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Amber Heard Charged with Smuggling Dogs into Australia

Lisa.Felice
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Amber Heard Charged with Smuggling Dogs into Australia

Amber Heard has been charged with smuggling dogs into Australia.

The incident captured global attention after Australia’s agriculture minister angrily ordered the pooches to get out of the country or face death.

Johnny Depp’s wife was charged this week with two counts of illegally importing Pistol and Boo into Australia and one count of producing a false document, the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions said on July 16.Johnny Depp and Amber Heard dog scandal

The importation charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of 102,000 Australian dollars ($75,000). The false document charge, which relates to information on an incoming passenger card, carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of AU$10,200.

The scandal began in May, after Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce accused Johnny Depp, 52, of smuggling the couple’s Yorkshire terriers aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia to resume filming of the fifth movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

Australia has strict quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies from spreading to its shores. Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and quarantine on arrival of at least 10 days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpW8_dKeDQs

ESPYS 2015: Full List of Winners

Clyde K. Valle
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ESPYS 2015: Full List of Winners

2015 ESPYS winners:

Best Team
U.S. Women’s Soccer – FIFA (WINNER)
New England Patriots – NFL
Connecticut Huskies – NCAA Women’s Basketball
Golden State Warriors – NBA
Chicago Blackhawks – NHL
Ohio State Buckeyes – FBS

Best Male Athlete
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (WINNER)
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
JJ Watt, Houston Texans

Best Play (bracket-style)
Odell Beckham catch vs. 16. Albany goalie lacrosse goal (WINNER)
Bahamas Bowl Hail Mary vs. 15. Dwayne Bravo cricket catch
Lionel Messi goal vs. 14. Jerian Grant dunk
Malcolm Butler INT vs. 13. Josh Sheehan triple back flip
Stephen Curry step back 3 vs. 12. Ameer Abdullah TD run
Ronda Rousey armbar vs. 11. Gerald Green dunk off the glass
Tyler Ennis goal vs. 10. Shoni Schimmel circus shot
Kevin Pillar catch vs. 9. Jeremy Menez goalESPYS 2015 winners

Best Comeback Athlete
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (WINNER)
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

Best Female Athlete
Ronda Rousey, MMA (WINNER)
Breanna Stewart, UConn Basketball
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
Serena Williams, WTA

Best Moment
Lauren Hill

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance
Devon and Leah Still

Pat Tillman Award for Service
Danielle Green

Icon Award
Derek Jeter

Arthur Ashe Award for Courage
Caitlyn Jenner

Best Championship Performance
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (WINNER)
American Pharoah, Race Horse
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
Lauren Haeger, Florida Softball

Best Male College Athlete
Marcus Mariota, Oregon Football (WINNER)
Jack Eichel, Boston University Hockey
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin Basketball
Logan Stieber, Ohio State Wrestling
Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt Baseball

Best Breakthrough Athlete
Mo’ne Davis, Little League Baseball (WINNER)
Odell Beckham Jr, New York Giants
Cardale Jones, Ohio State Buckeyes
Jordan Spieth, PGA

Best NBA Player
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (WINNER)
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
James Harden, Houston Rockets
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Best Record-Breaking Performance
Peyton Manning throws record-509th touchdown pass (WINNER)
Lauren Chamberlain hits 91st home run in NCAA softball
Devin Hester takes punt in for 20th touchdown return
Klay Thompson scores 37 points in a single quarter

Best Upset
Mississippi over Alabama, FBS (WINNER)
Georgia State over Baylor, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
Kansas City Royals wins AL Pennant

Best Fighter
Ronda Rousey, MMA (WINNER)
Donald Cerrone, MMA
Terence Crawford, Boxing
Gennady Golovkin (GGG), Boxing
Floyd Mayweather Jr, Boxing

Best Jockey
Victor Espinoza (WINNER)
Javier Castellano
Joel Rosario

Best Game
Patriots vs. Seahawks, Super Bowl (WINNER)
A’s vs. Royals, MLB AL Wild Card
Spurs vs. Clippers Game 7, NBA Western Conference Quarterfinals

Best Coach/Manager
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors (WINNER)
Geno Auriemma, UConn Huskies
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Blue Devils
Urban Meyer, Ohio State Buckeyes

Best Comeback Athlete
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (WINNER)
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

Best International Athlete
Lionel Messi, Barcelona/Argentina (WINNER)
Novak Djokovic, ATP
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One
Lydia Ko, LPGA
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid/Portugal

Best NFL Player
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (WINNER)
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
JJ Watt, Houston Texans

Best MLB Player
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (WINNER)
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins

Best NHL Player
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks (WINNER)
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
John Tavares, New York Islanders

Best Driver
Kevin Harvick, NASCAR (WINNER)
Erica Enders-Stevens, NHRA
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One
Juan Pablo Montoya, IndyCar
Will Power, IndyCar

Best WNBA Player
Skylar Diggins, Tulsa Shock (WINNER)
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

Best Male Golfer
Jordan Spieth (WINNER)
Rory McIlroy
Billy Horschel

Best Female Golfer
Lydia Ko (WINNER)
Stacy Lewis
Inbee Park

Best Male Tennis Player
Novak Djokovic (WINNER)
Marin Cilic
Roger Federer
Stan Wawrinka

Best Female Tennis Player
Serena Williams (WINNER)
Simona Halep
Petra Kvitova
Maria Sharapova

Best Female College Athlete
Missy Franklin, Cal Swimming (WINNER)
Taylor Cummings, Maryland Lacrosse
Lauren Haeger, Florida Softball
Micha Hancock, Penn State Volleyball
Breanna Stewart, Connecticut Basketball

Best Male Action Sports Athlete
Ryan Dungey, Motocross (WINNER)
Tucker Hibbert, SnoCross
Nyjah Huston, Skateboarding
Mark McMorris, Snowboarding
Josh Sheehan, Freestyle Motocross

Best Female Action Sports Athlete
Kelly Clark, Snowboarding (WINNER)
Paige Alms, Surfing
Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing
Laia Sanz, Enduro/motorbike

Best Male Athlete with a Disability
Krige Schabort, Triathlon (WINNER)
Joe Berenyi, Cycling
Josh Pauls, Sled Hockey
Mike Shea, Snowboarding
Andy Soule, Nordic Skiing

Best Female Athlete with a Disability
Becca Meyers, Swimming (WINNER)
Kendall Gretsch, Triathlon
Oksana Masters, Nordic Skiing
Tatyana McFadden, Track and Field
Greta Neimanas, Cycling

Best Bowler
Jason Belmonte (WINNER)
Parker Bohn III
Mike Fagan

Best MLS Player
Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy (WINNER)
Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders
Lee Nguyen, New England Revolution
Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDtOkIvqos0

ESPYS 2015: Evander Holyfield Says Caitlyn Jenner Is Still Bruce

Lisa.Felice
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ESPYS 2015: Evander Holyfield Says Caitlyn Jenner Is Still Bruce

Caitlyn Jenner accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs on July 15.

While receiving the award, Caitlyn Jenner has called on sports people to help change attitudes towards transgender people.

But boxer Evander Holyfield doesn’t seem to get it.

Caitlyn Jenner, who used to be known as Bruce Jenner, received a standing ovation after winning the “courage” award at a ceremony in LA.

Speaking on stage at the ESPYS, which honors sportspeople, Caitlyn Jenner said: “Trans people deserve something vital, they deserve your respect.”

Afterwards, former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield said: “I just know that’s Bruce Jenner and I’ll leave it at that.”

Photo AP
Photo AP

Others on the red carpet reacted differently though.

Little League baseball pitcher Mo’ne Davis, who is 14, described Caitlyn Jenner as “brave to have the courage to get through a lot of those things”.

Although some think say college basketball player Lauren Hill, who died of brain cancer in April, was more deserving of the honor.

ESPN has also denied rumors Caitlyn Jenner was given the award in exchange for plugs on her new reality show, calling the claims “completely false”.

In her 10-minute acceptance speech, Caitlyn Jenner asked the audience, which included football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey stars, to make transgender equality one of their issues too.

Caitlyn Jenner, 65, said what sport stars say and do is “absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people”.

The former Olympian told them about trans teenagers who are bullied, beaten up, murdered or kill themselves, mentioning two people deaths that particularly touched her.

“If you want to call me names, make jokes and doubt my intentions, go ahead because the reality is I can take it,” Caitlyn Jenner said.

“But for thousands of kids out there coming to terms with the reality of who they are they shouldn’t have to take it.”

Caitlyn Jenner described the last few months as “a whirlwind” after confirming she was transgender in April.

She thanked her family for their support, with daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner wiping away tears in the audience.

The Arthur Ashe award is named after the tennis player who died from AIDS in 1993 after a blood transfusion.

Caitlyn Jenner said she had met Arthur Ashe a few times and knew education was important to him.

“Learn as much as you can about another person to understand them as well as you can,” she said.

Caitlyn Jenner’s new show I Am Cait starts this July.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j5AC_NgQpc

ESPYS 2015: Caitlyn Jenner Receives Arthur Ashe Courage Award

Lisa.Felice
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ESPYS 2015: Caitlyn Jenner Receives Arthur Ashe Courage Award

Former Olympian Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS on July 15.

Caitlyn Jenner received a standing ovation from some of the sporting world’s biggest stars after her 10-minute speech during the annual awards honoring the year’s top athletes and moments.

She also urged acceptance for others who are transgender.

“This transition has been harder on me than anything I can imagine,” said Caitlyn Jenner.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Abby Wambach of the US soccer team that won the Women’s World Cup presented the trophy to Caitlyn Jenner, whose voice broke as she thanked members of her famous family, including stepdaughters Kim and Khloe Kardashian. Tears welled in the eyes of Caitlyn Jenner’s younger daughter, Kylie, whose sister, Kendall, wiped a tear from her eye.

“I never wanted to hurt anyone else, most of all my family and my kids,” said Caitlyn Jenner, who admitted that until earlier this year she had never met another transgender person.

Caitlyn Jenner urged the crowd that included football, basketball, baseball and hockey players to remember what they say and do is “absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people”.

A video traced Caitlyn Jenner’s life from the time when she was known as Bruce Jenner to her current transition. She was shown applying makeup, buttoning her blouse in her closet and fastening the strap on her heeled shoes.

Caitlyn Jenner didn’t walk the red carpet outside the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, and she didn’t appear backstage to talk with reporters, as most of the previous Ashe award recipients have done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j5AC_NgQpc

George H.W. Bush Hospitalized After Breaking Bone in Neck

Nancy Clayson
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George H.W. Bush Hospitalized After Breaking Bone in Neck

George Bush Sr. has been admitted to hospital after breaking a bone in his neck in a fall at his home in Maine.

The former president’s spokesman, Jim McGarth, said he was in a stable condition and his hospital stay was expected to be brief.George Bush Sr breaks neck bone

George H.W. Bush, who has Parkinson’s disease and cannot use his legs, celebrated his 90th birthday last year with a sky dive.

The 91-year-old had to go to hospital at the end of last year with shortness of breath.

Jim McGrath said George H.W. Bush, the oldest of the four living former US presidents, would need to wear a neck brace following his fall on July 15 in Kennebunkport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFSLmSagyaA

Solar Impulse 2 Grounded After Record-Breaking Pacific Crossing

James J. Williams
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Solar Impulse 2 Grounded After Record-Breaking Pacific Crossing

Solar Impulse 2 has been grounded until next year, the Swiss team trying to fly the solar-powered plane around the world has announced.

Solar Impulse’s batteries were damaged on the last leg of the journey from Japan to Hawaii and will take several months to repair.

The solar-powered plane will be kept at its Pacific stop-over at Kalaeloa airport while the maintenance is undertaken.

Once the work is done there will be some test flights before the global quest resumes in 2016, the team says.

That is likely to be in April, and would see Solar Impulse 2 fly from Hawaii to the West Coast of the US.

It should then have a sizeable weather window to try to cross America, the Atlantic, and make its way back to Abu Dhabi, UAE, where the circumnavigation began in March 2015.Solar Impulse 2 grounded

The suspension will be a disappointment but the project has already met a number of its key objectives.

Pilot Andre Borschberg smashed aviation records when he steered Solar Impulse 2 from Nagoya to Kalaeloa at the beginning of the month.

Flying just on the power of the Sun, Andre Borschberg completed the 7,200km in 118 hours.

Not only did this set several new marks for manned solar aeroplanes, but it surpassed with ease the absolute aviation record for the longest duration solo flight in an un-refueled vehicle.

However, in achieving this mammoth feat, Andre Borschberg’s plane experienced damaging overheating in its lithium-ion battery system. Although the battery units performed as expected, they had too much insulation around them, making temperature management very difficult.

Engineers on the project have not been able to make the quick repairs that might allow Solar Impulse 2 to have a crack at completing the round-the-world journey this year.

The University of Hawaii and the US Department of Transportation have agreed to continue to host Solar Impulse 2 in a large hangar at Kalaeloa airport while the maintenance proceeds.

Arthur Cave Dead: Nick Cave’s Son Dies in Cliff Fall

Sonia Pantiss
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Arthur Cave Dead: Nick Cave’s Son Dies in Cliff Fall

Nick Cave’s son, Arthur, has died after a fall from a cliff in Brighton, the UK, police said.

Arthur Cave, 15, was found with life-threatening injuries on the underpass of Ovingdean Gap on July 14.

The boy was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, but died later from his injuries.

Arthur Cave’s death is not being treated as suspicious, and the coroner is investigating, police said.Nick Cave son dead at 15

In a family statement, Nick and Susie Cave said: “Our son Arthur died on Tuesday evening. He was our beautiful, happy loving boy.

“We ask that we be given the privacy our family needs to grieve at this difficult time.”

Australian musician and songwriter Nick Cave, 57, is best known as the singer of the band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Nick Cave, who is known as rock’s Prince of Darkness, moved to Britain in 1980 at the age of 22.

His music is known to have been influenced by tragedy in his early life, when at 19 his father was killed in a car crash.

Blurred Lines: Pharrell Williams Wins Back $1 Million in Copyright Case

Sonia Pantiss
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Blurred Lines: Pharrell Williams Wins Back $1 Million in Copyright Case

District Judge John A. Kronstadt has cut more than $1 million from the damages Pharrell Williams was ordered to pay after the Blurred Lines copyright trial.

The case revolved around the question of whether Pharrell Williams and his co-writer Robin Thicke had copied Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit Got To Give It Up.

In March, a jury ruled that they had, and awarded Marvin Gaye’s family $7.3 million in damages.

However, District Judge John A. Kronstadt has now slashed that to $5.3 million.

The cut comprises a reduction in actual damages from $4 million to just under $3.2 million, and a drop in the profits that Pharrell Williams has to turn over from about $1.6 million to about $358,000.

The judge also gave Marvin Gaye’s family a 50% cut of future earnings from the song, but rejected a request that would have temporarily blocked sales and performances of the track.Pharrell Williams Blurred Lines plagiarism

Judge Kronstadt’s ruling also refused a request by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ lawyers for a new trial.

In March, jurors found that rapper TI, who received a songwriting credit and a share of the royalties for his verse on Blurred Lines, did not commit copyright infringement – but Judge Kronstadt ruled that other elements of the jury’s verdict mean he must be included in the judgment.

He also found that found that Interscope Records, Universal Music Group and Star Trak Entertainment were liable.

Marvin Gaye family lawyer Richard Busch said he was “thrilled” the court had affirmed the jury’s decision on copyright infringement.

“As far as the reduction in damages, we are reviewing that, and the Court’s analysis on that issue, and will be discussing internally our options,” he added.

Pharrell Williams’ lawyer Howard King added: “While we certainly respect the diligence and care devoted by the court throughout these proceedings, we must agree to disagree on the conclusions.”

“We look forward to exercising our further remedies and ultimately achieving clarity on the difference between inspiration and copyright infringement.”

Nominated for record of the year at the 2013 Grammys, Blurred Lines was a No 1 on both sides of the Atlantic and one of the biggest-selling songs of the year.

Since its release, Blurred Lines has earned nearly $16.5 million in profits, according to court documents, with Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke making more than $5 million each.

At the trial, Pharrell Willliams contended that he was only trying to mimic the “feel” of Marvin Gaye’s music and insisted he did not use elements of his idol’s work.

The ruling paves the way for the next phase of the showdown when Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams are expected to take the dispute to an appeals court.

Amber Heard Summoned to Appear in Court for Smuggling Dogs into Australia

Sonia Pantiss
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Amber Heard Summoned to Appear in Court for Smuggling Dogs into Australia

Amber Heard has been summoned to appear in court over allegations that she smuggled the couple’s dogs into Australia.

Johnny Depp’s came under fire in April for failing to declare Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo to authorities on their arrival in Brisbane.

Australia has strict animal quarantine laws to prevent importing infections.

At the time, a minister said the dogs would be put down if they stayed.

“It’s time Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States,” agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said.Amber Heard dogs Australia

The dogs left Australia unharmed at few days later.

However, a subsequent Senate hearing was told that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard could be sentenced to as long as 10 years in jail, or be forced to pay a fine of up to $265,000 if they were found guilty of illegally importing then.

Johnny Depp is currently filming the latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise on Australia’s Gold Coast.

It is Amber Heard who has been ordered to appear in court, Australia’s department of agriculture confirmed.

“Ms Amber Heard was served with a summons issued by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions on July 14,” a statement read.

“The CDPP’s action follows an incident where a biosecurity officer attended a Gold Coast property in April and found two dogs alleged to be illegally imported.

“All animals entering Australia must have an import permit, and have undergone relevant testing and health checks signed off by a government veterinarian from the exporting country to ensure pests and diseases from overseas are not brought here.”

Amber Heard previously criticized the way the case had been handled, and suggested she would not return to the country.

“I have a feeling we’re going to avoid the land Down Under from now on, just as much as we can thanks to certain politicians there,” Amber Heard told Australia’s NBC.

“I guess everyone tries to go for their 15 minutes, including some government officials.”

Greece Bailout: IMF Criticizes EU Creditors over Bailout Terms

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece Bailout: IMF Criticizes EU Creditors over Bailout Terms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has attacked the EU over the terms of a bailout offered to Greece.

The IMF said Greece’s public debt was now “highly unsustainable” and urged debt relief on a scale “well beyond what has been under consideration to date”.

On July 14, the IMF made public advice it had given to the Eurogroup of finance ministers at the weekend.

That advice included proposals that would see some of Greece’s enormous debt written off.

The IMF study said EU countries would have to give Greece 30-years to repay all its European debt, including new loans, and a dramatic extension on the maturity of its debts. Without such extensions creditors might have to accept “deep upfront haircuts” on existing loans, the IMF added.

The split between the IMF and Greece’s European creditors over how best to deal with the country’s debt crisis has been hinted at before, but this is the first time such a disagreement has been made public.

One senior IMF official said the fund would only participate in a third bailout for Greece if EU creditors produce “a clear plan”.

The current deal “is by no means a comprehensive, detailed agreement”, the official said.Greece bailout IMF 2015

Under the new bailout terms, eurozone governments will contribute between €40 billion and €50 billion to Greece’s new three-year bailout, the IMF is expected to contribute another major chunk and the rest will come from selling off state assets and the financial markets.

The split between the IMF and the EU comes just hours before the Greek parliament is due to vote on a raft of economic reforms demanded of the Eurogroup over the weekend as a condition of a third Greek bailout.

The measures – which face resistance from PM Alexis Tsipras’ own lawmakers – include taxation increases and pension curbs.

Greece owes about 10% of its debt to the IMF.

It has missed two deadlines for repayment to the fund and is the first EU country ever to do so.

The IMF also said it regarded forecast rates of growth for Greece as unrealistically high.

Its analysis, released on July 14, pointed to Greek government debt reaching a peak of close to 200% of GDP or national income – over the next two years, which it called “highly unsustainable”.

On July 14, Alexis Tsipras said in an interview on state television that he did not believe in the bailout offered but was willing to implement it to “avoid disaster for the country” and the collapse of the banks.

The conditional agreement to receive up to €86 billion ($95 billion) from the EU over three years depends on further economic reforms – including the labor markets, banks and privatization – being passed after July 15.

Hard-liners in Alexis Tsipras’ own Syriza party are likely to rebel and the junior coalition party, the Independent Greeks, have offered only limited support for the reforms

Meanwhile, unions and trade associations representing those including civil servants, municipal workers and pharmacy owners have called or extended strikes to coincide with Wednesday’s parliamentary votes.

Greece also faces an immediate cash crisis. Banks have been shut since June 29.

Alexis Tsipras warned banks are unlikely to reopen until the bailout deal is ratified, and this could take another month.

A suggestion of providing Greece with emergency funding under the EU-wide European Financial Stability Mechanism has been opposed by Britain, which is not part of the euro but is an EU member.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjEEeIn7ldw

China’s Economic Growth Beats Expectations in Q2 2015

Clyde K. Valle
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China’s Economic Growth Beats Expectations in Q2 2015

China’s economic growth beat expectations in Q2 2015, but it was still the weakest showing since the global financial crisis.

The world’s second largest economy grew 7% from a year ago – matching growth in Q1 2015, which was the lowest since 2009 when it fell to 6.6%.

A weaker property market and factory production have hampered growth.

Meanwhile, Beijing has rolled out a series of stimulus measures amid the slowdown.

The central bank cut interest rates for the fourth time since November last month to boost economic activity.

Economists are, however, continuing to call for more easing despite the better-than-expected numbers as volatility in the stock markets has sparked concerns of financial turmoil in China.China economy 2015

Growth was expected to dip below the 7% mark and come in at 6.9% for Q2 2015.

The mainland’s benchmark index, the Shanghai Composite, had lost almost a third of its value in the three weeks from mid-June.

The positive growth figures failed to excite investors with the index down 2.4% to 3,830.49 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was lower by 0.5% to 24,995.95.

On a quarterly basis, China’s economy expanded 1.7% from April to June, compared to the 1.4% revised figure in Q1 2015.

The government has also had to respond to suggestions that the better data may have been “inflated”.

The National Bureau of Statistics said on July 15 that the data reflecting the positive changes in the economy was “hard won”, and accurate.

Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist at Capital Economics said that while actual growth is “almost certainly” a percentage point or two slower than the official figures show, it does point to signs of a stabilizing economy.

“More broadly, with the drag from the structural slowdown in property and heavy industry now easing, we think that growth is on track to slow only gradually over the course of the next few years,” he said in a note.

Industrial production and retail sales in June were all above forecasts, while fixed-asset investment, a major driver of the economy, also beat expectations in the period.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0GBRwzeYt8

Barack Obama Calls for Criminal Justice Reforms

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama Calls for Criminal Justice Reforms

President Barack Obama has called for criminal justice reforms including curbing the use of solitary confinement and voting rights for felons.

The president said lengthy mandatory minimum sentences should be reduced – or thrown out entirely.

“Mass incarceration makes our entire country worse off, and we need to do something about it,” he said.

Barack Obama urged Congress to pass a sentencing reform bill by the end of 2015.

On July 16, Barack Obama will be the first sitting president to visit a federal prison – part of week-long focus by the White House on the criminal justice system.

Speaking to a gathering of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Philadelphia, Barack Obama discussed investments in education, alternatives to trials and prison job training programs.Barack Obama criminal justice reforms

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch has been tasked with reviewing the overuse of solitary confinement, Barack Obama said.

“Do we think it makes sense to lock people up in tiny cells for 23 hours a day? It won’t make us safer and stronger.”

The US should not be tolerating overcrowding in prisons, gang activity or rape, which Barack Obama called “unacceptable”.

Criminal justice reforms have been a subject of rare agreement between Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

He noted that African Americans and Latinos disproportionately make up most of the prison population.

On July 13, Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 46 prisoners, many of whom were serving time for non-violent drug offences.

“If you’re a low-level drug dealer, or you violate your parole, you owe some debt to society … but you don’t owe 20 years,” Barack Obama said.

The president said for what the US spends on keeping people in prison per year, $80 billion, there could be universal pre-school, doubled salaries for high school teachers or free tuition at US public colleges or universities.

This week’s focus on criminal justice signals a renewed bid by Barack Obama’s administration to tackle what he sees as a lack of fairness in the system.

“Communities that give our young people every shot at success, tough but fair courts and prisons that seek to prepare returning citizens to get that second chance…That’s what we’re here to build,” he said.

The last significant changes to the criminal justice system in the US came in 2013 when Attorney General Eric Holder dropped mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

Venezuela: Maria Corina Machado Barred From Public Office for 12 Months

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela: Maria Corina Machado Barred From Public Office for 12 Months

Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she has been barred from public office for 12 months.

Maria Corina Machado, who is a former congresswoman, said she was given 15 days to appeal against the decision.

It was not clear on what grounds she was barred but the move could prevent her from standing again for congress in December’s parliamentary election.

Maria Corina Machado led a major street protest against the government in early 2014.Maria Corina Machado barred from public office 2015

Government opponents have accused President Nicolas Maduro of bullying the opposition ahead of the elections.

Another leading opposition figure, Daniel Ceballos, a former mayor who is also running for parliament, was also banned from holding public office.

Venezuelan media said Daniel Ceballos was disqualified for not presenting a sworn wealth declaration.

Maria Corina Machado was stripped of her seat in the National Assembly last year after accepting an invitation from Panama to speak before the Organization of American States (OAS) to give her account of the wave of unrest which spread through Venezuela in early 2014.

The state prosecutor’s office then charged Maria Corina Machado of taking part in an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro.

Laibach Is First Foreign Band to Perform in North Korea

Sonia Pantiss
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Laibach Is First Foreign Band to Perform in North Korea

Laibach will be the first foreign band to perform in North Korea, director Morten Traavik has confirmed.

Morten Traavik has arranged for the group to play two concerts in Pyongyang in August in front of 2,000 people.

The concert will include some of Laibach’s hits over their 35-year career and North Korean folk songs.

The controversial Slovenian band has been slated by some critics because of its ambiguous use of political and nationalist imagery.

But admirers say that their tendency to wear military uniforms on stage is a critique of totalitarian ideology.Laibach North Korea tour

Norwegian director Morten Traavik says that in North Korea they will be uncontroversial – even performing songs from The Sound of Music.

Also on their playlist is one of this year’s most popular hits in North Korea, performed by the all-girl band Moranbong: We Will Go To Mount Paektu.

Mount Paektu is the tallest peak on the Korean peninsula and is the mythological birthplace of the whole Korean nation.

The Laibach performances on August 19 and 20 – which coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Korean peninsula’s liberation from Japanese colonization – would never have been possible without Morten Traavik’s contacts and artistic direction.

He is one of the few Western directors regularly to have arranged artistic and cultural exchanges with North Korea and over the last five years has won the trust of the authorities.

Despite its extremist reputation individual members of Laibach have not been vetted by the North Korean authorities because the director has given his word that they will not cause an upset.

The director argues that much of misunderstanding surrounding the band stems from their tendency in the 1980s and 90s to wear military uniforms on stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-mN2DwiY_U

Joan Sebastian Dies of Bone Cancer Aged 64

Sonia Pantiss
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Joan Sebastian Dies of Bone Cancer Aged 64

Joan Sebastian, a leading figure in the Latin music world, died on July 13 at the age of 64.

The Mexican singer-songwriter had bone cancer.

Joan Sebastian was known for his sentimental love songs, which he often performed on horseback.

After a childhood of poverty in rural Mexico, Joan Sebastian decided to dedicate his life to music and went on to have a series of hits, which won him five Grammy awards and seven Latin Grammys.

He passed away at his ranch in Juliantla, in the western Mexican state of Guerrero.

Born Jose Manuel Figueroa, Joan Sebastian was often referred to as “The People’s Poet” for his lyrical compositions about love and betrayal.Joan Sebastian dead at 64

He said he realized he wanted to become a singer at an early age, leaving the Catholic seminary where he was training to become a priest to pursue his musical ambition aged 17.

He was a fan of Mexican bull riding (jaripeo) and often performed at rodeo events, earning him the nickname of King of Jaripeo.

Joan Sebastian released more than 50 albums in his career mixing Mexican ranchera music and Latin pop.

Among his most famous songs are Tatuajes (Tattoos) and Secreto de Amor (The Secret of Love).

His popularity extended to much of Latin America and the US.

At the height of his fame he also starred in the Mexican soap opera Tu y Yo (You and Me) along with his former wife, Maribel Guardia.

He had eight children with a number of different women.

Two of his sons were killed.

One was shot dead as he tried to control the crowd after one of his father’s concerts in Texas, the other was killed in a fight outside a nightclub in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca.

The singer was first diagnosed with bone cancer in 1999.

Joan Sebastian continued to perform until 2014, when he announced during a performance in Zacatecas that he was again receiving treatment for a recurrence of the cancer.

BB King Cause of Death: Autopsy Report Released

Sonia Pantiss
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BB King Cause of Death: Autopsy Report Released

The Las Vegas coroner’s office has confirmed that B.B. King died of natural causes primarily stemming from Alzheimer’s disease.

B.B. King’s death was also attributed to coronary artery disease, diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure and brain damage from low blood flow.

Two of B.B. King’s daughters had alleged the blues legend was poisoned by long-time associates.

“We can say with confidence that Mr. King died of natural causes,” said Clark County coroner, John Fudenberg.

B.B. King died on May 14 at the age of 89.BB King autopsy report

Coroners said they determined B.B. King’s cause of death after conducting an autopsy, toxicology tests and consulting a neuropathologist.

They also found that, while B.B. King had suffered strokes, they did not kill him.

B.B. King’s daughters, Karen Williams and Patty King, alleged in May that he had been given “foreign substances to induce his premature death” by his business manager Laverne Toney and his personal assistant, Myron Johnson.

His daughters added that “King was sequestered from all family members” in the week before his death, and that Laverne Toney and Myron Johnson were the only people with him.

The coroner found no evidence to prove the allegation of poisoning.

“Ms Toney and Mr. Johnson are very happy that these false and fictional allegations that were made against them by certain of Mr. King’s children have been dispelled,” said Brent Bryson, a lawyer for B.B. King’s estate.

“Hopefully we can now focus on the body of musical work that B.B. King left the world, and he can finally rest in peace.”

The coroner added: “Our condolences go out to the family and many friends of Mr. King, and we hope this determination brings them some measure of closure.”

B.B. King was born on September 16, 1925, to sharecroppers and worked in the cotton fields as a child before picking up the guitar.

Considered one of the world’s greatest players, he was known for his sharp single notes and vibrato on the electric guitar he christened Lucille.

With hit songs such as The Thrill Is Gone, Three O’Clock Blues and Darlin’ You Know I Love You, he influenced generations of guitar players. B.B. King was later inducted to both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

B.B. King was married twice and had 15 natural and adopted children, 11 of whom are still alive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm5C6u799BA

UNAIDS Meets Goal to Get HIV Treatment to 15 Million People

Kathryn R. Bown
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UNAIDS Meets Goal to Get HIV Treatment to 15 Million People

According to a United Nations AIDS report, the goal to get HIV treatment to 15 million people by the end of 2015 has already been met.

The landmark figure was reached in March – nine months ahead of schedule.

It follows decades of global efforts and investment to get antiretroviral drugs to those in need – such as people living in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2000, when the UN first set goals to combat HIV, fewer than 700,000 people were receiving these vital medicines.

According to UNAIDS, which has a report out today, the global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly eight million AIDS-related deaths since the millennium.

Over the same time frame, new HIV infections have fallen from 2.6 million per year to 1.8 million, and AIDS-related deaths have gone down from 1.6 million to 1.2 million.

Meanwhile, global investment in HIV has gone up from $4.8 billion in 2000 to more than $20 billion in 2014.UNAIDS report 2015

And concerted action over the next five years could end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, says UNAIDS.

However, progress has been slower in some areas.

A major gap seems to be in awareness of HIV status, which is the biggest barrier to treatment access, says the report.

And treatment access for children has lagged behind adults – although this is now improving.

The proportion of children living with HIV who receive antiretroviral therapy almost doubled between 2010 and 2014 (from 14% to 32%), but coverage “remains notably lower than it does for adults”, says the report.

Even though new HIV infections have gone down, there is still an unacceptable number of new HIV infections each year, contributing to the burden of the epidemic.

In 2014, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 66% of all new HIV infections. And at the last headcount, there were an estimated 25.8 million people in this region living with HIV. The estimated count for the whole world was 36.9 million.

This year sees the switch from Millennium Development Goals to broader Sustainable Development Goals.

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations said: “The world has delivered on halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic.

“Now we must commit to ending the AIDS epidemic as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The report says the next five years will be critical and recommends front-loading investment to “sprint” towards an ambition of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Godavari Maha Pushkaralu 2015: At Least 27 Hindu Pilgrims Killed in Stampede

Diane A. Wade
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Godavari Maha Pushkaralu 2015: At Least 27 Hindu Pilgrims Killed in Stampede

At least 27 Hindu pilgrims have been killed in a stampede on the banks of a holy river in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, local officials say.

The pilgrims had gathered to take a dip in the Godavari River at the start of the Maha Pushkaralu festival.

The stampede occurred at 08:00 AM local time in the Rajahmundry district.

Nearly 24 million pilgrims are expected to take part in the 12-day festival. Pilgrims believe that taking a bath in the river will rid them of their sins.Godavari Maha Pushkaralu 2015 stampede

“The incident happened as the first set of worshippers were coming out of the river after taking a dip and then got in the way of others who wanted to be in the water at an auspicious time,” AFP news agency quoted senior police official A Srinivasan Rao as saying.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who bathed in the river at the festival on Tuesday morning, said in a series of tweets that he was monitoring the situation and urged people not to panic.

Deadly stampedes during religious gatherings are fairly common in India.

In October 2013, 115 people died during a stampede at a Hindu festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sUGz8E582w

Iran Nuclear Deal Reached After Nine Years of Negotiations

Roy Siemens
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Iran Nuclear Deal Reached After Nine Years of Negotiations

Six world powers – the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany – have reached a historic deal with Iran in Vienna on limiting its nuclear activity in return for the lifting of international economic sanctions.

President Barack Obama said that with the deal, “every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off” for Iran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said it opened a “new chapter” in Iran’s relations with the world.

Negotiations between Iran and six world powers began in 2006.

The so-called P5+1 want Iran to scale back its sensitive nuclear activities to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon.

Iran, which wants crippling international sanctions lifted, has always insisted that its nuclear work is peaceful.

In a televised address, President Barack Obama said the deal would make the world “safer and more secure”, and provided for a rigorous verification regime.

“This deal is not built on trust – it is built on verification,” he said.Iran nuclear deal reached in Vienna 2015

Immediately afterwards, Hassan Rouhani gave his own televised address, in which he said the prayers of Iranians had “come true”.

He said the deal would lead to the removal of all sanctions, adding: “The sanctions regime was never successful, but at the same time it had affected people’s lives.”

After 12 years, world powers had finally “recognized the nuclear activities of Iran”, he said.

Both Hassan Rouhani and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program as an “unnecessary crisis”.

Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the agreement was “a sign of hope for the entire world”.

“It is a decision that can open the way to a new chapter in international relations,” she said.

Javad Zarif said the deal was “not perfect for anybody”, but that it was the “best achievement possible that could be reached”.

President barack Obama, who is trying to persuade a skeptical US Congress of the benefits, said it would oblige Iran to:

  • remove two-thirds of installed centrifuges and store them under international supervision
  • get rid of 98% of its enriched uranium
  • accept that sanctions would be rapidly restored if the deal was violated
  • permanently give the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access “where necessary when necessary”

Sanctions relief would be gradual, Barack Obama said, with an arms embargo remaining in place for five years and an embargo on missiles for eight years.

Separately, the IAEA and Iran said they had signed a roadmap to resolve outstanding issues.

IAEA head Yukiya Amano told reporters in Vienna, Austria, that his organization had signed a roadmap “for the clarification of past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program”.

He called the agreement a “significant step forward”, saying it would allow the agency to “make an assessment of issues relating to possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program by the end of 2015”.

There has been stiff resistance to a deal from conservatives both in Iran and the US. The US Congress has 60 days in which to consider the deal, though Barack Obama said he would veto any attempt to block it.

Israel’s government has also warned against an agreement.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “historic mistake” that would provide Iran with “hundreds of billions of dollars with which it can fuel its terror machine and its expansion and aggression throughout the Middle East and across the globe”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gou9vlhNRTU

50 Cent Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Sonia Pantiss
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0
50 Cent Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

50 Cent has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to Wall Street Journal.

The 40-year-old rapper, businessman and actor, reported in court papers that he has assets and debts in the range of $10 million to $50 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.

50 Cent’s 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin‍’ catapulted him to global fame.

Real name Curtis James Jackson III, the Grammy-award winning rapper’s business interests have included clothes, boxing, drinks, and mining.

The rapper’s stake in VitaminWater reportedly netted him tens of millions of dollar when Coca-Cola bought the drinks brand in 2007.

Chapter 11 allows companies time to re-organize their finances while protecting them from creditors’ demands.50 Cent bankruptcy

The court case stemmed from a video in which the rapper is accused of adding a commentary to a tape that the woman made with her boyfriend. The tape was then leaked online.

In addition to a $5 million penalty, the jury was due this week to consider punitive damages in the invasion-of-privacy lawsuit. However, it was unclear if this would go ahead.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Paul Wooten had requested that 50 Cent disclose details of his finances.

However, the rapper’s lawyers told the court that he had filed for Chapter 11 in Connecticut, where he owns a mansion he bought from boxer Mike Tyson.

Later, a lawyer for 50 Cent, William A Brewer III, said his client’s business operations would continue.

“Mr. Jackson’s business interests will continue unaffected in the ordinary course during the pendency of the Chapter 11 case,” the attorney said in a statement.

It added: “This filing for personal bankruptcy protection permits Mr. Jackson to continue his involvement with various business interests and continue his work as an entertainer.”

50 Cent has sold more than 30 million albums and won a Grammy Award in 2010. The star’s latest film role is in the upcoming Southpaw, in which he plays a boxing promoter.

In May, Forbes estimated 50 Cent’s net worth at $155 million. ​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8LSH0a9t80

El Chapo Guzman Escape: Mexico Offers $3.8 Million Reward for Recapture

Diane A. Wade
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El Chapo Guzman Escape: Mexico Offers $3.8 Million Reward for Recapture

Mexican authorities are offering a reward of 60 million pesos ($3.8 million) for the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the country’s most-wanted drug lord, who escaped from a top security prison.

A huge manhunt is underway for Joaquin Guzman, who got out of his cell on July 11 through a 1mile-long tunnel.

Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said officials at the prison must have helped his escape.

Three senior prison officials, including the director of the Altiplano jail, have been dismissed.

It has emerged that El Chapo Guzman fled despite wearing a monitoring bracelet and being subject to 24-hour surveillance.

“There will be no rest for this criminal,” said Miguel Angel Osorio Chong,

On July 13, he visited the prison and the nearby area for the first time since El Chapo Guzman’s escape.El Chapo Guzman escape 2015

The interior minister arrived by helicopter at the Altiplano compound, about 55 miles west of Mexico City, along with a group of congressmen and National Security Commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubrido.

Miguel Angel Osorio Chong is in charge of the operation in the absence of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who is on a planned visit to France for that country’s Bastille Day celebrations on July 14.

Security has been reinforced across Mexico. Flights from nearby Toluca airport were suspended and checkpoints have been set up.

Guatemala also increased checks along its northern border with Mexico in response to the news that El Chapo Guzman had escaped. It was there he was captured in 1993.

El Chapo Guzman was sent to a top-security jail in Mexico, Puente Grande, but broke out in 2001, reportedly hidden in a laundry cart after bribing officials.

Analysts are warning that the same could happen again, if El Chapo Guzman’s escape triggers conflicts with other cartels keen to protect their patches.

Dozens of prison guards are being questioned at the Altiplano prison to find out how he could escape this time.

Video footage showed Joaquin Guzman entering the shower area in his cell at 20:52 local time on July 11.

The tunnel linked the shower area to a house built over the past year across maize fields near the prison.

The tunnel would have allowed El Chapo Guzman, who is known as Shorty, to comfortably walk upright.

It had ventilation and lights and guards also found a motorcycle which they believe was used to transport earth removed as the tunnel was dug.

Inside the building near the prison, officials found a bed and a kitchen, suggesting those who dug the tunnel could have spent days at a time there.

A calculation based on the height, width and extension of the tunnel estimates that the earth removed would have filled 379 trucks, said Reforma newspaper.

President Pena Nieto called El Chapo Guzman’s escape “an affront to the state” and ordered a full investigation.

El Chapo Guzman’s personal fortune is estimated at $1 billion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJx3QobOY1M

Go Set a Watchman Released in 70 Countries Simultaneously

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Go Set a Watchman Released in 70 Countries Simultaneously

Harper Lee’s novel, Go Set a Watchman, has gone on sale around the world.

The book is set 20 years after the events of Harper Lee’s 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

In Harper Lee’s hometown, Monroeville in Alabama, a delivery of 7,000 copies of Go Set a Watchman arrived at the small independent Ol’ Curiosities and Book Shoppe shortly before midnight.

The book contains some of the same characters at Mockingbird, including Scout and her father Atticus Finch. It has already proved controversial as early reviewers noted that Atticus Finch expresses racist views in the story.Go set a Watchman released 2015

The story opens with Scout, now 26 and known as Jean Louise, returning on a train to her Alabama hometown from New York.

Harper Lee, who is now 89 and lives in a nursing home in Monroeville, originally wrote the book in 1957, before reworking it with her editor to become courtroom drama To Kill a Mockingbird.

The story of racism and injustice in the fictional town of Maycomb in the American South went on to sell 40 million copies and be studied in schools around the world.

To Kill a Mockingbird was also made into an Oscar-winning film starring Gregory Peck as lawyer Finch, who defends an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman.

The existence of Go Set a Watchman was revealed in February 2015 and it is being released in 70 countries simultaneously.

The opening chapter of the novel was published for the first time on July 10, and many early reviews revealed that in later years Finch had in fact become “a bigot”.

The New York Times said the revelation could “reshape Ms Lee’s legacy” and made for “disturbing reading”.

 

Minions Tops US Box Office in Its Opening Weekend

Sonia Pantiss
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Minions Tops US Box Office in Its Opening Weekend

Minions topped the US and Canada box office in its opening weekend, with the second-biggest debut for an animated film.

The Despicable Me spin-off took $115.2 million. It was second only to 2007’s Shrek the Third, beating the opening of all of the Toy Story movies.

Jurassic World dropped to second in its fifth week with $18.1 million.

Disney Pixar’s Inside Out took $17.1 million in its fourth week in US cinemas.

Minions, which features the voices of Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm, puts the spotlight on the babbling yellow, pill-shaped servants from the two Despicable Me films as they search for a new master.Minions us box office

Directed by Peter Coffin, who also voices the Minions, it topped the box office in 29 of the other 30 countries where it opened, according to box office tracker Rentrak, including France, Mexico and Russia.

“Given that they seek to work for the most evil people on the planet, they give off this incredible happiness,” said Universal’s Duncan Clark on the Minions‘ success.

“I think the quality they’re proving to have is a common denominator appeal across all cultures.”

Universal is planning to release Despicable Me 3 in the summer of 2017.

Several other new films debuted in the top 10, including ad-libbed high-school horror movie The Gallows, in fifth place with $10 million.

Sharing the hand-held camera technique made famous by 1999’s The Blair Witch Project, the film comes from the production company behind the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises.

Ryan Reynolds’ new sci-fi thriller Self/less – about a near-death billionaire who transmits himself into a younger body – was at number eight with $5.4 million.

North American box office Top ten:

  1. Minions – $115.2 million
  2. Jurassic World – $18.1 million
  3. Inside Out – $17.1 million
  4. Terminator Genisys – $13.7 million
  5. The Gallows – $10 million
  6. Magic Mike XXL – $9.6 million
  7. Ted 2 – $5.6 million
  8. Self/less – $5.4 million
  9. Max – $3.4 million
  10. Spy – $3 million

5 Ways To Jump Start Your Online Business

Dana R
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5 Ways To Jump Start Your Online Business

The Internet allows entrepreneurs to operate businesses from the comfort of their own homes. But there’s much more to running an online venture than simply logging on. Studies show that more than nine out of 10 online companies fail within just four months. These industry secrets can help you jump start your online business and give it the best chance of success.

Launch a Landing Page

 online-business-money

Image via Flickr by SEOPlanter

Many online business owners think their online presence will begin with their website. But a good site takes time to develop, time that could be spent generating buzz and collecting the email addresses of people interested in your firm. A landing page is the ideal solution. Online services make it easy to get one with very little design or programming know-how.

Take Care of Logistics

An online business takes more than a website. There are many logistic matters you must take care before you start collecting from customers. Some U.S. states require online businesses to register for a business license. You may also decide to take out business insurance to protect your new company. Details like this should be handled early, so you can start focusing on business operations sooner.

Secure Funding

An online business might not have the hefty overheads of a bricks and mortar company, but that doesn’t mean funding isn’t important. Funding will help you secure a strong domain name, purchase the goods or materials you need to operate, and employ the experts necessary to fill gaps in your own knowledge. Even if you’re confident in your business knowledge, you’ll probably need to hire a designer to create a professional looking website and corporate branding.

Companies like bad credit business loans are ideal if you’ve been turned away by other lenders. Note though that you need to be in business for at least three months to qualify for these loans.

Make a Business Plan

When you’re focused on jump starting your business, it’s easy to forget the big picture. However, successful small business owners know that plans are essential for success. A weekly to-do list will ensure areas of the business aren’t overlooked. A more comprehensive business plan, which sets out your business goals for the next month, the next year, the next five years, and beyond, will also help give your company direction.

Spread the Word

An online business needs customers which you’ll gain by marketing your company. When you’re starting out, it’s smart to take advantage of free services like Craigslist, free online business directories, and social networking sites. Create a business account with social networks you already use, share it with your friends, and encourage them to spread the word. More than 90 percent of people trust the company endorsements of family members and friends, so this kind of word-of-mouth advertising can really help establish your company’s good name.

Working from home as the boss of your own online business sounds ideal, but it’s not as easy as it might appear. Keep these tips in mind to jump start your online business and give it the best opportunity to grow.

Beauty Industry Could Boom Again After Recent Decline

Dana R
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Beauty Industry Could Boom Again After Recent Decline

There have been fears that the beauty industry was in some troubled waters after reports recently. Especially in the UK, where the new living wage could put a lot of small beauty companies out of business. However, experts believe that cosmetics is set for another boom. Let’s take a look at the rise and fall of this profitable market. Along with what causes such fluctuations.

beauty-industry

Picture credit – Flickr

Recent Decline

With the current economic crisis, some beauty companies have seen a decline in business. With people finding it difficult to get a mortgage or put food on the table, cosmetics have taken a backseat. Smaller beauty businesses have also found it difficult to stay afloat during the financial turmoil. Fewer people are visiting salons and choosing to do the work themselves. Using Youtube and Pinterest for tutorials. This has caused many small beauty businesses to go out of businesses. The last time the industry saw this much of a decline would have been back in World War 2. Many women were making their own cosmetics, due to there being very few available on the market.

Predicted Boom

Now that much of the western world is pulling itself out of the financial turmoil, it is thought the beauty industry will flourish again. Companies are getting smarter with the way they market their products and services to the masses. Beauty bloggers have recently come under fire for marketing products to their readers. Without full disclaimers. Yet, the beauty industry is still relying on this clever form of advertising to pull in new customers. Makeup products are flying off the shelves. Just because they’ve received a positive review from a well-known beauty vlogger. Combined with the fact that many people now have a bit more disposable income, it’s unsurprising if we do see a boom again.

Profits and Changes

It’s not just the marketing tactics that have changed. The cosmetics industry is now investing in smarter technology and more cost effective solutions. In order to bring down the cost of their products even more. Along with providing better quality for their customers. As an example, sanitary mixers are now being used in many cosmetics factories. These are cheaper than some of the other options while also being cleaner and less toxic. The higher quality standards are being passed onto customers, but the pricing changes may not be. This industry remains one of the most profitable on the planet. The markup of certain beauty products has been a talking point for quite some time. With many people questioning how companies can get away with charging so much. For products that cost them so little to make. However, with such a fluctuating industry, this tactic ensures bigger brands never go out of business.

Of course, much of this talk of booms and declines is really all just hearsay. Only the cosmetics companies themselves know how well they are performing. If they continue to use smart marketing techniques and cost effective manufacturing. They won’t see a decline for quite some time. Meaning many of your favorite brands are here to stay.

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