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  • Hilton Botha, lead detective in Oscar Pistorius case, faces his own attempted murder charges

     Oscar Pistorius' murder case took a sensational twist Thursday when it was revealed that the chief investigator who analyzed the scene of Reeva Steenkamp's fatal shooting faces seven counts of attempted murder charges himself.

    Hilton Botha sits inside the court witness box during the Oscar Pistorius bail hearing. (AP)Hilton Botha, whose stumbling and at times incoherent evidence on day two of Pistorius' bail hearing gave the Blade Runner's case a serious boost, was allegedly one of three drunk police officers who opened fire on a mini-bus taxi full of passengers in 2011, according to South Africa's Eyewitness News.

    According to Botha, the shooting took place as part of the investigation into the murder of Denise Stratford, a Girl Scout leader whose body was discovered stuffed into a drain in 2011. Botha and colleagues were tracking the suspect and as part of their inquiries fired at the mini-bus when it failed to pull over when requested.

    Botha was arrested at the time due to the charges, which were subsequently dropped, before it emerged Thursday that they had been reinstated.

    "There was a decision taken by the director of public prosecution's office to charge the members, each one of them, with seven counts of attempted murder," said police spokesman Neville Malila. "That was the number of people that were in the taxi."

    Botha denied he was drunk during the alleged incident and told South African legal journalist Karyn Maughan on Thursday morning that the reinstatement of the charge is "beyond my comprehension."

    "I can only think it is linked to my work on the Oscar Pistorius case," he said.

    In a statement, however, the South African National Prosecuting Authority revealed the murder charge against Botha was reinstated before the Pistorius incident, reportedly as early as Feb. 4. Botha insisted to the media that he only learned of the reinstatement after the Valentine's Day killing of Steenkamp. According to Malila, Botha is scheduled to appear in court in May to face the charges.

    Thursday, the NPA called for Botha to be taken off the Pistorius case.

    "If we have an investigating officer that is facing such serious charges, it cannot happen that he continues with this case," a spokesperson said.

    Botha had become one of the major characters in the Pistorius case as it has unfolded with a bail hearing that stretched into a third day and resembled a mini-trial with detailed evidence being given from both sides.

    The reason for the elongated hearing is a product of both the vagaries of the South African legal system and the desire of both the prosecution and defense to gain a positive result on bail.

    During his testimony Wednesday, Botha unraveled under cross-examination from defense attorney Barry Roux, admitting that he couldn't find anything to contradict Pistorius' claim that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder. Botha also opened himself to allegations he had contaminated the crime scene by revealing he had not worn protective shoes and was forced to admit one of his witnesses, a neighbor, was more than a quarter mile away from the scene.

    'Black Presidents' 6 United States Commanders In Chief Before Obama

    Barack Obama is widely known as the United States' first black president. But is he really the country's first African-American commander-in-chief?

    Of course author Toni Morrison famously declared that former president Bill Clinton was really the nation's first black head of state, however, rumor has it there are six other former presidents who had African-American ancestry.

    Several scholars have discussed the genealogy of these presidents in the past, and the debate was reignited after Obama was elected in 2008.

    Check out the slideshow below for a list of former heads of state who allegedly were descendants of African-Americans.

    Soaring style: Rita Ora sports sequin dress with a hip height split for Brits after-party

    She arrived onto the red carpet in a controversial orange couture gown with a bizarre bustle detail but Rita Ora decided to slip into something a little more comfortable for the Brit Awards after-party.

    The 22-year-old singer flashed some leg in a black sequined dress that had a split that soared up to her hip.

    Rita's dress boasted a halter neckline with gold choker detail and a plunging back leaving more of her flesh on show.

    The R.I.P singer, who lost out on to Ben Howard for the Breakthrough Artist gong, had swapped a scruffy bun for tight curls as she arrived at the Sony bash held at the Arts club.

    Rita proved gracious in her defeat and tweeted: 'Don't worry you win some you loose some. We still killed this year!!'

    Earlier in the evening Rita had stepped out in couture gown by Ulyana Sergeenko couture gown but her sartorial gamble didn't pay off.

    Rita's outfit boasted a bizarre bustle effect draping, an unflattering high neckline and frayed hems.

    Perhaps the singer decided to change into the black dress after complaining that she was unable to breathe in the ensemble.

    Rita was joined at the Sony bash by the likes of Labrinth, Simon Cowell and Harry Styles.

    The One Direction singer brought his mother Anne Cox along to the bash and the pair were seen celebrating together.

    Harry and his band were presented with the new Global Success Award and the group also performed their new charity single, at the ceremony held at the 02.



    Police say Pistorius detective faces attempted murder charges as investigative mistakes revealed

    The lead investigator in the murder case against Oscar Pistorius faces attempted murder charges himself over a 2011 shooting, police said Thursday in another potentially damaging blow to the prosecution.

    Prosecutors said they were unaware of the charges against veteran detective Hilton Botha when they put him on the stand in court to explain why Pistorius should not be given bail in the Valentine's Day shooting death of his girlfriend.

    Prosecutors say Pistorius intentionally killed model Reeva Steenkamp and have charged him with premeditated murder. Pistorius says he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder and that the shooting was accidental.

    Police Brig. Neville Malila told The Associated Press that Botha -- who gave testimony in the Pistorius bail hearing on Wednesday -- is scheduled to appear in court in May on seven counts of attempted murder related to an incident in October 2011 when Botha and two other police officers fired at a minibus they were trying to stop.

    Malila said police had learned Wednesday, the same day that Botha appeared in court to oppose Pistorius' bail application, that the charges against Botha and the two others had been reinstated by the Director of Public Prosecutions. They were initially dropped following the shooting incident.

    Malila said police were now waiting for details from the Botha case file from the public prosecutor.

    Medupe Simasiku, the spokesman for the prosecutors charging Pistorius with premeditated murder, said he couldn't say how the charges against Botha would affect their case against Pistorius.

    Ryan Waterman, Florida Man, Arrested After Facebook Photos Show Kids Riding Manatee

    A Florida family turned a trip to Taylor Creek in St. Lucie County into their own private petting zoo in January, authorities report, and then posted the incriminating photos online.

    Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say they received a tip that Ryan William Waterman, 21, of Ft. Pierce, posted Facebook images of himself and two kids petting, lifting, and sitting on a manatee calf.

    The State Attorney's Office issued a warrant for Waterman's arrest based on the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, which makes it illegal to injure, harm, harass, capture or attempt to capture a Florida manatee.

    “This was a young manatee which was likely still dependent on its mother for food and protection,” FWC manatee biologist Dr. Thomas Reinert said in a release. “Separating the two could have severe consequences for the calf.”

    “The calf also appeared to be experiencing manatee cold-stress syndrome, a condition that can lead to death in extreme cases,” said Reinert. “Taking the calf out of the water may have worsened its situation.”

    If convicted, Waterman faces $500 fine and a maximum 60 days in jail, FWC spokeswoman Katie Purcell told Palm Beach Post.

    Unfortunately, this is not the first time a Floridian has mounted a sea cow.

    In October, a St. Petersburg woman was photographed riding a manatee just off-shore and was arrested after she turned herself in to police.

    The state has strict protection laws for the Florida manatee, which has been listed as an endangered species since 1967.

    Judy Viger, New York Mother, Arrested For Buying Strippers For Underage Son's Birthday Party

    As it turns out, strippers and underage teens do not the perfect birthday party make.

    At least that's the opinion of the South Glens Falls Police, who arrested New York mother Judy Viger on Monday for allegedly organizing and paying for a stripper surprise for her son's 16th birthday.

    Viger, 33, was charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Associated Press. The incident reportedly occurred at Spare Time Bowling Center in South Glens Falls, N.Y., in November.

    The AP reports that Viger is accused of hiring two women to dance with -- and on -- teens at the upstate bowling alley. The news outlet notes that pictures from the party appeared to show a "scantily clad, tattooed woman clinging upside down to a seated teen."

    Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy told The Post Star that police had interviewed numerous witnesses and parents. Officials said some children at the party were as young as 13.

    WRGB called Tops in Bottoms, the company that reportedly supplied the strippers, and the man who answered the phone told the station the incident was “blown out of proportion.”

    Similarly, a man who said he was Viger's friend argued "police have it all wrong," Fox23 News writes.

    Kerry Washington & Craig Robinson Star In New Posters For Tyler Perry-Produced Comedy

    Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson star in the upcoming film "Peeples," a new comedy from producer Tyler Perry.

    Written and directed by Tina Gordon Chism ("Drumline"), "Tyler Perry Presents Peeples" focuses on the Peeples, a well-off East Coast family celebrating a reunion weekend in the Hamptons. The idyllic retreat is interrupted when Wade (Craig Robinson) shows up looking to propose to Grace (Kerry Washington). Perry, the acclaimed writer, director, producer and star, is presenting the film.

    "I worked with Tyler on a movie he did called 'Daddy's Little Girls,'" Robinson told Movieline in 2011. "I can't say enough good things about him. He was way cool and down to earth. He put me in a scene, and the scene didn't make it into the final cut. But we were having so much fun on the scene that I did -- it was so funny -- that when I got to the set the next day, he had them put me in an outfit and add an additional scene. That's the kind of dude he is. He sees something and he goes with it. That's what makes him great."

    HuffPost Entertainment is happy to debut two exclusive new posters for "Peeples," one featuring Robinson ("The Office") and one featuring Washington ("Django Unchained"). Check them out below.

    Kelly Clarkson: Clive Davis 'Spreading False Information About Me And My Music'

    Kelly Clarkson has come out swinging at Clive Davis, whom she accuses of "spreading false information about me and my music" and bullying.

    Davis is currently making the media rounds in support of "The Soundtrack of My Life," a new memoir in which he reveals he is bisexual and had "loving relationships and sexual intimacy" with both men and women. Clarkson took issue with a very different passage, in which the music mogul apparently writes that she broke into "hysterical sobbing" when he demanded that smash hit "Since U Been Gone" would be included on Clarkson's album.

    "Not true at all," Clarkson wrote in a WhoSay post on Tuesday. "His stories and songs are mixed up. I did want more guitars added to the original demo and Clive did not. [Producers Max Martin and Ɓukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald] and I still fought for the bigger sound and we prevailed and I couldn't be more proud of the life of that song. I resent him dampening that song in any way."

    UPDATE: Davis' team has responded to Clarkson's note with a statement of his own:

        As anyone who has read "The Soundtrack of My Life" knows, I think Kelly Clarkson is a tremendous vocal talent and performer. In the book, I provide an in-depth look at our years together during which we shared major multi-platinum success, as well as a few creative differences. I am truly very sorry that she has decided to take issue with what I know to be an accurate depiction of our time together. Before the book was published, I had every fact checked with five independent individuals who were present on a daily basis throughout it all. The chapter as it is written was thoroughly verified by each and every one of them. I stand by the chapter as written in my book. At the same time I wish, and will always wish, Kelly's talent and her career to soar to ever new heights.

    The original article continues below.

    The "American Idol" winner goes further, alleging that Davis berated her after she played him "Because of You." "I cried because he hated it and told me verbatim that I was a 'sh-tty writer who should be grateful for the gifts that he bestows upon me,'" Clarkson writes. "He continued on about how the song didn't rhyme and how I should just shut up and sing. This was devastating coming from a man who I, as a young girl, considered a musical hero and was so honored to work with."

    Eventually, the label placed "Because of You" on the album, and it went on to be a smash hit. Clarkson goes on to say that she's since found fulfillment in all her professional relationships, thanking Davis "for teaching me to know the difference" -- presumably between ill-wishers and supportive partners.

    In 2007, Clarkson took to her website (via People) to address reports that a feud had emerged between her and Davis:

    Biotech Industry Ups Propaganda Efforts with Undercover Ambassadors?


        For years now I’ve warned of the many potential dangers of genetically engineered (GE) foods, pointing out that such crops might have wholly unforeseen consequences.

        In recent years, such suspicions have increasingly proven correct, forcing the biotech industry to up the ante of their propaganda campaign.

        A recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “Monsanto: Battered, Bruised, and Still Growing”1 sets the stage for the discussion that follows. The dark heart of Monsanto has been exposed in recent years, and they’re in dire need of an image makeover.

        I bet they probably have the best and brightest propaganda experts on speed dial these days. In the featured article, the company is lauded for “fending off” California Proposition 37 last November, as labeling foods containing genetically engineered ingredients would be “befuddling” to consumers.

            “I'd be up for the dialogue around labeling. Maybe we'll look back and say [Prop 37] was the start of a more reasonable debate. But it was a confusing proposition,” Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant tells the Wall Street Journal.

        Grant goes on to talk about how the company is now going “back to the basics of reconnecting” with their  customers, and how consistency in messaging and predictable pricing is helping turn the tide that has threatened to engulf them over the past three years.

    Biotech Industry Ups Propaganda Efforts with Undercover Ambassadors

        Part of this makeover program appears to be the recruitment of seemingly independent “ambassadors” to covertly lobby the GE agenda. The appearance of being an independent voice is imperative for the role to be effective, SpinWatch2 said in a recent article.

        According to an October 2011 article in the Guardian, leaked emails from a PR company working with EuropaBio listed potential candidates for the role3, including Lord Patten, chancellor of Oxford University and BBC Trust chairman; Sir Bob Geldof; former Irish EU commissioner and attorney general David Byrne; former UN secretary general Kofi Annan; and Mark Lynas, an environmentalist and writer who claims to have helped create the anti-GE movement back in the mid-1990’s. According to the Guardian:

            “The 10 or more ambassadors will not be paid directly, but the lobbyists have offered to write, research and place articles in their names, arrange interviews and speaking engagements with the Financial Times and other international media, and secure for them what could be lucrative speaking slots at major conferences.

            In addition, EuropaBio says it will introduce them to the highest-level European bureaucrats and MEPs in order for them to make the case for GM within EU institutions.”

        In 2011, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas responded to the news by saying:

            "This brazen attempt by EuropaBio to recruit covert 'ambassadors' to 'change the debate' on GM is yet further proof that the powerful GM lobby will stop at nothing to push its hugely unpopular and unnecessary products onto European citizens. We need far stronger regulation on corporate lobbyists across the EU to prevent this kind of insidious behind-the-scenes maneuvering from seriously undermining our democratic system."

    The Art of Spin, and the World of “War Craft”

        When confronted, the above named candidates denied knowledge of EuropaBio4, known as “the voice for the biotech industry at the EU level.” Most, including Mark Lynas, also claimed they’d reject the offer to peddle GMO policy should they be asked.

        What a difference a year makes. While Lynas suddenly began writing about his “conversion” in 2010, he recently took to the stage as a veritable born-again proselytizer of genetically engineered crops at the January 3 Oxford Farming Conference5.

        What better ambassador for the tattered and bruised Monsanto than a “former foe” having “seen the light of science” and, of his own free will (supposedly), deciding to mend his ways and right the wrongs he’s done against the biotech industry?

    Octomom Nadya Suleman checks into rehab for stress-related drug addiction

    Octomom Nadya Suleman has checked herself into a 28-day rehab program for an addiction to the anxiety drug Xanax, reports TMZ.

    Suleman, 37, will undergo treatment at the Chapman House Drug Rehabilitation Center in Southern California. Her three nannies and two friends will watch over her 14 young children during that time.

    "Nadya wanted to get off the Xanax she was prescribed by her doctor and learn to deal with her stress, exhaustion and anxiety with professional help with a team of doctors," says her rep. "Nadya wanted to deal with her issues and make sure she is the best mother she can be.”

    Suleman, a single mom, previously revealed she regrets having so many children and has considered suicide.

    "Some days I have thought about killing myself," said Octomom. "I cannot cope. Obviously I love them, but I absolutely wish I had not had them."

    Nadya, who has 14 children under age 10 (including her two-year-old octuplets), admits she made a mistake undergoing in-vitro fertilization and feels desperate many days.

    "The only way I can cope is to lock myself in the bathroom and cry," said the unemployed Suleman. "Sometimes I sit there for hours and even eat my lunch sitting on the toilet floor. Anything to get peace and quiet."

    Nadya, who has received countless death threats over the years, has struggled with financial problems and public hatred and says she deserves more credit than she's given.

    “I’ve trained them so well, they can brush their own teeth, dress themselves and scrub each other’s backs – they’re so independent,” she said. “It’s not chaotic. They’re very quiet and obedient and they’re well-behaved and smart. The kids have structure and discipline and only eat healthily – they don’t know what candy is! I’ve done a really great job with them – I don’t get any credit.”

    In fact, Octomom insists her children could not have a better mom. "They could never have a better home," she said. "A better home, physically, yes; we’re going to be moving. But they could never have a better mother."

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