NEW YORK – ABC says more than 1,500 people have called to complain about Adam Lambert's sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards.
The network characterized the response as "moderate." Before his performance, Lambert said that he wanted to break down a double standard that existed where female performers are often sexually provocative while men don't do it that often.
There were also hostile comments online about the "American Idol" glam rocker who sang his new song "For Your Entertainment" on Sunday's show with an elaborate, S&M-themed production. Lambert fondled a dancer, led another around on a leash, had a dancer briefly stick his head in Lambert's crotch and kissed a man.
November 2009
Fashionable young men in early 16th century Germany showed a lot of fine linen in a studied negligee. This unidentified gentleman has a band of "smocking" round the collar of his shift. (Portrait by Ambrosius Holbein, 1518, at the Hermitage Museum)
Stays took a different form in the 18th century, whale bone began to be used more, and there was more boning used in the garment. The shape of the stays changed as well. The stays were low and wide in the front, while in the back they reached up to the neck. The straps of the stays were attached in the back and tied at the front sides.
BERLIN – German federal prosecutors say they have arrested two Rwandan men suspected of issuing orders to a mostly ethnic Hutu militia that carried out crimes against humanity on Congolese civilians.
Prosecutors said in a statement issued Tuesday that German police had arrested 46-year-old Ignace Murwanashyaka in southwestern Karlsruhe and 48-year-old Straton Musoni in the Stuttgart area.
Prosecutors said they suspect the men served as the top military leaders of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia. It is known by its French acronym FDLR.
They pair are alleged to have exercised "significant influence" over the militia that carried acts of war in Congo.
They are to be brought before a judge later Tuesday.
A Child Restraint system, also commonly referred to as a child safety seat or a car seat, is a restraint which is secured to the seat of an automobile equipped with safety harnesses or seat belts, to hold a child in the event of a crash.
This kind of seats prevent forward movement of the occupant in case of collision. It is a safety feature, important for front seats over rear seats.
Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President Barack Obama and
Chinese President Hu Jintao said they focused on areas where
their two governments can cooperate during a first round of
meetings in Beijing today.
Obama characterized the morning session with Hu as “very
constructive,” telling reporters that the two governments
working together on economic and security issues would have
implications beyond Asia.
Hu said through a translator that the U.S. and China agree
“in many important” areas. He said he looked forward to more
“in-depth” discussions in a second round of talks.
Going into today’s meetings Obama said he wanted to
continue “a meeting of the minds” with Hu about how their
nations can lead on global issues.
Topics on the agenda include the U.S. president’s pursuit of
a more “balanced” economic relationship, joint efforts on
negotiations leading to a global climate change treaty and
efforts to bring North Korea back to the bargaining table over
its nuclear program.
Obama is “trying to reassure Beijing that we want a good
constructive relationship, not trade protectionism, and on the
other hand we’re trying to reassure Asia that we’re not going to
acquiesce in a future Chinese hegemony in the region,” said Ted
Carpenter of the Cato Institute.
‘Delicate Balance’
“That’s a delicate balance to put it mildly,” said
Carpenter, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies
at the Washington-based policy research group.
Obama has struck a mostly conciliatory tone toward China
during the first half of his eight-day Asian trip. In Shanghai
yesterday, he told his student audience that the U.S. “insists
we do not seek to contain China’s rise.”
“On the contrary, we welcome China as a strong and
prosperous and successful member of the community of nations --a
China that draws on the rights, strengths, and creativity of
individual Chinese like you,â€
Still, Obama used the same forum to prod China on human
rights and freedom. In addition to speaking to and taking
questions from a group of about 400 students selected by their
universities, he also answered queries submitted via the
Internet.
That provided him an opening to talk about “universal
rights” of freedom of expression and religion for all people
and groups “whether they are in the United States, China, or
any nation.”
After their first meeting today, Obama and Hu made no
mention of one source of friction between the two nations,
China’s currency peg to the dollar.
China has kept the yuan at about 6.83 per dollar since July
2008. Some lawmakers in the U.S. have been calling for the
administration to put more pressure on the Chinese, saying the
yuan’s value is unfairly undercutting U.S. companies.
The leaders had a private dinner last night at the
Diaoyutai State Guest House. And the Chinese will host a State
Dinner in Obama’s honor tonight in Great Hall of the People.
To contact the reporters on this story:
Julianna Goldman in Beijing at
jgoldman6@bloomberg.net ;
Edwin Chen in Beijing at
echen32@bloomberg.net
FRANKFURT – German carmaker BMW AG said Tuesday its net income fell 74 percent in the third quarter as it continued to be affected by the global economic downturn.
BMW, the world's biggest luxury car company by sales, said net income for the period amounted to euro78 million ($115 million), down from euro298 million in the July-September period of 2008.
BMW's share price slid 7.1 percent to euro31.20 in Frankfurt after the earnings announcement as net income came in well below the consensus estimate of around euro150 million.
The Munich-based company said it delivered 7.2 percent fewer cars during the July-September period and that its revenue fell 6.6 percent to euro11.8 billion from euro12.6 billion in the July-September period of 2008.
"Although there are some emerging signs that the lowest point of the current economic downturn has been passed, the BMW group only expects the situation to stabilize at a low level during the last quarter of 2009," BMW said in its report.
"For the time being at least, it cannot be assumed that an enduring recovery has taken hold. Nevertheless the BMW group has performed well despite the difficult business environment," the company said.
BMW said that total car sales would likely be between 10-15 percent lower than in 2008 provided there are no further economic setbacks. The company's brands include its namesake BMW cars, the Mini compact and the super-luxury Rolls-Royce brands. The company also builds BMW motorcycles.
Despite the likely sales decline, BMW said it expected to report a positive result for the financial year 2009 and to maintain its leading position in the premium segment.
BMW said net income for the first nine months of the year fell 96 percent to euro47 million from euro1.3 billion in the January-September period of 2008 as the company saw a large pretax loss on its automobile business during the period.
Revenue for the first nine months declined 10 percent to euro36.2 billion from euro40.4 billion.
Automobile group production for the first nine months of the year was 21 percent lower at 907,429 compared to almost 1.2 million cars in the same period a year ago.
Motorcycle production was also 21 percent lower during the first nine months of 2009 at 65,909 from 83,845.
The company said it had also reduced its work force by 5.3 percent to 98,358 employees at September 30, compared with 103,850 employees at the end of September 2008.
Observers are looking forward to the group's new models including a Mini coupe and a new Rolls Royce model called the Ghost, which should add to future revenue.
BMW has said the order book on the new super-luxury Ghost — which is a step below the top of the line Phantom — is developing well. It hopes to start selling that new car next year.
___
On the Net:
http://www.bmw.com
He then sprinkles the newly-baptized with water and washes all of the places the chrism was applied, and performs the tonsure.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dress in white clothing to perform and to undertake baptism. Traditionally, the proselyte wears a white jumpsuit, white socks and white underclothing. The person performing the ordinance wears either a white jumpsuit or white slacks and white shirt. Historically, women and girls wore white dresses with weights sewn in at the hems to prevent the clothing from floating during the ceremony.
LONDON (AFP) –
The postal union announced late Monday legal action against state-owned postal service Royal Mail as a dragging strike over pay, working conditions and modernisation took a new twist.
The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) said it was taking action in the High Court after Royal Mail hired 30,000 temporary workers to try to reduce a backlog of millions of letters caused by the long-running dispute.
The GMB, Britain's general trade union, earlier threatened Business Secretary Peter Mandelson with action if his department did not investigate claims the workers had been hired as strike breakers.
"GMB reserves the right, if you and your department fail to carry out your lawful responsibilities or act in a prejudicial way, to seek enforcement proceedings against your department and the government," GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said in a letter to Mandelson.
Royal Mail said a backlog of post caused by three days of strike action last week had halved from 50 million to 25 million on Monday. But further walkouts are planned for Friday and next Monday unless the deadlock is broken.
Both sides have blamed the other for the strike action, which comes as Royal Mail is losing business as fewer people send letters and competition from the private sector grows.
A three-day strike was called by the CWU last week after talks with Royal Mail broke down, just days after a 48-hour stoppage the week before caused widespread disruption.
Royal Mail has denied that the 30,000 workers are being used to break the strikes, insisting they are dealing with the backlog of post as well as preparing for the Christmas rush.
The legal action comes as both sides in the dispute continue to study proposals drawn up by union leaders aimed at resolving the dispute.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Bug spray that produces a fog to kill insects is likely to blame for the death of a 10-month-old South Carolina boy, and his 2-year-old brother was critically injured by the fumes, authorities said Monday.
Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown said the boys' mother had been using foggers in their single-wide mobile home in Williamston, in the northwest part of the state, because of an insect problem. Elizabeth Whitfield, 25, called 911 on Sunday afternoon to report her youngest son was having trouble breathing.
Paramedics took all three to a hospital, and Jacob Whitfield was pronounced dead. His brother, Kenneth, was flown to another hospital about 20 minutes north to Greenville, where he remained Monday on a respirator, but was starting to stabilize, McCown said.
Elizabeth Whitfield was coated in chemicals when she first arrived to the hospital and had to remove her clothes and take a shower. She was released Sunday, but was re-admitted to the ER on Monday with breathing problems, McCown said.
Investigators found seven fogger containers. She told authorities she set off three when she began renting a month ago, then continued using them when the insects wouldn't die.
"Most people put these foggers in — they do it one time a month or every couple of months. She was using two to three a week," McCown said. "She said she followed the directions, but you have to wonder. We can't attribute it to anything else."
A single fogger is typically used to treat 6,000 cubic feet and can leave an oily residue on furniture and floors. Directions call for residents to cover all furniture, vacate the home for four hours, then open windows and doors for an hour before returning, he said.
While the pesticides appear to be the cause of death, confirmation through toxicology reports could take eight weeks. Other air quality tests turned up nothing. The baby was otherwise healthy with no signs of abuse or neglect, McCown said.
He said the home was located in a rural area and "pretty infested with insects, roaches. It was her goal to get rid of all of them."
"The stuff didn't seem to have too much effect on the bugs," he said. "They're still running everywhere."
The scent at the home was so strong authorities called in a hazardous materials team before entering. One deputy complained of headaches, McCown said.
Investigators initially focused on a grease fire, but tests showed that didn't play any role in the illnesses, McCown said.
"Right now, we're just concerned about them. We're hoping the 2-year-old can make a recovery and hope the mom will be OK," said Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Reeves.
