Billy the Kid photograph fetches $2.3 million at auction

William Koch paid over $2 million for the only authenticated picture of Billy the Kid.The winning bidder is billionaire William KochOfficials had estimated the picture to bring in between $300,00 and $400,000Billy the Kid reportedly paid 25 cents to have the photo taken

(CNN) -- A 130-year-old photo, billed as the only authenticated picture of legendary outlaw Billy the Kid, sold for $2.3 million at a Denver auction Saturday night.

The Old West Show & Auction had estimated the tintype -- an early photographic technique that used metal plates -- to bring in between $300,000 and $400,000.

"When the bidding ended, the whole room erupted in clapping and people leapt to their feet," said Melissa McCracken, spokeswoman for the auction. "I've never experienced anything like this before,"

The winning bidder was billionaire William Koch.

The auction started with five bidders. Within two minutes, the bids shot up to a million dollars. "The bidding was absolutely crazy," McCracken said.

Billy the Kid reportedly paid 25 cents to have the photo taken in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

The outlaw was born Henry McCarty but was also known as William H. Bonney and Henry Antrim. Popular history has him gunning down 21 men, but many historians say the number was closer to nine.

He later died at the hands of another sheriff when he was only 21.

The annual auction is known for its collection of Wild West memorabilia. Last year, it auctioned off the gun collection of Roy Rogers, "the King of the Cowboys" who appeared in more than 100 movies.

CNN

Five million Pakistanis at risk from floods, says U.N. (Reuters)

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Up to five million people in Pakistan are at risk from floods this year, partly due to poor reconstruction and the inadequate rehabilitation of survivors who are still reeling from last year's epic deluge, the U.N. said on Wednesday.

Monsoon floods began roaring through Pakistan in late July last year, leaving one-fifth of the country -- an area the size of Italy -- underwater, disrupting the lives of more than 18 million people.

The government and aid organisations were criticized for being too slow to respond while the military, seen as a far more efficient institution, took the lead in relief operations.

As Pakistan braces itself again for its annual monsoon season -- which runs from late June to early September -- the U.N. says authorities and the aid community have learnt lessons and are better prepared -- even for the worst case scenario.

"Since the beginning of March, we have been in close contact with the government to make sure response is up and running and that we are better prepared this year," said Manuel Bessler, head of the U.N. emergencies office (OCHA) in Pakistan.

"The most anticipated scenario is two million affectees and the worst case scenario is five million. We are prepared for these two scenarios," he told AlertNet by phone from Islamabad.

Last year's flooding -- which went on for almost three months and wiped out villages from the far north to the deep south of the country -- is considered to be one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent times. Around 11 million people were left homeless, 2,000 were killed, infrastructure such as bridges and roads washed away and millions of acres of crops destroyed.

POOR RECONSTRUCTION

Based on forecasts from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, this year's monsoons are, in general, likely to be 10 percent below normal.

But despite this, millions could be hit by floods, partly because infrastructure such as dykes and embankments were "weak" and could have been strengthened better, said Bessler, who heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

A lack of funds has meant that some communities have not been able to adequately reconstruct their homes or regain financial income after losing their livelihoods as farmers, making them more susceptible this year.

The U.N. last year appealed to the world for almost $2 billion -- the biggest appeal ever launched by the body for any humanitarian emergency -- to help survivors. Yet, 30 percent of the appeal remains unfunded almost one year on.

"The vulnerabilities are higher this year than last year," he said. "This a because of poor timing and a lack of funding which has meant that perhaps, things were not be done to the level they could have been."

Also, environmental conditions such as increased snow melt in mountainous areas was leading to high water levels in rivers, while ground water levels were already high after last year's deluge, reducing its absorption capacity.

Bessler said the humanitarian community were prepositioning relief items --- tents, water and sanitation equipment and filling up warehouses with food items, as well as establishing coordination structures with authorities at federal and provincial levels.

"The monsoon will happen -- its just a question how big and if external assistance is needed by Pakistan," he said.

"We have to be ready because this would be a major failure if the government and humanitarian community have not learnt the lessons from last year's experience."

(Edited by Chris Allbritton and Sanjeev Miglani)

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Marilyn Monroe's old clothes fetch $8 million

Marilyn Monroe wore the famed "Subway" dress in "The Seven-Year Itch."Four Marilyn Monroe movie outfits sell at a Beverly Hills auction SaturdayDebbie Reynolds is selling her collection of 3,500 film costumesBids are "totally crazy, especially in this recession," a collector says

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Marilyn Monroe's white "subway" dress sold for more than $5.6 million in a Beverly Hills, California auction Saturday night in which bidders paid another $2.7 million for three other Monroe movie outfits.

It was the first in a series of auctions to sell the massive Hollywood history collection that singer, dancer and actress Debbie Reynolds accumulated over the past 50 years.

Collector Keya Morgan said Saturday's bids were "totally crazy, especially in this recession."

Bidding for the iconic ivory pleated dress Monroe wore in "The Seven Year Itch" was "totally magical," Morgan said.

Reynolds was in tears when, after 20 minutes of drama, the gavel sounded an end to bidding with the price at $4.6 million.

With the auction company getting a $1 million commission, the buyer will pay $5.6 million. It had been expected to sell for $2 million, the auction house, Profiles in History, said.

The buyer, who was relaying his bids over a telephone, was not immediately identified.

The red-sequined showgirl gown and a feathered hat Monroe wore in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" sold for $1.47 million. The expected price was $300,000.

Monroe's costumes from "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "River of No Return" brought another $1.2 million Saturday.

The previous record price for a Monroe dress was $1.26 million paid in 1999 for the sheer white dress the actress wore in May 1962 when she sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy.

Morgan, who is writing a book about Monroe's death, said the actress would have been shocked to know her dresses would sell for so much. She only had $2,000 in her bank account at the time of her death, he said.

Reynolds accumulated 3,500 movie costumes and thousands of props over the past 50 years with the hope of housing them in a museum. Taking care of the treasures became a financial burden on the 79-year-old entertainer, leading to her decision to sell, she said.

Other high-priced items included a blue cotton dress and a pair of ruby slippers made for Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz." Although both items were only test costumes never worn in camera, they brought a combined price of nearly $1.75 million.

A matador outfit worn by Rudolph Valentino for the 1922 film "Blood and Sand" sold for $258,000. The auction house predicted before the sale it would go for about $80,000.

One of Charlie Chaplin's signature bowler hats, worn in several films, sold for $135,300.

The World War I military uniform worn by Gary Cooper in the 1941 movie "Sergeant York" was purchased for $67,650.

A bidder paid $73,800 for the velvet brown racing silks and riding pants worn by a young Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet."

CNN

$202 million lottery ticket sold in New York

The winning ticket was sold at a Long Island stationery storeThe winner has one year to claim the money

New York (CNN) -- Someone in New York is holding a Powerball ticket worth $202 million, according to a New York Lottery official.

The winning jackpot ticket in Wednesday night's drawing was sold at a Long Island stationery store, Maulik & Chandni

in Lindenhurst. As of Thursday afternoon no one had come forward to claim the prize, said Carolyn Hapeman, a lottery spokeswoman.

The store is known for its winning record. In 2006 it sold a $1 million scratch-off ticket and last year a customer hit a $96,000 LOTTO jackpot there.

"I'm very excited -- it's good for us, and I hope they (the winner or winners) have a very good life now," said Mike Patel, the store owner.

It is the second-largest winning lottery ticket sold in New York this year; winnings of $319 million were claimed in March by a group of coworkers in Albany who are now known as "Albany Seven."

The June 1 winning numbers were 8, 18, 38, 46, 56 and the Powerball was 31. The winner has one year to claim the wealth.

Hapeman said if a lump-sum payment is chosen over a multi-year annuity, the winnings would come out to $106 million.

CNN

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U.S. to Give Libyan Rebels $25 Million in Non-Lethal Aid, Officials Say

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The Obama administration plans to give the Libyan opposition $25 million in non-lethal assistance in the first direct U.S. aid to the rebels after weeks of assessing their capabilities and intentions, officials said Wednesday.

Amid a debate over whether to offer the rebels broader assistance, including cash and possibly weapons and ammunition, the administration has informed Congress that President Barack Obama intends to use his so-called "drawdown authority" to give the opposition, led by the Transitional National Council in Benghazi, up to $25 million in surplus American goods to help protect civilians in rebel-held areas threatened by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who recommended that Obama authorize the assistance, said the aid would go to support the council and "our efforts to protect civilians and the civilian populated areas that are under threat of attack from their own government in Libya." She said the aid "will be drawn down from items already in government stocks that correspond with the needs that we have heard from the Transitional National Council."

Congress was notified in writing of the plan late last week and was briefed in greater detail on Tuesday by Gene Cretz, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, officials said.

Initially, the administration had proposed supplying the rebels with vehicles and portable fuel storage tanks but those items were dropped from the list of potential aid on Wednesday after concerns were expressed that those could be converted into offensive military assets, the officials said.

The list is still being revised but now covers items such as medical supplies, uniforms, boots, tents, personal protective gear, radios and Halal meals, the officials said. Most of the items are expected to come from Pentagon stocks, they said.

"There is an urgency in providing these commodities," the State Department said in a notice sent last Friday to lawmakers and obtained by The Associated Press.

"This is not a blank check," Clinton told reporters, adding that the move was consistent with the U.N. mandate that authorized international action to protect Libyan civilians and acknowledging that the opposition is in dire need of help.

"This opposition, which has held its own against a brutal assault by the Gadhafi forces was not an organized militia," she said. "It was not a group that had been planning to oppose the rule of Gadhafi for years. It was a spontaneous response within the context of the broader Arab spring. These are mostly business people, students, lawyers, doctors, professors who have very bravely moved to defend their communities and to call for an end to the regime in Libya."

The move comes as U.S. allies step up their aid to the rebels, with Britain, France and Italy sending military advisers amid calls for the U.S. to offer direct assistance outside its participation in NATO military operations. France and Italy have both recognized the Transitional National Council as Libya's legitimate government, something the U.S. has yet to do.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday that Obama was aware of the allies' decision to send in advisers "and hopes -- believes -- that it will help the opposition. But it does not at all change the president's policy on no boots on the ground for American troops."

There has been much debate over whether to supply the rebels with weapons and the officials said that option remains on the table.

The officials said the non-lethal assistance would be monitored to ensure it is used properly, although they noted that the items to be sent present a low risk of misuse.

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U.S. Gives $126.8 Million to U.N. Refugee Agency Despite Cuts in Foreign Aid

FoxNews.com

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The United States announced on Friday that it was giving $126.8 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) despite making $377 million in cuts to various other U.N. payments as part of the $38 billion reductions for the 2011 budget.

The funding comes from the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and will support the panel's programs, which helps refugees return to places such as Afghanistan and Sudan, and provide them with basic needs, like water, food, health care and education.

Of that amount, nearly $50 million will go to the Middle East, $40 million to Africa and $23 million to Asia. The U.S. has provided more than $285 million to the agency this year. 

The latest contribution comes on the heels of news that the U.S., the top contributor to the U.N., overpaid its share of the U.N. peacekeeping budget for 2010-2011. The peacekeeping savings, including the overpayments, amount to $286.7 million -- more than three-quarters of the $377 million in U.N. cuts.

But that pales in comparison to the $6.35 billion that the U.S.sent to the U.N. in 2009, according to the latest available data compiled by the Obama administration.

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Study: 2 million babies stillborn every year

By Eileen Blass, USA TODAY

About half of the 2 million babies born stillborn every year could be saved if their mothers had better medical care.

EnlargeCloseBy Eileen Blass, USA TODAY

About half of the 2 million babies born stillborn every year could be saved if their mothers had better medical care.

While the vast majority of stillbirths happen in the developing world, the rates in countries including Britain, France and the U.S. have not dropped to the degree many experts had expected, as rising obesity levels among pregnant women increase the risk.

Experts say providing better obstetric care, treating conditions like syphilis, high blood pressure and diabetes in mothers, among other strategies, could save more than 1 million infants every year. The research was paid for by organizations including Save the Children, the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was published online Thursday in the journal, Lancet.

"It's a scandal there are so many stillbirths that can be prevented," said Joy Lawn, director of global evidence and policy at Save the Children in South Africa, who led the Lancet series. She said the politics of public health has meant the stillbirths problem has been sidelined by maternal and child health programs, even though there are more stillbirths than children killed by AIDS and malaria combined.

In developing countries, most stillbirths are caused by delivery complications, maternal infections in pregnancy, fetal growth problems and congenital abnormalities. In developed countries, the reasons are often unclear why stillbirths occur, and surveillance and autopsy data are patchy.

But the researchers' estimates have a wide margin of error: the numbers range between 2.1 million to 3.8 million stillbirths a year. Those figures are based on reported statistics from 33 countries, largely in the West. For the other 160 countries, where the most stillbirths occur, scientists relied on modeled estimates.

William Easterly, an aid development expert at New York University, said the numbers were based on too little information to be reliable. He was not connected to the research.

"It's basically made-up data," he said.

Easterly said he was glad to see stillbirths on the global agenda, but warned the estimates could distort public health policy.

Finland and Singapore had the lowest stillbirth rates worldwide

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Florida tourism gets a $30 million boost from BP

A surfer walks Pensacola Beach, Florida, in March, 2011. STORY HIGHLIGHTSTourism in Northwest Florida receives a $30 million grant from BPThe grant is part of BP's commitment to Florida since the April 20 oil spillSeven counties will benefit from the three-year grant (CNN) -- Tourism in Florida is getting a $30 mililon boost from BP, state officials said Monday.

Gov. Rick Scott announced the Northwest Florida Tourism Council will recieve a grant to help mitigate the impact to the area's tourism industry as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a statement from the governor's office said.

"I am pleased that BP is doing the right thing," Scott said. "I'm optimistic that with the assistance of this grant the world will know that Florida's beaches are as beautiful as ever and open for business."

According to the statement, the three-year grant must be used for the purposes of tourism promotion and awareness building.

"The agreement we have signed is a further example of BP's commitment to doing what is in the best interest of the state and the people of Florida," said Luke Keller, an executive with BP America's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization.

During the three-year period, BP will evaluate expenditures and tourism council partners will provide quarterly updates on tourism program activities and other information.

Seven counties -- including Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin -- will benefit from the grant.

According to Keller, Florida has received $82 million for tourism and seafood testing and marketing since the April 20, 2010, spill caused by an explosion and fire on an offshore rig owned by BP.

Oil from the spill washed up on beaches that line of the Gulf of Mexico, including ones in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

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Dish Network wins Blockbuster with $228 million bid

said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of sales, marketing and programming for Dish Network.

MORE: Dish Network's press releaseBlockbuster is already a shadow of its former self. When the chain filed for bankruptcy protection, it was down to 3,000 stores, less than a third of the peak of 9,100 in 2004. There are about 2,400 still open, and plans are to close about 700 more by mid-April.

Blockbuster used to dominate the U.S. movie rental business. But it lost money for years as that business declined because customers shifted to Netflix, video on demand and DVD rental kiosks.

Dish, based in Englewood, Colo., expects to close the deal during the second quarter. The transaction needs bankruptcy court approval.

Aside from Dish and Icahn, others involved in the bankruptcy court auction were a group of debt holders called Cobalt Video Holdco. Another bidder, SK Telecom, dropped out after two rounds of bidding. An expected joint bid by two liquidation firms, Gordon Brothers Group and Hilco Merchant Resources, did not materialize.

There were several rounds of bidding at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New York on Tuesday before the courthouse closed for the day. The auction continued at law firm Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, where the proceeding was closed to the public.

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