Photo of the Day: The Obamas With Kenya's President Daughter. That Height Though**

 President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pictured above with Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, and his daughter, Ange Kagame

Afghanistan War Deaths Pass 13,000

 

More than 13,000 Afghan soldiers and police officers have been killed during the war here, far more than previously known, according to Afghan government statistics.

 

Most of those losses occurred during the past three years as Afghan forces took over a growing share of the responsibility for security in the country, culminating in full Afghan authority last spring.

The numbers also reflect an increased tempo to the conflict. More clashes have taken place as insurgents test the government forces, without as much fear of intervention from the American-led coalition as it prepares to withdraw.

 

A statement released early this year by President Hamid Karzai’s cabinet, the Council of Ministers, put the total number of people in the Afghan security forces killed in the past 13 years at 13,729, with an additional 16,511 Afghan soldiers and police officers wounded.

 

Previously, Afghan ministries in charge of police officers and soldiers had released incomplete information on death tolls, and in the past year had stopped doing so entirely. Known fatalities for the army had been estimated at 3,546, and for the police at 6,890, up through June 2013.A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, Gen. Dawlat Waziri, responding to the cabinet report, confirmed on Monday that 4,551 Afghan soldiers had been killed through March 20, 2013. But he said the ministry did not have figures for the current Afghan year, which ends March 20, 2014.

Memes: A UK Chelsea Fan Frustration! 'Torres 9' Turns 'Dont Scorres 9'

Don't Rape Her! No is No

No is no, silence is still no

THE FACT DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT

The fact that you paid her bride price does not make it right
The fact that she denies you sex does not make it either

The fact she won’t go for your type does not make it right
The fact she dresses sexually provocative does not make it either

The fact your friends are suggesting it does not make it right
The fact she bruised your ego does not make it either

The fact she cheated on you does not make it right
The fact she wants you no more does not make it either

The fact you cannot control your urges does not make it right
The fact she is flirting with you does not make it either

The fact that she won’t report the incidence does not make it right
The fact that no one will know does not make it either

Canadian Pop Act Robin Thicke Over Paula Patton, Spend Time With Ms.

Could the lady above be the new woman in Robin Thicke's life? Guess he's done begging his partner for the last 20 years, actress Paula Patton. He even did a full album for her titled Paula... but Paula wasn't having any of that. Robin stepped out with the woman and his son at the beach yesterday.

Meanwhile all the crying about Paula backfired. People didn't buy the album.

Europe Marks WW1 anniversary

(LtoR) Britain's Prince Harry, Belgium's Queen Mathilde, Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Belgium's King Philippe, Britain's Prime minister David Cameron and Britain's Prince William attend a ceremony at the Saint Symphorien Military cemetery in Mons, Belgium, during commemorations marking 100 years since the invasion of Belgium by Germany at the start of World War I. (JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom)

The French and German presidents commemorate the 100th anniversary of Germany’s declaration of war on France on August 3, 1914.

Francois Hollande and his German counterpart, Joachim Gauck, made a joint tribute in Alsace to soldiers killed during World War One.

They  lay the first stone for a memorial at Vieil Armand cemetery.

On Monday events were held in Belgium to mark Britain’s declaration of war on Germany.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron will take part in that ceremony in recognition of the day that Britain went to war.

Some 30,000 men were killed in the mountains around Vieil Armand, known in German as Hartmannswillerkopf.

The cemetery there contains the remains of 12,000 unidentified soldiers.

Hollande and Gauck will pay tribute to the sacrifice those men made and celebrate the importance of the modern Franco-German relationship in Europe.

They will lay the foundation stone for a Great War memorial and exhibition centre on the site, which is due to open its doors to the public in 2017.

The two leaders will meet again on Monday in the Belgian city of Liege, where heads of state from across Europe will mark the escalation of the war after Germany invaded Belgium.

Science: Why Scientists Can't Kill HIV

By Roxanne Palmer, World Science Festival 

Humanity's war against the HIV has been a constantly shifting battle, thanks to the wily nature of the virus. But humans, being quite wily themselves, have persevered in the search for a cure despite setback after setback. Recently, scientists found a way to snip HIV's genetic code out from the genomes of infected cells. The technique's only been tried in cultured cells so far, but it could represent a powerful new weapon in the arsenal against AIDS.

 

But just what makes HIV such a formidable foe?

 

In most viruses, the genetic transfer of information mimics a host's: DNA is transcribed to RNA, which is translated into a protein. But HIV is a retrovirus (in the family Retroviridae), meaning that it carries its genes around in the form of a single strand of RNA, rather than a DNA strand or double-helix. In infected persons, HIV hacks the cells of the body with the help of an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which allows it to create a DNA version of the viral genome after it invades the cell. The viral DNA strand becomes integrated into a host's genome, and the cell copies out the instructions in those genes, creating new copies of the virus that can burst forth and infect other cells.

 

 

In normal DNA replication, a cell employs a variety of molecular proofreaders to help avoid changes to the genetic code. But in reverse transcription, there aren't those checks, meaning that a retrovirus' genome can mutate very quickly. This is one reason HIV is particularly good at ducking treatments — it mutates so quickly, it's hard to figure out what anchor a drug or vaccine can latch onto.

HIV is also a member of the Lentivirus genus within the retroviruses, giving it another nasty set of armaments. Other retroviruses can only infect cells in the midst of division; lentiviruses aren't bound by that restriction.

Spain Looks Recovering All The Good Recession Has Taken Away

Spain's economy on the up as prices are on the way down

The Spanish economy grew at its fastest pace over the last three months since the end of 2007, according to Spain's statistics office.

But falling prices show the country is facing a deflation threat after it emerged from a two year recession last year.

Economic growth for the last three months was 0.6%, ahead of the Bank of Spain's forecasts of around 0.5%.

That leaves the annualised rate of growth at 1.2%.

Spanish Minister of Economy Luis de Guindos said that Spanish GDP - the value of all its goods and services - would grow by close to 1.5% this year and 2% next year.

Analyst Daniele Antonucci at Morgan Stanley said: "The Spanish economy [has] recovered further. It also looks likely that it has outgrown most of its peers - from Germany to France and Italy."

But consumer prices have been falling since the end of last year when inflation figures first turned negative.

Why Vladimir Putin is Still the Boss

'The prospect of Vladimir Putin facing a backlash of public anger over suspected weapons supplies to separatist gunmen is zero.' Photograph: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images

Neither western sanctions nor claims of Russia’s involvement in flight MH17 influence its citizens, who live on a diet of state propaganda.

There is a satirical cartoon doing the rounds online in Russia that depicts a figure slouched in front of a television set, both the screen and the anonymous viewer’s brain filled with identical swirls of bewildering electronic static. Drawn by Russia’s finest political cartoonist, Sergey Elkin, it is at once a powerful portrayal of the stupefying influence of Kremlin-controlled TV and an indication of why neither increasingly harsh western sanctions nor international allegations of Russian culpability in the destruction of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 are likely to damage Vladimir Putin’s soaring popularity at home.

Dubbed the “zombie box” by opposition-minded Russians, state-run TV is perhaps Putin’s most valuable weapon, a tool for manipulating public opinion without even the pretence of objectivity. Indeed, Dmitry Kiselev, the controversial TV presenter appointed by Putin to head Rossiya Segodnya, Russia’s main state news agency, has declared media objectivity to be a “myth”. “Russia needs our love,” Kiselev told journalists at the Moscow-based agency’s headquarters earlier this year.

Three days after the suspected shooting down of flight MH17 by pro-Moscow rebels in east Ukraine, the Russian state-run channel Rossiya 1 aired its weekly round-up of current affairs. For anyone who has been paying even cursory attention to western media coverage of the tragedy, what followed must have seemed like a direct transmission from some bizarre alternative reality.

Obama Has Perfect Response To Heckler 'I Believe in God Too'

 

 

The president is in Kansas City, Missouri, to meet with letter writers and give a speech on the economy

Obama had just started his speech today when a woman interrupted him

'Jesus is the God of Israel. He is fully God,' she shouted

'I believe in God. Thanks for the prayer. Amen. Thank you,' Obama told the woman as she was escorted out of the theater

 

President Barack Obama didn't get three minutes into a speech on Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri, before being interrupted by a heckler.

Obama had just launched into a story about his dining experience the evening before when a woman in the balcony area of the venue began shouting at him.

'I'm sorry, what are you hollering about?' he asked.

'Jesus is the God of Israel. He is fully God,' she responded.

'I believe in God. Thanks for the prayer. Amen. Thank you,' Obama told the woman as she was escorted out of the theater.

 

After the yelling had subsided Obama attempted to return to his story, but he was quickly interrupted a group of attendees chanting, 'We love you!'

 

Eventually, the president got back on topic: his visit to famed Kansas City barbeque joint Arthur Bryant's.

 

'I just want to be on record, though, because people have been asking me this question.  I deal with a lot of tough issues -- I am not going to decide who makes the best barbecue in Kansas City,' Obama said to laughter from the audience.

PGA Tour: Deny Dustin Johnson Ban for Cocaine

PGA Tour released a statement on Dustin Johnson's current status:

With regard to media reports that Dustin Johnson has been been suspended by the PGA TOUR, this is to clarify that Mr. Johnson has taken a voluntary leave of absence and is not under a suspension from the PGA TOUR. 

Original Text

It turns out that Dustin Johnson's problems off the golf course are significantly worse than anyone might have imagined.

 

Johnson announced Thursday that he was taking a leave of absence from professional golf for personal reasons, and according to a report from Michael Bamberger and Michael Walker of Golf.com, he has been suspended by the PGA Tour for six months after failing a drug test with cocaine in his system:

According to the source, Johnson has failed three drug tests: one for marijuana in 2009 and two for cocaine, in 2012 and 2014. He was previously suspended for the 2012 failed test, but that suspension was never made public. Under the PGA Tour's drug-testing policies, the Tour is not required to announce any disciplinary actions against players who test positive for recreational drugs.

However, the pair state that the PGA Tour had not commented on the report at the time, and Johnson's attorney denied the claims of the source:

Ebola Crisis: Sierra Leone and Liberia Declares State of Emergency

The Ebola virus outbreak has led both Sierra Leone and Liberia to declare states of public emergency, meaning the army can now move in to enforce quarantine zones.

It is a major escalation of both governments’ responses to the disease, which has killed more than 800 people across four West African countries since February.

The measures in Sierra Leone were announced in a statement late last night by President Ernest Bai Koroma, and came just hours after a similar declaration from neighbouring Liberia.

Top health officials have repeatedly criticised the lack of national and international organisation in response to the Ebola outbreak, which has seen fears in Britain and the rest of the world that the virus could be transmitted globally.

International News: Earthquake Hits Johannesburg, South Africa

A 5.3 earthquake  morning August 5th shook buildings in Johannesburg and surrounding areas.. killing one person and injuring at least 3 people. The tremor which lasted just one minute reportedly broke glasses, cracked walls and aftershocks were felt by many.

According to Werner Vermaak, a spokesman for emergency responders, at least one person was killed and three people injured. The man was reportedly killed when a wall of a disused mining building fell on him in the Orkney area of Johannesburg, which is where the quake was centered.

The other three people were hurt when the quake damaged a training center at a mine, said Phoka Sefali, a receptionist at a hospital in Orkney. "The roof fell on them, but they haven't got serious injuries," he told Associated Press.

The quake was also felt in Pretoria and Hartbeespoort, a nearby resort town.

Canada's Migrant Farm Worker Program Rife With Gender Discrimination Says Union

Allowing Canadian farmers to choose whether they want men or women from Mexico to work for them as seasonal agricultural workers amounts to gender discrimination, a prominent union is arguing.

Allowing Canadian farmers to choose whether they want men or women from Mexico to work for them as seasonal agricultural workers amounts to gender discrimination, a prominent union is arguing.

In a complaint this week, the United Food and Commercial Workers union is calling on Ontario's Human Rights Tribunal to investigate the situation.

According to the union, women comprise on average less than four per cent of the thousands of migrant agriculture workers who come to Canada each year under the seasonal agricultural workers program.

A similar complaint was made in Quebec earlier this month, and another one will be filed in British Columbia in a few weeks, said union spokesman Stan Raper.

The union wants the rights bodies to review the program's recruitment and selection process, which allows employers to request workers based on gender.

Named in the Ontario complaint are all farm owners who recruit Mexican farm workers under the seasonal program.

"In 2011, the percentage of (female) participants of Mexican origin accounted for only 3.75 per cent of a total of 16,491 workers," according to the Ontario complaint.

War of Words Between Rob Ford's Brother and Police Chief

Another front opened last Friday in the war of words between Toronto's top cop and Rob Ford's brother over accusations the chief had helped leak information that police were preparing to subpoena the mayor as "payback."

In a statement, Chief Bill Blair lashed out at Coun. Doug Ford, for making the comments.
"Doug Ford is lying," Blair said through his spokesman, Mark Pugash. "I am prepared to take legal action."

Pugash refused to elaborate on the legal threat.

Earlier Friday, the Toronto Star cited sources as saying police were about to subpoena the mayor to testify at the preliminary hearing for his friend Alessandro (Sandro) Lisi, who faces drug and extortion charges.

In response, Coun. Ford suggested the leak — which he blamed on the chief — was politically motivated.

"Rob's changed his life. I just hope the top-ranking person in the police would change his life and follow the rules," Doug Ford told the Globe and Mail.

Speaking later to reporters at city hall, Doug Ford continued his attack.

Ebola In West Africa: Death Toll At 1200+

An Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 1200 people in West Africa is moving faster than the efforts to control the disease, the head of the World Health Organization warned as presidents from the affected countries met Friday in Guinea's capital.

Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said the meeting in Conakry "must be a turning point" in the battle against Ebola, which is now sickening people in three African capitals for the first time in history.

"If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives but also severe socio-economic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries," she said.

At least 1200 people in four countries — Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria — have died since cases first emerged back in March. While health officials say the virus is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, many sick patients have refused to go to isolation centres.

The fatality rate has been about 60 per cent, and the scenes of patients bleeding from the eyes, mouth and ears has led many relatives to keep their sick family members at home instead. Sierra Leone is now sending teams door-to-door in search of Ebola patients and others who have been exposed to the disease.

Photo of the Day: Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau balances his 5-month-old son Hadrian on his hand

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau balances his 5-month-old son Hadrian on his hand while attending the B.C. Day Liberal barbecue in Vancouver, B.C.
(DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Dwayne Wade Admits He Foreknew LeBron James Departure

When LeBron James was making his decision about the Cavaliers, he spent some time in Las Vegas with Dwyane Wade, his teammate who brought him to the Miami Heat and seems to be a close friend.

According to Wade, they made it through the whole trip without James actually telling him he what he had decided.

But in his first interview about James’ departure, Wade told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he knew from James’ body language he was leaving.

“He called me the next day. But I knew then. Obviously he still had to say the final yay or nay, but I knew. I could tell.”

In the end though, Wade seems to have come to terms with James’ choice — even if it means the end of the Big Three.

Again, from the Sun Sentinel:

“As his friend, I’m just supportive,” said Wade, who made no recruiting pitches to James. “As crazy as that might sound, I’m supportive of my friends doing what makes them happy. Obviously, same thing with him in this situation. You’ve gotta do what makes you happy — selfishly do what makes you happy. The decision to go back home was that.”

How Come? Canada Heavy Weight Bouchard eliminated in shocking loss at Rogers Cup

Shelby Rogers scored a shocking 6-0, 2-6, 6-0 victory over the listless crowd favourite Eugenie Bouchard at the US$2.44 million women's Rogers Cup on a Tuesday thrown into confusion by a more than seven-hour power outage.

Play went on despite the lack of electricity, which shut down scorboards and umpires' microphones, and left the players without light or hot water in their clubhouse.

Bouchard, the rising star from Westmount, Que., suffered a power shortage of her own after walking onto centre court to a standing ovation.

"It was cool to see the support she has here and it's fun to see that much support for tennis," Rogers said. "I knew what I was getting into so I was prepared for it. I hope that doesn't happen too often, but I know she's a mega superstar up here."

The 20-year-old Bouchard, perhaps rusty from not having played since reaching the Wimbledon final last month, couldn't make a shot in the first set, hitting normally routine shots long or wide.

The crowd went quiet watching as Bouchard's body language suggested she'd like to crawl into a cave and stay there.

Bouchard rebounded in the second set, hitting the crisp mix of shots that took her to at least the semifinals of the first three grand slam events this year. But nothing worked for her again in the third set.

No Retreat No Surrender, Israel Attacks Gaza After Hamas Kidnapped Israeli soldier

Tank fire and airstrikes pummeled Gaza, as Israeli forces moved deeper into the West Bank, searching for a soldier apparently captured by Hamas militants, despite a three-day cease-fire that didn't even last two hours Friday.  

The suspected kidnapping occurred shortly after a heavy exchange of gunfire erupted in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Militants reportedly emerged from a tunnel shaft before a suicide bomber detonated himself, one senior Israel Defense Forces source told The Jerusalem Post.

 

Hadar Goldin, a 23-year-old 2nd Lt. from the central Israeli town of Kfar Saba, was apparently captured during the ensuing mayhem and taken back into Gaza through a tunnel, while another two soldiers were killed.

Haaretz reported Saturday that Hamas' military wing said it had no knowledge of the soldier's whereabouts, but he could have been killed in an Israeli bombing after being nabbed by Hamas.

"We lost contact with the group of combatants that took part in the ambush, and we believe they were all killed in the bombardment," the statement said. "Assuming that they managed to abduct the soldier during combat, we assess that he was also killed in the incident."

Pope Francis's 10 Secrets To Happiness

These are among the top 10 pieces of advice issued by Pope Francis this week as part of his recipe for a happy, more fulfilled life.

Speaking in a very frank interview published in the Argentine weekly “Viva”, the Pope drew on his personal experiences to come up with his own lifestyle guide with a humble, anti-consumerist twist.

The highlights include a call to families to “turn off the TV when they sit down to eat because, even though television is useful for keeping up with the news, having it on during mealtime doesn't let you communicate with each other”, according to a Catholic News Service translation of the interview.

And Francis said people will also be much happier when they stop trying too hard to bring others round to their way of thinking – including on religion. He said the church grows “by attraction, not proselytising”, and added that the best way to get through to anyone was with “dialogue, starting with his or her own identity”.

Pope Francis’s secrets to happiness
1. “Live and let live.” Everyone should be guided by this principle, he said, which has a similar expression in Rome with the saying, “Move forward and let others do the same.”

2. “Be giving of yourself to others.” People need to be open and generous toward others, he said, because “if you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes putrid.”

3. “Proceed calmly” in life. The pope, who used to teach high school literature, used an image from an Argentine novel by Ricardo Guiraldes, in which the protagonist — gaucho Don Segundo Sombra — looks back on how he lived his life.

Memes: If Ryan Giggs Wife Were To Divorce Him

Financial and Emotional Cost of a Proper Date

Excerpt from GANG RAPE, GANGSTER AND MS. PEPPLES. PART 3

NAYSAYERS ARGUMENT
There are other fact in there that seems to justify the actions of perpetrators ‘gangsters’. Some is worth a pinch of salt but that does not give anyone audacity to defile another. In fact, there is no altar of justification for some of the flimsy reasons for which a human being will take the advantage of another fellow unduly.

ARGUMENT 1: Financial and Emotional Cost of a Proper Date
The financial cost and emotional preparation of taking a girl out on a proper date is expensive compared to employing the services of a hooker, at least you get satisfied and get value for substance. To a rapist, dating is antiquated. Why buy some you can steal and get away with it. We must not allow these naysayers strung the hand of the law at the prejudice of others. From my Sunday school bible classes, I remembered God created Man (Adam) and he had a fulltime work before the Woman (Eve) came to the picture. What that tells me that any man seeking the attention or love of a woman must be financially independent and sort out his work and profession first before he may pursue her.

Read full on ablethoughts.me

Video: Crackhead! Girl Calls Sheraton To Help Find Sister's Lost Virginity

See Video below

Bruno Mars 'Wows' At MTS Centre, Winnipeg

Bruno Mars performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium on February 2, 2014. Photographers were not allowed into the show at the MTS Centre on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014.`

Bruno Mars put on one hell of a show Saturday night, performing in front of an excited sold out crowd at the MTS Centre.

Hitting the stage at 9:20 p.m., nearly an hour after opening act Nico and Vinz warmed the already anxious crowd up with a thirty minute set that included their song ‘Am I Wrong,’ Mars and his six man crew immediately had the crowd at the MTS Centre under their spell.

The charismatic singer opened the show by asking; “Winnipeg, are you ready,” to which the crowd responded with cheers so loud that it sounded like inaugural season under that MTS Centre roof. Not to be outdone, Mars showed that he too was full of excitement and energy, kicking off his show with his song Moonshine, followed by Natalie.

From the second Mars opened his mouth, there was no denying that he was the real deal. People lucky enough to snag tickets to this sold out show were treated to an energetic performance that mirrored the Emmy-nominated spectacle he put on at the 2014 Superbowl.

How Come? 'Hand of God' pictured emerging from the clouds by UK photographer

38 year old British photographer David Christie said he captured the stunning moment a gigantic 'hand' appeared through the clouds above his home...and he thinks the fist-like wind funnel is the 'Hand of God'.

 "I love weather photography and I've taken a few pictures of small wind funnels in the past. But this was something else. It looked as through there was a huge hand piercing through the clouds - it was phenomenal. It really did seem like the hand of God. My wife and I are both photographers and we've never seen anything like this. This was a very surreal experience." He told reporters

Top Five Outstanding Canadians At Commonwealth Games 2014

Patricia Bezzoubenko of Canada kisses her three gold and one bronze medals after the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual finals at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Precinct during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday July 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Canada finished a strong third in the overall medal tally at this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, behind powerhouses England and Australia.

More than 260 Canadian athletes took part in the multi-sport, 10-day event, creating dozens of memorable moments that will likely fuel many of the athletes as they train for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Overall, Canada raked in an impressive 82 medals at this year's games – 32 gold, 16 silver and 34 bronze. Here are five Canadian athletes that stood out:

Sultana Frizell, hammer throw
The 29-year-old Perth, Ont., native shattered three Commonwealth records in Glasgow and defended her gold medal from four years ago when she threw 71.69 metres in the hammer throw. Frizell, who will be Canada’s flagbearer during Sunday's closing ceremony, is currently ranked fourth in the world.

Was Stephen Smith entitled to his opinion on violence against women?

After football player Ray Rice was caught on video dragging his unconscious fiancée out of an elevator, his attorney called the incident a "very minor physical altercation." Where I'm from, when one combatant in a fight gets knocked out, that is no longer "minor."

Once the incident made the news, it was inevitable that there would be a "minor" kerfuffle over the story. I am not interested in discussing the incident itself. What I am interested in discussing is how this incident shows us that when emotional issues are involved, fair debate and discussion get knocked out, too.

 

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith was nowhere near the elevator that day, but he just got knocked out by a chorus of voices and a spineless employer. When Smith commented on the issue, he clearly stated his position that Rice was dead wrong and deserved punishment. Without excusing it, Smith gave his opinion that, in general, when there is violence, sometimes it might be worth asking questions about provocation. He made it clear that there should never be violence, especially by a man against a woman.

 

For even suggesting that there could be provocation before a fight, Smith is now off the air. Mind you, Smith never tried to justify Rice's actions. Once the outcry began, Smith rushed to apologize.

I don't believe that Smith owed anyone an apology.

Canadian Mum seeks gov't help to bring 8-year-old daughter home from Gaza

A mother from southern Ontario is pleading with the Canadian government to help bring her eight-year-old daughter home from Gaza after the little girl visited the war-torn region with her father.

Wesam Abuzaiter says her daughter Salma travelled to Gaza with her father Hassan in June, shortly before the Israeli government launched a major military offensive in the region.

Abuzaiter’s husband, a local paediatrician, was visiting Gaza to renew his medical license and decided to bring Salma along to visit family. He now works 24-hour shifts at a Gaza emergency room, helping children wounded in the daily attacks.

Abuzaiter says that for the time being, Salma is living with her grandmother who is keeping her sheltered from the events unfolding outside.

“She is trying to block everything, like you know all the bad news, all the scenes. Even when she is hearing you know bombardment and she is questioning it, they tell her ‘Oh, this is fireworks just to celebrate that you are in Gaza’ and she is believing it,”

Abuzaiter, who lives in Brantford, Ont., says her husband is reluctant to return home because he wants to offer his medical expertise to help treat Palestinian civilians suffering in Gaza.

“He told me ‘I do understand it’s our daughter but you have to understand that there are so many kids the same age as her that are needing me here and honestly, if I leave at this time, I’m not going to survive,’” Abuzaiter said.

She says Canadian officials have offered to transport Salma out of Gaza City to Jordan but have noted that the child would need to travel alone. She says she has also tried booking Salma a flight out of the region but the airline said Salma could not fly unaccompanied.

Salma’s uncle has offered to escort the little girl to neighboring Egypt, but would require government assistance to cross the border.

Abuzaiter says she just want the Canadian government to offer some sort of support to her and her family.

Kim Kardashian's game makes $700,000 a day

Hitting the hottest clubs with the virtual Kim Kardashian will make you a Hollywood A-lister in no time.

Kim Kardashian is famous for doing nothing. Now she's got a game that's pulling in $700,000 a day where players have to do, well, nothing.

 

"Kim Kardashian: Hollywood" from Glu Mobile lets you create an avatar that can work to achieve virtual A-list status. Your mission: hob-nobbing with celebrities, going to a photo shoot and wearing expensive clothes.

The game is free to download, but players spend real money on things like virtual clothes, virtual hairstyles and energy boosts for their avatars. The more your avatar does, the faster you can move up the ranks from the E List to the A List -- the objective of the game.