Vladimir Putin's tiger Kuzya has reportedly gained some weight after being spotted inside Chinese territory, having probably feasted on wild boars and roe deer.

The Russian president set free three rare Siberian tigers over a month ago.

Kuzya, first of three Siberian tigers released by Putin, was detected earlier this month several hundred meters away from the Sino-Russian border river in the Taipinggou nature reserve, in northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

Reports say Kuzya may spend the winter here.


CRIENGLISH

Brazilian football star Ronaldo Lima looks miserable when he was forced to the dishes after losing to Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal at the Poker Stars game in London on November 20, 2014.

Neil Harbisson is an artist who was born completely colour blind. His life changed when he decided to have an antenna surgically implanted into his skull that enabled him to "hear" colour.
Now he identifies each colour with a particular musical note - even the ones we can't see.
In 2010 he founded the Cyborg Foundation, an international organisation that helps others to permanently implant technology into their bodies.

BBC

The world's most powerful political and economic leaders have reached a rare unanimous agreement at the Group of 20 summit in Brisbane, Australia.

The consensus — koalas are adorable.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott greeted the illustrious G-20 attendees before the start of the summit with Jimelung the koala and an as yet unnamed companion, resulting in what may be the most joyful opening to an international economic summit in recent history.

Everyone from President Obama to IMF chief Christine Lagarde cracked child-like grins in the presence of the cuddly marsupials. Even the usually stoic Russian President Vladimir Putin — who is being widely criticized for his country's actions in eastern Ukraine — beamed as he hugged a wide-eyed koala






USA TODAY

Glen A. Larson, the writer and producer behind well-loved TV series such as the original "Battlestar Galactica," ''Knight Rider," ''Magnum, P.I." and "Quincy, M.E.," has died. He was 77.

Larson died at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center on Friday night of complications from esophageal cancer, his son, James Larson, said in a phone interview Saturday.

Glen Larson, also an accomplished singer and composer, was a powerhouse in the television landscape in the 1970s and 1980s, when he churned out hits that became staples in millions of living rooms every night.

He also co-composed the theme songs for some of his hits, including the frequently sampled tune from "Knight Rider" and the orchestral music behind "Battlestar Galactica," his son said.

"He was sort of an icon," James Larson said. "There are a lot of interesting things like that."

Glen Larson was nominated three times for an Emmy, once for a Grammy for the original score of "Battlestar Galactica," and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985.

Glen Larson was born on Jan. 3, 1937 to a Swedish immigrant mother and a Swedish-American father in Long Beach, California.

In 1956, Glen Larson joined a vocal group called The Four Preps and, with them, appeared in a Gidget film and earned three gold records. He helped write and compose some of their hits, including "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)," ''Big Man" and "Down by the Station."

Where he would make a lasting mark, however, was in television.

His first writing credit came in 1966 on an episode of "The Fugitive."

By 1968, he had worked his way up to an associate producer on the series "It Takes a Thief" and quickly rose through the ranks to produce some of the biggest TV shows of the time. At one point, he had five shows airing at once, his son said.

A list of nearly four dozen TV credits also includes "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," ''B.J. and the Bear," ''The Fall Guy" and the TV movie "The Six Million Dollar Man."

Glen Larson is survived by his wife, Jeannie Pledger, a brother, and nine children from two different marriages.

AP

(Yahoo)

Reality TV star Tameka "Tiny" Harris, the wife of rapper T.I., has the attention of skeptical eye doctors and social media haters over a procedure she underwent to permanently lighten the color of her eyes.

Harris, once a member of the '90s R&B group Xscape, told ABC News on Thursday that she traveled to Africa a little more than two weeks ago for cosmetic eye implants that changed her eye color from brown to ice gray — and she couldn't be happier.

"I looked in the mirror and I was, like, they're amazing," she said on "Good Morning America" on Thursday.

New York ophthalmologist James Tsai, a clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told The Associated Press such cosmetic procedures are illegal in the United States. Similar but not identical procedures are done for patients with specific medical problems or conditions.

For cosmetic purposes, he said, the risks can include glaucoma, cataracts, bleeding in the eyes and corneal problems. Tsai said websites advertising such procedures for cosmetic purposes often emphasis how quick they can be done — 10 to 15 minutes per eye — without emphasizing risks.

"We believe they are a dangerous practice and as a physician I would never recommend them," he said.

Tsai said cosmetic implants, which involve making a small slit in the eye, first surfaced about five years ago and have been done in the Middle East, Panama and Africa.

Harris, who co-wrote TLC's massive hit "No Scrubs," said she went to Africa for her procedure and is feeling fine. Some on Twitter and other social media have questioned her motivation for wanting to change up her eye color as self-hate.

"I just wanted to do something different. I have the right to do that," Harris said. "It's my body."

As for her husband, she said he wasn't on board at first but now, "He loves them. He's OK with them as long as they're healthy and I'm not having any problems."

Harris appears on two VH1 reality shows, "T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle" and "Tiny and Shekinah's Weave Trip."


ap

 Since playing the lucky-unlucky lottery winner Hurley on "Lost," Jorge Garcia's career has moved along nicely from "Alcatraz" to "Hawaii Five-O" and upcoming big-screen movies.

It's logical that he might indulge himself in, say, a fast car or pricey wristwatch. But to think that is to badly misjudge the man and, if you happen to see him decked out on Halloween night, you'll understand why.

"Oh, man, do I admit this?" Garcia said. "I always wanted to have an Elvis jumpsuit made and always found reasons not to do it. But getting the job on 'Five-O,' I said, 'OK, I'm doing it.'"

Specifically a $3,700 "Dragon" jumpsuit — a white version with colorful dragons embroidered front and back — from a costume design company that also offers, among many others, the Burning Love and Aloha from Hawaii versions for Elvis impersonators and admirers like Garcia.

If the custom-tailored suit arrives before Halloween he's definitely wearing it, said Garcia, 41, a fan of the holiday as demonstrated by his Instagram postings. It would also be a nice way to mark Friday's episode of "Hawaii-Five-O," in which his character, Jerry Ortega, has a featured role.

Conspiracy theorist Jerry has been spying on a suspicious bookstore and "it turns out they're also spying on him," Garcia said. "Perhaps he poked his nose in where he shouldn't."

This season represents Garcia's move up from recurring guest star to series regular on "Hawaii Five-0," the revamped version of the 1968-80 police drama. Among the show's stars is Daniel Dae Kim, who as Jin Kwon was stranded with Garcia on the Hawaii-based "Lost."

"Half the (production) crew are people I already know" from "Lost," Garcia said. "When I came back and did the show as a guest star it definitely had this feeling of coming home."

Paradise is only rented, however. He still has a house in the Los Angeles area, where he can stay on top of job opportunities.

"It's better to be in the room for certain meetings then do things remotely. You can get a better feel for the personalities," said Garcia, who comes across as drolly funny but also much more focused than his often free-spirited characters.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in Southern California's Orange County, he found youthful career inspiration in two very different films.

"It was seeing 'Fiddler on the Roof' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' that made me first want to be an actor. I just loved Tevya so much; I used to sing 'If I Were a Rich Man' when I was little," he recalled.

Was that accompanied by Topol's exuberant, hip-shaking dance from the 1971 movie?

Of course, Garcia said. "If you're gonna play it, play it."

As a fledgling performer, the roles he expected to get were along the lines of the funny neighbor in a three-camera sitcom.

"I knew I wasn't a usual type," said the round-faced, bushy-haired Garcia.

His first big role came in the Ted Danson sitcom "Becker" in 2003-04, followed by small roles in other shows and movies. Then came Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in 2004, a welcome chance to play a character with dimension.

He's adding more movie credits to his resume, including two set for 2015 release: "The Wedding Ringer" starring Kevin Hart and Josh Gad, and "Cooties," a horror-comedy featuring Elijah Wood, Alison Pill and Rainn Wilson.

As for his distinctive mane, he's more than ready to part with it ("I've had long hair for so long, I need to start feeling like a grown-up") and step into what he calls "real suit-and-tie guy" roles. He plans a serious trim after "Hawaii Five-O," with his Elvis Presley suit as added inducement. He and friends are planning an indie film that would include a scene with a couple of Elvis impersonators.

But there will be other uses for his treasured outfit.

"It's not like I wouldn't walk around my house in the Elvis suit with a gorilla mask on, just for entertainment," Garcia said.


AP

The spirits moved "Ouija" to No. 1 at the box office, with the board-game adaption leading the weekend with a $20 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The horror movie release, timed to Halloween, attracted more moviegoers at the North America box office than the violent Keanu Reeves thriller "John Wick." The R-rated hit-man revenge tale from Lionsgate opened with $14.2 million in second place.

Last week's top film, the Brad Pitt World War II action film "Fury" slid to third with $13 million. In two weeks, the Sony Pictures release has made $46.1 million.

Board-game adaptions such as "Ouija" have had a checkered history at the box office, with the big-budget "Battleship" — the last Hasbro game turned into a movie — famously flopping in 2012. But "Oujia," made by Blumhouse Productions and released by Universal Pictures, was made for just $5 million, and scared up moviegoers with a micro-budget summoning of brand-name occult.

Universal also could claim the top spot in world's other top market, China, where the Scarlett Johansson sci-fi film "Lucy" opened with $19 million. Since opening in July, "Lucy" has made $434 million worldwide, proving the global appeal of Johansson.

Two Fox releases rounded out the domestic top 5. David Fincher's marital noir "Gone Girl," starring Ben Affleck, made $11.1 million in its fourth week, bringing its cumulative total to $124 million. It will soon pass Fincher's "Benjamin Button" ($127.5 million) to mark the director's top box office hit.

In its second week of release, the animated fantasy "The Book of Life" earned $9.8 million.

As Hollywood's awards season begins to heat up, limited-release titles also made noise at the box office. Easily leading all films in per-screen average were Alejandro Inarritu's black comedy "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," starring Michael Keaton, and the Edward Snowden documentary "Citizenfour."

Laura Poitras' "Citizenfour" drew a $25,000 average opening in five theaters for the Weinstein Company's Radius unit. Expanding to 50 theaters in its second week, Fox Searchlight's "Birdman" took in an average of almost $29,000 per screen.

Next weekend's top film is essentially already decided. Christopher Nolan's space travel thriller "Interstellar," one of the year's most anticipated releases, opens in select theaters Wednesday and then wide on Friday. Nolan, an ardent advocate for film, is releasing the movie first in about 240 theaters that still project 35mm or 70mm, rather than digital.

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Ouija," $20 million.

2. "John Wick," $14.2 million.

3. "Fury," $13 million.

4. "Gone Girl," $11.1 million.

5. "The Book of Life," $9.8 million.

6. "St. Vincent," $8.1 million.

7. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," $7 million.

8. "The Best of Me," $4.7 million.

9. "The Judge," $4.3 million.

10. "Dracula Untold," $4.3 million.

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

ap

 Louis van Gaal says the visit of Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea side to Old Trafford on Sunday will be extra special for the Manchester United manager as he greets his "modest" former apprentice.

The pair have maintained a close relationship since former Barcelona boss Van Gaal gave the self-styled 'Special One' some early coaching opportunities as the Portuguese worked under him for three years at the Nou Camp.

The Dutchman says he is not surprised at Mourinho's emergence as one of the world's best managers and feels privileged to have played a part in his development.

"I knew already he had talent because I let him do Catalunya Cup matches for me instead of my other assistants," Van Gaal told a news conference on Friday ahead of the visit of the Premier League leaders.

"But to see that he's such a wonderful coach and won in different countries, all championships, I think it's fantastic.

"He has said (he learned from me) and it's remarkable because in the football world not many people are talking about that. He says it is not only about Louis van Gaal but also (former Barca manager) Bobby Robson. I appreciate that but you always do it by yourself.

"He is very special for me because I've worked with him and we've continued our relationship which in the football world is not always normal," added the Dutchman. "He is a very modest and emotional human being and I like that."

The pair have only clashed once before in a competitive game when Mourinho's Inter Milan beat Van Gaal's Bayern Munich 2-0 in the 2010 Champions League final.

DEVASTATING FORM

Hosting his former assistant on Sunday will be another difficult task for the United boss with Chelsea in devastating form, dropping only two points from their opening eight games to open up a five-point gap on nearest rivals Manchester City.

In contrast Van Gaal has endured a stuttering league start since taking over in the close season, with his side in sixth place in the table and 10 points adrift of Mourinho's men.

"Jose has worked more than one year already with his team and last year they didn't win any prizes so you have to build up and he has built up Chelsea," said the Dutchman.

"They are playing like a team and I want my team to do that as well but to play for 90 minutes."

United have been handed a boost with British transfer record signing Angel Di Maria deemed fit to face Chelsea.

The Argentina winger limped off when his team snatched a 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Monday but Van Gaal said he had trained ahead of Sunday's match.

reuters

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge takes her seat in a State Carriage for the carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, as part of the ceremonial welcome ceremony for Singapore's President Tony Tan at the start of a state visit at Horse Guards Parade in London October 21, 2014.

(AP) — Top-ranked Rory McIlroy says he is skipping two upcoming tournaments in China to prepare for a lawsuit against his former management company.

McIlroy said in a statement Monday that a mediation process to resolve his dispute with Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management "failed over the weekend."

The Northern Irishman has changed his playing schedule because "I'm going to need time away from tournament golf to prepare for the trial."

McIlroy has pulled out of the BMW Masters on Oct. 30-Nov. 2 and the HSBC Champions event the following week, which are both held in Shanghai. His next event will be the World Tour Championship in Dubai from Nov. 20-23.

(AP) — The quarantine against possible Ebola exposure ends this week for Dr. Nancy Snyderman, but the troubles clearly aren't over for NBC News' chief medical editor.

An admitted lapse in the quarantine, combined with a curiously imprecise explanation, unleashed a furious response. NBC must now decide whether Snyderman's credibility is too damaged for her to continue reporting on Ebola or other medical issues and, if so, for how long. The network would not comment.

Snyderman, a surgeon who spent 17 years as a medical correspondent for ABC News and has been at NBC since 2006, covered the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and worked briefly with Ashoka Mukpo, the cameraman who caught the virus and is now being treated in Nebraska. Upon returning to the United States, Snyderman and her crew voluntarily agreed to quarantine themselves for 21 days, the longest known incubation period for the disease. They have shown no symptoms.

Yet New Jersey health officials ruled that her quarantine should be mandatory after Snyderman and her crew were spotted getting takeout food from a New Jersey restaurant.

NBC won't give details about who actually went into the restaurant, or even how many of its employees are being quarantined. Snyderman issued a statement saying "members of our group" violated their pledge.

More than 1,100 people have subsequently written on Snyderman's Facebook page, many expressing anger. There were suggestions she should be fired or lose her medical license, and some viewers said they wouldn't trust her again. Snyderman's failure to be more specific about the lapse or take greater responsibility was another flashpoint.

Snyderman's "arrogance and dismissiveness" create a huge PR and credibility problem for NBC, said Kelly McBride, an expert on ethics for the journalism think tank the Poynter Institute.

"People are so freaked out about Ebola that the problem NBC has now is that whenever they put her on the air, some news consumers are going to see the woman who put others at risk, rather than the reporter and professional with great experience," McBride said.

McBride suggested that Snyderman "lay low" or take a leave of absence. Certainly she should not report on Ebola anymore for the network, she said.

Susan Dentzer, a longtime health journalist and commentator for National Public Radio and the PBS "NewsHour," said people shouldn't forget that Snyderman put herself at risk to travel to Africa and cover the story. The public is reacting to a fear of Ebola instead of science, she said.

"She and her team clearly should have observed the terms of their quarantine, and she has said clearly that they made a mistake," Dentzer said. "But let's put it in a broader perspective."

Before Snyderman's trip for takeout, ABC News' medical expert arguably had bigger problems. ABC health editor Dr. Richard Besser was in Africa at the same time as Snyderman and did not quarantine himself upon his return. That led ABC News President James Goldston to send his staff a memo explaining that the network was following medical advice.

Still, Besser was disinvited to a speaking engagement at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, he wrote last week in the Washington Post. Some colleagues have avoided him.

"I've been surprised by how many colleagues have waved from across the room and quickly made an exit," Besser wrote. "Others won't enter my office."

NBC could face a competitive disadvantage if Snyderman is taken off medical stories. Robert Bazell, the network's longtime health and science correspondent, left last year to teach at Yale.

An important first step for Snyderman will be to explain to viewers exactly what happened, perhaps on a venue like the "Today" show, said Bill Wheatley, a longtime NBC executive who now teaches journalism at Columbia University.

"If she and the network are more forthcoming about the whole matter, I believe that her credibility can be preserved," Wheatley said.

 Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate are expecting their second child in April next year, an official statement said Monday.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to confirm they are expecting a baby in April 2015," a spokesman for Kensington Palace said in the statement.

"The Duchess of Cambridge continues to be affected by Hyperemesis Gravidarum, but her condition is steadily improving," the spokesman added.

The news about Kate's second pregnancy was announced in early September, and a string of public events have been canceled since then.

But on Tuesday, the 32-year-old duchess will join Prince William in an official event to welcome Singaporean President Tony Tan and his wife for a state visit, according to local media.

Also on the same day, she is expected to attend a ceremony of the Wildlife Photographer of The Year 2014 Awards at the Natural History Museum.

The second royal baby will be the fourth in line to the British throne right behind Prince George, the older brother who was born in July 2013.

(Xinhua)

(AP) — The bloody World War II drama "Fury" blew past "Gone Girl" at theaters this weekend.

"Gone Girl" was tops at the box office for two weeks before Brad Pitt and his rag-tag group of tank mates in "Fury" blasted the film to second place. Sony's "Fury" captured $23.5 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Fox's "Gone Girl" followed with $17.8 million.

The week's top two films are R-rated adult dramas, followed by two PG family films.

"The fall movie season is all about making the transition from PG-13 world of summer to the R-rated, edgier world of the fall and awards season," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.

The animated Fox feature "The Book of Life" opened in third place with $17 million, followed by Disney's "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" with $12 million.

"We're now in full adult movie-going season and we'll see a lot more adult-skewing fare," said Fox distribution chief Chris Aronson, who added that the colorful "Book of Life" suits any audience.

Another new film rounds out the top five: Relativity's Nicholas Sparks romance "The Best of Me," starring Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden, debuted with $10.2 million.

"Birdman," the Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu drama starring Michael Keaton, opened in just four theaters and boasted a per-screen average of $103, 750. It opens in additional locations next week.

Overall box office is up almost 25 percent from the same weekend last year, Dergarabedian said, and the strong fall showing at cinemas is making up for a year-to-date box-office deficit that dropped from 6 percent to 4 percent in the last month.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” will reportedly feature a female Robin, with actress Jena Malone rumored to be playing Carrie Kelly, according to a local news station in Detroit.

WILX-10 News station reporter Kirk Montgomery spoke with one of the extras at Michigan State University, where a scene involving Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) was being filmed this week.

“I’ve also learned that the character of Robin is now female,” he said alluding to the film’s top secret script.

Warner Bros. declined to comment.

Malone, who appeared in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” has been seen on the WB set and recent movie premieres sporting a new red hairdo.

Casting rumors for “Batman v Superman” have been in high demand since director Zack Snyder revealed the project at Comic-Con last year.

The anonymous extra who spoke to WILX faces a hefty fine of $5 million after signing a non-disclosure agreement with Warner Bros.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” co-starring Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot, opens March 25, 2016.

Joanne Borgella, a singer and model who competed on American Idol in 2008, has died at the age of 32 from Endometrial Cancer.

The news was confirmed by her family on her Facebook page on Saturday (Oct. 18).

"With heavy hearts, we are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Joanne. On Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 5:45AM, Joanne Borgella Ramirez was called by the Lord to heaven," the post reads. "At an early age, Joanne made a choice to serve and trust the Lord; and since her diagnosis over a year ago, Joanne made a choice to also be a fighter and share her journey with the world. Her faith, courage and strength were unshaken throughout every obstacle she encountered. Although our family is suffering with this great loss, we find comfort in the closeness Joanne shared with the Lord. We know her spirit still shines and will continue to live on in heaven."

Born in Long Island, N.Y., she later moved to Hoboken, N.J. when she appeared on season 7 of AI. After auditioning in Philadelphia, she landed in the top 24.

In addition to American Idol, she also won Mo'Nique's Fat Chance in 2005 when she was named "Miss F.A.T." She was also signed to Wilhelmina Models.

Prior to her death, she kept fans up-to-date on her cancer treatments on her Facebook page. Her last post was on Sept. 23. "Gooooood morning!! We are heading back to radiation for 2 procedures!! God js with us!! I have lots to fill you in on.. The presence of The Lord is here.. Prayers up!!! I love you guys #GodsGotThis #ThePowerofPrayer #Faith #IWillbeCancerFree2014 #JoanneBorgella," she wrote.