New Yorkers seek to shed pandemic pounds

NEW YORK - As fitness-conscious New York emerges from the pandemic, many residents are hitting the gym to get back in shape, but without putting too much pressure on themselves after the psychological stresses of the past 15 months.

Thirty-year-old Benny Maidenbaum comes from a family of sportsmen and said he's always been "very active." Basketball twice a week and pounding sidewalks as a real estate agent kept him fit.

But in March 2020, all that stopped.

"I had no activity, was sitting at home. I gained weight, like 15-20 pounds (7-9 kilograms). They call it 'corona weight,'" he tells AFP at TS fitness studio on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Health journals and articles have indeed talked about "Quarantine 15" -- unwanted extra pounds gained from the upheaval of our daily routines, including lack of activities and emotional eating caused by the anxiety of the pandemic.

About 42 percent of American adults said they had gained more weight than they intended -- an average of 29 pounds -- during the pandemic, according to a survey conducted by the Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association.

Angela Thuman, a 42-year-old bank worker, lost 32 pounds over the winter before the pandemic struck. She put it back on during the COVID crisis.

"It made me depressed and my anxiety was sky high. I had no motivation whatsoever," said Thuman, who lives in Maryland. 

Maidendaum said he found himself stuck at home eating junk food, without any interest in healthy options.

"It's like you're in a hole. There is no way out," he said.

Maidenbaum says TS Fitness has helped him "break the cycle" of unhealthy living.

Founder Noam Tamir says the studio has seen attendance increase significantly in recent weeks.

"With summer coming, being outside more, not fitting into the clothes they used to and obviously revealing more of their body, they want to get into a fitness routine," he said.

The studio has offered Zoom classes throughout the pandemic but people "crave that human-to-human contact," Tamir added.

Khristel Rhoades, a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother, notes that there are more people in Central Park now than during the pandemic's early days.

"People are more comfortable. Initially, people would kind of jump when they thought you were coming by," she said while walking on the paved loop that goes around Manhattan's green lung.

'STIGMATIZATION'

Rhoades is among those who found exercise helped them through the pandemic.

"It's kept me sane for sure," she said.

Many specialists warn against stigmatizing weight gain, particularly at a time when people are still feeling extremely fragile psychologically.

"The very last thing we need right now is a diet," warned author Virginia Sole-Smith in her Burnt Toast newsletter.

"It's so much more important to have compassion for everything your body has gone through in the past year. And maybe even pride, for everything your body has helped you survive," she added.

But for Thuman, she said she had "a little bit of motivation" to lose weight as the pandemic dragged on, after separating from her husband.

Thanks to steady walks, a new diet and Facebook groups, Thuman has lost 22 pounds and is almost down to the weight she was pre-pandemic.

"I like the way that I feel now," she told AFP.

Like many, Maidenbaum refuses to set a target for his weight loss.

"If you put a timeframe, I realize you're building up a lot of pressure on yourself," he said, choosing to focus instead on a healthy lifestyle.

"As long as you show up and put in the work, that's really all that matters."

Agence France-Presse

New York state announces deal to legalize recreational marijuana

Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York state lawmakers formally agreed in late-night talks on a deal to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and over, the governor's office announced Sunday.

Once the underlying legislation passes -- Cuomo's Democratic party holds strong majorities in both legislative chambers -- New York will join 14 other states and the District of Columbia in permitting cannabis use. 

A statement from Cuomo's office said the change could net an additional $350 million in annual tax revenues and create tens of thousands of jobs.

The draft law would allow adults 21 and over to purchase cannabis and grow plants for personal consumption at home, with a plan to divert some funds to drug treatment and education.

"Legalizing adult-use cannabis isn't just about creating a new market that will provide jobs and benefit the economy -- it's also about justice for long-marginalized communities and ensuring those who've been unfairly penalized in the past will now get a chance to benefit," Cuomo said in the statement.

The law would take immediate effect once passed, but sales could take up to two years to start, as New York creates a proposed cannabis board and gets legal structures in place, a state lawmaker said Friday.

New York would automatically clear records of people with past convictions of marijuana-related offenses that would no longer be criminalized.

The law would also eliminate penalties for possession of up to three ounces of the drug (85 grams), the new personal possession limit. An existing medical-marijuana program would be expanded.

The state plans to tax marijuana sales at nine percent, with revenues from an additional four-percent tax divided between local and county government. 

The bill would create loans, grants and programs to foster job creation and industry participation from small farmers, women and disabled veterans, as well as New Yorkers from minority communities.

The decision, reached late Saturday, came after years of wrangling over legalizing recreational pot use in New York.

The deal was reached as Governor Cuomo faces investigation from several angles, including for an alleged pattern of sexually harassing and intimidating women employees, as well as for accusations his administration orchestrated a cover-up of nursing home deaths related to Covid-19.

Proponents say the new marijuana legislation will be a step toward addressing decades of injustice affecting minority and impoverished communities, which were disproportionately targeted by decades of harsh drug criminalization.

"This landmark legislation brings justice to New York State by ending prohibition, expunging conviction records that have curtailed the opportunities of countless predominately young Black and Latinx New Yorkers...", The Legal Aid Society, a social justice law firm, said in a Sunday statement.

Agence France-Presse

The end of offices? New York's business districts face uncertain future

NEW YORK - Boarded-up stores, shuttered restaurants and empty office towers: Covid-19 has turned New York's famous business districts into ghost towns, with companies scrambling to come up with ways to entice workers to return post-pandemic. 

"If they don't come back, we're sunk," said Kenneth McClure, vice president of Hospitality Holdings, whose Midtown bistro pre-coronavirus would buzz with the sound of financiers striking deals at lunch and sharing cocktails after a hard day at the office.

The group has closed its six restaurants and bars in Manhattan, two of them permanently, due to lockdown restrictions that have paused office culture - a culture as intrinsic to the Big Apple as a Broadway show, a yellow taxi or a slice of cheese pizza.

"Customers that you saw three, four, five times a week just virtually disappeared," McClure told AFP, recalling March of last year when the pandemic first swept New York, where it has killed more than 26,000 people.

According to data collected by security firm Kastle Systems, only 14 percent of New York's more than one million office workers had returned to their desks by the middle of January, putting the countless sandwich shops and small businesses in Midtown and Wall Street at risk.

With vaccines now rolling out, corporations and business leaders are grappling with how to attract employees back after spending the best part of a year working from home, and in turn maintaining the character of business districts.

Seventy-nine percent of employees questioned in a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey published this month said that working remotely had been a success, but the report also found that offices are not about to be consigned to history.

Some 87 percent of employees said the office was important to them for collaborating with team members and building relationships, aspects of working life they felt was easier and more rewarding in person than over Zoom.

"Being here, seeing my colleagues and getting out of the house, it changes my mood for the whole week," said Jessica Lappin, speaking to AFP from her office at the Alliance for Downtown New York, where she is president.

Few workers plan on being in offices Monday to Friday, nine to five, though.

"The vast majority of employees say a hybrid system of two-to-three days working from home and two-to-three days working in the office is their preferred approach," said Deniz Caglar, co-author of the PwC report.

Experts say companies should transform their offices away from places where employees come to send emails or make phone calls, which they can do at home, towards more appealing spaces suited for mentoring, camaraderie and fostering creativity.

- 'New future' -

That could mean larger, more flexible conference rooms rather than cubicles, something as simple as better decor, outdoor space like a balcony or terrace and "hoteling," where workers schedule use of a workspace as opposed to every employee having their own desk.

"Think of it as a theater, where you have different sets for different scenes," David Smith, co-author of a Cushman & Wakefield report about workplaces of the future, told AFP.

It may also mean offices becoming more multipurpose -- facilities such as gyms, cafes, launderettes and concierge services that make employees feel their commute is worthwhile -- accelerating a trend that was growing before coronavirus, experts say.

While offering staff flexibility, several major employers are doubling-down on their commitment to offices, betting big on New York's business districts despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

In August, Facebook signed a lease on a 730,000-square-foot space in Midtown, while a Google spokesperson told AFP the technology giant is continuing to expand its campus in the Chelsea neighborhood.

Greenberg Traurig, a law firm that employs 400 people in New York, has installed sneeze guards, touchless faucets, hand sanitizer machines, increased ventilation and distanced work stations.

It has staff coming in on "a rotational basis," and the firm plans to proceed with its move into a new state-of-the-art building near Grand Central Station this year, vice-chairman Robert Ivanhoe told AFP.

In late December, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo cut the ribbon on a new $1.6 billion train concourse servicing Penn Station, highlighting local politicians' hopes of reviving Midtown.

Business district leaders say they are looking to add green spaces to the neighborhoods, while outdoor dining -- extremely rare in New York before the pandemic -- is expected to become a permanent feature.

"There is definitely an opportunity for everyone to be looking at the new future," Alfred Cerullo, president of the Grand Central Partnership business improvement group, told AFP.

Agence France-Presse

Longest non-stop flight to take off from New York to Sydney

SYDNEY, Australia — A plane and its passengers are set to test the mental and physical limits of long-haul aviation when Qantas operates the first direct flight by a commercial airline from New York to Sydney this weekend.

In the first of three "ultra long-haul" test flights planned by Australia's national flag carrier this year, researchers will monitor the effects on passengers of the 19-hour non-stop journey.

Up to 40 passengers and crew—most of them Qantas employees—will be on board the Boeing 787-9 when it departs New York on Friday. The plane is scheduled to arrive Down Under Sunday morning.


Passenger numbers have been restricted to minimize the weight on board and give the plane sufficient fuel range to travel approximately 16,000 kilometers (about 9,500 miles) without re-fuelling, heading west over the Pacific.

No other airline has ever achieved the feat, which Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has called the "final frontier in aviation."

Scientists from two Australian universities will be on board to monitor passengers' sleep patterns, melatonin levels, and food consumption.

Pilots will also wear a device that tracks their brain waves and alertness.

With a 15-hour time difference between New York and Sydney, the impact of jetlag will be closely watched.

"We know from the basic science of circadian rhythms that a bigger time difference between departure and arrival locations, and travelling east rather than west, tends to mean people feel more jetlag," University of Sydney professor Stephen Simpson told AFP.

"But people seem to be wildly different when it comes to the experience of jetlag—and we need more research on what contributes to jetlag and travel fatigue, so we can try and reduce the impact of long-haul flights."

Qantas last year introduced the first direct service from the western Australian city of Perth to London, with the 17-hour journey one of the longest passenger flights in the world.

As well as the New York-Sydney route, Qantas will test a service from London to Sydney in the coming months.

The airline is considering launching commercial services on the marathon routes—if the economics stack up.

A decision will be made on the validity of the flights at the end of the year. Joyce has said it is "ultimately a business decision."

Pilots concerned 

Another hurdle could come from within the organization.

Qantas pilots have raised concerns about the impact of ultra long-range flying on safety standards.

The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), which represents Qantas pilots, said the exploratory flights "will produce a limited set of data that will not adequately replicate real-world flying conditions."

AIPA safety director Shane Loney has called for a "scientific long-term study" into the impacts on crew.

"Pilots are concerned about being able to get enough quality rest during ultra long-range flights to maintain peak performance and we believe significant caution should be exercised in the initial operations to make sure there are no unintended consequences," he said.

A Qantas spokesperson said the test flights are "just one part of the work we are doing to assess how to the operate these flights safely".

Both Airbus and Boeing have pitched aircraft for the Qantas ultra long-haul routes. Joyce has said it is not a "foregone conclusion" which company will be chosen.

source: philstar.com

Greta Thunberg berates leaders as UN climate summit falls short

UNITED NATIONS, United States — An emotional Greta Thunberg tore into world leaders at a UN climate summit Monday, accusing them of betraying her generation by failing to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, as announcements by major economies fell far short of expectations.

The Swedish teen's impassioned speech, in which she repeated the words "How dare you" four times, was the defining moment of the meeting, called by UN chief Antonio Guterres to reinvigorate the faltering Paris climate agreement.

Ahead of the conference, the United Nations issued a release saying 66 countries vowed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, along with 10 regions, 102 cities, and scores of businesses.

But pre-summit predictions of new, headline-grabbing commitments, particularly by the likes of China and India, failed to match reality, angering environmental groups.

The world's top scientists believe long-term temperature rise must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels to prevent runaway warming with catastrophic effects.

But rather than peaking, the level of emissions being released into the atmosphere are at an all-time high, triggering global weather hazards from heat waves to intense hurricanes and raging wildfires.

New data released Monday showed the 2019 Arctic sea ice minimum is ranked at second-lowest in the 41-year satellite record, effectively tied with 2007 and 2016.

"I shouldn't be up here. I should be back at school on the other side of the ocean," said Thunberg, 16, who has become the global face of a growing youth movement against climate inaction that mobilized millions in a worldwide strike on Friday.

"You come to us young people for hope. How dare you?" she thundered, her voice at times breaking with emotion.

Matters did not improve much as a succession of national leaders took to the podium saying they understood the gravity of the situation but then failing to announce concrete plans.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not say explicitly whether his country would enhance its commitments made under the Paris agreement -- though he did say it was working on more than doubling its renewable energy capacity.

There was also no new announcement by China, the world's biggest emitter. Senior foreign policy official Wang Yi spoke instead about the need for multilateralism, taking a veiled swipe at US President Donald Trump for pulling out of the Paris accord on taking office.

"The withdrawal of certain parties will not shake the collective will of the international community," he said.

Environmental and campaign groups reacted with almost unanimous disappointment.

"I think Greta's impassioned cry for sanity and for actually listening and acting based on the science was ignored," Greenpeace International chief Jennifer Morgan told AFP.

Trump surprise

Fewer than half of the 136 heads of government or state in New York this week to attend the UN General Assembly attended on Monday.

Trump, who announced his intent to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement and has heaped scorn on climate science, had been expected to skip the event but made a brief unscheduled appearance, spending a few minutes in the hall, where he applauded Modi's speech and then left.

Among those absent were President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, under whose leadership the Amazon rainforest is continuing to burn at record rates, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose government has pursued an aggressively pro-coal agenda.

Laurence Tubiana, one of the architects of the Paris agreement, told AFP the summit that Chinese lack of action was linked to its internal politics as it prepares its next five-year-plan.

But she said that she saw progress too.

"The big win is these group of countries who are for net zero by 2050," she said.

"The next step is to have them explain how they do that and what they do immediately." 

Increased urgency

Earlier, opening the summit, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win."

French President Emmanuel Macron invited his counterparts from Chile, Colombia and Bolivia to a meeting where $500 million in extra funds were pledged by major donors.

Macron also lauded Russia, which ratified the Paris agreement on Monday, and said Europe must do more, repeating a vow to close coal-fired plants by 2022.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, repeated recently announced pledges including $55 billion for a new innovation and technology package and net zero emissions by 2050.

And British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK would double its climate change funding through an overseas development program to $14.4 billion over five years.

In his closing comments, Guterres emphasized the positives, highlighting the growing action from the corporate sector, commitments from countries to plant more than 11 billion trees.

But he added: "We need more concrete plans, more ambition from more countries and more businesses, saying the next critical landmark would come at a conference in Santiago in December.

source: philstar.com

Man charged after New York scare over rice cookers

NEW YORK, United States — A young homeless man has been charged with placing false bombs, police said Saturday, after three empty rice cookers caused major commuter disruption in New York.

Larry K. Griffin II, 26, was arrested by the New York Police Department and charged with three counts of placing a false bomb, according to a statement released Saturday.

Parts of the city were alerted for two hours Friday morning as three suspicious objects were found: two near the World Trade Centre in the Fulton Street subway station, and one in the Chelsea district further north.


The station was quickly evacuated, service on two subway lines was suspended and trains on other lines serving Fulton Street bypassed the station.

All of the suspicious objects were ultimately determined to be empty rice cookers, each the same model, according to police.

Griffin is reportedly a former resident of Bruno, West Virginia, US media said.

West Virginia's Logan County Sheriff's office said he had a history of criminal activity.

Griffin had been arrested at least three times in the last eight years on charges such as possession of a controlled substance involving weapons, and use of obscene material to seduce a minor, the office said. He was indicted on the latter two charges.


There was also an active arrest warrant for failure to report, and for missing drug screens while on pre-trial bond supervision, the office said in a Facebook statement.

US media said Griffin's motive remained unknown.

Surveillance camera footage had shown a man taking two rice cookers out of a shopping cart and placing them at the Fulton Street station.

His cousin, Tara Brumfield, told local news station WSAZ3 that, "Little Larry's a good person. He's got issues but he don't ever mean no harm or anything."

In September 2016 a pressure cooker containing a homemade explosive device detonated in the Chelsea neighborhood, injuring 31 people and triggering panic in a city that had not endured an attack since 9/11.

Since then, the US financial capital has been hit by two other incidents.

In October 2017, Uzbek man Sayfullo Saipov used a truck to run over cyclists and pedestrians on a bike path in Manhattan, killing eight people and injuring 12.

And in December 2017, Bangladeshi immigrant Akayed Ullah detonated a bomb in a subway tunnel near Times Square, leaving three people slightly injured.

source: philstar.com

US World Cup winners feted with confetti, chants of 'equal pay'

NEW YORK, United States — Amid chants of "equal pay," "USA" and streams of confetti, the World Cup-winning US women's soccer team was feted by tens of thousands of adoring fans with a ticker tape victory parade in New York on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time).

Wearing identical black T-shirts emblazoned with the words "World Champions" in gold letters, members of the US squad waved to the crowds from slow-moving open-top floats.

Player of the tournament Megan Rapinoe struck her iconic goal-scoring pose as she displayed the World Cup trophy to the cheering fans lining the parade route along Lower Manhattan's fabled "Canyon of Heroes."

Under bright sunny skies, office workers showered the players with white confetti thrown from the windows of skyscrapers lining Broadway.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the US World Cup stars on Rapinoe's float and later hosted the US team in a ceremony at City Hall to present them with the symbolic "Keys to the City."

"This group is so resilient, is so tough, has such a sense of humor, is just so bad ass," Rapinoe told the crowd at City Hall. "We have pink hair and purple hair. We have tattoos, dreadlocks.

"We got white girls and black girls, and everything in between. Straight girls and gay girls," she said.

Star striker Alex Morgan also addressed the crowd.

"We have been known as America's favorite soccer team," she said.

"But from here on out, we'll just be known as America's team."

Players were met with chants of "equal pay" during the parade and on one float, they displayed a poster given to them by someone in the crowd which read "Parades Are Cool, Equal Pay Is Cooler."

While the team is celebrated across the country, the squad has also been held up as champions of gender equality.

The women's team is suing the US Soccer Federation to demand equal pay with their male counterparts, and fan chants of "equal pay" also cascaded from the stands at the Stade de Lyon in France after Sunday's victory over the Netherlands.

Victory tour

The parade, which lasted about an hour, is in line with a New York tradition that dates back more than a century.

While the honor has been bestowed on everyone from astronauts to record-breakers, soldiers and world leaders, in recent decades it has more commonly been used to celebrate sports victories by teams such as baseball's New York Yankees or the NFL's New York Giants.

Wednesday's ticker tape celebration is just the first stop on a protracted victory lap that will send the team across the United States in the coming months.

After the festivities in New York, the players will jet off to California to appear at the ESPYs, the US sports world's equivalent of the Oscars, taking place in Los Angeles later on Wednesday.

The team will then be back on the road next month to play in a five-game series of friendly international matches billed as a "Victory Tour", starting with a clash against Ireland at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on August 3.

One stop that looks unlikely is a trip to the White House.

The outspoken Rapinoe has been critical of President Donald Trump, saying last month that she would not accept an invitation from him to visit the White House if the United States won the World Cup.

Trump responded by tweeting that Rapinoe should "win first before she talks."

Speaking to ESPN on Tuesday, Rapinoe noted she had "held up my end of the bargain on that one" before adding that the Twitter exchange with Trump had actually helped the team in France.

She also reiterated that she would not be going to the White House, saying on CNN: "I would not go and every teammate that I've talked to explicitly about it would not go."

"I don't think anyone on the team has any interest in lending the platform that we've worked so hard to build and the things that we fight for and the way that we live our life," Rapinoe said.

"I don't think we want that to be co-opted or corrupted by this administration."

On Monday, the team returned home from France, 24 hours after defeating the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday's final to clinch a record-extending fourth World Cup crown.

source: philstar.com

Sidelined by pneumonia, Clinton vows quick return to campaign trail

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton sought to draw a line Monday under the health scare rocking her White House campaign, assuring supporters she will return to the fray this week as her team stated she has no medical ailments other than pneumonia.

Clinton was set to get a boost Tuesday, when President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail to support her bid to replace him.

Facing intensifying scrutiny about her health, the Democrat will also make new disclosures of medical records and data, as her team acknowledged it stumbled when it failed to transparently alert the press and public about Clinton's condition at the weekend.

"I felt dizzy and I did lose my balance for a minute, but once I got in (the van), once I could sit down, once I could cool off, once I had some water, I immediately started feeling better," Clinton told CNN, adding that she would be back on the campaign trail within the "next couple of days."

Clinton, 68, fell ill at a 9/11 memorial event in New York and was seen wobbling as she was helped into her vehicle, forcing her campaign to disclose she had been diagnosed with the acute respiratory infection.

The incident -- captured on amateur video -- gave her Republican rival Donald Trump, 70, a new opening to question her fitness for the nation's highest office as the race heats up with eight weeks until Election Day.

The campaign said she "felt overheated," then released a statement by her personal doctor, Lisa Bardack, revealing that Clinton had been diagnosed with pneumonia Friday and was suffering from dehydration.

"There's no other undisclosed condition. The pneumonia is the extent of it," Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon told MSNBC.

On CNN, Clinton initially said that she has "twice" gotten dehydrated and felt dizzy over the past five years, then said it had been "a few times."

Clinton was forced to scrap her California fundraising trip Monday and Tuesday. And the campaign acknowledged, just as Clinton was tweeting, that she will not attend her scheduled campaign event Wednesday in Nevada -- with Bill Clinton due to stump there on her behalf according to an aide to the former president.

In his first public comments since Clinton abruptly left Sunday's Ground Zero ceremony, an unusually restrained Trump offered her his wishes for a rapid recovery.

But he also suggested the former secretary of state's health issues were of longer standing than admitted.

"Something is going on but I just hope she gets well and gets back on the trail, and we'll be seeing her at the debate" in two weeks, the Republican told Fox News.

The unexpected turn of events has turned a conservative angle of attack into a serious line of questioning about Clinton's health and why it took two days to reveal the pneumonia diagnosis.

"Antibiotics can take care of pneumonia. What's the cure for an unhealthy penchant for privacy that repeatedly creates unnecessary problems?" asked David Axelrod, a former White House aide to Barack Obama, on Twitter.

Clinton admitted: "If we weren't fast enough, you know, I've talked to my staff, we, you know, take responsibility for that."

But she quickly insisted she has been far more transparent than Trump.

"The information is out there. You can't say the same thing about Donald Trump," she said.

"The American people deserve to know what he's up to and what he is hiding."

'Not the first time'

The episode has fueled fresh speculation and conspiracy theories on the internet, already awash with unsubstantiated rumors Clinton may have a brain tumor, Parkinson's or dementia.

The root of persistent claims about Clinton's health lies in 2012, toward the end of her tenure as secretary of state.

A stomach virus and dehydration prompted her to faint, causing what her doctor said was a concussion. Doctors said they found a blood clot on the brain. Clinton later received the all-clear.

On Monday, Fallon insisted that "there was nothing here in terms of anything that was caused by what happened in 2012."

He also said Clinton's team would be releasing medical records "in the next few days" in order to "further put to rest any lingering concerns about what you saw yesterday."

Trump also promised to release medical records once test results are back.

The former first lady has dismissed rumors about her health, but Trump has repeatedly raised doubts about Clinton's stamina and physical strength, and he questioned her campaign's account of the current episode.

"They say pneumonia on Friday, but she was coughing very, very badly a week ago and even before that if you remember, and this was not the first time," he told CNBC.

'Hard time keeping up'

Clinton spokesman Fallon said several senior Clinton collaborators at campaign headquarters in Brooklyn also fell ill in recent weeks, including campaign manager Robby Mook. But it was not known if that was the source of Clinton's infection.

Democrats including her running mate Tim Kaine rushed to her defense.

"Her energy staggers me," he told a crowd in Dayton, Ohio. "I have a hard time keeping up with her."

source: interaksyon.com

Trump, Clinton win pivotal New York primary

NEW YORK -- Manhattan billionaire Donald Trump and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton won the New York primary on Tuesday, galvanizing their bids to win the Republican and Democratic nominations for the White House.

US networks called the race for the Republican frontrunner seconds after the polls closed in the country's fourth most populous state, signaling a crushing victory over his rivals.

"I have to say to the people that know me the best -- the people of New York -- when they give us this kind of a vote it's just incredible," the 69-year-old businessman told a victory party at Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Trump, whose campaign has appalled the Republican establishment, led on 65.1 percent to 13.7 percent for his evangelical rival Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich on 21.2 percent, with nine percent of the vote counted CNN said.

He told supporters his campaign was going to "get a lot more delegates than anyone projected even in their wildest imagination."

Clinton was declared the winner over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders around 40 minutes after the polls closed.

The former first lady and New York senator had 60.5 percent of the vote, against 39.5 percent for Sanders, CNN said based on nearly half of precincts reporting.

Clinton had banked on victory in her adopted home state to stall the momentum generated by her self-styled democratic socialist rival and get a needed shot in the arm after losing seven out of the eight previous nominating contests.

It was New York's most decisive primary in decades and Trump's victory in the state, which has 95 Republican delegates in play, will bolster his quest to sew up the nomination before party grandees can swing behind another candidate at the convention in July.

While New York City is largely Democrat, Republicans in rural areas and fallen manufacturing cities upstate warmed to Trump's populist message, despite his insults towards women, Mexicans and Muslims.

'A great time'
A relaxed and confident-looking Clinton, 68, dressed in a colorful tunic, voted earlier on Tuesday with husband, former president Bill Clinton, in the leafy Chappaqua suburb they call home.

"I had a great time going around the city in the last couple of days just seeing a lot of old friends, meeting new people," she said.

The three main candidates also claimed New York as home: Trump, who has never lived anywhere else; Clinton, who was twice elected the state's US senator; and Sanders, who was raised in Brooklyn.

The 74-year-old Sanders -- who has galvanized a youth movement with his call for health care as a right, free college education and campaign finance reform -- was hoping for a win or a close margin to keep alive his White House dreams.

Clinton currently leads with 1,791 compared to 1,115 for Sanders, according to a CNN tally -- putting her on course to clinch the 2,383 delegates needed to secure the party's presidential nomination.

It was not immediately clear how many of the 247 Democratic delegates and 44 superdelegates up for grabs in New York will be accorded to Clinton.

There had been deep frustrations over New York's strict rules governing the vote, particularly among independent voters not allowed to participate and who could have been expected to favor Sanders.

Only New York's 5.8 million Democrats and 2.7 million Republicans who registered by last October -- four months before the nation's first caucus election in Iowa -- are eligible to vote.

Voters and rights monitors reported numerous errors on voting lists in Brooklyn, including the purging of entire buildings and blocks of voters from the electoral roll.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has endorsed Clinton, called on the board of election to rectify the lists.

"The perception that numerous voters may have been disenfranchised undermines the integrity of the entire electoral process and must be fixed," he said.

Turnout was brisk at polling stations visited by AFP in Manhattan and Brooklyn, where a string of Democrats said they had voted for Clinton, who would make history if elected as America's first woman president.

"I think she's got the record across all of the issues that matter to me," said Rachel Karpf, 30, an arts producer who works in theater and lives in Brooklyn.

"I thought about Bernie Sanders quite a bit but I felt more comfortable voting for someone who has already a track record," she said.

source: interaksyon.com

New York launches probe into speeds at major Internet broadband providers

The New York attorney general is probing whether three major Internet providers could be short-changing consumers by charging them for faster broadband speeds and failing to deliver the speeds being advertised, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The letters, which were sent on Friday to executives at Verizon Communications Inc, Cablevision Systems Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc, ask each company to provide copies of all the disclosures they have made to customers, as well as copies of any testing they may have done to study their Internet speeds.

“New Yorkers deserve the Internet speeds they pay for. But, it turns out, many of us may be paying for one thing, and getting another,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement.

Time Warner Cable spokesman Bobby Amirshahi said in a statement: “We’re confident that we provide our customers the speeds and services we promise them and look forward to working with the AG to resolve this matter.”

Cablevision spokesman Charlie Schueler said the company’s Optimum Online service “consistently surpasses advertised broadband speeds, including in FCC and internal tests. We are happy to provide any necessary performance information to the Attorney General as we do to our customers.”

Verizon declined comment, saying it had not yet seen the letter.

The probe by the attorney general is particularly focused on so-called interconnection arrangements, or contractual deals that Internet service providers strike with other networks for the mutual exchange of data.

In the letters, the office says it is concerned that customers paying a premium for higher speeds may be experiencing a disruption in their service thanks to technical problems and business disputes over the interconnection agreements.

A 2014 study by the Measurement Lab Consortium, or M-Lab, found that customers’ Internet service tended to suffer at points where their broadband providers connected with long haul Internet traffic carriers including Cogent Communications Group Inc.

“Internet service provider interconnection has a substantial impact on consumer Internet performance – sometimes a severely

negative impact,” the study said, adding that business relationships rather than technical issues were often at the root of the problem.

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office said the findings in the 2014 study, coupled with consumer complaints and internal analysis, prompted the inquiry into the Internet speeds.

Some of the letters also raise questions about speeds delivered by Time Warner Cable and Cablevision to consumers over “the last mile,” a term that refers to the point where a telecommunication chain reaches a retail consumer’s devices.

source: interaksyon.com

Novak Djokovic tops Roger Federer to win US Open

Novak Djokovic clinched his third Grand Slam title of 2015 and 10th career major with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over sentimental favorite Roger Federer in the US Open final on Sunday.

Shrugging off a three-hour rain delay and the overwhelming hostility of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, the 28-year-old world number one captured his second title in New York to add to his 2011 triumph.

The defeat shattered 34-year-old Federer’s bid to become the oldest US Open champion in 45 years and left him marooned on 17 Grand Slam titles, the last of which came at Wimbledon in 2012.

Djokovic added the US Open title to his Australian Open and Wimbledon victories this year.

Had it not been for a heartbreaking loss to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final in June, the rock-solid Serb would have been celebrating a rare calendar Grand Slam.

Djokovic’s 10 majors takes him level with American Bill Tilden and just one shy of Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver on the all-time list.

Federer was ultimately undone by 54 unforced errors and his ability to convert just four of 23 break points.

“I have tremendous respect for Roger and the challenge he presents,” said Djokovic, who is now 21-21 in career meetings with Federer.

“He’s the best player ever. I knew I needed to play my best in order to win. It’s an incredible evening.”

He added: “I love this sport and all these achievements are incentive for me to keep on going.”

Federer insisted he would be back to try again in 2016.

“I love tennis. I’ll see you back here next year,” said the veteran.

“I’m pleased with where my game is, but playing a great champion like Novak is always difficult.”

With the likes of Robert Redford, Sean Connery and David Beckham watching, and with Eva Asderaki-Moore making history as the first woman to umpire the men’s singles final, Djokovic was dialled in from the start despite heavy rain forcing a three-hour delay and an evening start.

He forced five-time champion Federer, playing in his first US Open final in six years, to save three break points in a six-minute opening game.

The top seed held to love and then broke for 2-1 — it was just the third time in 84 service games at the tournament that the Swiss veteran had been broken.

Bloodied but unbowed

However, with the playing surface still damp from the hours of rain, the Serb suffered a worrying fall in the next game, turning over on his right ankle and bloodying his elbow.

Federer pounced to retrieve the break but the Serb was soon back in the ascendancy and Federer was broken again in the seventh game.

Federer saved a set point in the ninth, but conceded the first set with a netted backhand in the 10th game.

It ended his run of 28 consecutive sets won, a mark stretching back to July’s Wimbledon championship match, where he lost to Djokovic.

Djokovic saved five break points in an eight-minute game to go 1-1 in the second set despite Federer’s first use of his ‘SABR’ charge-and-chip ploy.

Federer then had two set points in the 10th game — surrendering one with a wild forehand with an open court at his mercy.

Djokovic held after seven deuces and 15 minutes of unbearable tension as he faced down Federer and the majority of the crowd.

The Swiss allowed another set point to slip away in the 12th game but he converted his fourth on a monster backhand to level the final.

The stadium erupted, leaving no doubt whatsoever as to the crowd’s affections.

Djokovic broke for 2-1 in the third, but unsettled by a call from the crowd during his service action he handed back the break for 2-2.

The top seed saved two break points in the eighth game before Federer suddenly lost focus and out of nowhere handed Djokovic a 5-4 lead.

Federer had two break points as he desperately clung on but Djokovic held his nerve to serve it out.

Djokovic sensed blood and broke in the opening game of the fourth set and saved a break point to lead 4-2.

The Serb broke again for 5-2, roaring at the crowd and the New York nighttime sky.

But there was still time for a twist as Federer retrieved one of the breaks when Djokovic served for the title and backed it up with a hold.

The Swiss let three more break points slip away in the 10th game before nerveless Djokovic sealed victory off a long Federer service return.

source: interaksyon.com

Former New York governor Mario Cuomo dies, 82

NEW YORK -- Mario Cuomo, the former New York governor who was once considered a prime candidate for the White House or the Supreme Court, died Thursday, US media reported. He was 82.

Cause of death was not specified, but Cuomo had been hospitalized in November with a heart condition.

The three-term Democratic governor died the same day as his oldest son, Andrew Cuomo, was inaugurated for a second term as New York governor.

"He couldn't be here physically today, my father. But my father is in this room. He's in the heart and mind of every person who is here," Andrew Cuomo said.

"His inspiration and his legacy and experience is what has brought this state to this point."

Known in part for his eloquent speeches and his steadfast opposition to New York reinstating the death penalty, Cuomo rose to national prominence thanks to a famous 1984 speech at the Democratic National Convention.

In it, he delivered a rebuttal to then President Ronald Reagan's depiction of America as a "shining city on a hill" filled with opportunity for all, saying instead that many Americans remained impoverished or feared losing their jobs.

"The hard truth is that not everyone is sharing in this city's splendor and glory," Cuomo told rapt Democrats in the San Francisco address.

"Mr. President, you ought to know that this nation is more a 'Tale of Two Cities' than it is just a 'shining city on a hill.'"

Despite being considered a possible frontrunner in subsequent presidential nomination battles, Cuomo never ran for the White House.

In 1993, he asked President Bill Clinton to consider him for the Supreme Court but he withdrew his candidacy just before an offer was made. Eventually, another New Yorker, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, secured the nomination. She still serves in the nation's top court.

Cuomo first became New York governor in 1982, and easily won reelection in 1986 and 1990.

But by 1994, following a recession and a weak economic recovery, New Yorkers were fed up with Cuomo. He lost fourth-term bid in a 1994 Republican landslide, with George Pataki the victor.

"Our deepest condolences on the passing of Gov Cuomo a proud son of immigrants, possessed of a soaring intellect & a great New Yorker," Pataki said in a Twitter message Thursday.

Other US politicians were also quick to pay tribute.

"Our country and our region lost a giant today with the passing of Governor Mario Cuomo," said Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey.

"He was a strong, eloquent leader who loved New York and its people. As an Italian-American, he was also a role model for future generations that anything was possible through hard work and education."

And New York Senator Chuck Schumer called him "a colossal political mind (who) represented the very best of public service; he leaves an indelible legacy on the state he loved."

source: interaksyon.com

Toll rises to 10 in killer northeast US snowstorm

NEW YORK - The death toll from a rare pre-winter snowstorm rose to 10 in the northeastern United States on Thursday, paralyzing communities for days and dumping more than six feet of snow near Buffalo.

The National Weather Service warned an extra two to three feet (60 to 90 centimeters) of "lake effect snow," created when frigid air moves over warm lake waters, could fall on Thursday.

It said visibility was near zero and that thunder and lightning were likely to accompany the heaviest snow as a state of emergency and travel bans remained in place in western New York state.

The colossal snowfall has collapsed roofs, damaged homes and businesses, canceled flights, and stranded motorists for as many as two nights on the highway, including New York rock group Interpol.

Precipitation roughly equivalent to a year's supply of snow in two days has mobilized more than 5,000 people to help with snow removal and storm recovery, including the National Guard, officials said.

The death toll from "Winter Storm Knife" rose to 10 when two people died of exposure in Niagara County and Boston town in Erie County, officials told AFP.

Four or five others died earlier in the storm while working to clear mounds of heavy snow from their cars and homes, and the blizzard could yet prompt a federal disaster declaration.

The state of emergency is so severe that the NFL announced that the football game between the local Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets would not be played on Sunday in Buffalo.

The NFL said it would reschedule and relocate the game, "due to public safety concerns" in the city.

'Definitely historic' snowfall

"Very dangerous storm. One more day. Let's get through this snow. People -- continue to be smart. Stay at home. Observe the driving bans," deputy Erie County executive Richard Tobe said.

The rock band Interpol said they were stranded more than 50 hours on their tour bus by the storm outside Buffalo, forcing them to cancel two consecutive nights of concerts in Montreal and Toronto.

"Finally just started making a move. 50+ hours later. Hoping for some luck today," the band tweeted Thursday morning.

Alex Cleary, a senior program coordinator at the University of Buffalo, and her husband have been snowed in at home for three days and Cleary said the snow was still coming down.

"It is a little bit scary, especially given that no one can really drive. So if you need help, it's a little tough," she told AFP.

Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Saturday, then shoot up, bringing a deluge of rain which together with melting now bring severe flood warnings, officials said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Zaff told AFP that some areas south of Buffalo city received at least 70-80 inches (1.8 to two meters) of snow since the storm began.

"This is definitely historic," he said. But come the weekend, "the main concern would be flooding," Zaff warned.

source: interaksyon.com

NY hotel probes leaked video of Beyonce sister attacking Jay Z

A New York boutique hotel on Monday said it was investigating how a recording of a security video that purportedly shows rapper Jay Z being attacked by his sister-in-law, R&B singer Solange Knowles, was leaked to a website.

The video posted by celebrity website TMZ.com appears to show the 27-year-old Knowles, younger sister of Beyonce, charging and striking Jay Z several times in an elevator at the Standard Hotel in New York’s Meatpacking District before being restrained.

Beyonce looks on in the three-and-a-half-minute video without audio, which quickly became an internet sensation, sparking several parody videos and photos.

The three are seen dressed in clothing that they had worn to the Met Gala benefit on the night of May 5. But representatives for all three did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation of the incident.

The hotel, the venue for a post-gala party, promised to prosecute whoever was behind the recording, calling it a breach of security and guest confidentiality.

“We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline and prosecute the individuals involved to our fullest capacity,” the hotel said in a statement without naming Jay Z, Beyonce or Solange Knowles.

The Standard Hotel, which has locations in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida, is controlled by hotelier Andre Balazs’ Standard International management company.

source: interaksyon.com

Simon Cowell’s girlfriend gives birth to boy in New York

NEW YORK | British TV and music mogul Simon Cowell, who had long said fatherhood was not in his plans, welcomed a son on Friday, his representative AnnMarie Thomson said.

The former “American Idol” judge’s girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, gave birth to the 6 pound, 7 ounce (2.9 kilograms) boy in New York. It is her second child and Cowell’s first.

Cowell, 54, who gained fame as an acid-tongued judge on television singing contests in the United States and his native Britain, has never married.

“I’m not brilliant with babies,” Cowell told U.S. magazine Parade last October. “I never know what to do. But (once he’s older) I think I’ll be a good dad in terms of advice.”

Silverman’s pregnancy first came to light last year when her ex-husband filed for divorce in New York and naming Cowell as a co-respondent.

Cowell’s “The X Factor” contest was canceled last week by U.S. broadcaster Fox, and he said that he would return to the judges panel on its UK counterpart amid sagging ratings.

source: interaksyon.com

Snowstorm sweeps across US Northeast, trapping Super Bowl fans

NEW YORK - A fast-moving winter storm swept into the Northeast on Monday, yet again forcing flight cancellations, slowing traffic and proving weather-forecasting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil right.

Travelers leaving the New York City area after Sunday night's Super Bowl championship football game faced long delays at the region's airports and risky driving on snow-covered roads.

Hardest hit by the storm-related flight delays and cancellations was Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, the closest to the stadium where the Denver Broncos fell to the Seattle Seahawks 43-8 in the National Football League's matchup.

"Only thing worse than sitting through awful game last night is now sitting at airport on weather delay, probable cancellation," tweeted Nick Griffith, sports director at TV station Fox 31 in Denver, adding the hashtag "#longtrip."

The storm was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of snow on an area stretching from eastern Kentucky to eastern New York state, the National Weather Service said.

"Snow is coming down faster than we can plow it," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference.

He said efforts to plow city streets were aimed at an improved performance over the cleanup of a big storm in late January.

In that storm, some residents of Manhattan's tony Upper East Side neighborhood claimed their streets were ignored as part of the mayor's key campaign theme of addressing income inequality.

"The response to the last storm obviously left something to be desired," de Blasio said at the news conference.

He said New York City has adjusted how it responds to storms by coordinating agency efforts, changing snow removal routes and scouting conditions in various neighborhoods.

"It's good we got the Super Bowl done so well" before the storm hit, added de Blasio, whose city shared in the Super Bowl hosting honors with New Jersey.

At Newark Airport across the Hudson River in New Jersey, 204 flights were canceled as of mid-afternoon on Monday, according to Flightaware.com, an online site that tracks air traffic.

Plenty of football fans were stewing after getting stuck for hours on Sunday trying to board trains to and from the game at the New Jersey Transit hub station of Secaucus Junction.

"So, folks spent $1500+ for the honor of 3 hours to get in their seats, 6 hours to leave, & now 3 hour snow delay at the airport," noted one observer on Twitter.

Declaring it the first-ever "Transit Bowl," New Jersey Transit tweeted that it transported more than 33,000 fans, which it said was four times as many people as the National Football League had predicted.

Thanks to the wet snowstorm, delays and cancellations also plagued New York's LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, as well as Philadelphia International Airport.

The small Teterboro Airport near the football stadium in New Jersey, which handles the private jets that would whisk away celebrities and other moneyed Super Bowl attendees, also reported delays, Flightaware.com said.

"All the people came here for the Super Bowl thinking "Jersey ain't bad" are probably now stuck in the airport for the rest of the day," tweeted Jonathan Chung.

Across the United States, 1,669 flights were canceled, Flightaware.com said.

Driving was hazardous along the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington north to Boston, according to meteorologists.

The storm blew in after dumping several inches of snow in the Ohio Valley on Sunday, the day famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, saw his shadow and - as the legend goes - predicted six more weeks of winter.

Still more wintry weather lay ahead, the New York mayor said.

"The fact is that we are facing not one, not two, but three storms potentially this week," he said.

A second storm was likely to arrive in the region on Tuesday night and a third on the weekend, he said.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued winter storm warnings for sections of Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Maryland, as well as New Jersey, Delaware and New York City and its surrounding areas.

source: interaksyon.com

Autopsy set for actor Philip Seymour Hoffman

NEW YORK - An autopsy on the body of Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was to take place in New York on Monday, a day after he was found dead in his Manhattan apartment of a suspected heroin overdose.

The sudden death of the 46-year-old, hailed as the finest character actor of his generation, has shocked Hollywood. He was discovered with a syringe lodged in his arm and surrounded by envelopes of what appears to have been heroin.

The alarm was reportedly raised when Hoffman failed to turn up on Sunday to collect his three children from their mother, who called a friend to go and check on him.

Police say his death seems to have been the result of an overdose but refused to release further details until the New York medical examiner's office conducts the autopsy.

Hoffman mesmerized filmgoers with his portrayal of some of the most repellent and yet electrifying characters of the silver screen.

He won an Oscar for his performance as Truman Capote in the 2005 film "Capote" and was nominated for three further Academy Awards as a supporting actor in 2008, 2009, and 2013.

But for all his success, Hoffman struggled in the limelight and with addiction. He spoke less than a year ago about a recent heroin relapse, having been sober for two decades.

Celebrity website TMZ reported that Hoffman admitted in May to falling off the wagon more than a year previously, starting with prescription pills and escalating to snorting heroin.

At the time he said the heroin binge had "lasted a week or so" and that he checked himself into a rehab center for 10 days.

He credited what he called "a great group of friends and family" for helping him, and continued to work on film projects.

But in August he dropped out of shooting the spy thriller Child 44 for "undisclosed reasons" and was replaced by Vincent Cassel, sparking rumors about his health.

The last time he was seen at an official event was the Sundance Film Festival in the US state of Utah in mid-January, where he appeared pale and gaunt.

'Tragic and sudden loss'

Since his death it has emerged that he was recently living apart from his long-time girlfriend and their three children, in the rented apartment where he died near the family home.

In an earlier interview with the CBS show "60 minutes" he said he had been sober since he was 22.

Talking about his addiction at the time to drugs and alcohol, he said: "I was 22 and I got panicked in my life."

His family has released a brief statement asking for privacy to mourn their "tragic and sudden loss."

Tributes have poured in from fellow celebrities and actors.

"I feel so fortunate to have known and worked with the extraordinary Philip Seymour Hoffman and am deeply saddened by his passing," said Julianne Moore, who co-starred with Hoffman in "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," and "The Big Lebowski."

George Clooney, who appeared alongside Hoffman in "The Ides of March," said: "There are no words... it's just terrible."

"This is a horrible day for those who worked with Philip. He was a giant talent," Tom Hanks said. Hanks starred with Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War."

Born Philip Hoffman in July 1967 in New York state, he earned a drama degree from New York University in 1989.

In 1997, he made waves as a closeted gay crew member in Paul Thomas Anderson's porn industry tale "Boogie Nights," followed by a quirky turn in the Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski" (1998).

In Anthony Minghella's thriller "The Talented Mr Ripley," he stole the show from co-stars Matt Damon and Jude Law with his supporting role as slippery and duplicitous preppie Freddie Miles.

The late Minghella once said that Hoffman was an extraordinary actor "cursed, sometimes, by his own gnawing intelligence, his own discomfort with acting."

In one of his most recent roles, Hoffman played game master Plutarch Heavensbee in the second installment of the blockbuster "Hunger Games" franchise.

He had been cast in the final two takes of the series, and industry publication Variety said the films would be released in November 2014 and 2015 as planned.

source: interaksyon.com

Legs bared around the world for annual 'No Pants' commute

NEW YORK - Bare legs and briefs filled train cars from Sydney to New York Sunday as passengers traveled trouserless -- provoking laughs and perplexed looks -- for the 13th annual "No Pants Subway Ride."

Commuters in some 60 cities braved public transportation in their undies for the stunt, which has gone global since its first staging by US group Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002.

The premise is simple: participants convene on a given route on a designated day every year without trousers on, and ride the rails (or road) for shock value and laughs.

"It is just about fun, and providing a laugh and a smile," said Charlie Todd, who created the event 12 years ago when just seven people took part.

Act "normal. Remember to keep a straight face," Todd instructed participants in the Big Apple -- some 3,000 to 4,000 people this year aged three months to 71.

"If somebody tells you you have no pants, just say you forgot, and yes it's cold, yes it's unfortunate," he said.

Underpants must be worn and, although flashy designs are allowed, organizers prefer those involved to look -- at least from the waist-up -- as though they are going about their daily lives in an effort to up the impact on bystanders.

Uniforms and business suits are encouraged to amplify the lower-half effect, as are props -- bicycles, prams, shopping bags, or even a briefcase.

Seven New York subway stops were designated for this year's stunt, with the group planning to reconvene ultimately at Union Square in Manhattan.

"It's a bit chilly, but it is fun," said Pedro, in red underwear and socks, wearing a hat and carrying a briefcase, as he stood on a subway platform.

A woman in her thirties donning briefs and talking on her cell phone prompted amused glances from passersby, with one older woman sporting a perplexed stare.

In Paris, the meeting point was the Charles de Gaulle-Etoile metro stop, with pants-free passengers headed all the way to Bastille. More than 1,200 people had signed up ahead of time via Facebook.

Other events were smaller, like in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, where a handful of young people, mainly men in suits, ties -- and brightly-colored flowery boxers -- drew laughs.

In Sydney, a small but dedicated group dropped their trousers on the city circle loop train, packed with bemused weekend sightseers on a busy summer's day, then switched routes for a return trip to Bondi.

"Insist that it is a coincidence that others also forgot their trousers," the organizers told participants, who were also forbidden from speaking to one another.

There was a no trousers tram ride in southern Melbourne and Adelaide and people also went pants-less for a train trip in northern Brisbane.

On a busy Hong Kong subway, around 40 people, including Australian Bess Hepworth and her 18-month-old son, joined in the fun.

"It's the first time he will be publicly taking off his pants, although he does it regularly already," the 37-year-old said.

In Beijing, a handful of trouserless people took to the Chinese capital's fast-growing subway, drawing confused glances from onlookers.

"I want to show that (Chinese people) are internationalized now," said 22-year-old Huang Li, wearing blue underwear decorated with dots.

But "people say I'm a psycho," she added.

source: interaksyon.com

India seeks possible US tax violations as row over diplomat's arrest worsens

NEW DELHI -- India has sought details about staff in American schools in the country for possible tax violations and revoked ID cards of US consular officials and their families, retaliatory steps for the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York.

The measures suggest that the two countries are no closer to a resolution of a diplomatic dispute over the treatment of Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade this month on charges of visa fraud and underpayment of her housekeeper.

Khobragade, who has denied the charges, was handcuffed and strip-searched while in custody, sparking outrage in India.

An Indian government official said on Friday that New Delhi had asked the US embassy to provide details about people working in American schools and other US government facilities to determine if they had permission to do so and if they were paying taxes that are mandatory under Indian law.

Diplomats' spouses who take up work in schools or other embassy facilities are supposed to inform the host country.

Violations of this kind had often been ignored, but now India would not turn a blind eye, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The US embassy declined to comment on the latest steps.

India had also withdrawn some privileges that US diplomats and their families enjoy and would treat them as Indian officials are treated in the United States, the Indian official said.

US Ambassador Nancy Powell has been refused special privileges at New Delhi airport.

"We have said all access is on a reciprocal basis," the government official said. "She is not going to get the benefits that the Indian ambassador in the US doesn't get."

US consular officials and their families have been asked to surrender identity cards that gave them a degree of immunity. Under a new regime, consular officials -- but not their families -- will be given identity cards with fewer privileges.

"Spouses and children have no more immunity. So if there is a parking offence or ... something else happening in Bangalore etcetera, they would be held liable," the Indian official said.

Khobragade was released in New York on $250,000 bail after giving up her passport and pleading not guilty to visa fraud and making false statements about how much she paid her Indian housekeeper. She faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted on both counts.

US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed regret over the case in a phone call to India's national security adviser last week, but India is still demanding that the charges be dropped and that the United States apologize. US prosecutors have defended the investigation against Khobragade and her treatment. Before this diplomatic blowup, US-Indian relations were seen as cordial and improving.

UN accreditation

In a new twist, India now argues that Khobragade was accredited to the United Nations at the time of her detention, giving her immunity from arrest.

She was temporarily moved to India's UN mission in August to help with the workload ahead of the General Assembly session and a visit by the prime minister. A copy of her accreditation, made available to Reuters, lists her as an adviser for a period from August 26 until December 31.

"At no stage we were told by the US side what was going on. We were kept in the dark. A lot of these things could have come out had we been informed then," the official said, explaining that India had not been warned she might be arrested.

According to the UN Manual of Protocol website (www.un.int/protocol/3_6.html), UN accreditation alone does not appear to grant diplomatic immunity, it simply gives Khobragade access to UN headquarters in New York.

The manual says a country's UN ambassador must write to the UN secretary-general to request privileges and immunities for individual diplomats. The United Nations then submits this to the US mission to the United Nations for approval.

Separately, India did ask the United Nations earlier this month for Khobragade to be officially registered as a member of the country's UN mission in the hope she would be granted more sweeping immunity than she was entitled to as India's deputy consul general in New York.

That request has been approved by the United Nations, a UN source said on Monday. A State Department official confirmed that the United States had received paperwork from the United Nations and was reviewing the application.

source: interaksyon.com

Snow blankets US East Coast; Washington offices, many schools closed

NEW YORK - A fast-moving snowstorm barreled through the US mid-Atlantic on Tuesday, cancelling flights, snarling roadways and shutting schools and government offices while winds kept the midsection of the country in an icy grip that killed at least 10 people.

The East Coast's first significant snowfall of the season was expected to dump up to 8 inches on northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and into southern New England, Brian Korty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS), said in a forecast.

By midday the storm had blown through Washington, D.C., where federal government offices were shut for the day, the Office of Personnel Management said. In neighboring Delaware, Governor Jack Markell announced state offices were shut and urged residents to stay off dangerously slick roads.

New Jersey roads were littered with fender benders and more serious accidents, including a jack-knifed tractor trailer and a bus that skidded off the pavement.

"It was like dominoes. Cars couldn't get up the hills," said Stanley Jackson, who was plowing snow in northern New Jersey. "People were just sliding into one another."

In Oklahoma, the medical examiner said winter weather was responsible for 10 deaths ranging from traffic accidents on icy roads to falling into icy waters.

Snowflakes falling on Times Square in New York City thrilled tourists, including Janet Major, 57, visiting from England.

"It's like 'Miracle on 34th Street.' It's added to the holiday atmosphere," said Major, referring to the classic Christmas movie.

Alberto Rodriguez, 45, an auto repair mechanic from Orlando, Florida, agreed.

"I'm so happy. In the four years I've been coming here, I've never seen the snow. And this is my last day in the city," Rodriguez said.

The city declared a snow alert and readied 365 salt spreaders, 282 front-end snow loaders and 1,800 plows, said Belinda Mager, spokeswoman for the city Sanitation Department.

At airports around the country, more than 1,600 flights were canceled, most of them in Newark, New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, according to FlightAware.com, which tracks air travel.

School districts in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, suburban Maryland, New Jersey and New York canceled classes.

The new snowfall followed a swath of snow and sleet that swept through the nation over the weekend and Monday, dumping up to 10 inches or more on many areas.

Strong winds, expected to blow through the nation's midsection until Wednesday, created wind chills that made temperatures on Tuesday feel like minus 20F (minus 28C) in the Northern Plains and minus 10F (minus 23C) in the Midwest, meteorologist Andrew Baglini said on Accuweather.com.

Temperatures were 8 degrees below zero (minus 17.8 Celsius) early Tuesday morning in Pershing County, Nevada, where rescue workers scoured a mountain area for a couple and four children, missing since Sunday.

The six were last seen near an abandoned mining camp in remote northwestern Nevada, where they had gone to play in the snow. The Pershing County Sheriff's Office said authorities feared the family would not last long in the bitter cold.

Homes and businesses from Indiana to West Virginia that lost power on Monday were returning to normal on Tuesday, including in Virginia where 15,000 people remained without power, down from 122,000 on Monday.

"Right now, we're looking at a lot of busted tree tops. That's always going to bring down a lot of poles and lines," said Phil Moye, spokesman for Appalachian Electric Power in West Virginia, where more than 7,500 people remained without power. (Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner in New York City, Carey Gillam in Kansas City, Ian Simpson in Washington, D.C., Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle)

source: interaksyon.com