molly Stevens said: “This method should be used when the presence of a target molecule at ultra-low concentration could improve the diagnosis of disease.

“For example, it is important to detect some molecules at ultra-low concentrations to test cancer recurrence after tumor removal.

“It can also help with diagnosing HIV-infected patients whose viral load is too low to be detected with current methods.”

Early testing showed the presence of markers of HIV and prostate cancer could be detected. However, trials on a much larger scale will be needed before it could be used clinically.

The researchers expect their design will cost 10 times less than current tests. They say this will be important in countries where the only optifons are unaffordable.

Fellow researcher Dr. Roberto de la Rica said: “This test could be significantly cheaper to administer, which could pave the way for more widespread use of HIV testing in poorer parts of the world.”

 

Lynne Spears claims Sam Lufti drugged her daughter Britney

Lisa.Felice
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Lynne Spears claims Sam Lufti drugged her daughter Britney

Lynne Spears, Britney Spears’ mother, has claimed her daughter’s former manager crushed drugs into the singer’s food.

Lynne Spears has told a US court that Osama “Sam” Lufti admitted to her that he did it five years ago to help Britney sleep.

At the time, Britney Spears was going through a public meltdown where she shaved her head, temporarily lost custody of her children and was briefly hospitalized.

Sam Lufti is suing Lynne Spears, saying she wrote lies about him.

Lynne Spears has been giving evidence in her defence.

On the claims Britney’s food was drugged in 2007, Lynne Spears told the court: “Those were his exact words.”

“I was very worried and I didn’t know what to do so I tried to get her away from there.”

Lynne Spears has claimed Britney's former manager Sam Lufti crushed drugs into the singer's food
Lynne Spears has claimed Britney’s former manager Sam Lufti crushed drugs into the singer’s food

She also claims Sam Lufti cut off Britney Spears’ communication by detaching her phone lines.

On cross-examination, Lynne Spears said that despite her worry about Britney she didn’t call police.

She also admitted that she was estranged from her daughter for a brief period in 2007 and Osama Lufti told her he wanted to help reunite them.

The accusations refer to the year Osama Lufti said he was Britney Spears’ manager, before he was let go from her team in 2008.

Sam Lufti is suing the star’s parents and Britney herself. He says Lynne Spears made damaging claims about him in her 2008 book Through the Storm.

He is also suing Jamie Spears, the singer’s father, for punching him.

Osama Lufti is seeking a share of Britney Spears’ fortune saying he had an agreement to act as her manager in exchange for 15% of her earnings.

He’s always maintained he was a friend of Britney Spears who tried to help the singer get clean of drugs.

Britney Spears, now 30, has since made a comeback, most recently with a judging slot on The X-Factor USA.

She’s not expected to appear at the trial.

 

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