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Bob Dylan performs during the 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles. The century-old American Academy of Arts and Letters on Monday, March 11, 2013 said that Dylan has become the first rock star to join the ranks of its artists, who include Philip Roth and Jasper Johns. If he lived in England, he’d surely be Sir Bob Dylan. The most influential songwriter of his time has become the first rock star voted into the elite, century-old American Academy of Arts and Letters, where artists range from Philip Roth to Jasper Johns and categories include music, literature and visual arts. According to executive director Virginia Dajani, officials couldn’t decide whether he belonged for his words or for his music, so they settled on making him an honorary member, joining such previous choices as Meryl Streep, Woody Allen and a filmmaker who has made a documentary about Dylan, Martin Scorsese. “The boar

This Montana man admitted to four misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. To protect the identity of his children, The Daily News is not publishing his name. HELENA, Mont. — A Montana man accused of waterboarding four children as a learning experience for them has reached a plea deal with prosecutors in which he will receive probation. The man’s former girlfriend caught him pouring water over the faces of his two sons and two neighborhood kids. As part of a plea agreement, the Jefferson County man received two years of probation. Court records say the children were the Jefferson County man's 9- and 12-year-old sons and two neighbor kids, ages 13 and 15. The 42-year-old man was sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty Friday to four misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Court records say the man's girlfriend at the time told authorities she walked in on him Dec. 5 as he simulated drowning his sons by po

Beyoncé and Jay-Z fall victim of cyber attack A number of US celebrities, including Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z and Britney Spears have had their finances hacked online. According to the BBC, personal account details of a number of well-known American figures have been posted online onto a Russian website. Other stars whose information has been hacked are Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and Hulk Hogan. However the targeted list also includes well-known American politicians, US Vice-President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In addition FBI and Los Angeles police chiefs also fell victim to the crime and Police Commander Andrew Smith described the site and cyrber attack as "creepy". He said: "People get mad at us, g

Indian paramilitary personnel carry away a fallen comrade in Srinagar on Wednesday. Militants killed five Indian officers at a police training camp in Indian-controlled Kashmir province on Wednesday, police said. It was the first attack in the city of Srinagar in at least three years, CNN's sister network IBN reported. It comes a month after the execution in India of a militant from Kashmir, who led an attack on the nation's parliament in 2001, killing nine people. Since Mohammed Afzal Guru was executed, his supporters in Srinagar have demanded the return of his body, protesting with civil disobedience. Authorities in India have accused Pakistan of backing Guru's attack, which led to massive mobilization of troops by the two nuclear neighbors along their tense borders. Pakistan denied involvement. India's home secretary R.K. Singh said Wednesday he believed Srinagar attackers came from Pakistan. They "appeared ... to be not local, but from across th

In this Aug. 2, 2007 file photo, Michelle Duggar, left, is surrounded by her children and husband Jim Bob, second from left, after the birth of her 17th child in Rogers, Ark. With so many mouths to feed, it should come as no surprise that the ever-expanding Duggar clan racked up a bill of more than $600 when they visited a burger joint in New York City this week. According to TMZ, Jim Bob Duggar, his wife Michelle and 21 other family members tucked into a feast at Bill's Bar & Burger in Manhattan on Monday, spending a whopping $614 for the meal. (Though that works out to about $26 per person, the celebrity news website notes that a number of the Duggar kids qualified for the $7.95 kids meal.) Earlier on Monday, Jim Bob and Michelle's son Josh had announced on NBC's "Today" that he and his wife are expecting their third child. So perhaps the NYC burger fiesta marked a celebratory moment for the stars of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting." &q

Catholic cardinal electors process into the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on the first day of the papal conclave, March 12, 2013 How many ballots any one man did garner in Tuesday's only vote will not be known -- all voting is conducted in complete secrecy -- but for someone to be elected to lead the world's 1.5 billion Catholics, they must garner 77 of the 115 votes available. The cardinals will now vote up to four times each day until that 77-vote threshold is reached. Some of the cardinals, including New York's Timothy Dolan, expressed optimism prior to entering the conclave that it should be over within just a couple days, but others, even from the U.S., have suggested more time will be required due to there being no strong frontrunner heading into the process. CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports that there were serious fault lines in the College of Cardinals heading into the conclave, broadly pitting more traditionalist prelates, many of them e

A Duggar burger bill totaled over $600. On March 12, TMZ reported that the Duggar family took their brood to "Bill's Bar & Burger" in Manhattan. Between burgers, shakes, fries, nachos, and sodas, the family had quite a pricey lunch... but that's only because there were 23 people in their party. And that's the case for this family almost all the time. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were in New York City with their kids doing some promo work for their upcoming TLC special, "19 Kids and Counting: Duggars Do Asia." And when in New York there is nothing like a little food splurge... right? The Duggar burger bill probably was one of the cheapest meals the family shared outside of home. You can probably imagine how much they spend if they go to an actual restaurant where the meals consist of more than $8 burgers. Most families have a hard time going out to eat with their two children... but imagine having 10 children... or, like the Duggars, 19?! While some o

The Last Hitler Plotter Dies At 90, on Kleist was the last surviving Hitler plotter at the time of his death, just 22 at the time he became involved in the scheme to take down the Third Reich. Son of an early opponent of Adolf Hitler, Ewald von Kleist, the younger von Kleist took up arms against the Nazi regime in 1940, only to be wounded in 1943. As he healed from his injuries, the last Hitler plotter was approached by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who was arranging a plot to take out the Nazi leader in January of 1944. Many years later, Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist recalled telling the elder von Kleist that he had volunteered to not only involve himself in the dangerous plot to take Hitler down, but also to wear an explosive vest in order to complete the plan. He says his father ultimately agreed the potential sacrifice was necessary, and the last surviving Hitler plotter says his father replied: “Yes, you have to do this … Fathers love their sons and mine certainly did, and I had be

6-month-old shot, dies The story of a 6-month-old shot, dies is making top news headlines this afternoon, as the Washington Post reported this Tuesday, March 12, that a 6-month-old baby girl was killed and her father were seriously injured in a likely gang-related shooting. Authorities are currently looking for the alleged gunman. Under the headline, “6-month-old shot, dies: Slain Chicago infant’s father a gang member with long criminal history”, sources report that infant Jonylah Watkins was shot no less than five times this Monday morning during an attack. She died this Tuesday morning, said officials. The 6-month-old’s father, Jonathan Watkins, is stable but still with serious injuries, having been shot in the side, face, and the buttocks. Witnesses said that the unknown attacker made his way to Jonathan Watkins while changing his daughter Jonylah’s diaper in the front seat. The tragic infant’s death came as a result of shootings in the lung, liver, shoulder, thigh, and bowel

Judge Judy Sued Over $500,000 Fine, Judge Judy is being sued by a plaintiff who claims she helped to fraudulently keep some expensive $500,000 china dishes from her. Judith Sheindlin, you know her as Judge Judy, is the target of a lawsuit over some fine china at the heart of a divorce settlement. Sheindlin is caught in an employee's messy divorce, with the ex accusing her of helping the employee skimp on a settlement. a The lawsuit accuses "Judge Judy" producer Randy Douthit and Sheindlin of entering into a fraudulent scheme to cheat Douthit's ex-wife Patric Jones out of her expensive Christofle china and flatware in the divorce. The china is allegedly worth $500,000. Reported tristatehomepage... The lawsuit alleges Douthit sold Sheindlin the tableware for just $50,000, without Jones's consent, in order to avoid a big divorce payout. Jones wants either the china or the $500,000 from the judge. But Sheindlin isn't playing ball, dismissing the suit in a

The Rascals Reunited, The Rascals Reunited, The Young Rascals as they started out — may be an unknown or forgotten band for many but they mean a great deal to one leading musician: Steven Van Zandt. Van Zandt, the guitarist for the E Street Band and star of The Sopranos, has loved the band since going to see them in his first concert, taking along his New Jersey friend and future rock star Bruce Springsteen.....telegraph.co.uk It was 1965, at a skating rink in Keyport, and headlining that night were The Young Rascals, who were promoting their hit Good Lovin'. Van Zandt (then 14) and Springtseen (15) each paid $2.50 for their tickets."I'll never forget it. It was the most exciting night ever," Van Zandt told AFP's Mark Kennedy. "They were phenomenal live, really quite different than anybody else. And very, very influential to this day." Nearly half a century later, Van Zandt, 62, has found a way to repay The Rascals by taking the

Monica Potter arrives for the 30th Annual PaleyFest: The William S. Paley Television Festival at Saban Theatre on March 7, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. Credit: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic On Parenthood, Monica Potter plays a doting mother of two. In real life, she's the mother of invention. The 41-year-old actress talked to Us Weekly on March 7 at PaleyFest's Parenthood panel in Beverly Hills about her obsession with creating new household cleaning products. "I'm working in my little lab and doing inventions and things. I make cleaning products," Potter revealed to Us Weekly. "I have a home line that I'm working on. I just love cleaning and keeping the house." The actress' most recent invention? Lice spray — not surprising considering she has three kids. "I sent in the patents today for a lice spray. I know, I'm weird." "It's really fun," Potter said of her surprising side work. "It's a lot

OKLAHOMA CITY- Oklahoma executed a man on Tuesday convicted of stabbing a woman to death in 1999 after he responded to her classified regarding a pool table and of killing two more people in nearby states as he fled authorities. Steven Ray Thacker, 42, was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Central time at Oklahoma State Prison in McAlester. He was the fifth person executed in the United States this year and the first in Oklahoma. Thacker, a laid-off plumber's helper at the time, kidnapped, raped and then murdered Laci Dawn Hill, 25, two days before Christmas in 1999. He had met her at her home in Bixby, Oklahoma, south of Tulsa when he answered her classified ad. Police said Thacker was broke and wanted money to buy Christmas presents for his wife and her two children. After Thacker was identified on a surveillance tape using Hill's debit card, he led authorities on a multi-state chase, fatally stabbing people in Missouri and Tennessee. Thacker stabbed Forrest Reed Boyd, 24, to de

Peng Shi on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge. His Boston schools assignment plan faces a committee vote on Wednesday. BOSTON — While school officials and parents here were debating how to assign students to Boston’s public schools, a lanky young man was quietly observing their public proceedings. He quickly saw the Rubik’s Cube-like puzzle: How could the school system design a plan that would send children to a good school, close to their homes — in a city that had too few good schools? And could that plan also ensure that students from poor neighborhoods had the same chance of attending good schools as those from more affluent neighborhoods? The current system, for kindergarten through eighth grade, divides the city into three large zones, a holdover from its traumatic experience in the 1970s with forced busing to end desegregation. Today, many students are still bused far from home, yet many disadvantaged students are still in lower-performing sc

Cars like this one helped Google collect imagery for Street View. But the cars also collected data from private networks.  SAN FRANCISCO — Google on Tuesday acknowledged to state officials that it had violated people’s privacy during its Street View mapping project when it casually scooped up passwords, e-mail and other personal information from unsuspecting computer users  In agreeing to settle a case brought by 38 states involving the project, the search company for the first time is required to aggressively police its own employees on privacy issues and to explicitly tell the public how to fend off privacy violations like this one. While the settlement also included a tiny — for Google — fine of $7 million, privacy advocates and Google critics characterized the overall agreement as a breakthrough for a company they say has become a serial violator of privacy. Complaints have led to multiple enforcement actions in recent years and a spate of worldwide investigations into the w

Peter Banks Dies, popular as an original member of the prog-rock band Yes, has died aged 65. According to the guitarist's website, Banks passed away on March 7 at his home in London due to heart failure.Reported nme.  He was reportedly found after failing to show up for a recording session.Alongside Chirs Squire, who Banks played with in his first band the Syn, the duo helped form Yes in 1968. The guitarist played with the prog-rock group for their first two albums, '1969's 'Yes' and 1970's 'Time And The Word', but a disagreement about the direction of the band led to Banks' dismissal before the release of the second album. In a statement, Yes said: "We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of fellow bandmate and founding Yes member, Peter Banks. He was a huge piece of the fabric that made Yes what it is, and our thoughts, sincere condolences, and prayers are with him and his family. Peter, we shall miss you great

A man convicted of committing three murders in three states during a 10-day rampage was executed Tuesday in Oklahoma for one of the murders, the 1999 death of a woman whose credit cards he used to buy Christmas presents for his family. Steven Ray Thacker, 42, used his final statement to apologize to his victims' families and friends, several of whom witnessed his execution from an adjacent room at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. "I don't deserve it, but as God has forgiven me, I hope you will forgive me for the pain I've caused," Thacker said while strapped to a hospital gurney. He then thanked his family and friends for their support, and added: "An eternity in heaven is mine." Thacker winked at his stepfather, Donald Johnston, who silently nodded back at him. Thacker then lay still, with his eyes closed and occasionally fluttering as if asleep. After two minutes, his breathing stilled and he didn't stir again. He was pronounced dead

Bindi Irwin at 14 ... it's hard to imagine that Steve Irwin's daughter is practically all grown up. On March 12, Us Weekly posted a picture of Bindi Irwin, who looks more like a model than a wildlife aficionado. Bindi was turning heads in Sydney on Monday, promoting her new movie, "Return to Nim's Island." Bindi kept things classy wearing "zoo" garb not unlike what her dad would wear to big events. According to Us Weekly, she wore a "short-sleeved button-up, khaki shorts and sneakers" for her close-up. No one was looking at her khaki shorts, however. It was her pretty face that really stole the show. Bindi Irwin at 14 is not the same scrawny girl with pigtails. She has grown in to a beautiful young woman that her father would undoubtedly be so proud of. As far as her latest film goes, there are of course animals involved. In fact, Bindi says that the sea lions were "better trained than me. They hit their mark every time." "Retu

Former MLB star Manny Ramirez said Tuesday he is ‘‘starting a new beginning’’ after signing a short-term contract to play with the EDA Rhinos in Taiwan’s professional baseball league. The Rhinos said Ramirez, 40, will earn $25,000 a month to appear with the team during this year’s March-November season. Speaking at a news conference in the Rhinos home town of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, Ramirez said he felt ‘‘blessed’’ about the opportunity to play in Taiwan, where he will earn about 1/100th of his salary during his MLB heyday. ‘‘I don’t think about the money and contract,’’ he said. ‘‘I just think it is a great opportunity for me and the fans.’’ Ramirez’s arrival in Taiwan is the latest stop in a 22-year career that has seen him morph from a promising hitter in the Cleveland Indians organization to a bona fide star with the Boston Red Sox, and a huge attraction with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. In 2004 he helped lead the Red Sox to their first world title sinc

The story of a wrestler throwing a medal in the garbage is one the stories trending on the Internet Tuesday. University of Iowa senior Matt McDonough was apparently so angry about his second-place finish at last weekend’s Big Ten tournament that he threw his medal in the garbage, UPI reported Tuesday. McDonough is a three-time All-American wrestler. Many are asking, 'how could an experienced athlete take a loss so hard as to throw a medal in the trash?' The story of the wrestler throwing away his medal in the garbage was first reported by a student reporter, Sam Louwagie. UPI reports, “It was discovered later by an intrepid student reporter, Sam Louwagie, who has yet to explain why he was digging around in the trash." Louwagie Tweeted: “This is the 2nd place 125 pound Big Ten trophy. We found it in the garbage. twitter.com/SamLouwagie/st… — Sam Louwagie (@SamLouwagie) March 10, 2013” Why would McDonough be so angry at the loss? "It was McDonough’s third loss this sea

It has been over sixteen years since rapper notorious B.I.G was was killed in a hail of gunfire in a drive by on a Los Angeles, California, street. But two days after the anniversary of his murder, the rapper's children have announced Biggie Smalls will be given new life as a cartoon character. Life after death: Christopher Wallace aka Notorious B.I.G will appear in a new cartoon 16 years after he was shot in Los Angeles, California His children, 16-year-old C.J. Wallace and 19-year-old T'yanna Wallace, will star in a cartoon series set in their late father's Brooklyn, New York, studio. According to the Associated Press, B.I.G, whose real name is Christopher Wallace, will appear in 'spirit' and 'guide them through the adversities they face' when trying to keep the Brooklyn studio open and out of a larger company's hand. Created by Ossian Media the group announced on Monday that the cartoon named House of Wallace has yet to sign with a network

Deion Sanders, former Cowboys football player, has won custody of his two sons. The Texas jury awarded joint custody of his daughter with his estranged wife, Pilar Sanders, according to TMZ on March 12. Deion and Pilar will share joint custody of their daughter, but Deion will have sole custody of their two sons. Deion will have the right to make the decisions for his sons, such as where they live, their education and extracurricular activities. It only took the jury 44 minutes to reach a decision in the custody case. The judge will be the one to decide the custody schedule of the children. Deion Sanders is now a NFL Network analyst. The couple announced their split December 2011. Since the announcement of their split they have fought over prenuptial agreement, criminal mischief, child support and now child custody. Both Deion and Pilar want what is best for their children. Hopefully they will be able to get along for the sake of their kids.

Halle Berry dress on Leno: Tonight Show Halle Berry's dress on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno had the late show host noticeably eyeing the actress Monday night, LAtimes.com reported March 12. Berry has been known to tease Leno a lot on her many appearances on the late night show. Berry had stopped by to promote her latest movie, "The Call." Berry also surprised everyone with the amazing news that she would be reprising her role as Storm in the "X-Men" franchise for the forthcoming movie, "Days of Future Past." However, Leno seemed to be more interested in her Reem Acra mini-dress that plunged down to her belly button and showed off plenty of stuff. Halle Berry's dress on Leno distracts "Tonight Show" host Halle Berry's Racy Style     "I take it back, I like this dress better!" Leno told Berry, of the dress she wore on his show. "My wife and I [had] both agreed you had the best dress at the Oscars."

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Police ended an eight-hour standoff and stormed a motel room in Oregon on Tuesday to arrest an ex-convict accused of killing his grandparents after they had thrown him a party to celebrate his release from prison, authorities said. The suspect, Michael "Chadd" Boysen, 26, was taken into custody at about 7 p.m. local time suffering from self-inflicted knife wounds, Lincoln City Police Chief Keith Kilian told Reuters. Kilian said he did not immediately know Boysen's condition. Boysen is suspected of slaying his grandparents in Renton, Washington, and stealing their car. Their bodies were found on Saturday, a day after he was released from prison where he had served a sentence for a burglary conviction.

A "baseball-sized" giant African snail A "baseball-sized" giant African snail that was found in Australia has been killed by country officials who say the animal posed a mammoth threat to local flora. "Giant African snails are one of the world's largest and most damaging land snails," Paul Nixon, acting regional manager at Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said in a statement, according to the Brisbane Times. "Australia’s strict biosecurity requirements and responsive system has so far kept these pests out of Australia and we want to keep it that way." According to Australia's ABC News, the large mollusk was recently found "crawling across the concrete at a Brisbane container yard." Seized and later identified as a giant African snail by entomologists, the animal has been "humanely destroyed" by biosecurity officers. Native to East Africa, giant African snails are considered by the

Craigslist Guilty Verdict: Ohio man who used Craigslist to rob, kill found guilty, could face death penalty, A self-styled street preacher accused in a deadly plot to lure men with Craigslist job offers and then rob them was found guilty of aggravated murder on Tuesday and could face the death penalty. A jury in Akron returned the verdict in the case against Richard Beasley, who was accused of killing two men from Ohio and one from Norfolk, Va. A man from South Carolina was shot but survived and testified about running for his life and hiding in the woods, scared he would bleed to death. Reported NY Daily News... The jury that convicted Beasley will return later to consider whether to recommend the death penalty for him. Prosecutors, who had asked jurors to use common sense and return a guilty verdict, labeled the 53-year-old Beasley the triggerman in the 2011 plot with a high school student he mentored. The 16-year-old student, Brogan Rafferty, was convicted and sentenced last

The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to trade quarterback Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs, league sources confirmed to ESPN. Kansas City will trade its second-round pick in the 2013 draft -- the second selection (No. 34 overall) in the round -- as well as another conditional mid-round pick in 2014 to acquire Smith from San Francisco, a league source told ESPN. The 49ers now own 15 picks in the 2013 draft. As a result of the trade, the Chiefs are expected to release former starting quarterback Matt Cassel, league sources told ESPN. Cassel has two years remaining on a $63 million, six-year deal he signed with Kansas City after he was acquired in a trade from the Patriots in 2009. He failed to live up to the lofty contract, however, and was benched during the 2012 season. At this point, Smith will play under the terms of his remaining contract, which calls for a guaranteed base salary of $8.5 million in 2013. There have been no discussions between the Chiefs and Smith's represent

L-R: Peter Banks, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford, Jon Anderson - posed, group shot Peter Banks, the original guitarist for the British band Yes, died on March 7 at the age of 65, reports USA Today. A post on his official website stated that Banks died from heart failure and was found in his London home after he didn't show up to a recording session. Members of the band Yes released an official statement on their Facebook page, mourning the loss of their friend: "We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of fellow bandmate and founding Yes member, Peter Banks. He was a huge piece of the fabric that made Yes what it is, and our thoughts, sincere condolences, and prayers are with him and his family. Peter, we shall miss you greatly." According to Rolling Stone, Banks was part of Yes for their first two albums, and was then replaced by Steve Howe. Banks would go on to form the band Flash, and released three albums with them, before going on to form t

Judge Judy Sheindlin presides over a case on the set of her syndicated show "Judge Judy." (AP} Judge Judy is reportedly being sued over some very pricey dishes she allegedly bought from one of her producers. According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Randy Douthit sold Judge Judith Sheindlin china after his split from wife Patric Jones. The suit states the tableware bought by the judge was worth more than $500,000 but she bought it for $50,000. The lawsuit claims Sheindlin and Douthit entered into a fraudulent scheme to prevent Jones from obtaining the dishes in the divorce. Jones is seeking the dishes or their value. But Judge Judy told TMZ to her knowledge no such lawsuit exists. "I have not seen any complaint by the former Mrs. Douthit, however, I don't owe this lady a cent,” she said. “And if this 50-year-old woman would spend her time more productively at trying to find a job, instead of abusing the judicial system with

A Giant African snail. Picture: Wikimedia Commons (cc) AUTHORITIES in Brisbane have destroyed a ‘baseball-sized’ Giant African snail after worries it could do severe damage to the country’s ecosystem. The snail, which can grow up to a foot (30cm) in length and weigh over two pounds (1kg), was found in a freight yard in the port city. Giant African snails are known to eat 500 different plants, fruits and crops. Australian agriculture officials were keen to avert a repeat of the last snail outbreak in 1977, when an eight-month campaign was waged to capture and destroy 300 of the snails. Australian biosecurity measures are notoriously strict, in order to protect

Workers from Florida’s Department of Agriculture are fighting a slimy and dangerous enemy: giant African land snails that have invaded a residential area in Miami-Dade County. “We have collected over a thousand so far and we have only just begun,” said Denise Feiber, Public Information Director for Florida’s Division of Plant Industry. Florida Department of Agriculture/Division of Plant Industry Investigators aren’t sure when or how the invaders slithered into town, but they are on a mission to eradicate the snails as fast as possible.  Giant African land snails can grow to be as long as 8 inches and consume at least 500 different types of plants.  They also destroy stucco and plaster. “They leave excrement all over the sides of houses. They’re very nasty,” Feiber said.  “These things are not the cute little snails that you see.” They also pose a health risk by carrying a parasite that can cause meningitis in humans. Officials realized they had a problem on their hands last

The red curtain on the central balcony, called the Loggia of the Blessings of Saint Peter's Basilica, where the new pope will appear after being elected in the conclave is seen at the Vatican Roman Catholic cardinals prayed for divine help on Tuesday, hours before a conclave to elect a new pope to tackle the daunting problems facing the Church at one of the most difficult periods in its history. The cardinals, including the 115 aged under 80 who will vote for the next pope, filed into St. Peter's Basilica as choirs sang at the ritual solemn Mass that precedes a conclave. They prayed that God would inspire them to choose the right man to replace Pope Benedict, who abdicated abruptly last month saying he was not strong enough to confront the woes of a Church whose 1.2 billion members look to Rome for leadership. The Mass was the last event for the cardinals as a group before they enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday afternoon and make their choice for the next pontiff be

Prosecutors say a 12-year-old boy has admitted making a prank 911 call that drew police to Ashton Kutcher's home. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office says the boy admitted responsibility for making a false bomb threat and computer intrusion. He will be sentenced at a later date. Prosecutors say the boy is also accused of making false 911 calls involving Justin Bieber's house and a bank. Those charges will likely be dismissed, but the district attorney's office says the allegations will be considered when the boy is sentenced. The boy's identity has not been released. His calls were among several targeting celebrities in the Los Angeles area in recent months in a practice known as "swatting." The pranks are intended to draw large police responses, including SWAT teams.

Longest female legs: Lady with long Legs The longest female legs measuring 132 cm (51.9 in) belong to Svetlana Pankratova according to Guinness World Records. Svetlana, who is a 6-foot-5 Russian native is, as one can expect, an assistant coach for the George Mason High School girls’ basketball team. Before becoming a coach in Falls Church, the woman with the longest legs in the world “also played basketball in Portugal, Israel, and Spain before retiring in 2000,” wrote CBS DC in a news report on March 11, 2013. When Svetlana Pankratova, who was born on April 29, 1971, grew up in Volgograd in Russia, she was already the tallest one in kindergarten and since children were arranged from tallest to shortest, the little kindergarten girl with the longest legs was always at the head of the line. While having the longest legs was an advantage in kindergarten, it became a disadvantage in high school. Svetlana says that life as a teen with the longest legs “wasn’t easy because kids do

An Indiana woman who wanted to honor her late husband with a headstone that captured his interests in sports and the outdoors is suing a Catholic church for refusing to install it. Shannon Carr spent $9,600 on the black granite headstone to mark the grave of her husband, Jason Carr, who died in an August 2009 automobile accident. The headstone is shaped like a couch and features images of a deer, a dog and color logos of NASCAR and the Indianapolis Colts. Distinctive: The headstone is shaped like a couch and features images of a deer, a dog and color logos of NASCAR and the Indianapolis Colts Row: Shannon Carr spent $9,600 on the black granite headstone to mark the grave of her husband, Jason Carr, who died in an August 2009 automobile accident. Now she's suing the church that won't let her put it up The Rev. Jonathan Meyer, priest at St. Joseph Catholic Church, notified the monument maker that the headstone didn't meet the cemetery