News Briefs

Paul the Octopus, World Cup Oracle, Dies in German Aquarium

Paul the Octopus, who accurately predicted the result of every German soccer match and the final in this year's World Cup in South Africa, has died.

The mollusk-turned-sage passed away naturally in his aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen overnight, Sealife said Tuesday in a statement on its website. Aquarium workers were "devastated" when they found him this morning.

Paul became a media sensation in Germany and around the world this summer with his talent for World Cup predictions. He tipped winners by choosing between two mussel-filled containers adorned with the flags of each team.

Paul's tank was adorned with the flags of World Cup countries, and a replica trophy recalls his successes. Spanish visitors grateful for his foresight flocked to the aquarium. A book deal, a movie contract and endorsements followed.

Gregory Isaacs, Jamaican Reggae Artist, Dead at 59

Gregory Isaacs, the Jamaican-born reggae singer who was known as the "cool ruler" for his smooth, romantic singing style and who popularized the reggae subgenre known as lover's rock, died of lung cancer Monday at his home in London. He was 59.

Unlike so-called roots rock singers Bob Marley and Burning Spear, who popularized songs that reflected world politics and the Rastafarian culture, Isaacs was best known for his love songs, many of which he wrote.

With the success of his release "Night Nurse" (1982), which he co-wrote, Isaacs was poised for international stardom. That same year, he was sentenced to six months in a Jamaican prison for possession of unlicensed firearms.

Isaacs maintained that he owned the guns for protection from robbers and political violence, which had engulfed Jamaica in the late 1970s.

It was later reported that he had been arrested 27 times, mostly on drug charges – a fact that may have accounted for his reluctance to give interviews.

Isaacs was married multiple times, and a complete list of survivors could not be confirmed.

He continued to record and tour throughout the 1990s. However, in 2007, the London Daily Telegraph reported that addiction to crack cocaine had caused the singer to lose his teeth – a problem that affected his singing.

"It was the greatest college ever, but the most expensive fee ever paid - the Cocaine High School," Isaacs told the Telegraph in 2007. "I learnt everything - and now I've put it on the side."

"Hometown Boy" Paladino Leads in Local Poll

Republican candidate for governor Carl P. Paladino may be trailing behind Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo in statewide polls, but Paladino leads in local polls.

A new Goldhaber Research Associates survey in the gubernatorial race shows Paladino in the lead by 48 to 29 percent. Goldhaber said Paladino benefits in his hometown of Buffalo because those who know him best are more inclined to vote for him in the upcoming November elections.

The results are significant because every statewide poll taken since Paladino won the primaries in early September shows Cuomo in the lead.

The poll interviewed 476 likely voters between Oct. 19 and Oct. 23. Paladino leads among Buffalo voters 38 to 33 percent with 22 percent undecided. Paladino leads by 53 to 27 percent in the suburbs with 17 percent undecided.