Harry Reid opposes Ground Zero mosque

Harry Reid, an influential US politician, has spoken out publicly in support of those who protest the building of a mosque just a few blocks from the former site of the World Trade Centre in New York, where the structure collapsed after terrorist attacks in 2001.

Reid is said to support religious freedom, but thinks the mosque should be built somewhere else.

According to Politico:

“The First Amendment protects freedom of religion,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said in a statement. "Sen. Reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built someplace else. If the Republicans are being sincere, they would help us pass this long-overdue bill to help the first responders whose health and livelihoods have been devastated because of their bravery on 9/11, rather than continuing to block this much-needed legislation."

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Fight breaks out between ice cream truck vendors (VIDEO)

We all knew that traffic and parking in major cities was bad, particularly in New York. We weren't quite so convinced that it was as bad as this. Two ice cream vendors operating on the streets of New York's Manhattan are seen waging a fist fight over a prime parking spot.

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Bloomberg speaks out in defense of religious freedom; defends Ground Zero mosque

In a rare personal moment for the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg gave a teary-eyed defense of religious freedom in the form of plans to build an Islamic center near the former site of the World Trade Center - known as 'Ground Zero'.

Bloomberg praised the decision to allow the building of the mosque to go ahead - despite widespread criticism.

The billionaire mayor choked up during his delivery, which spoke of the religious freedoms desired by the earliest settlers of the United States.

"We may not always agree with every one of our neighbors. That's life and it's part of living in such a diverse and dense city. But we also recognize that part of being a New Yorker is living with your neighbors in mutual respect and tolerance. It was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11," he said.

Bloomberg was a prominent businessman before entering politics, and grew up in a disadvantaged family north of New York. He founded the multi-billion dollar financial data company Bloomberg LP before resigning to pursue the mayoralty. 

"Let us not forget that Muslims were among those murdered on 9/11 and that our Muslim neighbors grieved with us as New Yorkers and as Americans. We would betray our values - and play into our enemies' hands - if we were to treat Muslims differently than anyone else. In fact, to cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists - and we should not stand for that."

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George Steinbrenner, Yankees owner, dies

The man known within the New York and national mainstream press as 'The Boss' - the owner of the New York Yankees - has died  of an unannounced cause.

Steinbrenner made his name, reports the LA Times, synonymous with the revival of the New York Yankees as the dominant baseball team within the United States.

As quoted in the obituary published in the Times:

"He was and always will be as much of a New York Yankee as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and all of the other Yankee legends," baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said. "Although we would have disagreements over the years, they never interfered with our friendship and commitment to each other. Our friendship was built on loyalty and trust and it never wavered."

He died in Tampa, Florida. He was 80 years old. [LA Times]

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Oh God, not again

The same nutters who brought you the Times Square mass yoga gathering have tried again, this time in New York's other big city landmark, Central Park. This time, however, they were less lucky as the rain had the event called off early. [Image via AP]

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Damn hippies

In the spirit of the Summer Solstice, a bunch of fruity tutti yoga aficionados have chosen to aid New York's traffic problem, by initiating some strange yoga ritual in the middle of Times Square. [Image Via Getty]

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New York's most insensitive, poorly thought out photo

Somehow, a photo of a plane that looks like it is heading towards what is perhaps New York's most famous landmark just doesn't sit all that well with New Yorkers - particularly those who can remember back to 2001. 

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Mike Bloomberg, NYC Mayor: Leave BP Alone!

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire Mayor of New York City and the overlord of the highly praised (and highly profitable) financial data and news company Bloomberg L.P., thinks that people are being too harsh on BP, the oil company responsible for the huge oil spill that is currently polluting the Gulf of Mexico.

He is reported to say that the CEO of BP didn't 'exactly go down there and blow up the well'. Really? That's something I never considered; I could've sworn he personally made sure of it. Oh well, we can't be right all the time!

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Barack Obama's old apartment appears on Craigslist

The New York apartment that US president Barack Obama lived in in 1981 has come up for sale, and a listing has appeared on the international classified advertising site Craigslist.

The listing for the apartment gushes over "beautiful hardwood floors," "high ceilings," "large closets" and "OBAMA SLEPT HERE AND YOU CAN TOO." The New York Times reports that the president lived here with a roommate in 1981 during his Junior year at Columbia. 


No doubt many prospective buyers of apartments in New York will look at the President's former abode. 


See more pictures here and the listing itself. 

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