Video: Aruba to release American suspect

>>> now to a surprising development in the disappearance of american robyn gardner in aru aruba . gary gee iordano, the only suspect in this case is free to go. a move that could have him back in the states within days. nbc's lily luciano has the story.

>> he cried. it's the try of an innocent man finally being released.

>> reporter: the ruling came as a shock, both to prosecution and defense. gary giordano held for nearly four months in the disappearance of american robyn gardner in aruba walks as early as tuesday. aruban law allows for the suspect of a crime to be held for 30 days without a charge. that's been extended several times in the investigation. but without enough evidence to charge giordano , prosecutors ran out of time.

>> i said we are determined to come to a conclusion, to find out the truth in this case and that will continue. we have still a lot of things to investigate.

>> giordano , seen in the surveillance tape with gardener on his day of her disappearance claims they went snorkeling together. when currents got strong, he signaled for her to swim back to the beach. but by the time he got back to shore, he lost sight of her for good. he attempted to flee the island just three days after she went missing. with his potential release, prosecutors fear he may be a flight risk but they say this new ruling doesn't mean the case is over. prosecutors have now filed an appeal to gee giordano behind bars while they continue their search for clues. it must be approved by a three-judge panel by tuesday, or else gary giordano walks free, free to return home while the disappearance of robyn gardner remains a mystery.

>> here is more insight is attorney karen stow. good morning.

>> good morning, lester.

>> the prosecution is continuing to investigate, but is there any evidence that a crime was committed?

>> there's a gut feeling . deja vu with the natalie holloway case here. prosecutors have a gut feeling and that's based on witness testimony, the fact that there was a $1.5 million insurance policy that he took out for this vacation insurance in case something happened to miss gardner during this vacation period. so there's a lot of information that makes us question whether or not it was him and whether or not this was just an accident. he's maintaining that she was swept out to sea. obviously, there's a lot of information here that says that that's not what happened, that possibly she was, in fact, murdered.

>> but this decision to allow his release is based upon the fact that there hasn't been any new evidence in the case. so is this appeal going to -- when the judge looks at this appeal, are they going to say, well, where is your new evidence?

>> i think that's what he's saying now. he's been held for over 100 days now. if there was any new witness testimony or anything new in the investigation, they could extend that. the fbi back in maryland did do a sweep of his home, so if there is any new evidence, they can rearrest him and have him extradited.

>> you mentioned the natalee holloway case. is that what's driving this here? is there a sense that there was embarrassment for authorities? are they making sure the suspect doesn't get out of their reach?

>> not so much an embarrassment, but yes, van der sloot was arrested on another murder. but their main source of income over there is tourism. how are you going to have tourism, lester, when no one is going to want to go over there thinking i'm going to go over there and get murdered. every mother in the world if their daughter says i'm going to aruba has a nervous breakdown. tremendous amount of pressure to try and resolve this so their industry is not affected.

>> and you mentioned extradition. is that an easy process or would they have to have solid evidence before the u.s. would hand him over?

>> it's not an easy process. obviously you try as a prosecutor and a former prosecutor you hope that they waive it. but even with van der sloot , he was in the netherlands when he was re-arrested. the process takes a while and, yes, there's a lot of paperwork. you have to do an affidavit there, you have to do an affidavit here. it's a process.

>> karen, thanks. always appreciate your

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45444287/

cupertino htc flyer review westboro stevejobs stevejobs steve jobs commencement speech sarah palin

"Breaking Dawn" tops holiday weekend box office (omg!)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Vampires feasted at the Thanksgiving weekend box office, bringing the newest "Twilight" movie its second win in a row, over a strong comeback for "The Muppets" and other family fare that filled theaters.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1" delivered an estimated $113.5 million around the globe from Friday through Sunday. The film ranked No. 1 for the second straight week at U.S. and Canadian theaters, where ticket sales hit $42 million for three days and $62.3 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The film's total box-office take since its release reached $489.3 million globally.

"Breaking Dawn: Part 1" is the fourth movie in the "Twilight" series, one of Hollywood's most lucrative franchises. The movies are based on best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer about a human-vampire-werewolf love triangle, a story that has generated legions of die-hard female fans.

For the latest movie, "word of mouth is good. (Fans) are supporting the film," said Richie Fay, president of domestic distribution for independent studio Summit Entertainment, which backed the film.

In second place, audiences welcomed the Muppets back to theaters for the first time in 12 years.

New Disney movie "The Muppets," starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy and their puppet friends, took in a strong $29.5 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters in three days. The five-day holiday weekend haul reached $42 million domestically. Two international markets added $1.6 million.

Disney bought the rights to the Muppets in 2004, and the media, entertainment and consumer-products giant is eager to interest a new generation in the characters.

"It's hard to have anyone argue we didn't bring them back," said Dave Hollis, Disney's executive vice president for motion picture sales and distribution. The movie's performance "exceeded expectations," he said.

The Muppets starred on a weekly television show in the 1970s and early 1980s plus a series of films, the last being 1999's "Muppets from Space."

Critics loved the new Muppets movie, with 98 percent giving it a favorable review, according to aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences awarded an A rating on average, according to exit-polling firm CinemaScore. The movie cost about $45 million to produce.

FAMILY FILMS COMPETE

In third place for the weekend, dancing penguin sequel "Happy Feet Two" earned $13.4 million over three days domestically during its second weekend in theaters and $18.4 million through five days.

Rounding out the top five were two other new family movies that critics adored.

Animated 3D movie "Arthur Christmas," which cost about $98 million to produce, pulled in $12.7 million at domestic theaters over three days and $17 million in five days to finish in fourth place. The movie explains how Santa delivers presents around the world in one night and has earned $22.3 million overseas since opening two weeks ago.

Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures, said the film "opened about where we hoped it would," adding that he expected the Christmas theme would appeal throughout the holiday season.

"Hugo," a 3D family movie, ended the weekend in fifth place with $11.4 million over three days and $15.4 million over five days. The movie centers on an orphan living in a Paris train station in the 1930s.

The film exceeded studio forecasts for its release in about 1,300 locations, far fewer than the 3,000-plus for the other widely released films, said Don Harris, president of domestic distribution for Paramount.

In a small number of theaters, "My Week with Marilyn," starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, opened with $1.8 million from 244 screens from Friday through Sunday. Critics have praised Williams' performance in the Weinstein Co. film and mentioned her as an Academy Award contender for the role.

Walt Disney Co released "The Muppets." Privately held Summit Entertainment released "Breaking Dawn: Part 1." "Arthur Christmas" was distributed by Sony, and "Hugo" was released by Paramount, a unit of Viacom Inc. Time Warner unit Warner Bros. distributed "Happy Feet Two."

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_twilight_lights_box_offices2nd_week_171644140/43728080/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/twilight-lights-box-offices-2nd-week-171644140.html

gilad shalit santonio holmes john edward psychic john edward psychic brandon marshall headless horseman headless horseman