Woman who stood on ship's railing for selfie barred for life from cruises

A woman was removed from a cruise ship and banned for life by the cruise company after she climbed onto her room's balcony railing to pose for a dangerous photo shoot over the ocean.
The incident happened on board the Royal Caribbean ship Allure of the Seas as it was approaching Labadee, Haiti earlier this week.
The unnamed woman was spotted by a fellow passenger, Peter Blosic, who alerted the crew.
"While on my balcony, I saw the woman climb on her railing. It happened so quickly. Not knowing what her intentions were, I alerted the crew. If I said nothing, and she was going to jump, that would be horrible," he told us.
Blosic later posted a picture of the woman wearing a blue bathing suit with hands over her head on social media.

Adult Film Star Jessa Rhodes Says She'd Sleep With A Fan To Fulfill Their Fantasy

Porn star Jessa Rhodes has said she'd sleep with a fan to fulfill their fantasy.

In a Reddit AMA (ask me anything for those who aren't familiar), the adult film actress said she'd 'fulfil a fan's fantasy' and even told them how they can apply.
One fan asked Jessa: "Would you sleep with a fan to fulfill their fantasy? Asking for all of us."

And her reply was: "Actually yes! In fact people can enter my 'f***-a-fan' contest via my private Snapchat."

She also revealed the most dangerous thing she's ever done on set, saying that she once had to repeat an underwater scene so many times that she thought she was going to pass out.

When asked what her 'they don't pay me enough for this s***' moment was, she replied: "One time while shooting for Brazzers for Kirin Lee, I had to dive into a pool and swim from one end to another while wearing a robe that weighed me down. I had to do MANY takes because of technical difficulties. Every time I held my breath and resurfaced I thought I was going to pass out."

She also answered other questions, including one that she said made her cringe so badly that she paid to have the video back.

Passports for purchase: Open citizenship doors around the world

Turns out money doesn't just buy a glamorous vacation in the Caribbean or a killer suite in Quebec -- it can buy residency too.
While British citizens are rushing to claim Irish passports ahead of the UK's proposed Brexit on October 31, the world's most elite travelers don't bother standing in line at immigration counters.
Instead, they enlist in citizenship by investment programs (CIPs), where investing in a country's economy can grant easy access to more powerful passports.
It's a controversial but flourishing industry. On October 4, one of the most highly anticipated new programs, Montenegro, announced that it was accepting applications.
This little Mediterranean nation, known for its dramatic mountainscapes and scenic coastal towns, is offering 2,000 applications the opportunity to pocket a passport.
The cost? Applicants need to invest a minimum of $274,000 in development projects.
They must also pay a fee of 100,000 euros per application, which will fund growth in underdeveloped areas.
"Generally CIPs draw individuals from countries whose passports offer very limited abilities to travel, such as China, Russia, and Middle Eastern countries," Nuri Katz, founder of international financial advisory firm Apex Capital Partners, told CNN Travel in 2017.
"Most of the individuals making these types of investments are high net-worth entrepreneurs with net worths of about $2- to $15 million."
How CIPs came to be

Hundreds Of Aussie Racehorses Are Being Sent To Slaughter On 'Industrial Scale'

A shocking investigation has revealed hundreds of healthy Aussie racehorses are being sent to slaughter houses across the country.

ABC's 7:30 Report has uncovered information from animal welfare activists that goes against the official word from Racing Australia.

The peak body looking after thoroughbred racehorses in the Land Down Under says about one per cent of retiring fillies get sent to abattoirs every year, which is around 34.

However Elio Celotto, from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses has told the national broadcaster that one slaughterhouse has been responsible for killing around 34 in just one week.

A southeast Queensland abattoir was responsible for killing more than 300 racehorses in 22 days.

Professor Paul McGreevy, an animal welfare and behaviour scientist, told the ABC the footage they obtained at slaughterhouses was nothing short of horrifying.

"This is the sort of stuff that will shake the industry to its core," Professor McGreevy.



"It is absolutely unacceptable that we could let our equine athletes down in this way. These represent atrocious practice. It's the racing industry that's responsible for exposing these animals to this miserable end.

"When we bet on horses we are interacting with this industry and we deserve better, the horses deserve better, people who love the industry deserve better. So the industry's let a lot of people down and a lot of horses down."

The ABC's report revealed many horses are sent to these abattoirs and before they're put down they endure terrifying conditions.

Bullfighter Clinging To His Life After Being Gored By Bull

A Spanish matador is fighting for his life in hospital after being gored by a bull.

The family of Mariano De la Viña say it is a complete miracle the 57-year-old is alive after the vicious attack which saw him launched into the air at the Plaza de Toros in Zaragoza, Spain.

De La Viña suffered three heart attacks as a result of the incident and underwent two lengthy operations to save his life.

The matador was taking part in the El Pilar fair when he was set upon by the powerful bull. Video footage of the attack has been released showing the animal charging at De La Viña, knocking him to the floor before lifting him into the air and dragging him across the ring.

The bull then lunged at him a second time, which left him with a 27-centimetre gash across his groin and a 22-centimetre cut between his rectum and bladder.

Lady Gaga plummets off stage in a fan's arms during Vegas show

Lady Gaga fell head over heels off into the audience during the latest date of her Las Vegas residency.

The star had invited a fan called Jack to join her on stage and jumped into his arms - but he lost his footing and the pair plummeted to the floor.

"We legitimately thought she was dead," wrote one audience member on Reddit.

Instead, Gaga returned to play Million Reasons with Jack at her side. "It's amazing," she said. "We love each other so much we fell off the damn stage."

"We fell into each other's arms. We're like Jack and Rose from Titanic.

El Chapo: Mexican president says police 'did right' to free drug lord's son

When Ovidio Guzmán López was seized at a house on a judge's warrant in the city of Culiacán, cartel gunmen fought street battles with security forces.

At least eight people were killed and 16 wounded, the authorities say, with vehicles left burning in the streets.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the decision to cancel the arrest on Thursday had saved lives.

Senior security officials had decided on his release, the president said at a news conference. "The officials who took this decision did well," he said.

"The capture of a criminal is not worth more than people's lives."



lawyer for the Guzmán family appeared before journalists and described the president as "human" and "Christian". He had decided "not to cause Ovidio harm", Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza said.

There was no negotiation to free him, he added.

Mayor in Mexico tied to a truck and dragged through streets for ‘failing to fulfill campaign promises’

Angry farmers in Mexico abducted the mayor of their village and dragged him through the streets after claiming he went back on key campaign promises.

Police intervened to free Jorge Luis Escandón Hernández, who suffered no major injuries after the ordeal.

A group of protesters armed with clubs and rocks detained the mayor of Las Margaritas and tied him to the back of a pickup truck and dragged him through the streets, according to local news website El Heraldo de Mexico.

Footage of the attack shows the man being dragged along a road, with a mob running after him.

Related Video: U.S. Border Agent Dies on Patrol Near Mexico/Arizona Border
It was the second attack by farmers demanding that he fulfil his campaign promise to repair a local road and bring drinking water and electricity to the community of roughly 500.

In an earlier incident four months ago, a group of men ransacked his office after turning up there and finding it empty.

A family found more than half a million dollars in cocaine on the beach during their vacation

A man and his family discovered 20 bricks of cocaine while on vacation in South Carolina.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, the man stumbled upon a strange object near the shore and brought it home.

When he opened it, he discovered 20 kilograms (44 lbs.) of cocaine estimated to be worth $600,000.

Bricks of cocaine also washed around in Florida following Hurricane Dorian, which lashed the southeastern coast in September.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A family discovered 20 bricks of cocaine on a beach while on vacation in South Carolina, estimated to be worth around $600,000.

A man and his family were walking along the beach on Fripp Island, a popular tourist spot located near the state's border with Georgia, when he stumbled upon an object floating in the water, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said, according to NBC affiliate WMBF News.

Swiss climbs 1,800-foot vertical rock face in record time... without a safety rope

It's one thing climbing over 1,800 feet up a vertical rock face, it's another thing altogether to do it without the use of safety ropes -- at speed.

In September, Dani Arnold scaled the imposing Cima Grande wall in the Dolomites mountain range, Italy, with nothing but his bare hands and a bag of chalk.
He did so in a record breaking time of 46 minutes, 30 seconds, obliterating the previous record by almost 20 minutes.
"It's very much a head game. All the skills, like the climbing technique and all the endurance, these are basic for me," the 35-year-old Arnold told CNN Sport, from his home in Switzerland, as he reflected on his love of free soloing (climbing without ropes).
"There are so many very strong climbers around but having these normal climbing skills whilst also having a very clear mind and feeling safe without a rope, that's a bit like a joker [card] or a jackpot."

The secret to a long life? No sex or spicy food, says monk who claims to be 124 years old

An Indian monk who claims to be 124 years old left airport security staff in Dubai aghast when he presented his passport during a stopover.

Swami Sivananda was en-route from Kolkata to London when murmurs spread of his age, after which photos spread on social media of the gentleman with various employees at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

While doubts exist as to the validity of the date of birth (August 8, 1896) on his document, Sivananda puts his longevity down to a lifelong regime involving plenty of yoga, no sex or "fancy foods", and sleeping on just a mat with a wooden slab for a pillow.

Indian passport authorities obtained Sivananda's birth records from a temple register, according to Gulf News, making it difficult to verify.

One social media user, Bint Bilaad Al Harmain stated: “These ages are often not true because of the lack of identity documents and available data back in the old days. While the birth dates may be accurate for some, there are parents that would not have been able to remember all the dates of when their children were born.”

Sivananda lost both parents when he was six years old and was sent to live with a guru. He was raised in poverty and adapted to a basic lifestyle. While the purpose of his trip to London is unknown, it's not the first time the Hindu yogi has made the press.

Ancient 'New York': 5,000-year-old city discovered in Israel

The remains of a 5,000-year-old cityhave been discovered in Israel - the largest and oldest such find in the region. The city was home to 6,000 people and included planned roads, neighbourhoods, a ritual temple and fortifications. An even earlier settlement, believed to be 7,000 years old, was discovered beneath the city.

 


 Israeli archaeologists said the discovery was the most significant in the region from that era. "This is the Early Bronze Age New York of our region; a cosmopolitan and planned city where thousands of inhabitants lived," the excavation directors said in a statement. "There is no doubt that this site dramatically changes what we know about the character of the period and the beginning of urbanization in Israel," the statement added. Known as En Esur, the site spans 650 dunams (161 acres), about double the size of previous similar findings.

Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac: Man pleads guilty to attempted robbery of Arsenal duo

A man who admitted attempting to rob Arsenal stars Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolašinac in London in July has pleaded guilty, PA Media reported Thursday.

Ashley Smith, 30, pleaded guilty of attempting to steal watches from the Arsenal pair in Hampstead, northwest London on July 25.
Smith, of Archway, north London, has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on November 1.
A CCTV video, which was shared widely across social media at the time, showed both Ozil and Kolašinac being approached by masked men who had pulled alongside their vehicle on a moped in north London.

Chernobyl control room now open to visitors -- but only wearing a hazmat suit

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has seen a huge increase in visitor numbers in recent years as part of a growing global interest in dark tourism.
And now, intrepid travelers be able to get inside the control room where the world's worst nuclear accident unfolded, Chernobyl tour companies confirmed to us.
Those who venture inside the highly radioactive area at the infamous Reactor 4 will be provided with white protective suits, helmets and masks for the brief visits. After leaving, they will be subject to two radiology tests to measure exposure.
The move is part of a government drive to encourage tourism in the area after President Volydymyr Zelensky signed a July decree designating Chernobyl an official tourist attraction.
"We must give this territory of Ukraine a new life," Zelensky said at the time. "Until now, Chernobyl was a negative part of Ukraine's brand. It's time to change it."

Four killed in knife attack at Paris police headquarters

Four police employees were killed in a knife attack at Paris police headquarters on Thursday, according to city prosecutor Remy Heitz.

The three policemen and a female police administrative worker were killed by a fellow member of staff, who was later shot dead, authorities told us.
The incident took place inside the building, which is located near Notre Dame Cathedral on the Île de la Cité in central Paris.
One victim is undergoing surgery, said French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. He did not elaborate on the victim's condition or injuries.
Castaner said the assailant was a 45-year-old man and had been an employee at the police station since 2003. There is no indication of a motive yet.
The wife of the attacker has been taken into custody, a source in the Paris prosecutor's office told us. It is not yet clear if she was at the scene of the attack or why she was taken into custody.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Wed in South Carolina

A little over a year since the couple legally tied the knot in a Manhattan courthouse, they held their more traditional wedding ceremony on Monday.
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin are Mr. and Mrs. (again)!

A little over a year since the couple legally tied the knot in a Manhattan courthouse, they held their more traditional wedding ceremony in South Carolina on Monday, according to multiple news outlets. The duo wed at sunset at Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina.

The 154 guests included Scooter Braun, Kendall Jenner, Camila Morrone and Joan Smalls, and Daniel Caesar is expected to perform later in the evening.

As a "wedding gift" for himself, Bieber splurged on a watch from Jadelle Beverly Hills, taking to Instagram to share a photo of his new ice.

MTV EMAs: Ariana Grande Leads Nominations

The star gets seven nominations, followed by Shawn Mendes, Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish with six each.
Ariana Grande is leading the nominations for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) with seven, including for best artist, best video for "thank you, next," as well as best song.

Shawn Mendes, Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish follow with six nominations each, J Balvin with five and Lizzo and Taylor Swift with four each.

Camila Cabello, Nicki Minaj, Shawn Mendes and Cardi B were among last year's winners.

With the EMAs set to take place in Seville, Spain on Nov. 3, MTV unveiled the nominees in key categories with a nod to the traditional Spanish cortado via foam cream visuals.

The awards show will air live on MTV in nearly 180 countries, with the red carpet sponsored by the upcoming Charlie’s Angels film.

Below is the full list of nominations.

Al Franken Faces New Sexual Harassment Allegation

Al Franken was accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous woman on Monday, the latest in a string of misconduct allegations that forced the former Democratic Minnesota senator’s resignation last year.

In a piece published by New York magazine’s The Cut, the woman, a current “senior staffer at a major progressive organization” came forward on condition of anonymity to accuse Franken groping her at an fundraising event in 2006 for U.S. Senator Patty Murray.

“At the time of the incident, I think, I’m going to go to law school. All I want to do is run for office in my home state. This created a moment of reflection,” she told The Cut. “ … It rocked my confidence. As I look back on my career, I am always in deputy roles and support roles.”

Franken resigned in July 2018 at the behest of Democratic leadership after a conservative talk radio host accused him of forcibly kissing her during a skit performed as part of a 2006 U.S.O tour.

The latest allegation comes in the midst of a bit of public comeback for Franken, who on Saturday launched a weekly program on SiriusXM titled “The Al Franken Show.”

Trump's 'Civil War' threat is 'beyond repugnant,' says GOP Rep. Kinzinger

President Trump sent out a barrage of tweets over the weekend defending his “perfect” phone call with the president of Ukraine and trying to shut down the House impeachment inquiry before it gets underway — including passing along a warning that removing him from office would lead to “a Civil War like fracture,” a threat that a Republican congressman called “beyond repugnant.”

“If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal,” Trump tweeted, adding his own parenthetical to a quote from Robert Jeffress, an evangelical pastor and ardent Trump supporter who appeared on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

The invocation of a civil war was met with outrage from Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I have visited nations ravaged by civil war,” Kinzinger tweeted, tagging Trump’s Twitter handle. “I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant.”

Trump, though, did not seem interested in toning down the rhetoric.

Leonardo DiCaprio reacts to Trump's 'insulting' tweet to Greta Thunberg at 2019 Global Citizen Festival

Leonardo DiCaprio shocked the 60,000 people who united in Manhattan's Central Park on Saturday for the 2019 Global Citizen's Festival, which honored the significant efforts to end extreme poverty by 2030.

The Oscar-winning actor took the stage to discuss the current climate movement and expressed gratitude for youth climate activists. He brought out three young leaders, Alexandria Villaseñor, Xiye Bastida, and Selina Neirok Leem, who he says " are powering the movement from the frontlines."

During DiCaprio's speech, he got candid about Donald Trump's headline-making tweet, where the president seemingly mocked 16-year-old Greta Thunberg hours after she delivered a passionate speech to the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

Khashoggi murder 'happened under my watch,' Saudi crown prince tells PBS

Saudi Arabia's crown prince said he bears responsibility for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year by Saudi operatives "because it happened under my watch," according to a PBS documentary to be broadcast next week.

It is the first time that Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, has publicly indicated personal accountability for the killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by operatives seen as close to him. The CIA and some Western governments have said they believe he ordered it, but Saudi officials say he had no role.

The death sparked a global uproar, tarnishing the crown prince's image and imperiling ambitious plans to diversify the economy of the world's top oil exporter and open up cloistered Saudi society. He has not since visited the United States or Europe.

"It happened under my watch. I get all the responsibility, because it happened under my watch," he told PBS' Martin Smith, according to a preview of a documentary, "The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia," set to air on Oct. 1, ahead of the one-year anniversary of Khashoggi's death.

Facebook is rolling out a test to hide your likes

For the past decade, "likes" have been the chief currency of Facebook. It's the way we've determined how many people think our babies are cute, believe our jokes are funny and recognize our new jobs are impressive.

Facebook (FB) itself has been so synonymous with likes that the thumbs up icon for the like button was placed on the sign outside the company's headquarters.
Now, Facebook is rethinking this feature as part of a broader effort to make the social network less stressful to use.
On Thursday, the company said it will begin a test to hide the number of likes, reactions and video views from posts in Australia. The author of the post will still be able to see those metrics, but other users won't.
The test applies to posts from users and pages, as well as ads across Facebook. It will slowly roll out to the majority of Australian users.

"We are running a limited test where like, reaction, and video view counts are made private across Facebook. We will gather feedback to understand whether this change will improve people's experiences," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

Hypersonic 'space plane' promises four-hour London to Sydney flights by 2030s

 


Flight times from London to Sydney could be 80% shorter by the 2030s, should a hypersonic rocket engine being developed in the UK get off the ground. The UK Space Agency announced Tuesday at the UK Space Conference 2019 that it would be working more closely with the Australian Space Agency in an agreement dubbed a "world-first Space Bridge." The Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) engine, from Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines, looks to be the jewel in the crown of this new enterprise. "When we have brought the SABRE rocket engine to fruition, that may enable us to get to Australia in perhaps as little as four hours," said Graham Turnock, head of the UK Space Agency. "This is technology that could definitely deliver that.

We're talking the 2030s for operational service, and the work is already very advanced." Fans of supersonic flight have been yearning for a new way to break the sound barrier ever since Concorde stopped flying in 2003. In April 2019, Reaction Engines announced successful tests of a precooler, simulating conditions at Mach 3.3, or more than three times the speed of sound. That's more than 50% faster than the cruising speed of Concorde -- which used to make the journey between New York and Paris in around 3.5 hours -- and matches the speed record of the fastest jet aircraft ever made, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The precooler tests took place at a testing facility at the Colorado Air and Space Port in the United States. At such high speeds, air flowing through the engine can reach incredibly high temperatures, which can potentially cause damage.

'10 Minutes Gone': Film Review

 

Bruce Willis and Michael Chiklis co-star in Brian A. Miller’s crime thriller about a botched bank heist that sets off a wave of bloody retribution. Boasting a synopsis stacked with keywords certain to deliver reliable hits from streaming platform searches, Brian A. Miller’s lightweight action vehicle 10 Minutes Gone makes only a perfunctory stop in theaters before finding a more appropriate niche on VOD. Miller has made a career out of directing aging action icons in a string of generic thrillers, including Backtrace (Sylvester Stallone), Reprisal (Bruce Willis) and The Prince (Willis again), although few of them rate much of a mention, and his latest feature looks unlikely to change that track record for the better. Rex (Willis) runs a handpicked crew that pulls bank robbery jobs for hire, although he keeps them at arm’s length so he doesn’t need to have any personal conversations other than on the phone, preferring to handle the business side of the operations.

 His latest anonymous client needs a mysterious metal case extracted from an underground vault in Cincinnati, so Rex brings on safecracker Frank (Michael Chiklis) and his brother Joe (Tyler Jon Olson), along with weapons specialists Baxter (Swen Temmel) and Mitchell (John Hickman) and tech expert Griffin (Kyle Schmid) to take out the bank’s security system. Practically the only interesting thing about this hopelessly mismatched lineup entails predicting in what order they’ll all die, since their demise appears an almost foregone conclusion.

'Gemini Man': Film Review

Will Smith plays dual roles as both a veteran assassin and his younger clone in director Ang Lee's effects-heavy thriller. Will Smith co-stars opposite himself in Gemini Man, a rare detour into action-thriller terrain from Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi director Ang Lee. Playing an elite hit man drawn into a deadly showdown with his younger clone, this effects-heavy 3D spectacular features both Peter Jackson's Weta Digital and Hollywood sci-fi legend Douglas Trumbull in its vast creative credits pool. But the disappointing end result feels less than the sum of the talents involved, a weak script and thin high-concept plot only just held together by smart visual wizardry.

 Languishing in development since the late 1990s, Gemini Man began life as a Disney property with the late Tony Scott initially set to direct. Various big stars were attached over the years including Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery. Now, after multiple rewrites and technical setbacks, the project finally comes to fruition as a vehicle for Smith to try and reboot his faltering action superstar status. Was it worth dusting off this clunky pre-millennial screenplay? Frankly, not really. Gemini Man is arguably a significant leap forward for visual effects but a backward step for gripping, sophisticated thrillers. Despite a few deftly handled set-piece action sequences, the formulaic screenplay, stock characters, leaden dialogue and wobbly accents feel gratingly amateurish in places.