The Iranian “King of Instagram” who posted scandalous photos with naked models and exotic cars to his more than 1 million followers hung out with numerous celebrities, athletes and influencers before being taken down by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Iranian citizen Farzad “Tony” Toutouni, 55, was arrested in Los Angeles on Oct. 27 by ICE … Read more
As rising food costs and a fraught economy make dining out increasingly expensive, one North Carolina restaurant is drawing fire for a controversial surcharge. STATS, a sports bar in Charlotte, allegedly charged a customer $6 to take her leftovers home. The outraged customer, known to the internet as Millionaire Mace, posted a picture of her … Read more
Yoga at a retreat on the side of a volcano; beaches in India, the glitz of Miami: Debbie Cooper was on the trip of a lifetime with her new husband Jamie Starbuck and her sporadic emails back to her family in the UK laid out their adventures. It had all been decidedly whirlwind. Within three … Read more
The US State Department has escalated its travel warning for an East African nation popular for its wildlife safaris, urging Americans to reconsider visiting amid heightened health concerns and ongoing security threats. The State Department on Monday raised its travel advisory for Kenya from Level 2, “Exercise Increased Caution,” to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel.” Health … Read more
Students at the University of Colorado are in for some rocky news. Boulder, the beautiful college town the CU calls home, is one of the most dangerous in America, according to a new study. One the other hand, the Gators aren’t as perilous as they look. Gainesville, home of the University of Florida, is one … Read more
The San Francisco 49ers’ 5-0 start to the season has made their strange offseason easy to forget. But Netflix is dragging perhaps the biggest and strangest story of them all back into the spotlight. News broke Wednesday that Netflix is producing a documentary on Daejon Love, the man who allegedly used the 49ers brand to … Read more
Comedian Russell Brand arrived at a London court Monday for the opening of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. Brand was flanked by security guards and accompanied by his wife, Laura Gallacher, as he arrived at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of a trial that is expected to last 10 to 12 … Read more
A raging wildfire along Italy’s famed Amalfi Coast forced precautionary evacuations and left tourists on edge as emergency crews battled flames across the iconic Mediterranean getaway. Firefighters were deployed in both aerial and ground operations to combat the blaze that broke out in scrubland near Amalfi. Efforts to extinguish the fire continued uninterrupted along the … Read more
Americans traveling to Cambodia are facing a new warning from the U.S. State Department as officials flag security and safety risks across parts of the country. The department issued a Level 2 “Exercise Increased Caution” advisory for Cambodia on Sept. 15, citing crime, unrest and unexploded ordnance. Located in Southeast Asia, Cambodia shares borders with Thailand, … Read more
Hayden Panettiere and her alleged drug dealer exchanged a “slew of messages” right up until the week of her suspected overdose death, it was reported Tuesday, amid claims peddlers dropped bags off at her Hollywood home for five years. The actress, 36, and her “long term dealer,” whom she appeared to meet in Los Angeles … Read more
The U.S. State Department recently updated its travel advisory for a tourism-heavy South American country — flagging risks ranging from violent crime and kidnapping to terrorism and dangerous drugs. Peru’s Level 2 “Exercise Increased Caution” advisory was just updated, though officials said the overall advisory level did not change. Americans are warned about crime, unrest, kidnapping and … Read more
The State Department is warning Americans to steer clear of parts of a South American country as violent crime, terrorism and kidnapping raise safety concerns among tourists. The State Department this week issued a Level 2 “Exercise Increased Caution” advisory for the nation of Ecuador. In the advisory, officials warned of widespread crime across Ecuador, including murders, … Read more
Lindsay Clancy committed the worst crime imaginable when she killed her three children. She was disturbingly methodical about it, tying an exercise band to a door in the basement of the family home and strangling each of her babies, Cora, then 5, Dawson, then three, and Callan, then just seven months, one at a time. … Read more
A 38-year-old chef at a restaurant in Yosemite National Park was charged by a federal grand jury for sexually abusing a 19-year-old co-worker. Danavon Caine, a Jamaican citizen working on a seasonal international visa, allegedly invited the co-worker to hang out after their work shifts around 11:30 p.m. on July 17, federal prosecutors said. The … Read more
It was the Sunday before Christmas, 1975, and Vienna was covered by a foot of snow. Just before 11:30a.m., six strangers stepped off a red tram outside the headquarters of OPEC, the world’s most powerful oil cartel, “their long coats and heavy bags casting dark shadows against the snow,” writes Joby Warrick in his new … Read more
A security scare in one of Mexico’s biggest avocado-producing states has abruptly stopped US inspections, threatening to disrupt shipments of the popular fruit into America. The US Embassy announced Wednesday all US government operations in Michoacán had been suspended because of what it described as a “threat to US interests.” The move includes a pause … Read more
Even Beverly Hills isn’t safe anymore. Los Angeles’ crime crisis is hitting everyone — from everyday residents to the rich and famous — and reality TV star Morgan Stewart says she’s learned that the hard way. Stewart pulled back the curtain on the string of burglaries that have targeted her home during Friday’s episode of … Read more
Before heading overseas, American travelers are warned to double-check their bags for one item that could lead to hefty fines or even prison time. US officials are reminding travelers that bringing cannabis products across international borders remains illegal in many countries — following a new customs policy in Thailand that significantly increases penalties for violators. In June … Read more
Paul Skalnik had a strange gift for being in jail when accused murderers suddenly felt the urge to spill their secrets. Skalnik was a petty con artist with a grimly reliable routine, writes Pamela Colloff in her riveting new book, “Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast.” … Read more
Marissa Layne is a mama bear who’s fiercely protective of her cubs. As the mother of a son under 10 and a one-year-old baby girl, the married midwesterner thought she was protecting her little ones’ privacy by only sharing photos of them with a small circle of close friends and family members via her private … Read more