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What Are Your Favorite Kitchen Bar Stool Ideas?

Lisa.Felice
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What Are Your Favorite Kitchen Bar Stool Ideas?

If you are thinking to decorate your kitchen with bar stools, there are several ways to do so in a stylish and memorable way. Of course, in a spacious kitchen a bar stand with several matching stools will look simply fantastic. However, if your space is rather limited, you can always go with some other options, like, for instance, a party table with breakfast bar stools. Basically, there are three great arrangements that will help you to flawlessly integrate contemporary bar stools into a modern kitchen.

Kitchen Bar Stool

Bar stand with bar stools

As it was already mentioned, a spacious kitchen will definitely benefit from a bar stand. Needless to mention, any bar stool will look great next to a professional stand. The sky will be your limit here, as you will have to choose between wooden bar stools, leather bar stools, plastic bar stools, gas lift stools, or, if you can afford it – even designer bar stools. As of today, furniture manufacturers offer an amazing selection of styles and colours, so you will definitely find something that will fit into your interior – regardless of its main theme.

Party table with bar stools

Alternatively, you can choose to include a party table into your kitchen interior. This is a perfect solution for small facilities, as party tables are the most compact tables of all. Plus, modern bar stools look great with most high party tables. Though, of course, the material of the stools should match the material of a table.

High kitchen table with bar stools

Kitchen tables are usually more spacious than party ones, yet it is still possible to combine some of them with contemporary bar stools. Currently, most modern bar stools are made with chrome inserts or chrome legs. So, if your table will also have some chrome parts, any contemporary bar stool will fit into the interior.

Now, the only thing you have to do is to choose which bar stools to buy. Fortunately, there is a vast selection of modern bar stools at Furniture in Fashion online store. This website has already gained the trust of UK customers by offering them great furniture solutions at an appealing price. So, if you are looking for a combination of price and quality, this is one of the websites that simply should not be overlooked.

Barack Obama arrives in Saudi Arabia to pay respects to late King Abdullah

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama arrives in Saudi Arabia to pay respects to late King Abdullah

President Barack Obama is visiting Saudi Arabia’s new King Abdullah after the death of King Abdullah.

Barack Obama cut short a trip to India to make time for the visit.

The president is being accompanied by prominent Republican officials, including former Secretaries of State James Baker and Condoleezza Rice.

Saudi Arabia is a key US ally in a region riven by war and rivalries.

Barack Obama had been due to visit the Taj Mahal in India on January 27, but had to cancel to allow for the four-hour visit to Riyadh.

In an interview with CNN before he left India, Barack Obama suggested he would be unlikely to raise the case of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison last May for “insulting Islam through electronic channels” and “going beyond the realm of obedience”.

Barack Obama’s visit would focus on “paying respects to King Abdullah, who in his own fashion represented some modest reform efforts within the kingdom”, the president added.Barack Obama in Saudi Arabia

On human rights, Barack Obama said: “We have maintained a sustained dialogue with the Saudis and with all the other countries we work with. What I have found effective is to apply steady, consistent pressure, even as we are getting business done that needs to get done.”

“And oftentimes that makes some of our allies uncomfortable. It makes them frustrated, sometimes we have to balance our need to speak to them about human rights issues with immediate concerns that we have in terms of countering terrorism or dealing with regional stability.”

Also among the 30-strong US delegation are CIA director John Brennan, John McCain, the Republican chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, and Republican former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft.

Saudi Arabia is among the US-led coalition of Western and Arab nations conducting air strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq.

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AirAsia recovery suspended after three days of attempts

Diane A. Wade
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AirAsia recovery suspended after three days of attempts

AirAsia QZ8501 fuselage recovery operation has been suspended, the Indonesian military has said.

The plane crashed into the Java Sea in December 2014.

Search teams failed to retrieve the fuselage after three days of attempts using a lifting bag.

Officials initially thought bodies were inside, but now say recovering the wreckage is not a priority as they believe no victims remain.

So far only 70 bodies of the 162 people who were on board have been found.AirAsia fuselage recovery suspended

The recovery operation has been hampered by stormy weather.

It comes after a previous attempt to raise the plane on January 24 failed when the fuselage began to break into pieces.

AirAsia flight QZ8501 was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore when it plummeted into the sea on 28 December.

A preliminary report on the crash is expected to be filed this week, although the full investigation will take months.

On January 23 divers entered the main section of the fuselage, which is at a depth of 30m.

The plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were found earlier this month.

Information retrieved from the recorders showed that the jet had climbed too fast, causing it to stall, according to Indonesia’s Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan.

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Nutella baby: French court stops parents to name child after hazelnut spread

Nancy Clayson
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Nutella baby: French court stops parents to name child after hazelnut spread

A family court in France has stopped parents from naming their baby girl Nutella after the hazelnut spread, ruling that it would make her the target of derision.

The court ordered that the child be called Ella instead.

He said in his ruling that the name Nutella was the trade name of a spread that is commonplace in Gallic homes.

“And it is contrary to the child’s interest to have a name that can only lead to teasing or disparaging thoughts,” the judge pronounced.

French parents are usually free to choose the names of their children, but local prosecutors are empowered to report what they deem to be unsuitable names to a family court.Nutella baby name France

The parents did not attend the court hearing, so the judge decided in their absence that Ella was a more appropriate name.

There have been several cases involving children’s names in France since 1993, when parents were finally given the freedom to name their children as they pleased, including:

  • A couple who wanted to call their daughter Fraise (Strawberry) which a judge also ruled could result in the child being teased. The baby instead was renamed Fraisine, a name popular in the 19th century
  • A father who took legal action to try and stop French car makers Renault from using the same name as his daughter, Zoe Renault. Cedric Renault argued that if Renault named car model Zoe it would make his daughter’s life a “nightmare”
  • Iain and Sophia Renaud in 1999 fended off legal action to prevent them from naming their daughter Megane, even though local authorities said it sounded too much like a car [youtube jpmQ14LDFfI 650]

Facebook outage caused by social network’s own engineers

Nancy Clayson
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Facebook outage caused by social network’s own engineers

Facebook was down across much of the globe for a time on January 27, before returning to normal service.

Millions of users were unable to access their accounts.

Users in some countries also had difficulties accessing photo-sharing app Instagram.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Facebook said it believed its own engineers had caused the problem, downplaying claims that a hacking group had been responsible.

The sites appeared to have been unavailable for about 40 minutes before coming back online.

Dating app Tinder, which relies on Facebook to provide its service, was also affected by the problem.

A hacker group called Lizard Squad had tweeted about the services going offline, leading to reports that it might have been responsible. The group has been blamed for attacks at the end of last year that forced Sony’s PlayStation Network and Microsoft’s Xbox Live gaming services offline.

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Auschwitz survivors mark 70th anniversary of Nazi death camp’s liberation

James J. Williams
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Auschwitz survivors mark 70th anniversary of Nazi death camp’s liberation

Auschwitz survivors have gathered at the site of the former Nazi death camp to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation.

The commemoration will be held at the site in southern Poland where 1.1 million people, most of them Jews, were killed between 1940 and 1945.

It is expected to be the last major anniversary event that survivors are able to attend in numbers. This year, about 300 survivors have gathered for the event.Auschwitz liberation 70th anniversary 2015

Heads of state and representatives from many wartime Allies will be present.

Events include the laying of a wreath, a church service, and the lighting of candles at a memorial in the former death camp of Birkenau, which was part of the Auschwitz complex.

Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by the Red Army of the Soviet Union on January 27, 1945.

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Winter Storm Juno: New York and Boston shut down for blizzard

Nancy Clayson
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Winter Storm Juno: New York and Boston shut down for blizzard

NYC and other Northeast areas have shut down, with forecasters warning residents to expect “crippling” amounts of snow.

According to forecasters, Winter Storm Juno could dump up to 30ins in some parts of New Jersey, Maine and New Hampshire.

All non-emergency vehicles were banned in New York City from 23:00 on January 26 and subway services were suspended. Similar measures were in place in Boston, Massachusetts.

Some 60 million people may be affected.

An emergency has been declared in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Boston, which is forecast to receive some of the highest snowfalls, has also suspended public transport and car travel.Winter Storm Juno 2015

However, some meteorologists in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have downgraded their snowfall predictions, saying there has been less snowfall than initially forecast.

At least one winter storm warning in New Jersey has been canceled.

6,500 flights in and out of airports along the East Coast were cancelled and businesses and schools closed early on Monday, January 26.

Schools not expected to reopen before Wednesday, January 28, at the earliest.

Boston is expected to bear the brunt of the storm as the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that a “potentially historic blizzard” was approaching the north-east.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned residents against violating the driving ban in 13 southern counties of the state.

“If you are in your car and you are on any road, town, village, city, it doesn’t matter, after 11 o’clock, you will technically be committing a crime.

“It could be a matter of life and death so caution is required,” the governor said.

Echoing his words, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to stay out of the way of the 2,300 snowploughs clearing city streets.

“You can’t underestimate this storm. What you are going to see in a few hours in something that is going to hit very hard and very fast.”

Similar bans for non-emergency vehicles were enacted in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

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Alberto Nisman death: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to dissolve Argentina’s intelligence agency

Diane A. Wade
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Alberto Nisman death: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to dissolve Argentina’s intelligence agency

Argentina’s intelligence agency will be dissolved, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has announced.

In a TV address, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said she would draft a bill to set up a new body.

She said the intelligence services had kept much of the same structure they had during the military government, which ended in 1983.

The move comes after the mysterious death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman – hours before he had been due to testify against senior government officials.

He had been investigating the bombing of a Jewish centre in the capital in 1994 which left 85 people dead.

Photo AFP
Photo AFP

Alberto Nisman, 51, had accused several senior government figures – including President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman – of involvement in a plot to cover up Iran’s alleged role in the bombing.

“I have prepared a bill to reform the intelligence service,” the president said, adding that she wanted the proposal to be discussed at an urgent session of Congress.

“The plan is to dissolve the Intelligence Secretariat and create a Federal Intelligence Agency,” Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said that a new leadership should be chosen by a president but would be subject to a Senate approval.

“Combating impunity has been a priority of my government,” she added.

Alberto Nisman was found dead on 18 January in his flat in Buenos Aires. A gun was also discovered there.

Investigators initially said they believed he had committed suicide, but later said they could not rule out homicide or “induced suicide”.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has said she is convinced Alberto Nisman’s death was not suicide.

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Northeast snowstorm 2015: State of emergency declared in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Diane A. Wade
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Northeast snowstorm 2015: State of emergency declared in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Snow emergency has been declared in several US states as a storm bringing hurricane-force winds and 36ins of snow barrels down on the north-east.

Non-emergency vehicles have been banned on New York City’s 6,000 miles of roads after 23:00 local time.

“Recognize this as an emergency, this is not business as usual,” said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Heavy snowfall is forecast from Philadelphia to Maine, falling up to four inches an hour in some areas.

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts have declared states of emergency and a blizzard warning has been issued for an area inhabited by 20 million people.

5,000 flights in and out of airports along the East Coast cancelled.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged commuters to work from home on January 26. He also warned that public transport and major roads could close before evening rush hour.Snowstorm emergency 2015

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said state offices would close at lunchtime.

Wind gusts of 75 mph or more are forecast for coastal areas of Massachusetts.

Hurricane-force winds of up to 80 mph (129km/h) will batter Cape Cod, the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, according to the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts.

The heaviest snowfall will come in the early hours of Tuesday, with 15 inches expected between 01:00 and 05:00 local time, and 30 inches in total in parts of Massachusetts.

During a Monday afternoon press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to stay out of the way of the 2,300 snowploughs clearing city streets.

“You can’t underestimate this storm,” the city’s mayor said.

“What you are going to see in a few hours in something that is going to hit very hard and very fast.”

Similar bans for non-emergency vehicles will be in effect later this evening for the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts and would be likely in the rest of New York state.

At least 28 million people will face blizzard conditions over the next day and an estimated 50 million people could see more than a foot of snow in the storm.

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Spain: Greek F-16 jet crashes at Los Llanos military base killing ten people

Roy Siemens
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Spain: Greek F-16 jet crashes at Los Llanos military base killing ten people

A Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed at a military base in Spain killing ten people, the Defense Ministry says.

Military officials said that the jet crashed into other planes and exploded at the Los Llanos airbase in Albacete in central Spain.

One of the pilots performed a wrong maneuver during take-off, according to local media. Both pilots were killed.

Another 13 people have been injured, six of them seriously, according to officials.

The crash sent flames and a plume of black smoke billowing into the air.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Nine of the injured are Italian, according to the country’s defense ministry, but the nationalities of the rest are unclear.

Reports suggest the dead come from different NATO nations, with personnel from the US, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Britain said to be stationed at the base.

Emergency crews are working to extinguish the blaze and find out how much damage has been done to other planes involved in the NATO exercise, the ministry said in a statement.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that he was deeply saddened by the crash.

“This is a tragedy which affects the whole NATO family,” he said.

“I express my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones and the nations of those who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

A NATO spokeswoman talking to the AP news agency declined to reveal details of the accident.

Spanish officials said that the jet was participating in a NATO training exercise called the Tactical Leadership Program (TLP).

The TLP is not part of the NATO structure but is an organization formed under an agreement between 10 NATO nations whose aim is to increase the effectiveness of allied air forces through the development of leadership skills.

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Small drone recovered from White House grounds

Nancy Clayson
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Small drone recovered from White House grounds

Secret Service staff recovered a small drone from the grounds of the White House, US media report.

A spokesman for President Barack Obama confirmed that a “device” had been discovered but said it posed no immediate danger.

Barack Obama and the First Lady are currently on a visit to India.

The Secret Service, which is tasked with the president’s security, has been criticized for recent lapses, leading to a leadership reorganization.

In September a man armed with a knife scaled the White House perimeter fence and gained access to the building.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Days earlier an armed private security guard had been allowed to ride in the same lift as the president.

Although President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were in New Delhi when the device was found, their children are believed to be in Washington DC, according to the New York Times.

At a press briefing in India, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: “I don’t have any reason to think at this point that the first family is in any danger.”

Although he did not specify what kind of “device” had been found, US media reports described it as a small drone.

Many such drones are available commercially or used as toys, unlike the larger versions used in a military capacity.

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American Sniper tops US box office for a second week with $64 million

Sonia Pantiss
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American Sniper tops US box office for a second week with $64 million

American Sniper has remained on the top of the US box office for a second week with takings of $64.4 million, according to studio estimates.

Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper is up for six Oscars including best film and best actor for Bradley Cooper.

Recounting the story of real life Navy Seal Chris Kyle, it has now made a total of $200.1 million.

The movie has also dominated headlines. In the past few days American Sniper has been blamed for an increase in threats against Muslims in the US, according to an Arab-American civil rights group.American Sniper tops US box office

While American Sniper is breaking records at the top of the US box office, at the other end of the scale Johnny Depp’s comedy heist film Mortdecai debuted in ninth place, taking only $4.1 million in ticket sales.

It is Johnny Depp’s third consecutive box office flop in a leading role, after 2014’s Transcendence and 2013’s The Lone Ranger.

Jennifer Lopez fared better, taking second place in this week’s chart with the Boy Next Door, in which she stars as a teacher who has an affair with a younger man.

Family movie Paddington stayed steady in third place in its second week of release, taking $12.4 million.

Top 5 US and Canada box office:

  1. American Sniper – $64.4 million
  2. The Boy Next Door – $15 million
  3. Paddington – $12.4 million
  4. The Wedding Ringer – $11.6 million
  5. Taken 3 – $7.6 million

Source: Rentrak

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Northeast blizzard 2015: New York public transport and major roads could be closed before evening rush hour

Nancy Clayson
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Northeast blizzard 2015: New York public transport and major roads could be closed before evening rush hour

Heavy snowfall is forecast from Philadelphia to Maine, pre-emptively closing many schools and offices.

A blizzard warning has been issued across New York and Boston from Monday afternoon until Tuesday.

More than 250 flights on Monday and more than 2,300 on Tuesday had already been cancelled, according to FlightAware website.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged commuters to work from home on Monday, January 26. He also warned that public transport and major roads could be closed before evening rush hour.

Wind gusts of 75 mph or more are forecast for coastal areas of Massachusetts.New York blizzard 2015

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said the state would impose a travel ban after 21:00 local time.

Amtrak is running as normal for now.

Boston’s Logan Airport will close after 19:00 local time and will stay closed until January 28, local media reports.

The highest snowfall totals are expected along the 250-mile coastal stretch between Boston and New York, but more than a foot of snow is forecast for areas further west and south.

Speaking on January 25, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio showed journalists a list of the city’s top 10 snowstorms, dating back to 1872.

New York’s biggest snowstorm on record was in 2006, when nearly 2ft 3 in of snow fell.

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Syriza forms anti-austerity coalition with Independent Greeks

Diane A. Wade
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Syriza forms anti-austerity coalition with Independent Greeks

Greek elections big winner, the far-left Syriza party, has formed an anti-austerity coalition with a right-wing party, the Independent Greeks.

Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras has taken the oath as the new prime minister.

Alexis Tsipras has vowed to renegotiate Greece’s bailouts, worth €240 billion ($268 billion).

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated Alexis Tsipras while reminding him of the challenge of “ensuring fiscal responsibility”.

“The European Commission stands ready to continue assisting Greece in achieving these goals,” Jean-Calude Juncker said in a tweet which also referred to “promoting sustainable jobs and growth”.Syriza forms anti-austerity coalition with Independent Greeks

The euro recovered from an 11-year low against the US dollar as investors digested what Syriza’s victory means for the eurozone’s future.

Europe’s main share markets also rose – after initial falls – on hopes that a compromise over Greece’s bailout terms might be found.

With nearly all of the votes counted in Sunday’s poll, Syriza looks set to have 149 seats, just two short of an absolute majority. The Greek Independents are projected to have 13 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

Greece election result is expected to be one of the main issues at Monday’s meeting of 19 eurozone finance ministers.

Sunday’s result means that a majority of voters in Greece have essentially rejected a core policy for dealing with the eurozone crisis as devised by Brussels and Germany.

The troika of lenders that bailed out Greece – the European Union, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund – imposed big budgetary cuts and restructuring in return for the bailout money.

The man tipped to become the new Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, said the austerity regime had been “fiscal waterboarding policies that have turned Greece into a debt colony”.

Greece’s economy has shrunk drastically since the 2008 global financial crisis, and increasing unemployment has thrown many Greeks into poverty.

On January 25, Alexis Tsipras told jubilant supporters he wanted to write off half of Greece’s debt, but was ready to negotiate “a viable solution” and wants the country to stay in the eurozone.

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Demis Roussos cause of death not made public

Sonia Pantiss
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Demis Roussos cause of death not made public

Famous Greek singer Demis Roussos died in the morning of Sunday, January 25, while hospitalized at Ygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece.

The news of the singer’s death was confirmed on January 26 by his friend and journalist, Nikos Aliagas, who tweeted the news in both Greek and French.

Demis Roussos’ death was confirmed later the same day by his daughter, who spoke to Greek and French media.Demis Roussos cause of death

Artemios “Demis” Ventouris Roussos was born June 15, 1946 and had international hit records as a solo performer in the 1970s after having been a member of Aphrodite’s Child, a progressive rock group that also included Vangelis. He has sold over 60 million albums worldwide.

Demis Roussos was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, in a family where his father George (engineer Yorgos Roussos) was Greek and mother Nelly Mazloum was Egyptian of Italian origin. His parents lost their possessions during the Suez Crisis and consequently decided to move to Greece.

The hospital said Demis Roussos died following a lengthy hospitalization, but did not give an exact cause of death.

“He had a superb voice, he traveled in the world … he loved what he was doing,” singer Nana Mouskouri told French radio RTL in a tribute.

“He was an artist, a friend. I hope he is in a better world.”

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Four Five Seconds: Rihanna teams up with Kanye West and Paul McCartney

Sonia Pantiss
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Four Five Seconds: Rihanna teams up with Kanye West and Paul McCartney

Rihanna teamed up with Kanye West and Sir Paul McCartney for a new project called Four Five Seconds.

It’s been almost a year since Rihanna, 26, released her last single.

Paul McCartney is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century, selling more than 100 million albums as part of the Beatles, Wings and as a solo artist.

Kanye West has previously collaborated with both Rihanna and Paul McCartney, though never before as a trio.

Four Five Seconds is a move away from Rihanna and Kanye West’s previous work together on All of the Lights (from Kanye West’s album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) and Run This Town, where the pair teamed up with Jay-Z.Four Five Seconds Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney

This time the track is a slower, acoustic guitar-driven number.

Kanye West played a snippet of Four Five Seconds to industry experts at the iHeartMedia music summit on January 21.

It’s yet to be confirmed if the song will appear on an album by any of the artists.

Though producer Ty Dolla $ign did tell Billboard earlier this month that the song is likely be part of Kanye West’s upcoming release.

The project follows Kanye West’s own collaboration with Paul McCartney at the beginning of the year.

Paul McCartney, 72, has a long history of collaborations with other artists, singing duets with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and George Michael.

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SAG Awards 2015: Eddie Redmayne wins best actor award raising his chances of Oscar success

Sonia Pantiss
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SAG Awards 2015: Eddie Redmayne wins best actor award raising his chances of Oscar success

Eddie Redmayne has won best actor at this year’s Screen Actors Guild awards raising his chances of Oscars success after beating favorite Michael Keaton to win.

The recipient has gone on to win the equivalent Oscar for the last 10 years.

Eddie Redmayne took the award for his role in The Theory of Everything.

Michael Keaton and the rest of the Birdman cast did, however, win the award for best ensemble cast at Sunday’s ceremony.

There were also prizes for Oscar hopefuls Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and JK Simmons.

In a year when the lack of diversity at awards ceremonies has been under the spotlight, black actresses won the two major acting prizes in the TV categories for the first time in history.Eddie Redmayne SAG Awards 2015

Viola Davis was named outstanding lead actress in a drama for How to Get Away With Murder, while Uzo Aduba was honored for her role in Orange is the New Black.

The Netflix series, set in a women’s prison, also won best comedy ensemble cast.

Downton Abbey won best ensemble cast in a TV drama for a second time.

The SAG awards are seen as a strong indicator of who will win at the Oscars because actors make up the largest portion of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Michael Keaton had been expected to pick up the best actor award but was beaten by Eddie Redmayne, who plays a young Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

The actor led the Birdman cast on stage to accept the ceremony’s main award – best ensemble cast – and called acting “the ultimate team sport”.

Julianne Moore continued her winning streak by taking home the best actress in a film award for Still Alice, where she plays a professor suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Other winners included Kevin Spacey for House of Cards and William H. Macy for Shameless.

Mark Ruffalo, who is Oscar-nominated for his film role in Foxcatcher, won best actor in a miniseries or TV movie for his role in A Normal Heart.

Frances McDormand won best actress in the same field for her part in HBO’s Olive Kitteredge.

Debbie Reynolds was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by her daughter Carrie Fisher, who joked, “she has been more than a mother to me, not much, but definitely more.”

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Demis Roussos dies in Athens hospital at 68

Sonia Pantiss
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Demis Roussos dies in Athens hospital at 68

Demis Roussos has died aged 68, the Hygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece, has confirmed.

The singer was best known for his solo hits in the 1970s and 80s, including Forever and Ever, Goodbye and Quand je t’aime.

Demis Roussos was also a member of progressive rock group Aphrodite’s Child.

He had been in the private hospital with an undisclosed illness for some time.

Demis Roussos was born Artemios Ventouris Roussos in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1946, to a Greek father and Egyptian mother of Italian origin.Demis Roussos dead at 68

He was raised there until his parents moved to Greece in the early 60s after losing their possessions during the Suez Crisis.

Demis Roussos began his music career at 17, when he joined the a band called The Idols, where he met his future Aphrodite’s Child bandmate Vangelis.

Aphrodite’s Child produced three albums and enjoyed huge success in Europe in the late 1960s, especially France.

Demis Roussos went on to have a solo career, and Forever And Ever topped the charts in several countries in 1973.

Other hits include My Friend the Wind, My Reason, Someday Somewhere and Happy To Be On An Island In The Sun.

The singer’s fondness for kaftans saw him dubbed “the Kaftan King” and he often wore them for his performances on shows such as Top of the Pops.

Demis Roussos sold more than 60 million albums worldwide.

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SAG Awards 2015: Full list of winners

Sonia Pantiss
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SAG Awards 2015: Full list of winners

Full list of winners at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards:

Theatrical Motion Pictures

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Birdman – WINNER
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything


Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything – WINNER

Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Julianne Moore – Still Alice – WINNER

Jennifer Aniston – Cake
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash – WINNER

Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood – WINNER
Kiera Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Naomi Watts – St. Vincent


Television

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Downton Abbey – WINNER
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards

Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Orange is the New Black – WINNER

The Big Bang Theory
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Modern Family
Veep
SAG Awards 2015
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards – WINNER

Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
Woody Harrelson – True Detective
Matthew McConaughey – True Detective

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder – WINNER
Julianna Marguiles – The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black
Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey
Robin Wright – House of Cards
Claire Danes – Homeland
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
William H. Macy – Shameless – WINNER

Ty Burrell – Modern Family
Louis C.K. – Louie
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba – Orange is the New Black – WINNER
Julie Bowen – Modern Family
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Jula Louis-Dreyfus – Veep
Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Mark Ruffalo – The Normal Heart – WINNER

Adrian Brody – Houdini
Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock: His Last Vow
Richard Jenkins – Olive Kitteridge
Billy Bob Thorton – Fargo

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Frances McDormand – Olive Kitteridge – WINNER

Ellen Burstyn – Flowers in the Attic
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honorable Woman
Julia Roberts – The Normal Heart
Cicely Tyson – The Trip to Bountiful

Honors for Stunt Ensembles

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Fury
Get On Up
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Unbroken
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
24: Live Another Day
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Sons of Anarchy
The Walking Dead

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Greece elections 2015: Euro hits 11-year low against dollar on Syriza victory

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece elections 2015: Euro hits 11-year low against dollar on Syriza victory

The euro hit an 11-year low against the dollar as investors digest what Syriza’s election victory in Greece means for the eurozone’s future.

The currency fell as low as $1.1088, the lowest level against the dollar in more than 11 years, but in mid-morning trading was 0.4% higher at $1.125.

Europe’s main share markets also rose – after initial falls – on hopes that a compromise over Greece’s bailout terms might be found.

Syriza wants to renegotiate the €240 billion bailout and slow the austerity cuts.

The left-wing party’s leader Alexis Tsipras said he wanted negotiation, not confrontation, with Greece’s international lenders.

“The new Greek government will be ready to co-operate and negotiate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution,” Alexis Tsipras said.Syriza victory hits euro

The troika of lenders that bailed out Greece – the European Union, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund – imposed big budgetary cuts and restructuring in return for the money.

Alexis Tsipras said: “The troika for Greece is the thing of the past.”

The euro had already been under pressure following last week’s announcement of a new stimulus program by the European Central Bank.

Greece’s current bailout program ends in February, and economists say a short term deal will be negotiated, but difficult talks lie ahead. Germany has indicated that it is not prepared to renegotiate the bailout terms, raising the prospect that Greece could end up leaving the eurozone.

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Malaysia Airlines website hacked by Lizard Squad

Nancy Clayson
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Malaysia Airlines website hacked by Lizard Squad

Malaysia Airlines official website has been attacked by hackers claiming to be from the “Lizard Squad – Official Cyber Caliphate”.

The national carrier’s homepage currently shows a photograph of a lizard in a top hat and tuxedo.

Malaysia Airlines has confirmed its website was compromised but said customers’ bookings and data were not affected.

The airline is still recovering from two disasters; the disappearance of MH370 and shooting down of MH17.

On January 26, the main page of its website was replaced by the words “404 – Plane Not Found” and “Hacked by Lizard Squad”.

“404 Page not found” is the common error message displayed when a website cannot be loaded.Malaysia Airlines website hacked by Lizard Squad

Initially the words “ISIS will prevail” appeared in the browser tab for the page, but that has since disappeared.

It is not clear why Malaysia Airlines has become the target of a cyber attack or what connection the hack has to Islamic State, the militant group sometimes referred to as ISIS which has declared an Islamic caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq.

Lizard Squad claimed on Twitter that it would release data from Malaysia Airlines, but did not specify what information it might have.

Malaysia Airlines confirmed in a statement that its “Domain Name System (DNS) has been compromised where users are re-directed to a hacker website”.

However, it said its own web servers were intact and the website itself had not been hacked into.

It said “this temporary glitch does not affect [customer] bookings” and user data “remains secured”. It added that it would take 22 hours to restore the website.

The hacker group Lizard Squad previously claimed to have disrupted Sony and Microsoft operations, with gamers unable to log on to XBox Live and PlayStation platforms over Christmas.

Northeast snowstorm 2015: Historic blizzard expected to dump up to 3ft of snow

Nancy Clayson
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Northeast snowstorm 2015: Historic blizzard expected to dump up to 3ft of snow

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a “potentially historic blizzard” could dump up to 3ft of snow on the north-east coast.

New York’s mayor said the storm could be the city’s biggest ever, telling residents to “prepare for the worst”.

Heavy snowfall is forecast from Philadelphia to Maine. More than 3,000 flights have already been cancelled.

A blizzard warning has been issued for New York and Boston from Monday afternoon until Tuesday.

More than 1,800 flights on January 26 and more than 1,600 on January 27 had been cancelled, according to the website FlightAware.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Airports in New York, Boston and Philadelphia have already been affected.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio showed journalists a list of the city’s top 10 snowstorms, dating back to 1872.

“This could be the biggest snowstorm in the history of this city,” Bill de Blasio said, telling New Yorkers to “prepare for something worse than we have seen before”.

“Prepare to be safe, take every precaution. Now is the time to get ready for this extreme weather.”

Some residents have already begun stocking up on food, water and other essential items.

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Barack Obama attends India’s annual Republic Day parade

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama attends India’s annual Republic Day parade

President Barack Obama has joined PM Narendra Modi to attend India’s annual Republic Day parade in Delhi.

Barack Obama is the first US president to attend India’s parade, on the second day of his visit.

The president arrived in India on January 25 for a three-day visit seen as a sign of warming ties between the two countries.

On Sunday, both sides announced a breakthrough on a pact that will allow US companies to supply India with civilian nuclear technology.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was a “new journey” of co-operation

Barack Obama will meet the main opposition Congress party leaders later on Monday and will also speak at a business summit.Barack Obama India's Republic Day parade

India’s Republic Day marks the adoption of the country’s constitution in 1950, three years after independence from Britain.

Uniformed soldiers in colorful headgear marched down Rajpath, or King’s Avenue, where Barack Obama watched the parade with Narendra Modi inside a bullet-proof glass enclosure.

Helicopters showered petals on the crowds and brass bands and dancers filed past the guests on a foggy and rain-hit morning.

Barack Obama received a warm welcome on Sunday when Narendra Modi greeted him at the airport with a bear hug.

The two men spent several hours discussing defense and trade ties, and then announced the breakthrough on the civilian nuclear deal.

The pact was agreed in 2008 but has been held up for six years because of differences over the liability US firms would face in India in the event of a nuclear accident.

Now a large insurance pool will be set up, without the need for any further legislation.

The two sides have also pledged to increase their bilateral trade five-fold, from the current $100 billion a year, and build co-operation on defense projects.

Barack Obama’s visit to India has been shortened so he can visit Saudi Arabia and pay his respects following the death of King Abdullah.

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Miss Universe 2014: Miss Colombia Paulina Vega crowned at Miami ceremony

Lisa.Felice
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Miss Universe 2014: Miss Colombia Paulina Vega crowned at Miami ceremony

Miss Colombia Paulina Vega has been crowned Miss Universe 2014 at a Miami ceremony.

Paulina Vega beat out 87 other candidates from around the world.

Miss USA Nia Sanchez was named the runner-up.

Paulina Vega, 22, replaces last year’s winner Gabriela Isler.

She was crowned making her the 63rd Miss Universe titleholder.Miss Universe 2014 Miss Colombia Paulina Vega

Paulina Vega was born on January 15, 1993, in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the daughter of cardiologist Rodolfo Vega Llamas and Laura Dieppa, and granddaughter of the legendary tenor Gatsón Vega. She is also the grandaughter of Elvira Castillo, Miss Atlántico 1953 (Colombia).

She studies business administration at the Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. She has been a model since she was 8 years old.

Paulina Vega belongs to a big family, with four sisters and three brothers. She graduated from a German school in Colombia, and speaks English and a bit of French.

In the Miss Universe Colombia pageant Paulina Vega earned the highest score possible in every presentation, 9.9. During her spare time, she enjoys being with her family and friends, and going to the park with her dog, Mateo.

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Asteroid 2004 BL86 passes Earth on January 26, 2015

James J. Williams
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Asteroid 2004 BL86 passes Earth on January 26, 2015

Mountain-size asteroid 2004 BL86 will pass in the vicinity of Earth on January 26, 2015.

The space rock is roughly a third of a mile across.

By comparison, most near-Earth asteroids have diameters no larger than 50 to 100 ft.

But the asteroid is going by at a very safe distance of 745,000 miles. That’s about three times as far away as the Moon.

Asteroid 2004 BL86 is the largest known space rock predicted to come this close to Earth until 2027.Because it’s relatively large, 2004 BL86 will brighten rapidly as it approaches Earth.

Astronomers predict it will become about 9th magnitude for several hours as it passes closest to us. This is still much too faint to be seen by eye, and it is beyond the reach of most binoculars.

However, the asteroid should be bright enough to follow with a 3- or 4-inch-diameter telescope as it moves among the stars.

Observers in the Americas, Europe, and Africa can track down the asteroid during its brightest time: from 8 p.m. EST on Monday evening, January 26, until about 1 a.m. EST on January 27.Mountain-size asteroid 2004 BL86 will pass in the vicinity of Earth on January 26, 2015

During this time 2004 BL86 will be heading northward through the dim constellation Cancer. It skims the eastern edge of a star cluster called the Beehive (or Messier 44) from about midnight to 12:30 a.m. EST.

The asteroid’s closest approach to Earth actually occurs hours earlier, around 11 a.m. EST on the 26th.

However, at that time it’s predicted to be somewhat dimmer, about magnitude 10, because Earth will see only a portion of its illuminated side.

The asteroid brightens, despite the increasing distance, because we’re seeing its face become more fully illuminated.

The space rock will be moving about 2.5° per hour while crossing Cancer. That’s fast enough that you’ll be able to see it moving in real time in a telescopic view whenever it passes close to a background star.

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