Democrats shun Weiner as scandal grows

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Calls for Representative Anthony Weiner's resignation, including from some fellow Democrats, mounted on Wednesday, two days after he confirmed details of an online sex scandal.

Word also emerged that the wife he has publicly humiliated is pregnant.

Democrats in Congress, distancing themselves from the once rising liberal Democratic political star, are becoming increasingly concerned about the political fallout.

A House Democratic aide said late on Wednesday, "There are strong signals coming from members that represent a growing concern in the caucus about his actions and you see members speaking out."

Allyson Schwartz, a member of the House of Representatives Democratic campaign committee, made it clear she had seen enough of the scandal that was tarnishing the party's image.

"Having the respect of your constituents is fundamental for a member of Congress. In light of Anthony Weiner's offensive behavior ... he should resign," Schwartz said.

Weiner, 46, who many had seen as the next mayor of New York, is resisting calls he step down for sending lewd photos of himself to women with whom he had held steamy online chats.

"I think his hope and instinct is that he can stick it out," said a senior New York Democrat, asking not to be identified. "We'll see."

But there were deeper questions about Weiner's political future after an explicit photo of the congressman reportedly surfaced on the Internet on Wednesday.

"As Representative Weiner said on Monday when he took responsibility for his actions, he has sent explicit photos," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

"To reiterate, he has never met any of these women or had physical contact with them. As he said, he deeply regrets the pain he has caused. With the full support of his wife, he is working on righting these wrongs with his family and his colleagues," the statement added.

Huma Abedin, 35, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who married the congressman a year ago, is in the early stages of pregnancy with the couple's first child, The New York Times reported, citing three unidentified people with knowledge of the situation.

The Times said the couple had disclosed the pregnancy to close friends and family.

HAS VOWED TO REMAIN IN POST

After vehemently denying for more than a week that he sent a picture of his bulging boxer briefs to a woman in Seattle, claiming he was the victim of hacking, Weiner tearfully admitted to lying about the scandal on Monday.

He also vowed to remain in his post and preserve his marriage to Abedin. Former President Bill Clinton officiated at their wedding last July amid much fanfare that Washington's newest power couple was made of a Muslim, Abedin, and a Jew, Weiner.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether Weiner violated any of the chamber's rules, and former Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine, now running for the Senate from Virginia, said Weiner should step down.

House Republican Leader Eric Cantor on Tuesday became the first top lawmaker to say Weiner should quit.

Dan Ripp of Bradley Woods, a private firm that tracks Washington for investors, said he expected Weiner to quit within days.

"I think he's history," Ripp said. "Democrats aren't giving him the time of day. He has no clout. His own party is looking at him like a bozo. He is dragging them down."

Paralysed stuntman completes London marathon

LONDON: The 51-year-old, paralysed and brain-damaged after a motorbike crash in 1996, completed the 42km (26 mile) route and raised £75,000 for charities Children with Leukaemia and The Eddie Kidd Foundation.

‘I’m lost for words,’ said his wife, Sam, 42. 'It's the best thing he has ever done. I'm so proud of him.

'It's amazing. He'd done it, he's done it! The one thing I would say to anyone out there who's disabled, injured or sick: get some perspective. If Eddie can do it, so can you.'

As a beaming Eddie walked the last steps of the marathon on a special frame, helped by Sam, actor Ray Winstone and former The Bill star Graham Cole, crowds of supporters erupted in jubilation.

His wife, a former model, cried with joy as her husband was sprayed with the drink by family and friends in celebration.

'Pirates' again plunders overseas box office

LOS ANGELES: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" continues to take no prisoners in its siege of the overseas box office, topping the chart this past weekend with an impressive $69.4 million in about 50 territories. With a total gross close to $800 million worldwide, the overall franchise is now sailing toward $3.5 billion in global receipts.

In second place, "The Hangover Part II" continues to drink in heavy amounts of international cash, tossing back $63.8 million in its second weekend of release in more than 40 territories, and with a worldwide tab so far of more than $347 million.

Debuting internationally in third place with $61 million in about 40 territories was "X-Men: First Class." The fifth installment of the successful series of films has earned over $130 million worldwide and demonstrates the appeal of super heroes both overseas as well as in North America.

"Kung Fu Panda 2" had a solid fourth place international showing in its second weekend, with $38.4 million in around 20 territories and a family-driven global total of more than $262 million.

Here are the rest of the top 20 movies at international theaters last weekend, followed by their international gross for the weekend (excluding North America), number of theater locations, number of territories, worldwide gross to date (including North America), and number of weeks in release as compiled Wednesday by Rentrak Theatrical and provided by Hollywood.com:

5. "Fast Five," $6,242,537, 5,127 locations, 45 territories, $551,191,301, seven weeks.
6. "Rio," $3,296,936, 3,159 locations, 37 territories, $460,604,351, nine weeks.
7. "Sunny," $2,693,171, locations unavailable, one territory, $28,186,415, five weeks.
8. "The Tree of Life," $2,576,664, 525 locations, 10 territories, $11,855,760, four weeks.
9. "Midnight in Paris," $2,554,008, 921 locations, three territories, $24,852,778, four weeks.
10. "Paradise Kiss," $2,543,730, 303 locations, one territory, $2,543,730, one week.
11. "Princess Toyotomi," $2,290,445, locations unavailable, one territory, $9,337,251, two weeks.
12. "Drucker in the Dug-Out," $2,251,959, locations unavailable, one territory, $2,251,959, one week.
13. "Monsieur Papa," $1,835,071, 325 locations, three territories, $2,092,141, one week.
14. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," $1,810,964, 957 locations, 6 territories, $64,372,840, 11 weeks.
15. "Water For Elephants," $1,741,932, 1,816 locations, three territories, $108,110,064, eight weeks.
16. "Source Code," $1,612,580, 957 locations, 20 territories, $110,091,830, 10 weeks.
17. "Black Swan," $1,489,334, 21 locations, eight territories, $318,993,096, 20 weeks.
18. "The Rabbi's Cat," $1,412,336, 257 locations, three territories, $1,630,099, one week.
19. "Paul," $1,354,869, 187 locations, 12 territories, $90,940,029, 11 weeks.
20. "The Lincoln Lawyer," $1,350,677, 888 locations, 17 territories, $77,198,462, 12 weeks.

Pak needs to do more in fight against terrorism: CIA Chief

WASHINGTON: Cooperating with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism is essential to maintain pressure on Al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden's death, CIA chief Leon Panetta said ahead of a US Senate hearing Thursday.

"Continuing cooperation with Pakistan is critical to keep a tremendous amount of pressure on Al-Qaeda's leadership and the networks that provide it support and safe haven at a time when it is most vulnerable," Panetta said in written responses to US lawmakers.

But he warned that Pakistan, which is a large recipient of US aid, needed to do more to step up in the fight against terrorism. "Future requests for security assistance will be informed by Pakistan's response to the counter-terrorism steps we have proposed," he said.

Panetta is to attend Thursday's hearing of the Senate Armed Services committee as it considers his nomination to be the next secretary of defense to replace Robert Gates.

The current CIA chief acknowledged in his responses that "the relationship with Pakistan is not always easy and we have our differences." But he said: "One of the key lessons from this operation is that we have seen no clear evidence to indicate that senior Pakistani leaders were involved in harboring Osama bin Laden or knew of his whereabouts."

The Al-Qaeda leader and mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks was killed by a US commando raid on his Pakistani hideout on May 2, after a decade-long manhunt to find him.

"If confirmed, I will continue to work with our partners in both Afghanistan and Pakistan to achieve our goal of eliminating terrorist networks that threaten the United States and our allies and partners," Panetta wrote.

Pakistan has lost some 11,000 soldiers in its counter-terrorism operations in the northwestern tribal areas and has suffered "more than 30,000 civilian casualties in recent years, most recently in significant attacks following the bin Laden operation," he said. But he stressed: "It is vital that Pakistan live up to its end of the bargain, cooperating more fully in counterterrorism matters and ceasing to provide sanctuary to Afghan Taliban and other insurgent groups."

PEMRA issues licence to ‘Geo Super’

KARACHI: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on the directives of Supreme Court, has issued licence to ‘Geo Super’ to operate from Pakistan after more than two months, Geo News reported.

According to spokesman for ‘Geo’, PEMRA issued licence to ‘Geo Super’ late Wednesday night.

Pakistan's only sports channel was closed by Pemra for over 60 days. It had been more than 60 days that Geo Super had been closed down due to refusal of the government and Pemra to allow the channel to uplink sports events, news and views from Pakistan.

The Supreme Court on June 06 not only directed Pemra to immediately issue a licence to Geo Super but also ordered that the compliance report to this effect be submitted to the court within three days. Ruling that Pemra had no right to keep the case pending for four years, the court observed that under Article 4 of the Constitution, no excuses from Pemra were tenable anymore.

The three-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Pervaiz and Justice Amir Hani Muslim heard the case regarding non-issuance of licence to Geo Super.

Women in Weiner scandal step forward

That's the big question a day after the New York congressman admitted to lying about sending a lewd photo of his crotch to a Seattle college student via Twitter. In a news conference yesterday, Weiner owned up to sending the photo and admitted that he'd sent similar pictures to six different women he met online over the last three years.

Yet Weiner's biggest problem could be the continuing drip of revelations as some of the women he allegedly communicated have come forward to tell their side of the story. So far, three women have claimed online relationships with Weiner, hinting they have more pictures and hundreds of lurid texts that could prove to be even more politically embarrassing to the congressman:

•Meagan Broussard: A 26-year-old single mom from Texas, Broussard is the women who provided the photos of Weiner published yesterday on Andrew Breitbart's Big Government site. She provided dozens of photos, emails, Facebook messages and cell phone call logs to ABC News detailing her online relationship with Weiner, which began in April. "I didn't think it was him," she told ABC. "I thought for sure, 'Why would someone in that position be doing this?'
•Lisa Weiss: A 40-year-old blackjack dealer in Las Vegas, Weiss told RadarOnline that she "sexted" with Weiner for nine months, beginning last August after they exchanged messages on Facebook. She claims to have more than 200 messages from Weiner and says the congressman phoned her from his private congressional line during work hours. "A few days later, I tried to call him back on that number," Weiss told Radar. "But the number wouldn't connect to his office; instead there was a recorded message that it was an outgoing U.S. Congress line only."

•Ginger Lee: A former porn star, Lee allegedly sexted with Weiner for months. She has provided emails to TMZ that allegedly show Weiner pressured her to lie about their relationship—going so far as offer "someone on team" to advise her on how to handle the media. On June 2, Weiner allegedly drafted a statement for Lee, that suggested she was merely followed the congressman on Twitter. "The key is to have a short, thought out statement that tackles the top line questions and then refer people back to it," Weiner allegedly wrote. "Have a couple of iterations of: 'This is silly . . . . And then maybe insert some y'alls in there."

Yet at least one woman at the center of the Weiner scandal has remained silent in light of the allegations: Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton who married Weiner last July.

Abedin did not appear with Weiner at his news conference yesterday. He admitted that while he had told her about his past online dealings with women that he had lied to her until yesterday about the Twitter photo he sent over Memorial Day weekend.

"My wife is a remarkable woman," Mr. Weiner said. "She's not responsible for any of this. This was visited upon her. She's getting back--getting back to work. And I apologize to her very deeply."

As the New York Times' Ashley Parker writes today, Abedin and Weiner were a classic tale of opposites attracting. She's calm, quiet and elegant, while Weiner has long been a brash tabloid fixture. Their backgrounds are equally different: She's a Michigan-born Muslim-American raised in Saudi Arabia, while Weiner is a Jewish man from Brooklyn.

They began dating in 2008, during Hillary Clinton's run for the White House. Last year, they were married in a ceremony officiated by former President Bill Clinton. According to reports, Abedin worked a full day Monday at the State Department—even as her husband tearfully admitted he'd betrayed her trust.

Meanwhile, there are some signs that Congress may be launching an inquiry into the matter--another factor that may complicate Weiner's plan to remain in office. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who is close to Weiner, was the first lawmaker to publicly call for an ethics investigation yesterday, looking into whether Weiner used government resources or broke House rules in his raunchy online messaging.

Tips to prepare your feet for summer

Almost 50 percent of women ages 18-49 say they received a professional pedicure before their 25th birthday, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).

“Pampering and grooming your feet promotes good foot hygiene and should be done frequently to contribute to not only your foot health, but also to your body’s overall health,” says Dr. Marlene Reid, a podiatrist.

The APMA developed a tip sheet for pedicure do’s and don’ts and, since summer is the height of pedicure season, it’s a timely reminder for those who do get pedicures.

Pedicure medical alert: If you have diabetes or poor circulation in your feet, consult a podiatrist so they can recommend a customized pedicure that both you and your salon can follow for optimal foot health.

Pedicure Do’s:

• DO schedule your pedicure first thing in the morning. Salon foot baths are typically cleanest earlier in the day. If you’re not a morning person, make sure that the salon filters and cleans the foot bath between clients.
• DO bring your own pedicure utensils to the salon. Bacteria and fungus can move easily from one person to the next if the salon doesn’t use proper sterilization techniques.
• When eliminating thick, dead skin build-up, also known as calluses, on the heel, ball and sides of the feet, DO use a pumice stone, foot file or exfoliating scrub. Soak feet in warm water for at least five minutes then use the stone, scrub or foot file to gently smooth calluses and other rough patches.
• When trimming nails, DO use a toenail clipper with a straight edge to ensure your toenail is cut straight across. Other tools like manicure scissors or fingernail clippers increase the risk of ingrown toenails because of their small, curved shape. See a podiatrist if you have a tendency to develop ingrown toenails.
• To smooth nail edges, DO use an emery board. File lightly in one direction without using too much pressure, being sure not to scrape the nail’s surface.
• DO gently run a wooden or rubber manicure stick under your nails to keep them clean. This helps remove the dirt and build-up you may or may not be able to see.
• DO maintain the proper moisture balance of your feet’s skin by applying emollient-enriched moisturizer to keep soles soft.
• DO use a rubber cuticle pusher or manicure stick to gently push back cuticles.
• If toenails are healthy, DO use nail polish to paint toenails. Make sure to remove polish regularly using non-acetone nail polish remover.

Pedicure Don’ts:

• DON’T shave your legs before receiving a pedicure. Freshly shaven legs or small cuts on your legs may allow bacteria to enter.
• If you are receiving a pedicure and manicure, DON’T use the same tools for both services as bacteria and fungus can transfer between fingers and toes.
• DON’T allow technicians to use a foot razor to remove dead skin. Using a razor can result in permanent damage if used incorrectly and can easily cause infection if too much skin is removed.
• DON’T round the edges of your toenails. This type of shape increases the chances that painful ingrown toenails will develop.
• Emery boards are extremely porous and can trap germs that spread. Since they can’t be sterilized, DON’T share nail files with friends and be sure to bring your own to the salon, unless you are sure that the salon replaces them with each customer.
• DON’T use any sharp tools to clean under nails. Using anything sharp makes it easy to puncture the skin, leaving it vulnerable to infection.
• DON’T leave any moisture between toes. Anything left behind can promote the development of athlete’s foot or a fungal infection.
• Because cuticles serve as a protective barrier against bacteria, DON’T ever cut them. Cutting cuticles increases the risk of infection. Also, avoid incessantly pushing back cuticles, as doing so can make them thicker.
• If you suffer from thick and discolored toenails, which could be a sign of a fungal infection, DON’T apply nail polish to cover up the problem. Nail polish locks out moisture and doesn’t allow the nail bed to “breathe.” Once you fix the underlying issue, then it is safe to paint nails. If the problem persists be sure to visit your podiatrist.

Royal family's quirky derby day hats

Princess Beatrice's latest head-piece

Don't call Princess Beatrice a one-hat-wonder. The royal stole the spotlight with her cartoonish ribbon head-piece at Kate and Will's wedding in April, and this weekend she was at it again. At the Investec Derby horse-races in Epsom, England, Beatrice arrived wearing an entire bridal bouquet clipped to the side of her head. But she wasn't the only head-banger at the ball. The entire royal clan, including Kate, Will and the Queen, brought their adorned heads to the annual derby. If you thought Americans go big in Kentucky, you won't believe the heights the Brits reach.

Dancing police cop in Philippine

MANILA: A 54-year-old Filipino traffic officer has become a street sensation as he delights drivers and pedestrians with his unique dance moves when directing traffic in Metro Manila.

Ramiro is an ordinary traffic police working on the crossing of Edessa Street and Macapagal Street in Pasay City, he is now famous among traffic police in the area.

Waving his hands for drivers to pass through, rotating his body while observing the vehicles passing, and sometimes a wiggle of the hips. With his dance moves he always keeps the traffic in order.

At 54 years old, Ramiro has worked as a traffic policeman for 6 years. Without fail he goes to work at 7:00 every morning, Monday to Friday, for 7 hours. Though very strenuous, he says he will always love his job and hopes to help those in need.

World Brain Tumor Day today

Islamabad: The World Brain Tumor Day is being observed today (8th June) over the world including Pakistan with the aim to get the awareness of the public for this quite unknown disease.

The day was intiated in 2000 by the German Brain Tumor Association, whose members come from 14 different nations and lobby together for the interests of brain tumor patients.

Among a lot of other projects, the World Brain Tumor Day is dedicated to persons, who lost their fight against the brain tumor as well as to patients, who are still fighting this battle.

Anybody can be faced with this diagnosis, but the cognition about the illness is rare because of the un-frequent incidence of brain tumors in comparison to other kinds of cancer, they are hardly noticed in the public.

The report, released by the World Health Organization and its affiliated International Agency for Research on Cancer, said a panel of international experts found “limited” evidence that radio-frequency energy from wireless phones could increase the risk for glioma and acoustic neuroma. The latter is a usually benign tumor on nerves near the inner ear.

Use of mobile phones has increased hugely since their introduction in the early- to mid-1980s. About 5 billion mobile phones are currently in use worldwide. Scientists have long debated the potential cancer risk linked to cellphone use, but this WHO statement marks the first time an independent group of scientists has taken anything other than a neutral stand.

Shilpa Shetty today turns 36

MUMBAI: Globally known Bolloywood sexy diva Shilpa Shetty is celebrating her 36th birthday today.

Shilpa Shetty coming from Manglore city of Karnatka, an Indian state started her showbiz career at sweet 16. Following her role as co-actress in ‘Bazigar’ and central role in ‘Aag’ in the nineties, Shilpa got her first breakthrough with Akshay Kumar in the hit film ‘Khilari tu Anari’.

Shilpa Shetty shot fame in the UK after she won the celebrity Big Brother in 2007, married Kundra in November 2009.

Shilpa has to her credit the perfect figure to die for, an IPL team to kill for and a Big Brother crown to be jealous of.

Shilpa is known as the best Bollywood item girl for her grand dance performances on numerous film songs. Shilpa as a dancer has along list of fans and Salman Khan is one of them.

US senator wants 15,000 troops out of Afghanistan

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama should withdraw a minimum of 15,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2011, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said on Tuesday.

"At least 15,000 by the end of this year. That's what I think would be considered significant," Senator Carl Levin, a Democrat, told reporters outside the Senate.

Obama said on Monday he will soon announce his decision on how many U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan beginning in July to start a gradual pullout from that country.

The White House says Obama expects to receive a recommendation from his military commanders on the withdrawal, the start of a transition to Afghan security control scheduled to conclude in 2014.

Levin's suggestion appeared to put him at odds with the ranking Republican on his committee, Senator John McCain. McCain told a newspaper this week that he hopes Obama will withdraw no more than 3,000 troops starting in July.

If Obama decides on a faster pullout as a consequence of the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 2, some experts believe he could withdraw 5,000, a full brigade combat team.

"I think the public wants the president to make a significant reduction in troops in July as he said he would do a year and a half ago and reiterated about a month ago," Levin said. "It's a critically important issue -- both for our people and for the Afghan people, to make sure that they understand the importance of continuing to take added responsibility for their own security."

The United States has 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, a deployment that costs more than $110 billion a year.

Levin said he doubted Obama would make his announcement on troops "before a couple of weeks." "I hope it's significant, believe it will be, and it should include both combat and support troops," he said.

Syrian Leader’s Brother Seen as Enforcer of Crackdown

As reports mount of defections in the Syrian military and the government staggers from the killing of soldiers and police officers in a northern city this week, President Bashar al-Assad may turn increasingly to his brother, Maher, whose elite units in a demoralized army could prove decisive to his government’s survival, activists and analysts say.

Maher al-Assad heads the Syrian Army’s elite Fourth Division and Republican Guard, while wielding great influence in Syria’s powerful intelligence services, analysts say. In the nearly three-month uprising, he has emerged as a lightning rod of dissent over his perceived role in the ferocious crackdown that has led to the deaths of 1,300 people, by activists’ count, and the arrests of more than 10,000.

To many, Maher al-Assad’s power has underscored the narrow circle his brother presides over — a circle that relies on connections of clan, family and friendship, and that has proved far less tested by crisis than the ruling elite their father cultivated over three decades.

The president’s brother is so much at the center of that clique that many Syrians fervently believe he is the unidentified man who is shown taking potshots at demonstrators in a sensational video now in wide circulation.

Though neither the video nor the gunman’s identity could be independently verified, the fact that so many Syrians believe it to be he is a telling insight into the power and fear he has cultivated.

According to Bassam Bitar, a former Syrian diplomat who now lives in exile in Virginia, Maher al-Assad’s control of Syria’s security apparatus makes him “first in command, not second in command.”

Since childhood, Bashar al-Assad has had a reputation in his family as the weaker, more hesitant personality, Mr. Bitar said.

“Sometimes I think Bashar means it about reform,” Mr. Bitar said. “But his brother won’t take it.”

In many ways, Mr. Bitar said, the relationship between President Assad and his younger brother mirrors the relationship of their father, Hafez al-Assad, with his younger brother Rifaat, who served as the government enforcer and was the architect of the 1982 Hama massacre, in which at least 10,000 people were killed.

“If you look back at the uprising from ’79 to ’82, Rifaat was the nasty guy, the killer,” Mr. Bitar said. “And now history repeats itself, and Maher is a nasty guy.”

The bloody events this week seemed to have marked a decisive moment in an uprising that has posed the gravest challenge to the family’s 41-year rule.

On Monday, the government claimed that 120 soldiers and police officers had been killed in a town called Jisr al-Shoughour by armed gangs — a common euphemism for protesters. Some residents and opposition activists claimed some of the soldiers had been killed by their colleagues for defecting, though it was impossible to verify either account.

If the residents’ accounts are true, it would mark an extraordinary fissure in a government that has so far maintained the relative unity of the armed forces and the state in the face of the uprising. Though lower-level defections have been reported for weeks, nothing has approached the level of Monday’s bloodshed in Jisr al-Shoughour.

“Now there are clashes between the soldiers on one side and security men and young people on the other,” said Omar, 28, a resident there reached by phone on Monday night. “Tens of soldiers began to stand with civilian protesters and families. The civilians are presenting first aid to some soldiers who get shot by the secret police.”

Saeb Jamil, an organizer from Jisr al-Shoughour, said local people were providing logistical support to defecting army officers, helping them monitor the area, and accompanying them during their patrols. He said doctors and nurses had deserted the hospital on Tuesday, fearing reprisals from government forces. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, had fled the town, he said, many making their way toward the Turkish border.

“I transferred one member of the security forces to the national hospital in Jisr al-Shoughour yesterday after he was wounded during the confrontations,” Mr. Jamil said by phone. “He told us the intelligence officer ordered the forces to open fire at people but two of them refused, and he shot them. Then the defections started.”