7 shot in B’klyn

Seven people were wounded early this morning, when gunfire erupted at a party in a residential Brooklyn neighborhood, authorities said.

Shots rang out near Clarendon Road and East 52nd Street in East Flatbush around 12:30 a.m. during a house party gone sour, cops said.

It was not immediately known was sparked the violence but police said that a dispute preceded the gunfire.

A woman, suffering from respiratory failure, was listed in critical condition. Five others were in serious condition, while a seventh person suffered non-life threatening injuries following the disturbance, police said.

"I heard the gun shots — quite a few, 15 at the least. Maybe more," said an East 52nd Street resident. "I heard people running as soon as the shooting started."

The victims were rushed to Kings County Hospital, police said.

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Egypt on the brink: Nationwide protests call for Morsi's ouster

AP

An Egyptian protester waves a national flag from the top of a light pole during a demonstration against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Sunday, June 30, 2013.

CAIRO — Thousands of opponents and supporters of Egypt's Islamist president began massing in city squares in competing rallies Sunday, gearing up for a day of massive nationwide protests that many fear could turn deadly as the opposition seeks to push out Mohammed Morsi.

Waving Egyptian flags, crowds descended on Tahrir Square in the heart of Cairo, one of multiple sites in the capital and around the country where they plan rallies. Chants of "erhal!" or "leave!," rang out in the square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

On the other side of Cairo, thousands of the Islamist leader's backers gathered not far from the presidential palace in a show of support. Some wore homemade body armor and construction hats and carried shields and clubs — precautions, they said, against possible violence.

There is a sense among opponents and supporters of Morsi that Sunday's rally is a make-or-break day, hiking worries that the two camps will come to blows despite vows by each to remain peaceful. Already at least seven people, including an American, have been killed in clashes the past week, mainly in Nile Delta cities and the coastal city of Alexandria.

AP

Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi gather for noon prayers in Tahrir Square in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013.

The demonstrations on Sunday, the anniversary of Morsi's inauguration as Egypt's first freely elected leader, are the culmination of growing polarization since he took office.

In one camp are the president and his Islamist allies, including the Muslim Brotherhood and more hard-line groups. They have vowed to defend Morsi, saying street demonstrations cannot be allowed to remove a freely elected leader.

The other is an array of secular and liberal Egyptians as well as moderate Muslims and Christians — and what the opposition says is a broad sector of the general public that has turned against the Islamists. They say the Islamists have overstepped their election mandate, accusing them of trying to monopolize power and woefully mismanaging the country.

The opposition believes that with sheer numbers in the street, it can pressure Morsi to step down — perhaps with the added weight of the powerful military if it signals the president should go.

"Today, the people will triumph over fascism," prominent pro-democracy campaigner and bestselling novelist Alaa al-Aswany wrote on his Twitter account.

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'No shackles or cells can match the strength of the human spirit' - Barack Obama visits Nelson Mandela's former cell

AP

U.S. President Back Obama walks from Nelson Mandela's former prison cell - Section B, prison cell No. 5, on Robben Island, South Africa, Sunday, June 30, 2013.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — President Barack Obama on Sunday will announce a new initiative to double access to electric power in sub-Saharan Africa, part of his effort to build on the legacy of equality and opportunity forged by his personal hero, Nelson Mandela.

Obama, who flew from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Sunday, is paying tribute to the ailing 94-year-old Mandela throughout the day. The president and his family visited Robben Island, where the anti-apartheid leader spent 18 years confined to a tiny cell, including a stop at the lime quarry where Mandela toiled and developed the lung problems that sent him to the hospital for most of the month.

The White House said Obama's guide during the tour was 83-year-old South African politician Ahmed Kathrada, who also was held at the prison for nearly two decades and guided Obama on his 2006 visit to the prison as a U.S. senator. The president also saw the prison courtyard where Mandela planted grapevines that remain today, and where he and others in the dissident leadership would discuss politics, sneak notes to one another and hide writings.

AP

U.S. President Back Obama peers out from Section B, prison cell No. 5, on Robben Island, South Africa

"On behalf of our family, we're deeply humbled to stand where men of such courage faced down injustice and refused to yield. The world is grateful for the heroes of Robben Island, who remind us that no shackles or cells can match the strength of the human spirit," Obama wrote in the guest book in the courtyard, his U.S. Secret Service agents standing watch in the old guard tower above.

During the tour, which took place under sunshine and clear, blue skies, Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha took in the expansive view of the quarry, a huge crater with views of the rusty guard tower from where Mandela was watched. Obama commented on the "hard labor" Mandela endured and asked Kathrada to remind his daughters how long Mandela was in prison.

AFP/Getty Images

US President Barack Obama looks out the window from the cell where Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist, was once jailed on Robben Island.

Michelle Obama asked how often Mandela would work and was told he worked daily. As the family turned to leave, Obama asked Kathrada to tell his daughters how the African National Congress, the South African political party, got started.

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Assange says NSA leaker Snowden 'marooned' by US in Russia: 'He's being put through a meat grinder'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today blamed the United States for leaving spy-secrets leaker Edward Snowden "marooned" in a Moscow airport by cancelling his passport.

"The United States by canceling his passport has left him for the moment marooned in Russia," Assange told ABC's "This Week."

"To take someone's principal conveyance of citizenship, their passport, away from them is a disgrace. Since Snowden hasn't been convicted of anything, there are no international warrants out for his arrest – to take a passport from a young man in a difficult situation is a disgrace," he said.

Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London to avoid extradition to the US for his leaking crusade, said he has "personal sympathy for Mr. Snowden."

The WikiLeaks legal team also has been aiding Snowden's quest for political asylum in Ecuador or other countries.

Snowden is being "put through a meat grinder where a new precedent is trying to be set, which is communicating with the press is committing espionage," he said.

He also denounced it as "unacceptable" that Vice President Joe Biden personally called Ecuadoran Rafael Correa last week to pressure him against granting Snowden's request for political asylum.

"That is not acceptable," he said. "Asylum is a right that we all have. It is an international right. The United States has been founded largely on accepting political refugees from other countries and has prospered by it."

Assange would not say if his group had possession of more of the secret National Security Agency documents that Snowden has been divulging. But he promised that more would be revealed.

"There is no stopping the publishing process at this stage," he said. "Great care has been taken to make sure that Mr. Snowden cannot be pressured by any state to stop the publication process."

Snowden, a former NSA contract worker who began leaking details of secret surveillance programs June 2, reportedly has set up a computer archive of documents to automatically go public if anything happens to him.

"He is a hero," Assange said. "He has told the people of the world and of the United States that there is mass unlawful interception of their communications far beyond anything that happened under Nixon."

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Boy, 13, used bowling bowl to fatally beat 5-year-old neighbor: cops

AP

Police work the scene where the body of 5-year-old Sida Osman was discovered in the backyard of a house in Fort Worth, Texas.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Authorities allege a 13-year-old North Texas boy facing a capital murder charge used a bowling ball to fatally beat a 5-year-old boy.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that authorities say the teen has confessed to the beating death.

The confession was made public during a detention hearing Friday in Fort Worth.

The teen's name is being withheld because he's a juvenile. He was arrested Thursday in the death of Sida Osman. Because he is younger than 14, the suspect is not eligible to stand trial as an adult.

Sida's body was found Wednesday afternoon near his apartment, after he had been reported missing a day earlier.

Police have said the teen became irritated with Sida and hit him multiple times.

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Alec Baldwin: I'm not homophobic

Alec Baldwin has apologized to a New York City-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights group for a series of tweets that could be interpreted as homophobic.

Baldwin's messages were directed at a newspaper reporter who accused his wife of tweeting during the funeral for the former star of "The Sopranos" James Gandolfini (gan-dahl-FEE'-nee). Baldwin says in a letter to GLAAD posted on its website Friday his tweets didn't have anything to do with "issues of anyone's sexual orientation."

The former "30 Rock" star says he's done political work with marriage equality groups and insists he wouldn't advocate violence against someone for being gay.

Splash News

Alec Baldwin outside his house after being accused of tweeting insensitive remarks at James Gandolfini's funeral service in New York City.

GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro says Baldwin's language was improper and his tweets didn't reflect his "history of actively supporting LGBT equality."

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After 43 years, Rolling Stones to finally make Glastonbury debut

AFP/Getty Images

Festival goers attend concerts at the Pyramid Stage during the third day of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts near Glastonbury, southwest England.

PILTON, England— This could be the last time, as Mick Jagger once sang. For the Rolling Stones, it's definitely a first.

The veteran rock rabble-rousers play Britain's Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, their debut appearance at the country's most prestigious rock music event.

Many of the 135,000 festival ticket-holders are expected to cram the space in front of the Pyramid Stage for the gig.

GETTY

Mick Jagger

Jagger wouldn't reveal details of the set list in a pre-show BBC radio interview, saying "it's nice to have a bit of a surprise."

Jagger, who turns 70 in July, also gave no clue about whether the band he started with Keith Richards in 1962 will ever call it quits. He said, "I've no idea," before telling an interviewer that he'd probably continue as long as he was wanted.

The Stones turned down offers to play Glastonbury for years, but appear to have embraced the down-to-earth spirit of the festival, held on a farm in southwest England. On Saturday Jagger tweeted a picture of himself outside a yurt, a Mongolian-style felt tent where he reportedly spent the night.

Stones guitarist Keith Richards said the band was "destined to play Glastonbury."

"I look upon it as a culmination of our British heritage really," he said. "It had to be done and it's going to be done, and we'll see what happens, you know."

The Glastonbury Festival was founded by Michael Eavis in 1970 on his Worthy Farm near Pilton, 120 miles (193 kilometers) southwest of London. It is famous for its eclectic lineup — and the mud that overwhelms the site in rainy years.

Other performers on Saturday include Elvis Costello and Primal Scream.

The three-day festival wraps up Sunday with a headlining set from Mumford & Sons.

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Two teens killed in gruesome Queens car crash; driver may have been intoxicated

Two teens are dead after a gruesome early morning car accident on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, cops said.

The one-car wreck ejected three of the six passengers after the possibly intoxicated 21-year-old male driver lost control of the Honda Civic and slammed into a guardrail while traveling eastbound near Utopia Parkway in Jamaica Estates at around 3:50 a.m., police sources said.

A 16-year-old girl and a 18-year-old boy were ejected from the backseat of the car and landed on either side of the dividing wall, cops said. The pair were pronounced dead at the scene. A 17-year-old boy who was also hurled from the vehicle was listed in critical condition at Booth Memorial Hospital.

The other three passengers — all males ages 17, 19 and 21 — were taken to Booth Memorial with only minor injuries.

The impact of the crash was so forceful that the front end of the car was ripped from the rest of the vehicle, leaving the engine about 100 feet away.

Sources said the group may have been out partying before the crash. The driver walked away from the crash with only minor injuries. He is under arrest and charges are pending, cops said.

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Ex says meeting Amanda Knox was like being 'hit by thunderbolt'; pair talked sex fantasies

AP

Amanda Knox arrives at the courthouse for the appeal trial in Perugia, Italy.

The man accused of killing a 21-year-old British student with Amanda Knox has opened up about his sex life with his former girlfriend, saying it "wasn't boring" and involved talking about their fantasies.

Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 29, who along with Knox was freed on appeal in 2011 after being convicted of the 2007 murder, told The Sun meeting Knox was like "being hit by a thunderbolt".

"Our relationship got very intense, very quickly," he said.

Sollecito met Knox just five days before Meredith Kercher, 21, was found dead from a slashed throat in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia, Italy. Prosecutors painted the murder as an orgy gone wrong.

ABC via Getty Images

Amanda Knox during an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC

"I didn't have much experience of sex. She had a bit more than me. We were sleeping together and our sex life wasn't boring," Sollecito said of Knox.

"We talked about fantasies and asked each other what we liked and so on but it was totally normal."

Knox, now 25, and Sollecito were initially convicted of the crime and sentenced to long prison terms. A Perugia appeals court acquitted them in 2011, criticizing virtually the entire case mounted by prosecutors. The appellate court noted that the murder weapon was never found, said that DNA tests were faulty and that prosecutors provided no murder motive.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito outside the rented house where 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher was found dead, in Perugia, Italy.

But in March, the Court of Cassation overturned the acquittal and now Knox and Sollecito must face trial again.

Both Knox and Sollecito denied any involvement, saying they weren't in the apartment at the time.

A young man from Ivory Coast, Rudy Guede, was convicted of the slaying in a separate proceeding and is serving a 16-year sentence.

"It feels like I am in a horror movie where they keep making sequels," Sollecito said.

AFP/Getty Images

Raffaele Sollecito is congratulated in Perugia's Court of Appeal after hearing that he won his appeal against his murder conviction on October 3, 2011

"The prosecution has a theory without real evidence or facts. It is extremely painful. It seems so personal, like they are determined to draw me back into this nightmare.

"I survived the flames of hell once and now they are pulling me back into them. It feels like a war. I was 23 and had just met a great girl.

"Why would I suddenly violently murder someone I hardly knew with someone I had only met five days earlier? It makes no sense."

Speaking of his relationship with Knox, Sollecito said: "Because of what happened we never got the chance to see what would happen in our relationship. Who knows we might even still be together now."

READ MORE AT THE SUN

- with Associated Press

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T.J. Jackson: the loss of MJ hit Paris at a ‘different level’

Michael Jackson's nephew and co-guardian to his three children gave emotional testimony in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the late King of Pop's family yesterday, according to reports.

T.J. echoed Prince Jackson's Wednesday testimony that The Gloved One's death hit the singer's 15-year-old daughter, Paris, hardest. The teenager was hospitalized following a suicide bid earlier this month.

"The loss of my uncle has hit her at a different level," T.J. said. "She was daddy's girl; my uncle was her world….it has been very challenging for the girl"

AP

TJ Jackson

He called Jackson's only daughter the "princess of [Michael's] life," and "She is in a tough spot, but we are loving her and helping her, getting her where she should be."

T.J. also reportedly said that the constant paparazzi attention has only made the loss more difficult for the family.

"In my opinion, I know it's making everything harder for the kids to grieve and recover and progress," T.J. said of the paparazzi.

Also in his testimony, the 34-year-old son of Jackson 5 member Tito Jackson, insisted that his global superstar uncle was a humble and loving family man.

"He was just extremely humble about being so famous," T.J said. "It was amazing to see the contrast of (how) the world outside (treated him)."

He recalled how Jackson supported and comforted him after his mother was murdered when he was 16.

"He kept me inspired and ambitious. He was just there for me," T.J. said, breaking down in tears.

Jackson's 83-year-old mother, Katherine, is suing AEG Live for negligence in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray as his personal physician.

Testimony over the past two days has focused on Jackson's relationship with his children, with the family's attorneys showing home videos and photos of the pop star with his kids.

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Boy, 13, beat 5-year-old neighbor to death: cops

FORT WORTH, Texas — A 13-year-old North Texas boy faces a capital murder charge in the death of a 5-year-old boy who was hit in the head multiple times, authorities said.

The teen, whose name is being withheld because he is a juvenile, was arrested Thursday in the death of Sida Osman. Because he is younger than 14, the suspect is not eligible to stand trial as an adult, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. His case is in juvenile court.

After Sida's parents reported him missing Tuesday evening, officers started knocking on doors and kept searching overnight using police dogs and helicopters. The youngster's body was discovered the next afternoon, prompting residents to quickly gather, shouting, "Peace and justice!" and holding signs reading, "He was innocent."

FOX 4 News

Sida's body was found in the backyard of a vacant house about a block from the apartments where he lived. Several Somali families, many who had spent time in refugee camps in Kenya after fleeing unrest in their native country, live in the complex.

Although Sida's parents are Somali refugees, the boy was born in the United States. He was to begin kindergarten at a nearby elementary school in the fall, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The two boys had gone to the yard, and the teen was irritated with Sida, according to Fort Worth police.

The teen has "a lot of rage and anger in him," Rick Stokes, founder of the Stokes Christian Boys Home, told the newspaper. The teen had been involved with the home for several years and had been running away, getting into fights, stealing items such as bicycles, and sometimes threatening to kill others, Stokes said.

He said he did not know whether the teen had returned to live with his mother, who lives in the apartments, or was living with another relative and just visiting his mother when Sida went missing.

Sida's mother, Dahabo Abdi, told Dallas-Fort Worth television station KTVT that she did not know the suspect.

As the family gathered outside the apartment Thursday, neighborhood children gave Sida's mother handwritten notes expressing affection for the child. Some read the notes aloud, including one that read, "You were just an innocent kid."

Muhammad Elmi, the child's uncle, told Dallas-Fort Worth television station KXAS that the family never expected such a tragic outcome.

"We expected to see him alive — you know, coming back to the house smiling, happy."

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Cher: Tom Cruise is in my Top 5 lovers list

In a clear example of long-forgotten Hollywood odd couples, Cher gushed over her "hot and heavy" romance with Tom Cruise from decades back.

The legendary singer/actress stopped by "Watch What Happens Live!" with Andy Cohen to play a game called "Gypies, Tramps and Tea!" where Cher would say the first thing that came to her mind about her former costars and friends like Elvis ("I didn't really know him"), Nicolas Cage ("He's crazy! But I love him"), Meryl Streep, Michael Jackson and more.

When a photo of Tom Cruise came up, she smiled, paused and uttered an "Aww" and added, "He wasn't a scientologist back then!"

WireImage

Cher

Cohen then dug deeper about their dating past – "Was it hot and heavy?"

"It was pretty hot and heavy for a little minute," she replied. She said he was also a "great, lovable guy." She later spilled that he's in the "top five" best lovers of all time.

Cher also casually admitted in the interview that she's had a lesbian lover in the past: "Oh God, who hasn't?"

Cher had a brief romance with a 16-years-younger Cruise at the start of his career in the 1980s. The singer was 39 at the time and admitted that she was smitten with the then 23-year-old rising star. It's said they met at a White House event in the mid-eighties after his hit film "Risky Business."

Cher told "Entertainment Tonight" in March 2008, "It was a long, long time ago and neither one of us ever talked about it and I don't know why. When we were together he was such a private person. He always has been until lately. He didn't mention it and I didn't mention it. I loved him though, he was amazing."

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Bicyclist killed in Sunset Park

A bicyclist was killed this morning in a hit and run accident in Brooklyn, authorities said.

A flatbed truck ran into the cyclist at 9:40 a.m. on 65th Street and Sixth Avenue in Sunset Park and kept going, cops said.

The unidentified biker died at the scene, police said.

Cops are still investigating how the accident happened.

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Sears, Kmart dump Paula Deen, while QVC takes soft stance

Sears, Kmart and QVC have now followed the slew of companies distancing themselves from the scandal-plagued Paula Deen.

Sears Holdings, the owner of Sears and Kmart stores, told TMZ, "After careful consideration of all available information, we have made the decision to phase out all products tied to [Paula Deen's] brand."

Deciding to take a softer approach, QVC company announced on their Web site that they will "take a pause" from the celeb cook.

QVC president and CEO Mike George explained that QVC, Deen and her team have "talked extensively over the last several days, and together we have considered what is best for our customers, for Paula and for QVC. For now, we have decided to take a pause."

AP

Paula Deen

"Paula won't be appearing on any upcoming broadcasts and we will phase out her product assortment on our online sales channels over the next few months," he continued. "We all think it's important, at this moment, for Paula to concentrate on responding to the allegations against her and on her path forward."

Leaving the door open, George wrote, "Some of you may wonder whether this is a 'forever' decision — whether we are simply ending our association with Paula. We don't think that's how relationships work. People deserve second chances. And we always strive to do the right thing."

Deen released her own statement on the QVC split: "As you know, I have some important things to work on right now, both personally and professionally. And so we've agreed that it's best for me to step back from QVC and focus on setting things right."

Ten companys in all have now bolted from Deen's empire. Yesterday, Target announced that it is ending its relationship and diabetes drug maker Novo Nordisk says it is suspending their partnership.

The Food Network, Smithfield Foods, Walmart, Home Depot and casino giant Caesar's Entertainment announced this week that they were terminating partnerships with the Southern cook.

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Aaron Hernandez a suspect in MORE murders: prosecutors probe him in 2012 homicides - report

TMZ Sports

TMZSports obtained this photo of Aaron Hernandez.

Jailed football star Aaron Hernandez is being eyed for a 2012 double homicide, as prosecutors charge him in last week's slaying of a friend — zeroing in on a piece of gum discarded at the scene, according to broadcast reports today.

Also this morning, the Hartford Courant reported that Carlos Ortiz, who lives in Hernandez's hometown of Bristol, Conn., was arrested in connection to the football star's murder probe.

The Pro Bowl tight end was picked up yesterday and charged with the slaying 27-year-old Odin Lloyd last week in North Attleboro, Mass.

The night before Lloyd's murder, Hernandez frantically texted an unidentified Connecticut friend to rush to him in Massachusetts, prosecutors said.

Two other men were allegedly with Hernandez during Lloyd's killing. But prosecutors didn't mention who these men were, or if they had been arrested, when Hernandez was arraigned yesterday afternoon.

Hernandez could be facing new problems stemming from the murder of two Boston men.

HERNANDEZ ACCUSED OF MURDERING ACQUAINTANCE

SERBY: HERNANDEZ' MURDER CHARGE SHOWS DARK SIDE OF NFL

Safiro Furtado and Daniel Abreu, who worked at nearby cleaning company in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, had just left a local bar on July 16, 2012. That's when a gray or silver SUV with Rhode Island plates rolled up to the victims' car and opened fire.

Investigators now want to know if Hernandez has any connection to that 2 a.m. double-slaying at the corner of Shawmut Avenue and Herald Street, Boston Fox affiliate WFXT-TV reported today.

No arrests have been made in that double homicide.

Hernandez was busted yesterday morning and charged with murder and five firearms offenses tied to Lloyd's June 17 murder.

Before Hernandez picked up Lloyd, the Pro Bowl tight end stopped at gas station where he also picked up cigarette rolling paper and blue cotton candy-flavored Bubblicious bubble gum, prosecutors said.

When Hernandez dropped off a rental car allegedly used in the murder, he offered the attendant a piece of blue bubble gum, according to the DA.

The attendant found a .45-caliber shell casing and a piece of chewed blue bubble gum inside the car, authorities said.

Odin was killed by bullets fired from a .45-caliber gun.

Today's cover

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Serena avoids upset bug, rolls into third round at Wimbledon

LONDON -- Five-time champion Serena Williams avoided the kind of early upset that has sent many top players tumbling out of Wimbledon, beating Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the third round.

A day after Roger Federer led the list of big names to exit in the second round, the top-ranked Williams never looked in danger against the 100th-ranked French qualifier.

Williams broke twice in each set to set up a match with Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, who at 42 became the oldest woman to reach the third round at Wimbledon in the Open era.

Date-Krumm beat Alexandra Cadantu of Romania 6-4, 7-5 to reach the third round for the first time since 1996, when she went to the semifinals.

Getty Images

Serena Williams.

"She's incredibly inspiring," the 31-year-old Williams said. "She's so fit, she's done so well. I've never played her before. I watched her play when I was super young, growing up."

Date-Krumm is the second-oldest woman to have won a match at Wimbledon after Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she reached the second round in 2004. She took a 12-year break from tennis before returning in 2008.

"I don't know how she's able to do so well," Williams said.

Whether Williams can keep playing for another decade remains to be seen, but she certainly doesn't show any sign of slowing down in her 30s. The defending champion is looking for a sixth Wimbledon title, and saw her two main rivals - Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka - eliminated on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Garcia is seen as a potential future star, with a game especially suited for grass. But she couldn't force a single break point against the American's strong serve on Court 1.

"She's incredibly promising, she does everything well," Williams said. "Her serve is amazing, so I knew it would be a good match on the grass."

After that wild Wednesday, with seven players retiring or withdrawing with injuries, a sense of normalcy returned to the All England Club.

Sixth-seeded Li Na of China did look in trouble for a while before overcoming a poor second set to beat Simona Halep of Romania 6-2, 1-6, 6-0. Halep's lower back was treated after the first set, but she still dominated the second. Li, the former French Open champ, found her stride again in the third.

"Welcome to the crazy women's tennis tour," Li said.

Other seeds to win included No. 14 Samantha Stosur and No. 18 Dominika Cibulkova. Bernard Tomic of Australia, whose father and coach John Tomic has been barred from tournaments after allegedly assaulting his son's hitting partner, advanced by defeating American James Blake 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.

There was one injury retirement: Michael Llodra of France quit after losing the first set 7-5 against 23rd-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy.

That was the eighth retirement or walkover of the second round in singles play, equaling the record for a single round at Wimbledon in the Open era. The International Tennis Federation said eight players also quit in the first round in 2008.

The record for a Grand Slam tournament is nine players withdrawing or retiring from the first round at the 2011 U.S. Open.

Later in the day, top-ranked Novak Djokovic was to play Bobby Reynolds of the United States.

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Nigella Lawson flees home she shared with Charles Saatchi after 'choke' fight

Nigella Lawson is packing up her troubles and making a swift exit from her marital home less than two weeks after her husband Charles Saatchi grabbed her by the throat.

The Sun published photos of moving men carrying the TV chef's belongings from the London home she shared with the 70-year-old ad mogul, suggesting that their marriage is over.

Lawson, 53, who has been seen without her wedding ring, has been staying with her sister in a Mayfair flat since pictures emerged showing Saatchi's hand around her neck during a row at Scott's restaurant.

Saatchi has accepted a police caution for assault, but in an increasingly bizarre explanation for his behavior said he was helping his wife pick "snot" out of her nose.

W8 Media / Splash News

Nigella Lawson

The story from the "Sunday People."

The story from the "Sunday People."

Saatchi insisted: "Even domestic goddesses sometimes have a bit of snot in their nose. I was trying to fish it out."

He previously claimed the 27-minute row, in which he reportedly grabbed her throat four times in public and made Lawson cry, was just a "playful tiff."

Lawson could bolt to Los Angeles where she'll be filming the second season of ABC's cooking show "The Taste."

"They are not speaking and she wants to get out of the media glare. Her profile isn't particularly high over in Los Angeles and she can easily blend in there," a friend told the UK publication.

Dubbed a cooking version of "The Voice," Lawson is one of the judges/mentors on "The Taste" along with fellow celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebrvre, and Brian Malarkey.

WITH THE SUN

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WATCH: Martha Stewart - ‘I feel sorry for Paula Deen’

Paula Deen found some sympathy in Martha Stewart, who successfully clawed her way back to the public's graces and rebuilt her empire after her insider-trading scandal.

Stewart was asked to weigh in on the embattled TV cook during her appearance on "Watch What Happens Live!" with Andy Cohen yesterday.

When a caller asked for Stewart's opinion on the disgraced Deen and if she "agreed with everything that's happening, or if she supports her," the 71-year-old homemaking mogul replied, "I feel sorry for Paula Deen."

"She's a public figure. And I know you have to be extremely careful being a public figure," continued Stewart, who once had her own cooking show on the Food Network.

Getty Images

Martha Stewart

"I don't really want to say whether I agree or not. I just feel you have to really watch yourself, especially in this day and age with cameras all over you and Google and records."

She added carefully, "What I just said….It'll be there forever."

When Cohen asked if the Food Network was right to cancel Deen's show, Stewart had "no comment."

Stewart successfully relaunched her media empire that includes TV, magazine and book publishing after serving five months in jail following her involvement in an insider trading scandal in 2001.

Meanwhile, the scandal-plagued Southern chef has been dropped by the Food Network and by business partners including as Walmart, Smithfield's and Caesar's Entertainment.

Diabetes drug maker Novo Nordisk also announced today that they have "mutually agreed with Paula to part ways for now," a spokesperson told TMZ.

Page Six revealed that Deen, in an image-saving campaign, has hired top crisis management guru Judy Smith, the inspiration for Kerry Washington's "Scandal" character Olivia Pope.

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Stars, politicians, friends and family pack 1,500 seat funeral for 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini

AP

James Gandolfini died June 19 in Italy. He was 51.

Stars flocked to the funeral of James Gandolfini to mourn the loss of the beloved actor at Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Morningside Heights this morning.

New York City-based actors — including Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi and several members of "The Soprano's" cast — were spotted chatting and hugging near the church before entering the 1,500-seat ceremony.

PHOTOS: MOURNING LOSS OF ACTOR JAMES GANDOLFINI

Aida Turturro — who played Gandolfini's sister in the hit show — along with creator of the show, David Chase, were among the first to arrive.

Robert Miller

Actor Steve Schirripa today.

AP

Aida Turturro arrives for the funeral service of James Gandolfini.

Other guests included the actor's widow Deborah Lin Gandolfini, who gave a heartfelt tribute to the actor.

"My husband cared more about others than himself," Deborah Lin Gandolfini said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

She added,"Thank you for loving me and believing in me... I love you Jim and I always will."

A family friend, Tomas Richardson, added that the star died far before his time.

"He had so much more to give," Richardson said.

AP

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie holds a program with a photo of actor James Gandolfini while arriving at Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine today.

Longtime pal Susan Aston added he was selfless friend and a wonderful man.

"Our beloved Jim's ability to remain vulnerable and keep his heart open in his life and work is what allowed us to feel connected to him," Aston said.

Members of the public were allowed to attend after invited guests.

Police blocked of sides streets for the service and HBO representatives acted as ushers.

Gandolfini died from a heart attack on June 19 while in Rome.

AP

Michael Gandolfini, left, James Gandolfini's teen son, arrives at today's funeral service.

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Katy, John cozy up on two dates following pop star’s ‘madly in love’ reveal

Back together? Looks like Katy Perry and John Mayer may have relit some fireworks.

The two reportedly cozied up at the Greenwich Hotel on Saturday night and appeared "lovey dovey" at the Friars Foundation's annual Applause Award Gala for Don Rickles held yesterday at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Perry, 28, said in a recent interview with Vogue that she still had feelings for the "Paper Doll" crooner after their split in March.

"I was madly in love with him. I still am madly in love with him," she said. "Beautiful mind, tortured soul." However she admitted, "I do have to figure out why I am attracted to these broken birds."

WireImage

Katy Perry and John Mayer

Mayer, 35, arrived at the Friars event solo, but was joined by Perry shortly thereafter.

"Katy arrived after the event had already started, but before dinner was served," a source said. "A waiter brought a chair to John's table for her just before her arrival."

The source added that they were "affectionate," "very lovey-dovey" and "were smooching and rubbing one another's backs."

Despite the off-and-on romance, Perry insisted to Vogue, "I'm not in a relationship, I'm just on my own — I am myself in my own bed."

She added, "I have to be happy being alone, and I am happy. I believe that I will be loved again, in the right way. I know I'm worth it."

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Serena cruises in opening Wimbledon match

LONDON -- Back in her comfort zone on Wimbledon's Centre Court, Serena Williams delivered a statement that no one can argue with: When her powerful serve is clicking, she's still the woman to beat at the All England Club.

Putting aside her recent comments that led to apologies and a brief spat with Maria Sharapova, Williams looked every bit the five-time champion as she began her Wimbledon title defense with a routine 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mandy Minella of Luxembourg.

Williams put the focus firmly back on tennis following the recent verbal jousting with Sharapova about their private lives and comments about a high-profile rape case.

EPA

Serena Williams.

As usual on grass, the top-ranked Williams dominated with her hard serve, winning the first set without dropping a single point on her service game. Her serve let her down only at the start of the second set, when Minella was able to take a 2-0 lead when Williams double-faulted on break point.

She was one point from trailing 3-0 but won 15 of the next 18 points to take a 4-2 lead, and broke again to wrap up the win.

"For me, it's the greatest moment for a tennis player, to walk out on Centre Court," Williams said after her first match at Wimbledon since winning Olympic gold here last year. "That was such a great moment, too. So many great memories on this court."

Williams improved her career record to 68-8 at the All England Club and extended her career-best winning streak to 32 matches, which included her second French Open title.

"I don't think about it," Williams said about her streak. "Every single time I step out on the court it's a new match."

Also Tuesday, 42-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm cruised past German teenager Carina Witthoeft - who is less than half her age - 6-0, 6-2 in just 44 minutes.

Date-Krumm is the second oldest player to have won a match at Wimbledon after Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she reached the second round in 2004. The 18-year-old Witthoeft was making her Grand Slam debut.

Sixth-seeded Li Na of China reached the second round, routing Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-1.

Later on Centre Court, top-ranked Novak Djokovic will face last year's quarterfinal opponent Florian Mayer of Germany, a day after Rafael Nadal's stunning first-round exit.

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Tsunami-like waves seen along NJ coast during massive derecho as Shore travel season hits full swing

NOAA

NOAA graphic shows the low-end derecho from June 12-13, 2012.

BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ — Scientists are reviewing tsunami-like waves that were observed along the southern New Jersey coast earlier this month.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center says it happened during the afternoon of June 13 in close conjunction with a weather system known as a low-end derecho. The tsunami was detected by more than 30 tide gauges.

Brian Coen told observers he was spear fishing near the mouth of Barnegat Inlet when he spotted a strong outgoing tide expose rocks before he saw a wave 6-feet high span the inlet.

Two of three people who were swept off the rocks of the jetty by the wave required medical attention.

Scientists say it's also possible the slumping at the Continental Shelf east of New Jersey played a role.

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WATCH: Home invader savagely pummels woman as 3-year-old daughter watches

MyFoxNy

A random home invader viciously attacks a woman in New Jersey. Police describe the attacker as

black, 5'11" tall, 220 lbs. with a salt-and-pepper beard. He stole jewelry from the home, according to police.

A woman was viciously attacked in her Millburn, N.J. home by a robber while her three-year-old daughter watched.

A camera on a baby monitor captured the brutal assault.

Police say the man broke down a door to get into the house. Once inside, he repeatedly punched and kicked the woman. He also threw the woman down a flight of stairs.

"I knew that if I started to scream my daughter would too and I was afraid he would shoot at her. I took it and I didn't cry the entire time," the unnamed victim told News 12. "They need to help us get him off the street. He's not just a burglar, he's violent."

She suffered a concussion and was hospitalized before being released, according to News 12.

Read more at MyFoxNY.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

New York News | NYC Breaking News

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Murderer mom celebrated lottery win while on bail for beating son to death

YouTube/SkyNews

Rebecca Shuttleworth and her partner celebrate the win

A British mother jailed for life for beating her two-year-old son to death was filmed cheering with joy when her lesbian partner won the lottery while she was on bail for murder.

Rebecca Shuttleworth — today jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years for murdering Keanu, two — celebrated her partner's $15,500 'Postcode Lottery' win in Manchester while awaiting trial.

Shuttleworth sickened her relatives by publicly celebrating her lover's win.

A family friend said they were scarcely able to believe their eyes when they saw film of Shuttleworth yelling with joy as the windfall was handed over.

The pal said: "It turned people's stomachs to see her so happy after the terrible things she'd done. She was whooping and celebrating without a scrap of guilt. She deserves to rot in hell.

READ MORE AT THE SUN

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Police in wetsuits continue search near Aaron Hernandez home

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — Police are continuing to search the area near the home of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, a week after his friend's slain body was found about a mile away.

Some law enforcement officers wore wetsuits Monday while searching near both Hernandez' home and the industrial park where Odin Lloyd's body was discovered.

Lloyd was a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits whose family has said he was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.

They say the two men were friends and were out together on the last night of Lloyd's life.

AP

Massachusetts State Police are continuing their search near the home of New England Patriot's NFL football player Aaron Hernandez in North Attleborough, Mass.

An Attleboro District Court official said no new documents were available in connection with the case as of mid-morning Monday.

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'That 70s Show' actress Lisa Robin Kelly in DUI arrest in Southern California

BURBANK, Calif. — "That '70s Show" actress Lisa Robin Kelly has been arrested in Southern California on suspicion of drunken driving.

The California Highway Patrol says officers noticed signs of possible intoxication when they helped move the 43-year-old actress' stalled car off Interstate 5 in Burbank late Saturday.

The CHP said that after an investigation, officers arrested and booked her on suspicion of DUI. Kelly was released on $5,000 bail.

An email to her agent was not immediately returned.

It was not her first brush with the law. Kelly and her husband Robert Joseph Gilliam were arrested last November in connection to a disturbance at their home in the Charlotte, N.C., suburb of Mooresville.

WireImage

Actress Lisa Robin Kelly is seen in a police booking photo March 31, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Kelly was arrested on a felony charge of corporal injury upon a spouse. (Photo by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department via WireImage)

Kelly portrayed Laurie Forman, sister of Topher Grace's lead character Eric, on the FOX series, which ended in 2006.

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Ammo firm markets pork-covered bullets 'to kill Islamic terrorists and send them straight to hell'

An Idaho ammo company is selling pork-coated bullets for use on Islamic terrorists, a bid to strike fear of being sent to hell into the hearts of jihadists.

Idaho County-based Jihawg Ammo says the process makes the ammo "Haraam" meaning that a strictly observant Muslim would have committed sin if they touched them.

"We at Jihawg Ammo hope you will stock up on Jihawg as a natural deterrent to the ever growing threat of radical Islam and Sharia Law," the company says on its website.

A leading Muslim civil liberties organization was quick to dismiss the product as a stunt pulled by "publicity-seeking idiots."

jihawg.com

Jihawg Ammo

"It's the same old bizarre nonsense," said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "These people are trying to take advantage of Islamophobia to sell products and make a quick buck."

"These are the same type of people who buy into anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, the same people who think that Sharia law is going to take over America," Hooper continued, "they are publicity seeking idiots."

In addition to ammunition, the company also sells apparel with slogans like "Put Some HAM in MoHAMed!" and "Do 72 Virgins a Favor."

Jihawg Ammo says it was founded in response to outrage towards the mosque being built near Ground Zero.

There is little evidence in Islamic texts to support the idea that strict Muslims would go to hell for touching pork.

The Quaran 2:173 says "…whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him…" which has been interpreted by some scholars to mean that Muslims can eat pork if they either do not know it is pork or if it is a necessity for seeing of starvation.

Jihawg's porcine-slathered ammo is not unprecedented.

One prominent episode occurred during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 when British-trained Indian soldiers called sepoys tried to protect the interests of the East India Company.

Using newly deployed Enfield rifles, the sepoys hade to bite the gun's paper cartridge to release the gun powder before pushing the grease covered ball into the gun's barrel.

However, unrest grew as rumors spread that the grease used to get the ball down the gun's barrel contained either cow or pig fat and thus would be either sacrilegious to Hindus (cows are sacred to Hindus) or Muslims.

In response to the rumors British officials ordered all grease removed from the cartridges and instructed the Indian soldiers to break the cartridges with their hands instead of their mouths.

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Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi gets seven years for underage 'bunga bunga' sex parties

AFP/Getty Images

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (L) at Villa Madama in Rome and Moroccan Karima El Mahroug, aka 'Ruby the Heartstealer'

MILAN — A Milan court has convicted former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi of paying for sex with an under-age prostitute during infamous "bunga bunga" parties at his villa and then using his influence to try to cover it up.

Berlusconi, 76, was sentenced to seven years in prison and barred from public office for life. The ban on holding office could mean the end of Berlusconi's two-decade political career. However, there are two more levels of appeal before the sentence would become final.

Berlusconi holds no official post in the current Italian government, but remains influential in the uneasy cross-party coalition that emerged after inconclusive February elections.

Both he and the Moroccan woman at the center of the scandal have denied ever having sex.

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Transgender 6-year-old wins civil rights case to use girls' bathroom at school

AP

Coy Mathis, left, plays with her sister Auri, at their home in Fountain, Colo. Coy has been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder.

DENVER — A 6-year-old transgender girl will be able to return to school after winning the right to use the girls' bathroom.

The New York-based Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund announced the ruling in favor of Coy Mathis on Sunday. Lawyers plan to explain the ruling Monday in Denver.

The group filed the complaint on behalf of Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis claiming that the first-grader had been discriminated against at Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain, near Colorado Springs. Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 has declined to discuss the case, but Coy's parents said they were told in December that she had to either use the bathroom in the teachers' lounge or one in the nurse's office after the holiday break. The Mathises feared going along with that would stigmatize Coy and open her up to bullying.

She was homeschooled for the rest of the school year as the complaint was considered.

School districts in many states, including Colorado, have enacted policies that allow transgender students to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. Sixteen states, including Colorado, have anti-discrimination laws that include protections for transgender people.

The Mathises said Coy, a triplet, showed an early preference for things associated with girls. At 5 months, she took a pink blanket meant for her sister Lily. Later, she showed little interest in toy cars and boy clothes with pictures of sports, monsters and dinosaurs on them. She refused to leave the house if she had to wear boy clothes and became depressed and withdrawn, telling her parents at one point that she wanted to get "fixed" by doctor.

They said they later learned she had gender identity disorder — a condition in which someone identifies as the opposite gender. The Mathises said they decided to help Coy live as a girl and she came out of her shell.

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Thousands gather for first major Boston running event since bombings

BOSTON -- More than 6,400 runners have gathered for Boston's first major race since the April marathon bombings that killed three people and injured hundreds of others.

Boston Strong was the theme of the 10K race at the Boston Common on Sunday morning. Most runners wore the blue and gold of the Boston Athletic Association, the nonprofit group that organizes the annual marathon.

Marathon men's champion Leslia Desisa of Ethiopia was scheduled to present his gold and diamond winner's medal to Mayor Thomas Menino as a gift to the city and to honor the victims of the attacks.

A moment of silence paid tribute to the April 15 marathon bombing victims and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer who was killed days later during a search for the suspects.

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New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez wooed married woman: source

Sen. Robert Menendez wooed a married newspaper publisher, taking the attractive brunette on a romantic getaway to the Caribbean, a tipster alleges.

The New Jersey Dem and Cecilia Reynolds jetted to Puerto Rico, where they stayed at the isolated beach retreat of the island's then-governor, Anibal Acevedo Vila.

In a photo provided by the anonymous informant, Reynolds is sitting naked on a beach and suggestively smiling at the camera. In another set of pictures, they take turns posing against the same sunset backdrop.

The happy couple, dressed in shorts, also appeared to tour a national park and pose for a photo at a waterfall, Menendez wrapping his arm around Reynolds' waist.

PAPER TRAIL:NJ Sen. Robert Menendez in Facebook pic with the publisher of Nosotros, Cecilia Reynolds (above right; and below, at her home last week).

J.C. Rice

A document with copies of the photos along with details of the alleged tryst were provided to media organizations and the National Legal and Policy Center, a Virginia-based ethics watchdog group.

Reynolds, 50, the mother of two adult children, refused to talk to a reporter Friday as she left her Freehold, NJ, home and approached the Porsche Cayenne SUV in her driveway. She hurried back inside the house and would not come to the door.

"My husband and I were separated for a period of time in the past," she said in a statement released Friday night. "Any and all allegations being peddled by a former disgruntled business partner are false and malicious."

Her husband, Matt Reynolds, earlier told a reporter the couple was indeed married in 2007 when the affair allegedly happened. He said he would "neither confirm nor deny" her relationship with Menendez.

The senator's office released a statement six minutes after Reynolds, saying, "These are the same kind of questionably timed smear tactics that we've seen before, and we're not going to dignify them with a comment."

Menendez, 59, who was named chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this year and has been a leading proponent of immigration reform, has been embroiled in scandal for the past few months. His relationship with a wealthy Florida donor, from whom he accepted free flights on a private plane, is under scrutiny.

It's unclear how he and Reynolds traveled to Puerto Rico for the alleged rendezvous.

The trip came at a time when the senator was trying to thwart the appointment of Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez as the US attorney for Puerto Rico. He placed a "senatorial hold," or block, on the appointment, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

Rodriguez-Velez was the interim US attorney, and her office had turned its sights on Menendez's pal, the former Puerto Rico governor, investigating him for alleged campaign-finance violations and other wrongdoing. She was later confirmed despite the senator's interference, and Acevedo Vila was indicted in 2008 on 19 criminal counts. He was found not guilty.

"Menendez apparently sees no ethics problem with taking his married girlfriend to the Puerto Rican governor's beach house while the governor was under federal investigation, and published reports describe Menendez as putting a senatorial hold on the nomination of the US attorney who was to oversee the investigation," said Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center. "Is there any wonder the public has such a low opinion of elected officials?"

When Menendez ran for re-election in November 2006, his campaign placed a full-page ad in Nosotros, the free Spanish-language newspaper Reynolds started in 2002.

Menendez, whose parents were Cuban, has been prominently featured on its pages. He posed in a group photo, along with Reynolds, that appeared on the front page after a May 2011 visit to an immigrant center Reynolds helped set up in Freehold.

Menendez even provided a testimonial for the paper, calling it "one of the most substantive newspapers in either English or Spanish that I have read."

Reynolds, who would not disclose the name of the ex-partner she believes is tipping media to the alleged affair, donated $2,500 to Menendez's campaign in 2011.

melissa.klein@nypost.com

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Mother & daughter confess to fatally poisoning relatives with antifreeze

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri woman and her daughter confessed to fatally poisoning two relatives with antifreeze and attempting to kill a third over a 14-month period, according to court documents.

Diane Staudte, 51, of Springfield, was charged Friday with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault and one count of armed criminal action. Her daughter, Rachel Staudte, 22, was charged with the same counts Saturday.

Both women are jailed without bond. A spokeswoman for the Greene County prosecutor's office didn't immediately return an email Saturday from The Associated Press. It wasn't clear if the women had attorneys.

Diane Staudte initially told law enforcement that her husband, Mark Staudte, 61, hadn't been feeling well and suffered from seizures before his April 2012 death, the probable cause statement said. And she said her son, Shawn Staudte, 26, had been sick with flu-like symptoms before his death in September.

The medical examiner in Greene County at first ruled that the husband died of natural causes and the son as a result of prior medical issues. But an anonymous tip led authorities to re-examine the deaths earlier this month following the hospitalization of Diane Staudte's daughter, 24-year-old Sarah Staudte, the statement said.

A detective wrote that a nurse told him that although Sarah Staudte's condition was potentially fatal, Diane Staudte had visited only a couple times and not stayed long. The nurse described Diane Staudte's actions as "inappropriate," saying she joked and laughed with hospital personnel. The nurse also told the detective that Diane Staudte told her that she planned to go on an upcoming vacation to Florida regardless of her daughter's status.

A doctor told the detective that Sarah Staudte's condition was "very suspicious" and said he suspected the young woman had been poisoned.

Diane Staudte admitted under questioning to poisoning her family by putting antifreeze in their soda and Gatorade over several days, the statement said.

She told the detective that she killed her husband because she "hated him" and her son because he was "worse than a pest." She said she wanted to kill her daughter, Sarah, because the young woman "would not get a job and had student loans that had to be paid," the probable cause statement said.

The Springfield News-Leader, citing the probable cause statement in Rachel Staudte's case, said Diane Staudte originally told police she was the only one involved. But the statement said that when Rachel Staudte was confronted with evidence, she admitted to taking part in the deaths and assault.

During a subsequent interview, Diane Staudte then admitted that she and Rachel Staudte had planned, researched and committed the crimes together, the statement said.

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Handcuffed suspect escapes cops, dashes into subway

A slippery suspect managed to get away from cops while still handcuffed yesterday, police said.

Lawrence Mason, 52, of Queens was being arrested for crack possession near West 116th Street and Lenox Avenue, and had both hands secured behind his back when he broke free and disappeared into the subway system around 1:05 p.m., Saturday, cops added.

The career-criminal was believed to be headed south on either the No. 2 or No. 3 line, police said. He is 5-foot-6, about 140 pounds, with long, kinky black hair. He was wearing a black baseball cap, tan work boots, a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans.

NYPD

Lawrence Mason

He has been jailed at least 14 times, mostly for drugs, sources said.

kconley@nypost.com

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NSA leaker Edward Snowden lands in Moscow after fleeing Hong Kong: report

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong, according to reports.

MOSCOW — A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday.

An Aeroflot flight from Hong Kong believed to be carrying Edward Snowden landed in Moscow. Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on Flight SU213, which landed on Sunday afternoon in Moscow. The report said he intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

Snowden had been in hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks since he revealed information on the highly classified spy programs. The WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group tweeted that Snowden was "over Russian air space" and later said in a statement he was bound for an unnamed "democratic nation via a safe route for the purpose of asylum."

Sen. Chuck Schumer slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for providing refuge in his country to Snowden.

"What's infuriating here is [President] Putin of Russia aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," fumed Schumer (D-NY) on CNN's "State of the Union."

"Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States," he declared.

The White House had no immediate comment about the departure, which came a day after the United States made a formal request for his extradition and gave a pointed warning to Hong Kong against delaying the process of returning him to face trial in the U.S.

The Department of Justice said only that it would "continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

"Putin … almost certain he knew and it is likely he approved it," said Schumer. "That is not how allies should treat one another and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship."

He also said he was "very disappointed" that Hong Kong let Snowden get way and speculated that China played a role in the decision.

"I have a feeling the hand of Beijing was involved here," Schumer said.

The Hong Kong government said in a statement that Snowden left "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel."

It acknowledged the U.S. extradition request, but said U.S. documentation did not "fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law." It said additional information was requested from Washington, but since the Hong Kong government "has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong."

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Belmont Results

FIRST-1 1/16 miles(T); $53,000; alw; 3up

5	Prsumptv (Lzcno)	7.50	3.80	3.30
2	Cantonic (Ortiz,Jr.)		5.50	4.10
3	Kingofthebluegrass (Maragh)			4.10

Scr: Metaurus, Drink With Pride, Wayward Sailor, Sacred Ground, Nineinthenine.

* Exacta (5-2) $37.60 * Superfecta (5-2-3-6) $204.50 * Trifecta (5-2-3) $109.00

SECOND-5 fur; $70,000; mdn; 2YO(f)

3	Tru Blu Ntn (Lzcn)	37.60	10.60	4.10
4	Candy Kitty (Velazquez)		2.70	2.10
2	Predicate (Maragh)			3.00

* Double (5-3) $122.00 * Exacta (3-4) $89.50 * Quinella (3-4) $29.00 * Trifecta (3-4-2) $311.00

THIRD-5 fur; $70,000; mdn; 2YO

5	Jk's Mgc Ht (Lzcn)	6.00	2.90	2.60
4	None Lke Noln (Velzquz)		3.20	2.40
1	Solemnly Swear (Ortiz,Jr.)			2.80

Scr: Oliver Zip.

* Double (3-5) $149.00 * Exacta (5-4) $18.20 * Trifecta (5-4-1) $38.80

Winner picked by Vic C

FOURTH-1 1/16m; $41,000; mdn cl($35,0); 3p

4	Ale (Velasquez)	10.00	4.20	3.50
1	Vnny Goodtmes (Cstllno)		5.50	4.20
8	Singing Monarch (Ortiz)			7.90

Scr: Cat Man Fu.

* Double (5-4) $37.60 * Exacta (4-1) $45.40 * Quinella (1-4) $25.80 * Superfecta (4-1-8-2) $1,240.00 * Trifecta (4-1-8) $454.00

FIFTH-1 mile; $77,000; alw; 3up(f)

3	Profetza (Lezcno)	3.90	3.10	2.40
5	Malbu Holday (Velsquez)		3.90	2.80
6	Lady Kierkegaard (Ortiz,Jr.)			2.50

* Double (4-3) $27.20 * Exacta (3-5) $16.00 * Trifecta (3-5-6) $39.80

SIXTH-1 1/16m(T); $31,000; cl($20,0); 3up(f)

2	Fava (Saez)	28.20	9.40	6.30
1	Let the Kttn Run (OrtzJr.)		3.10	2.70
4	My Four Rewards (Prado)			5.30

* Double (3-2) $72.00 * Exacta (2-1) $74.50 * Trifecta (2-1-4) $608.00

SEVENTH-1 mile; $62,000; alw; 3up

1	a-Bnd Vglnt (Ortz)	5.40	3.40	3.70
8	Ultimate Empire (OrtzJr.)		6.40	4.60
1	a-Rd th Prpsl (Sls)	5.40	3.40	3.70

Scr: Seventy Six.

* Double (2-1) $93.50 * Exacta (1-8) $37.60 * Trifecta (1-8-5) $430.00

EIGHTH-1 1/16 miles(T); $64,000; alw; 3up

6	Royl Blessng (Sez)	8.90	4.00	3.00
10	Adrondck Dncer (Vlsquz)		3.50	2.80
5	Jonrah (Lezcano)			3.20

Scr:JuniorOfficer,WarriorUp,PapaTm,ThThnkr

* Double (1-6) $24.40 * Exacta (6-10) $31.00 * Trifecta (6-10-5) $93.50

NINTH-1 1/16mT; $29,000; mdn cl($20,0); 3pf

9	Snit Fit (Maragh)	4.80	3.00	2.50
2	Love Is Key Kz (Rodrguz)		6.60	3.80
5	Kate Is a Ten (Saez)			3.20

Scr: Underage, Mugsy's Pass, Bunhead.

* dq_Love Is Key Kaz (1-2) * Double (6-9) $25.40 * Exacta (9-2) $35.00 * Superfecta (9-2-5-3) $935.00 * Trifecta (9-2-5) $104.50

Attendance: 5,058.

Track Handle: $1,140,845.

Total Handle: $6,819,912.

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Yonkers Results

FIRST-mile pace; $11,000; claiming

3	PmbrkAlcBsh(MMcDnld)	16.80	9.20	9.00
7	Terrys Star Dragon(BSears)		6.40	4.60
5	Irish Elitist (L Stalbaum)			10.20

* Exacta (3-7) $85.50 * Triple (3-7-5) $555.00

SECOND-1 1/16 ml pc; $24,000; cond

3	BbyBoyGrn(LStlbum)	8.60	5.10	2.50
6	Pittstop Ruthie (B Sears)		4.70	2.50
8	Fortunes Dream (G Brennan)			2.10

* Exacta (3-6) $38.60 * Triple (3-6-8) $159.50 * Daily double (3-3) $118.00Scr: Some Like It Hot, Celtic Merchant.

THIRD-mile pace; $11,000; claiming

1	TenntInChef(JStrtton)	2.70	2.10	2.10
5	LterateHnover(MMcDonld)		3.30	2.70
6	Pass The Deck (G Brennan)			2.30

* Exacta (1-5) $8.70 * Triple (1-5-6) $31.00 * Superfecta (1-5-6-4) $97.50

FOURTH-mile trot; $27,500; cond

4	SugrQunGbby(DDub)	4.50	2.50	2.10
5	Aisling (G Brennan)		2.80	2.20
3	Keenan (C Manzi)			2.50

* Exacta (4-5) $14.20 * Triple (4-5-3) $33.20 * Pick 3 (3-1-4,6) $26.60

FIFTH-mile pace; $15,000; claiming

4	AllStrDrgon(GBrennn)	6.20	2.40	2.20
1	Eagle Now (B Sears)		2.10	2.10
3	Oriental Carpet (J Stratton)			2.80

* Exacta (4-1) $9.50 * Triple (4-1-3) $36.60

Triple picked by Debbie Little

SIXTH-mile trot; $46,000; open

7	SuperMannng(BSers)	5.20	2.80	2.10
8	Monsignor Flan (B Holland)		4.10	2.20
4	Lorenzo Dream (J Pantaleano)			2.20

* Exacta (7-8) $19.40 * Triple (7-8-4) $46.80 * Pick 3 (4-4-7) $88.50 * Pick 4 (1,7-4,6-4-7) $80.50

Exacta picked by Debbie Little

SEVENTH-mile trot; $34,000; cond

8	LttleBrownFox(BSers)	6.10	3.20	2.30
2	Calchips Brute (G Brennan)		2.10	2.10
4	Somebody As (J Gregory)			5.40

* Exacta (8-2) $8.40 * Triple (8-2-4) $105.50

EIGHTH-mile pace; $46,000; open

8	Krispy Apple (BSears)	2.60	2.10	2.10
7	Virgin Mary (E Goodell)		2.70	2.70
2	Keepers Destiny (D Dube)		2.10	2.40
4	BrownsvlleBombr(BHollnd)		2.20	3.40

* Exacta (8-2) $5.20 * Exacta (8-4) $7.40 * Exacta (8-7) $5.50 * Triple (8-2-4) $9.20 * Triple (8-2-7) $9.40 * Triple (8-4-2) $15.00 * Triple (8-4-7) $19.20 * Triple (8-7-2) $10.40 * Triple (8-7-4) $13.40 * Superfecta (8-2-4-7) $24.40 * Superfecta (8-2-7-4) $23.40 * Superfecta (8-4-2-7) $41.40 * Superfecta (8-4-7-2) $40.00 * Superfecta (8-7-2-4) $24.60 * Superfecta (8-7-4-2) $30.60

Winner picked by Debbie Little

NINTH-mile trot; $31,000; cond

4	FortVlleyAs(JPntleno)	7.00	4.10	2.40
1	Perfect Picture (B Sears)		3.30	2.40
3	Flashy Lady (E Goodell)			2.70

* Exacta (4-1) $15.00 * Triple (4-1-3) $53.50 * Pick 5 (4-7-8-1,8-4) $204.25

TENTH-mile pace; $15,000; claiming

3	Capote (B Holland)	5.10	2.60	2.10
1	Defiance N (B Sears)		2.20	2.10
2	Three New Dawns (L Stalbaum)			4.50

* Exacta (3-1) $6.90 * Triple (3-1-2) $27.80 * Superfecta (3-1-2-6) $98.00 * Pick 3 (1,8-4-3) $24.00 * Pick 4 (8-1,8-4-3) $121.50

ELEVENTH-mile trot; $31,000; cond

3	TallCotton(GBrennan)	3.50	2.10	2.10
4	Upfront Billy (B Sears)		2.10	2.10
1	Flex The Muscle (J Gregory)			2.90

* Exacta (3-4) $5.10 * Triple (3-4-1) $11.60

Exacta picked by Debbie Little

TWELFTH-mile pace; $31,000; cond

2	Nughtytlthnd(BHllnd)	5.40	2.60	2.50
8	Ginger AndFred(GBrennan)		2.80	2.30
3	All Spirit (J Marohn)			4.30

* Exacta (2-8) $14.80 * Triple (2-8-3) $75.50 * Superfecta (2-8-3-5) $328.00 * Late double (3-2) $15.00

Attendance-Unavailable.

Total Handle-$615,552.

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Travel chaos after Southwest Airlines grounds entire fleet for system-wide computer failure

AP

A spokesman for Southwest Airlines says all departing flights have been grounded due to a system-wide computer problem.

CHICAGO — A system-wide computer failure forced Southwest Airlines to ground its entire fleet of airplanes preparing for departures late Friday, and at least 57 flights had to be canceled even after service was fully restored hours later, a company spokeswoman said.

Michelle Agnew told The Associated Press that 43 of the cancellations were flights scheduled for late Friday night departures in the western half of the country. The other 14 were Saturday morning flights scattered across the U.S. because crews were not able to get to airports in time to make the scheduled takeoffs.

An estimated 250 flights — most of them on the West Coast — were grounded at least temporarily Friday night. The glitch impaired the airline's ability to do such things as conduct check-ins, print boarding passes and monitor the weight of each aircraft.

Some flights were on the taxiway and diverted back to the terminal after the problem was detected around 8 p.m. PDT Friday, Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said. Flights already in the air were unaffected.

Shortly after 11 p.m. PDT, Southwest posted on its Twitter page that "systems are operating and we will begin work to get customers where they need to be. Thanks for your patience tonight."

Agnew said the computer system was "running at full capacity" by early Saturday. Before that, though, officials used a backup system that was much more sluggish.

"Backup systems are in place, not the main system, so it's slower," Hawkins said after service resumed. "But we are able to start launching these flights."

He said cancellations were inevitable because the airline doesn't do redeye flights and by the time the problem was fixed, it was near "the end of our operational day."

The late hour of the disruption meant the computer problem affected far more flights on the West Coast, but Hawkins said at least a few on the East Coast were grounded as well. Southwest, based in Dallas, conducts, on average, 3,400 flights a day.

A spokesman for Los Angeles International Airport said of about 25 inbound and outbound flights remaining Friday, only five departing flights were experiencing delays, of 30 to 80 minutes. At LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), a total of three flights — all departures — were affected.

Four Southwest flights were temporarily held in Seattle, said Christina Faine, a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokeswoman.

One flight to Oakland, Calif., had been due to leave at 9:20 p.m. and departed before 11 p.m. Faine said late Friday night that an airport duty manager, Anthony Barnes, told her the others were expected to depart shortly.

Steve Johnson, a spokesman for Portland, Ore., International Airport, said he was not aware of any planes held up there.

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Facebook exposes 6 million users' phone numbers in tech glitch

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook Inc has inadvertently exposed 6 million users' phone numbers and email addresses to unauthorized viewers over the past year, the world's largest social networking company disclosed late Friday.

Facebook blamed the data leaks, which began in 2012, on a technical glitch in its massive archive of contact information collected from its 1.1 billion users worldwide. As a result of the glitch, Facebook users who downloaded contact data for their list of friends obtained additional information that they were not supposed to have.

Facebook's security team was alerted to the bug last week and fixed it within 24 hours. But Facebook did not publicly acknowledge the bug until Friday afternoon, when it published an "important message" on its blog explaining the issue.

A Facebook spokesman said the delay was due to company procedure stipulating that regulators and affected users be notified before making a public announcement.

"We currently have no evidence that this bug has been exploited maliciously and we have not received complaints from users or seen anomalous behavior on the tool or site to suggest wrongdoing," Facebook said on its blog.

While the privacy breach was limited, "it's still something we're upset and embarrassed by, and we'll work doubly hard to make sure nothing like this happens again," it added.

The breach follows recent disclosures that several consumer Internet companies turned over troves of user data to a large-scale electronic surveillance program run by U.S. intelligence.

The companies include Facebook, Google Inc, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and Yahoo Inc.

The companies, led by Facebook, successfully negotiated with the U.S. government last week to reveal the approximate number of user information requests that each company had received, including secret national security orders.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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Three firefighters, two residents injured in Central Park apartment fire

William Farrington

Five people, including three firefighters, were hurt in a candle fire in a Central Park South hi-rise this morning, officials said.

Efforts to get the Upper West Side blaze under control were delayed by more than five minutes because the fire hydrant closest to the 18-story building wasn't working, a source said.

"We had to use the fire hydrant on the corner," a source told The Post. "We had to drag five lines, 50 feet each. Someone from the building came out and helped."

The blaze allegedly began because a pair in a 14th floor studio apartment were using candles, an FDNY chief said.

"It appears there was carelessness with candles," FDNY Dep. Chief Thomas McKavanagh said.

The 72-year-old man and 64-year-old woman suffered smoke inhalation, and burns, after they tried to put the blaze out themselves, according to the FDNY. The two were taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center, while the firefighters suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

It took nearly an hour for 100 firefighters to knock down the flames on the 14th floor, which had filled with smoke because the two victims left the apartment door open when they fled.

The apartment was engulfed in flames when firefighters, struggling to get water to the scene, arrived.

"The apartment door was held closed until we got a positive water source. The stairs were filled with smoke," McKavanagh said.

The 14th floor residents got out on their own, but the rest of the building did not need to be evacuated, the chief said.

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