Home Authors Posts by Diane A. Wade
Diane A. Wade
8129 POSTS
Diane is a perfectionist. She enjoys searching the internet for the hottest events from around the world and writing an article about it. The details matter to her, so she makes sure the information is easy to read and understand. She likes traveling and history, especially ancient history. Being a very sociable person she has a blast having barbeque with family and friends.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has returned to Cuba for more radiotherapy to treat a recurrence of his cancer.
Hugo Chavez announced his departure from Caracas in a Twitter message sent from the airport.
“Heading for Havana with faith in Resurrected Christ. We’ll keep living and keep winning!”
Hugo Chavez had surgery in February to remove a second tumor from his pelvic area.
The President told Venezuelans he was returning to Cuba for more treatment after an emotional plea for his life at an Easter mass.
Speaking through tears in his hometown of Barinas, Hugo Chavez asked Jesus to give him more time because he had “things left to do”.
“Give me your crown, Christ, give it to me, I will bleed, give me your cross, a hundred crosses, but give me life, because I still have things left to do for the [Venezuelan] people and for the homeland,” Hugo Chavez said during Thursday night’s mass.
He later said it had been “a spontaneous, sentimental thing” brought about by the presence of his family next to him at the mass.
“My mum gave me her hand with such tenderness, and Dad gave me his… and because of this, tears rolled down my face”, Hugo Chavez said.
Hugo Chavez told Venezuelans he was returning to Cuba for more treatment after an emotional plea for his life at an Easter mass
The exact nature of Hugo Chavez’s cancer has not been disclosed, fuelling rumors that his health may be worse than officially stated.
Hugo Chavez, who has been in power since 1999, has said that despite his health problems he is determined to win October’s presidential election.
Last year, he had surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba, after a baseball-sized growth was detected in his pelvic region.
After the treatment he had said he was free from cancer, only to suffer a recurrence that required surgery in February.
Just hours before leaving for Havana, the Venezuelan leader unveiled a 32.25% increase in the minimum wage, to be introduced in two stages later this year.
“In the 1980s and 90s, the minimum wage was basically frozen, then inflation went through the roof… we’ve been working on this for several weeks,” Hugo Chavez said in a televised cabinet meeting.
Venezuela inflation is currently about 25% a year.
Details were also published of telephone calls Hugo Chavez had made to the leaders of Ecuador and Bolivia, as well as to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Hugo Chavez discussed the unrest in Syria, “especially the successful way the Syrian government had contained armed terrorist gangs… which were seeking in vain to impede the advance of political reforms pushed forward by the Assad government,” according to AP news agency.
At least 9,000 people have been killed, mostly by security forces, since an uprising broke out last year against Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
60 Minutes veteran journalist Mike Wallace has died aged 93.
A spokesperson for CBS said Mike Wallace died on Saturday and had been in declining health in recent years.
Mike Wallace was one of the original hosts of 60 Minutes when it began in 1968.
He went on to interview the likes of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Yasser Arafat before announcing his retirement in 2006.
However, Mike Wallace still continued to do the occasional report for the show, including interviewing Jack Kevorkian – the US doctor who claimed to have assisted more than 100 suicides – in 2007.
“He was one of the great pioneers in journalism,” anchor Bob Schieffer said during CBS’s morning news programme.
“We are all going to miss him.”
60 Minutes veteran journalist Mike Wallace has died aged 93
In almost 40 years on 60 Minutes, Mike Wallace worked on some 800 investigative reports.
Known for spending hours preparing for interviews, he was famed for his skeptical follow-up questioning.
He interviewed every US president since John F. Kennedy – except George W. Bush – and dozens of other world leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Ayatollah Khomeini and Deng Xiaoping.
A host of celebrities were also subjects including Janis Joplin, Hugh Hefner, Tina Turner, Salvador Dali and Barbra Streisand.
CBS’s Morley Safer paid tribute to the newsman, saying: “Wallace took to heart the old reporter’s pledge to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
Mike Wallace is survived by his wife, Mary, son Chris and stepdaughter and stepson, Pauline and Eames.
North Korea has made the arrangements to put into position a long-range rocket for a controversial launch next week – amid reports it is also planning a nuclear test.
Pyongyang says the Unha-3 rocket, which it plans to launch between 12 and 16 April, will put a satellite into orbit.
But opponents of the move fear it is a disguised long-range missile test.
Meanwhile, South Korean officials say new satellite images suggest the North is preparing to carry out a third nuclear test.
North Korea has made the arrangements to put into position a long-range rocket for a controversial launch next week
The images show piles of earth and sand at the entrance of a tunnel at the Punggye-Ri site, where tests of a nuclear bomb were previously carried out in 2006 and 2009, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports.
“Recent satellite images led us to conclude the North has been secretly digging a new underground tunnel in the nuclear test site… besides two others where the previous tests were conducted,” one unnamed official told the AFP news agency.
North Korea has been under close scrutiny by its neighbors and the international community since Kim Jong-Un became leader of the secretive state following the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, in December 2011.
Pyongyang had agreed in February to a partial freeze in nuclear activities and a missile test moratorium in return for US food aid. But the deal was put on hold last month after the North announced its rocket launch plans.
Foreign journalists were taken by train to the Sohae satellite station at Tongchang-Ri, on the country’s north-west coast, to see for themselves the final preparations for the rocket launch.
All three stages of the rocket were visibly in position at the launch pad, an Associated Press reporter said from the scene.
Station manager Jang Myong-Jim told reporters that preparations were on track and fueling would begin soon, without giving exact timings.
Jang Myong-Jim said the 100 kg (220 pound) satellite is designed to send back images and information that will be used for weather forecasts as well as surveys of North Korea’s natural resources, the AP reports.
Pyongyang has previously said the launch, for “peaceful purposes”, is to mark the centennial of the birth of founding leader Kim Il-Sung.
But the United States and North Korea’s neighbors say it contravenes UN resolutions that were imposed after a similar launch in April 2009.
Japan and South Korea have warned they will shoot the rocket down if it strays into their territory.
Pope Benedict XVI has delivered his traditional Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) Easter message of peace in front of tens of thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
Pope Benedict urged Syria’s government to end the bloody year-long conflict, and spoke of the trouble in Nigeria and Mali.
At a Mass on Saturday, the Pope warned that mankind is “groping in the darkness, unable to distinguish good from evil”.
Earlier, the Vatican confirmed Pope Benedict would be travelling to Lebanon for a three-day visit in September.
“May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights,” said Pope Benedict during his traditional Easter message.
“Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community.”
Pope Benedict voiced hope that the “many refugees” currently in need of humanitarian assistance “find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings”.
Pope Benedict XVI has delivered his traditional Urbi et Orbi Easter message of peace in front of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in Rome
For the West African nation of Mali, which was plunged into political crisis after army officers seized power in a coup two weeks ago, he said “may the glorious Christ grant peace and stability”.
And for Nigeria, which has been hit by inter-religious and ethnic violence, “may the joy of Easter grant the strength needed to take up anew the building of a society which is peaceful and respectful of the religious freedom of its citizens”.
However, as he spoke, reports were coming in of a deadly car bombing close to a church in the Nigerian city of Kaduna.
The theme of the Saturday evening vigil was the contrast between darkness and light.
The service was brought forward from its traditional midnight start in order not to tax the 84-year-old’s strength – and he was wheeled on a raised mobile platform along the central nave of a darkened St Peter’s Basilica carrying a single lighted candle, symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Gradually, as other believers lit their individual candles from a single flame, St. Peter’s was flooded with light.
During the Mass, the Pope also baptized eight new converts by pouring water over their bowed heads.
The pontiff’s official schedule – which recently saw him return from visits to Cuba and Mexico – is taking a toll, our correspondent says.
Pope Benedict’s elder brother in Germany has said that the pontiff- who turns 85 later this month – intends to cut back on foreign travel, as it wears him out.
However, the Vatican has confirmed the Pope has accepted an invitation by religious leaders in Lebanon to visit the country for three-days in September.
Easter is one of the most joyous celebrations in the Christian calendar, marking the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
[youtube eESh3Rgb2us]
Authorities in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have launched a manhunt after a series of shootings which police say may have been hate crimes.
Five attacks took place within hours of each other on Friday, killing three and critically wounding two others, within a three-mile (5 km) radius.
All the victims were black and police say there are searching for a white male in connection to the attacks.
Community leaders have tried to calm fears of further attacks.
The police said they were searching for a white man driving a white pick-up truck, who was seen in the area of three of the shootings.
The crimes have shocked people living in a relatively quiet part of north Tulsa, and that there is a fear that the killer may strike again.
Authorities in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have launched a manhunt after a series of shootings which police say may have been hate crimes
Detectives are hoping for people to help them, but that many in the community do not trust the police.
Tulsa police chief Chuck Jordan said they were investigating whether the attacks were hate crimes, after investigators earlier said the incidents were linked.
The FBI has joined a task force set up to investigate the killings, he said.
Jack Henderson, a city councilor for the district where the attacks occurred, urged people to come forward with information.
“This is Tulsa, Oklahoma. We should have the ability to stand out on your porch anytime, day or night, that you want to, to walk down the street, day or night.
“And the only way that this person is going to be brought to justice is we need some leads.”
A 49-year-old was the first killed at about 01:00 a.m. local time on Friday.
Minutes later the gunman approached two other men and asked for directions before shooting them. They survived but later two more were shot dead nearby.
“We’re all nervous,” said one resident, 52-year-old Renaldo Works.
“I’ve got a 15-year-old, and I’m not going to let him out late. People are scared. We need facts.”
“You don’t want to be a prisoner in your own home,” he said.
[youtube Rq7vFCdmIeo]
Joyce Banda has been sworn in as Malawi’s president following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika.
Joyce Banda, who had been Malawi’s Vice-President since 2009, becomes southern Africa’s first female head of state after taking the oath before parliament in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe.
She was cheered and applauded before, during and after the ceremony.
Bingu wa Mutharika, 78, went into cardiac arrest on Thursday, although his death was not confirmed until Saturday.
The delay in announcing his death had prompted fears of a power struggle.
There had been speculation that the late president’s inner circle was trying to circumvent Malawi’s constitution to prevent Joyce Banda from taking over and instead install his brother, Foreign Minister Peter Mutharika.
Joyce Banda has been sworn in as Malawi’s president following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika
Joyce Banda had fallen out with Bingu wa Mutharika in 2010 and became one of his fiercest critics. She was expelled from the ruling Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and formed the People’s Party.
Joyce Banda was elected as vice-president in 2009 and Bingu wa Mutharika had failed in his attempts to have her removed from her post.
In taking the oath of office, Joyce Banda pledged to “defend and preserve the constitution” and to do right to all manner of people, according to law.
She then asked parliament to stand for two minutes’ silence as a tribute to Bingu wa Mutharika.
Asking Malawians to “focus on mourning our father,” Joyce Banda added: “It is with a great sense of humility and honor that I accept the huge responsibility of that the people of Malawi have entrusted me with.”
At present, there are just a handful of MPs in her party but many more are likely to join now that she is president.
On Friday, Information Minister Patricia Kaliati had said Joyce Banda could not take over as head of state because she had gone into opposition. The UK, the US and the EU all called on Malawi to respect its constitution.
Shortly after Bingu wa Mutharika’s death was confirmed, she addressed journalists, flanked by the heads of the army and police, the attorney general and other officials.
She said funeral arrangements would soon be discussed and that 10 days of national mourning would be held.
She also said preparations were being made to bring Bingu wa Mutharika’s body back from South Africa, where he was taken after his cardiac arrest.
Bingu wa Mutharika governed Malawi for eight years, but was recently accused of mismanaging the economy and becoming increasingly autocratic.
He fell out last year with former colonial ruler Britain, which withdrew its direct aid, accusing the Malawian government of mishandling the economy and of failing to uphold human rights.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 a day.
The country has suffered shortages of fuel and foreign currency since the UK and other donors cancelled aid.
Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light, one of America’s most popular artist, died from what appear to have been natural causes at 54.
Nanette, the recently widowed wife of Thomas Kinkade, released a statement from the family which said: “Thom[-as Kinkade] provided a wonderful life for his family. We are shocked and saddened by his death.”
Paintings by Thomas Kinkade range in price from hundreds of dollars to well over $10,000. Media Arts Group, his private company, took in $32 million per quarter 10 years ago.
Thomas Kinkade was a devoted Christian well known for his incredible ability to paint light. Painting light wasn’t the only reason he was as incredibly successful as he was. One of the most important reasons he was able to achieve financial success in the art world during his lifetime was the fact that his artistic philosophy was to give the masses what they wanted, as opposed to using the canvas to express himself.
Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light, died from what appear to have been natural causes at 54
Ken Raasch, an old friend and co-founder of Kinkade’s Media Arts Group, was quoted by the Mercury News conveying his recently passed away friend’s unique perspective of the world:
“I’d see a tree as being green, and he would see it as 47 different shades of green. He just saw the world in a much more detailed way than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Thomas Kinkade leaves behind his wife, Nanette, and four daughters.
Not only was Thomas Kinkade a successful painter, he was also a writer who achieved notoriety amongst the world of literature when his books hit the New York Times Best Seller list with his works The Artist’s Guide to Sketching and Masterworks of Light.
While the “warrior for light” Thomas Kinkade has died, his art will continue to live on far beyond his own untimely death. As the Painter of Light himself once said: “Art is forever.”
Tiny Puerto Rican chihuahua Milly is on the verge of something big, being officially recognized as the smallest puppy in the world.
The current record holder is Boo Boo, another chihuahua from Kentucky, but Milly, who lives with her Argentine owners in the north east Puerto Rican town of Vega Alta, hopes to punch above her 170 g weight to earn her place in the Guinness Book of Records.
After she was born three months ago the family believed that Milly would grow, but having maintained the same height of just 6.53 cm for three weeks they began to think that the pedigree pup might be able to knock Boo Boo from the top dog spot that she has held since February 2008.
Measuring in at 10.16 cm Boo Boo towers over the new pretender to the throne and miniscule Milly’s carer Rivera Eizzal believes her pedigree puppy has got it in the (doggy) bag.
Tiny Puerto Rican chihuahua Milly is set to be recognized as the world’s smallest dog
Rivera Eizzal, said: “Milly was so small she could not breastfeed due to the tiny size of her mouth.
“To get an idea of just how petite she is, when she was first born she received milk from an eyedropper.”
Milly is constantly accompanied by Rivera Eizzil or by her owner, Argentinian Vanessa Semler, who is dedicated to rearing chihuahuas in Puerto Rico.
Vanessa Semler says caring for Milly takes effort, but explains that she and her husband, Edwin Davila, have no children so they have the time to focus their energies on their pet project.
A judge from the Guinness Book of Records is due to travel to Puerto Rico in the coming months to clarify Milly’s size and measurements which will then be sent from the island to be officially confirmed.
Chihuahuas originated from the state of Mexico that carries same name and they usually reach a height of between 15 cm and 25 cm.
Boo Boo is a long-haired, female chihuahua who is owned by Lana Elswick of Raceland, Kentucky.
[youtube 0Brg77g1MOM]
Dennis Hennis from New Jersey is making a quick recovery after accidentally shooting a 4-inch (10 cm) nail into his heart.
Dennis Hennis, a 52-year-old self-employed builder, was working on his neighbor’s roof when his nail gun jammed and he tried to clear it.
The nail pierced the right side of his heart and he went into cardiac arrest.
His surgeon credited Dennis Hennis’ recovery to prompt medical attention and knowing that he should not remove the nail himself.
Dennis Hennis told Dr. Michael Rosenbloom that it felt like he had won the lottery.
“I got a new grandson on my birthday on March 23 and a week later I’m almost dead,” Dennis Hennis said.
“Now we can celebrate birthdays together.”
The 4-inch nail pierced the right side of Dennis Hennis’ heart and he went into cardiac arrest
Dennis Hennis was airlifted to trauma centre an hour away in Camden, New Jersey, and went under immediate surgery.
“Imagine there is a nail in the heart and they have to do CPR,” Dr. Michael Rosenbloom said.
“It turns a little puncture wound into a laceration.”
Dennis Hennis expects to be discharged in time to celebrate Easter with his family.
[youtube F-0yA5zYYqA]
Malawian government has confirmed that President Bingu wa Mutharika has died, aged 78.
Bingu wa Mutharika suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday and state media said he had been flown to South Africa.
Medical and government officials said on Friday that he was dead but there was no formal announcement, leading to fears of a power-struggle.
A government official said on state radio that there would be 10 days of national mourning. “We are sad to announce that the President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, has died,” Bright Msaka, secretary to the president and cabinet, said in a statement carried by state radio, AFP news agency reported.
“The Milpark Hospital in South Africa has also confirmed his death,” Bright Msaka said.
“There will be 10 days of national mourning, and the constitution will be adhered to in managing the transition.”
Malawian government has confirmed that President Bingu wa Mutharika has died, aged 78
The delay in announcing Bingu wa Mutharika’s death had sparked speculation that the president’s allies might try to prevent the vice-president from taking over, as stipulated by the constitution.
Vice-President Joyce Banda fell out with Bingu wa Mutharika in 2010 over the succession and she was expelled from the ruling Democratic People’s Party (DPP).
The president’s brother, Foreign Minister Peter Mutharika, was lined up to be the DPP’s presidential candidate in the 2014 elections.
Both the UK and the US have called on Malawi to respect the constitution.
Bingu Mutharika governed Malawi for eight years, but was recently accused of mismanaging the economy and becoming increasingly autocratic. He fell out last year with former colonial ruler Britain, which withdrew its direct aid, accusing the Malawian government of mishandling the economy and of failing to uphold human rights.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 a day. The country has suffered shortages of fuel and foreign currency since the UK and other donors cancelled aid.
A group of five persons has been arrested in southern China after a 17-year-old student sold his kidney so he could buy an iPhone and iPad, state media have reported.
The five people detained include the surgeon who removed the kidney from the boy in April 2011.
State-run Xinhua news agency says the group received 220,000 yuan (around $35,000) for the transplant.
The student is said to be suffering renal failure, according to prosecutors in Hunan province quoted by Xinhua.
Only identified by his surname Wang, the student is said to have received 22,000 yuan (about $3,000) for his kidney and the rest was split between the defendants and other medical staff .
A group of five persons has been arrested in southern China after a 17-year-old student sold his kidney so he could buy an iPhone and iPad
The teenager was reportedly recruited for the illegal trade through an online chatroom.
The case was discovered when his mother noticed the new gadgets; when asked where he got the money, he admitted selling a kidney.
The teen was from Anhui, one of China’s poorest provinces, where inhabitants frequently leave to find work and a better life elsewhere.
The group behind the operation has been charged with causing intentional injury and illegal organ trading.
While Apple iPhones and iPads are very popular in China, they are priced beyond the reach of many urban workers.
And there is a constant shortage of organ donors.
Official figures from the health ministry show that about 1.5 million people need transplants, but only 10,000 are performed annually.
Executed prisoners have been often used as a source of organs, but last month China vowed to phase this out over the next five years.
A US Navy F-18 fighter jet has crashed into an apartment complex in the suburbs of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Navy confirmed.
The fighter jet slammed into condos, town houses, and a retirement community, according to witnesses.
The two crew members ejected from the jet and were taken to a nearby hospital, but it is not yet known if there are any civilian casualties.
News footage showed smoke rising from numerous homes and the flaming wreckage lying on the ground.
The jet, confirmed to be a Delta two-seat model, apparently crashed at the Mayfield Mews apartment complex.
The Navy said in a news release that the jet was an F/A-18D assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 based at Naval Air Station Oceana.
The military organization said that the jet crashed shortly after takeoff at a site near the base at about 12:05 p.m. Both aviators ejected safely but were taken to a local hospital for observation.
Virginia Beach resident George Pilkington witnessed the crash, and told CNN the timeline of events, describing a few large explosions after the initial crash.
George Pilkington said: “It was emptying out fuel and the tail end was down. They (the crew members) must have ejected before they came down.”
He also said the engine sounded like it was “straining and stressing”.
A US Navy F-18 fighter jet has crashed into an apartment complex in the suburbs of Virginia Beach
Overhead helicopter video from WAVY-TV showed fire crews in the apartment complex with large ladders spraying water on multiple smoking buildings, one of which has part of its roof torn off.
Robert Matthias, assistant to Virginia Beach’s city manager, told The Associated Press crews are at the scene of an apartment complex where the jet crashed in what he described as a courtyard.
“So far, they haven’t found any casualties,” Robert Matthias said.
He described the area as residential, calling it an “anywhere but here” situation. While planes fly over the Virginia Beach area frequently, the F-18 crashed into a heavily residential area.
George Pilkington said that emergency crews responded in minutes to the crash.
Black smoke and flames were seen billowing out of what appeared to be a housing complex.
PilotOnline.com quoted a spokesman for Naval Air Force Atlantic who said the F/A-18 Hornet crashed Friday in the vicinity of Birdneck Road.
Another witness said that when the pilot came down he was still strapped to his ejector seat and had to be pulled out of the wreckage – when he immediately said sorry for the crash.
Retired Virginia Beach rescuer Pat Kavanaugh told CNN: “He apologized very much for hitting out complex and I told him: <<Don’t worry about it, everything’s going to be fine>>.
“I checked him over, did a body survey, he was in shock, still strapped to his seat so we picked him up, dragged him to the other side of the parking lot away from the fire.
“He had something on the lower half of his body, something heavy.
“I knew we have gas in the buildings, so I didn’t know if there were going to be secondary explosions.”
Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesperson Cmdr. Phil Rosi told the website that both aviators safely ejected from the plane.
The jet belongs to VFA’s Strike Fighter Squadron 106 – a training division for student pilots. Because of the crash, Virginia State police have shut down Interstate 264 in both directions.
People are being advised to stay away from the area.
[youtube sFgpU2V-0-8]
[youtube SuZDVN6CWLo]
A US Navy F-18 fighter jet has crashed into apartment in the residential neighborhood of Virginia Beach, Virginia, local media reports.
The two crew members ejected but it is not yet known if there are any civilian casualties.
A Navy spokesman told local news station WAVY that the plane went down just before 12:30 and two crew members ejected safely.
TV News footage showed smoke rising from numerous homes and the flaming wreckage lying on the ground.
A US Navy F-18 fighter jet has crashed into apartment in the residential neighborhood of Virginia Beach
Reports said the plane may have hit an apartment block, with photos showing black smoke rising from behind houses.
Interstate 264 has been temporarily closed in both directions.
The plane is reported to have been based at the naval air station at Oceana, Virginia.
Local news station WTKR reports that a significant amount of damage has been done to an apartment building located near the centre of town.
[youtube SzrB_n1gWLc]
Maryland McDonald’s worker Mirlande Wilson said on Wednesday she put the winning Mega Millions ticket in a place no one else would find it.
Now, Mirlande Wilson from Baltimore has revealed she cannot find the ticket with the winning numbers on it which could snag her a $105 million prize.
The mother-of-seven said she has lost the ticket but isn’t very worried about finding it any time soon.
Mirlande Wilson, 37, told the New York Post: “I have no idea where it is. I’m not sure I have it. I’m still looking for it. I haven’t even looked in my uniform pants yet.
“I’m still looking everywhere to find it, in my purse, everywhere.”
She old the paper earlier this week that she hid the ticket at the McDonald’s restaurant she worked at, even though she is claiming she bought the ticket with her own money and not through the work pool, much to the chagrin of her coworkers.
Mirlande Wilson has revealed she cannot find the winning Mega Millions ticket which could snag her a $105 million prize
Mirlande Wilson’s daughter Stephanie also revealed that her mother would not even allow them to look for the ticket.
“I wanted to look for it, I was crying. She wouldn’t let us. It’s a lot of money,” the 15-year-old said.
Since the Mega Millions draw last Friday, the Haitian immigrant has dominated the headlines as she came forward to say she had one of the three winning tickets.
But Mirlande Wilson refused to share the jackpot with her McDonald’s coworkers and said she bought the winning ticket with a lucky dollar she found on the ground.
She then went on to say it was in a safe place at an undisclosed location before saying it was at the fast food restaurant she worked in at Milford Mill. Now she claims she lost it.
Mirlande Wilson is leaving the discovery of the ticket in the hands of God: “It’s a blessing from God. If it’s meant to be, we’ll [find and] claim the ticket.”
But her coworkers aren’t so sure she’s telling the truth.
Another colleague told the Post: “I don’t believe her. I didn’t believe her from the beginning, she’s always been strange.
“She’s an attention seeker. She likes to have all the attention on herself.”
On her Facebook page, Mirlande Wilson has pledged to donate all of the winnings to rebuild her earthquake-ravaged native Haiti.
She wrote: “All my true friend know im not greedy a person [sic] i don’t want da money it made my life a living hell already im gonna give it all to rebuild haiti yall [sic] can chase all want my life and, my children it more important for money [sic].”
Mirlande Wilson held her own news conference last night where a lawyer pleaded that his client “be allowed to return to a normal life”, according to Wsbt.com.
Lawyer Edward Smith Jr. asked the media to leave his client alone. Mirlande Wilson said little, only confirming that she is originally from Haiti.
The attorney said the attention had caused his client’s blood pressure to spike. He said he was hired to protect her in case she was sued.
The crewless Japanese ship that drifted to Alaska after the 2011 tsunami has been sunk by the US Coast Guard.
The coast guard earlier said they would hold off scuttling the Ryou-Un Maru after a Canadian fishing boat claimed salvage rights.
But a Canadian official later said that the Bernice C had been unable to tow the 200 ft (61 m) Japanese “ghost ship”.
The US Coast Guard has used cannon to sink the boat, which had no lights or power and was viewed as a danger to other ships.
It was thought to be at the vanguard of a stream of tsunami debris that has been drifting east since last year’s disaster hit Japan.
The Ryou-Un Maru was first spotted off the coast of Canadian British Columbia on 23 March.
The vessel was moving at about 1 km/h in a maritime transport corridor that separates US and Canadian waters.
It was adrift about 195 miles from Sitka, Alaska, when it was sunk, officials said.
The US Coast Guard has used cannon to sink the Japanese ghost ship that drifted to Alaska after the 2011 tsunami
Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow told AP news agency that a cutter was used to fire cannon at the abandoned ship, which burst into flames and took on water.
After a few hours, larger ammunition was used to complete the job, he said.
A Hercules C-130 air crew was ready to participate in the operation, broadcasting to mariners and air traffic to alert them and help clear the surrounding area before the demolition of the ship began.
CPO Wadlow said it would be too expensive to try to salvage the ship, and too dangerous to put anyone on board.
The ship may have carried more than 7,500 litres of diesel fuel, officials said.
The Ryou-Un Maru, a shrimping boat, has been traced to the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
Alaskan Senator Mark Begich suggested that the boat’s owner had been identified, but the owner did not want the vessel back.
On 11 March 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit Japan, triggering a tsunami that swamped a power station, prompting the worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
[youtube ShX7G6dFXLc]
Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika has died, doctors and cabinet ministers have said, but this has not been officially announced.
One of the doctors who treated Bingu wa Mutharika, 78, said the president was “clinically dead” on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest.
State media are still reporting that he has been flown to South Africa for medical treatment.
If confirmed, his death would spark a constitutional crisis, analysts say.
According to the constitution, the vice-president takes over if the head of state is incapacitated or dies in office.
But Vice-President Joyce Banda and Bingu wa Mutharika fell out after a row over the succession in 2010, and she was expelled from the ruling Democratic People’s Party (DPP).
Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika was "clinically dead" on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest
Bing wa Mutharika’s brother, Foreign Minister Peter Mutharika, was chosen instead of Joyce Banda to be the DPP’s presidential candidate in the 2014 elections.
He has been standing in for the president when needed during official occasions.
Joyce Banda recently said she had not spoken to Bingu wa Mutharika for more than a year.
The doctors and ministers say that Bingu wa Mutharika’s body was taken to South Africa while a decision is taken about what to do next.
Government sources said efforts to resuscitate President Mutharika had failed and that an official announcement is being prepared.
Bingu wa Mutharika, a former World Bank economist, came to power in a 2004 election. Soon afterwards, he dramatically abandoned his United Democratic Front (UDF) party to form the DPP, after accusing leading UDF members of opposing his campaign against corruption.
Since being re-elected with a large majority in 2009, critics allege he has demonstrated an increasingly authoritarian streak.
The president has been under mounting pressure to resign, amid accusations of nepotism and economic mismanagement.
The criticism has led to a souring in relations with major foreign aid donors, especially the United Kingdom.
Last year, Bingu wa Mutharika expelled the UK High Commissioner, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, after a leaked embassy cable quoted the diplomat as saying that the president could not tolerate criticism.
The Malawian leader said he could not accept “insults” just because the UK was his country’s largest aid donor.
In response, the UK expelled the Malawian envoy to London and cut direct aid.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 a day.
The country has suffered shortages of fuel and foreign currency since the UK and other donors cancelled aid.
US activist group Invisible Children has released the second part of its video Kony 2012, which highlights the activities of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony.
The first 30-minute film attracted some 100 million views online, but was criticized for simplifying the issue.
The follow-up has been made without input from the group’s co-founder Jason Russell, who suffered a mental breakdown following publicity generated by the film.
The film-makers pledged to include more context in the latest video.
The first film profiled Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army, a militia operating in several African countries which has kidnapped thousands of children, forcing girls to become sex slaves and boys to fight as child soldiers.
Some criticized the video for oversimplifying a complex issue. Uganda’s Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said that the video wrongly gave the impression that the country was still at war.
Titled Kony 2012: Beyond Famous, the new release begins with the huge media reaction to the initial release, highlighting the mainstream media coverage the video gained across the US.
But it quickly switches focus to Africa, with more voices from Uganda than were featured in the emotive first release.
That film struck a chord with a younger generation not often engaged with the traditional news agenda.
“This generation has responded to the call to make Joseph Kony famous,” the group said, promising to take the “next step” on 20 April.
“Part II gives a closer look at the Lord’s Resistance Army, the international efforts to stop them, the progress that has already been made, and what we can all do to help,” the group said.
Invisible Children has released the second part of its video Kony 2012, which highlights the activities of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony
Some US senators claimed to have been alerted to the problem by their children amid the popularity of the first release.
“All three of my kids, in different context and different times have said: <<So what are you doing about Joseph Kony and the LRA?>>” Senator Chris Coons told the Associated Press.
Chris Coons is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations African affairs sub-committee. He has travelled to Africa to hear about the issue firsthand.
A recent report from the US Pew Research centre concluded that the first film represented a new way for young people consume news.
It found that 40% of 18-29 year-olds had heard about the video, compared with 20% of 30-49-year-olds and 18% of 50-64-year-olds.
The younger age group was also far more likely to have viewed the video. The majority had heard about it via social networks such as Twitter.
“The 30-minute video… provided striking evidence that young adults and their elders at times have different news agendas and learn about news in different ways,” the report said.
Invisible Children’s co-founder Jason Russell is currently in hospital after he was found semi-naked and screaming at traffic in the streets of San Diego.
He made himself the focus of the first film and came in for some heavy criticism from other advocacy groups and aid agencies.
Many criticized the Kony 2012 project for prescribing a “colonialist” approach to the issue of the LRA without empowering Africans to fix their own problems.
[youtube c_Ue6REkeTA]
The Russian Orthodox Church has apologized for showing a photo of its leader Patriarch Kirill in which a luxury watch he was wearing was airbrushed.
Patriarch Kirill’s gold Breguet watch is estimated to be worth more than $30,000 and was spotted by Russian bloggers.
The watch’s reflection could be seen in the 2009 photo on the church’s website.
The Patriarchate said the manipulation would be investigated and “the guilty ones will be punished severely”.
In a statement the Patriarch’s press service said “we reject on principle any use of photo editing software to alter the appearance of images.
“There will be a thorough investigation to determine why in this instance there was a crude violation of our internal ethical code. The guilty ones will be punished severely,” the statement said.
The Russian Orthodox Church has apologized for showing a photo of its leader Patriarch Kirill in which a luxury watch he was wearing was airbrushed
The original photo, dated 3 July 2009, showed a meeting between Patriarch Kirill and Russian Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov. The photoshopped version appeared this month.
Despite the airbrushing the watch’s presence was given away by its reflection on a polished table top.
After heated debate about it in the Russian blogosphere the Patriarchate first removed the enlarged image from the site and then removed the image altogether.
Now the Patriarchate says the original image is back in its archive.
In February 2012 a photo of Patriarch Kirill meeting President Vladimir Putin – who was prime minister at the time – showed Kirill wearing the Breguet watch.
Last week Patriarch Kirill told a Russian interviewer, Vladimir Solovyov, that expensive watches were not part of his official attire. He admitted owning a Breguet watch, but said he kept it in its box.
Mirlande Wilson, the woman who claims to be one of the three lucky winners of Friday’s Mega Millions, had previously refused to say where she had hidden her “winning ticket”, and would only reveal it was “some place safe”.
Mirlande Wilson, 37, from Baltimore, Maryland, has now told the New York Post the winning ticket is hidden somewhere in the McDonald’s restaurant where she works.
Despite the fact her coworkers, who claim the ticket was among a pool they organized to split the jackpot, are out for her blood and are more than likely searching the Milford Mill branch from top to bottom for the golden ticket, Mirlande Wilson assures they will not find it.
“I left my ticket there and it’s somewhere safe that only I know about,” Mirlande wilson told the Post, though revealed it was not in the company safe along with those bought for the workplace pool.
“I’m waiting for things to calm down so I can go back to McDonald’s and get it. The people there are too excited. I want their heads to cool down before I go back.”
But her coworkers aren’t so sure Mirlande Wilson is telling the truth.
The manager at the McDonald’s branch said: “That’s impossible. She didn’t come back here.”
Another colleague told the Post: “I don’t believe her. I didn’t believe her from the beginning, she’s always been strange.
“She’s an attention seeker. She likes to have all the attention on herself.”
Mirlande Wilson claims that the winning ticket is hidden somewhere in the McDonald's restaurant where she works
On her Facebook page, Mirlande Wilson has pledged to donate all of the winnings to rebuild her earthquake-ravaged native Haiti.
Mirlande Wilson wrote: “All my true friend know im not greedy a person [sic] i don’t want da money it made my life a living hell already im gonna give it all to rebuild haiti yall [sic] can chase all want my life and, my children it more important for money [sic].”
Mirlande Wilson held her own news conference last night where a lawyer pleaded that his client “be allowed to return to a normal life”, according to Wsbt.com.
Lawyer Edward Smith Jr. asked the media to leave his client alone. Mirlande Wilson said little, only confirming that she is originally from Haiti.
The attorney said the attention had caused his client’s blood pressure to spike. He said he was hired to protect her in case she was sued.
When asked if Mirlande Wilson had hidden her ticket inside the McDonald’s where she worked, the attorney said he did not know where the ticket was.
Mirlande Wilson told NBC she gave all of her coworkers the copies of the tickets for the pool and the winning ticket was not among them.
Instead she claims to have sent a friend to buy more tickets later that day and the winning one was among them.
“McDonald’s don’t have nothing to do with this,” she insisted.
“They don’t have nothing to do with – they don’t even know about it and they don’t even have nothing to do with this. It’s only us by ourself [sic].”
Lottery executives said they cannot confirm who the lucky three ticket holders are in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois until they come forward.
Mirlande Wilson has yet to produce a ticket, leaving Mega Millions officials skeptical.
Stephen Martino, Maryland lottery director, told ABC: “We don’t know any more than the public or media does and it’s all speculation and we’re not going to get involved in that.”
Another official added: “It’s probably not this person.”
New clashes between Greek protesters and riot police took place in Athens, hours after a pensioner shot himself dead outside parliament.
The 77-year-old man killed himself in the city’s busy Syntagma Square on Wednesday morning.
Greek media reported he had left a suicide note accusing the government of cutting his pension to nothing.
Flowers have been laid at the spot where he died and tributes have been paid online.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the square outside parliament on Wednesday evening, the scene of many large protests in recent months.
Violence erupted, with petrol bombs hurled at police, who fired tear gas in response.
New clashes between Greek protesters and riot police took place in Athens, hours after a pensioner shot himself dead outside parliament
Depression and suicides are reported to have increased in Greece as the country introduces tough austerity measures to deal with huge debts.
The man has not been officially identified but was named in Greek media as Dimitris Christoulas. He was said to be a retired chemist, with a wife and a daughter, who had sold his pharmacy in 1994.
The man shot himself in the central square just before 09:00, Athens News reports.
In the alleged suicide note, found by police and reported by Athens News, he said: “The government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state.
“And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting… I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don’t find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance.”
Dozens of people left handwritten messages and flowers at the spot where Dimitris Christoulas killed himself.
One of the notes, pinned to the tree, read “Enough is enough”, while another said “Who will be the next victim?”
Later, as night fell, the demonstrations degenerated into clashes as activists threw rocks and petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and flash grenades.
Prime Minister Lucas Papademos issued a statement calling the death “tragic”.
“In these difficult hours for our society we must all – the state and the citizens – support the people among us who are desperate.”
Government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis called the suicide a “human tragedy” but said “the exact circumstances” were unknown.
Evangelos Venizelos, head of the socialist Pasok party that holds a majority in the coalition government, called on colleagues to refrain from “political commentary” and “show solidarity and togetherness”.
Antonis Samaras, head of the conservative New Democracy party, said politicians must do more to “help Greeks escape from despair”.
Drastic austerity measures have been imposed on Greece to meet the terms of a huge eurozone financial bailout needed to save the country from bankruptcy.
Thousands of civil service jobs have been cut, taxes raised and there have been reductions in pay, benefits and pensions.
Suicides increased by 18% in 2010 from the previous year, according to Reuters news agency. The number of suicides in Athens alone rose over 25% last year.
[youtube 1_E4f1kcqjk]
Five former New Orleans police officers, who shot dead two unarmed civilians and wounded another four on a bridge in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, have been jailed.
The prison terms range from six to 65 years for the shootings on the Danziger Bridge in September 2005.
Four of the officers were found guilty of firearms offences and the fifth was jailed for helping the cover-up.
The officers planted a gun and fabricated witnesses and false reports to make the shootings appear justified.
Robert Faulcon, 48, received the longest sentence of 65 years; Kenneth Bowen, 38, and Robert Gisevius, 39, received 40 years each; and Anthony Villavaso, 35, was sentenced to 38 years in prison.
Retired Sgt Arthur Kaufman, 55, the officer who was assigned to investigate the shootings, received a six-year prison sentence for helping to co-ordinate the cover-up.
Robert Faulcon received the longest sentence of 65 years, Robert Gisevius and Kenneth Bowen received 40 years each and Anthony Villavaso was sentenced to 38 years in prison
On 4 September 2005, the police responded to a distress call from officers at Danziger Bridge, reporting gunfire.
The officers opened fire with assault rifles and a shotgun at an unarmed family walking on the bridge and at a man fleeing the scene.
A New Orleans couple, their daughter, and their nephew, were wounded and a family friend, 17-year-old James Brissette, was killed.
Ronald Madison, 40, who had mental and physical disabilities, also died on the bridge. He was shot in the back with a shotgun as he ran away.
It took five years to establish the details of what happened on the bridge.
Arthur Kaufman is the only officer who was not already imprisoned when the sentences were handed down. He is due to report to prison on 23 May, the Times Picayune newspaper reports.
The courtroom was packed with relatives and friends of the victims and policemen.
The case was part of a wider effort from the Department of Justice to clean up the New Orleans Police Department.
Hurricane Katrina battered through the city’s poorly maintained levees on 29 August 2005, flooding most of the city and stranding thousands of people on rooftops.
Five suspected al-Qaeda militants believed to have planned the 9/11 terror attacks have been formally sent to trial by the United States.
The five Guantanamo Bay inmates, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be tried by a military commission.
The suspects will face charges including terrorism, hijacking, conspiracy, murder and destruction of property.
They could face the death penalty if found guilty, the Pentagon confirmed.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four others – Waleed bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi – are expected to be tried together, the Pentagon added.
They are accused of planning and executing the terror attacks of 11 September 2001, which saw hijacked planes strike New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
A total of 2,976 people died in the attacks.
The five suspects are to hear their charges read out before a military court within 30 days, and are expected to be asked to enter a plea.
The decision to refer the charges to a military commission comes after a lengthy legal wrangle over where the five men would face justice.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in March 2003 and has been detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2006
In 2009 the Obama administration tried to move their trial into US civilian courts, but reversed its decision in April 2011 after widespread opposition.
The five were eventually charged in June 2011 with offences similar to those they were accused of by the Bush administration.
President Barack Obama came into office in 2009 pledging to close Guantanamo Bay and try high-value terror suspects in US civilian courts.
But he was forced to abandon the closure plans as it became apparent that the issue of where to imprison and try al-Qaeda suspects had no easy resolution.
The Pentagon has previously said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted he was responsible “from A to Z” for the 9/11 attacks.
In a previous court hearing he has said that he intended to plead guilty and would welcome martyrdom.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in March 2003 and has been detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2006.
US prosecutors allege that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was involved with a host of other terrorist activities.
These include the 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl and a failed 2001 attempt to blow up an airliner using a shoe bomb.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has alleged that he was repeatedly tortured during his detention in Cuba. CIA documents confirm that he was subjected to simulated drowning, known as waterboarding, 183 times.
Also facing trial are: Waleed bin Attash, a Yemeni; Ramzi Binalshibh, a Yemeni who allegedly helped find flight schools for the hijackers; Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, accused of helping nine of the hijackers travel to the US; and Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, a Saudi, accused of helping set up the hijackers with money, clothes and credit cards.
Aquaria Grande, the new towers in Mumbai, India, will feature swimming pools enclosed in glass instead of balconies.
Aquaria Grande, the 37-storey skyscrapers were the result of a collaboration between Hong Kong-based architect James Law and Indian real estate company Wadhwa Group.
The complex would have 200 apartments, three levels of car parking, a gym and sauna.
But not everybody feels inspired by the ambitious vision, with technology blog Gizmodo describing it as an “architectural nightmare”.
Mumbai's Aquaria Grande skyscrapers will have swimming pools instead of balconies
Writer Jesus Diaz claims on the site that the design is a “deadly accident waiting to happen”.
Jesus Diaz adds: “No matter what you want to call this, I would call it crazy.”
Another blogger for the mymodernmet site, however, appeared to find the idea of swimming pool balconies more appealing.
Contributor Pinar said the design represented an “unbelievable skyscraping residential complex”.
She said the pools were among its “most outstanding and eye-popping features”.
Serbia’s President Boris Tadic has announced his resignation.
Boris Tadic still has 10 months of his current term of office to serve, but the move will allow him to stand for re-election on 6 May.
Parliamentary elections are already scheduled to take place on that date, and the move is seen as a tactic to help his Democratic Party’s campaign.
Serbia’s President Boris Tadic has announced his resignation
Boris Tadic says he will formally submit his resignation to the speaker of the Serbian parliament on Thursday.
President Boris Tadic, who’s keen to build closer links with the European Union, will face a strong challenge from the nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic.
Richard Descoings, the head of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, one of France’s most prestigious academic institutions, has been found dead in a New York hotel room, police say.
The body of Richard Descoings, 53, was discovered naked at the Michelangelo hotel in Manhattan.
A police spokesman said investigators were awaiting a medical report to determine the likely cause of death.
He said police had so far found no evidence that a crime was committed.
Richard Descoings, director of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, has been found dead in a Michelangelo hotel room in Manhattan
Richard Descoings had been the director of the Sciences Po institute, one of France’s elite “grandes ecoles”, since 1996.
Colleagues raised the alarm on Tuesday morning when he failed to appear at an UN-sponsored conference of university heads he had travelled to New York to attend.
The spokesman, Paul Browne, told the AFP news agency that there was “no sign of trauma”.
He said the disorderly state of Richard Descoings’ room at the time of the discovery was the result of attempts by medical staff to resuscitate him.
Richard Descoings was known for carrying out a programme of far-reaching reform at Sciences Po, which educates much of the French political, media and administrative elite.
He also improved access for students from less privileged backgrounds.
In a statement, French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to Richard Descoings’ career, saying he had devoted his life to education.
Prev1...281282283...325Next 
Page 282 of 325
