Via CNN: Former dictator Manuel Noriega left France for Panama on Sunday, nearly 22 years after U.S. forces forcibly removed him from office. The 77-year-old is expected to arrive in Panama City on Sunday after a stop in Spain. Panamanian officials want him to face justice in the killing of Hugo Spadafora, his political opponent. Noriega was convicted in absentia in Spadafora’s kidnapping and killing in 1985. He has been in France since 2010 after two decades in an American prison. For almost two decades, Noriega was a major player in a country of critical regional importance to the United States because of its location on the Panama Canal. The key strategic and economic waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on the narrow isthmus links the Americas. While in U.S. custody, he suffered from prostate cancer and a stroke. The U.S. government has portrayed Noriega as the ultimate crooked cop — a man who was paid millions by the Medellin drug cartel in Colombia to protect cocaine and money shipments. He was convicted of drug trafficking and other crimes in the United States. Noriega was indicted in the United States on charges of racketeering, laundering drug money and drug trafficking. He was accused of having links to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s notorious Medellin cartel and, in the process, amassing a multimillion-dollar fortune. Amid growing unrest in Panama, U.S. President George H.W. Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in December 1989, saying his rule posed a threat to U.S. lives and property. Noriega fled his offices and tried to seek sanctuary in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City. He surrendered in January 1990 and was quickly escorted to the United States for civilian trial.
And another one… The flubs keep on coming. In yet another campaign day marred by a slip-up, Texas Gov. Rick Perry produced headlines today during an important editorial board interview with the Des Moines Register — not for his impassioned defense of a controversial new TV ad about his faith, but instead for a mealy-mouthed screw up. “Montemayor?” he said, struggling to name one of the nine Supreme Court justices. He went on to blast the court as “eight unelected and frankly unaccountable judges. ” There are nine. Since his infamous inability to remember the third of three government agencies he’d eliminate during the CNBC debate in Michigan last month, Perry’s every verbal pratfall has offered the lead paragraph in news stories and the lead joke in late-night comedy shows. Mistakes that might be downplayed from more consistently articulate candidates get spotlight treatment for the Texas pol, whose “swagger” narrative deteriorated quickly as his gaffes grew more and more frequent. Friday’s torrent of “Brain Freeze Again?” headlines was reminiscent of those after a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire, where Perry’s pitch to repair his damaged credentials on border security were derailed by a numerical mixup. “Those of you that will be 21 by November the 12th, I ask for your support and your vote,” he declared to titters from those who recognized the voting age error. (Oh, and the election isn’t on the 12th.) Trying to correct for the bungle, Perry took to the TV airwaves to discuss his efforts to perform well in the “New Hampshire caucuses.” They’re primaries. Oops. And THIS is who some of you want to be President of The United States??? Shame on you… Source More On Bossip! I Get Around: Is Disgruntled Philadelphia Eagles Baller Desean Jackson Chopping Down BOTH Bangers Mya AND Esther Baxter?!?! Luda And His Boo Hit The Red Carpet Giving Us An Excuse To Enjoy Mrs. Luda’s Cakes! Hands Off Ladies: The Most Desirable Celebrity Men That Are Off Limits Because They Put A Ring On It Happy 29th Birthday Barbie! Nicki Minaj’s 29 Most Unforgettable Looks Throughout The Years
Pat Robertson proclaimed today that God will punish the United States for President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton’s new international LGBT rights doctrine. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The New Civil Rights Movement Discovery Date : 07/12/2011 17:20 Number of articles : 3
So much for life after Bad Boy. According to DDotomen.com Rapper Loon, born Chauncey Hawkins, now known as Amir Junaid Muhadith, was arrested on drug charges in Belgium. Evidently, Loon was indicted back in May for dealing Heroin in North Carolina from 2006 to 2008. So when news surfaced in 2009 that he had converted to Islam , it appears he may have been on the run seeking asylum Algeria. A copy of the indictment is below: Loon began his career as part of the rap group Harlem World and began to make a name for himself as a solo artist on Puff Daddy and Usher’s “I Need a Girl” parts 1 and 2. He released three solo albums for three different labels, Loon, No Friends and Wizard of Harlem . Loon will be extradited to the United States to face these charges. [ Source ]
Kristin Cavallari served the United States of America proudly last night. The former Hills star looked stunning as she attended a Marine Corps ball in Temecula, Calif., with Lance Cpl. Jonathan Burkett, who asked her out on Twitter! Here’s the happy pair at the event, in a photo obtained by TMZ … Like Justin Timberlake , who attended one last weekend (there are many Marine Corps balls across the U.S.), Kristin Cavallari was reportedly the best date ever, humble but outgoing, and taking pictures with anybody who asked. She didn’t try to pull an early exit, either, staying until after they shut the place down. Burkett said of this season’s Dancing With the Stars contestant: “[Kristin] was awesome for sure. She looked very beautiful. Jay Cutler is a lucky guy.” That he is, no doubt. He better not blow the engagement again!
You know our faith in the rocket scientists over at NASA has been a shaken a little lately , so, umm… A huge asteroid will pass closer to Earth than the moon Tuesday, giving scientists a rare chance for study without having to go through the time and expense of launching a probe, officials said. Earth’s close encounter with Asteroid 2005 YU 55 will occur at 6:28 p.m. EST (2328 GMT) Tuesday, as the space rock sails about 201,000 miles from the planet. “It is the first time since 1976 that an object of this size has passed this closely to the Earth. It gives us a great — and rare — chance to study a near-Earth object like this,” astronomer Scott Fisher, a program director with the National Science Foundation, said Thursday during a Web chat with reporters. The orbit and position of the asteroid, which is about 1,312 feet in diameter, is well known, added senior research scientist Don Yeomans, with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “There is no chance that this object will collide with the Earth or moon,” Yeomans said. God, we hope you’re right. (And telling us the truth). Thousands of amateur and professional astronomers are expected to track YU 55′s approach, which will be visible from the planet’s northern hemisphere. It will be too dim to be seen with the naked eye, however, and it will be moving too fast for viewing by the Hubble Space Telescope. “The best time to observe it would be in the early evening on November 8 from the East Coast of the United States,” Yeomans said. “It is going to be very faint, even at its closest approach. You will need a decent-sized telescope to be able to actually see the object as it flies by.” Happy hunting, astro nerds! Source More On Bossip! Careers From The Crib: Top Ten Work From Home Jobs That Make The Most Money He Wants That Old Thang Back! Is Reggie Bush Pining For Kimmy Cakes??? Making It Rain On The World: Where Does Obama Rank As One Of The 10 Most Powerful People On The Planet? Maino Had A Busy Summer: Check Out The Two Other Jawns With Whom Olivia Shared His Loving, Plus Pics Of Her New Boo Ho Go Away: People That Are Rich And Famous Even Though They Have NO Talents Whatsoever
“I blame the war on drugs in the United States for what is happening here in Guatemala.” –Giancarlo Ibarguen Most of the cocaine shipped north from Central and South America these days travels through Guatemala and into Mexico before eventually crossing the border to the United States. The value of that cocaine, even before it enters the US market, is approximately $40 billion a year. That’s nearly… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Reason Magazine – Hit & Run Discovery Date : 21/10/2011 18:23 Number of articles : 2
Mother Monster serenades president on his 65th; Usher and U2’s Bono also perform. By Gil Kaufman Lady Gaga (file) Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage Even with a galaxy of big stars on hand to honor former President Bill Clinton on his 65th birthday, it was, of course, Lady Gaga who made the big headlines Saturday night at the four-hour Clinton charity fundraiser , “A Decade of Difference.” Emerging on the stage from an all-white tree house, Gaga sang a sedate, unplugged version of “Born This Way” on keyboards, while wearing a giant cloth hat and flesh-colored cape over a similarly colored top and leggings. The backing track soon pumped up and a group of dancers came out as Gaga made her way down to the main stage and sang the line, “Don’t be a drag, just be a queen,” while the former president and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, clapped and smiled along. Wearing a blond wig, Gaga paid homage to Marilyn Monroe by changing some of the lyrics to “Bad Romance” to “Bill romance,” prompting the president to later declare, “I thought, ‘My God, I get Lady Gaga, and I will have a heart attack celebrating my 65th birthday.’ ” “Well, I’m having my first real Marilyn moment,” Gaga joked after the opening, running her fingers through her mane. “I always wanted to have one, and I was hoping that it didn’t involve an accident with some pills and a strand of pearls, so here we are.” Gaga’s set also included a run through “Edge of Glory,” during which she said, “I wish you were playing sax with me tonight, baby,” an homage to late E Street horn man Clarence Clemons , who played on the song, but a quip that Clinton could have also taken as a nod to himself, as he’s also known for blowing a mean sax. The show took place at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Clinton Foundation and, though his birthday was on August 19, Clinton was still feeling very thankful for all the fuss. “I am the only person in history who got to be President and then had a post-presidential birthday party attended by both Lady Gaga and the Secretary of State,” Clinton said to the crowd, which included such stars as Colin Farrell and Chevy Chase. “I want to thank Hillary because we met 40 years ago this year. When I met her, she was already doing the kind of work you see here long before it was cool.” Also on hand to fete the former president was Stevie Wonder, who performed “Superstition,” “Sir Duke” and “For Once in My Life” and U2 ‘s Bono and the Edge (accompanied by a laptop), who did acoustic versions of “Desire,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “One,” “Staring at the Sun” and “Miss Sarajevo.” The pair also unveiled the first-ever live version of “A Man and a Woman” from 2004’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, dedicating it to Chelsea Clinton and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky. The U2 singer praised the former president for his work in helping to broker peace in Ireland, saying that “at the top of the list” for playing the gig was the fact that his homeland is “truly at peace, north and south, because of the 42nd president of the United States of America,” who he dubbed the “most beloved president since JFK for us Irish.” Usher made news because he danced so hard that he split his pants during a mini-set that included a cover of the Joe Cocker take on the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” as well as his own “Yeah!” and “OMG.” Also performing were Columbian pop star Juanes, country singer Kenny Chesney, Grace Potter and K’Naan. Among the celebrities on hand to make introductions were Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres, Jason Segel and Maria Bello. Related Photos The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga Related Artists Lady Gaga
Microsoft just started airing its new “great time to be a family” advertisements on TV in the United States, according to a report by WinRumors. The two ads are produced… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Next Web Discovery Date : 16/10/2011 22:56 Number of articles : 2
Here’s a lil Friday morning inspiration: A congenital birth defect left 25-year-old Kyle Maynard a quadruple amputee, but that won’t stop him from braving one of the toughest physical tests a person can face — the nearly 20,000 foot climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. Though Maynard’s arms end at his elbows and his legs stop at his knees, he will use no assistive device to climb the highest peak in Africa. He’ll make the climb using only pieces of bicycle tire taped to the ends of his limbs with heavy duty tape. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for years, just because of the level of the challenge. The harder something is, the better the experience tends to be on the other end once you get through it,” Maynard told ABCnews.com. Maynard has traveled the world as a motivational speaker, competed as a mixed martial artist and a wrestler and owns his own cross fit gym in Suwanee, Ga., but he says that Kilimanjaro will be the hardest feat he’s ever tried. A main mission behind the climb will be to “send a message” to veterans who have been disabled and to disabled children around the world “to show that there are challenges in life, but it doesn’t mean that you have to give up. You decide how you’re going to draw meaning from the challenges in your life.” The climbing team for “Mission Kilimanjaro 2012″ will consist of both “able-bodied” and “disabled” civilians and veterans who will set out on an approximately 16-day ascent in January. Before the climb they will be visiting the Mwereni Integrated School for the Blind in Moshi, Tanzania, where they will deliver $25,000 worth of donated medical supplies to the school. Among the climbing team will be several veterans who live with physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury or post traumatic stress disorder. Maynard explains that wounded veterans have made a “huge impact” on his life. He writes on the mission’s website: “I am climbing for the people who may realize how much potential they have in their lives. I am climbing to pay tribute to my heroes — the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much to preserve my freedom.” Amazing. We wish him the best of luck. Source
