Laser affects search for 12 missing Marines off Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — The latest in the crash of two Marine helicopters off Hawaii (all times local):

8:30 a.m.

The Coast Guard says crew members looking for 12 Marines missing after two helicopters crashed off Hawaii had to alter their search patterns because of a laser.

The Coast Guard says a green laser off Haleiwa Beach Park struck an aircraft searching for the Marines on Saturday night. Crew members weren't exposed to the laser and didn't need to land, but they changed their search patterns to avoid being struck again.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Tara Molle says lasers can be life-threatening for crew members flying at night. She says it can cause a temporary loss of night vision. Two helicopters each carrying six Marines went down off Oahu's north shore late Thursday.

Molle says there's no intention as of Sunday morning to call off or suspend the search.

7:30 a.m.

Large waves persist as search and rescue efforts are underway for 12 Marines missing after two helicopters crashed off the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The National Weather Service says a high surf warning for the north and west shores of Oahu is extended until noon Sunday. The surf is expected to subside to advisory levels in the afternoon.

Two helicopters each carrying six Marines went down off Oahu's north shore late Thursday. The Coast Guard says the search area was expanded Saturday to include waters off the west coast of the island.

Honolulu lifeguards on rescue water crafts are expected to resume helping with the search at about 8:30 a.m.

Read More

The Latest: 2 People Die, 4 Children Injured in Fla. Tornado

The latest developments in the tornadoes that struck communities in Florida south of Tampa Bay (all times local):

1:30 p.m.

The Skyway Bridge, a major thoroughfare in Tampa, has reopened. Officials closed the bridge earlier Sunday morning for the second time since midnight after wind speeds reached up to 50 mph with wind gusts up to 60 mph.

Severe weather sparked a pair of tornadoes that ripped through central Florida before dawn Sunday, officials said. A couple was killed and their son and four grandchildren were injured when one of the twisters destroyed their mobile home in the community of Duette.

Gov. Rick Scott is scheduled to tour damaged areas in Siesta Key at 1:45 p.m.

11:00 a.m.

Officials in Tampa closed the Skyway Bridge, a major thoroughfare, Sunday morning for the second time since midnight after wind speeds reached up to 50 mph with wind gusts up to 60 mph.

Severe weather sparked a pair of tornadoes that ripped through central Florida before dawn Sunday, officials said. A couple was killed and their son and four grandchildren were injured when one of the twisters destroyed their mobile home in the community of Duette.

Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube says two adults, their adult son, and their four grandchildren were inside the mobile home when the early morning twister struck.

 

9:20 a.m.:

Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube says that two adults were killed and five people injured, including four children, when a tornado touched down in central Florida. Steube said two adults, their adult son, and their four grandchildren were inside the mobile home when the twister hit. 

Steven Wilson died in the tornado when it ripped the mobile home apart. Wilson's wife, Kate, was taken to a hospital and died from a heart attack. Their son, also named Steven Wilson, crawled out of the wreckage and helped his four children out of the house. They are being treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Read More

Burkina Faso begins 3 days of mourning after al-Qaida attack

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso began three days of national mourning Sunday and the president said security would be stepped up in the capital and the country's borders after al-Qaida militants in a vehicle from neighboring Niger killed at least 28 people in an attack on a hotel and cafe popular with foreigners.

In a message to the nation, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said the people of Burkina Faso must unite in the fight against terrorism. He also announced on the national broadcaster, Burkina 24, that security forces would be stepping up their efforts to thwart future attacks and asked people to comply with the new restrictions.

"These truly barbaric criminal acts carried out against innocent people, claimed by the criminal organization al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) seek to destabilize our country and its republican institutions, and to undermine efforts to build a democratic, quiet and prosperous nation," said Kabore.

The national mourning began Sunday, a day after Burkinabe and French forces ended a more than 12-hour siege at the upscale Splendid Hotel in downtown Ouagadougou. When the gunfire and explosions finally stopped, authorities said 18 were killed in the hotel and 10 were killed at the nearby Cappuccino Cafe.

Among the victims was a Ukrainian woman who was co-owner of the cafe with her Italian husband, Gaetano Santomenna, according to Ukrainian officials. Although Santomenna was not at the cafe and survived the attack, the couple's son, Michel Santomenna, 9, was killed, according to the Italian foreign ministry. Italy's foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni, called the child's death "a horrendous crime," in a tweet which also expressed sympathy with the boy's father.

The toll also includes six Canadians, according to Canadian officials. Others killed include seven citizens of Burkina Faso, two Ukrainians, two Swiss, two French and one each from the U.S., Holland, Portugal and Libya, and one French-Ukrainian, according to Burkina Faso officials who released a partial list. Other bodies were being identified.

The American — Michael Riddering, 45, of Cooper City, Florida — had been working as a missionary in Burkina Faso since 2011, where he and his wife ran an orphanage that also provided shelter to abused women and widows. He is survived by his four children, two of whom were adopted from Burkina Faso.

Riddering was "a wonderful, godly man" who managed to find spare time to help teams of volunteers from other organizations who dug wells for local residents, said John Anderson, a board member of Sheltering Wings, Riddering's charity.

"During the Ebola crisis, when it was hard to find people to do the digging, Mike would go out and join them so they could continue doing the work," Anderson said. "And that's backbreaking work. He never stopped moving and never stopped helping."

Swiss authorities said its two nationals who were killed were also in Burkina Faso for humanitarian reasons.

The al-Qaida group claiming responsibility for the carnage released an audio tape titled: "A Message Signed with Blood and Body Parts."

 

On Sunday, French authorities were back at the scene carrying out a forensic investigation. Special forces from the former colonizer came during the overnight siege from their base in neighboring Mali to help Burkina Faso's military put an end to the killings.

Some guests returned to the Splendid Hotel to pick up their luggage and other belongings left behind when guests fled for their lives when the gunmen began firing to kill as many people as possible.

The attack, which began around 7:30 p.m. Friday, was the first of its kind in Burkina Faso, a largely Muslim country that had managed to avoid the kinds of jihadist attacks that have destabilized neighboring Mali since 2012.

In a separate incident two Australian humanitarian workers were kidnapped by extremists in northern Burkina Faso. Surgeon Ken Elliott and his wife Jocelyn were abducted Friday. The couple, reported to be in their 80s, were kidnapped in the northern town of Djibo where they had run a medical center for 40 years.

Read More

Autopsy Released After TV Producer Found Dead in Belize

 

An executive producer at ABC station WLS-TV in Chicago was strangled in Belize, an autopsy revealed. 

Anne Swaney died from "asphyxia due to compression of the neck area, throttling (manual strangulation) and blunt force traumatic injuries to the head and neck region," according to the autopsy. Her body was found floating face-down in the Mopan River on Friday morning about a quarter of a mile from where she was staying. 

Swaney, 39, was the executive producer of online operations at WLS-TV, where she had worked since 1999. While police said most of her belongings were recovered, her family told WLS-TV her cellphone appeared to be missing. Her belongings will be delivered to U.S. Embassy officials Monday, WLS-TV reported. 

Swaney was traveling alone in Belize this week, the station reported. Police said she disappeared after going down to the river to practice yoga Thursday morning on her second visit to the farm

"At about 3 o'clock we realized she wasn't around and that's when we were alerted that her things were down at the yoga platform," Santiago Juan, who owns the eco-resort where Swaney stayed, told WLS-TV. Police detained a man fishing near where Swaney's body but stopped short of calling him a suspect. 

"He is a person of interest," said Rafael Martinez, a spokesman for the Belize Ministry of National Security. "He is a person who the police believe can assist in the investigation." 

Martinez said the investigation was complicated by the river in which her body was found is a mile from the Guatemalan border. 

"It's not far-fetched to have someone come and commit a crime in Belize City or Belize and go across the border into Guatemala," Martinez said. 

Her colleagues remembered her as a world traveler who gave her whole heart to what she loved. 

"I'm really without words because it is a tragic loss for our newsroom, and really for the entire station and for the city of Chicago. She was terrific at what she did," ABC7 Chicago President and General Manager John Idler said. 

"She was a trailblazer in the digital news space and was one of our first website employees," said John H. Idler, president and general manager of ABC7. "Anne helped us evolve our business and our newsroom, but most importantly, she was a kind person who was always had a smile and a positive attitude." 

"Anne was our leader, Anne was our conscience. Anne wanted to make sure that every story that we put online was first and foremost right," said Kevin Carpenter, director of digital operations at ABC7 Chicago.

 "There's always going to be a spot there that we will miss."

Read More

President Obama Says US Seeing Results of Diplomacy With Iran

 

The implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal and five Americans freed by Tehran in a prisoner swap are reasons for optimism, President Obama said Sunday during a rare weekend address, showing the fruits of diplomacy with a still-hostile adversary of the United States. 

"This is a good day," the president said. "Once again, we’re seeing what’s possible with strong American diplomacy." 

Four U.S. citizens freed by Iran -- including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian -- were released Sunday, according to a senior administration official and their families. A fifth American, Matthew Trevithick, had already left the country.

“They never gave in and they never gave up,” Obama said of the Americans, some of whom reportedly experienced torture in years-long detentions. 

As part of the prisoner swap, the U.S. offered clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom are dual U.S.-Iranian citizens, who had been convicted or were awaiting trial in the U.S., said the official. The U.S. also removed Interpol red notices and dismissed charges against 14 Iranians for whom extradition was unlikely to be successful. 

Sanctions against Iran were also lifted Saturday as part of its nuclear deal. Obama said the negotiations made way for a new diplomatic channel with Iran, one that he said would remain open during the search for former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who was last seen on Iran's Kish Island in March 2007. 

Obama also hailed the cooperation between Iranian and U.S. diplomats that secured the release of 10 sailors last week who drifted into Iranian territorial waters. 

“Some folks here in Washington rushed to declare that it was the start of another hostage crisis,” Obama said. “Instead, we worked directly with the Iranian government and secured the release of our sailors in less than 24 hours.” 

During his statement, the president also announced the resolution of a decades-long financial dispute that will result in the U.S. sending back $400 million to Iran, plus $1.3 billion in interest. He explained the settlement would save billions of dollars that “could have been pursued by Iran.” 

“Nuclear deal done, prisoners released, the time was right to resolve this dispute as well,” Obama said.

Obama also reiterated what he said was proof of the strength of American diplomacy. 

“These things are a reminder of what we can achieve when we lead with strength and wisdom,” he said. 

Though the president touted improved relations with Tehran, the U.S. Treasury announced earlier Sunday new sanctions as part of Iran's ballistic missile program. Obama said the U.S. would strictly enforce new sanctions directed at curbing Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East but added "we have a rare chance to pursue a new path."

Read More

Man Dies From Burns Suffered in Moldova Restaurant Blast

Moldovan authorities say a man has died of injuries he suffered after a bottle of gas exploded at a restaurant last week, injuring 20 people. The Health Ministry said a 63-year-old man died Sunday from extensive burns that he sustained in the blast during lunchtime hours on Jan. 9 at the La Soacra restaurant in downtown Chisinau. 

Twenty people were hospitalized in Moldova, and three were later transported to neighboring Romania for treatment. Police arrested the two restaurant managers, who are charged with violating work safety regulations and causing serious bodily harm because of imprudence. 

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 15 minutes. It spread over a surface of 55 square meters (590 square feet).

Read More

American Missionary Among Dead in Burkina Faso Hotel Attack

The mother-in-law of an American missionary confirmed Saturday that he was among those killed after al-Qaida fighters attacked a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso's capital of Ouagadougou. Carol Boyle said Michael Riddering, 45, died in the Cappuccino Cafe, where he was to meet a group Friday that was going to volunteer at the orphanage and women's crisis center he ran with his wife, Amy Boyle-Riddering. 

Riddering arrived early and was in the cafe with a local pastor; when the attack started, they ran in different directions, Boyle said. The pastor had Riddering's phone, and called Boyle-Riddering to say they were at the cafe and there was gunfire, but then the line went dead. The pastor hid in the cafe; he survived. It wasn't until a fellow Christian missionary found Riddering in the morgue on Saturday that they knew he was dead. 

He leaves behind four children, two of whom were adopted from Burkina Faso.

"He was extremely well-loved and respected. He wasn't a hypocrite, he wasn't a two-face. He had his guiding light, and he followed it," Boyle said by phone from her home in Weston, Florida.

Riddering, who once managed a yacht outfitting company in Cooper City, Florida, and his wife, a graphic designer, sold their property and possessions and moved to the town of Yako to run the Les Ailes de Refuge orphanage in 2011, Boyle said. The complex also includes a clinic, classrooms and a home for abused women and widows.

"They were looking forward to continuing to working in Burkina Faso and raising their children together," a statement from Sheltering Wings, the missionary organization that sponsored the orphanage, said. "Tragically and unexpectedly, Mike's life was cut short. We grieve with Amy and her family, and all who knew Mike."

John Anderson, a Sheltering Wings board member, remembered Riddering as "a wonderful, godly man" who managed to find spare time to help teams of volunteers from other organizations who dug wells for local residents.

"During the Ebola crisis, when it was hard to find people to do the digging, Mike would go out and join them so they could continue doing the work," Anderson said. "And that's backbreaking work. He never stopped moving and never stopped helping."

At least 28 people died in the attack by fighters, which triggered a siege lasting more than 12 hours. The dead, which included victims from 18 different countries, included the wife and young daughter of the Italian cafe owner, two French citizens, two Swiss citizens, and six Canadians.

Read More

Baby born in Hawaii with brain damage confirmed to have Zika infection

(Reuters) - A baby born with brain damage at a hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, has been confirmed to have been infected by the Zika virus, that state's department of health said, in what appears to be the first U.S. case of the mosquito-borne virus.

The Hawaii State Department of Health said in a written statement that the mother was believed to have had a Zika infection while living in Brazil in May 2015 and that the baby was likely infected in the womb.

"We are saddened by the events that have affected this mother and her newborn," Dr. Sarah Park, Hawaii state epidemiologist, said in the statement.  On Friday U.S. health officials issued a travel warning for 14 countries and territories in the Caribbean and Latin America where infection with Zika is a risk.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in particular cautioned pregnant women not to travel to those areas as Zika has been linked to serious birth defects. (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html). The travel alert applies to Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

It also includes advice that women who are trying to become pregnant should consult with their doctor before traveling to those areas. In the Hawaii case, a doctor recognized the possibility of a Zika infection in the newborn baby and alerted state officials, the health department said. The infection was confirmed by a laboratory test conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Hawaii health department said it sent a medical advisory about the infection to doctors across the state but emphasized that neither the mother nor baby were infectious. Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes, which also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses and are common in Texas, Florida and elsewhere in the United States.

The virus is usually a mild illness with fever, rash and joint pain. There is no preventive vaccine or treatment, according to the CDC.

Read More

Man dies after being left brain-dead in French drug trial

Rennes (France) (AFP) - A man who was left brain-dead after suffering serious side-effects during a drugs trial in France died on Sunday, according to the hospital which had been treating him. Five other volunteers hospitalised a week ago when the drugs trial went wrong were "in a stable condition", the hospital in the western city of Rennes said in a statement.

The private laboratory Biotrial was testing a new pain and mood disorder medication for Portuguese pharmaceutical company Bial on humans for the first time, in what is known as a Phase I trial, to test the drug's safety.

A total of 108 volunteers took part in the trial, 90 of whom received the drug at varying doses while the rest were given placebos. The six men who were hospitalised, aged 28 to 49, were the group which received the highest dose.

Pierre-Gilles Edan, head of the neurology department at the Rennes hospital said Friday that three of the men were suffering a "handicap that could be irreversible" and another also had neurological problems. The sixth volunteer had no symptoms but was being monitored.

"The 84 other volunteers exposed to the drug" have been contacted, said the hospital. Ten of them came in to be examined and did not have the "anomalies" seen in the hospitalised patients.

The incident is the worst of its kind ever to have taken place in France, which has launched three separate probes to determine whether the tragedy was caused by an error in the trial's procedures or in the substance tested. Bial is cooperating with the investigation and vows it followed "international best practice" in developing the drug.

"Our principal concern, at the moment, is taking care of participants in the trial," Bial said in a statement on Friday.

Biotral said in a statement on Sunday that it is planning to work with the international scientific community to develop "changes to the standards governing such trials", without giving further details. The company, which has been carrying out drug trials on behalf of pharmaceutical companies since 1989, said the situation is "even more upsetting given that there is as yet no explanation".

Previous testing, notably on animals, had not thrown up any unusual results.

- Damaged for life -

Such serious mishaps are rare during the development of a drug, which begins in the laboratory before being animal tested and then three phases of human trials before it can be brought to market.

France's public body ONIAM, which is responsible for compensating the victims of medical accidents, said it had in its files only around 10 cases of accidents during drugs trials over the past 15 years, and "with consequences infinitely less serious" than the case in Rennes.

Although a rarity, there have been precedents in other countries.

A comparable accident took place in 2006 in London when six people taking German drug manufacturer TeGenero's TGN1412, which it was developing to treat certain types of cancer and other immunological diseases, fell seriously ill, with one suffering from multiple organ failure.

Two of the volunteers were in a critical condition and one lost all his fingers and toes. The victims said they had the impression that their brains were on fire and that their eyes were coming out of their sockets.

Although they all survived, experts said at the time that their immune systems would be damaged for life.

Read More

IS abducts over 400 in east Syria after deadly assault

Beirut (AFP) - Jihadists from the Islamic State group have abducted more than 400 Syrian civilians after capturing new ground in a major assault on the city of Deir Ezzor that left dozens dead.

The shock attack comes despite a Russian air campaign targeting the group that began in September, and more than a year of strikes by a US-led coalition against the jihadists in Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS had killed at least 135 people in the multi-front attack that began on Saturday.

The dead included 85 civilians and 50 regime fighters, according to the monitor, which said Sunday that IS had also kidnapped more than 400 civilians from captured territory.

"Those abducted, all of whom are Sunnis, include women, children and family members of pro-regime fighters," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

He said they had been taken to areas under IS control in the west of Deir Ezzor province and to the border with Raqa province -- the main IS stronghold in Syria -- to the northwest.

The monitor said at least 42 IS fighters had been killed in the attack, adding that fighting was ongoing on Sunday, with regime forces backed by Russian air strikes trying to recapture lost ground. It added that regime forces were bringing additional troops and military equipment from elsewhere in the city to the battlefront.

Syria's state news agency SANA said at least 300 civilians, "most of them women, children and elderly people," had been killed in the assault.

It denounced the deaths as a "massacre".

- History of mass murders -

 

The IS assault puts the group in control of around 60 percent of Deir Ezzor city, which is capital of the surrounding province of the same name, an oil-rich region that borders Iraq. The jihadist group already controls most of the province, but regime forces have clung onto part of the city and a neighbouring air base despite repeated IS attacks.

If confirmed, the death toll in the assault would be one of the highest in a single attack by IS, though the jihadists have carried out mass murders before.

In 2014, its fighters killed hundreds of members of the Sunni Shaitat tribe in Deir Ezzor province after they opposed the jihadists. And in August 2014, the group massacred some 200 Syrian soldiers when it overran the Tabqa military base in Raqa province.

 

The jihadists have also carried out mass abductions before, seizing more than 200 civilians from central Homs province in August 2014, and at least 220 Assyrian Christians from villages in the northeast of the country months earlier.

Some of those abducted in those incidents have been freed in small batches, in some cases reportedly in exchange for ransoms. The assault came despite a Russian air campaign that began in September in support of the government, which Moscow says targets IS and other "terrorist" groups.

- IS under pressure -

The Russian strikes have so far killed at least 808 IS fighters, according to the Observatory, though they have also killed moderate and Islamist fighters and civilians, it says.

 

More than 3,700 IS jihadists have also been killed in US-led coalition strikes that began in Syria in September 2014. On Sunday, the Observatory said 40 civilians including eight children had been killed in strikes on the IS bastion of Raqa city.

The monitor said it was unclear if the strikes were carried out by regime or Russian planes. In recent months, IS has come under pressure particularly from Kurdish fighters backed by US strikes, and more recently regime forces supported by Russian air raids.

On Saturday, at least 16 IS fighters were killed in a failed attack on a government position in Aleppo province, where loyalist troops and pro-regime fighters have been advancing towards the group's stronghold of Al-Bab.

Regime forces are now within 10 kilometres (six miles) of Al-Bab, and are seeking to sever IS-held territory in Aleppo province from that held by the group in neighbouring Raqa.

Analysts say the group regularly seeks to open new offensives when it is under pressure elsewhere.

More than 260,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

Read More

Tornadoes Slam Florida Leaving At Least Two Dead and Several Injured

.

At least four tornadoes tore through a southwest Florida county on Sunday, leaving at least two dead and several injured, according to reports.

One twister touched down in the town of Duette, southeast of Tampa, early Sunday morning and gutted a mobile home. Two adults were killed and four juveniles were rushed to the hospital, according to NBC News.

The mobile home was lifted off the concrete blocks on which it sat and was smashed back to Earth some 100 yards away, one witness told the Bradenton Herald. The adult victims were reportedly the grandparents of the child victims.

The tornado was one of three reported Sunday in the Gulf Coast counties of Sarasota and Manatee and the inland Polk County. The storm in Duette was rated an F2, meaning winds reached 125 as the tornado's path stretched on for at least seven miles.

Flooding was reported and the storms downed power lines, knocking out power to some 17,000 homes in hardest hit Sarasota County, according to Florida Power and Light.

Multiple homes on the county's Siesta Key reportedly had their roofs torn off. Sarasota County said just before 8 a.m. that damage-assessment teams had been deployed and locals were urged to stay indoors.

Read More

4 Members of Ukrainian Family Among Dead in Burkina Faso

Four members of a Ukrainian family, including a 9-year-old child, were among those killed when al-Qaida fighters attacked a popular cafe and hotel in Burkina Faso's capital of Ouagadougou, Ukraine's foreign minister said Sunday.

The dead included a Ukrainian woman who together with her Italian husband owned the cafe, and their child, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevgeny Ignatovsky told 112 Ukraina television. He gave no further details. Nor did Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who used Twitter to report the deaths of four family members, including a 9-year-old child. 

The Italian foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday the 9-year-old son of Gaetano Santomenna, the Italian owner of Cafe Cappuccino, was inside the cafe with his mother when the attack took place, but it had no confirmation that the boy had been killed.

Ukrainian websites identified the other two Ukrainian victims as the sister and mother of the cafe owner's wife. This information could not immediately be confirmed.

Friday's attacks left 28 people dead from 18 different countries, including six Canadians, five from Burkina Faso, two people each from Switzerland and France and one American.

Read More

Obama cites Americans' release as win for 'smart' diplomacy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Sunday heralded the release of Americans held prisoner in Iran and the full implementation of a historic nuclear accord with the Islamic Republic, holding both up as a victory for "smart" diplomacy and fulfillment of his pledge to deal directly with enemies of the United States.

"This is a good day," Obama said in a statement from the White House. "When Americans are freed and returned to their families, that's something we can all celebrate."

The president spoke at the close of an extraordinary weekend that saw back-to-back the release of five imprisoned Americans and the termination of billions in international sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear accord.

Yet underscoring the strain that continues to exist between the U.S. and Iran, the Obama administration also announced new penalties Sunday on 11 individuals and entities involved in Tehran's ballistic missile program.

"We will continue to enforce these sanctions vigorously," Obama said. "We are going to remain vigilant about it."

For Obama, the diplomatic breakthroughs are a validation of his early promise to deal directly with nations such as Iran, one that his political opponents continue to staunchly oppose. The U.S. and Iran broke off diplomatic relations after the 1979 hostage-taking at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

 

"America can do — and has done — big things when we work together," Obama said. "We can lead this world and make it safer and more secure."

The nuclear talks have brought a sense of normalcy to relations with the U.S. and Iran, with top officials from each country in somewhat regular communication. While Obama emphasized that the U.S. continues to have deep concerns about Iran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East and its threats to Israel, he also opened up the prospect of Tehran working more cooperatively with the rest of the world.

The president spoke shortly after the Americans began their journey home. A charter plane left Tehran for Switzerland with the Americans — all four who had been detained, according to Iran state television; only three, the U.S. said — as part of a prisoner swap. White House officials said negotiations took place over a 14-month period, most of them held in Switzerland, and they were driven by concerns that the Americans potentially faced many years in prison.

Iran also agreed to work to locate American Robert Levinson, who vanished during a trip to Iran in 2007.

In a reciprocal move, Obama said that six Iranian-Americans and one Iranian serving sentences or awaiting trial were being granted clemency. He emphasized that they were not charged with terrorism or any violent offenses.

 

"They're civilians, and their release is a one-time gesture to Iran given the unique opportunity offered by this moment and the larger circumstances at play," Obama said.

Within hours of the release of the Americans, the U.S. imposed sanctions against those involved in Iran's ballistic missile program as a result of Tehran's firing of a medium-range ballistic missile.

U.N. experts said in a report in December that the missile test in October violated sanctions banning Iran from launches capable of delivering nuclear weapons. A U.S. Treasury official said Iran's ballistic missile program poses "a significant threat to regional and global security."

In another development Sunday, Obama announced that the U.S. and Iran had settled a long-standing financial dispute over $400 million in Iranian money that dates back more than three decades. Iran also got $1.3 billion in interest, which Obama said was much less than it had sought. Administration officials said the U.S. faced the prospect of having to pay billions of dollars more if the case had continued.

Read More

Shamed CBB Star Tila Tequila Begs Fans For Money To Pay Her Rent

Last year Tila Tequila was notoriously removed from the Celebrity Big Brother house after it was revealed that she is a Nazi sympathiser who claimed to be Adolf Hitler reincarnated.

Now Tila has been forced to turn to online crowdfunding to pay for her and her daughter Izzy’s rent.

The reality star took to gofundme when her rent was put up, asking fans to donate so that she could afford to buy furniture for her new place - amazingly, after just six days Tila passed her goal of $2,500, earning $3,074 from her loyal fans.

Writing on the page, Tila explained: “The reason why I am creating this GoFundMe campaign is because they have raised the rent at my old home to $4,500 a month, and being a single mother without any support from the father, it can sometimes be very tough taking care of 2 people with only a 1 person income.

View gallery

.

"So right now I need to raise some money so that I can move into my new home and get it furnished for my daughter and I. The last apt I was at came fully furnished and that’s why it was so expensive, but I’d rather save money for my daughter than keep wasting money each month like that. 

"So I basically need to buy all the furniture and beddings from scratch to start over if we are to move. It is going to cost a lot to start off, and that is why I am asking you all for your help!”

Despite many calling her out for asking her fans for money, Tila insisted that she was not embarrassed to be doing what is right for her daughter, adding: “I have zero pride or ego when it comes to taking care of my daughter because this is what real good mother’s do. 

"We sacrifice for our children and would take care of them by any means possible. Even if that means being a celebrity, and creating a GoFundMe campaign to get hep from my fans.

"Most people would be so ashamed or embarrassed, but I’m not. This is for my daughter so we won’t be homeless and she won’t starve.”

After discovering that she had surpassed her goal, Tila vowed to call every person who donated once she returned from filming a show in Las Vegas, writing: “Oh my God! I cannot believe we actually not only reached our goal, but have actually gone PAST it! This is truly a humbling experience.”

Something tells us that Tila’s old Big Brother housemates probably weren’t among the ones to donate…

Read More

Artist Gesichtermix Creates Epic Celeb Face Mashups: Can You Guess Who's Who?

 

Wowza! Artist @gesichtermix is blowing our minds with these unreal celebrity face mashups. He's got everyone mushed from Leonardo DiCaprio to Yoda, to even Donald Trump (mashed with Hillary Clinton). Let us tell you, they're all terrifying in the most epic way. Imgur first introduced us to his work, and it was love at first mashup. We'd be living for a Lady Gaga and Leo blend as a nod to that crispy Golden Globes side-eye. Anywhoo, we made a list of our favorite facial fusions and turned it into a game. Can you guess which two celebs make up each mashup? We'll start you off with a hint. The first one, in the photo above, is actually a mashup of two real-life BFF's! Once you're done guessing, don't forget to check your answers at the bottom and tell us how you did! Happy mashing! 

 

 

2. Both ladies are gorgeous and talented.

 

 

3. One of these dudes has a giant love for soccer.

 

 

4. One of these ladies knows a thing or two about ghosts.

 

 

5. Bridget Jones had a crush on one of these two hotties.

 

 

6. Both actresses started their careers during childhood.

 

 

7. One of these two fellas has kissed Sandra Dee.

 

 

8. These two are married to each other.

 

 

9. Both of these men are happily married.

 

 

10. We would kill to be in either of their squads.

Alright, y'all! Time to check your answers. 1) Katy Perry and Rihanna, 2) Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry, 3) Gerard Butler and David Beckham, 4) Emily Blunt and Christina Ricci, 5) Ewan McGregor and Colin Firth, 6) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, 7) Tom Cruise and John Travolta, 8) Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, 9) George Clooney and Tom Hanks, 10) Taylor Swift and Emma Stone.

Read More

Celebrate First Lady Michelle Obama's Elegant Style on Her Last Birthday Before We Elect a New President

 

 

We've just gotten so used to giving a big seal of approval to almost everything the president's wife has worn in public, we almost forgot that we're heading into the home stretch.

Today Michelle Obama is celebrating what is for the most part her final birthday as first lady (she'll still technically be first lady until the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017, but there will be a president-elect-and-spouse come November), and to say we've been spoiled rotten in the glamorous-yet-approachable fashion department for the past seven years is an understatement.

When she moved into the White House in 2009 alongside President Barack Obama, this first lady brought with her a keen sense of modern, professional style. FLOTUS quickly became known for her down-to-earth dressing, one day wearing J. Crew and another H&M (or sometimes recycling a look!), even as the most illustrious designers in the industry also lined up to dress her.

Not that she didn't indulge in Monique Lhuillier, Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta through the years, but Obama has also never been afraid of trying out a newer designer, her endorsement providing instant boosts to the likes of Jason Wu, Thakoon, Mary Katrantzou and Doo-ri Chung.

And whether she's mixing prints, showing off her enviable arms or brightening up an entire State of the Union address in a marigold sheath, we're going to miss the anticipation that comes with waiting to see what Michelle Obama is going to wear at any given event.

However, maybe once there's a gap in her schedule, she could collaborate on a signature line...?

A very happy 52nd birthday to the first lady—here's to one more year of unparalleled chic.

Read More

Kourtney Kardashian Flashes Boobs, Butt and More While Posing for Sexy Naked Photo Shoot: Watch the Steamy KUWTK Clip!

Hot mama, indeed!

On tonight's brand-new episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kourtney Kardashian strips down to nothing for a super-sexy naked photo shoot with artist Brian Bowen Smith.

"The whole vibe of the shoot, other than it's going to be nude for the art thing, is that if you're not blown away by your picture, then it means we didn't do it right," Smith tells Kourt.

"The only thing is I feel like my ass like disappeared when I lost weight," Kourtney laughs. "We need to plump it up!"

WATCH: Khloe wants to use Kourt's breast pump!

 

"You'll be pleasantly surprised how nice your ass is going to look," Smith assures her. "We want to make your sisters jealous."

Kourtney's little sis Kylie Jenner arrives to support her. "Oh my god, you're so skinny!" Kylie gushes before Kourtney takes it all off! Kourtney flashes her boobs, butt and more while striking different sexy poses for Smith. Hot damn! 

 

Watch the clip for yourself to see just how much skin Kourtney shows during the risqué shoot.

 

Read More

Khloe Kardashian & Kourtney Kardashian Show Off Toned Tummies in Sassy Gym Selfies

Instagram

 

These Kardashian sisters are twinning!

Khloe Kardashian, 31, and Kourtney Kardashian, 36, show off toned tummies in almost matching outfits—black crop tops and matching leggings—at a gym in sassy mirror selfies posted on their Instagram pages on Saturday. 

"Gym selfie with the MILF," Khloe wrote.

"Double gym selfie," said Kourtney, mother of Mason Disick, 6, Penelope Disick, 3, and Reign Disick, 1, wrote alongside another pic, showing her sticking out her tongue.

Khloe began to work out regularly with a personal trainer almost a year ago and has since dropped about 40 pounds, People magazine reported last week. She lost 35 pounds just this past summer.

PHOTOS: Khloe Kardashian's best looks

Instagram

 

"Looking back now I realized I was unhealthy but I wasn't…I think we all know what fat is, I don't think I was fat, I think I was unhealthy," Khloe told E! News in November. "

Kourtney had also embarked on a diet and fitness regimen to lose the baby weight she gained while pregnant with son Reign.

Read More