Are free outdoor events that attract crowds too dangerous? City Room reports that the 161st Street Business Improvement District's plans for a free screening of the USA-Ghana World Cup match at Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx were shut down by the city: "On Thursday morning, 48 hours before the game, officials with the city’s Street Activity Permit Office informed the group sponsoring the event that the request for a permit had been denied." A city spokeswoman said, "Based on expected attendance, the police, the D.O.T. and the parks department determined that it would not be possible to accommodate a safe event at that location." more ›

A six-ship convoy carrying aid to Palestinians in Gaza was attacked by Israeli commandoes, leaving at least nine dead and earning condemnations from around the world. The Washington Post reports, "The European Union called for an inquiry into the deaths. And the United Nations Security Council planned to meet Monday afternoon for an emergency session. The United States expressed regret at the loss of the life and said it was 'working to understand the circumstances of the tragedy.'" Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called it "state terrorism." more ›

Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be in town to address the United Nations' Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference tomorrow. Ahmadinejad said before departing Iran that the NPD had failed, "The biggest threat to the world today is the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons... Unfortunately the [International Atomic Energy Agency] in the past 40 years has not been successful in its mission. We have no disarmament or nonproliferation and some countries have even procured the nuclear bomb during this period." more ›

The Obama administration's unhappiness with Israel has now resulted in the special envoy delaying his trip to the Middle East and a call from House Minority Whip Eric Cantor to White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Politico reports that Cantor (R-VA) told Emanuel to "pull back and lower the volume" last night. Cantor said the recent rhetoric seemed to be an "opportunistic move by an administration that wants to impose its view ... onto our ally." more ›

If you wondered how the U.S. might become embroiled in the controversy over a Hamas leader's assassination, wonder no more: The Wall Street Journal reports, "Authorities in the United Arab Emirates are probing five U.S.-issued credit card accounts, which officials say were used by five of the 11 suspects in the January killing of a top Hamas leader in Dubai, according to a person familiar with the situation." more ›

Yesterday, a New Jersey father received custody of his nine-year-old son, after a protracted custody fight with Brazilian authorities that eventually involved President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. David Goldman of Tinton Falls, NJ and son Sean arrived in Florida last night via a NBC News chartered plane; Goldman released a statement saying, "It is now time for our new beginning, the rebirth of our family at such a special time of the year." more ›

Swine flu has spread nationwide, and cases are rapidly rising in many parts of the country, according to an announcement yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is significant flu activity in virtually all states," says Dr. Anne Schuch at the CDC. "It's quite unusual for this time of year." It was also announced yesterday that a 23-year-old recruit in basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C., has become the Army’s first swine flu death. Specialist Christopher M. Hog died of pneumonia on September 10th, and swine flu was found on autopsy. more ›

With the U.S.'s decision to put tariffs on tire imports from China—and China's unhappiness with the decision—there are concerns that China may impose retaliatory action on imports of U.S. poultry and vehicles. However, the NY Times suggests there's a secret weapon that Chicken Little might appreciate (or might not). A poultry economist and consultant, Paul Aho, tells the Times, "We have these jumbo, juicy paws the Chinese really love so I don’t think they are going to cut us off." While exports of U.S. chicken to China and Hong Kong only amount to 2% of the total poultry export revenue, it's very profitable: "About half of the chicken parts sold to China are wings and feet, which are worth only a few cents a pound in the United States. As delicacies in China, they fetch 60 cents to 80 cents a pound, a price that no other foreign market comes close to matching." And apparently U.S. poultry companies are the "world’s leading supplier of king-size chicken feet." Cato Institute trade expert Daniel Griswold said there's some risk, "If we are playing a game of chicken with China we are going to be big losers." In the meantime, China wants talks with the U.S. at the WTO. more ›

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into...any place serving food, a new outbreak of Salmonella has brought back the fear, sickening at least 372 people in 42 states, and possibly felling an elderly woman in Minnesota who had the infection when she died. The Centers for Disease Control [CDC] says 18% of the Salmonella victims have been hospitalized since this outbreak was first noticed back in the beginning of September. more ›

The owners of four Manhattan Burger King franchises are locked in a nasty legal battle with their royal overlord. Luan Sadik and his sister, Elizabeth Sadik, rebelled against the mandatory 99-cent menu and the recent dollar Value Menu because the prices couldn’t cover the obscene Manhattan rent and the fast food monarch roared. more ›

href="http://londonist.com/2008/02/air_bound.php"> remove one man from Gatwick.

Cuban president Fidel Castro resigned his position after nearly 50 years of rule. The 81-year-old Castro has been battling illness since 2006, notably turning over power to his brother Raul and other ministers temporarily. Though he was still ruling after his 2006 surgery, Castro was little seen. Now it is expected that Castro's resignation positions Raul Castro, 76, in line for the presidency. more ›

Yesterday morning, a fire broke out in Fort Greene apartment, where seven family members lived. The NY Post reports three relatives - a father and his two sons - were saved by a "Brooklyn vagrant on a breakfast beer run." more ›

Don't have a Valentine's Day card yet? Print out this page, cut out the cards and give it to yourself! You can also download EPS versions of these Valentine's Day cards immortalized on the Simpsons' episode, I Love Lisa, at deconcept. more ›

A family had been living in its Mill Basin, Brooklyn apartment for less than a week, when their 18-month-old toddler was struck by a bullet that passed through its ceiling from an upstairs apartment Thursday afternoon. Their upstairs neighbor is 24-year-old police officer, an Army veteran assigned to Manhattan's 1st Precinct, named Patrick Venetek. more ›

Update: Here are some of our photographs from the parade route - it look us a few hours to download the photos and decompress/shake out the confetti from the parade. We'll be adding a slideshow later. more ›

In 2001 Manhattan band The Strokes burst onto the scene with their debut LP Is This It. The album cover featured a tightly cropped shot of a nude model wearing (presumably) only a black glove. And now, finally, after all these years, we get to meet that model. In the below video she speaks out about the impromptu cover shot. more ›

Wouldn’t be caught dead with a “latte” from Starbucks or a Coolata from Dunkin Donuts? Well, you haven’t reached the summit of coffee snobbery until you’ve had the self-proclaimed “ultimate” cup of coffee, expertly prepared by computers and pneumatic tubes at the Lower East Side’s Roasting Plant. Since opening last spring, business has been hopping at the sleek Orchard Street café; coffee aficionados are drawn back as much for the fresh coffee as for the experience of seeing it made. more ›

Yesterday, Kim Ledger visited his son's apartment on Broome Street. After Heath Ledger had been found dead in a Soho loft last week, mourners have left letters, flowers and other tributes to the 28-year-old actor. The building staff had collected the items and kept them in the basement; the building super told the Post Kim Ledger said the mementos were "beautiful." more ›

When you're found to be making pipe bombs amidst an apartment arsenal of weapons and then confess to painting swastikas in your Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, expect the book to be thrown at you repeatedly. Ivaylo Ivanov was charged with over 100 criminal counts for his activities. more ›

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Governor Spitzer may have identified himself as a steamroller in his attempts to accomplish certain executive tasks, but he's got nothing on the former federal prosecutor and Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. The NY Times has a colorful profile of the the former Mayor as a man who used his offices as bludgeons, crushing anyone who crossed him. more ›

Brilliant, reclusive and eccentric, Chicago-born and Brooklyn-bred Bobby Fischer died at age 64 in Iceland. His spokesman said the cause was kidney failure, after a long illness. more ›

After news that a Green Bay Fox affiliate would not be showing Seinfeld because it's Giants quarterback Eli Manning's favorite show (the Giants are heading to the land of Cheeseheads to play the Packers in the NFC Championship), it was up to Jerry Seinfeld to rise to the occasion. The Mets fan told the Post, "I'm going to send Eli a complete collection of 'Seinfeld' DVDs and a partial collection of 'Hogan's Heroes' for inspiration!" We think Eli's gonna have to ask Archie about Hogan's Heroes. more ›

Exactly what every other driver wants: A truck carrying asbestos to overturn, spill its contents, and its driver running away from the scene. That's what happened yesterday afternoon with an asbestos truck on the Clearview Expressway hit a divided and flipped over. more ›

Yesterday we mentioned Amy Fisher would be at Retox last night deejaying for her sex tape party. She hit the club with a statement she claimed to have written herself, after tossing aside the one her publicist wrote. She did this after, she says, she was edited to look bad on her Good Morning America appearance...despite her plastic surgery and leopard-print fur vest, shocking! more ›

Mayor Bloomberg has announced that the city will crackdown on the abuse of parking permits issued to civil servants, reducing the overall number by 20%. The change comes after the Post revealed in November that “149 separate government entities had qualified for the coveted placards last year, ranging from the state lottery to the US Navy recruiting office, which was allocated an astonishing 110 permits.” more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a police officer was struck on Richmond and Wilson Aves. on Staten Island, there was a large fight on Franklin Ave. and Empire Blvd. in Brooklyn, and a double homicide on Furman Ave. and East 237th St. in the Bronx.
• The US Postal Service is expecting to process one billion individual pieces of mail today, three times the daily average. The busiest day of the year is expected to be Wednesday.
• Interboro Institute, the two-year commercial college, is going out of business due to financial and regulatory problems.
• Oysters used to be one of the most plentiful animals in NY Harbor. Now they're making a recovery in one of the most unlikely of places--the Gowanus Canal.
• The Metropolitan Museum received quite the holiday present when the estate of Diane Arbus presented it with the photographer's entire archives as a gift.
• The airline industry is seeking in court to block a passenger bill of rights that originated in New York due to horrendous service.
• The city's looking to combat the obesity of New Yorkers (we're less obese than the rest of the country) by increasing the number of permits issued to food cart vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Collaborative sleuthing tries to dig up why the planned Brooklyn College dorm that used to be under construction seems to be going nowhere.

Remember that cruel(la) couple from Long Island that enslaved two Indonesian women who worked in their mansion? After their million dollar bail plan was announced back in June we hadn't heard much about these two. Today, however, silence was broken after Varsha Mahender Sabhnani and her hubby Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani's trial has ended...and the latest is not good news for them! more ›

An explosion occurred at the Midtown building that houses News corporation businesses including Fox News and the NY Post. Fox 5 reports that a man was burned in the chemical explosion and 700 people have been evacuated. However, "the explosion has not interrupted the cable news channel's broadcast." more ›