Turkey: US Embassy bomber had been imprisoned on terror charge — but was released after hunger strike

ANKARA, Turkey — The suicide bomber who struck the U.S. Embassy in Ankara spent several years in prison on terrorism charges but was released on probation after being diagnosed with a hunger strike-related brain disorder, officials said Saturday.

The bomber, identified as 40-year-old leftist militant Ecevit Sanli, killed himself and a Turkish security guard on Friday, in what U.S. officials said was a terrorist attack. Sanli was armed with enough TNT to blow up a two-story building and also detonated a hand grenade, officials said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that police believe the bomber was connected his nation's outlawed leftist militant group Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C. And on Saturday DHKP-C claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on a website linked to the group. It said Sanli carried out the act of "self-sacrifice" on behalf of the group.

The group called itself "immortal" and said, "Down with imperialism and the collaborating oligarchy." But it gave no reason for attacking the U.S. Embassy. The authenticity of the website was confirmed by a government terrorism expert who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with rules that bar government employees from speaking to reporters without prior authorization.

Turkey's private NTV television, meanwhile, said police detained three people on Saturday who may be connected to the U.S. Embassy attack during operations in Ankara and Istanbul. Two of the suspects were being questioned by police in Ankara, while the third was taken into custody in Istanbul and was being brought to Ankara.

NTV, citing unidentified security sources, said one of the suspects is a man whose identity Sanli allegedly used to enter Turkey illegally, while the second was suspected of forging identity papers. There was no information about the third suspect.

Earlier, Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler said Sanli had fled Turkey after he was released from jail in 2001, but managed to return to the country "illegally," using a fake ID. It was not clear how long before the attack he had returned to Turkey.

NTV said he is believed to have come to Turkey from Germany, crossing into Turkey from Greece. Police officials in Ankara could not immediately be reached for comment.

DHKP-C has claimed responsibility for assassinations and bombings since the 1970s, but it has been relatively quiet in recent years. Compared to al-Qaida, it has not been seen as a strong terrorist threat.

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Miami Beach hotels seek more political clout

When Miami Beach wanted local hotels to scale-back their popular rooftop parties and bars, Alexander Tachmes fought back.

An attorney who has represented Beach hotels on a myriad of issues, he “cobbled” together a group of his hotelier clients and went before the city commission to ask them to curb the proposed rules.

The hotels won.

It was a learning experience, said Tachmes, who came to believe that the Beach needed a permanent group of industry heavyweights to take political action in the face of restrictive city policies.

With that in mind, Miami Beach’s hotel industry is taking on a decidedly political tone by reviving a previously-formed electioneering organization, just in time for election season on the sandbar.

The group is called Hospitality for a Better Miami Beach, and as an Electioneering Communication Organization (ECO), it can raise unlimited money to run ads, send fliers and make telephone calls about political issues. They’ve also created Miami Beach Hospitality Coalition, which Tachmes said will soon be registered as a non-profit.

Behind the organizations are Tachmes and big-name hoteliers Mike Palma, Executive Vice President of Hospitality for Brio Investment Group (which owns the Clevelander) and the Perry South Beach Hotel General Manager Tim Nardi.

“Political clout is something that will help to further the goals of the industry,” Tachmes said.

Hotels already have their interests represented by the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. But the association is tax-funded and the visitor’s bureau is tax-exempt, so neither can raise or spend money for political purposes.

Stuart Blumberg, who headed the hotel association for 15 years, thinks the industry has enough clout without having to wade into politics.

“You’re getting a group of hoteliers who’ve decided they want a voice in government. And that’s dangerous,” he said of the ECO.

An outspoken leader, Blumberg often took political stances and faced elected officials — and he often found success.

Blumberg led the charge to exempt pool decks and outdoor patios from a constitutional amendment banning smoking, and pushed to delay the start of the school year so that Florida teens could continue working at local hotels. At a farewell gathering after Blumberg announced his retirement, he didn’t hesitate to take a shot at then-Gov. Charlie Crist, calling him out on a proposed tax increase on car rentals.

“We were able to accomplish a lot of things because we weren’t tarnished by, ‘Yeah, I supported that guy or that guy,’” Blumberg said. “You stand and fall on the merits of an issue.”

Citing the huge impact the tourism industry has on Florida, he added: “We don’t need to spend money to win influence.”

According to state figures, the tourism industry has a $67.3 billion economic impact on Florida.

In Miami-Dade, the accommodation industry accounts for 3 percent of the county’s 1 million non-farm jobs, or about 27,000 positions. The industry also contributes about $1 billion in income a year in Miami-Dade, or about 2 percent of total wages.

With a November election in Miami Beach — in which a majority of the city’s commission seats up for grabs — now is the time to translate economic importance into political prominence, said Palma.

In a city where resident-activists are vocal and plentiful, and where residents are often at odds with party-seeking tourists, Palma said city leaders lately have tilted more in favor of residents rather than businesses

Added Tachmes: “The residents of the city benefit by having a thriving hotel industry...all we want is a seat at the table.”

The electioneering committee was registered last year and is currently not active, according to state records.

Tachmes said the group is in the process of recruiting members — whom he would not name — and creating a board, at which time the group will be re-opened. Members are planning to interview candidates to decide who to support in the upcoming elections.

Wendy Kallergis, president and CEO of the hotel association, pointed out that many of the ECO members are also members of her organization. She doesn’t think the new group will be a competitor.

“We’re not able to do some of the things they can do,” she said. “I think it’s going to strengthen the voice on the Beach.”

Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this report.

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In Dominican Republic, eye doctor linked to Sen. Menendez known for philanthropy, thirst for celebrity

SANTO DOMINGO --
Salomon Melgen arrives at galas here in a blue Mercedes Benz, his four bodyguards in tow.

He rarely goes unnoticed. The stout 58-year-old ophthalmologist is a regular on the society pages, where he is almost always pictured with important politicians. Late last year he made national headlines for performing free eye surgery on a 28-year-old woman who had been shot in the face.

“He’s a national treasure,” said Eduardo Gamarra, an international relations professor at Florida International University who has polled extensively in the Dominican Republic. “He has the reputation of a miracle worker.”

But Melgen’s carefully crafted public image began to unravel this week, when federal investigators raided his West Palm Beach eye clinic as part of a probe into potential Medicare fraud. Separately, The Miami Herald confirmed the existence of a federal corruption investigation involving his ties to U.S. Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

Family members in the Dominican Republic defended the doctor on Friday, characterizing the allegations as an orchestrated effort by his political opponents to destroy his reputation.

“Everybody in this country loves him,” said his cousin, Vinicio Castillo Semán, a member of a powerful family in the Dominican Republic. “He lives his life helping people, returning their sight to them, as he did for Jose Jose,” a famous Mexican performer.

Few others here would speak openly about Melgen. But published reports and public records paint Melgen as a man with business and political savvy — and a thirst for celebrity and influence.

Melgen has not returned calls to his cell phone, homes or offices. His family says he has stayed under the radar since allegations surfaced that he brought Menendez on free trips to the Dominican Republic, some of which were alleged to have involved underage prostitutes.

Menendez issued a statement this week saying he had gone on three trips to the Dominican Republic with Melgen, a friend and campaign contributor, but denied all allegations involving the prostitutes. The senator later cut a check for more than $58,000 to cover the costs of two of the flights.

Some of Melgen’s influence stems from his business interests. In addition to a successful ophthalmology practice in the United States, he has two real estate companies registered under his name in the Dominican Republic, government records show. He also holds at least 50 percent of a Dominican company known as ICSSI, which in 2002 won a lucrative 20-year government contract to scan cargo at ports.

Both ICSSI and Melgen have come under intense public scrutiny in light of new allegations that Menendez used his influence to help revive the port contract, which had been dormant for nearly a decade. Menendez has denied wrongdoing.

Melgen also has the power of the press. In 2012, he launched his own web publication — an English-language news site known as VOXXI. The online start-up, which is geared toward Hispanic audiences, drew praise from U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Miami Republican, among other federal lawmakers.

Family members say Melgen takes great pride in his philanthropic efforts. On his resume and website, the doctor boasts that he has been awarded the Medal of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella — the Dominican Republic’s highest honor for charity work — and has served as the country’s alternate ambassador to the United Nations.

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Hackers target Twitter, access about 250,000 user accounts

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Anonymous hackers have targeted Twitter this week and gained access to roughly 250,000 user accounts though only “limited information” such as email addresses was compromised, the microblog said on Friday.

Twitter has already reset passwords for affected users, and will notify them soon, it said in a blog post. The cyberattacks come days after the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal revealed they had been the target of a well-coordinated hacking effort.

“This attack was not the work of amateurs, and we do not believe it was an isolated incident,” Twitter said. “The attackers were extremely sophisticated, and we believe other companies and organizations have also been recently similarly attacked.”

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Gary Hill)

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Christina Ricci Engaged to James Heerdegen

Congrats are in order for Christina Ricci!

The actress, 32, will soon tie the knot with boyfriend James Heerdegen, reports Us Weekly.

Pics: 2012's 12 Most Amazing Couples

Ricci, after being spotted sporting what appeared to be an engagement ring in L.A., confirmed the happy news to the magazine.

According to UsWeekly, Ricci and her now-fiancé became engaged "a couple months back."

Video: Christina Ricci on Her Battle with Anorexia

The couple started dating last year after meeting on the set of Pan Am.

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Career crook held on bail; allegedly targeted Asians

A career crook wanted for targeting Asians in eight violent East Harlem muggings was ordered held on one of the alleged attacks today, with the rest remaining under investigation.

Jason Commisso, 34, committed the eight attacks on Asian men and woman late last month, prosecutors say.

"The people are still investigating, as are the police, the hate crimes aspect, as all of the victims are of Asian descent," assistant district attorney Sioban Carty said of Commisso's alleged spree in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Commisso was ordered held in lieu of $150,000 bond or $75,000 cash bail on the one robbery he has so far been charged in -- that of an Asian woman inside an elevator at 1641 Madison Avenue on Jan. 24.

In that robbery, Commisso allegedly punched his victim in the face -- breaking her cheekbone and cutting her eye and chin -- as he stole her purse and cell phone, according to the complaint against him.

Commisso is due back in Manhattan Criminal Court on Feb. 6.

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Who is Rick Ross? Shoot-’em-up raises new questions

Rick Ross has always styled himself as a tough guy who grew up in Miami’s cocaine cowboy-like underworld, mingling with drug traffickers and armed outlaws. The successful rapper has powered his way to the top of the Hip Hop world with rhymes about his rags-to-riches life, scrapping for food while his mother worked three jobs.

His critics and fellow rappers, however, have been relentless over the years, accusing the self-proclaimed “Boss” of rap of letting his thirst for riches get in the way of the facts of his life.

So when he was caught in a fusillade of bullets on Las Olas Boulevard earlier this week — all of them missing the 300-pound rapper, his girlfriend and the Rolls-Royce they were riding in — it resurrected questions about the real Rick Ross.

Some, including fellow rapper and nemesis 50 Cent, have said it’s difficult to believe that anyone firing that many shots would miss such a large target. They essentially accused Ross of staging the shooting to boost his larger-than-life image.

They have good reason to wonder, since Ross has not always adhered to literal truth in his self-portrayals. He was outed in 2008 as once having a respectable career as a Florida prison guard. At first, he denied the notion, but was forced to come clean when The Smoking Gun website printed his Florida Department of Corrections personnel record which included a citation for perfect attendance. Then a drug trafficker named “Freeway” Rick Ross sued him for stealing his moniker, which Ross claimed was morphed from his many high school nicknames. The lawsuit was thrown out, but it further dented Ross’ credibility in the rap world.

Fort Lauderdale police are investigating this week’s gunfire, but have released few details and have no suspects. But Ross does have his enemies, chief among them a gang named the Gangster Disciples, who have demanded The Boss pay them for using one of their leader’s names in his songs. In November, the Florida branch of the gang posted a video threatening to kill him he doesn’t pay up. But the shoot-‘em-up has not been tied to the gang.

After the incident, Ross beefed up his security, but has yet to publicly comment. His lawyer, Allan Zamren, declined address the matter. His publicist has not returned phone calls.

So who is Rick Ross?

Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II, came from a middle-class family with educated parents, earned average grades in high school and was a standout football lineman his senior year. He won a football scholarship, became a prison guard, then suddenly, completely changed gears.

By 2006, Ross at the age of 30, was on the verge of rap mega-stardom. His first two albums debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart. His second single, Push It, was an homage to the movie Scarface. His first album went gold.

Last year, Ross seemed to make it to the pinnacle of his fame as both a rapper and the founder of Maybach Music Group, despite the furor over his past. He made the cover of Rolling Stone, unabashedly shirtless, pants hanging low, wearing his signature dark shades. The headline: “Gangster of Love.’’

Ross has been nominated for a Grammy Award this year for best rap album, for his fifth studio album, God Forgives, I Don’t.

He is not the only rapper to embellish his image for financial gain. Street cred is part of the theatre of rap, an element woven into the fabric of the genre’s culture. In fact, rap is often fiction layered with characters. Rappers taking on personas — the kingpin, the baller, the epic lover are as old as the music genre itself, no different in some ways than movie roles played by actors, said author and scholar Todd Boyd, a University of Southern California professor who specializes in the study of race and popular culture.

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Report shows health concerns in Broward’s black communities

A swath of low-income communities wedged between Interstate 95 and the Turnpike, and stretching from Fort Lauderdale to Lauderdale Lakes and Lauderhill, is home to the highest diabetes rates in Broward County.

That’s one of the most troubling findings from a “state of black Broward health report’’ released Thursday by the Urban League of Broward County. The statistics, charts and anecdotes revealed gaping healthcare disparities for black communities — a partial reflection of the withering socio-economics in some of the zip codes. Of particular concern: infant mortality rates; HIV/AIDS mortality rates; and diabetes, with rates in the 33311 zip code more than 200 times the overall county rate.

“My reaction as a resident, as a mom, as a wife, is we can’t continue with business as usual,’’ said Germaine Smith-Baugh, president and CEO of the Urban League. “What I took away is we have to work comprehensively to address the family issues and community issues. We have to take a holistic approach in developing the family.’’

Smith-Baugh, speaking at the league’s new community empowerment center in Fort Lauderdale, called the findings “an urgent call to action.’’

The report covered a broad array of concerns, including maternal infant and child health; health and nutrition; disease prevention and health equity. Among the findings:

* The mortality rate for HIV/AIDS is six times higher among black men and women in comparison to Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites.

* The mortality rate for black infants is three times the rate of white or Hispanic babies.

* The highest rate of teen-age births occur among young black teens (38.2 percent), followed by Hispanic youths (22.9 percent).

* Non-Hispanic blacks make up 26 percent of the county’s population, but account for 33 percent of the uninsured – approximately 151,000 of the 418,000 uninsured residents in 2010.

“When we talk about health, we are not just talking about behaviors such as in eating your fruits and vegetables and getting enough sleep,’’ said Danielle Doss-Brown, the Urban League’s research and evaluation manager. “We are also talking about access to affordable health care and healthy foods which is influenced by social determinants such as poverty, income, education and housing.’’

The Urban League unveiled the report – its first since 1994 — as part of a community-wide health initiative which also included a health care symposium Thursday in which panelists discussed the findings. The larger goal is to narrow the gaps, but also to humanize the numbers.

The report was developed over seven months based on 2010 and 2011 data from the Florida Department of Health and was funded by Sunshine State Health Plan and Centene Corp.

Along with a coalition of health care providers, community organizations and academic institutions, the Urban League will use the report to develop an action plan by the end of the year that is expected to include education, state policies and programming.

“Having grown up here, I was aware of the statistics but to see them in writing …it’s alarming.,’’ said panel moderator Dr. Carmen Shirley, of Teen Health of South Florida at Westside Regional Medical Center. “To change this tide is going to require everyone’s participation.’’

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Online bingo shows its worth at Rank

LONDON (Reuters) – It may lack the noisy camaraderie of a trip to the bingo hall, but the online version of the numbers game has proved more profitable for Britain‘s Rank Group than the original.

The merits of the online business were further emphasized when Rank said a snowy January had cost it 3 million pounds ($ 4.7 million) in revenue as Britons opted not to venture out to its bingo halls and casinos.

Operating profit from online bingo was 11.4 million pounds, just beating the 11.1 million earned from the venues themselves.

The company, majority owned by Malaysia’s Guoco, reported a 4 percent decline in pretax profit to 31.3 million pounds in the six months to December, with its loss-making Blue Square betting business proving a drag.

Many parts of Britain have seen heavy snow over the last two weeks and there are fears that the bad weather will hit economic activity and push the country back into recession.

Pub groups Enterprise Inns and Mitchell & Butlers both said the recent cold snap had hit sales.

“Allowing for the slow start to the second half we remain confident in our prospects for the remainder of the year and in our longer-term growth strategy,” Rank Chief Executive Ian Burke said.

Rank’s main activities are in Britain where it runs 35 Grosvenor Casinos and more than 100 Mecca bingo clubs.

Profits growth in its online bingo business mirrors that in the gambling industry as a whole where online betting is the fastest growing part of the market, helped by the popularity of smart phones and tablets.

However, Rank has said it is reviewing the future of its own struggling online betting business Blue Square, a relative minnow in a crowded sector.

“We felt the losses were not losses we could continue to sustain,” said Burke.

Blue Square reported an operating loss of 4.8 million pounds in the six months and Rank has now cut its spending on marketing the business.

“There were 11 or 12 competitors advertising and that spending just wasn’t cutting through,” said Burke.

He declined to comment further on the future of the business pending completion of the review.

Rank is awaiting regulatory clearance for a planned 205 million pound deal to buy the casino business of Gala Coral.

A preliminary report by the Competition Commission said Rank could have to sell six casinos to get the deal approved.

($ 1 = 0.6332 British pounds)

(Editing by Louise Ireland and Brenda Goh)

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Man convicted in murder of pregnant ex-girlfriend

A Queens man was convicted today for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her toddler.

Jimmy Humphrey was found guilty of strangling Linda Anderson to death and setting her lifeless body on fire. The fire ultimately killed her 2-year-old son, Aiden Hayes, as he searched for his mother through the smoke in their St. Albans apartment.

"I'm not happy about the verdict, I really don't know how to feel. My little sister, Aiden and Gabriel are all gone," said Anderson's heartbroken older brother Rob, 40, outside of Queens Supreme Court.

The 6-foot 2, muscular Humphrey, 25, choked back tears as the forewoman read eight "guilty" verdicts to the court.

Humphrey will be sentenced on March 6.

Anderson, 25, was seven months pregnant with Humphrey's son -- to be named Gabriel -- when their complicated relationship escalated to a crime of passion on July 13, 2010.

Humphrey testified that after their altercation he went home to for a few hours to call his girlfriend and called 911 to report the fire from a pay phone three blocks away.

"I'll be alright, I love ya'll," said Humphrey, who faces up to 50 years in prison, to his family.

Both of Anderson's brothers are expected to give impact statements.

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