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Robin Williams Estate: Widow and Children Given 8 More Weeks to Settle Dispute

Lisa.Felice
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Robin Williams Estate: Widow and Children Given 8 More Weeks to Settle Dispute

Robin Williams’ widow, Susan Schneider Williams, and his adult children have been given eight more weeks to resolve a dispute over the division of the actor’s estate.

In March, a San Francisco judge gave both parties eight weeks to settle their disagreement, relating to roughly 1,200 of the star’s personal items.

Some 300 items are still disputed, as well as the money required to maintain one of his homes.

The judge gave the two sides until the end of July to resolve the differences.Robin Williams widow Susan Schneider

Among the items Susan Schneider Williams wants to keep are the tuxedo the actor wore to their wedding, his slippers, T-shirts and some boxer shorts.

Robin Williams and Susan Schneider had been married for three years before the actor took his own life in August 2014.

Both parties also need to resolve the value of a reserve fund to allow Susan Schneider Williams to maintain the San Francisco home Robin Williams left to her, with instructions she receive enough money to keep it up through her lifetime.

Robin Williams left most of his estate to his three children – Zachary, Zelda and Cody – from a previous marriage.

In legal papers filed in December, Susan Schneider Williams said the contents of their home should be excluded from the items Robin Williams left his children.

Robin Williams’ children claimed their father’s widow was “adding insult to a terrible injury” by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them of items their father clearly intended them to have.

Susan Schneider Williams’ lawyer, James Wagstaffe, described her as “an emotionally grieving widow who is trying to honor her husband”.

James Wagstaffe said his client was seeking the equivalent of a “small bucket of water from a lake”, saying Robin Williams had left his three children and a former wife more than $100 million.

Dias Kadyrbayev: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Friend Sentenced to 6 Years in Jail

Nancy Clayson
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Dias Kadyrbayev: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Friend Sentenced to 6 Years in Jail

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s friend, Dias Kadyrbayev, has been sentenced to six years in jail for obstructing the investigation into Boston Marathon bombing attacks.

Dias Kadyrbayev, who pleaded guilty in 2014, apologized before being sentenced, and said he was ashamed.

He had removed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s backpack, containing emptied fireworks, from their student accommodation, hours after police appealed for information.Dias Kadyrbayev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Three people were killed and 260 injured in the bombings.

Dias Kadyrbayev, who is a Kazakhstan native, had been seeking a lighter sentence as part of his plea.

Prosecutors had said they would ask for no more than seven years in a federal prison for Dias Kadyrbayev, who was 20 when he pleaded guilty.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s backpack and his laptop were removed from a dormitory room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, hours after the FBI released photographs of the bombing suspects.

Later, the items were found in a Massachusetts landfill.

Chimps Have Mental Capabilities Needed to Cook Food

James J. Williams
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Chimps Have Mental Capabilities Needed to Cook Food

Chimps have most of the mental capabilities needed to cook food, a new research suggests.

According to the study, published in The Royal Society Proceedings B, the ability to cook food is deep seated and may have arisen in human ancestors millions of years ago.

Cooking requires a set of sophisticated cognitive abilities, including causal reasoning, self-control and anticipatory planning.

The conclusions also indicate that humans may have developed the ability to cook very soon after they learned how to control fire.

Even boiling an egg requires advanced mental skills. Whereas other animals tend to start eating whatever food they find or hunt straight away, humans can store and cook their food, even if we are fairly hungry, because we know that if we wait what we eventually eat will taste better.

It seems that our ability to smack our lips at the prospect of a delicious, well prepared meal requires a similar inspired leap of the imagination as producing art, developing language and creating the technologies that make us uniquely human.

Dr. Felix Warneken of Harvard University conducted a simian MasterChef contest in which he conducted a series of experiments on chimpanzees to see whether they had what it took to be cooks.Chimpanzee can cook

Clearly chimps can’t cook and so there was no point in giving them a bag of shopping and letting them loose in a kitchen with assorted pots and pans, amusing though the spectacle might have been.

Instead, Dr. Felix Warneken carried out a series of experiments to test the individual cognitive skills the chimps needed to be able to cook. He looked to see if they preferred cooked rather than raw food, whether they could wait until raw food could be cooked and if they would put raw food into a box that scientists switched for cooked food. He found that they passed all these tests and more.

So why don’t chimps cook? Not being able to control fire is one reason and another, according to Dr. Felix Warneken, is that cooking requires what he describes as “social skills” that chimps don’t possess.

By social skills he is not alluding to their unremarkable table manners nor their lack of witty dinner party conversation. Rather, it is their inability to trust others in their social groups not to steal their food while they are preparing to cook it that he is referring and it is this he believes is one of the key factors holding them back from being able to cook. Gulping something down as soon as you have foraged it is the surest way of keeping it safe.

Dr. Felix Warneken’s experiments show that that most of the mental skills needed to cook were there in human ancestors between 5 to 7 million years ago and so all it took for the first emergence of the culinary arts was the controlled use of fire and the ability to trust other people not to pinch our food while our back was turned.

The motivation for the study was to investigate a controversial theory that cooking was necessary for human brains to become larger. The idea by the primatologist Prof. Richard Wrangham, also at Harvard, is that cooking enabled our ancestors to eat more protein, which helped our ancestors develop their brains.

The results indicate that early humans had everything in place once they had learned to control fire and so, according to Dr. Felix Warneken, supports Prof. Richard Wrangham’s ideas.

Experts in human evolution say that they find it “interesting” that chimpanzees and humans share several of the essential psychological capacities needed, but believe that the chimp study does not add much new information to the human story.

John Kerry Broken Leg: Secretary of State Undergoes Successful Surgery

Nancy Clayson
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John Kerry Broken Leg: Secretary of State Undergoes Successful Surgery

Secretary of State John Kerry underwent successful surgery on a broken leg and will be walking soon, his doctors have announced.

He flew to Boston on June 1 after staying overnight in a Swiss hospital to receive treatment for a broken leg incurred in a bicycle crash.

John Kerry, 71, was injured in a biking accident in the French Alps last week.

Surgeon Dennis Burke said the operation went well and John Kerry should make a full recovery.

“I do not anticipate this will interfere with his duties as secretary of state,” he added.

Dr. Dennis Burke said John Kerry was conscious throughout the four-hour operation, which took place under local anaesthetic.John Kerry biking

“The procedure was uncomplicated, the fracture was fully repaired, and we plan to get him up walking on Wednesday,” he said.

John Kerry had been attending talks in Switzerland over the future of Iran’s nuclear program prior to the accident.

It happened some 25 miles south-east of the Swiss border in Scionzier, France.

John Kerry, who is a keen cyclist, is believed to have hit a kerb before falling off his bike and fracturing his right femur.

Shortly before undergoing surgery John Kerry phoned in to address a high-level conference in Paris, about the ongoing Islamic State crisis.

He had planned to attend in person but was forced to cancel. He also pulled out of a visit to the Spanish capital Madrid.

White House spokesman John Earnest said John Kerry would “approach his recuperation and rehabilitation with uncommon zeal” and would work to shorten his recovery time.

John Earnest said he remained “confident” the secretary of state would “play a leading role” in the Iran nuclear negotiations as the June 30 deadline for a deal looms.

Freedom Act vs. Patriot Act

Nancy Clayson
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Freedom Act vs. Patriot Act

What is changing? The expiry of the Patriot Act brings to an end bulk collection of Americans’ phone metadata – who called who, when and for how long, but not the content of calls – by the US. Under the USA Freedom Act, records must be held by telecommunications companies and investigators need a court order to access specific information. Technology companies will be given greater leeway to reveal data requests. The measures are intended to balance concerns on privacy with providing the authorities the tools they need to prevent attacks.Freedom Act and Patriot Act

What stays the same? Key parts of the Patriot Act are retained in the Freedom Act. They include the provision allowing the monitoring of “lone wolf” suspects – potential attackers not linked to foreign terror groups, despite the US authorities admitting the powers have never been used. The Freedom Act also maintains a provision allowing investigators to monitor travel and business records of individuals, something law officers says is more effective than bulk collection.

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

Senate Passes USA Freedom Act Without Amendaments

Diane A. Wade
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Senate Passes USA Freedom Act Without Amendaments

The Senate passed the USA Freedom Act without any amendments, on a vote of 67-32, and sent the bill to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

The USA Freedom Act extends the government’s ability to collect large amounts of data, but with restrictions. The bill will end the mass collection of Americans’ phone records by the NSA, restore some expired powers to security agencies, place record storage in private companies’ hands, create a public-interest advocate for the secret FISA court (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance) that oversees surveillance programs, and require the court to notify Congress when it reinterprets law.

The Patriot Act, the policy of collecting phone data had been in place since the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The USA Freedom Act, which replaces the Patriot Act, had been backed by President Barack Obama as a necessary tool to fight terrorism.

Barack Obama later signed the bill into law.Rand Paul USA Freedom Act

The bill replaces a National Security Agency (NSA) program in which the spy agency collected personal data en masse.

The revelation of this program by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden triggered a global public backlash.

Instead of receiving bulk quantities of data from telephone and internet companies the NSA will now be forced to request the information through a court order.

The data will also be stored on telephone and internet company servers rather than government servers.

The request must be specific to an individual entity such as a person, account, or electronic device.

A six-month transition will be in place as the policy shifts so that data storage remains with private companies, rather than on government servers.

The law’s passage had been temporarily blocked by libertarian-minded senators who are fearful of government’s intrusion into individuals’ private lives.

Kentucky senator and presidential hopeful Senator Rand Paul repeatedly criticized the bill from the Senate floor.

“We are not collecting the information of spies. We are not collecting the information of terrorists. We are collecting all American citizens’ records all of the time,” Rand Paul said.

“This is what we fought the revolution over.”

The Freedom Act had been approved by the House of Representatives and the White House but the Senate rejected it last week by a vote of 57-42.

Once it became clear that the Patriot Act extension would not be possible, senators voted to move forward with the Freedom Act.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rhb-QpTqGg

FIFA Corruption Scandal: Sepp Blatter Under Investigation in US

Clyde K. Valle
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FIFA Corruption Scandal: Sepp Blatter Under Investigation in US

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is being investigated by US officials as part of their inquiry into corruption at the soccer governing body, US media say.

The news came hours after Sepp Blatter announced that he was stepping down from his role.

US prosecutors launched a criminal inquiry last week, with seven FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland, part of a group of 14 people indicted.

Two days after the arrests, Sepp Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA.

However, Sepp Blatter said on June 2 that it appeared the mandate he had been given “does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world”.

Sepp Blatter said: “FIFA needs profound restructuring.”

According to the New York Times, US officials said they hoped to gain the co-operation of some of the FIFA figures now under indictment on charges of racketeering and money laundering to try to build a case against Sepp Blatter.Sepp Blatter investigated in US

Earlier the FBI, IRS and the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, who is involved in the US prosecutions, all said they would not comment on the Blatter resignation.

In its prosecution, the US justice department said 14 individuals were under investigation worldwide for allegedly accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150 million over a 24-year period.

Two vice-presidents were among the seven FIFA officials arrested in Zurich. They all await US extradition proceedings.

The arrests overshadowed the vote for a new president, which Sepp Blatter won, defeating his sole challenger, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.

Prince Ali withdrew despite forcing a second round, having lost the first by 133 votes to 73.

Announcing his exit on June 2, Sepp Blatter, 79, called an extraordinary FIFA congress “as soon as possible” to elect a new president.

Sepp Blatter, who has been FIFA president since 1998, said: “The next ordinary FIFA congress will take place on May 13, 2016 in Mexico City.

“This would create unnecessary delay and I will urge the executive committee to organize an extraordinary congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity.

“This will need to be done in line with FIFA’s statutes and we must allow enough time for the best candidates to present themselves and to campaign.”

The extraordinary congress is expected to take place between December 2015 and March 2016.

Further allegations of corruption emerged on June 2 with claims that Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke was linked to an alleged $10 million payment of bribes over South Africa’s bid to host the 2010 World Cup. He denies any wrongdoing.

Eddie Redmayne to Star in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Sonia Pantiss
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Eddie Redmayne to Star in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Eddie Redmayne will star in Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Warner Bros has officially confirmed.

The actor will play pre-eminent Wizarding World magizoologist, Newt Scamander, who writes the famous Hogwarts School textbook that gives the film its title.

JK Rowling is making her screenwriting debut on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The film’s director David Yates said: “Eddie is a fearless actor, brimming with invention, wit and humanity.”

David Yates added: “I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of working with him as we start this new adventure in JK Rowling’s wonderful world, and I know she feels the same way.”

JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts book, which was published in 2001, is set 70 years before the events of her bestselling Harry Potter series.Eddie Redmayne to Star in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The movie follows the adventures of magizoologist Newt Scamander – a specialist in magical animals – who travels the Wizarding World to document the beasts he encounters.

Newt Scamander writes a book – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – which is then studied years later by Hogwarts students such as Harry, Ron and Hermoine.

David Yates previously directed the final four Harry Potter films, while producer David Heyman – who worked on all eight of the blockbusters – will produce the film.

Greg Silverman from Warner Bros Pictures said they were “thrilled” to have cast Eddie Redmayne – who had been widely rumored to take the part – calling him “one of today’s most extraordinarily talented and acclaimed actors”.

Earlier this year Eddie Redmayne won the best actor Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance as Stephen Hawking in biopic The Theory of Everything.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is expected to be released in 3D and Imax worldwide on November 18, 2016.

Glastonbury 2015: Full Lineup

Sonia Pantiss
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Glastonbury 2015: Full Lineup

Glastonbury 2015 – Full Lineup

Pyramid Stage

Friday, June 26

Foo Fighters 21:15- 23:45

Florence + the Machine 19:15- 20:25

Motörhead 17:30- 18:30

Mary J Blige 16:00- 17:00

Alabama Shakes 14:30- 15:30

James Bay 13:00- 14:00

Chronixx 12:00- 12:40

Michael Clark 11:00- 11:30

 

Saturday, June 27

Kanye West 22:15- 23:45

Pharrell Williams 20:00- 21:15

Paloma Faith 18:15- 19:15

Burt Bacharach 16:30- 17:30

George Ezra 15:00-16:00

The Waterboys 13:30- 14:30

Courtney Barnett 12:10- 13:00:00

The Unthanks with Charles Hazlewood and his Orchestra 11:00- 11:45:00

 

Sunday, June 28

The Who 21:45- 23:15

Paul Weller 19:30-20:45

Alt-J 17:45-18:45

Lionel Richie 16:00-17:15

Patti Smith 14:15- 15:15

Hozier 13:00- 13:45

Songhoy Blues 12:00-12:40

Burtle Silver Band 11:00- 11:40
The Other Stage

Friday, June 26

Rudimental 22:30-23:45

Mark Ronson 21:00- 22:00

The Courteeners 19:30- 20:30

The Vaccines 18:00- 19:00

Jungle 16:30- 17:30

Catfish and the Bottlemen 15:00- 16:00

Everything Everything 13:50- 14:30:00

The Cribs 12:30-13:20

Special guests 11:00-12:00

 

Saturday, June 27

Deadmau5 22:30-23:45

Ben Howard 20:40- 21:55

The Maccabees 19:05-20:05

Clean Bandit 17:35-18:35

Ella Eyre 16:05-17:05

Young Fathers 14:45-15:45

Azealia Banks 13:20- 14:15

Frank Turner 12:00-12:50

Swim Deep 11:00-11:40Glastonbury 2015 lineup

 

Sunday, June 28

The Chemical Brothers 21:45-23:15

Jamie T 20:15- 21:15

Belle and Sebastian 18:45-19:45

Future Islands 17:15-18:15

Twin Atlantic 15:45-16:45

Palma Violets 14:15-15:15

Adam Cohen 13:00-13:50

Soak 12:00- 12:40

Rivals Sons 11:00- 11:40

 

West Holts

Friday, June 26

Hot Chip 22:15- 23:45

Caribou 20:30-21:30

Run the Jewels 19:00-20:00

The Gaslamp Killer 17:30-18:30

Kasai Allstars 16:00-17:00

Marcos Valle 14:30- 15:30

Dorian Concept 13:00- 14:00

The Cambodian Space Project 11:30- 12:30

 

Saturday, June 27

The Mothership Returns: George Clinton, Parliament, Funkadelic & the Family Stone 21:45- 23:45

Todd Terje and the Olsens 20:00- 21:00

Vintage Trouble 18:30-19:30

Gregory Porter 17:00- 18:00

Soil and Pimp Sessions 15:30-16:30

Sinkane 14:00-15:00

Jane Weaver 12:30- 13:30

KOG and the Zongo Brigade 11:00- 12:00

 

Sunday, 28

Flying Lotus 22:00- 23:15

FKA twigs 20:30- 21:30

Roy Ayers 19:00-20:00

Steel Pulse 17:30- 18:30

Cumbia All Stars 16:00- 17:00

Hiatus Kaiyote 14:30- 15:30

Ibibio Sound Machine 13:00- 14:00

Flaming Gods 11:30-12.30
The Park Stage

Friday, June 26

Super Furry Animals 23:00-0 0:15

Jamie xx 21:30- 22:30

Sharon van Etten 20:00- 21:00

Wolf Alice 18:30- 19:30

Benjamin Booker 17:00-18:00

Glass Animals 15:30-16:30

Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra 14:15-15:00

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard 13:00-13:45

Pussy Riot in conversation 12:00- 12:40

Rhodes 11:00- 11:40

 

Saturday, June 27

Jon Hopkins 23:00-0 0:15

Spiritualized 21:30- 22:30

Mavis Staples 20:00- 21:00

Father John Misty 18:30- 19:30

Kate Tempest 17:00-18:00

Gaz Coombes 15:30-16:30

Giant Sand 14:10-15:00

Ibeyi 13:00-13:45

Eaves 12:00- 12:40

Flo Morrissey 11:00-11:40

 

Sunday, June 28

Ryan Adams 22:30-23:45

Goat 21:00- 22:15

The Fall 19:30- 20:30

Perfume Genius 18:00-19:00

Fat White Family 16:30-17:30

The Staves 15:10-16:00

Rae Morris 14:00- 14:45

Jack Garratt 13:00- 13:40:

Denai Moore 12:00- 12:40

Rag N Bone Man 11:00- 11:40

 

The John Peel Stage

 

Friday, June 26

Enter Shikari 22:45-23:45

Modestep 21:15-22:15

SBTRKT 19:45-20:45

Circa Waves 18:25- 19:20

Peace 17:00- 18:00

Chet Faker 16:00-16:40

The Districts 15:00- 15:40

Leon Bridges 14:00- 14:40

Rainy Boy Sleep 13:00- 13:40

Hinds 12:00-12:40

Weaves 11:00- 11:40

 

Saturday, June 27

Suede 22:35-23:45

La Roux 21:05- 22:05

Death From Above 1979 19:35- 20:35

Jessie Ware 18:15- 19:10

Years and Years 17:00-17:50

The Pop Group 16:00- 16:40

Sleaford Mods 15:00-15:40

Slaves 14:00- 14:40

Coasts 13:00-13:40

Sunset Sons 12:00-12:40

Isaac Lee-Kronick 11:00- 11:40

 

Sunday, June 28

FFS (Franz Ferdinand and Sparks) 22:05- 23:15

Death Cab for Cutie 20:35- 21:35

Lianne La Havas 19:05-20:05

Charli XCX 17:50-18:35

Django Django 16:40-17:30

Alvvays 15:40-16:20

Prodes 14:40:00 15:20:00

Saint Raymond 13:40- 14:20

Mini Mansions 12:40- 13:20

Gengahr 11:40- 12:20

Lucy Kitchen 11:00- 11:20

Glastonbury 2015: Pussy Riot to Appear in Conversation at Two Separate Venues

Sonia Pantiss
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Glastonbury 2015: Pussy Riot to Appear in Conversation at Two Separate Venues

Pussy Riot has been confirmed to appear at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, after the event revealed its full 2015 line-up.

The Russian punk band will appear in conversation twice during the festival, on the Park Stage on Saturday, June 27, and the Left Field on Friday, June 26.

Burt Bacharach, The Proclaimers, The Cribs and Wilko Johnson have also been added to the bill.

They join Pyramid Stage headliners Foo Fighters, Kanye West and The Who.

Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina were released from a Russian prison last year after 21 months, having been convicted of hooliganism over protests in Moscow.Pussy Riot Glastonbury 2015

They were among five members of the radical group to stage a “punk prayer” in Moscow’s biggest cathedral.

Singer-songwriter and activist Billy Bragg, who hosts Glastonbury’s Left Field, tweeted: “Pleased to announce that Nadya and Masha from Pussy Riot will be speaking at Left Field @GlastoFest 1.30pm Friday.”

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina recently appeared as themselves in hit Netflix political series House of Cards, where they staged a protest against fictional Russian president, the Putin-esque Viktor Petrov, at a dinner party.

Glastonbury organizers revealed set times for all of the stages, including a mammoth slot for Friday night headliners Foo Fighters.

They will play the Pyramid Stage from 21:15-23:45 BST – an hour longer than Kanye West is scheduled to perform for the following night and 30 minutes longer than Sunday night headliners The Who.

Surprise additions included a favorite of organizer Emily Eavis who tweeted: “And very excited about Burt Bacharach!”

Burt Bacharach will play the Pyramid Stage, as will the Burtle Silver Band and ballet group the Michael Clark Company.

Boston Police Kill Man Under Terrorism Surveillance

Nancy Clayson
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Boston Police Kill Man Under Terrorism Surveillance

A man who was under anti-terror police surveillance has been shot dead in a car park in Boston.

Police say he attacked officers with a large knife after being approached by a Boston police officer and an FBI agent.Roslindale shooting 2015

The shooting took place on June 2 outside a CVS pharmacy in the residential Roslindale neighborhood of Boston.

Officials have not yet released the man’s identity or the reason he was under surveillance.

Boston Police Commissioner William B Evans told the Boston Globe newspaper: “Our officers tried their best to get him to put down the knife.

“Unfortunately, they had to take a life.”

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

Beau Biden Dead: VP Joe Biden’s Son Dies of Brain Cancer Aged 46

Nancy Clayson
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Beau Biden Dead: VP Joe Biden’s Son Dies of Brain Cancer Aged 46

Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden, has died at the age of 46, a White House statement has confirmed.

Beau Biden died on Saturday, May 30, after a long battle with brain cancer, CNN reported.

VP Joe Biden said in a statement on Saturday night:

“It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life.

The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words. We know that Beau’s spirit will live on in all of us—especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter.Beau Biden dead at 46

Beau’s life was defined by service to others. As a young lawyer, he worked to establish the rule of law in war-torn Kosovo. A major in the Delaware National Guard, he was an Iraq War veteran and was awarded the Bronze Star. As Delaware’s Attorney General, he fought for the powerless and made it his mission to protect children from abuse.

More than his professional accomplishments, Beau measured himself as a husband, father, son and brother. His absolute honor made him a role model for our family. Beau embodied my father’s saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did.

In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.”

Joseph R. Biden III, the former attorney general of Delaware and the elder son of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., died on in Bethesda, Maryland.

Beau Biden had spent more than a week receiving treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he died.

Caitlyn Jenner Sets New Twitter Record After Gaining 1 Million Followers in 4 Hours

Lisa.Felice
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Caitlyn Jenner Sets New Twitter Record After Gaining 1 Million Followers in 4 Hours

Caitlyn Jenner has set a new Twitter record after gaining more than a million followers in four hours, Guinness World Records has confirmed.

Bruce Jenner as a woman has beaten President Barack Obama, who held the title for two weeks.

Barack Obama reached the one million mark in five hours.

Caitlyn Jenner launched her Twitter account at the same time as a Vanity Fair magazine cover was released, showing former Olympian Bruce Jenner as a transgender woman and revealing the name she will now be using.Caitlyn Jenner Twitter record

She tweeted: “Another Jenner world record, and at 65? Who’da thought! Humbled & honored to have reached 1M followers in 4 hrs. Thank you for your support.”

At the time of writing, Caitlyn Jenner had reached a total of 1.8 million followers, although that figure is still rising.

Guinness World Records tweeted: “4 hrs and 3 mins! @Caitlyn_Jenner just set a new record for fastest time to reach 1 million followers on @Twitter.”

The cover photograph, shot by Annie Leibovitz, is part of a wider special where Caitlyn Jenner talks about her gender transition and how her family’s reacted.

Stepdaughter Kim Kardashian has shared her support for Caitlyn Jenner, tweeting: “Caitlyn Jenner for Vanity Fair Annie Leibovitz! How beautiful! Be happy, be proud, live life YOUR way!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhhvUH1Ul3E

Greek Debt Crisis: PM Alexis Tsipras Submits Realistic Plan to Creditors

Clyde K. Valle
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Greek Debt Crisis: PM Alexis Tsipras Submits Realistic Plan to Creditors

Greece has “a realistic” debt deal proposal, PM Alexis Tsipras has said.

“We have submitted a realistic plan for Greece to exit the crisis,” he said.

Alexis Tspiras said the plan included “concessions that will be difficult”.

The prime minister’s statement follows talks in Berlin attended by the heads of both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Central Bank (ECB).Alexis Tsipras Berlin summit

IMF chief Christine Lagarde and ECB president Mario Draghi presence at the meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France’s Francois Hollande underlines the seriousness of the talks.

Reports suggest the meeting was aimed at coming up with a “final proposal” to issue to Athens.

Howevr, Alexis Tspiras, who was not included in the meeting, said he had not yet been contacted by the IMF and European officials.

“We are not waiting for them to submit a proposal, Greece is submitting a plan – it is now clear that the decision on whether they want to adjust to realism… the decision rests with the political leadership of Europe,” he added.

A €300 million ($330 million) payment from Greece to the IMF is due on June 5.

There are fears Greece does not have the necessary funds to pay and could default on the debt, ultimately leading to its exit from the eurozone.

Friday’s payment is the first of four totaling €1.5 billion that Greece is due to pay to the IMF in June, and it is understood that the payments could be all bundled together and repaid in a single transaction at the end of the month.

If Greece decides to repay the funds in this way, it would have to notify the IMF, but it has not yet done so.

Greece remains in a four-month long deadlock with international creditors over the release of €7.2 billion in remaining bailout funds.

European lenders as well as the IMF are pushing for greater austerity reforms in return for the cash, which the Greek government has so far refused to make.

Syriza parliamentary spokesman Nikos Filis reiterated that the government would not sign an agreement that was incompatible with its anti-austerity program.

12 things you didn’t know about the Cast of Game of Thrones

Dana R
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12 things you didn’t know about the Cast of Game of Thrones

If you count yourself as a pretty big Game of Thrones fan, you no doubt know all there is to know about the books and the show. However, how well do you know the cast?

We’re here to help shed some light on some of our favourite actors and actresses that bring those heroes and villains to life so amazingly well.

  1. Peter Dinklage was the author George R.R. Martin’s first choice for the role of Tyrion

They didn’t even do any other auditions except for him. He’s also a vegetarian and apparently an avid karaoke fan!

  1. Sean Bean was also the first choice for his role

They did audition other actors for his part, in case he decided to turn down the role, however. His nickname on set was ‘Beany’.

  1. Sibel Kekilli’s previous roles may surprise you…

The critically acclaimed German actress who played Tyrion’s fiery lover Shae is a former porn star. She’s actually not even the only porn star to have a role in the franchise either…check out this article for more info!

  1. Catelyn Stark (played by actress Michelle Fairley) is surprised by the show’s success

She stated that ‘My first filming was three days of shooting – it was the ambush of Tyrion – and at the end of that first day I was expecting someone to come by the trailer and tell me to pack the bags and go home’.

  1. Acting wasn’t Gwendoline Christie’s first choice of career

The actress who plays burly Brienne was actually a semi-professional gymnast as a child, but sustained injuries to her spine which ultimately ended her progression. So she took to acting and modelling instead.

  1. Theon Greyjoy – Alfie Allen – has a very famous sister

He’s the little brother of Lily Allen, and was the inspiration of her song ‘Alfie’. You can listen to it here.

  1. Scottish actor Rory McCann aka The Hound is a supporter of the Scottish Green Party

He’s actually not just a supporter, but an active campaigner. You can view their campaign video in which he played a big part here.

  1. Your mum might have been a fan of Bronn (aka Jerome Flynn) previously…

The actor who plays Bronn was one half of 90s pop sensation Robson and Jerome.

  1. Theon Greyjoy isn’t the only one with famous relatives

There are even more impressive ones on set. Oona Chaplin is the granddaughter of comedian Charlie Chaplin, and Harry Lloyd is the great-great-great grandson of Charles Dickens!

  1. Wilko Johnson – otherwise known as Ser Ilyn – is especially different in real life

His main hobby is touring is playing guitar in the pub rock group Dr. Feelgood…bit different from his life in Game of Thrones!

They’re a crazy and colourful bunch, and the notion of them in character wearing sun glasses is even crazier. That’s what the team behind this hilarious infographic have envisioned, and we love it!

got-glasses

Canada: Tobacco Companies Ordered to Pay $12 Billion in Damages

Kathryn R. Bown
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Canada: Tobacco Companies Ordered to Pay $12 Billion in Damages

Three tobacco companies have been ordered to pay C$15.5 billion ($12 billion) in damages in Canada.

It the largest award for damages in Canada’s history.

The plaintiffs were Quebec smokers who said the companies failed to warn them of health risks associated with smoking.

Imperial Tobacco Canada, Rothmans Benson & Hedges and JTI-MacDonald vowed to appeal against the decision.

The class-action lawsuits were filed in 1998, but only recently went to trial in the courts.Canada tobacco companies damages

The companies argued that Canadians have had a “high awareness” of smoking health risks since the 1950s.

The director of Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health, an anti-smoking lobby group, Mario Bujold, said it had been “a long process” but it was a “big victory for the victims and against the tobacco companies”.

JTI-Macdonald said in a statement: “That awareness has been reinforced by the health warnings printed on every legal cigarette package for more than 40 years.”

However, the plaintiffs argued that the companies did not properly warn their customers and failed in their general duty “not to cause injury to another person”, according to the Quebec Superior Court decision.

They represent nearly one million smokers who were unable to quit or who suffer from throat or lung cancer, or emphysema.

Explaining his ruling, Judge Brian Riordan said: “The companies earned billions of dollars at the expense of the lungs, the throats and the general well-being of their customers.

“If the companies are allowed to walk away unscathed now, what would be the message to other industries that today or tomorrow find themselves in a similar moral conflict?”

China: Eastern Star Cruise Ship Sinks on Yangtze River with 458 on Board

Diane A. Wade
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China: Eastern Star Cruise Ship Sinks on Yangtze River with 458 on Board

At least 5 people have died and hundreds are missing in China after a cruise ship carrying 458 people capsized on the Yangtze River.

According to officials, 14 people have been rescued, with some found alive inside the upside-down hull of the vessel. Three of them were rescued from inside the upside-down hull of the ship after it was cut open, Xinhua reports.

The boat, the Eastern Star, reportedly sent no emergency signal. The alarm was raised by those who had swum to shore.

The captain and the chief engineer, who both survived, have been detained. They say the boat was caught in a cyclone.

Chinese media quoted them as saying the vessel sank within minutes, while many people were asleep.China Eastern Star cruise ship Yangtze River

Most of those on board were tourists aged around 50 to 80 travelling from the eastern city of Nanjing to Chongqing in the south-west – a journey of at least 930 miles.

The ship sank in the Damazhou waterway section of the Yangtze, where the world’s third longest river reaches depths of about 50ft.

Strong winds and heavy rain have been hampering the rescue efforts. According to the People’s Daily, three bodies were recovered in Yueyang, Hunan province, some 30 miles away from the site of the sinking.

Thousands of soldiers and rescue personnel have been deployed, and a high-powered salvage ship is on the way to pull the boat upright, reported China Central Television (CCTV).

Footage aired on state TV showed divers knocking on the submerged hull with hammers to try to make contact with people believed to be trapped below.

Chinese PM Li Keqiang has arrived at the scene, according to the People’s Daily.

Eastern Star – Dongfangzhixing in Chinese – had been carrying 406 Chinese passengers, five travel agency employees and 47 crew members.

The 76m-long ship weighs 2,200 tons, and could accommodate a maximum of 534 people.

The boat sank at about 21:30 local time on June 1, but rescuers did not reach the vessel until at least two and a half hours later.

CCTV said the vessel was owned by the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation which runs tours to the scenic Three Gorges river canyon area along the Yangtze River.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy_G0mV0WVY

San Andreas Tops US Box Office with $53.2 Million

Sonia Pantiss
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San Andreas Tops US Box Office with $53.2 Million

San Andreas has topped the US box office, taking $53.2 million over the weekend.

The earthquake disaster movie, which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, knocked last week’s top film Tomorrowland, which debuted with $40.7 million, into third place.

Pitch Perfect 2 was at No 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road was fourth.

Avengers: Age of Ultron – 2015’s biggest US film so far – was fifth.

The Marvel comic film has so far taken $427 million at the US box office.

Dan Fellman, head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros, which distributed San Andreas, said: “Some people felt they’d be a little nervous watching such a disaster hit both Los Angeles and San Francisco, but there was a curiosity factor.”

Box office tracker Rentrak said

It was also Dwayne Johnson’s biggest debut for a non-sequel as the top-billed actor, according to Rentrak.San Andreas tops US box office

San Andreas also features Kylie Minogue, as the sister of one of the key characters, Emma, played by Carla Gugino.

Aloha, starring starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and Bill Murray was in sixth place.

Despite its stellar cast Aloha‘s reviews have not been particularly positive and it was in the spotlight last year after leaked emails from Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chair Amy Pascal said its script was “ridiculous”.

Some native Hawaiian groups opposed the title; while an Asian-American group slated the use of a nearly all-white cast in a film shot in Hawaii.

The film, which took $10 million, cost about $37 million to make.

So far this year, US and Canadian box office takings are up nearly 5% at $4.26 billion, while attendance is up more than 4%.

North American box office Top 10:

  1. San Andreas – $53.2 million
  2. Pitch Perfect 2 – $14.8 million
  3. Tomorrowland – $13.8 million
  4. Mad Max: Fury Road – $13.6 million
  5. Avengers: Age of Ultron – $10.9 million
  6. Aloha – $10 million
  7. Poltergeist – $7.8 million
  8. Far From the Madding Crowd – $1.4 million
  9. Hot Pursuit – $1.4 million
  10. Home – $1.2 million

Enrique Iglesias Injured by Drone During Mexico Concert

Sonia Pantiss
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Enrique Iglesias Injured by Drone During Mexico Concert

Enrique Iglesias has been receiving treatment after two of his fingers were injured by a drone camera during a concert in Mexico on May 30.

The Spanish singer had been attempting to grab the drone, used to get crowd shots during his concerts.

A representative for Enrique Iglesias revealed on Instagram: “Something went wrong and he had an accident.”Enrique Iglesias injured by drone in Mexico

Enrique Iglesias, 40, continued to perform after the accident before flying to Los Angeles to see a specialist.

Photos posted on social media after Saturday’s concert at the Plaza de Toros de Playas in Tijuana appeared to show the singer with a bandaged right hand and a bloodied white T-shirt.

According to his press agent Joe Bonilla, Enrique Iglesias – son of veteran singer Julio Iglesias – “decided to go on and continued playing for 30 minutes while the bleeding continued throughout the show”.

Enrique Iglesias was then “rushed to the airport where an ambulance met him [and he] was then put on a plane to LA to see a specialist.”

The next date in Enrique Iglesias’ world tour is scheduled for July 3 in Mexico City.

Lion Park: American Tourist Killed in South Africa Lion Attack

Nancy Clayson
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Lion Park: American Tourist Killed in South Africa Lion Attack

An American tourist has been killed in a lion attack at a game park in South Africa, local media reported.

The feline, a lioness, jumped through the open window of the couple’s car and started mauling the woman, a park official said.

Paramedics were called to the scene but she died from her injuries, while the man is still receiving treatment.Lion Park South Africa

The popular Lion Park is 19 miles north of Johannesburg.

The park’s rules forbid visitors from driving through the lion enclosure with their windows down

Park rangers chased the lioness away after the attack, and it is not clear whether the animal will now have to be put down.

Local media are reporting that the woman’s death marks the third incident in the past four months at the park.

The official South African tourism website describes the park as a “hybrid between a zoo and a game reserve”, while the Lion Park’s website says “super close-up animal views” are guaranteed. Cheetahs, spotted hyenas and giraffe are also in the park.

The Lion Park is one of South Africa’s most popular destinations, attracting tourists from around the world.

KFC Sues Chinese Companies for Spreading Eight-Legged Chicken Rumors

Clyde K. Valle
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KFC Sues Chinese Companies for Spreading Eight-Legged Chicken Rumors

KFC is suing three Chinese companies it accuses of using social media to spread false rumors about its food, including that it used eight-legged chickens.

The fast food giant is seeking compensation of 1.5 million yuan ($242,000) and an apology.

One of the posts said chickens used by KFC were genetically modified to have six wings and eight legs.

A case has now been filed before a court in Shanghai.KFC China eight legged chicken rumors

KFC says the rumors appeared in posts on the WeChat app.

The company said in a statement that the rumors had spread through at least 4,000 subsequent posts.

KFC China’s president Qu Cuirong said: “This not only seriously misled consumers, but also hurt our brand.”

The fast food giant named the original posters as Shanxi Weilukuang Technology Company Ltd, Taiyuan Zero Point Technology Company and Yingchenanzhi Success and Culture Communication Ltd.

The companies have not commented on the court complaint.

Lindsey Graham 2016: South Carolina Senator Announces Presidential Run

Diane A. Wade
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Lindsey Graham 2016: South Carolina Senator Announces Presidential Run

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has officially launched his 2016 White House campaign in his hometown of Central, South Carolina.

Lindsey Graham underlined his foreign policy experience telling supporters: “I have more experience with our national security than any other candidate in this race. That includes you, Hillary.”

He also promised “limited and effective government” and strong national defense.

Lindsey Graham is the ninth Republican and fourth US senator to join the race for the presidential nomination.Lindsey Graham White House 2016

He joined Congress in 1994, winning re-election twice.

The South Carolina senator chairs several Senate subcommittees related to security and has travelled extensively, giving him a strong foreign policy brief.

An active-duty Air Force lawyer for six years, Lindsey Graham is a 30-year veteran of the Air Force Reserve.

In his remarks on June 1, Lindsey Graham said the US would “never achieve peaceful coexistence with radical Islam”.

“I want as president to defeat the enemies that are trying to kill us. Not just penalize them, or contain them, but defeat them,” he said.

Lindsey Graham has spoken out against President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, calling for US ground troops in the fight against Islamic State (ISIS).

He said he would protect US government benefit programs like Medicare and Social Security, having known what it is like to need them himself.

In a video that preceded his speech, Lindsey Graham is described as the first in his family to go to college and a “battle-tested leader who has fought to protect the American dream”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Hl8cR6PVk

Kim Kardashian Pregnant Again: KUWTK Star Expecting Second Child with Kanye West

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian Pregnant Again: KUWTK Star Expecting Second Child with Kanye West

Kim Kardashian has revealed in the May 31 midseason finale of Keeping Up With the Kardashians that she is pregnant with her second child with Kanye West.

Kim Kardashian, 34, has confirmed the exciting news to her family, in the scenes teasing the second half of KUWTK‘s season: “I just got the blood test back and I am pregnant!”

Photo Instagram
Photo Instagram

Before the episode aired, Kim Kardashian took to Twitter saying: “Who is excited for tonight’s KUWTK finale?!?!?! There’s some exciting news to share so make sure you tune in!!!!!”

Kim Kardashian, the mom of daughter North West, 23 months, has been vocal about her struggle to conceive a second child. The reality star even allowed KUWTK cameras to document her visits with a fertility doctor throughout season 10.

Caitlyn Jenner: Bruce Jenner as a Woman on Vanity Fair Cover

Lisa.Felice
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Caitlyn Jenner: Bruce Jenner as a Woman on Vanity Fair Cover

Bruce Jenner’s first photo shoot as a woman, named Caitlyn Jenner, has been unveiled.

Caitlyn Jenner shot the cover with photographer Annie Leibovitz in Malibu for Vanity Fair magazine.

Former Olympian Bruce Jenner confirmed his plans to transition into a woman in an interview in April 2015.

Now, as he became Caitlyn, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star says: “If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret… I would be lying there saying, <<You just blew your entire life>>.”

Photo Vanity Fair
Photo Vanity Fair

Caitlyn Jenner also tweeted: “I’m so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can’t wait for you to get to know her/me.”

E! channel plans to document Caitlyn Jenner’s life as a transgender woman, starting in July in a new series.

Bruce Jenner’s stepdaughter Kim Kardashian West also tweeted support for the cover shoot.

It comes a day after Kim Kardashian confirmed she was pregnant with her second child with husband Kanye West.

Khloe Kardashian also posted about the cover shoot on her Instagram account.

Bruce Jenner’s stepdaughter wrote: “We were given this life because you were strong enough to live it! I couldn’t be prouder!!! Caitlyn, You are beautiful!!!”

Solar Impulse 2 Makes Forced Landing in Japan Due to Bad Weather

James J. Williams
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Solar Impulse 2 Makes Forced Landing in Japan Due to Bad Weather

Solar Impulse 2 has made a forced landing in Nagoya, Japan, aborting a Pacific crossing due to deteriorating weather ahead of it.

Solar Impulse is the only airplane of perpetual endurance, able to fly day and night on solar power, without a drop of fuel.

The aircraft, which set off from China on May 31, had hoped to reach Hawaii by the end of the week.

However, a developing cold front over the ocean is blocking its path and pilot Andre Borschberg has decided to play safe by putting down in Nagoya.

Andre Borschberg will now wait in Japan for a new weather opportunity to present itself.

Solar Impulse 2 is attempting to make the first circumnavigation of the globe by an airplane powered only by the sun.Solar Impulse 2 forced landing Nagoya

The 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its wings drive propellers during the day but also charge batteries that sustain flight during the night.

The China-Hawaii stint was to be the seventh leg in the quest that began back in March from Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Andre Borschberg brought Solar Impulse into Nagoya airfield at 23:49 local time. A line of brilliant LEDs on the front edge of the plane’s wings announced his approach to the runway.

Because Japan was never a scheduled stop, the project has had to scramble to get its ground crew and equipment to the airport to meet the vehicle.

This saw the Swiss adventurer having to circle above Nagoya while preparations were made beneath him.

Solar Impulse 2 will now be tied down and protected from the elements in a mobile hanger while meteorologists and flight strategists look for a new possibility to cross the Pacific.

Flying the more than 8,000km from Nanjing in China to Kalaeloa in Hawaii was always considered the big test in the round-the-world flight.

Although disappointed at having being forced to make a stopover, the team is nonetheless delighted with the performance of its aircraft.

Just the journey from Nanjing has covered more than 2,850km – a new distance world record for a manned solar-powered plane. The time in the air, also, 44 hours, is a record in the same aviation class.

In completing a full day-night cycle on Sunday into Monday, Solar Impulse has proven its credentials as an “eternal plane”. That is, given the right weather conditions, Solar Impulse has the ability to stay aloft indefinitely.

Quite when the airplane will now get to go to Hawaii is anyone’s guess at the moment. It is unlikely to get a chance before next week. Andre Borschberg will need some time to rest, as will his ground crew.

Ideally, the team needs to cross America, and then the Atlantic, before the hurricane season starts to peak in August.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9NBzfxOSYM

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