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Mother’s Day 2015: Deals and Freebies

Nancy Clayson
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Mother’s Day 2015: Deals and Freebies

Several restaurants, retailers and attractions will be offering freebies, deals and sweepstakes for moms on or around Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10.

The modern American holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which now holds the International Mother’s Day Shrine.

In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day”, and created the Mother’s Day International Association.

Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar is treating moms to a free meal (up to a $15 value) on Mother’s Day with a purchase of equal or greater value. Arooga’s has nine locations in central Pennsylvania.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is giving moms a free meal on Mother’s Day with a purchase of equal or greater value. The chain of sports pubs has more than 200 locations in 23 states.

Brick House Tavern & Tap is treating moms to a free brunch entrée with the purchase of an entrée at participating locations. Reservations for brunch are required. Brick House has 23 locations nationwide.

California Pizza Kitchen has a Dear Mom Sweepstakes you can enter by uploading a photo and story about mom with the hashtag #CPKDearMomSweeps on Instagram, Twitter or the restaurant chain’s Facebook page for a chance to win a weekend getaway that includes roundtrip airfare to Las Vegas, a two-night stay at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, $500 spa credit, $500 shopping spree and lunch or dinner for two at CPK Summerlin. You can enter through May 31, and a winner will be chosen June 3.

Chuck E. Cheese’s has a coupon for a free individual thin and crispy pizza for mom with a $29.99 purchase of a large pizza, four drinks and 30 tokens. The family dining and entertainment chain has locations in 47 states.

Corner Bakery, with 188 locations in 21 states and D.C., has a coupon for a free six-pack of bundt cakes for mom with the purchase of a lunch or dinner entrée.

Fogo de Chao Brazillian Steakhouse will give a mom who dines on Mother’s Day at one on its locations in 26 U.S. cities a complimentary lunch or dinner during her next visit.Mothers Day 2015

Hurricane Grill & Wings is offering moms a free dessert of their choice with the purchase of an entrée at participating locations in 12 states.

Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar will offer moms $5 “Momosa” drinks on Mother’s Day, and moms can take home the champagne glass (while supplies last). Lazy Dog has locations in Las Vegas and California.

McCormick & Schmick’s is giving moms a complimentary chocolate-covered strawberry with brunch on Mother’s Day. The restaurant chain operates in 24 states.

Museums and gardens. Admission to many public gardens across the country is free on National Public Gardens Day May 8 — and through Mother’s Day weekend. For example, The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens in Newbury, N.H., is offering free admission to all May 8-10. Search for gardens near you to see if any have special offers for Mother’s Day.

Museums, zoos and other attractions often offer free admission to moms on Mother’s Day. For example, the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum in Montgomery, Ala., are offering free admission for moms May 10. Check with museums in your area for similar offerings.

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt is treating moms to a free 8-ounce cup of frozen yogurt on Mother’s Day. There are more than 300 locations in 37 states.

Outback Steakhouse wants guests to celebrate Mother’s Day early with a downloadable coupon for 15% off your entire check through May 7. Plus, if you buy $50 in gift cards through June 21, you’ll receive a bonus $10 gift card.

PDQ is offering moms a free combo meal (three-piece chicken tenders, salad or sandwich combo) on Mother’s Day with the purchase of a kids combo meal. The fast-casual restaurant chain has locations in seven states.

Princess Cruises has a Mother’s Day sale on fares for cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, New England, the Panama Canal, Hawaii and California. Plus, it’s offering up to $200 worth of free onboard spending money. The sale runs through May 14.

RA Sushi will be offering an all-day happy hour on Mother’s Day with select sushi, appetizers and drinks starting at $3.49 at its 26 locations in nine states.

Safe Step Walk-in Tub Co. is giving away one of its hydrotherapeutic tubs for Mother’s Day. You can nominate your mom on Safe Step’s Facebook page by uploading a photo of you and your mom, telling why your mom deserves a Safe Step tub, then sharing the photo on Facebook so friends and family can vote. A winner will be selected from the five moms with the most votes.

Shoney’s is giving moms a free slice of strawberry pie on Mother’s Day with the purchase of a buffet or entree. Shoney’s has 160 locations in 16 states.

Snapfish has printable cards, breakfast-in-bed menus, origami flowers and party banners for Mother’s Day that you can download for free.

Spaghetti Warehouse is offering a free appetizer for registering for its Mother’s Day photo album. You can upload a photo of your mom and tell why she’s special for a chance to win a $100 Spaghetti Warehouse gift card. The restaurant chain also is offering moms who dine at one of its locations in seven states on May 10 a free strawberry lemonade and one of five gifts: a free “Make it a Feast” entrée, a buy-one-get-one free spaghetti or lasagne, a free brownie sundae, a free spaghetti or lasagne entrée, or a $25 Spaghetti Warehouse gift card, says Kathy Wan, director of marketing for Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants Inc.

TGI Fridays will offer half-priced bottles of wine for its Mother’s Week celebration May 5-10 at participating restaurants.

Raul Castro and Pope Francis to Meet at Vatican

Diane A. Wade
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Raul Castro and Pope Francis to Meet at Vatican

Cuban President Raul Castro will meet Pope Francis in a private audience at the Vatican.

The Argentine Pope played a key role in a recent diplomatic rapprochement between the US and Cuba.

Raul Castro, who is stopping off as he returns from Russia’s WW2 Victory Day parade, wishes to thank Pope Francis for his help, Vatican radio says.

The Roman Catholic Church has maintained relations with Cuba since the 1959 revolution.Raul Castro and Pope Francis meeting

Pope Francis will visit Cuba on his way to the US in September.

In 1996, Pope John Paul II became the first pontiff to receive a Cuban leader when Fidel Castro travelled to the Vatican.

Raul Castro, the brother of Fidel, was last in Rome in 1997 when he was defense minister. At the time he was preparing the historic visit of John Paul II to Havana the following year.

The Catholic Church has organized a series of secret diplomatic meetings to broker the US-Cuban rapprochement.

The talks directly involved Pope Francis. The US had imposed a trade embargo soon after Cuba’s revolution, which it began to lift at the end of 2014.

Pope Francis, 78, will be the third pontiff to travel to Cuba, following visits there by John Paul II in 1998 and Benedict XVI in 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22DPKUO-JvA

Poland Elections 2015: President Bronislaw Komorowski Hopes to Win Second Term

Diane A. Wade
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Poland Elections 2015: President Bronislaw Komorowski Hopes to Win Second Term

Poles are voting to elect the country’s president for the next five years.

Poland’s presidential elections on May 10 have a colorful cast of candidates whose antics are providing most of the drama, because there is little suspense about the result: incumbent President Bronislaw Komorowski expected to easily win a second term in office.

Opinion polls put Bronislaw Komorowski in the lead, but if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote there will be a second round.

Bronislaw Komorowski took office in 2010 after his predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash.

The president has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws.Poland presidential election Bronislaw Komorowski

Bronislaw Komorowski, 62, is an independent allied with the centre-right Civic Platform, which has been in government since 2007.

His main challenger is Andrzej Duda, from the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party, which is led by former President Lech Kaczynski’s twin brother, Jaroslaw.

Rock musician Pawel Kukiz looks likely to gather protest votes, but has trailed the leading pair in opinion polls. Another eight candidates are standing.

During a period of tension with Russia over the unrest in Ukraine, President Bronislaw Komorowski says he has promoted stability.

The presidential vote comes ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn, and may give pointers to Civic Platform’s chances of retaining power.

If no candidate wins more than 50%, a second round will be held on May 24.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=113iWzSVWKA

Pele Leaves Hospital After Prostate Surgery

Clyde K. Valle
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Pele Leaves Hospital After Prostate Surgery

Pele has left a Sao Paolo hospital after undergoing prostate surgery.

The 74-year-old Brazil soccer legend was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paolo on May 5 for the second time in six months.

Pele, the three-time World Cup winner, was treated for a urinary infection in November 2014 after having kidney stones removed.Pele prostate surgery

He was named FIFA’s Player of the Century and won 91 caps for Brazil, scoring 77 goals.

Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, Pele scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during his 21-year career.

He played 14 games at the World Cup, scoring 12 goals, and was awarded the FIFA Golden Ball as the best player at the 1970 tournament.

Pele has only one kidney, having had one removed towards the end of his playing career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_qK400AEPc

General Kenan Evren Dies in Ankara Hospital Aged 97

Diane A. Wade
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General Kenan Evren Dies in Ankara Hospital Aged 97

Turkey ex-president, General Kenan Evren, has died on May 9 at the age of 97.

On September 12, 1980, General Kenan Evren launched a coup that overthrew the government. He went on to serve as president until 1989.

Kenan Evren was put on trial in his 90s and was handed a life sentence for the coup in 2014.

Some 600,000 people were detained and 50 executed by hanging in the coup. All political parties were banned, with left-wing activists heavily targeted.

Kenan Evren died at a hospital in Ankara.

He had been in ill health since 2012 and was unable to appear in court when convicted.Kenan Evren Dead at 97

The 1980 coup was the last and bloodiest of Turkey’s coups and came to symbolise the military’s long-standing dominance over Turkish politics.

Gen. Kenan Evren believed that his actions saved the country from descending into anarchy after deadly fighting between political extremists.

“Should we feed them in prison for years instead of hanging them?” he said in a speech in 1984, defending the decision to execute political activists.

Despite allegations of deaths and torture it appeared unlikely that the former president would ever face trial.

However, a constitutional clause granting the general immunity from prosecution was overturned after a referendum in 2010, as part of then PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attempts to rein in the power of the army.

In 2014, a Turkish court convicted Kenan Evren of crimes against the state for setting the stage for army intervention and conducting the coup.

Kenan Evren’s career’s begin as an officer from a military academy, was made a general and rose to become chief of the general staff.

During the years leading up to the 1980 coup, there was widespread political violence on the streets involving far-right and far-left activists, which the military said the government was incapable of controlling.

After the coup, parliament was dissolved and Kenan Evren ruled the country as the head of the National Security Council.

The council oversaw the drawing up of a new constitution, which was approved by a referendum and made Kenan Evren president for a seven-year term.

Parliamentary elections were held during this time and Turkey applied to join the European Economic Community, the precursor to the European Union.

During Kenan Evren’s retirement two plots to assassinate him were thwarted and he took up painting.

Prince Harry Takes Maori Salute During New Zealand Trip

Lisa.Felice
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Prince Harry Takes Maori Salute During New Zealand Trip

Prince Harry got a traditional Maori welcome during his visit to New Zealand.

The royal arrived in New Zealand for a week-long tour of the country.

Prince Harry flew in from Australia after a month of training with the country’s armed forces, meeting injured soldiers and Aboriginal communities.

New Zealand’s PM John Key greeted the prince as he landed in Wellington.

Prince Harry then went on to a ceremony at the National War Memorial in the capital where he laid a wreath.

John Key tweeted: “Great to welcome Prince Harry to New Zealand on a brilliant Wellington day.”

The prime minster also tweeted pictures of the “fantastic crowd” waiting for Prince Harry as well as a puppy that the prime minister brought along to welcome him.Prince Harry Moari salute New Zealand

Kensington Palace tweeted a picture of Prince Harry watching a powhiri – a Maori welcoming ritual – followed by a haka.

He was treated to the ceremonial welcome on the lawn in front of Government House, the home of the Governor General Jerry Mateparae and his wife Janine.

Performed by members of the New Zealand armed forces, the powhiri started with a wero, an ancient tradition to determine whether visitors come in peace.

At the house he was invited to hongi, where he clasped hands and pressed his nose up against the people he met.

Prince Harry also saw a mass haka by students from a local college and was given a 21-gun salute.

The fifth in line to the British throne then met school children, one of whom presented him with a card for his new-born niece, Princess Charlotte.

Harry tucked the envelope into his suit pocket and told her: “I won’t open it, I’ll keep it safe and I’ll make sure she gets it.”

He also visited the National War Memorial Park and paid his respects at its Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

Prince Harry left a note on a wreath laid during his visit to the memorial park, which read: “In memory of all those who have paid the ultimate price and in grateful recognition of those who have served NZ.”

He also inspected a guard of honor made up of members of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Army Logistic Regiment, and the Air Force before watching a rugby game between Wellington’s Hurricanes and South Africa’s Durban-based Sharks.

The week-long visit is the first Prince Harry has made to New Zealand and throughout the trip he is expected to be given a broad introduction to Kiwi culture and society, including visiting the country’s most southern and very remote community on Stewart Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhXpv6SzSdA

Etan Patz Disappearance: Judge Declares Mistrial in Missing Boy Case

Nancy Clayson
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Etan Patz Disappearance: Judge Declares Mistrial in Missing Boy Case

Jurors in murder trial against Pedro Hernandez in Etan Patz disappearance case fail to finish their 16th day of deliberation without reaching verdict, making deliberation one of longest in past three decades in New York City.

A mistrial has been declared in the case of the six-year-old boy who went missing in 1979.

Defendant Pedro Hernandez confessed in 2012 to killing Etan Patz.

But Pedro Hernandez’s lawyers say the confession was false and claim he is mentally ill.

Pedro Hernandez will remain in jail as prosecutors set a new trial date.

Etan Patz vanished while walking to a school bus stop, in a prominent case that baffled authorities for decades.Etan Patz murder mistrial

The boy’s father, Stanley Patz, expressed his frustration over the jury’s inability to decide but added: “I think we have closure already.”

Etan Patz’s disappearance was one of most prominent missing person cases of the 1980s. He was the first missing child to appear on milk cartons.

In 2012, Pedro Hernandez admitted choking the boy in the basement of the shop where he worked, putting the body in a bag, putting the bag in a banana box and eventually dumping the body about two blocks away from the store.

Etan Patz’s body was never found, and no physical evidence was uncovered to link Pedro Hernandez to the crime.

Defense lawyer Harvey Fishbein said during closing arguments: “Pedro Hernandez is the only witness against himself. The stories he told over the years, including in 2012, and since, are the only evidence. Yet he is inconsistent and unreliable.”

Pedro Hernandez’s lawyers pointed to another suspect Jose Ramos.

According to a former prison informant with whom lawyers were working, Jose Ramos claimed he was with Etan Patz the day the boy vanished and admitted molesting the child.

During 18 days of deliberations, the jury was deadlocked three times before the judge declared the mistrial.

Ebola Outbreak 2015: Liberia Declared Virus-Free After 42 Days of No Cases

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola Outbreak 2015: Liberia Declared Virus-Free After 42 Days of No Cases

Liberia is Ebola-free, the World Health Organization (WHO) announces confirming the African country has had no new cases in 42 days.

More than 4,700 deaths from Ebola have been recorded in Liberia, more than in any other affected country.

Neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to fight the outbreak.

Ebola disease has claimed over 11,000 lives across the region since last year.Liberia Ebola free 2015

The WHO regards a country Ebola-free after a 42-day period without a new case – twice the maximum incubation period.

The last confirmed death in Liberia was on March 27.

On May 9, the WHO said in a statement: “The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia is over.”

According to WHO officials, Ebola was eventually conquered in Liberia through a collective. Care centers and hand washing stations were set up to try to halt the disease, which spreads through contact with sick people.

Billboards went up with slogans such as “Ebola is real”, “wash your hands and don’t touch” and “don’t be the next victim”.

Liberia lost around 250,000 lives in a civil war ending in 2005.

Although Liberia has now been declared Ebola-free, correspondents say the outbreak will have a long-term impact on Liberia’s fragile economy.

The current Ebola outbreak is the deadliest in history. It initially centered on Guinea’s remote south-eastern region of Nzerekore in early 2014, and later spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Hosni Mubarak Sentenced to Three Years in Jail

Roy Siemens
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Hosni Mubarak Sentenced to Three Years in Jail

Hosni Mubarak has been sentenced to 3 years in prison on corruption charges after a retrial in Egypt’s capital, Cairo.

The former Egyptian president’s sons, Alaa and Gamal, were given 4 years each in the same case which centers on the embezzlement of $14 million earmarked for renovation of presidential palaces.

The original conviction was overturned on January 13 over legal procedures.

This was the last court case hanging over Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled in the 2011 uprising.Hosni Mubarak sentence

Hosni Mubarak and his sons were also fined for the amount embezzled and used to renovate their private residences in Cairo and on the Red Sea coast, as well as a family farm.

The 87-year-old former leader and his sons were present in the courtroom at a police academy on the outskirts of Cairo.

Some of his supporters wore T-shirts with Hosni Mubarak’s face and waved and blew kisses as he entered, the Associated Press news agency says.

They shouted in anger as the judge issued the ruling – which can be appealed against.

It is not clear whether the time Hosni Mubarak has already served will count – or whether he will be sent to jail again.

Egypt’s highest court is also due to decide on June 4 whether to allow an appeal against a lower court’s ruling that dropped murder charges against Hosni Mubarak.

Hosni Mubarak remains at Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo.

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s New Guardians Are Bobby Brown and Pat Houston

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s New Guardians Are Bobby Brown and Pat Houston

Bobby Brown and Pat Houston have been appointed as Bobbi Kristina Brown’s official co-guardians, according to a statement from their attorneys, ET reported.

“Both Mr. Brown and Ms. Houston are jointly responsible for decisions related to Krissi’s care and medical needs,” the statement reads.

The court also appointed Bedelia Hargrove as Bobbi Kristina Brown’s conservator.Bobbi Kristina Brown guardianship

“Ms. Hargrove is responsible for Krissi’s assets, including her likeness, rights and legal claims,” the statement says.

“Both parties are delighted with the Court’s decision and are working harmoniously to ensure Krissi receives the best possible medical care,” the statement adds.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, was moved to an Atlanta rehabilitation facility three months ago after being found unresponsive in a bathtub on January 31.

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

B.B. King’s Children Guardianship Denied by Las Vegas Judge

Sonia Pantiss
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B.B. King’s Children Guardianship Denied by Las Vegas Judge

A lawsuit filed by B.B. King’s children accusing the blues legend’s business manager of financial and welfare abuse has been dismissed by a Las Vegas judge.

B.B. King’s long-time manager Laverne Toney will remain in legal control of the 89-year-old’s affairs.

Three of B.B. King’s children claimed Laverne Toney was stealing money and neglecting the musician’s medical care.

The judge said investigations found no evidence of abuse or reason to take power of attorney from Laverne Toney.BB King children guardianship case

“Mr. King has counsel. I don’t have anything here that says he lacks capacity. He has some serious health issues. But he has counsel. If he feels like he’s being taken advantage of, he has remedies,” the Family Court Hearing Master, Jon Norheim said.

B.B. King, who suffers from diabetes and is currently in home-hospice care, did not attend.

The musician was forced to cancel the remainder of a tour last October when he fell ill during a show, and was later diagnosed with dehydration and exhaustion.

The judge’s ruling doesn’t prevent B.B. King’s children from returning to court to press their claim once all family members have been legally informed of the action.

“We lost the battle, but we haven’t lost the war,” his daughter Karen Williams vowed.

B.B. King’s eldest daughter Shirley King said the dispute had brought disrespect to her father’s name.

“I’m not too sure things are right. But my dad would never want this,” she said.

B.B. King is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Stolen Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s First Edition Found in Bogota

Sonia Pantiss
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Stolen Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s First Edition Found in Bogota

A signed first edition of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude has been recovered after being stolen from a book fair in Bogota, Colombia.

According to police, the book was taken last weekend from a locked cabinet at the International Book Fair in Bogota.

The book belongs to a collector who bought it in 2006; it was later signed by the author, who died in 2014.Gabriel Garcia Marquez first edition stolen

Police say it was found on a used book stall in Bogota. They suspect antique dealers were behind the robbery.

The book is estimated to be worth $60,000 but its owner says his copy is priceless.

It disappeared on May 2 from a locked cabinet at the Corferias exhibition centre in Bogota where it was being exhibited as part of the book fair.

The fair, one of the most important in Latin America, had at its theme Macondo, the fictional Colombian town where One Hundred Years of Solitude is set.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, was Colombia’s most famous and critically acclaimed author.

Following Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s death in Mexico in April 2014, first editions of his novels have risen in value.

Victory 70: Largest Parade in Russia History Since WW2

James J. Williams
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Victory 70: Largest Parade in Russia History Since WW2

Russia is marking 70 years of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two with a huge military parade in Moscow.

Thousands of troops are marching on Red Square in Moscow, and new armor being displayed for the first time.

More than 20 heads of states are in Moscow, but many world leaders are boycotting the event because of Russia’s role in the Ukraine crisis.

As the event began, Russian President Vladimir Putin said international co-operation had been put at risk in recent years.

Russia denies claims by the West that it is arming rebels in eastern Ukraine. More than 6,000 people have been killed since fighting began in April 2014 in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.Russian military parade Victory 70

In his speech, Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the sacrifices of Soviet troops during World War Two. He also thanked “the people of Great Britain, France and the United States for their contribution to victory”.

Vladimir Putin also said: “In recent decades the basic principles of international co-operation have been ignored ever more frequently. We see how a military-bloc mentality is gaining momentum.”

The remarks echo previous complaints by Vladimir Putin about what he says are efforts by the US and its NATO allies to encircle Russia militarily.

The victory parade started at 10:00 local time. Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Pranab Mukherjee of India and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are among more than 20 world leaders watching the event.

Military units from across Russia – some dressed in WWII-era uniforms – are marching, and more than 100 aircraft have flown over Red Square.

The most talked-about new high-tech Russian armor is the T-14 Armata battle tank, which has a remote-controlled gun turret and reinforced capsule for the crew.

The RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles – each capable of delivering three nuclear warheads – were also on show.

In a sign of closer ties between Russia and China, a column of Chinese troops marched in Moscow for the first time.

Military parades on a smaller scale are also being held in other cities, including Sevastopol in Crimea – Ukraine’s southern peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 – as well as the Ukrainian rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The US, Australia, Canada and most of the EU heads of state are boycotting the celebrations in Russia over its alleged involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

On May 8, Poland organized an alternative event for those leaders who refused to go to Moscow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPCXiyo-3L8

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

North Korea Fires Underwater Ballistic Missile

Roy Siemens
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North Korea Fires Underwater Ballistic Missile

North Korea has announced it successfully tested a submarine-launched missile.

If confirmed would be a significant boost in North Korea’s arsenal.

Pictures on state media showed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looking on as a missile shot out of the water.

Analysts say North Korea owns several nuclear warheads but this development would be an advance as submarine-fired devices are difficult to detect.

This latest test has not been independently verified.North Korea underwater missile

State media described the missile emerging with “a fiery, blazing trail”, but did not mention the date or the location of the test.

One possibility is the eastern coastal city of Sinpo, where satellite images released earlier this year appeared to show a submarine being equipped with launch capabilities.

Kim Jong-un said North Korea now possessed a “world-level strategic weapon capable of striking and wiping out in any waters the hostile forces infringing upon [North Korea’s] sovereignty and dignity”, the reports said.

Such a test would violate UN sanctions banning North Korea from using ballistic missile technology.

Up to now, North Korea’s missiles have been land-based and only capable of hitting neighboring countries.

North Korea is also believed to be attempting to miniaturize nuclear weapons to fit on its missiles.

Plane Crashes into Atlanta I-285 Killing Four People

Nancy Clayson
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Plane Crashes into Atlanta I-285 Killing Four People

A single engine plane has crashed onto a metro Atlanta interstate shortly after takeoff, killing all four people onboard.

The aircraft burst into flames, but none on the ground was hurt although the plane nearly stuck a vehicle.

“It’s a miracle, literally a miracle, that no other cars were hit,” DeKalb Fire Capt Eric Jackson said.

The Piper PA-32 crashed minutes after taking off from DeKalb Peachtree Airport on May 8.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Rescue workers shut down Interstate 285 in both directions so investigators could determine what happened. The closure created traffic problems through the city.

Authorities did not immediately release the names of the victims.

The plane officially took off at 9:59 a.m. and was scheduled to land just before 11 a.m. CT in Oxford, Miss., according to FlightAware, flight-tracking service. It arrived around 9:15 a.m. from Asheville, N.C., where the plane apparently was based.

The plane was clearly in distress, said witnesses, many who slammed on their brakes to avoid what was developing.

All lanes in both directions of I-285 are blocked at the scene, and Georgia Department of Transportation officials say the interstate will be closed for at least eight hours and are telling all travelers to take alternate routes and avoid the area for the rest of the day.

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

The Muppets Return for TV Series on ABC

Sonia Pantiss
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The Muppets Return for TV Series on ABC

The Muppet Show is returning to TV with a contemporary grown-up reboot.

The show has been commissioned by ABC and promises a “more adult” take on much-loved characters such as Kermit.

The Muppet Show series will be filmed in a “contemporary, documentary-style” and will explore their personal lives and relationships.

For the first time ever, the series will explore the Muppets’ personal lives and relationships, both at home and at work, as well as romances, break-ups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires.The Muppets on ABC

The Big Bang Theory‘s producer Bill Prady is behind the series.

The recent pilot got a standing ovation at an ABC screening last month, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The Muppets, created by puppeteer Jim Henson, first appeared on TV in the 1950s, getting their own show in the 1970s.

They recently made a return to the big screen in 2011’s The Muppets and 2014’s Muppets Most Wanted, featuring Ricky Gervais.

Their TV comeback series is one of several new comedies picked up by ABC after the US pilot season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMGkekd7dfM

Ivorian Boy Smuggled into Spain Inside Suitcase

Nancy Clayson
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Ivorian Boy Smuggled into Spain Inside Suitcase

An Ivorian boy has been smuggled into Spain from Morocco inside a suitcase, Spanish police say.

The 8-year-old boy, named Abou, was found inside the case being carried by a 19-year-old woman into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave next to Morocco, on May 7.

When police opened the case, they found the boy in a “terrible state”, a spokesman for the Guardia Civil told AFP.

The boy is now in the care of authorities in Ceuta.

According to El Pais, the 19-year-old is not related to the boy, and was paid by his father to carry the suitcase.

The boy’s father lives in the Canary Islands and had hoped to be reunited with his son, El Pais said.Ivorian boy smuggled into Spain

The Spanish news agency Efe said the boy’s father, also named Abou, had travelled back to Ivory Coast to pick him up, having moved to Gran Canaria in 2013.

The father then reportedly paid the Moroccan courier to carry the suitcase. A police spokesman told Efe: “She seemed to hesitate, and it looked as though she didn’t want to come through the border.

“At first we thought that there could be drug packages, but gradually discovered that it was a human body.”

The boy’s father travelled across the border an hour-and-a-half after his son. At that point, Efe said, he was detained by border guards.

Ceuta and another Spanish enclave, Melilla, sit on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, and are each surrounded on three sides by Morocco.

Madrid says they are integral parts of Spain and manages their borders, but Morocco claims sovereignty over the territories.

Despite being surrounded by six-meter-high fences, the enclaves have proved to be popular areas for migrants to try to cross into Europe from Africa.

Human Rights Watch says at least 4,300 people entered Ceuta and Melilla illegally in 2013, compared to 2,804 the year before.

Guy Carawan Dies at the Age of 87

Sonia Pantiss
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Guy Carawan Dies at the Age of 87

Civil rights singer Guy Carawan has died at the age of 87.

Guy Carawan’s rendition of We Shall Overcome became an anthem of the US civil rights movement

The white folk musician popularized the song by teaching it to a group of black activist students in 1960.

We Shall Overcome was taken up as a rally cry and was sung at the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery led by Martin Luther King.Guy Carawan We Shall Overcome

President Lyndon B. Johnson also quoted the lyrics when describing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

We Shall Overcome has a long oral history and can be traced back to a 19th Century church hymn.

The song has since been performed by Tiananmen Square protesters and at the dismantled Berlin Wall, the Times reported.

Guy Carawan was born in California in 1927 and moved to New York City where he became active in the folk revival movement in Greenwich Village.

He and his second wife, Candie, taught music for decades at the Highlander Research and Education Center, a social justice leadership school in Tennessee, whose visitors over the years included Rosa Parks and Luther King.

Guy Carawan had dementia and died at his home in Tennessee on May 2nd, his wife told local media.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tftdes9dp-A

Nigella Lawson’s The Taste Canceled After Two Series

Sonia Pantiss
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Nigella Lawson’s The Taste Canceled After Two Series

ABC has decided to cancel Nigella Lawson’s cooking show The Taste after two series, following a dramatic ratings slump.

The Taste lost more than half its viewers, falling from highs of 7 million to less than 3 million viewers on New Year’s Day.

In the UK, Channel 4 ended The Taste in 2014 after just one series.Nigella Lawson The Taste

Other shows cancelled by ABC include Forever, supernatural drama Resurrection and new sitcom Cristela.

Starring alongside Nigella Lawson were chefs Anthony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebvre and Marcus Samuelsson. The show saw cooks trying to impress the experts with spoonfuls of food.

ABC has also re-commissioned Castle, fairytale drama Once Upon A Time, American Crime and Secrets and Lies.

Also commissioned were Biblical saga Of Kings and Prophets, Quantico – from Gossip Girl producer Josh Safran – and 80s crime drama Wicked City.

Modern Family, The Goldbergs, Fresh Off the Boat and The Middle are among the comedies returning for new series, along with reality series The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars.

Greece Crisis: Public Sector Workers Rehired Despite Bailout Talks

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece Crisis: Public Sector Workers Rehired Despite Bailout Talks

A defiant Greece has decided to rehire thousands of public sector workers, including cleaning ladies, despite sustained pressure from its international creditors.

Greek lawmakers passed a law to give back jobs to some 4,000 workers who were laid off under severe austerity cuts.

The move comes as Athens seeks a deal on more financial aid ahead of a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on May 11.

Greece is running out of money as it has to pay €750 million ($845 million) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on May 12.Greece rehires public sector workers

International creditors have demanded cuts in spending, including plans to trim the civil service and privatization of state assets, in order for Greece to continue receiving loans.

On May 7, the Greek parliament adopted a bill to rehire school guards, cleaning ladies and civil servants who lost their jobs or were earmarked for dismissal under the austerity program.

In 2014, 32 cleaning ladies sacked by the Greek finance ministry came to the European Parliament in Strasbourg in France to plead their case.

The insistence of the cleaners – who were replaced by cheaper workers – made them famous all over Greece.

Yesterday’s bill in the Greek parliament does not violate the terms of a massive bailout by the EU and IMF, which allows Athens to hire one public employee for every five who leave.

However, the move – combined with the reopening of the public broadcaster ERT – is likely to face criticism from the eurozone negotiators.

The talks with the IMF and EU are expected to continue over the weekend.

EU officials say a deal is unlikely before Greece has to make the IMF payment on May 12.

Eurozone officials say no further loans will be released until further economic reforms have been agreed.

Greece needs progress at May 11 meeting because that is likely to affect the willingness of the European Central Bank to allow the continued emergency lending that is keeping Greek commercial banks afloat.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis insisted the country would meet May 12 deadline.

Yanis Varoufakis also rejected the view that Greece had been reckless with bailout money, saying that 91% of the bailout funds his country had received so far had been spent on repaying banks, particularly northern European banks such as Germany’s – rather than helping Greece’s economy.

Yanis Varoufakis again stressed that Greece had no intention of leaving the euro.

Greece met its deadline on May 6 for a repayment for €200 million.

Pakistan Helicopter Crashes in Gilgit Killing Norway and Philippines Ambassadors

Roy Siemens
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Pakistan Helicopter Crashes in Gilgit Killing Norway and Philippines Ambassadors

A Pakistani military helicopter crashed during an emergency landing in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan territory killing at least six people.

The ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines, the wives of the Indonesian and Malaysian envoys and two Pakistan Army pilots died in the crash.

They were travelling to attend the opening of a tourism project in Gilgit. The cause of the crash is unclear.Pakistan helicopter crash 2015

Military spokesman Asim Bajwa confirmed the deaths of Norwegian Ambassador Leif Larsen and Domingo Lucenario of the Philippines in a post on Twitter. He said five others were injured, including the Polish and Dutch ambassadors.

Eleven foreigners and six Pakistanis were on board the MI-17 helicopter, Asim Bajwa added.

The helicopter reportedly hit a building belonging to an army school in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is not yet known whether there are any casualties on the ground.

It was one of three helicopters ferrying a delegation of foreign diplomats for the inauguration of a chairlift project built by the air force for tourists.

Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to inaugurate the facility, but his aircraft turned back from Gilgit after reports of the crash.

The chairlift project was reportedly completed more than six months ago, but its inauguration was delayed due to PM Nawaz Sharif’s other commitments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma0LgU9SZhY

VE Day: Europe Marks 70th Anniversary of End of WW2

James J. Williams
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VE Day: Europe Marks 70th Anniversary of End of WW2

Europe is marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on the continent.

European leaders gathered in the Polish port of Gdansk for a midnight ceremony at the site where the first shots of the war were fired.

The Gdansk commemoration was seen as a slight to Russia’s Victory Parade on May 9, which has been boycotted by Western leaders because of Ukraine.

There will also be ceremonies in Paris, London, Berlin, as well as Washington.

The commemoration in Gdansk was marked with a 21-gun salute on the stroke of midnight. Beams of light illuminated a monument to Polish defenders in Westerplatte and the national anthem was played.

In a speech, Poland’s President Bronislaw Komorowski said the war had started with the co-operation of two totalitarian regimes led by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.Victory in Europe Day 1945

Bronislaw Komorowski went on to say that the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 did not bring freedom but instead communism and the Iron Curtain. Such division finally ended, the president said, with the integration of the region into the European Union.

The event was attended by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the presidents of several countries including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania and Ukraine.

Many other Western leaders – who are boycotting Moscow’s event and for whom the Gdansk commemoration was partly organized – did not attend.

Among those in Gdansk was Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko who said it was possible to draw parallels from history and the current situation in Europe.

“Annexation and invasion, under the pretext of defending ethnic minorities… could all become the new reality,” he said.

Relations between Russia and the West have been soured by Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s southern Crimea peninsula last year and support for rebels in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Moscow denies it is arming the rebels and sending troops across the border.

Russia, which lost more citizens to the WW2 than any other nation, will stage its biggest-ever military parade during its Victory ceremony in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9.

On May 8, there will be a ceremony in Germany where President Joachim Gauck will lay a wreath at a cemetery for Soviet soldiers. The German parliament will meet in special session.

In London, a remembrance service will be held at the Cenotaph and 200 beacons will later be lit across the country.

In France, where VE (Victory in Europe) Day is a national holiday, President Francois Hollande will lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

In the US, a ceremony will be held at the national World War Two memorial in Washington followed by a fly-past of vintage fighter planes.

On May 8, 1945, Allied forces accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, marking the end of the war in Europe.

However, it was not the end of WW2. It would take another three months before Japan surrendered.

UK Elections 2015: David Cameron’s Conservatives Win Majority in Commons

Diane A. Wade
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UK Elections 2015: David Cameron’s Conservatives Win Majority in Commons

David Cameron’s conservatives have won the UK’s general elections and are expected to form a slender majority in the Commons.

His party made gains in England and Wales.

Ed Miliband is expected to stand down later after Labour Party was all but wiped out by the SNP in Scotland.

The Liberal Democrats are also heading for a fewer seats.David Cameron wins elections 2015

The Conservatives are expected to have won a 37% share of the national vote, Labour 31%, UKIP 13%, the Lib Dems 8%, the SNP 5%, the Green Party 4% and Plaid Cymru 1%.

PM David Cameron declared victory in a speech after being returned as MP for Witney, in which he set out his intention to press ahead with an in/out referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union and to complete the Conservatives’ economic plan.

“I want to bring our country together, our United Kingdom together, not least by implementing as fast as we can the devolution that we rightly promised and came together with other parties to agree both for Wales and for Scotland.

“In short, I want my party, and I hope a government I would like to lead, to reclaim a mantle that we should never have lost – the mantle of One Nation, One United Kingdom. That is how I will govern if I am fortunate enough to form a government in the coming days,” he said.

David Cameron is expected to hold an audience with Queen Elizabeth II later on Friday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYsBuC3110g

Salman Khan’s Sentence Suspended by Mumbai High Court

Sonia Pantiss
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Salman Khan’s Sentence Suspended by Mumbai High Court

Salman Khan’s sentence for a 2002 hit-and-run conviction has been suspended by Mumbai high court.

Salman Khan, 49, was convicted on May 6 by a lower court of culpable homicide.

The court sentenced the Bollywood star to five years in prison for killing Noor Ullah Khan by driving over him as he slept on a pavement. Four others were injured.

Many expected Salman Khan to be jailed on May 8 but the court extended bail. A final appeal hearing is due in July.Salman Khan sentence suspended

During his trial, Salman Khan argued his driver had been behind the wheel, but the judge said it was the actor who had been driving, under the influence of alcohol.

Within hours of his conviction on May 6, Salman Khan approached the high court and was given interim bail for two days, meaning he stayed out of jail.

Salman Khan – who had faced a possible 10-year jail term – then went home, where a number of Bollywood stars met him.

Correspondents say today’s ruling will be a huge relief for Salman Khan whose sentencing had divided Indians.

While Salman Khan’s friends and colleagues in Bollywood and many fans and others spoke out in his support, others called for him to be treated like any other citizen of the country who had committed a crime.

On May 8, Salman Khan’s fans began celebrating outside the court and outside him home.

Salman Khan is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in more than 80 Hindi-language movies.

The case has gripped Bollywood and India for years – and looks set to continue as lawyers argue in the appeal courts.

Skin Lightening Creams Banned in Ivory Coast

Kathryn R. Bown
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Skin Lightening Creams Banned in Ivory Coast

Skin lightening creams have been banned in Ivory Coast due to health concerns, the health ministry says.

The health ministry says “cosmetic lightening and hygiene creams… that de-pigment the skin… are now forbidden”.

Whitening creams have been popular for years among young women – and some men – across Africa, who believe they make them more beautiful.Skin lightening cream banned in Ivory Coast

Medical experts say they may cause cancer, diabetes, severe skin conditions and other diseases.

“The number of people with side-effects caused by these medicines is really high,” Christian Doudouko, a member of Ivory Coast’s pharmaceutical authority, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

However, analysts say the ban may not stop people buying the products.

They are still used in The Gambia despite a ban.

South Africa has the world’s toughest laws against skin lighteners, having prohibited the most active ingredient – hydroquinone, but a University of Cape Town study found that more than a third of South African women still buy them.

The use of whitening creams in Africa is most widespread in Nigeria – where more than 75% of women buy them, according to a 2008 UN Environment Programme study.

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