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'Remarkable' Olivia Hussey who has died aged 73 faced rape, beatings, infidelity and cancer after shooting to fame at just 15 as Zeffirelli's Juliet Olivia Hussey played lead in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 classic film Romeo and Juliet READ MORE: Olivia Hussey dead at 73: Golden Globe winning star of Romeo And Juliet passes away 'peacefully' at home By MARIA CHIORANDO FOR MAILONLINE Published: 11:47 EST, 28 December 2024 | Updated: 12:00 EST, 28 December 2024 e-mail 10 shares View comments Olivia Hussey - who rose to fame starring in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo And Juliet - died at the age of 73 on Friday, December 27. Her loved ones announced the late star's passing on her main Instagram page, sharing that she passed away 'peacefully at home' just two days after Christmas . Alongside a throwback image of the actress, the family labelled her a 'remarkable person' who had 'lived a life full of passion.' Olivia catapulted to fame when she was cast in the adaptation of William Shakespeare's beloved play when she was just 15-years-old - but winning the role would go on to be a blessing and a curse for the young Argentinian actress. She made appearances in over 50 projects in the span of six decades, such as in Black Christmas (1974) and Death On The Nile (1978). The caption of the post shared by her loved ones read: 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who went peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on December 27th.' 'Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her. Born on April 17th, 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Olivia lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals,' they continued. Her family added that the late actress 'leaves behind a loving family - her children, Alex, Max, and India , her husband of 35 years David Glen Eisley, and grandson, Greyson, and a legacy of love that will forever be cherished in our hearts.' Actress Olivia Hussey, who has died at the age of 73, is pictured playing Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo And Juliet 'As we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia's enduring impact on our lives and the industry.' Her loved ones concluded with, 'We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul.' While Olivia enjoyed immense success throughout her life, she also battled multiple difficulties. The role of Juliet would be the defining one of her career, however, while the film's success introduced her to fame and glamour, it also exposed her to terrible grief and self-doubt with two tumultuous marriages, a crippling case of agoraphobia, neurotic panic attacks, food compulsions, pot smoking, drinking and pills. Olivia was born on April 17, 1951, in Buenos Aires, Argentina - and was notably the daughter of Argentine opera singer Andrés Osuna. When she was a young girl, Hussey moved to London with her mother - who was from England - and her brother. In the city, she studied drama at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts for five years. During an interview with The Guardian in 2018, she recalled discovering her interest for acting at a young age. 'I used to walk around the house with a towel on my head pretending to be a nun. 'One day I just said, "I don't know about being a nun. I like pretending to be a nun. Maybe if I was an actress, I could pretend to be a nun and still be me."' In her 2018 memoir, Olivia claimed she was raped and abused by her ex Christopher Jones (left), before her husband Dino Martin cheated on her whilst she was pregnant (right) Winning the role of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet was a blessing and a curse for 15-year-old Argentinian actress Olivia Hussey (pictured in 2018) At the age of 13, the star continued to pursue her passion and began acting on the stage. In 1966, she appeared in the London production of The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie alongside actress Vanessa Redgrave. Her role in the stage play prompted her to be scouted for the Paramount movie, Rome And Juliet (1968) - which was directed by Franco Zeffirelli. She starred alongside Leonard Whiting, who played Romeo. The movie was a box office success at the time of its release in theatres, and garnered around $38.9 million on a budget of $850K. Read More Romeo and Juliet stars in 1968 film get second verdict in Paramount suit over underage nude scene It also received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It ended up winning two for Best Costume Design and Best Cinematography. Olivia received a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female, and was also honoured with the David di Donatello Award for her performance. However, in late 2022, both Hussey and her co-star Whiting sued Paramount over underage nude scenes in Romeo And Juliet. In the lawsuit, the two stars claimed that they had been misled by the director to disrobe for nude scenes that were shown in the final cut of the film. Hussey and Whiting said Zeffirelli originally told them there would not be any nudity in the film. However, on the last day of filming, they claim he said the film 'would fail' unless they performed a scene nude while wearing body makeup. 'What they were told and what went on were two different things,' said Tony Marinozzi, a business manager for the actors, in a statement at the time. A judge dismissed the case who found the claims that the movie depicts sexual acts as a 'gross mischaracterisation.' Director Franco Zeffirelli passed away in 2019, and his son Pippo Zeffirelli responded to the lawsuit last year in January, per Deadline. Alongside a throwback image of the actress, the family labeled her a 'remarkable person' who had 'lived a life full of passion' 'It is embarrassing to hear that today, 55 years after filming, two elderly actors who owe their notoriety essentially to this film wake up to declare that they have suffered an abuse that has caused them years of anxiety and emotional discomfort.' Olivia and Leonard filed another lawsuit, but a few months earlier in October of this year, the case was dismissed a second time in the Los Angeles Superior Court. During her past interview with The Guardian in 2018, Hussey reflected on her role in the 1968 film. 'I loved playing Juliet,' she expressed. 'The only part I didn't like was all the PR. It was exhausting, and I was this wild little thing.' In addition, the intoxicating spotlight that overnight celebrity ushered in – something the young girl had dreamed of since age four - also brought on a weight gain that required diet pills morning and night making her hyper and stressed out. The studio demanded she see a specialist for being 'plump', something that had never bothered her - but it did the studio. 'I began to hate my body and this warped body image would turn into a compulsion,' Hussey wrote in her memoir, The Girl on the Balcony. 'Where once I saw food as a great joy, I now began to see it as an enemy. I have never really had a slim body type. It's more buxom or curvy,' Hussey writes, and quotes Sophia Loren who once said, 'Everything you see I owe to pasta'. Hussey's mother quickly put an end to the pills and specialists but 'a seed had been planted'. With all this attention while filming Romeo and Juliet in the Roman countryside and being looked after by a chaperone, Hussey admits she was 'budding into a little diva.' 'I loved playing Juliet,' she expressed. 'The only part I didn't like was all the PR. It was exhausting, and I was this wild little thing'; seen in 2007 in L.A. The movie was released in 1968 to critical acclaim and earned Zeffirelli an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, but the two co-stars claimed they were misled by the director to disrobe for nude scenes that were shown in the final cut of the film and tried to bring legal action in 2022 - but it was thrown out by the judge The once, sweet and shy teenager was no more. She became petulant, a brat, opinionated and quick to judge others as well as taking no advice. Before filming actually began, Olivia says she felt severe cramping and sudden stabbing pains through her whole body, 'lightning bolts of pain' that had been brought on by stress or too much food. It was something she had experienced before – rumbling appendicitis – but the director wanted her appendix out without delay. Olivia was terrified – this far from home and alone. 'After a terrible night of self-recrimination and pain, I woke up feeling better. 'Whether the problem had been stress, exhaustion, or too much focaccia, I didn't know. All I cared about was that I was finally well enough. I could be Juliet', she writes. Filming began in a small town in Tuscany with Hussey wearing what became the staple of her wardrobe, a 'dreaded bodice', so tight that it had to unlaced down the back after takes to allow her to breathe. But it pushed up her breasts and made her look voluptuous. Zeffirelli would take her hands and say, 'Oh, my little Boobs O'Mina', something Hussey hated. But her breasts attracted her Romeo and an intimacy developed between Olivia and her co-star, Leonard Whiting. But the actress writes that she did not sleep with him. They got drunk together and kissed but he was busy dating every Italian girl between 18 and 35 while she drank gin and tonics and intoxicatingly danced the night away in discos in Rome. The London opening of Romeo And Juliet was a Royal Command Performance before the Queen and royal family at the London Palladium leaving the actress nervous over etiquette for the royal introduction The role catapulted Olivia to global fame, but she was left feeling overwhelmed by the exposure and suffered crippling anxiety The movie was released in 1968 to critical acclaim and earned Zeffirelli an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. However, despite the film's success, Hussey realised she didn't know how to cultivate relationships and had no one she could ask for advice. She turned down many viable projects, never learning how to network. The London opening of the film was a Royal Command Performance before the Queen and royal family at the London Palladium leaving the actress nervous over etiquette for the introduction. She broke out into a fit of giggles, walked onstage with Zeffirelli and Leonard and peed on the spot. 'Years later, I would be diagnosed with a severe form of agoraphobia: large crowds, open spaces, and uncontrollable social situations fill me with dread', wrote Hussey in her memoir. She waved politely at the late Queen Elizabeth II seated below and escaped for a wardrobe change. Sitting next to the then-Prince Charles at a long dining table, she complained about how much her feet hurt. After Romeo & Juliet was released, Olivia didn't act for two years - however she later appeared in a number of programmes and films, including The Bastard (pictured, in 1978) The actress had not appeared on screen since 2015, when she appeared in the British film Social Suicide, based on Romeo and Juliet 'Oh, dear. Well, you must go ahead and rest them on my knees, then', the royal replied and they carried on talking about films. It was a year and a half before she accepted another film offer due to her struggle with agoraphobia. However, she was meeting actors and connected with actor Christopher Jones, hot off the film, Wild in the Streets, and being talked about as the next James Dean. Hussey accepted a lunch date that morphed into a romance as well as what she describes as one of the darkest periods of her life. She had been warned by Jones's manager, Rudy Altobelli, that Jones might not be the right guy for her, but she read that as Altobelli flirting. Jones was having a breakdown on the set of Ryan's Daughter in Ireland, distressing cast and crew. He would sit staring off and then abruptly accuse a member of the film crew of stealing from him. His attacks turned on Hussey, who was 17 at the time, in love and trying to understand her boyfriend. One night while talking in bed, he allegedly punched her in the stomach and then held her close and apologised. The production company decided to medicate him and it was up to Hussey to mix it in his morning oatmeal. His mood swings calmed down on some days, other days he figured he was being poisoned because he felt too good. Once, Jones threw the bowl of oatmeal at Olivia, insisting she eat it and laughed ghoulishly before running off. When filming was over, Hussey wanted nothing more to do with the actor and in 1969, she moved to Los Angeles . First stop, Altobelli's home on the infamous Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, just north of Beverly Hills and the very site of the Charles Manson murder spree earlier that summer. 'The whole time I lived at Cielo Drive there was nothing strange or macabre about it. I was still very young, and by the time I arrived, all traces of the crime had been erased' – but for the fact that Altobelli had allowed Christopher to live in the back house temporarily. The ground rules were she would never be left alone with him and Jones understood they were no longer a couple. Hussey was now caught up in the Hollywood scene of glamorous parties, and meeting big stars. She writes she never considered accepting any job offers. She wasn't feeling anxiety or pressure and just settling into 'this new, sunnier way of living'. She met Dino Martin, son of singer Dean Martin and his wife Jeanne. Dino was considered a golden boy, nonchalant about his famous family. Dino romanced Olivia, took her to all the famous Hollywood restaurants, introduced her to stars and his best friend, Desi Arnaz, Jr., son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The scene at Rudy's was also exciting with stars dropping by. Sally Kellerman, John Savage, Jack Nicholson even came to smoke a joint. Olivia then began a short-lived affair with Terry Melcher, Doris Day's son, a record producer. Rudy loved smoking dope and Olivia joined him becoming more paranoid throughout the day. Dino would join them and they'd head off to satisfy their munchies. But then some dark sinister force brought Christopher Jones into her bedroom one night at Cielo Drive. Hussey thought one of Rudy's dogs had pushed open the door but then the door closed. Jones was hallucinating and hearing voices, twitching while whispering sweetly but incoherently and then he was suddenly punching and beating Olivia for an hour 'all the while grinding his teeth and snarling, his spittle spraying me', she writes. 'Then he raped me'. In 1980 she married a Japanese singer Akira Fuse with whom she had a baby boy before divorcing in 1989. Living between Japan and Hollywood took its toll on Olivia and Akira's relationship and although they remained friends, they later divorced 'In some way, I had always know that it would come to this; that it was only a matter of time before the dam broke and all of Chris's anger washed over me', writes Hussey. She called Dino whose first words were 'I'm going to have him killed'. Olivia's lip was split open. There was dark bruising around her eyes and on the side of her head. He had pulled out a clump of her hair and her nose was bloodied. She didn't leave the Cielo Drive house for two months but Dino visited every day. When she recovered, she went to the gynecologist who confirmed she was pregnant. Conferring with Dino, Rudy, and a psychiatrist, Olivia decided to abort the baby. While lying in a bed in Cedar-Sinai hospital before the abortion, when Dino left, Christopher walked in. He apologised and pleaded with her to keep the baby. She said she couldn't and that he must never come near her again or she'd reveal that he had viciously raped her. She rang the nurse's bell and Christopher exited. Hussey never saw him again. Jones died in 2014 of complications from gallbladder cancer – after three marriages and seven children. Dino had been there to support Olivia throughout her ordeal and she fell in love with him. 'Out of that horror came some of the brightest, happiest days of my life. I was very much in love', writes Hussey. She also adored Dino's family. They tied the knot in Vegas and Olivia was so into the marriage, she even learned to cook. When Desi Jr. started dating Liza Minelli, she and Olivia became close friends as well as the godmother of Olivia's first child. The two couples spent a lot of time together, flying to Vegas and back the same night, getting tipsy on Saturday nights at Madeo's, a hot Beverly Hills restaurant, and Sunday morning hitting tennis balls to dispel hangovers. 'I lived in a strange kind of balance between my newfound love of domestic life and the still-surreal glamour of Hollywood, and it was never boring'. When the offer came in to work on the film, Summertime Killer, starring Christopher Mitchum and Karl Malden on location in Spain for six weeks, Hussey jumped at it. Her contract included special lunches to ensure she stay on a diet. When the movie wrapped in Madrid, Barcelona was the next shoot and her diet included one plate of pasta a day and hours at the hotel pool working on her tan. Once back in LA, she had the taste to work on a bigger film and beat out Natalie Wood for the role of Maria in the big budget film, Lost Horizon. The location was the Warner Bros. Studio lot. A day after signing, she learned she was pregnant. She confided her condition to the costume designer who promised to keep it a secret and keep making her wardrobe bigger. She and Dino had a beautiful baby boy, Alexander Gunther Martin but the marriage turned out to be a flop, as did the film. Dino had begun cheating on her when Olivia was seven months pregnant. 'A light had gone out and we both knew it. If we'd been older, perhaps we'd have gone to counselling,' she wrote. However, she and Liza fell out after they both tried out for the lead role in the film Camille. The glory days were over. Dino was arrested for an illegal gun collection. They sold their house, split the money and went their separate ways. Binge eating, booze, diet pills, sleeping pills washed down with white wine spritzers –all became routine – until Hussey was introduced to Swami Muktananda, a gentle Indian guru who now became the center of her life and helped lead her out of her misery. She still had panic attacks and trouble getting outside of her own head. She met and married a Japanese singer, Akira Fuse, had a baby boy before a third marriage to 'stone-cold rock star hunk', David Glenn Eisley, in 1991. Olivia was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in the summer of 2008. However she opted not to pursue chemotherapy or radiation and instead underwent a double mastectomy to treat the cancer. A decade later, she found the breast cancer had returned when a small tumour was discovered growing between her heart and lungs. Hussey, who is survived by her third husband David Eisely (pictured),was described as a 'remarkable' person by her family when they announced she had died Hussey had been married to David Eisley since 1991. The two shared a daughter, India Eisley (right) who had a role in The Secret Life of the American Teenager In 2018, the actress released her memoir titled The Girl On The Balcony and told People at the time, 'It's been quite a life. I feel grateful that I survived it all'; seen in 1968 She opted to use radiation and chemotherapy to treat the tumour, stating: 'I'd refused chemotherapy and radiation treatment 10 years ago, wanting to avoid those poisons, but last year I had no choice, and they saved my life. 'The tumour shrank, I'm hoping to the size of a pea, and I'm doing well now. I'm healthy and happy.' She last appeared on screen since 2015, when she appeared in the British film Social Suicide, based on Romeo and Juliet. In 2021, she revealed to DailyMail she was 'broke', saying: 'I've had terrible luck...I went from being comfortable to being overdrawn.' Olivia is survived by her husband David Glen Eisley, her three children, Alex, Max, and India, as well as her grandson Greyson. 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BRS leader denies money laundering in ED case against KTRThe Conservatives criticised the International Criminal Court for issuing a warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu. British courts would be required to decide whether to enforce an international arrest warrant should Benjamin Netanyahu enter the UK, according to the Government. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer was repeatedly urged by MPs to give a definitive answer on the UK’s likely action after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Mr Falconer said there is a domestic legal process to be followed through the courts that “determines whether or not to endorse an arrest warrant” by the ICC, adding this has “never been tested” as the UK has yet to be visited by an ICC indictee. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel claimed the “only beneficiaries” of the ICC’s decision are “Hamas and their terrorist sponsors Iran” and said the Conservatives believe the warrants have “no basis in international law”. In reply to Labour MP Sarah Owen (Luton North), Mr Falconer told the Commons: “I’d like to just be clear that what I have said this afternoon is not that the Government will uphold arrest warrants. “What I have been clear about this afternoon is that due process will be followed. These are questions for independent courts in the UK, and it is independent courts that would review the arrest warrants if that situation were to arise.” Responding to an urgent question on the ICC’s decision, Mr Falconer earlier said: “In line with this Government’s stated commitment to the rule of law, we respect the independence of the ICC. We will comply with our international obligations. “There is a domestic legal process through our independent courts that determines whether or not to endorse an arrest warrant by the ICC, in accordance with the ICC Act of 2001. “This process has never been tested because the UK has never been visited by an ICC indictee. If there were to be such a visit to the UK, there would be a court process and due process would be followed in relation to those issues. “There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, two terrorist organisations. This Government has been clear, Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law, that right is not under question, and the court’s approval of the warrants last week do not change that.” For the Conservatives, Dame Priti said: “In charging Israeli leaders alongside Hamas, the ICC appears to be drawing a moral equivalence between Israel’s war of self-defence and Hamas terrorism. We utterly reject any moral equivalence. “The only beneficiaries of this decision are Hamas and their terrorist sponsors Iran, who are now celebrating this propaganda coup as a great victory for Hamas and Hezbollah. Since the ICC decision, we have had dither from ministers and confused messaging and no clarity. So I’m grateful to the minister today for his remarks. “And as to the issue of warrants, we have raised serious concerns over process, jurisdiction and the position on complementarity principle, and believe the warrants of Mr Netanyahu and Gallant have no basis in international law.” Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex) asked: “Can we be absolutely clear about what the Government is saying, because it seems that the Government is not saying there would be an automatic arrest should Benjamin Netanyahu arrive in this country but that there would be due process? “And could he confirm that customarily international law does not permit the arrest or the delivering of the serving prime minister of a non-state party to the ICC? “So he’s committing to due process but he’s not committing to arrest. Am I correct in understanding that?” Mr Falconer replied: “There’s domestic legal process through our independent courts, we cannot prejudge that process. “I note that the shadow attorney general has written to the Attorney General on questions of detail in relation to some of the points you allude to and the Attorney General tells me he’ll be writing back on those more detailed points.” Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed (Sheffield Central) asked the minister to “review all diplomatic, economic and political relations with Israel” to ensure the UK is “not complicit with the atrocities taking place in Gaza, the West Bank and in Lebanon”. Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed (Dewsbury and Batley) said: “The ICC arrest warrants are welcome but in themselves will not bring an end to Israeli war crimes and ethnic cleansing and the killing of innocent men, women and children.” Several MPs, including Labour’s Melanie Ward (Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy), also repeated calls for the Government to sanction Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Mr Falconer told MPs: “I recognise the two that I’ve been pressed on the most this afternoon are of intense political interest. But despite their intense political interest, were we to prejudge sanctions and trail them in this House before we made them, we would reduce their impact. “The same is true of the hundreds of sanctions that we have done on Russia over the years and the same in every forum.”
Lana Del Rey Credits Jack Antonoff for Her Marriage to Jeremy Dufrene: His Love For Margaret Qualley Is ‘A Big Reason’ Why She Waited to Tie the KnotGlobal stocks mostly fall ahead of ECB, US inflation dataWATCH: Tension remains high in Morant BayThe 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York City made an appearance on Tuesday in a Pennsylvania courthouse . Police arrested Luigi Nicholas Mangione on Monday in last Wednesday's attack on Brian Thompson after they say a worker at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, alerted authorities to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. Mangione had on him a gun that investigators believe was used in last Wednesday’s attack, as well as writings expressing anger at corporate America, police said. As Mangione arrived at the courthouse Tuesday, he struggled with officers and shouted something that was partly unintelligible but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors have charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Here are some of the latest developments: During Tuesday's hearing, Mangione was denied bail. His attorney, Thomas Dickey, told the court that his client wants a hearing on the extradition issue. Mangione, wearing an orange jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion, but was quieted by his lawyer. In addition to a three-page, handwritten document that suggests he harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Monday that Mangione also had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home and is difficult to trace. Officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Officers also found a sound suppressor, or silencer, “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” she said. He had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, the commissioner said. Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and that his last known address is in Honolulu. Mangione, who was valedictorian of his Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday. Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain with corporate greed, said a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, which was based on a review of the suspect’s hand-written notes and social media postings. The defendant appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown and may have been inspired by “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, whom he called a “political revolutionary,” the document said. Police said the person who killed Thompson left a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side at 5:41 a.m. on Wednesday. Eleven minutes later, he was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, wearing a distinctive backpack. At 6:44 a.m., he shot Thompson at a side entrance to the hotel, fled on foot, then climbed aboard a bicycle and within four minutes had entered Central Park, according to police. Another security camera recorded the gunman leaving the park near the American Museum of Natural History at 6:56 a.m. still on the bicycle but without the backpack, police said. After getting in a taxi, he headed north to a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge, arriving at around 7:30 a.m. From there, the trail of video evidence runs cold. Police have not located video of the suspect exiting the building, leading them to believe he likely took a bus out of town. Police said they are still investigating the path the suspect took to Pennsylvania. “This just happened this morning," Kenny said. "We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene, Matt O'Brien, Sean Murphy and Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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Biden welcomed 2,500 guests to the South Lawn under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom” and sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency after a half-century in Washington power circles. “It’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful,” Biden said, taking note of his impending departure on Jan. 20, 2025. That's when power will transfer to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, the man Biden defeated four years ago and was battling again until he was pressured to bow out of the race amid concerns about his age and viability. Biden is 82. Until Inauguration Day, the president and first lady Jill Biden will continue a busy run of festivities that will double as their long goodbye. The White House schedule in December is replete with holiday parties for various constituencies, from West Wing staff to members of Congress and the White House press corps. Biden relished the brief ceremony with the pardoned turkeys, named for the official flower of the president's home state of Delaware. “The peach pie in my state is one of my favorites,” he said during remarks that were occasionally interrupted by Peach gobbling atop the table to Biden's right. “Peach is making a last-minute plea,” Biden said at one point, drawing laughter from an overflow crowd that included Cabinet members, White House staff and their families, and students from 4H programs and Future Farmers of America chapters. Biden introduced Peach as a bird who “lives by the motto, ‘Keep calm and gobble on.’” Blossom, the president said, has a different motto: “No fowl play. Just Minnesota nice.” Peach and Blossom came from the farm of John Zimmerman, near the southern Minnesota city of Northfield. Zimmerman, who has raised about 4 million turkeys, is president of the National Turkey Federation, the group that has gifted U.S. presidents Thanksgiving turkeys since the Truman administration after World War II. President Harry Truman, however, preferred to eat the birds. Official pardon ceremonies did not become an annual White House tradition until the administration of President George H.W. Bush in 1989. With their presidential reprieve, Peach and Blossom will live out their days at Farmamerica, an agriculture interpretative center near Waseca in southern Minnesota. The center's aim is to promote agriculture and educate future farmers and others about agriculture in America. Separately Monday, first lady Jill Biden received the official White House Christmas tree that will be decorated and put on display in the Blue Room. The 18.5 foot (5.64 meters) Fraser fir came from a farm in an area of western North Carolina that recently was devastated by Hurricane Helene . Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm lost thousands of trees in the storm “but this one remained standing and they named it ‘Tremendous’ for the extraordinary hope that it represents,” Jill Biden said at the event. The Bidens were also traveling to New York City on Monday for an evening “Friendsgiving” event at a Coast Guard station on Staten Island. Biden began his valedictory calendar Friday night with a gala for hundreds of his friends, supporters and staff members who gathered in a pavilion erected on the South Lawn, with a view out to the Lincoln Memorial. Cabinet secretaries, Democratic donors and his longest-serving staff members came together to hear from the president and pay tribute, with no evidence that Biden was effectively forced from the Democratic ticket this summer and watched Vice President Kamala Harris suffer defeat on Nov. 5. “I’m so proud that we’ve done all of this with a deep belief in the core values of America,” said Biden, sporting a tuxedo for the black-tie event. Setting aside his criticisms of Trump as a fundamental threat to democracy, Biden added his characteristic national cheerleading: “I fully believe that America is better positioned to lead the world today than at any point in my 50 years of public service.” The first lady toasted her husband with a nod to his 2020 campaign promise to “restore the soul of the nation,” in Trump’s aftermath. With the results on Election Day, however, Biden’s four years now become sandwiched in the middle of an era dominated by Trump's presence on the national stage and in the White House. Even as the first couple avoided the context surrounding the president's coming exit, those political realities were nonetheless apparent, as younger Democrats like Maryland Gov. Wes Moore , Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Biden's Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg not only raised their glasses to the president but held forth with many attendees who could remain in the party's power circles in the 2028 election cycle and beyond.
Spurs travel to Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday reeling from a disappointing home loss to Ipswich before the international break. The club’s problems have multiplied during the past fortnight with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur handed a seven-match domestic ban on Monday and Cristian Romero (toe) joining a lengthy list of absentees. However, Postecoglou remains bullish about Tottenham’s progress and acutely aware of the scrutiny set to come his way if they stay 10th. “Christmas is a joyous occasion, irrespective, and I think it should be celebrated. If we’re still 10th then people won’t be happy, I won’t be happy, but we might not be 10th,” Postecoglou pointed out before nine games in 30 days. “Certainly for us I think it’s a significant period because you look at those games and we’ve got the league where we’ve got to improve our position and a couple of important European fixtures that can set us up for the back half of the year, also a Carabao Cup quarter-final. “At the end of that period we could be in a decent position for a strong second half of the year, so for us it is an important period. “You know there’s no more international breaks, so the full focus is here. You can build some momentum through that, or if things don’t go well you could get yourself into a bit of a grind. Ready for #MCITOT 👊 Go behind the scenes of training ahead of our trip to Manchester 🎥⤵️ pic.twitter.com/4jFZTCIwSz — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 22, 2024 “Of course if we had beaten Ipswich, we’d be third and I reckon this press conference would be much different wouldn’t it? “I’m not going to let my life be dictated by one result, I’m sorry. I take a wider perspective on these things because I know how fickle it can be, but we need to address our position for sure. “And if we’re 10th at Christmas, yeah it won’t be great. There’d be a lot of scrutiny and probably a lot of scrutiny around me, which is fair enough, but that’s not where I plan for us to be.” Tottenham’s immediate efforts to move up the table will require them ending City’s two-year unbeaten home run in the Premier League. The champions have lost their last four matches in all competitions, but have some key personnel back for Saturday’s clash and will aim to toast Pep Guardiola’s new contract with a victory. Postecoglou was pleased to see Guardiola commit to a further two seasons in England, adding: “I love the fact that there’s a massive target out there that can seem insurmountable. “I look at it the other way. I go, ‘imagine if you knock him off, that’d be something’. “I’m at the stage of my life where I’d rather have the chance of knocking him off than missing that opportunity. “When greatness is around, you want to be around it. And hopefully it challenges you to be like that as well.” Saturday’s fixture will be Postecoglou’s 50th league game in charge of Spurs and he knows what is required to bring up three figures. A post shared by Premier League (@premierleague) “No European football, significant player turnover, change of playing style. Where did I think we’d be after 50 games? God knows. “It could have been a whole lot worse, but when you look at it in the current prism of we’re 10th, you’re going ‘it doesn’t look good’ and I understand that and we have to improve that. “But over the 50 games, I think there’s enough there that shows we are progressing as a team and we are developing into the team we want. “The key is the next 50 games, if they can be in totality better than the first 50? First, that means I’m here but second, I think we’ll be in a good space.”
LA Galaxy strike early, hold off New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win their record 6th MLS Cup championshipAbortions are up in the US. It's a complicated picture as women turn to pills, travelOMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center Completed, Shipping Efficiency Increased by 85% The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center covers an area of 12,000m2, making it not only OMODA & JAECOO’s first regional integrated spare parts distribution center, but also the largest Chinese automotive brand storage in the Middle East. Completing the OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center further enhances the efficiency and coverage of parts supply, achieving a 95% parts fulfillment rate and 24-hour VOR parts supply efficiency. Dubai, UAE, December 27, 2024: On December 19th, the OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center officially opened in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. This spare parts distribution center is the brand’s first regional integrated storage center and the largest Chinese spare parts distribution center in the Middle East. At the opening ceremony, senior executives including Zhang Guibing, the president of Chery International, and Peng Gang, Vice President of JD Logistics Middle East and North Africa(MENA), attended the event. Additionally, over 10 media representatives from Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as users from various fields, were present to witness this milestone moment. The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center, with its vast inventory, significantly enhances the efficiency and coverage of parts supply. Through efficient supply chain management and high-quality after-sales service, it fully meets the lifetime vehicle needs of users in the Middle East. Grand Opening of the Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center: Leading the way in high-quality and efficient service. The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East spare parts distribution center covers an area of 12,000 square meters, making it the largest distribution center for Chinese automotive brands in the Middle East. The distribution center is strategically located, with proximity to the Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport, just a 15-minute drive away. The OMODA & JAECOO Middle East spare parts distribution center stocks over 20,000 different parts, with a parts variety fulfillment rate of 95% and a core component fulfillment rate of 100%, fully meeting the diverse needs of vehicles in maintenance and repair. To build an efficient and intelligent warehouse management system, OMODA & JAECOO has introduced a modern WMS (Warehouse Management System) wireless logistics management system. This system provides real-time visibility of inventory levels, locations, and movements, helping optimize inventory levels and reduce stockouts. Additionally, through features such as barcode scanning and automated order processing, the WMS significantly improves order accuracy, reduces human errors, and enhances customer satisfaction. It also enables a 24-hour supply of urgent VOR (Vehicle Off-Road) parts, offering round-the-clock service. This creates an unobstructed “fast lane” for quickly responding to market demand, flexibly allocating resources, and providing efficient and timely parts delivery services. Localized development is progressing, while global services are expanding rapidly The establishment of the OMODA&JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center is not only a testament to the brand’s deep commitment to the Middle Eastern market, with a keen insight into and strategic layout for localization but a key pillar in the brand’s global strategy and an important part of its global service network. The Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center significantly strengthens the regional service network in the UAE and the entire Middle East. Compared to other Chinese brands in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region that rely entirely on sourcing and shipping parts from China, the shipping cycle has been reduced from the usual 60 days to just 9 days, improving shipping efficiency by 85%. This accelerates the efficiency and quality of the parts supply process in the Middle East, precisely addressing the local market’s urgent demand for high-quality, responsive services. OMODA&JAECOO has established in-depth cooperation with numerous global top distribution centers and logistics companies such as JD.com and Kuehne + Nagel, ensuring that global spare parts can be delivered to global users at the optimal cost and the fastest speed, effectively breaking through geographical boundaries and achieving global service coverage and a convenient experience. Globally, OMODA&JAECOO will gradually establish spare parts centers on each continent so that global users can enjoy rapid and reliable spare parts services. Building on this foundation, OMODA&JAECOO is accelerating the development of its global parts service system, with plans to gradually establish five major spare parts distribution centers globally. These parts centers will serve as bridges connecting the brand with its customers, demonstrating that the brand not only has strong product research, development and manufacturing capabilities, but also has an efficient and flexible global supply chain management system, enabling it to quickly adapt and meet the personalized needs of different regional markets. When it comes to supply chain inventory management, traditional approaches such as inventory optimization and cost control are essential. The successful completion of the OMODA&JAECOO Middle East Spare Parts Distribution Center highlights the brand’s new management thinking and business model, as well as its innovation in technology and management capabilities. Looking ahead, OMODA&JAECOO will continue to deepen its global service network, extending this commitment not only to the Middle East but to every corner of the world. Through continuous technological innovation and service optimization, it aims to further shorten distances and provide global customers with more convenient, efficient, and personalized service experiences.Reshaping the new landscape of after-sales service for Chinese automotive brands. – Ends – PRESS ENQUIRIES: Lucy Aziz Regional Head of PR & Communication Lucy.aziz@omodaglobal.com M: +971 55 2470121 About OMODA & JAECOO OMODA & JAECOO is an innovative automobile brand pioneering the future of mobility globally, bringing to life the philosophy of new products, new technology, and new ecosystems in the Middle East under two distinct sub-brands, each with its own charm. Its pathbreaking vehicles enrich automotive experiences through their world-class design aesthetics, superb performance standards, and rigorous emphasis on environmental sustainability. Dedicated to elevating every journey into an exhilarating experience and delivering exceptional value at every turn, OMODA & JAECOO’s elegantly designed vehicles that place customers at the heart of the experience, seamlessly blending convenience, sportiness, and unrivaled entertainment options on the move. The brand portfolio includes new energy hybrids and purely electric vehicles, underlining its commitment to environmental sustainability. Captivating the world with its first launches, OMODA C5 and JAECOO 7, the trendsetting automotive brand unveiled the pure electric OMODA E5, and the new energy, hybrid SUVs JAECOO J7 PHEV and J8 PHEV at its Ecological Conference, in Wuhu, China, reiterating the brand’s unwavering commitment to premium comfort, sporty style, and superior finishes. Backed by rigorous testing, OMODA & JAECOO vehicles deliver top-notch performance and quality. With a focus on fuel efficiency and extended battery life for electric vehicles, the brand is contributing to shaping a low-carbon automotive universe. Innovations such as the O-Universe and intelligent safety systems prioritise the well-being of users, focusing on smart living and future lifestyles. OMODA & JAECOO is not just redefining mobility but shaping a future where innovation, performance, and sustainability converge to create unforgettable automotive experiences. OMODA & JAECOO was introduced to international markets as a marque of Chery, the fifth largest automobile manufacturer group in China and the largest Chinese automobile exporter since 2003, extending its 27-year legacy beyond borders. RelatedDoctored images have been around for decades. The term "Photoshopped" is part of everyday language. But in recent years, it has seemingly been replaced by a new word: deepfake. It's almost everywhere online, but you likely won't find it in your dictionary at home. What exactly is a deepfake, and how does the technology work? RELATED STORY | Scripps News Reports: Sex, Lies, and Deepfakes A deepfake is an image or video that has been generated by artificial intelligence to look real. Most deepfakes use a type of AI called a "diffusion model." In a nutshell, a diffusion model creates content by stripping away noise. "With diffusion models, they found a very clever way of taking an image and then constructing that procedure to go from here to there," said Lucas Hansen said. He and Siddharth Hiregowdara are cofounders of CivAI, a nonprofit educating the public on the potential — and dangers — of AI. How diffusion models work It can get complicated, so imagine the AI – or diffusion model – as a detective trying to catch a suspect. Like a detective, it relies on its experience and training. It recalls a previous case -– a sneaky cat on the run. Every day it added more and more disguises. On Monday, no disguise. Tuesday, it put on a little wig. Wednesday, it added some jewelry. By Sunday, it's unrecognizable and wearing a cheeseburger mask. The detective learned these changes can tell you what it wore and on what day. AI diffusion models do something similar with noise, learning what something looks like at each step. "The job of the diffusion model is to remove noise," Hiregowdara said. "You would give the model this picture, and then it will give you a slightly de-noised version of this picture." RELATED STORY | Scripps News got deepfaked to see how AI could impact elections When it's time to solve the case and generate a suspect, we give it a clue: the prompts we give when we create an AI-generated image. "We have been given the hint that this is supposed to look like a cat. So what catlike things can we see in here? Okay, we see this curve, maybe that's an ear," Hiregowdara said. The "detective" works backward, recalling its training. It sees a noisy image. Thanks to the clue, it is looking for a suspect — a cat. It subtracts disguises (noise) until it finds the new suspect. Case closed. Now imagine the "detective" living and solving crimes for years and years. It learns and studies everything — landscapes, objects, animals, people, anything at all. So when it needs to generate a suspect or an image, it remembers its training and creates an image. Deepfakes and faceswaps Many deepfake images and videos employ some type of face swapping technology. You've probably experienced this kind of technology already — faceswapping filters like on Snapchat, Instagram or Tiktok use technology similar to diffusion models, recognizing faces and replacing things in real time. "It will find the face in the image and then cut that out kind of, then take the face and convert it to its internal representation," Hansen said. The results are refined then repeated frame by frame. The future and becoming our own detectives As deepfakes become more and more realistic and tougher to detect, understanding how the technology works at a basic level can help us prepare for any dangers or misuse. Deepfakes have already been used to spread election disinformation, create fake explicit images of a teenager, even frame a principal with AI-created racist audio. "All the netizens on social media also have a role to play," Siwei Lyu said. Lyu is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University of Buffalo's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the director of the Media Forensics Lab. His team has created a tool to help spot deepfakes called "DeepFake-o-meter." "We do not know how to handle, how to deal, with these kinds of problems. It's very new. And also requires technical knowledge to understand some of the subtleties there," Lyu said. "The media, the government, can play a very active role to improve user awareness and education. Especially for vulnerable groups like seniors, the kids, who will start to understand the social media world and start to become exposed to AI technologies. They can easily fall for AI magic or start using AI without knowing the limits." RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone Both Lyu and CivAI believe in exposure and education to help combat any potential misuse of deepfake technology. "Our overall goal is that we think AI is going t impact pretty much everyone in a lot of different ways," Hansen said. "And we think that everyone should be aware of the ways that it's going to change them because it's going to impact everyone." "More than just general education — just knowing the facts and having heard what's going to happen," he added. "We want to give people a really intuitive experience of what's going on." Hansen goes on to explain CivAI's role in educating the public. "We try and make all of our demonstrations personalized as much as possible. What we're working on is making it so people can see it themselves. So they know it's real, and they feel that it's real," Hansen said. "And they can have a deep gut level feel for tthe impact that it's going to have." "A big part of the solution is essentially just going to be education and sort of cultural changes," he added. "A lot of this synthetic content is sort of like a new virus that is attacking society right now, and people need to become immune to it in some ways. They need to be more suspicious about what's real and what's not, and I think that will help a lot as well."