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  • Suicide bomber devastates Shiite enclave in Pakistan, killing 83

    Pakistani police have revised the cause of a blast that killed 83 people on Saturday, saying a suicide bomber was behind the attack that pulverized a busy marketplace.

    The explosion targeted Shiite Muslims in Hazara, on the outskirts of the southwestern city of Quetta, authorities said.

    Police now say a suicide bomber, driving an explosive-laden water tanker, rammed the vehicle into buildings at the crowded marketplace.

    The water tanker carried between 800 and 1,000 kilograms (1,760 to 2,200 pounds) of explosive material, Quetta police official Wazir Khan Nasir said.

    Previously, police said explosives were packed in a parked water tanker and were remotely detonated.

    The blast demolished four buildings of the marketplace, leaving dozens dead and 180 injured.

    As of Sunday morning, no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

    The assault left some wondering what could stop the bloodshed in Quetta.

    Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, the governor and chief executive of Balochistan province, told reporters Saturday that law enforcement agencies were incapable of stopping such attacks and had failed to maintain law and order in Quetta.

    Pakistan, which is overwhelmingly Sunni, has been plagued by sectarian strife and attacks for years.

    Comeback cod lessens gloom over emptying oceans

     It was hours before dawn on a heaving Arctic sea, and snow showers were making it hard for Kurt Ludvigsen to find his fishing buoys with the trawler's powerful searchlight.

    But the 49-year-old Norwegian was less bothered by the conditions than by the large numbers of cod flailing in the nets he and his younger brother, Trond, winched aboard.

    "It's paradoxical but we have too many fish this year," the older Ludvigsen said. "Prices have fallen 30 percent ... We're having to work far harder."

    Just over six years ago, an article in the U.S. journal Science projected that all fish and seafood species, on current trends, would collapse by 2048.

    A cod bonanza off north Norway and Russia, and recovery of some fish stocks off the coasts of developed nations from the United States to Australia, have led many scientists to say the future for overfished world stocks is a bit less bleak.

    Stocks off the coasts of developing nations — from the Pacific to the Caribbean — are still in sharp decline, but the recoveries give hope that the problems are not irreversible.

    "The outlook is improving relative to what we saw in 2006," said Boris Worm, a professor of biology at Dalhousie University in Canada and lead author of the 2006 study in Science.

    "It's more than isolated examples — it's a substantial number" of successes, he said.

    A lot is at stake. Fisheries, both marine and farmed, provide livelihoods for up to 820 million people, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, which emphasizes that globally, overfishing is still on the rise.

    Cod, the 11th most-caught fish species on the FAO list (behind the Peruvian anchovy, skipjack tuna and Atlantic herring), has had a mixed fate.

    While a 1990s fishing moratorium off eastern Canada is still in place, and European Union quotas are unchanged this year, the quota off northern Norway and Russia is a record 1.1 million tons, up a third from 2012, and six times as high as in 1990.

    Part of the reason is that global warming has expanded the cod's habitat northwards. And strict management of quotas by Oslo and Moscow have played a role, fisheries experts say.

    Among other encouraging examples: Fish landings off the United States rose to a 14-year-high in 2011, "thanks in part to rebuilding fish populations," according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    U.S. successes include Atlantic swordfish, summer flounder, New England scallops, Pacific lingcod and mid-Atlantic bluefish, the Washington-based Pew Environment Group said.

    In September, another study in the journal Science said catches of the best-studied stocks off the coasts of developed nations were shifting towards sustainable levels.

    "We now know that we can make fisheries recover," said Christopher Costello, lead author of that study, and a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

    "That sounds obvious, but even 10 years ago many people would have disagreed, saying 'we've already decimated them to a point of no return.'"

    Many experts are now dropping a belief that overfished stocks, like cod off Canada, can never revive. Closing fishing grounds, or cracking down on illegal catches, usually gives stocks a needed respite, he said.

    That is much harder for developing nations, from the Philippines to Ecuador, to enforce, with the result that better conservation in one area may simply shift problems elsewhere.

    Report of immigration draft plan brings White House statement

    The White House is not directly commenting on a newspaper report that the administration is considering a path for illegal immigrants to become legal permanent U.S. residents within eight years.

    USA Today said it obtained a draft of a White House immigration plan that contained the proposal.

    The White House wouldn’t comment Saturday night directly on the USA Today report but released this statement:

    “The President has made clear the principles upon which he believes any commonsense immigration reform effort should be based. We continue to work in support of a bipartisan effort, and while the President has made clear he will move forward if Congress fails to act, progress continues to be made and the administration has not prepared a final bill to submit.”

    Since his re-election – which got a boost from Hispanic voters -- President Barack Obama has renewed his push for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration policy, including the topic in his inaugural address and State of the Union speech and making a trip to Nevada last month to highlight the issue.

    And there’s been some progress in the Senate: A bipartisan group of senators announced in late January that they had agreed on goals for a major rewrite of immigration laws. Those include creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who are here already and creating a system to ensure that employers don’t hire illegal immigrants.

    But reaction to the USA Today report by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., points to the difficulty in passing any package. Rubio issued a statement Saturday saying that if the president's eventual proposal follows the draft described by USA Today, it "would be dead on arrival in Congress."   

    Republican Politician Wants To Criminalize Nip Slips


    North Carolina state representatives have introduced a bill that would "clarify" state law to specifically prohibit the baring of women's breasts. Women worried about showing too much of their "private area" should use pasties, or perhaps duct tape.

    The proposed legislation, House Bill 34, would make it a Class H felony to expose "external organs of sex and of excretion, including the nipple, or any portion of the areola, of the human female breast."

    Rep. Rayne Brown (R), who co-sponsored the bill, said that while it may seem frivolous and even funny, "there are communities across this state, there’s local governments across this state, and also local law enforcement for whom this issue is really not a laughing matter," according to WRAL in Raleigh, N.C.

    Brown said that she was prompted, in part, by Asheville's second annual topless protest and women's rally this past August. Asheville is around 130 miles from Brown's district, the Associated Press writes.

    According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, the event last year drew around a dozen women, who took off their shirts to "promote women's equality."

    The AP reports that, depending on the intent of the exposure, women could face up to six months in prison for an errant areola, with "more mundane" exposure resulting in a 30-day sentence. There is an exemption for breastfeeding.

    The AP goes on to write that HB 34 would give law enforcement authority to make arrests and would clear up confusion stemming from a 1970 state Court of Appeals ruling, which said the term "private parts," as then specified in state law, did not include breasts.

    WRAL writes that Rep. Sarah Stevens (R), who chairs the North Carolina House Judiciary Subcommittee C, downplayed the impact the bill might have, but that committee member Rep. Annie Mobley (D) worried it might penalize women for wearing “questionable fashions."

    Senators Near Deal On Gun Background Checks


    The bipartisan group of four Senators who are negotiating over a proposal to expand the gun background check system privately met this week to discuss where things stand, according to sources familiar with ongoing talks. One source tells me the four Senators are “95 percent of the way there.”
    This isn’t to say that the last five percent can’t scuttle the emerging compromise. As one source put it, that remains the “hardest part.” But there is reason for optimism that the four Senators — Republicans Tom Coburn and Mark Kirk, and Democrats Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin — may be able to bridge remaining differences.
    Here’s where things stand, according to several sources. There is general agreement on the concept of expanding the background check to cover most private sales, and on the concept of improving state mental illness data-sharing with the feds — which is important, because it means the four more or less agree on the fundamental policy goal here. The four Senators are in discussions about exemptions — sales among family members — and about tweaking the way background checks are performed for private sales in certain rural areas. But sources say those are unlikely to be sticking points. The four Senators are discussing yet another possible exception designed to make the deal more palatable to gun rights lawmakers: Exempting those who have already obtained “conceal and carry” permits, the idea being they’ve already undergone a background check.

    One thing that still needs to be resolved is how to ensure that an expanded background check does not create some kind of national gun registry — again, in order to mollify gun rights lawmakers. The law as currently configured explicitly forbids the creation of any such registry, and it requires that any data collected during a legal gun transfer be destroyed within 24 hours. Despite this, the four Senators are discussing ways to write in new legislative language that would add additional safeguards against any data collection.

    “There is complete agreement, among Democrats and Republicans in the talks, that nothing will be by law or look in any way like a national gun registry,” says Jim Kessler, vice president at the centrist group Third Way, who has been briefed on ongoing discussions. Third Way recently put out a memo explaining why such a policy simply can’t produce any national registry.

    To put it bluntly, the problem faced by Republicans inclined to support an expanded background check is that GOP lawmakers (such as Orrin Hatch and Mitch McConnell) who don’t want to support this policy continue to misrepresent it, falsely claiming it would create a national gun registry. Because this convinces a lot of folks on the right that such an outcome is possible, Republicans inclined to support the proposal face major blowback, and so the four lawmakers are debating ways to add the additional safeguards.

    There is some additional debate over what should happen to receipts from gun sales, which are currently kept by gun stores. One idea being looked at is letting the gun buyers in rural areas keep the receipts.

    Meteorites slam into Russia as meteor seen streaking through morning sky

    A meteor streaked through the sky and exploded Friday over Russia's Ural Mountains with the power of an atomic bomb, its sonic blasts shattering countless windows and injuring almost 1,000 people. The spectacle deeply frightened thousands, with some elderly women declaring the world was coming to an end.

    The meteor — estimated to be about 10 tons — entered the Earth's atmosphere at a hypersonic speed of at least 33,000 mph and shattered about 18-32 miles above the ground, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement.

    It released the energy of several kilotons above the Chelyabinsk region, the academy said.

    Amateur videos broadcast on Russian television showed an object speeding across the sky about 9:20 a.m. local time, just after sunrise, leaving a thick white contrail and an intense flash.

    The explosions broke an estimated 1 million square feet of glass, city officials said.

    Russia's Interfax news agency said close to 1,000 people sought medical care after the explosions and most were injured by shards of glass, according to officials. Athletes at a city sports arena were among those cut up by the flying glass. It was not immediately clear if any people were struck by space fragments.

    "There was panic. People had no idea what was happening. Everyone was going around to people's houses to check if they were OK," said Sergey Hametov, a resident of Chelyabinsk, about 930 miles east of Moscow, the biggest city in the affected region.

    "We saw a big burst of light then went outside to see what it was and we heard a really loud thundering sound," he told The Associated Press by telephone.

    Amateur videos posted to Youtube showed a bright streaks of light crossing the morning sky. In some videos, a large boom was heard -- possibly an impact or possibly a sonic boom of the meteor sailing through the Earth's atmosphere at more than the speed of sound.

    Pistorius' girlfriend killed on Valentine's Day she was looking forward to

     South African model Reeva Steenkamp was looking forward to Valentine's Day.

    "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?" the 29-year-old asked her thousands of followers on Twitter a day before. "Get excited."

    Steenkamp was killed early Thursday in a shooting at the Pretoria home of Olympian Oscar Pistorius, her boyfriend.

    He has been charged with murder. In keeping with South African law, Pistorius will be named officially as the suspect when he appears in court Friday.
    Oscar Pistorius charged with murder

    Pistorius spokeswoman Kate Silvers said the athlete is "assisting the police with their investigation but there will be no further comment until matters become clearer later today."

    Read more: Woman found fatally shot in home of 'blade runner' Oscar Pistorius

    Pistorius, nicknamed the "Blade Runner," made history when he became the first Paralympian to compete in the able-bodied Olympics last year. He ran on special carbon fiber blades affixed to his legs, which were amputated below the knees as a toddler because of a bone defect.


    Capacity Relations, the agency that represents Steenkamp, announced her death. "She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth and will be sorely missed," the agency said on Twitter.

    Weary passengers leave disabled cruise ship

    Passengers who finally escaped the disabled Carnival cruise ship Triumph were checking into hotels early Friday for a hot shower, fresh-cooked food and sleep or boarding buses for a long haul home after five numbing days at sea on a powerless ship.

    The vacation ship carrying some 4,200 people docked late Thursday in Mobile after a painfully slow approach that took most of the day. Passengers raucously cheered after days of what they described as overflowing toilets, food shortages and foul odors.

    "Sweet Home Alabama!" read one of the homemade signs passengers affixed alongside the 14-story ship as many celebrated at deck rails lining several levels of the stricken ship. The ship's horn loudly blasted several times as four tugboats pulled the crippled ship to shore at about 9:15 p.m. CST. Some gave a thumbs-up sign and flashes from cameras and cellphones lit the night.

    Less than four hours later, the last passenger had disembarked.

    Some, like 56-year-old Deborah Knight of Houston, had no interest in boarding one of about 100 buses assembled to carry passengers to hotels in New Orleans or Texas. Her husband Seth drove in from Houston and they checked into a downtown Mobile hotel.

    "I want a hot shower and a daggum Whataburger," said Knight, who was wearing a bathrobe over her clothes as her bags were unloaded from her husband's pickup truck. She said she was afraid to eat the food on board and had gotten sick while on the ship.

    Buses arrived in the pre-dawn darkness at a Hilton in New Orleans to reporters and paramedics on the scene with wheelchairs to roll in passengers who were elderly or too fatigued to walk.

    Many were tired and didn't want to talk. There were long lines to check into rooms. Some got emotional as they described the deplorable conditions of the ship.

    "It was horrible, just horrible" said Maria Hernandez, 28, of Angleton, Texas, tears welling in her eyes as she talked about waking up to smoke in her lower-level room Sunday and the days of heat and stench to follow. She was on a "girls trip" with friends.

    She said the group hauled mattresses to upper-level decks to escape the heat. As she pulled her luggage into the hotel, a flashlight around her neck, she managed a smile and even a giggle when asked to show her red "poo-poo bag" — distributed by the cruise line for collecting human waste.

    This was only part of her journey to get home. Hernandez, like hundreds others, would get to enjoy a brief reprieve at the hotel before flying home later in the day.

    "I just can't wait to be home," she said.

    It wasn't long after the ship pulled into the Port of Mobile that passengers began streaming down the gang plank, some in wheelchairs and others pulling carry-on luggage. One man gave the thumbs up.

    Why married people tend to be wealthier: It's complicated

    If your Valentine’s Day plans include an engagement, congratulations! Besides romance, you also are more likely to experience financial joy – if your marriage works out.

    Couples who get and stay married can have as much as four times the wealth of their single or divorced peers. Experts say that's not only because they can combine their salaries and share expenses once they get married.

    Spouses are better off because of a combination of factors, starting with who is getting married these days.

    “It’s more educated, more affluent and also more religious Americans that tend to get married in the first place,” said Bradford Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia.

    That gives them a starting advantage over their peers who aren’t married. 

    Once they are married, the couples also are able to take advantage of economies of scale – anything from buying just one dishwasher to relying on one another’s health insurance. That allows them to build wealth more quickly than their peers who are single, divorced or  living together romantically.

    “You have further advantages,” said Pamela Smock, director of the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

    400 injured as meteor fireball screams across sky in Russia

    A huge fireball fell from the skies over Russia's Chelyabinsk region early Friday, resulting in a powerful blast that reportedly injured about 400 people.

    Reports from Russia suggested that the fireball was caused by a meteorite.

    "Preliminary indications are that it was a meteorite rain," the RIA-Novosti news agency quoted an emergency official as saying. "We have information about a blast at 10,000-meter (32,800-foot) altitude. It is being verified."

    The Associated Press quoted a spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry, Vadim Kolesnikov, as saying that the fireball caused in an explosion and sonic boom that broke windows.

    City authorities in Chelyabinsk, 930 miles east of Moscow, said about 400 people sought medical help, mainly for light injuries caused by flying glass, Reuters reported.

    The sounds of car alarms and breaking windows could be heard in the area, the witness told Reuters, and mobile phones were working intermittently.

    "I was standing at a bus stop, seeing off my girlfriend," said Andrei, a local resident who did not give his second name. "Then there was a flash and I saw a trail of smoke across the sky and felt a shockwave that smashed windows."

    The meteorite raced across the horizon, leaving a long white trail in its wake which could be seen as far as 125 miles away in Yekaterinburg.

    "I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day," Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg, told Reuters. "I felt like I was blinded by headlights."

    No fatalities were reported but President Vladimir Putin, who was due to host Finance Ministry officials from the Group of 20 nations in Moscow, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev were informed.

    Multiple videos posted to YouTube showed the object flaring brightly as it sped across the sky. Twitter users posted photos showing broken windows. One video showed an office building in Chelyabinsk being hurriedly evacuated.

    Russian news media quoted local residents as speculating that the blast could have been caused by a missile explosion or a military plane crash, but an unnamed emergency official told Reuters that was not the case.

    Should You Renounce Your Citizenship?

    Would you renounce your U.S. citizenship if it meant you’d be sending less of your hard-earned dollars to Uncle Sam?

    As Americans face higher taxes and stricter enforcement, a growing number of them are, indeed, deciding to turn in their US passports. As of 2013, 77% of Americans will pay higher federal tax rates because the cuts in Social Security payroll taxes expired when Congress passed its tax package on New Year’s Day.

    But the wealthiest households face the highest tax increases. From 2009 to 2011, the number of expatriates, or those who renounced their U.S. citizenship, doubled to 1,781.

    Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, which provides financial services for expatriates, said that since the start of this year, 48% more of his clients in January than in a typical month inquired about moving funds abroad and the possible tax implications of changing citizenship.

    The income tax rate rose this year to 39.6% from 35% for individuals earning more than $400,000 a year and married couples earning more than $450,000.

    The Tax Policy Center estimated that those who earn more than $1 million would pay an average of  $170,341 more in taxes.

    Green said there’s a tipping point for most people with regard to tax issues affecting their choice of location and citizenship. “If there’s only 10% tax [on income], no one would be leaving. But if there’s 90%, then most people would leave,” he said.

    Federal taxes aren’t the only issue, though. Increases in state income tax rates factor into these decisions as well. Recently, California enacted Proposition 30, which raised state income tax rates to 10.3% from 9.3% for individuals making at least $250,000 and 13.3% from 10.3% for those earning at least $1 million. Golfer Phil Mickelson publicly voiced his concern over the tax increases and threatened to leave California because of the higher rates.

    Famous Faces
    In the first three quarters of 2012, more than 1,100 people left the United States, according to the Federal Register, which tracks Americans who renounce their citizenship. (The Federal Register doesn’t make note of why these people give up their citizenships; we can only guess there are financial considerations in many situations.) Among them, one of the most high-profile examples was Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, who filed to relinquish his U.S. citizenship in September 2011; Facebook had its initial public offering in May 2012. Saverin, a Brazil native, had already been living in Singapore for three years after emigrating to the U.S. in 1998. He could reportedly save as much as $100 million in taxes because Singapore does not tax capital gains.

    Saverin isn’t the only famous renunciation. Singer and socialite Denise Rich also gave up her citizenship last year under her maiden name, Denise Eisenberg. She is well-known as the ex-wife of former international fugitive Marc Rich, a commodities trader who was indicted on 50 counts of wire fraud, tax evasion, racketeering and other charges. But on his last day in office in 2001, former president Bill Clinton pardoned Rich. Reports claimed that Eisenberg gave up her citizenship to be closer to her long-time partner, an Austrian citizen. Austria also has tax benefits for nationals who live abroad for more than half the year.

    Chinese kung fu star and actor Jet Li held American and Chinese citizenships, but dropped both in 2009 in order to be a citizen in Singapore. (Singapore prohibits dual citizenship.) In interviews Li indicated that he chose Singapore because it was free from paparazzi and provided language opportunities for his children.

    Most recently, actor Gerard Depardieu made headlines for renouncing his French citizenship to become a Russian citizen in order to avoid France’s proposed 75% tax on earned income above $1.4 million. Russia has a flat 13% tax rate.

    9-Year-Old Mother Is At Least 12, Mexican Officials Say

    Authorities in the Mexican state of Jalisco say tests have revealed that a girl who gave birth two weeks ago is between 12 and 13 years of age, not 9 as the parents had claimed.

    Jalisco state prosecutors also say the girl was impregnated by her stepfather and not her alleged 17-year-old boyfriend.

    Authorities announced last week that a 9-year-old had given birth to a baby girl and that they were looking for her boyfriend.

    But prosecutors said Wednesday that DNA tests revealed the baby's father is the girl's 44-year-old stepfather and that he is under arrest.

    They said an anthropological study of the girl showed she is between 12 and 13. The girls' parents didn't have a birth certificate for her and initially told authorities she was 9.

    Michelle Jenneke Sports Illustrated Video Australian Hurdler Jumps Into Swimsuit Modeling


    When it comes to expanding her celebrity, Michelle Jenneke still has some wiggle room. The Australian hurdler now appears in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and those interested in getting a behind-the-scenes look at her photo shoot can watch the video above.

    Jenneke, 19, has used her killer smile, world-class bod and YouTube fame off her pre-race bouncing at the IAAF World Junior Championship last summer to overcome moderate cred as a competitor. (She's still more than a second slower than fellow Aussie and Olympic champ Sally Pearson.)

    But at least for Jenneke's SI bikini shoot, the stopwatch is off.

    "I looked at the pictures and I think, wow, is that really me?" Jenneke says in video.

    In December, the young athlete appeared as a lonely man's fantasy object in a comedy short by The Chive. She did her well known gyrating dance in the skit, just as she did when the Internet took notice of her charms.

    Nhan Lap Tran Allegedly Kills Devin Aryal, 9, In Random Minnesota Shooting

    Police were still trying to determine Tuesday why a 34-year-old man randomly shot at passing vehicles in a suburban St. Paul neighborhood, wounding a female driver and killing her 9-year-old son, an aspiring astronaut whom she'd just picked up from daycare.

    A witness told The Associated Press that the man, whom police identified Tuesday as Nhan Lap Tran of Oakdale, was nonchalantly walking down the block the night before, as if he was on a stroll, when he began firing.

    Devin Aryal, 9, of Oakdale was killed. His mother, Melissa Aryal, 39, was shot in the arm. A woman in another vehicle also was injured, but was expected to survive.

    Police Chief Bill Sullivan said it appeared Tran legally owned the handgun used in the attack, and that authorities are not aware of any mental health issues he may have. Sullivan said officials were trying to determine if something happened to trigger the shootings.

    "At this particular point in time it appears to be completely random," Sullivan said.

    Sullivan said Tran was arrested Monday after police responded to the neighborhood on a report of shots fired. Tran was arrested about a half-mile away from where the shooting started, and was in custody Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree murder and first-degree assault. Prosecutors expected to file charges Wednesday.

    Sullivan said Tran does not have a history with Oakdale police. Tran did not have a criminal history, according to online court records.

    Cheryl Russell, 55, lives across the street from the house where police said Tran lived for several years. She said she was sitting on her couch around 6 p.m. Monday when she looked out her bay window and saw a short, stocky man in dark clothes walking down the street.

    Katy Perry & Rihanna Have Fallout Over Chris Brown


    We couldn't help but notice the seating arrangements at this year's Grammy Awards.

    Last year, onetime BFFs Katy Perry and Rihanna sat next to each other giggling and smiling. However, this year, Perry brought "Girls" star Allison Williams as her date, while Rihanna cozied up to Chris Brown.

    Though it was just four years ago that Brown brutally assaulted Rihanna before the Grammy Awards, the 24-year-old singer has forgiven him and confirmed that the two are together again -- which allegedly isn't sitting well with Perry.

    Sources told Us Weekly that Perry "doesn't approve" of Rihanna's decision to get romantically involved with Brown again, and their friendship has suffered because of it.

    This isn't the first time we've heard reports that Perry and Rihanna have let Brown come between them. In November, the New York Daily News reported that the two were "barely talking."

    At the time, a source close to Perry revealed "there has been tension" between the pop stars since Rihanna reunited with Brown, and noted that Rihanna even skipped out on Perry's Halloween party. Perry, like many others, fear that Rihanna is "making a huge mistake and doesn’t want to be part of it," revealed the insider.

    Though neither pop star has commented on rumors of their rift, we also couldn't help but notice the last time we saw the former BFFs together was at the MTV Video Music Awards in September --he same award show where Rihanna publicly planted a kiss on Brown.

    Lady Gaga Cancels Tour, Needs Hip Surgery

    Lady Gaga has canceled the rest of her tour dates due to a hip injury.

    Live Nation Global Touring said in a news release Wednesday that Lady Gaga has a tear in her right hip that will require surgery, followed by a recovery period.

    The pop star's website showed 21 dates through March 20 remaining on her "Born This Way Ball" tour schedule. Fans who have already bought tickets will receive a refund beginning Thursday.

    Lady Gaga postponed four dates on Tuesday after experiencing difficulties Monday during her concert in Montreal. The singer's show is high energy with non-stop dancing. She explained to fans on Twitter that she'd hurt herself while performing some time ago.
    She wrote: "I hid it from my staff, I didn't want to disappoint my amazing fans. However after last nights performance I could not walk and still can't".

    A news release announcing postponements Tuesday said the 26-year-old singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, was suffering from synovitis, an inflammation of the joints. She underwent tests Wednesday morning that showed she had a labral tear in her right hip, however. The labrum is a layer of muscle that helps holds the ball-shaped hip joint in place. The news release says the surgery will require strict downtime.

    Kate Upton Single Model Denies Relationship With Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander


    It appears to be a Valentine's Day miracle for Kate Upton admirers who have been dreaming about the bombshell ever since she wowed on the cover of last year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.

    The model, who also graces the cover of this year's swimsuit issue, told Fox 2 Detroit that she's single.

    After months of rumors about a relationship with Detroit Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander, spottings of the two and seeming confirmation by their family members, it seemed pretty certain that the covert celebs were a couple. But not according to Upton.
    "Actually, I'm single right now," Upton told the local news affiliate in response to a question about her possible beau. She said she spent her New Year's in Melbourne, Fla., despite a report by the New York Post that she vacationed in St. Thomas with Verlander for the holiday.

    Hear it straight from Upton in the video above, and get some advice on writing a perfect love poem to win her over.

    Lena Dunham's Revealing Rolling Stone Cover

    Lena Dunham is the latest Rolling Stone cover girl, and she doesn't look much like her "Girls" character Hannah Horvath: She's donning a white tank, lacy black bra and sporting her newly-signature pixie cut.

    "It's funny to me that I'm writing a show that people consider to be the voice of twentysomething people," Dunham says in Rolling Stone's Feb. 15th issue. "Because I don't feel that connected to it all the time."

    This won't be the first time Dunham has addressed being the voice of twentysomethings ... or, more accurately, "the voice of a generation."

    "I don't think I ever imagined that it would haunt me the way it is," Dunham said in a recent interview. "The character was on opium! I think the 'voice of a generation' concept was lost with beatnik literature. Because of globalization and increasing populations, my generation kind of consists of so many different voices that need so many different kinds of attention. But if my writing can show what it's like to be young, I'm happy."

    Married huntmaster cleared of shooting ex-lover but could still be jailed for lack of firearm licence


    A married huntmaster was cleared yesterday of shooting his showjumper ex-lover after their five-year affair.

    Brian Fraser, 63, was found not guilty of the attempted murder of Louise Leggatt, 55, and also of causing her grievous bodily harm with intent.

    He was alleged to have been enraged at the end of his romance with Louise - who the court heard was known in hunting circles as ‘Leg-Over Leggatt’.

    The verdicts came after a jury spent five and a half hours deliberating, following a two-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

    But Fraser had already admitted possessing a firearm without a licence and was warned by the judge he could still be sent to prison.

    Judge Charles Byers said: “You are at risk of serving a custodial sentence.

    “I have never come across such a lackadaisical and irresponsible attitude towards firearms, particularly for someone who is described as a countryman.”

    He bailed him him to return to court on March 18 to be sentenced over that matter.

    The judge also told Fraser not to have any contact with Louise or her two grown-up sons Ben and William, saying: “I am considering a restraining order which even in the face of an acquittal I can make.”

    Fraser showed no emotion as the verdicts were delivered but there were cheers and cries of ‘Yes’ from his family and friends in the public gallery, including his forgiving wife Nanette who looked tearful.

    Louise, who was in court, held her head in her hands and looked shattered.

    She was shot outside her secluded rented farmhouse home in Benenden, Kent, in March last year, as she went to tend her horses.

    She suffered shotgun injuries to her pelvis and leg, and underwent surgery to remove some of the pellets.

    Two months earlier, Louise’s home, The Pippins, was destroyed in an arson attack, forcing her to rent the next door property Bramleys, where she was shot.

    Nobody was ever convicted for the arson.

    Fraser and Louise met through the Ashford Valley Hunt in Kent in 2000 and became lovers in 2001.

    He moved into her home and they had a five-year affair before Fraser returned to his wife of 26 years in October 2011, at their farm in Shadoxhurst.

    Fraser denied he tried to rekindle their romance and was angry when she rejected him.

    Giving evidence during the trial, twice-divorced Louise sobbed as she relived the “terrifying” moment she was shot in her front garden by a hidden gunman.

    She said: “First of all, I heard a sound and then I just had the most horrendous pain in my leg and hip.

    “I couldn’t use my right leg at all but I managed to get inside and drag myself across the floor to where the phone was to dial 999.

    “I was absolutely terrified, I had never been so terrified in all my life.

    "I was really, really scared that whoever had done this was going to come back in and I couldn’t get back to the door to lock the door.”

    During the trial one of Louise’s ex-husbands, Philip Gorringe, admitted he had heard of her being referred to as ‘Leg-Over Leggatt’ in hunting circles.

    From cool girls like Beyonce to angry ones like Perrie Edwards, it's 3am's celeb-inspired Valentine’s Day gift guide

    Valentine’s Day is hard work – do you play it cool? Do you go over the top? Do you give something? Do you do something? Or do you use it as a massive excuse to get something you really want (i.e. naughty stuff)?

    Well, do not panic. In our celebrity inspired Valentine’s Day gift guide, we’ve got all the pressies you could possibly need this February 14th, with something for everyone. All you have to do is work out what type of girlfriend your other half is - but don’t worry, we’ve provided plenty of celebrity examples to help you decide.

    ***If this isn’t quite enough for you, we’re giving away most of the gifts in the below guide to one ridiculously lucky reader. We know, we spoil you. Get all the information at the bottom of the page***

    For the disgruntled girl



    If you need to win your sweetheart back like Zayn Malik – who allegedly cheated on Perrie Edwards with a waitress – then your gift is going to have to be both thoughtful, romantic and time consuming. There’s nothing more satisfying than getting a present that took ages to make – especially when you’re angry! Introducing the Instagram Book by Blurb. We all love sharing our artiest photos on the website, but this transforms your arty romantic snaps into a stylish little book to carry around in a handbag or pop next to the bed. The books come in two sizes (7 x 7 inch / 18 x 18 cm) size and start at £7.95 for 20 pages. It’s easy peasy too – check out the website here.

    For the horny girl



    Did anyone see Anne Hathway’s thank you speech at the SAG Awards? She looked directly at her Adam Schulman and said: “Thank you to my husband, I’ll show you why later”. Oh yeah – he got it that night. If you’ve got yourself an insatiable lady, it’s time to invest in a, gulp, vibrator. What do you mean ‘But that’s not fun for me?’ Not only is it great fun in the bedroom for both of you (it’ll give you the giggles while secretly thinking ‘Yeah, this alright actually’), but it’ll give her something to do when you’re knackered. Pick up elegant vibrator Shy Look, £85, from Box Of Grey with streamlined curves and three modes of pleasure. And high quality water based lubricant Give Lube will help ease you in at £8.95 per 100ml. Get it here.

    For the pregnant girl



    People with babies in their tummies need even more romancing than usual, because they’ve got one hell of a job on their hands. Take Peaches Geldof for example – she gave birth to little boy Astala and fell pregnant three months later – if she doesn’t deserve a lovely February 14 treat from husband Thomas Cohen, we don’t know who does. And given she’s carrying a foetus and her son around all over the place, the Micro-Pedi couldn’t be a better present. Designed to remove dry, rough and callused skin on the feet, while giving you a nice soothing sensation – this is a real treat. The Micro-Pedi costs £39.95 and is available from Lifes2good here.

    For the homey girl

    At some point in most girls’ lives – whether young or old – they decide that they’ve had enough of going out and experience a soft furnishings addiction. Take Lily Allen – she left London altogether and bought a farm! And while that’s the extreme end of the spectrum, this Annie Sloan Upholstery Workshop is a great way to learn something new and create a gift for the home together. Ahh. Annie Sloan Upholstery Workshops and Annie Sloan Furniture Painting Workshops are held throughout the UK and Ireland and cost around £60 for half a day. Find a local class here or call 01865 247 296.          

    For the demanding girl

    Run out of romantic ideas after giving your other half every present under the sun? Mariah ‘let’s renew our vows again’ Carey, we’re looking at you. Well, not only will this be something new, but it’ll shut her up for a while: the Lovers Leap Tandem Bungee Jump, £120, with Virgin Experience Days. Book yours here.

    Not such a hoot: New species of owl discovered which whistles

    An owl with a distinctive whistle is a new species, experts have declared.

    The bird, whose whistling call is completely different to other owls, is only thought to live on the island of Lombok in Indonesia

    Although the owl has been known for at least a century, it has only now been recognised as a new species.

    Previously experts had confused the bird, with brown and white feathers and big golden eyes, with a similar looking owl.

    Its official name is Otus jolandae but scientists are giving it the common name Rinjani Scops Owl.

    Two members of an international team independently recorded the signature whistle in 2003.

    Ornithologist George Sangster, from the Swedish Museum of Natural History, said: "It was quite a coincidence that two of us identified this new bird species on different parts of the same island, within a few days of being on the island.

    "That is quite a coincidence, especially considering that no-one had noticed anything special about these owls in the previous 100 years."

    Comparisons with museum specimens and previous studies confirmed the discovery and indicated that the owl was confined to one island.

    Locals on the neighbouring island of Sumbawa appeared to be unfamiliar with the bird, said Mr Sangster.

    "None of the locals recognised the songs from playback of recordings made on Lombok except for one man, but he was an immigrant from Lombok who knew the song," he said.

    The research is published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE

    The horse butchers Inside UK meat plant which was closed 30 minutes later

    This is the first time any journalist has gained access to a factory working with horse meat since the scandal began.

    Our photo shows staff at Farmbox Meats cutting up and boxing horse meat as they were shadowed by officials from the FSA wearing boiler suits and face masks.

    Company owner Dafydd Raw-Rees, who had invited the Mirror into the factory, insists that his firm has done nothing wrong.

    But at 10.30am – half an hour after our picture was taken – the FSA dramatically ordered the butchers to stop work.

    The FSA officials shut the factory down while they continued their investigation which had begun the night before.

    On Tuesday evening 20 police and the FSA team swooped on the meat factory in the sleepy village of Llandre in Ceredigion.

    The agency is looking into allegations that meat products labelled as beef for kebabs and burgers was in fact horse meat.

    The FSA suspended operations on Tuesday, detained all the meat and seized paperwork.

    As the butchers were allowed to restart work yesterday, the FSA continued to pore over the facility, inspecting meat and taking photos.

    Dafydd Raw-Rees, of Farmbox Food Limited Crisis: Dafydd Raw-Rees says he's distressed for his staff
    Wales News Service

    And it wasn’t long before the FSA ordered the workers out. Last night the government officials suspended Mr Raw-Rees’ licence until further notice and closed the factory down until tomorrow.

    The FSA believes Peter Boddy Licensed Slaughterhouse, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, supplied horse carcasses to Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth.

    The Peter Boddy plant, which denies any wrongdoing, was also raided by the FSA and police on Tuesday.

    After opening his doors to the Mirror yesterday, Mr Raw-Rees, 64, denied he was using horse meat for burgers or kebabs.

    He says all the meat is destined for a client in Belgium. The landowner added the carcasses were delivered from an abattoir in Ireland.

    Mr Raw-Rees said: “I am very distressed at what is happening – this will ruin my reputation. This is a fully legitimate operation.

    "All we do is cut the meat, we don’t process it or make it into burgers or kebabs.

    “I’m just trying to run a business and I feel like I have been dealt a very low blow.

    Reaction to publication of Kate photos over the top, says 'Chi' editor

    The editor of the Italian magazine that published pictures of a bikini-clad Duchess of Cambridge defended his decision yesterday saying they did not “harm” her image.

    Alfonso Signorini said the reaction to the photographs that show William and Kate on holiday on the exclusive Caribbean island of Mustique was “over the top”.

    The pictures were published in the gossip magazine Chi and were trailed on the front cover as showing the growing belly of Kate, who is about four months pregnant.

    On-air apology

    Earlier yesterday in Britain, presenter Eamonn Holmes was forced to make an on-air apology on This Morning programme after an unblurred image of the magazine’s front cover showing the duke and duchess in their swimwear “accidentally” appeared on screen. Holmes told viewers: “Unfortunately we accidentally showed an unblurred image of the magazine cover, which briefly showed the photographs.

    “This was a deeply regrettable error and we are very sorry. We apologise unreservedly to the duke and the duchess.”

    Mr Signorini justified his decision to publish the pictures of Kate and William on holiday in a series of interviews. He told the BBC: “The photographs, which can in no way be considered scandalous, were bought from an international photo agency, do not harm the image of the protagonists and the reaction of the media seems to me wholly over the top. Moreover, the photographs can hardly be considered an invasion of privacy when the subjects are public figures in a public place, in the open air; specifically on a beach surrounded by other bathers.”

    Meanwhile, the editor of an Australian magazine also defended her decision to print photographs of Kate in a bikini, saying her readers will “love” the images.

    Woman’s Day is the second publication to use the pictures of the pregnant royal. It also controversially published pictures of William and Kate’s Seychelles honeymoon in 2011.

    The Mustique pictures were reportedly taken from a boat using a long-lens camera, but Fiona Connolly, editor of Woman’s Day, claimed a member of the public snapped the duchess.

    Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Sparks Controversy. Offensive or Overreaction?

    It's been a big week for Sports Illustrated. First, a blogger leaked the swimsuit issue's much-anticipated cover, upstaging David Letterman's big reveal on Monday. Now website Jezebel is calling out the men's magazine for using minorities as "props" in photos featuring models in bikinis posing in seven different continents.

    Sports Illustrated coverJezebel argues that the magazine is perpetuating racial stereotypes by drawing power and class lines between the Westernized models and the "primitive locals" and points to a long history of media using people of various ethnicities as "extras", citing Nylon magazine, the Free People catalog, British Vogue, and J-Crew.

    Depending on where you look, the reaction has been mixed, even among the men who are supposed to be titillated. On Jezebel's website, one male commenter wrote, "Pics of woman with local natives is NOT hot, it's exploitative, so the mission is fail right there. Oh and exploitative. I do not know what they were thinking….fail all around." While another guy wrote, "Some of the examples are ›‹reaching a bit…the one with the boat….why pick that for China? Especially when everything I read about China is how they're an industrial powerhouse." And one helpful reader on Sports Illustrated's Facebook page pointed out, "Technically speaking they were not shot in all seven continents. While Easter Island may belong to Chile, it's a Polynesian island, and not part of the South American continent." Oy.

    Shine reached out to Sports Illustrated and Scott Novak, SVP, Communications & Brand responded with "No comment" but added that the man who appears in the Namibia photos "may have done other editorial work before."
    In Spain, a model leans on a Matador. (photo by Sports Illutrated)

    "These photos depict people of color as exotic backdrops," David Leonard, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Culture, Gender, and Race Studies at Washington State University, tells Yahoo! Shine. "As with beautiful oceans, picturesque trees, people of color are imagined as exotic, as novel, as foreign, as uncivilized and as a point of comparison for the civilized white beauties scantily clad in bathing suits. Beyond functioning as props, as scenery to authenticate their third world adventures, people of color are imagined as servants, as the loyal helpers, as existing for white western pleasure, amusement, and enjoyment."
    In Africa, a black man is positioned next to a model carrying a spear. (photo by Sports Illustrated)

    "As Jezebel writes, where are the images and pictures of bustling cities, skyscrapers — the pictures reify dominant narrative about the uncivilized and primitive third world. They define people of different races as 'other' and the sexual white female body as desirable, as they're to be watched, consumed, and enjoyed by men in lounge chairs," he adds.

    Evelyn Hu-DeHart, Professor of History and Ethnic Studies, Director, Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America (CSREA) at Brown University tells Yahoo! Shine: "It's understandable why some would find these photos disturbing. The juxtaposition of scantily-clad white, modern, cosmopolitan and western woman against natives, animals, exotic scenery, primitives (African native), traditionals (Chinese fisherman; ethnic minority girls in China); The exception is the photo of the Spanish bullfighters, in which case the model is suggestive of the bull.  The white models are tourists and colonials."

    Apple loses right to iPhone name in...

     When it comes to buying an iPhone in Brazil, consumers have one extra option that the rest of us do not.

    There's the "iPhone" made by the California tech giant Apple. Then there's the "iphone" made by the Brazilian firm Gradiente Eletronica and, perhaps in a slap to Apple, runs on rival Android's operating system.

    And it's going to stay that way pending any future appeal or settlement.

    On Thursday, Brazil's Institute of Industry Property (INPI), the country's main patent regulator, ruled that Apple holds no exclusive right to use the iPhone moniker to market its mobile phones. If Apple continues to use the iPhone name, Gradiente can sue.

    INIP added that Gradiente Eletronica holds exclusive rights to the trademark though 2018 after having registered for the iPhone name in 2000. Apple only unveiled its iPhone name in 2007.

    Apple may have gotten a bruising but an appeal is in the works. And in a twist on timing that Apple hopes may help it win branding rights, Gradiente Eletronica only launched its first "iphone", the iphone Neo One, in December 2012 -- five years after Apple debuted its inaugural iPhone. Gradiente explained it held back on releasing its own iphone until recently as it concluded corporate restructuring from 2008.

    Apple's trademark trouble in Latin America's most populous country is just the latest in a series of global snafus that have spanned China, Japan and the United States.

    Just days after Apple announced its first iPhone in January 2007, Cisco Systems sued the company in U.S. federal court saying it had owned trademark rights since 2000. Apple and Cisco agreed to a settlement the following month that allowed both companies use of the iPhone name.

    In 2009, Apple paid Proview Taiwan a sum of $55,000 for use of the "iPad" name in mainland China. But in a complicated dispute, Proview claimed Apple set up a shell company to fool it into selling the trademark. In addition, Proview Taiwan did not actually own the rights to the iPad trademark in mainland China -- a subsidiary, Proview Shenzhen, did. Apple only secured the name in 2012 after paying out the actual trademark owner $60 million.

    Outspoken Oscar Escapes Punishment Photo

    Oscar Pistorius will face no disciplinary action over his outburst following defeat in the men's 200 metres final, Paralympic organisers said on Tuesday.

    Moments after losing to Brazil's Alan Oliveira on Sunday, his first 200m defeat in nine years, Pistorius used a post-race interview to question the legitimacy of his defeat.

    Pistorius, dubbed the "Blade Runner", suggested that his opponent's prosthetics were too long which had artificially lengthened his stride, giving him an unfair advantage.

    "There will be no disciplinary action against Oscar for his comments," International Paralympic Committee (IPC) director of communications Craig Spence said on Tuesday.

    Pistorius apologised for the timing of his comments in a statement on Monday, but maintained there was still a fundamental issue about the length of athletes' prosthetics that needed to be addressed.

    Pistorius met with Paralympic officials in the immediate aftermath of his defeat when it was decided a further meeting would take place to discuss his concerns.

    "We decided we needed to go through the official channels rather than just sending an informal text message saying let's meet," Spence added.

    "So we are waiting for the national Paralympic Committee of South Africa to go through the relevant channels and contact the IPC and then a meeting will be set up."

    Pistorius, who was defending his 100m, 200m and 400m titles, streaked into an early lead and was almost 10 metres ahead as the athletes came into the home straight but the Brazilian launched a stunning fightback and surged to victory.

    IPC rules governing the length of prosthetics are determined by a complicated formula that involves measuring from the chest to the amputated limb and the arm span.

    This is converted into a height prediction and a maximal height is used to assess the length of prosthetics.

    Immediately after the race, the IPC confirmed that Oliveira's blades fell within the legal limits.

    Pistorius continues his Paralympic campaign on Wednesday in the 100m heats, with the 400m and 4x400m relay to follow later in the week.

    Woman found fatally shot in home of 'blade runner' Oscar Pistorius

    A 30-year-old woman was found fatally shot in the upscale Pretoria home belonging to South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius, police said Thursday.

    Police said they have arrested a 26-year-old man -- the same age as Pistorius -- in connection with the shooting and that he will appear in Pretoria magistrate court sometime Thursday.

    Pistorius, nicknamed the "Blade Runner," made history when he became the first Paralympian to compete in the able-bodied Olympics last year.

    Several South African media outlets reported that the woman was mistaken for an intruder. Police Brig. Denise Beukes said she was aware of the reports, but could not confirm them.

    South Africa has a high crime rate, and it's not unusual for homeowners to keep weapons to protect themselves from intruders.

    Pistorius, a double-amputee, ran with the aid of prosthetic limbs during the London Olympics last year, the first Paralympian to compete in the able-bodied Olympics.

    The runner's legs were amputated below the knee when he was a toddler because of a bone defect. He runs on special carbon fiber blades, hence the nickname.
    Deadly shooting at Oscar Pistorius home
    'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

    While he failed to win a medal in the Olympics, his presence on the track was lauded as an example of victory over adversity and a lesson in dedication to a goal.

    Derrick Rose may sit out season

     Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose reiterated Wednesday night there is a chance he will sit out the entire season as he recovers from surgery to fix a torn ACL in his left knee.

    Rose said he isn't sure when he'll return to the floor.

    "I really don't know," he said. "I'm feeling good, but like I said, if it's where it's taking me a long time and I'm still not feeling right, I don't mind missing this year."

    More from ESPNChicago.com

    Derrick Rose's decision on when to return will be his own, despite the many people who will be in his ear, Jon Greenberg writes. Story

    • Friedell: Noah plans to play in ASG

    Rose said he would like to play this season but isn't sure if his body will heal in time.

    "I would love to," he said. "I would love to. That's why I approached my rehab and my workout so hard. I'm trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible, but if I have anything lingering on, it's no point."

    Rose's told USA Today Sports on Monday afternoon that he was still "far away" from returning and wouldn't come back until he was "110 percent." Rose did acknowledge late Wednesday night the decision to play is his and he would listen to his inner circle of trusted associates and Bulls' personnel.

    "(Agent) B.J. (Armstrong), of course. People from the organization, (Bulls GM) Gar (Forman), (Bulls VP of operations John Paxson), all them people. Trainers, just people that I will normally be around every day. But it's really on me to make that decision when I'm going to play again, so that's cool that they left it up to me."

        “

        Rose I would love to [return]. I would love to. That's why I approached my rehab and my workout so hard. I'm trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible, but if I have anything lingering on, it's no point.

    Rose, who injured his knee in the first game of the Eastern Conference playoffs on April 28 and had surgery on May 12, admitted he is still struggling with gaining his explosion back. The next step?

    "Being able to dunk," he said. "I can't dunk, man. I know if I can dunk off stride, I know I'll be out there playing, but I can't."

    Still, Rose's spirits appear high. He has accompanied the Bulls on the road since the first of the year and is enjoying being with his teammates.

    "Right now, I'm feeling pretty good, man," he said. "Where (I'm) slowly getting back in the mix. The other day we played the 3-on-3, one-on-one, and I felt good out there. I'm not trying to rush myself, just still trying to be patient and just trying to take my rehab very serious right now."

    Paxson said earlier Wednesday that Rose will participate in 5-on-5 practices after this weekend's All-Star break.

    Meanwhile, Rose admitted he's struggling to regain both his mental and physical confidence.

    Kate Middleton Pregnant Bikini Photos Published by Tabloid, Royal Family Fumes

    Kate Middleton may be mother to the future King or Queen of England, but that can’t protect her from tabloid attention, much to the frustration of the royal family.

    Italian magazine Chi published two photographs of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge in a bikini on Wednesday, inciting protest and disapproval from the palace.

    Kate Middleton: Royal Pregnancy Mysteries Solved

    "We are disappointed that photographs of the duke and duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas. This is a clear breach of the couple's right to privacy," a spokeswoman from St. James Palace said in an official statement on Tuesday, when news of the photographs hit the Internet.

    The photographs show the Duchess, with her naturally curly hair, sporting a tiny baby bump in a blue bikini, walking along the beach with William in the Caribbean island of Mustique.

    In the press, pregnant celebrities often face unwelcome scrutiny over their changing bodies. But the royal baby fever is on an entirely different level. For the right to publish the first glimpse of Kate's "baby bump," publishers all over the world are paying upwards of $500,000.

    Chi is the same magazine that published 18 photographs of a topless Kate Middleton in September. When French magazine Closer published the photographs, the Duke and Duchess took legal action, barring their publication.

    Alfonso Signorini, the editor of Chi, balked at the palace’s suggestion that the images were an invasion of privacy. “The photographs can hardly be considered an invasion of privacy when the subjects are public figures in a public place,” he told People Magazine. “What out readers will see is simply a moment of joyful relaxation being enjoyed by a smiling, happy couple. Where’s the scandal in that?”

    Women’s Day editor Fiona Connolly also ran the photographs, claiming no boundaries had been crossed. “There is no photographer hiding in the bushes and she is not inside a private villa,” she told News Ltd.

    Chi Magazine cover with pregnant Kate MiddletonChi Magazine cover with pregnant Kate MiddletonFor Americans, it can be difficult to understand what the fuss is all about. But in the U.K., the press has a “gentlemen’s agreement” with the royals and with many celebrities out of respect for their privacy, Victoria Arbiter, ABC News Royal Contributor, told Yahoo! Shine. “The Palace is incensed over the publication of these photos because they're realizing that this is a battle they cannot win. The British press has been incredibly well behaved. But the idea of the whole world playing fair when there is money to be made is just ludicrous.”

    San Bernardino County sheriff: 'This investigation is over'

    Follow the story here and at CNN affiliates KCBS/KCAL, KABC and KTLA. Anderson Cooper 360ยบ devotes the entire hour to the frenzied manhunt, the final shootout, and the people allegedly killed by an ex-LA cop. Watch "9 Days of Terror: The Hunt for Christopher Dorner" Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.

    Riverside, California (CNN) -- Authorities said Wednesday they are reasonably sure that the body found inside the burned cabin near Big Bear Lake, California, is that of Christopher Dorner, the rogue ex-cop who had been pursuing a vendetta against his fellow officers.

    "We believe that this investigation is over, at this point, and we'll just need to move on from here," San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon told reporters.

    Although the description and behavior of the man who was killed are consistent with Dorner, officials "cannot absolutely, positively confirm it was him," McMahon said.

    "We're not currently involved in a manhunt," he said. "Our coroner's division is trying to confirm the identity through forensics."

    Authorities say Dorner launched a guerrilla war against the Los Angeles Police Department over what he considered his unfair dismissal in 2009.

    McMahon identified a sheriff's detective who was fatally shot Tuesday by the man presumed to have been Dorner as Jeremiah MacKay. MacKay, 35, was a 15-year veteran who was married with two children, a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-month-old son.

    Another officer has undergone "a couple of different surgeries" after being wounded in the shootout. "He's in good spirits and should make a full recovery after a number of additional surgeries," McMahon said.

    The two men were ambushed Tuesday when they responded to a report of a vehicle stolen by a suspect matching Dorner's description, McMahon said.

    "It was like a war zone, and our deputies continued to go into that area and tried to neutralize and stop the threat," McMahon said. "The rounds kept coming, but our deputies didn't give up."

    The suspect then fled into a nearby vacant cabin, which caught fire after police shot tear gas canisters into it, McMahon said.

    Although the canisters included pyrotechnic tear gas, which generates heat, "We did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner out," McMahon said.

    It wasn't clear when a formal identification could be made of the charred remains found in the cabin about 100 miles east of Los Angeles after Tuesday's shootout with police. Until then, "a lot of apprehension" remains in the ranks of the LAPD, Lt. Andy Neiman said.

    'A very trying time' for the LAPD

    "It's been a very trying time over the last couple of weeks for all of those involved and all those families, friends and everybody that has been touched by this incident," he said.

    On Wednesday, police from around the Los Angeles area and beyond gathered to bury Michael Crain, who was among the four people fatally shot, allegedly by the 33-year-old former Navy officer.

    Dorner also killed the daughter of a former LAPD captain and her fiance and shot three other officers, including Crain's partner, police say.

    Sideboob, Underboob, Boob Window: The Creative Ways Celebrities Choose To Show Off Some Skin


    Perhaps it's the memo CBS sent out pre-Grammys that got the stars inspired to try new ways of baring skin, or maybe they're simply trying to liven up the same old act with fresh new fashion. Whatever the reason, last weekend's awards ceremony made us realize some celebrities just choose the oddest ways of showing their skin.

    From the underboob to the boob window, from the scary high leg slits to the all-over slits and cuts, these are some of the odd ways the world's finest ladies choose to flaunt their figures:

    Investigators attempting to identify human remains found in search for fugitive ex-cop

    Human remains have been found in the burned-out cabin where a fugitive ex-cop was believed to be hiding and investigators will attempt to identify them through forensic tests, a sheriff's spokeswoman said in a statement to Fox News.

    San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller says the remains were found late Tuesday after a shootout. Authorities believe Christopher Dorner barricaded himself inside the cabin and a fire later ensued.

    Investigators will attempt to determine if the remains are Dorner's through forensic tests.

    Dorner, who vowed not to be taken alive, had been surrounded inside the cabin since early Tuesday afternoon. It was not clear who set the fire in the Big Bear community where Dorner apparently has been hiding since sometime last week.

    The saga has gripped the country, and has the nation's third-largest police department on tenterhooks for a week. Dorner, a former Navy man and highly trained marksman, had vowed revenge on the department he believed had wronged him - designating specific targets for death. As flames devoured the cabin, police stood by, confident that there was no escape for Dorner, and no way he could survive the blaze - assuming he had not already taken his own life. One law enforcement source told The Associated Press a single shot was heard inside the cabin before the fire broke out.

    San Bernardino Sheriff Spokesperson Cindy Bachman told reporters that they will not enter the structure until it is safe to do so.

    Law enforcement sources said sometime within the last few days, Dorner broke into an cabin off Route 38, on the mountain resort area where days ago his truck was found burning. Two women were held there until Tuesday morning, when Dorner left in a white pickup believed to belong to one of the women, who he left bound inside. One managed to escape and call authorities around 12:50 p.m. local time.

    Sometime later, fish and wildlife officers spotted the stolen pickup, which they were looking for, and tried to stop it near Big Bear Lake, authorities said. The driver, believed to have been Dorner, fled on foot, exchanging gunfire, sources told Fox News. Hours later, police had Dorner cornered in another cabin, exchanging gunfire with the suspect. It was there that his rampage would end.

    Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/13/police-say-no-body-has-yet-been-found-after-cabin-stronghold-fugitive-ex-cop/#ixzz2KmIdyQbb

    Charred Human Remains Found in Burned Cabin

     Investigators have located charred human remains in the burned out cabin where they believe suspected cop killer and ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner was holed up as the structure burned to the ground, police said.

    The human remains were found within the debris of the burned cabin and identification will be attempted through forensic means, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said in a press release early this morning.

    Dorner barricaded himself in the cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear Tuesday afternoon after engaging in a gunfight with police, killing one officer and injuring another, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.

    Cindy Bachman, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which is the lead agency in the action, said Tuesday night investigators would remain at the site all night.

    FULL COVERAGE: Christopher Dorner Manhunt

    When Bachman was asked if police thought Dorner was in still in the burning cabin, she said, "Right… We believe that the person that barricaded himself inside the cabin engaged in gunfire with our deputies and other law enforcement officers is still inside there, even though the building burned."

    Bachman spoke shortly after the Los Angeles Police Department denied earlier reports that a body was found in the cabin, contradicting what law enforcement sources told ABC News and other news organizations.

    Police around the cabin told ABC News they saw Dorner enter but never leave the building as it was consumed by flames, creating a billowing column of black smoke seen for miles.

    A press conference is scheduled for later today in San Bernardino.

    One sheriff's deputy was killed in a shootout with Dorner earlier Tuesday afternoon, believed to be his fourth and victim after killing an LAPD officer and two other people this month, including the daughter of a former police captain, and promising to kill many more in an online manifesto.


    Cops said they heard a single gunshot go off from inside the cabin just as they began to see smoke and fire. Later they heard the sound of more gunshots, the sound of ammunition being ignited by the heat of the blaze, law enforcement officials said.

    Police did not enter the building, but exchanged fire with Dorner and shot tear gas into the building.

    One of the largest dragnets in recent history, which led police to follow clues across the West and into Mexico, apparently ended just miles from where Dorner's trail went cold last week.

    Police got a break at 12:20 p.m. PT, when they received a 911 call that a suspect resembling Dorner had broken into a home in the Big Bear area, taken two hostages and stolen a car.

    The two hostages, who were tied up by Dorner but later escaped, were evaluated by paramedics and were determined to be uninjured.

    Officials say Dorner crashed the stolen vehicle and fled on foot to the cabin where he barricaded himself and exchanged fire with deputies from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office and state Fish and Game officers.

    Janice Dickinson Makes Off With $20,000 In Jewelry

     Monique Tatum, a representative of the event, contacted The Huffington Post with the following statement:

        "Janice was an integral part of our event and flew mid snow storm to be a part of The Reality of FASHION The Reality of AIDS. We were very appreciative of that. Janice Dickinson did need to leave immediately after the show as she had another engagement to attend. I am 100% positive that she did not intend to leave with her pieces as her team was on the phone with ours immediately. Being that we were all staying in the same hotel, with myself personally a few doors down from Janice I did ok the pick up of the pieces the next day. Which did take place. She was extremely kind to me. She was one of the jewels in the crown of our show and we greatly appreciate her participation."

    Information removed from the New York Post's original story has also been removed from the below.

    PREVIOUSLY: Janice Dickinson strutted down the runway at New York Fashion Week on Saturday, donning $20,000 worth of jewelry that she just so happened to leave on as she then strutted out of the building.

    The former "America's Next Top Model" judge was accused of leaving the catwalk with the jewels after participating in "The Reality of FASHION The Reality of AIDS,” a benefit show that also featured Lil' Kim, “Jersey Shore” star Deena Cortese and “Real Housewives” headliners Alex McCord, Ramona Singer and Sheree Whitfield.

    The jewels have since been returned, according to the show's creators, but not before the organizers had to work to track Dickinson down, the New York Post reports.

    Dickinson's rep, Brad Taylor, says the former Vogue cover gal did not intend to keep the jewels and that the incident was an accident. According to the Post, Dickinson gave the goods to Taylor to return on her behalf after leaving.

    The New York Post reports that Dickinson had asked the show's organizers to fly out her fiance Robert Gerner as well, claiming to need his presence as support now that she's sober. The organizers declined to cover Gerner's ticket, and he flew on his own dime instead, the Post reports.

    The incident doesn't mark the first time the supermodel has caught iffy press surrounding her Fashion Week behavior. In 2007, Dickinson was booted for attending while drunk.

    Here's Dickinson on the runway with Lil' Kim and designer Dominique Auxilly:

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