The car of Libya?s interim leader came under fire in Tripoli as he left a chaotic session of the national assembly disrupted by protesters, without causing casualties, the interior minister said Wednesday.
?The car of the General National Congress speaker (Mohammed al-Megeryef) came under fire as assembly members left in a state of total confusion? on Tuesday night, Ashur Shwayel told a press conference.
The demonstrators who disrupted the session of the General National Congress, the highest authority in Libya, in effect making Megeryef the country?s interim leader, were armed and some carried explosives, said the minister.
Dozens of protesters insisting the national assembly adopt a bill banning from politics associates of former dictator Moamer Kadhafi blocked MPs from leaving the meeting room in a southern suburb of Tripoli.
The official news agency LANA, quoting an assembly official, said Megeryef?s car came under heavy gunfire. It was unclear if the attack was ?an assassination bid or a collateral incident,? the official said.
The bill is controversial because it could put more than 30 members of the General National Congress out of office, including al-Megeryef and even Prime Minister Ali Zeidan.
Proposed in December, the bill would ban from politics all officials of the Kadhafi regime and their associates.
Only earlier on Tuesday, the national assembly building was returned to its members after a month-long occupation by former rebels demanding compensation for injuries in the 2011 revolution that ousted Kadhafi, a security official said.
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta opened an early lead as the east African nation counted ballots on Tuesday in an election that brought out millions of voters despite pockets of violence that killed at least 15 people.
The deputy prime minister, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity linked to the last election, was ahead of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
But Kenyatta could still be overhauled as the count goes on in a vote Kenyans hope will restore their nation's image as one of Africa's most stable democracies after the bloodshed five years ago.
Although voting passed off broadly peacefully with a big turnout, the real test will be whether the candidates and their backers accept the result, after the disputed 2007 vote touched off ethnic blood-letting that killed more than 1,200 people.
"Nobody should celebrate, nobody should complain," election commission chairman Isaac Hassan told journalists, saying work was going on to resolve glitches and speed up the count. "We therefore continue to appeal for patience from the public."
The commission says provisional results may not be tallied until Wednesday, meaning an official declaration will not come until then or later.
Kenyatta's lead has held overnight but more than 60 percent of polling stations have yet to report. Odinga's camp said counting in their strongholds had not been completed yet and a debate over the fate of a sizeable number of rejected votes could help shift the balance.
The United States and Western donors have watched the vote closely, concerned about the stability of a nation seen as a regional ally in the fight against militant Islam.
They also worry about what to do if Kenyatta wins, because of the charges of crimes against humanity he faces at the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to the violence five years ago.
With memories still fresh about the lethal mayhem after the last election and its dire impact on the economy, many Kenyans are determined not to see a repeat and, like their candidates, have pledged to accept the outcome.
INVESTOR RELIEF
"People want peace after what happened last time," said Henry Owino, 29, a second-hand clothes seller who voted in Nairobi's Kibera slum where violence flared five years ago. "This time the people have decided they don't want to fight."
Investors breathed a sigh of relief after voting passed off broadly calmly, strengthening the Kenyan shilling against the U.S. dollar. Analysts said a first-round victor would be preferred to a run-off, which would prolong uncertainty.
The inspector general of the Kenyan police, David Kimaiyo, told a news conference he would not allow demonstrations anywhere in the country over the delay in releasing the election results because of concerns protests could turn violent.
According to the election commission's provisional tally, Kenyatta's lead of 54 percent of votes to Odinga's 41 percent counted by 1.40 p.m. (1040 GMT) based on a tally of almost 5 million votes, giving him a better chance of straight win, which requires a candidate to secure more than 50 percent of votes.
But with turnout estimated by the election commission at more than 70 percent, a total of about 10 million or more votes must be tallied in the nation of 14.3 million eligible voters. In no one wins outright, a run-off is tentatively set for April.
"There were a lot of jitters around the elections," said Dickson Magecha, a senior trader at Standard Chartered Bank. "But there are indications we might see a first-round victory, which is good for political risk, and the vote went on peacefully without any major hitches."
William Ruto, Kenyatta's running mate who also faces ICC charges of crimes against humanity, called the vote "free, fair and credible". During voting he said: "We shall cooperate with the court (ICC) with a final intention of clearing our names."
CREDIBILITY
Odinga's party said it was still confident it would get back into the race as the counting continued, but also pointed to irregularities in the process, hinting at legal challenges ahead. Odinga had questioned preparations before the poll.
Frank Bett of Odinga's CORD alliance cited late voting at one polling station hours after the formal close, voters casting ballots more than once in some areas and a failure of electronic voter registration systems in some places. "These we find to be placing in jeopardy the credibility of this process," he said.
The election commission acknowledged a polling clerk had been caught issuing extra ballots and said manual voter lists were used where the electronic registration system failed. But it has said there were no significant problems in voting.
Raising the stakes in the race, Odinga could be facing his last crack at the presidency after narrowly missing out in 2007 to now-outgoing President Mwai Kibaki, who has served a maximum of two five-year terms.
Kenya's African neighbors, whose economies felt the shockwaves last time, have watched intently. Some landlocked states stockpiled fuel and other material, worried that Kenya's vital trade route could again be cut if violence flared.
But violence on election day was limited to pockets in the north and east of the country, with the worst on the coast.
At least 15 people were killed in two attacks by machete-wielding gangs in Mombasa region hours before the vote on Monday. Police officers blamed them on a separatist movement, the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), suggesting different motives to the ethnic killings after the 2007 vote.
The MRC denied any role.
The European Union observer mission said turnout was high even at the coast where the attacks took place.
To try to prevent a repeat of the contested outcome that sparked the violence after the December 2007 vote, a new, broadly respected election commission is using more technology to prevent fraud and increase transparency.
Alongside the presidential race, there were elections for senators, county governors, members of parliament, women representatives in county assemblies and civic leaders.
(Additional reporting by Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa, George Obulutsa, Beatrice Gachenge, Duncan Miriri, Kevin Mwanza and James Macharia in Nairobi; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Pravin Char and Giles Elgood)
Before we remodeled our kitchen, I, of course, looked through all of the home improvement magazines. I was dead set on Corian cabinets. We live near Wayne, NJ, so I researched Wayne Kitchen Remodeling, and found Rich?s Kitchens, Inc. Not only do they carry this brand of cabinetry, each member of the staff is an accredited Corian fabricator and installer. I have never been so happy about a kitchen before in my life! The wonderful staff at Rich?s Kitchens helped me create my dream kitchen, and I love it!
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Contact: Tyler Stiem t.stiem@projectseahorse.org 604-827-5142 University of British Columbia
Marine scientists and the world's top nature photographers are teaming up to reveal for the first time the beauty of a rare double-barrier reef in the Philippines and the imminent threats it faces with the help of citizens around the world.
One of only six double-barrier reefs in the world, Danajon Bank is an important evolutionary birthplace of fish and other animal species found all over the Pacific Ocean today. However, Danajon Bank suffers from overfishing and other human pressures, and is home to nearly 200 threatened species.
Expedition: Danajon Bank will send a team of conservationists and award-winning photographers to document this "centre of the centre" of biodiversity, with the ultimate goal of legally protecting the fragile reef system.
To help fund the expedition and a series of public exhibitions of the photographs, the team today launches a four-week, $30,000 crowdfunding campaign on http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/expedition-danajon-bank. The expedition will take place April 5-15, 2013.
"Not many people have heard of Danajon Bank. We plan to change that," says Prof. Amanda Vincent, director of Project Seahorse, a UBC-Zoological Society of London initiative. "Crowdfunding is a fantastic way to raise funds and inspire the public to take ownership of issues such as marine conservation, so we thought: why not start there?"
"There really is no better way to communicate the urgent need for marine conservation than through images that hit you in the head and the heart," says Thomas P. Peschak, an International League of Conservation Photographers Fellow and one of the expedition photographers. His rsum includes multiple BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and World Press Photo awards.
"We hope to inspire people and policymakers in the Philippines and around the world to take up our cause."
###
Watch a video about Expedition: Danajon Bank at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/expedition-danajon-bank.
BACKGROUND | EXPEDITION: DANAJON BANK
The Expedition: Danajon Bank team also includes world-renowned photographers Luciano Candisani, Claudio Contreras, and Michael Ready. Project Seahorse co-founders Amanda Vincent (UBC), Heather Koldewey (ZSL) and Nicholas Hill (ZSL) will act as scientific advisors.
In April, the expedition team will blog from the field at danajon-bank.tumblr.com, and you can follow their exploits on Twitter @projectseahorse and @ilcp.
Beginning in June, the photographs will be shown in a series of public exhibitions in Chicago, Hong Kong, Manila and London and published in a new book.
For more information and to support the expedition, visit http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/expedition-danajon-bank or contact Project Seahorse at t.stiem@projectseahorse.org or 604-827-5142.
Coral Reefs and Danajon Bank
Coral reefs are among the fastest-diminishing ecosystems in our oceans, due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change. One of only six double-barrier reef formations in the world, Danajon Bank is home to 196 threatened species and ecosystems, including Anacropora spinos, a highly endangered coral, and the Tiger-tail seahorse (Hippocampus comes), which is listed as vulnerable.
Danajon Bank is also home to hundreds of thousands of people, who depend on it for food and livelihoods. Unfortunately, overfishing, pollution, and development threaten both the future of the ecosystem and the fishing communities who depend on it for survival.
Danajon Bank encompasses many of our oceans' most important and threatened marine habitats, including not only coral but mangroves and seagrasses. Its biodiversity, and the threats it faces from human activity, make it a powerful example of the beauty of the world's coastal marine ecosystems and the threats they face in the 21st century.
Project Seahorse
Project Seahorse is an award-winning marine conservation group based at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Zoological Society of London. Project Seahorse works to protect seahorses in order to support ocean conservation more broadly, generating cutting-edge research and using it to inform highly effective conservation interventions. Project Seahorse benefits from a marine conservation partnership with Guylian Belgian Chocolate and John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago. For more information, visit seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca.
International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP)
iLCP's mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through photography. The non-profit's programs are built on the participation and contributions of its 100+ Fellows, an elite group of the world's top wildlife and nature photographers who, in addition to displaying remarkable photographic skills, have each demonstrated a deep commitment to conservation efforts around the globe. iLCP's Conservation Photography Expeditions have been covered by National Geographic (most recently as the cover story of the August 2011 issue), Outside Online, American Photo, The Guardian, ABC Nightline, Huffington Post, Tree Hugger, and numerous blogs that cater to people who care about the world we live in and the conservation challenges it faces. For more information, visit http://www.ilcp.com
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Tyler Stiem t.stiem@projectseahorse.org 604-827-5142 University of British Columbia
Marine scientists and the world's top nature photographers are teaming up to reveal for the first time the beauty of a rare double-barrier reef in the Philippines and the imminent threats it faces with the help of citizens around the world.
One of only six double-barrier reefs in the world, Danajon Bank is an important evolutionary birthplace of fish and other animal species found all over the Pacific Ocean today. However, Danajon Bank suffers from overfishing and other human pressures, and is home to nearly 200 threatened species.
Expedition: Danajon Bank will send a team of conservationists and award-winning photographers to document this "centre of the centre" of biodiversity, with the ultimate goal of legally protecting the fragile reef system.
To help fund the expedition and a series of public exhibitions of the photographs, the team today launches a four-week, $30,000 crowdfunding campaign on http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/expedition-danajon-bank. The expedition will take place April 5-15, 2013.
"Not many people have heard of Danajon Bank. We plan to change that," says Prof. Amanda Vincent, director of Project Seahorse, a UBC-Zoological Society of London initiative. "Crowdfunding is a fantastic way to raise funds and inspire the public to take ownership of issues such as marine conservation, so we thought: why not start there?"
"There really is no better way to communicate the urgent need for marine conservation than through images that hit you in the head and the heart," says Thomas P. Peschak, an International League of Conservation Photographers Fellow and one of the expedition photographers. His rsum includes multiple BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and World Press Photo awards.
"We hope to inspire people and policymakers in the Philippines and around the world to take up our cause."
###
Watch a video about Expedition: Danajon Bank at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/expedition-danajon-bank.
BACKGROUND | EXPEDITION: DANAJON BANK
The Expedition: Danajon Bank team also includes world-renowned photographers Luciano Candisani, Claudio Contreras, and Michael Ready. Project Seahorse co-founders Amanda Vincent (UBC), Heather Koldewey (ZSL) and Nicholas Hill (ZSL) will act as scientific advisors.
In April, the expedition team will blog from the field at danajon-bank.tumblr.com, and you can follow their exploits on Twitter @projectseahorse and @ilcp.
Beginning in June, the photographs will be shown in a series of public exhibitions in Chicago, Hong Kong, Manila and London and published in a new book.
For more information and to support the expedition, visit http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/expedition-danajon-bank or contact Project Seahorse at t.stiem@projectseahorse.org or 604-827-5142.
Coral Reefs and Danajon Bank
Coral reefs are among the fastest-diminishing ecosystems in our oceans, due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change. One of only six double-barrier reef formations in the world, Danajon Bank is home to 196 threatened species and ecosystems, including Anacropora spinos, a highly endangered coral, and the Tiger-tail seahorse (Hippocampus comes), which is listed as vulnerable.
Danajon Bank is also home to hundreds of thousands of people, who depend on it for food and livelihoods. Unfortunately, overfishing, pollution, and development threaten both the future of the ecosystem and the fishing communities who depend on it for survival.
Danajon Bank encompasses many of our oceans' most important and threatened marine habitats, including not only coral but mangroves and seagrasses. Its biodiversity, and the threats it faces from human activity, make it a powerful example of the beauty of the world's coastal marine ecosystems and the threats they face in the 21st century.
Project Seahorse
Project Seahorse is an award-winning marine conservation group based at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Zoological Society of London. Project Seahorse works to protect seahorses in order to support ocean conservation more broadly, generating cutting-edge research and using it to inform highly effective conservation interventions. Project Seahorse benefits from a marine conservation partnership with Guylian Belgian Chocolate and John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago. For more information, visit seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca.
International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP)
iLCP's mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through photography. The non-profit's programs are built on the participation and contributions of its 100+ Fellows, an elite group of the world's top wildlife and nature photographers who, in addition to displaying remarkable photographic skills, have each demonstrated a deep commitment to conservation efforts around the globe. iLCP's Conservation Photography Expeditions have been covered by National Geographic (most recently as the cover story of the August 2011 issue), Outside Online, American Photo, The Guardian, ABC Nightline, Huffington Post, Tree Hugger, and numerous blogs that cater to people who care about the world we live in and the conservation challenges it faces. For more information, visit http://www.ilcp.com
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
All Critics (55) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (4)
Hoss is fantastic. Barbara is ice cold at the start, understandably so. Yet Hoss makes her sympathetic.
[Leaves] you drained and horrified.
Sometimes, the sun shines and the wind blows fresh and the very elements that make for intense hardship also open a window on intense joy.
Hoss is mesmerizing as a woman who holds it all together to the point of losing herself.
It's one terrific film, as smart, thoughtful and emotionally involving as just about anything that's out there.
It's a quiet film built of careful details.
In short, the failures in storytelling detract from the film, despite its sensitivities, its subtleties and its final payoff of personal sacrifice.
A meticulously crafted drama in which the depiction of character, place and circumstance evolves slowly and with intrigue, Barbara is gripping cinema
This well acted political melodrama, set during the Cold War, is Germany's entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.
Hoss' outstanding performance is a deep well of subtle yet unmistakable motives and reactions.
A crafty filmmaker, Petzold gives us information in increments. During the first half of his movie, which he co-wrote, we are all but left to our own devices; yet it is fascinating, and appropriate.
Worth seeing ... both for Petzold's singular aesthetic and for Hoss, who as usual is a riveting presence.
A well-observed, compelling, and evocative character piece, haunted by the ghosts of Germany's recent past.
Feels like total immersion into the sights, stresses, and the subtle solidarity among middle-class professionals living in the workers' paradise that Petzold's parents fled.
[R]esides somewhere in an unsatisfying borderland between drama and thriller, never quite catching fire as either...
A superbly crafted low-boil drama that gets its hooks into you the old-fashioned way, through character, and highlights the difficulties and cost of living by principles.
Subtly intriguing and ambiguous, it's filled with suspicion and subterfuge.
Despite the limited scope of its predictable narrative, "Barbara" remains a compelling character study thanks to Nina Hoss's enigmatic performance in the title role.
Christian Petzold's latest thriller threatens to cross over the line from minimalism to nihilism.
Both insightful and poignant, but not mawkish...an intriguing character study set against the backdrop of a dark time in history.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday, March 3, 2013. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Egypt's president Sunday, wrapping up a visit to the deeply divided country with an appeal for unity and reform. The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday, March 3, 2013. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Egypt's president Sunday, wrapping up a visit to the deeply divided country with an appeal for unity and reform. The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waves goodbye as he leaves Cairo, Egypt en route to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, March 3, 2013. Kerry met with Egypt's president Sunday, wrapping up a visit to the deeply divided country with an appeal for unity and reform. The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr, left, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi take their seats at the starts of their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday, March 3, 2013. Kerry met with Egypt's president Sunday, wrapping up a visit to the deeply divided country with an appeal for unity and reform. The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday, March 3, 2013. Kerry met with Egypt's president Sunday, wrapping up a visit to the deeply divided country with an appeal for unity and reform. The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
CAIRO (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday rewarded Egypt for President Mohammed Morsi's pledges of political and economic reforms by releasing $250 million in American aid to support the country's "future as a democracy."
Yet Kerry also served notice that the Obama administration will keep close watch on how Morsi, who came to power in June as Egypt's first freely elected president, honors his commitment.
"The path to that future has clearly been difficult and much work remains," Kerry said in a statement after wrapping up two days of meetings in Egypt, a deeply divided country in the wake of the revolution that ousted longtime President Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt is trying to meet conditions to close on a $4.8 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund. An agreement would unlock more of the $1 billion in U.S. assistance promised by President Barack Obama last year and set to begin flowing with Kerry's announcement.
"The United States can and wants to do more," Kerry said. "Reaching an agreement with the IMF will require further effort on the part of the Egyptian government and broad support for reform by all Egyptians. When Egypt takes the difficult steps to strengthen its economy and build political unity and justice, we will work with our Congress at home on additional support."
Kerry cited Egypt's "extreme needs" and Morsi's "assurances that he plans to complete the IMF process" when he told the president that the U.S. would provide $190 million of a long-term $450 million pledge "in a good-faith effort to spur reform and help the Egyptian people at this difficult time."
Separately, the top U.S. diplomat announced $60 million for a new fund for "direct support of key engines of democratic change," including Egypt's entrepreneurs and its young people. Kerry held out the prospect of U.S. assistance to this fund climbing to $300 million over time.
Recapping his meetings with political figures, business leaders and representatives of outside groups, Kerry said he heard of their "deep concern about the political course of their country, the need to strengthen human rights protections, justice and the rule of law, and their fundamental anxiety about the economic future of Egypt."
Those issues came up in "a very candid and constructive manner" during Kerry's talks with Morsi.
"It is clear that more hard work and compromise will be required to restore unity, political stability and economic health to Egypt," Kerry said.
Syria and Iran also came up, according to officials.
With parliamentary elections in April approaching and liberal and secular opponents of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood saying they will boycott, Kerry called the vote "a particularly critical step" in Egypt's democratic transition.
Violent clashes between protesters and security forces have created an environment of insecurity, complicating Egyptian efforts to secure vital international aid.
Officials in the Egyptian presidency said Kerry stressed the need for consensus with the opposition in order to restore confidence in Egypt that it can ride out the crisis. Morsi was reported to have expressed the importance of Egypt's relationship with United States, which is based on "mutual respect," and focused on the importance of the democratic process in building a strong and stable nation.
Kerry made clear that in all his meetings, he conveyed the message that Egyptians who rose up and overthrew Mubarak "did not risk their lives to see that opportunity for a brighter future squandered."
He also told the country's bickering politicians that they must overcome differences to get Egypt's faltering economy back on track and maintain its leadership role in the volatile Middle East.
The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest.
U.S. officials said Kerry had planned to stress the importance of upholding Egypt's peace agreement with Israel, cracking down on weapons smuggling to extremists in the Gaza Strip and policing the increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula while continuing to play a positive role in Syria's civil war.
The impact of his message of unity to the opposition coalition seemingly was blunted when only six of the 11 guests invited by the U.S. Embassy turned up for the Saturday session and three of those six said they still intended to boycott the April parliamentary election, according to participants.
Kerry said that the U.S. would not pick sides in Egypt, and he appealed to all sides to come together around human rights, freedom and speech and religious tolerance.
In an apparent nod to the current stalemate in Washington over the U.S. federal budget, Kerry acknowledged after meeting Foreign Minister Kamel Amr that compromise is difficult yet imperative.
"I say with both humility and with a great deal of respect that getting there requires a genuine give-and-take among Egypt's political leaders and civil society groups just as we are continuing to struggle with that in our own country," he said. 'There must be a willingness on all sides to make meaningful compromises on the issues that matter most to all of the Egyptian people."
The opposition accuses Morsi and the Brotherhood of following in the footsteps of Mubarak, failing to carry out reforms and trying to install a more religiously conservative system.
Morsi's administration and the Brotherhood say their foes, who have trailed significantly behind Islamists in all elections since the uprising against Mubarak, are running away from the challenge of the ballot box and are trying to overturn democratic gains.
From Egypt, Kerry headed to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, with later stops in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where his focus is expected to be the crisis in Syria
Kerry is set to return to Washington on Wednesday.
___
Associated Press writer Aya Batrawy contributed to this report.
___
Online:
State Department: http://www.state.gov/secretary/travel/2013/205086.htm
Former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o tells ABC-TV host Katie Couric during an interview for "Katie," in New York that he briefly lied about his online girlfriend after discovering she didn't exist. The interview will air on Thursday, Jan. 24. ((AP Photo/Disney-ABC, Lorenzo Bevilaqua) )
The more that the hoax behind Manti Te?o?s and his fake girlfiend, ?Lennay Kekua,? unravels, the more surreal it seems.
The Stanford University alumna fell in love with Mr. Te?o, survived a car accident, and died of leukemia months later. Also, she never existed. A Deadspin?report?from Jan. 16 details inconsistencies in the media about their love story, from when the two met to when exactly she died.?Using public records and social media sites, Deadspin revealed that Ms. Kekua was the creation of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a former high school quarterback from California who became a religious musician.
Since then, Mr. Tuiasosopo has admitted to the hoax and said he fell in love with Te?o through the online persona. He even demonstrated what "Kekua" sounds like during an exclusive interview with Phil McGraw on the "Dr. Phil Show," Deadspin reports.
While both Tuiasosopo and Te?o maintain that the Notre Dame football star was not in on the hoax, questions remain about how much Te?o did know and when he found out. After Deadspin broke the story, Te'o said in a statement that he was a victim of an online hoax: he maintained an online relationship with "Kekua" ? never meeting her in person ? and discovered the truth about her identity in December.
In late January, Te'o?admitted?to ABC's Katie Couric that he lied to reporters shortly after he learned the truth.
When Ms. Couric asked Te'o in an interview why he lied to reporters, Te'o said "Katie, put yourself in my situation. I, my whole world, told me that she died on Sept. 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, who I committed myself to, died on Sept. 12 ...?Now I get a phone call on Dec. 6, saying that she's alive and then I'm going be put on national TV two days later. And to ask me about the same question. You know, what would you do?"
If Te'o is telling the truth about the scam, he would not the first person to be fooled by a fake identity on the Web. The Internet is loaded with fake personas, some with accounts on forums and social media platforms, others with blogs chronicling imaginary family struggles. Some are the result of people?feigning illness for attention. Whatever the method or cause, these scams have fooled many of people over the years.?
FILE - In this June 25, 2012 file photo, a truck hangs over the edge of a sinkhole that opened up in the parking lot of Hughes Relocation Services in Salt Springs, Fla. Tropical Storm Debby raked the Tampa Bay area with high wind and heavy rain Monday in a drenching that could top 2 feet over the next few days and trigger widespread flooding. (AP Photo/The Ocala Star-Banner, Alan Youngblood)
FILE - In this June 25, 2012 file photo, a truck hangs over the edge of a sinkhole that opened up in the parking lot of Hughes Relocation Services in Salt Springs, Fla. Tropical Storm Debby raked the Tampa Bay area with high wind and heavy rain Monday in a drenching that could top 2 feet over the next few days and trigger widespread flooding. (AP Photo/The Ocala Star-Banner, Alan Youngblood)
FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2004 file photo, a sinkhole approximately 10 feet deep swallowed this automobile in the parking lot of Hitchcocks Foodliner in Archer, Fla. (AP Photo/The Gainsville Sun, Jim Matthews)
FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2004 file photo, a driver cruises past a sinkhole in West Palm Beach, Fla., on northbound Interstate 95 that developed following heavy rains Saturday night from Hurricane Frances. (AP Photo/Palm Beach Post, Damon Higgins)
FILE - In this June 25, 2012 file photo, people look at a large sinkhole near Jonesville Park, in Jonesville, Fla. Tropical Storm Debby raked the Tampa Bay area with high wind and heavy rain in a drenching that could top 2 feet over the next few days and trigger widespread flooding. (AP Photo/The Gainesville Sun, Doug Finger)
FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2004 file photo, Sean Watson looks down into a massive sinkhole that opened up during hurricane Jeanne at the Brookfield subdivision across the street from Fort Clarke Middle School. Initial estimates put the sinkhole at 40 by 50 feet across and about 30 feet to the water. Watson said that Alachua County Public Works told him the water depth was estimated at another 20 feet. (AP Photo/The Gainsville Sun, Lee Ferinden)
A man has disappeared after being swallowed up by a large sinkhole that opened under his bedroom in Seffner, Fla. The state is especially prone to sinkholes because underneath the ground is limestone, a porous rock that easily dissolves in water, sometimes forming a hole in the earth.
The Noosa region, located in the southeastern part of Australia, is a naturally attractive tourist destination made famous by stunning beaches, lively waterfronts and hinterlands with the natives leading a very casual and friendly way of life. This region is blessed to be engulfed with strikingly beautiful destinations that are present on the itinerary of every tour guide, no matter which one you book. The moderate climate throughout the year only adds to the charm of this vacation spot. This is one place where you can discover nature in its purest form with beaches that allow you to sit on shining sand and take a dip in clear blue waters.
Theres no dearth of beaches, since Noosa is located on the coast. Coolum, Sunshine and Noosa North Shore are a few popular beaches that are sprinkled with some amazing cafs where one can start their day with a filling breakfast. You can enjoy a few fish dishes if you like fish as this coastal region is known for its unique preparation of fish. At one end of the coast lies the Noosa National Park, which is home to several exotic species of birds and animals and a haven for trail lovers. One can enjoy walks through the national park and discover some hidden treasures of nature. It would be good if you could just carry along a camera and try your hand at some amateur photography of some stunning destinations.
Being a tourist destination, theres no shortage of hotels in Noosa. One can find accommodation Noosa with ease by either consulting the locals on arrival or even pre-book much prior to their date of stay to make sure that they dont fall short of a room. As such, theres no shortage of accommodation in Noosa but the available rooms might not fit in your budget, or those available might be way too below your standards. Its always better to do some research prior to arriving here. A good way to decide on the accommodation is by using the internet. If youre using a third party website to book your flight tickets, you can use the same flight for booking your hotel or apartments Noosa as well. Booking hotels and flights in combination is always cheaper.
Another good way is to look up for the website of a Noosa based travel agency. Since they are based in the city, chances are that they are well connected with various hotels and thus, can get you good discounted rates. Hotels in this area offer world class amenities, professional service and sumptuous meals throughout the day. The meals may or may not be a part of the complementary package but breakfasts usually are a part of complementary benefits.
About the Author: Read more about cheap accommodation Melbourne, hotels in Wollongong and hotels in Noosa. Visit @ www.ourrooms.com.au
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Encouraged by Rwanda?s steady gains in curbing measles, donors are paying for a more expensive dual vaccine that will target rubella, too.
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Public release date: 5-Mar-2013
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