Beyonce and Jay-Z have announced a live 16-date tour together across the US.
On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay-Z will see the husband and wife team perform dates from June 25 until August 5.
On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay-Z will see the husband and wife team perform dates from June 25 until August 5
Beyonce and Jay-Z were recognized in January as Billboard’s most powerful people in music.
They also hit headlines after their raunchy performance of Beyonce’s hit Drunk in Love, which opened this year’s Grammys ceremony.
One dollar from each ticket sale will be donated to Jay-Z’s self-named Shawn Carter Foundation which supports students in higher education.
Beyonce’s hits include Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), Irreplaceable and Crazy in Love, while hip-hop artist and producer Jay-Z’s successes include the celebrated albums The Blueprint and The Black Album, both of which feature on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
DJ E-Z Rock, who found fame with rapper Rob Base with 1988 hip-hop track It Takes Two, has died aged 46.
According to Rolling Stone magazine, DJ E-Z Rock – also known as Rodney “Skip” Bryce – died on Sunday, April 27. The cause of his death has yet to be revealed.
DJ E-Z Rock found fame with rapper Rob Base with 1988 hip-hop track It Takes Two
It Takes Two enjoyed modest success on its first release but was later sampled by Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Maxsta and many others.
Rob Base paid tribute to Bryce on Twitter, calling him his “friend” and “brother”.
Rapper Biz Markie also took to the social media platform to mourn his death, saying he would “truly be missed”.
Rodney Bryce and Rob Base – real name Robert Ginyard – became friends at school and released their first single, DJ Interview, in 1986.
It Takes Two followed two years later, accompanied by a video in which E-Z Rock made a memorable dancing cameo.
Ukraine has threatened to take Russia’s Gazprom to court over what it says are inflated gas prices if the company refuses a new payment deal.
Ukraine’s PM Arseniy Yatseniuk, said Kiev was ready to pay $268 per 1,000 cubic metres of gas and settle its $2.2 billion debt with Gazprom if it agreed to the price.
Gazprom has so far declined to comment.
Russia almost doubled Ukraine’s gas price after the toppling of President Viktor Yanukovich in February.
Ukraine has threatened to take Russia’s Gazprom to court over inflated gas prices (photo AFP)
PM Arseniy Yatseniuk has said his country is not willing to pay at those levels.
“We insist that the price set for Ukraine at the beginning of 2014 [$268 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres] is a market one,” he added.
“We insist on the continuation of this price.”
Ukraine’s state gas company, Naftogaz, has started the process of taking Gazprom to an arbitration tribunal in Stockholm if the Russian state-controlled firm does not agree to the offer within 30 days, Arseniy Yatseniuk said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s interim prime minister announced another gas deal that allows supplies from Central Europe to reach the country via Slovakia.
Under the agreement, signed on Monday, Slovakia will reinstate a disused pipeline capable of supplying three billion cubic metres of gas a year to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s energy minister, Yuri Prodan, said the country would soon start gas import talks with Hungary, as it tries to reduce its reliance on Russia, which accounts for about half of its total supply.
New US sanctions have been imposed on seven Russian individuals and 17 companies it says are linked to President Vladimir Putin’s “inner circle”.
The White House said the move was a response to “Russia’s continued illegal intervention in Ukraine”.
Those targeted include Igor Sechin, head of oil giant Rosneft, and Sergei Chemezov of the hi-tech firm Rostec.
The announcement comes after the mayor of Kharkiv, a city in eastern Ukraine, was shot and critically wounded.
Hennadiy Kernes was recovering after an operation to repair damage to the chest and abdomen, but his life remained in danger, his office said.
Monday also saw pro-Russian separatists, whom Western nations accuse Moscow of supporting, seize a local government building in Kostyantynivka, a town in the eastern Donetsk region.
New US sanctions have been imposed on seven Russian individuals and 17 companies
In Donetsk itself, pro-Russian activists armed with clubs and chains attacked a pro-unity rally, correspondents and eyewitnesses said. A number of people were injured in the clash.
Separatists were also continuing to detain about 40 people in the town of Sloviansk, including journalists, pro-Kiev activists and seven military observers linked to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as well as three members of Ukraine’s security service, officials in Kiev said.
At a special meeting of the OSCE’s permanent council in Vienna, Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin said Moscow was taking “steps” to secure the observers’ release. But the area around Sloviansk was very tense and it had been “extremely irresponsible” to send them there, he added.
The US and EU first imposed visa bans and asset freezes on a number of senior Russian officials and companies after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine last month.
On Thursday, the White House said it was adding to its sanction list “in response to Russia’s continued illegal intervention in Ukraine and provocative acts that undermine Ukraine’s democracy and threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity”.
It accused Russia of “doing nothing to meet the commitments it made” at a meeting with Ukraine, the US and EU in Geneva on April 17, which it said had included refraining from violence or provocative acts.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow’s response would be “painful for Washington”.
He told the Interfax news agency that the Kremlin was “disgusted” by the sanctions, which he said showed the White House had “completely lost touch with reality”.
Most of the 17 companies targeted are linked to Arkady and Boris Rotenberg and Gennady Timchenko – individuals targeted in the previous sanctions list.
The latest measures also target some hi-tech exports that “could contribute to Russia’s military capabilities”.
Diplomats in Brussels also said European Union governments had reached a preliminary agreement to impose asset freezes and visa bans on another 15 people as part of expanded sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. The names are expected to be released on Tuesday, although more could still be added.
George Clooney is to wed his girlfriend, lawyer Amal Alamuddin, her law firm has confirmed.
“The barristers and staff of Doughty Street Chambers offer their best wishes and congratulations… on their engagement to be married,” the London firm said in a statement.
George Clooney, 52, and Amal Alamuddin, 36, have been dating since last October, according to reports.
George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin have been dating since last October (photo Getty Images)
The actor was previously married to Talia Balsam, whom he divorced in 1993.
Since then, George Clooney has been seen as one of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors.
Amal Alamuddin was educated at Oxford and New York University and was recruited by her current firm in 2010.
The British human rights lawyer has represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in extradition proceedings and advised UN former secretary-general Kofi Annan on the Syrian crisis.
Doughty Street chief executive Robin Jackson said Amal Alamuddin had been “utterly wonderful” since she joined the firm in 2010.
A fluent French and Arabic speaker, Amal Alamuddin is said to have spent time with George Clooney in New York, Tanzania and the Seychelles.
Speculation that George Clooney was planning to remarry escalated over the weekend after his girlfriend was seen wearing a ring on her wedding finger at a Los Angeles restaurant.
Singers Paul Simon and Edie Brickell have been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, according to New Canaan Police in Connecticut.
Officers were called to the couple’s New Canaan home at about 20:00 local time on Saturday to investigate “a family dispute”.
Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, who have been married for more than 20 years, are due to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Monday.
Singers Paul Simon and Edie Brickell have been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct
Paul Simon, 72, first found fame as one half of folk duo Simon and Garfunkel.
Edie Brickell, 48, was lead singer of Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.
The folk-rock band had a big hit with their debut single What I Am in 1988 and the track was covered by former Spice Girl Emma Bunton in 1999.
Earlier this year, Edie Brickell won a Grammy award with Steve Martin for best American roots song, Love Has Come For You.
Edie Brickell is due to start touring in May with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers across the US and Canada.
A New Canaan police news conference is expected to take place later on Monday.
According to local media, Paul Simon and Edie Brickell have lived in New Canaan with their three children for years. New Canaan Police did not want to release their address.
Apple and Samsung have both issued alerts about faults on iPhone5 and Galaxy S5 handsets.
Apple has begun a replacement program for some of its iPhone 5 handsets that have a faulty sleep/wake button.
Separately, Samsung has revealed that some of its flagship Galaxy S5 handsets have been shipped with a non-functioning camera.
It said anyone who bought an S5 with a faulty camera should contact Samsung’s customer service or their mobile operator to get the phone replaced.
Samsung has revealed that some of its flagship Galaxy S5 handsets have been shipped with a non-functioning camera
Samsung said it had found a “very limited” number of handsets had been shipped with the fault. It said it had traced the cause of the problem and had taken steps to ensure it did not re-occur in future production runs.
“We have discovered that the issue has been seen in a very limited portion of early production Galaxy S5 units, and was caused by complications in the Read Only Memory component which stores the information necessary to operate the camera,” Samsung said in a statement.
Samsung declined to say how many handsets were affected but did say that the faulty handsets had been reported in the US and several other countries.
Apple said a “small percentage” of iPhone 5 handsets were affected by manufacturing problems that meant its sleep/wake button stopped working or only worked intermittently.
It said it would replace the sleep/wake mechanism in affected phones free of charge. To help customers it has set up a webpage on which they can enter the serial number of their phone to see if it is in the affected batch.
The faulty button is believed to affect iPhone 5 handsets manufactured before May 2013.
Apple’s replacement program begins in the US on April 28 and rolls out worldwide on May 2. Customers with affected handsets can either post their device to an Apple repair centre or drop it off in person.
An Egypt court has recommended the death penalty for 683 people – including Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie – at a mass trial in Cairo.
The defendants faced charges over an attack on a police station in Minya in 2013 in which a policeman was killed.
However, the judge also commuted to life terms 492 death sentences out of 529 passed in March in a separate case.
Also on Monday, a court banned a youth group that helped ignite the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
The decision passed in Cairo to outlaw the April 6 pro-democracy movement was based on a complaint that accused the group of “tarnishing the image” of Egypt and colluding with foreign parties.
Ahmed Maher, the group’s leader, was sentenced to three years in prison in December for violating a law that bans all but police-sanctioned protests.
The cases and speed of the mass trial hearings have drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups and the UN.
The trials took just hours each and the court prevented defense lawyers from presenting their case, according to Human Right Watch.
Families outside the court were not told who of the 529 sentenced in March faced the death penalty (photo Reuters)
The sentences have been referred to the Grand Mufti – Egypt’s top Islamic authority – for approval or rejection, a step which correspondents say is usually considered a formality. A final decision will be issued in June.
Authorities have cracked down harshly on Islamists since President Mohamed Morsi, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, was removed by the military in July.
Hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested.
The verdict was the first against Mohammed Badie in the several trials he faces on various charges along with Mohamed Morsi himself and other Brotherhood leaders.
Of the 683 sentenced on Monday, only about 50 are in detention but the others have a right to a retrial if they hand themselves in.
The group was accused of involvement in the murder and attempted murder of policemen in Minya province on August 14, the day police killed hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in clashes in Cairo.
Defense lawyers boycotted the last session, branding it “farcical.”
The final judgement on the sentencing of the 529 Muslim Brotherhood supporters accused of attacking another police station in the same province on the same day means 37 will now face the death penalty.
Defense lawyer Khaled Elkomy said 60% of those defendants, including teachers and doctors, have evidence that “proves they were not present” when that station was attacked, a statement released by human rights group Avaaz said.
Last month, the UN human rights commissioner condemned the two trials and said they had breached international human rights law.
A spokesman for Navi Pillay said the “cursory mass trial” was “rife with procedural irregularities.”
The government had defended the court’s handling of the first mass case, insisting that the sentences were passed only “after careful study” and were subject to appeal.
At least 1,000 opponents of the military-installed regime have been sentenced since December. As well as the death sentences, the jail terms passed range from six months to life.
The authorities have designated the Brotherhood a terrorist group, blaming it for a series of bombings and attacks. The group has strongly denied the accusations.
V. Stiviano and her Instagram page was the topic of much conversation on April 26, hours after TMZ broke the news containing an explosive conversation between her and Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Since Friday night, when TMZ posted what it said were the recordings between Donald Sterling and V. Stiviano, she has emerged as a central figure in the scandal, which has generated widespread condemnation and has prompted the NBA to launch an investigation.
On the audiotape, V. Stiviano, 31, appears to spar with the man said to be Donald Sterling, pointing out that she herself is black and Mexican. At other times, she is conciliatory, apologizing and tenderly offering him a sip of juice.
TMZ has described V. Stiviano as being a model “who loves posting hot bikini pics of herself”. She also loved posting pics at Clippers games.
It is not the first time that Donald Sterling has been at the center of a controversy. His estranged wife, Rochelle Sterling, previously filed a lawsuit against V. Stiviano, who is also known as Vanessa Perez, Monica Gallegos and Maria Valdez, alleging that Stiviano reportedly met Donald Sterling in February 2010 and began an adulterous affair with the Clippers owner.
V. Stiviano was sued last month by Rochelle Sterling, who seeks the return of the duplex as well as a Ferrari, two Bentleys and a Range Rover she said her husband bought for Stiviano.
V. Stiviano was sued last month by Donald Sterling’s wife, who seeks the return of the duplex as well as a Ferrari, two Bentleys and a Range Rover
Rochelle Sterling alleges in the lawsuit that her husband Donald Sterling met V. Stiviano at the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami. The suit describes V. Stiviano as a seductress who targets wealthy older men like the 80-year-old Donald Sterling.
According to property records, V. Stiviano purchased the duplex in December 2013. But Rochelle Sterling says that she allowed her husband to pay for the house, believing that her name would be on the deed along with his.
Donald Sterling also gave V. Stiviano $240,000 for living expenses, according to Rochelle Sterling’s lawsuit, amounting to $2 million of community property that he allegedly spent on Stiviano without his wife’s knowledge.
In a response to the lawsuit, V. Stiviano argues that Rochelle Sterling must have known that her husband of more than 50 years had romantic relationships outside of his marriage.
V. Stiviano’s court filing ridicules the notion that the “feminine wiles of Ms. Stiviano overpowered the iron will of Donald T. Sterling who is well known as one of the most shrewd businessmen in the world”. V. Stiviano’s papers, however, do not acknowledge that she was in a romantic relationship with Sterling.
Her attorney, Mac Nehoray, said Sunday the tape is authentic but that his client did not release it to TMZ.
“Neither Ms. Stiviano, nor this office has ever alleged that Ms. Stiviano is, or ever was, Mr. Sterling’s girlfriend,” Mac Nehoray said in a statement Sunday night.
Mac Nehoray wrote in court papers that his client was “a veritable fixture” at Donald Sterling’s business offices. A Clippers spokesman said V. Stiviano does not work for the team, though he said it is possible she is employed by one of Donald Sterling’s other business ventures.
An advertisement for a 2011 charity luncheon lists V. Stiviano as a director of the Donald Tokowitz Sterling Charitable Foundation, with Sterling as chairman.
In 2010, V. Stiviano legally changed her name to “V. Stiviano” from Maria Vanessa Perez. Her stated reason in a court petition: She had not “yet been fully accepted because of my race.”
Since then, she has created hats and shirts emblazoned with “V. Stiviano.” Her Instagram is dotted with photos of people posing in the “V. Stiviano” gear.
Mac Nehoray said in a statement that the tape is part of an hour-long conversation between V. Stiviano and Donald Sterling.
Rochelle Sterling, wife of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, attended the team’s Game 4 match against Golden State on Sunday and she was asked questions about the racist remarks that have been attributed to her husband.
Rochelle Sterling, wife of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, attended the team’s Game 4 match against Golden State on Sunday (photo ABC)
Donald Sterling was not in attendance at his team game.
According to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, Rochelle Sterling was adamant that she does not support the comments that have been attributed to her husband. She said that she is not a racist, never has been and never will be.
When Rochelle Sterling was asked whether it was her husband’s voice on the tapes that were released over the weekend, she said hadn’t heard the entire recording and that she wasn’t sure.
Shortly after arriving in Philippines, President Barack Obama held talks with President Benigno Aquino and was later to attend a state dinner.
Manila is the final stop of the US president’s four-nation Asia tour.
President Barack Obama says that a new US-Philippine military pact will promote stability in the region.
The deal, signed in Manila hours before Barack Obama touched down, allows a bigger US military presence in the country.
Barack Obama arrives in Philippines, the final stop of his four-nation Asia tour
Barack Obama said the deal was not intended to contain China, with whom Manila is embroiled in a bitter territorial row.
But he backed Manila’s move to seek UN arbitration over its maritime dispute with Beijing.
“Our goal is not to counter China. Our goal is not to contain China. Our goal is to make sure international rules and norms are respected and that includes in the area of international disputes,” he said.
The 10-year military deal was signed by Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg on Monday morning.
Under the agreement, the US will have better access to military bases, ports and airfields. US troops would rotate through these facilities and engage in joint training, officials said.
Barack Obama said the US was not planning to rebuild old bases or construct new ones under the security pact.
“We’ll work together to build the Philippines’ defense capabilities and work with other nations to promote regional stability such as in the South China Sea,” he said.
In a statement, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario described it as “milestone in our shared history as enduring treaty allies”.
“The EDCA [Enhanced Defense Co-operation Agreement] elevates to a higher plane of engagement our already robust defense alliance,” he said.
However, the presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former US colony.
Anti-US activists who say the deal will not benefit the Philippines and harms its sovereignty were expected to protest during Barack Obama’s visit.
The US used to have large bases in the Philippines but these were closed in the early 1990s. US troops have also been active in the southern Philippines, where al-Qaeda-linked militants are based.
In recent months, however, Washington and Manila have moved to strengthen ties again, as the Philippine relationship with China has deteriorated amid a more assertive stance from Beijing on its territorial claims.
Pfizer has confirmed it has contacted AstraZeneca over a possible multi-billion dollar takeover.
The pharmaceutical said it made an initial approach in January, but after “limited high-level discussions” AstraZeneca discontinued the talks on January 14.
However, it said recent market developments had prompted it to approach AstraZeneca for a second time.
Pfizer has confirmed it has contacted AstraZeneca over a possible multi-billion dollar takeover
“AstraZeneca again declined to engage. Pfizer is currently considering its options,” Pfizer said in a statement.
Pfizer said its initial offer in January was a combination of cash and shares worth $75 per AstraZeneca share, worth $94 billion in total.
At the time, it represented a 30% premium to AstraZeneca’s share price, although AstraZeneca’s share price has since increased and on Monday morning it jumped nearly 15% .
Pfizer said the deal was “a highly compelling opportunity” for AstraZeneca’s shareholders.
It said if the takeover went through, the combined firm would have management in both the US and the UK, but would list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
“We have great respect for AstraZeneca and its proud heritage,” said Pfizer chairman and chief executive Ian Read.
Pfizer said it would only make a firm offer if AstraZeneca directors voted unanimously in favor of the deal.
“The strategic, business and financial rationale for a transaction is compelling,” it added.
Buying AstraZeneca would give Pfizer, which makes Viagra among other drugs, access to a number of cancer and diabetes drugs.
At least 12 people have been killed by tornadoes in Arkansas and Oklahoma as a huge storm system swept across America’s midsection Sunday.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe confirmed on Twitter Sunday that there were 11 fatalities in his state.
“There are now 11 confirmed deaths from this storm. 5 in Faulkner County, 5 in Pulaski County, 1 in White County,” Mike Beebe tweeted.
One other person was killed in the town of Quapaw in the north-east of Oklahoma where officials said many buildings were badly damaged.
Tornadoes also struck in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.
At least 12 people have been killed by tornadoes in Arkansas and Oklahoma as a huge storm system swept across America’s midsection
President Barack Obama, on a trip to the Philippines, offered his deepest condolences to those affected and said federal emergency officials would be on the ground to help: “Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild, as long as it takes.”
Matt DeCample, a spokesman for Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, said eleven people had been killed in several suburbs west and north of Little Rock – five in Faulkner County, five in Pulaski County and one in White County.
Congressman Tim Griffin told Reuters news agency an “entire neighborhood of 50 homes or so” in Faulkner County had been destroyed, with many “completely gone except the foundation”.
First reports from Oklahoma said two people had died in Quapaw but officials later revised the figure down to one. Another six people were injured.
Quapaw, which has a population of about 900, was badly hit by the tornado, Ottawa County Emergency Management director Joe Dan Morgan said.
“Looks like about half of town got extensive damage as well as the fire department,” he said.
The tornado then headed northwards into the state of Kansas where it struck Baxter Springs, injuring several people and causing further damage.
The Arkansas tornado touched down about 10 miles west of the city of Little Rock and left a 40 mile path of destruction.
It is said to have passed through several northern suburbs – including the town of Mayflower where it destroyed several buildings.
A witness in Mayflower reported a tornado half a mile wide crossing Interstate 40 on Sunday evening, the National Weather Service said.
Over the weekend, storms struck the eastern part of the US, killing a child in North Carolina.
Tori Spelling has been hospitalized for undisclosed reasons, E! News and Us Weekly reported.
Recently, Tori Spelling, 40, has been airing her tumultuous private life for the world to see on her Lifetime reality series True Tori.
Tori Spelling has been hospitalized for undisclosed reasons
After Dean McDermott’s affair with 28-year-old Emily Goodhand, Tori Spelling and her husband have worked to salvage their turbulent marriage.
Since Dean McDermott’s betrayal, the couple has been trying to work out their issues with a therapist on the Lifetime show.
It’s unclear if Tori Spelling’s hospitalization was related to stress from filming the show.
E! says the actress was spotted on Saturday “with a pink hospital band still on her wrist as her husband helped her make her way to an awaiting SUV”.
The website also website Dean McDermott stayed by Torri Spelling’s side at the hospital, often visiting for up to 10 hours a day. Tori Spelling was hospitalized for “at least six days.”
The next episode of True Tori airs Tuesday night at 10.
Selena Gomez has hired Bradford Cobb, who manages Katy Perry and Adam Lambert, Us Weekly reported.
The 21-year-old Disney star fired her mother Mandy Teefy and stepfather Brian Teefy, who have managed her since childhood.
Selena Gomez has hired Bradford Cobb, who manages Katy Perry and Adam Lambert (photo Getty Images)
The decision comes after Selena Gomez cancelled her Australian tour in December and secretly entered rehab in January and reconnected with boyfriend Justin Bieber.
Selena Gomez made yet more headlines last week when she palled around with Kendall and Kylie Jenner at the Coachella Music Festival — only to mysteriously unfollow them on Instagram shortly thereafter.
Bradford Cobb, who was listed as one of Billboard’s 40 executives under 40 in July 2013, has spent more than a decade in the industry making a name for himself, and was instrumental in making Katy Perry a pop superstar.
Selena Gomez’s 2013 album Stars Dance was her first number one on the Billboard 200, with hits Come & Get It and Slow Down.
One of a team of eight European monitors seized in eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk has been released by pro-Russian separatists.
The officer, a Swede, was freed on medical grounds, it has been confirmed.
The monitors were shown to the media on Sunday – a move described as “revolting” by Germany, the native country of four of the team.
The remaining seven are still being held and diplomacy continues to try to secure their freedom.
There is no word about a number of Ukrainian military officers who were seized along with the group.
In eastern Ukraine, gunmen continue to occupy official buildings in a dozen cities, defying the government in Kiev.
Meanwhile, the US and EU are preparing to unveil new sanctions against Russia, accusing it of destabilizing Ukraine.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have released one of a team of eight European monitors seized in the flashpoint city of Sloviansk (photo Reuters)
The foreign observers – operating under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are from Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
They were shown to the media on Sunday, led into Sloviansk town hall by masked gunmen.
German monitor Colonel Axel Schneider, who spoke for the group, stressed they were not NATO officers – contrary to claims made by the separatists – nor armed fighters, but diplomats in uniforms.
“We are not prisoners of war. We are the guests of [self-declared Sloviansk] Mayor [Vyacheslav)] Ponomaryov, and being treated as such.”
Reporters later saw one of the group – accompanied by two men – get into an OSCE vehicle which then drove away.
A spokeswoman for Vyacheslav Ponomaryov told Reuters the Swedish national who was freed “has a mild form of diabetes and so we decided to let him go”.
Germany strongly criticized the group’s appearance before the media.
“The public parading of the OSCE observers and Ukrainian security forces as prisoners is revolting and blatantly hurts the dignity of the victims,” said a statement (in German) from Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier added that Russia had a duty to “influence” the separatists” so that the other members of the mission can be freed as soon as possible
The monitors who were captured are not part of the main OSCE mission in Ukraine, which Moscow agreed to.
They are from individual OSCE countries, invited to Ukraine by the Kiev government.
Earlier, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov said there was the possibility of exchanging the monitors for militia members held by the Kiev government.
Russia, an OSCE member, has pledged to “take all possible steps” to secure the observers’ release.
Kiev has accused the militia of using the Europeans as a “human shield”.
The West has blamed Moscow for fomenting a secessionist revolt in eastern Ukraine after it annexed Crimea last month. Moscow denies the claim.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must end military operations in the east of the country as part of urgent measures to defuse the crisis.
The Los Angeles Clippers have staged a silent protest following reports that their team’s owner Donald Sterling had been secretly recorded making racist remarks.
The Los Angeles Clippers went through a pre-match routine on Sunday with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo.
The NBA is investigating a report on TMZ that Donald Sterling made racist remarks.
Donald Sterling has told TMZ the recording “does not reflect his views”.
The Clippers were playing the Golden State Warriors in Oakland on Sunday in a crucial NBA play-off but the clash was overshadowed by the recorded comments allegedly made by the 80-year-old tycoon.
The players also wore black wristbands or armbands and all wore black socks with their normal jerseys.
The Los Angeles Clippers went through a pre-match routine with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo
Donald Sterling did not attend the game.
In the 10-minute audio recording posted online by TMZ, a man, alleged to be Donald Sterling, can be heard criticizing his girlfriend V. Stiviano for posting photographs of herself with black friends attending Clippers’ matches on a social media site.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?” the man says.
“The little I ask is not to promote it on that… and not to bring them to my games.”
President Barack Obama, currently on a four-nation tour of South-east Asia, condemned the “ignorant” and “incredibly offensive” remarks.
“When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk,” he said.
In a joint statement published on TMZ Sports on Saturday, Donald Sterling and the Clippers said: “We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered.”
“We do know that the woman on the tape – who we believe released it to TMZ – is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family.
“Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life.”
Duck Dynasty’s Uncle Si Robertson is celebrating his 65th birthday today, April 27.
Silas Merritt “Si” Robertsonis Phil’s youngest brother, a Vietnam War veteran, and married to Christine (who isn’t featured on the show).
Uncle Si Robertson celebrates his 65th birthday on April 27
Si Robertson works at Duck Commander, making the reeds that go into every duck call.
America’s favorite uncle is kind of like the Kramer of Duck Dynasty.
He is known for his storytelling, his constant use of the phrase “Hey!” and his ever-present blue plastic cup, which his mother sent him while he was stationed in Vietnam.
Uncle Si is often filmed carrying around a jug of sweet tea and he loves pizza.
Pope Francis has declared Popes John Paul II and John XXIII saints in a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of people in St. Peter Square.
Pope Francis praised his two predecessors as “men of courage” at the Vatican service, the first time in history that two popes have been canonized at the same time.
The Mass was attended by Pope Emeritus Benedict, who quit as pope last year, and roughly 100 foreign delegations.
Analysts say Pope Francis is trying to balance the conservative legacy of John Paul with the reforming zeal of John.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis during Mass before the canonization ceremony of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II
At the climax of the service, Pope Francis said in Latin: “We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II to be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church.”
Relics of each man – a container of blood from John Paul and a piece of skin from John – were placed near the altar.
Pope Francis paid tribute to the two new saints as “priests, bishops and popes of the 20th Century”.
“They lived through the tragic events of that century, but they were not overwhelmed by them. For them, God was more powerful,” he said.
The Vatican estimated some 800,000 pilgrims had poured into Rome to see the two-hour ceremony first-hand.
For those unable to make it into St Peter’s Square, giant screens were set up in nearby streets and elsewhere in the city.
Chicago juke producer DJ Rashad died this afternoon at the age of 35.
The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times quoted police as saying he died of a suspected drug overdose.
DJ Rashad’s latest album Double Cup was ranked eighth in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the best dance albums of 2013
Tributes have been paid on Twitter by friends and collaborators including DJ Godfather and Chance The Rapper, who wrote that “music lost a legend today”.
DJ Rashad’s latest album Double Cup was ranked eighth in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the best dance albums of 2013.
Born Rashad Harden, DJ Rashad was at the forefront of juke and its offshoot footwork, ground-breaking sub-genres that evolved from house music.
George Clooney recently popped the question to girlfriend Amal Alamuddin, a source close to the couple has confirmed to People magazine.
“George and Amal are trying to keep things very low-key but they also aren’t really trying to hide this, it doesn’t seem. I think it’s like they want the people they love to know that this is real, that they plan on being together forever,” the source told the publication.
George Clooney recently popped the question to girlfriend Amal Alamuddin
On Thursday, George Clooney, 52, and 36-year-old Amal Alamuddin, a British attorney who specializes in international law and human rights, were spotted dining at trendy eatery Nobu in Malibu, alongside Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber, a longtime friend of Clooney’s. Engagement rumors flew after witnesses at the restaurant noted that Amal Alamaddin was wearing quite the diamond sparkler on her ring finger.
On Friday, a George Clooney rep addressed the rumor mill, saying: “I don’t comment on my client’s personal life.”
George Clooney has had many high-profile romances, including ones with Stacy Keibler, Kelly Preston, Renee Zellwegger and Elisabetta Canalis, during his decades in the limelight. He was also married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to1993.
Mila Kunis showed off her baby bump as she attended the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, with Ashton Kutcher on Friday.
Ashton Kutcher, 36, threw on a cowboy hat and Kunis proudly displayed her baby bump.
Mila Kunis showed off her baby bump as she attended the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, with Ashton Kutcher (photo Getty Images)
Mila Kunis, 30, and Ashton Kutcher were on hand to watch Eric Church and Lynyrd Skynyrd, but only had eyes for each other.
During the outdoor event, which is considered to be Coachella’s country version, Ashton Kutcher wrapped his arms around Mila Kunis as she held on to his hand.
Mila Kunis wore a black top and pink and purple plaid shirt for the fun day out, while Ashton Kutcher, wore a red Iowa T-shirt, jeans, and boots.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are expecting a baby girl.
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII’s canonization is bringing attention to the complex process of becoming a saint, a highly regulated series of steps that can seem quite mysterious to those who are not devout Roman Catholics.
How many saints are there?
It’s hard to pin down an exact number, but more than you might think. In the old days – as in the first thousand years of the church’s history – saints were created by popular demand.
St. Ulrich of Augsburg was the first to be canonized by a pope, in 993, and the Vatican eventually took over and formalized the process.
The Vatican’s Roman Martyrology says some 7,000 people have been canonized or beatified (an earlier step), but some scholars believe the total number of saints is more like 10,000.
Is it easier or harder to become a saint now?
The raw numbers would suggest it’s easier, though they don’t tell the entire story.
Pope Francis, who has been pontiff for just over a year, has already canonized 817 men and women, but 813 of them were martyrs from a single group of Italians who were beheaded by Ottoman Turks in the 15th Century.
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII’s canonization is bringing attention to the complex process of becoming a saint
John Paul II canonized 482 during the quarter-century he presided over the church, but more than 400 of those were from groups of martyrs, according to the Catholic World Report.
By contrast, Pope Benedict XVI added 45 saints during his pontificate.
Does every pope become a saint?
Yet, only about a third of all popes are saints, and it’s getting harder to make the leap the from St. Peter’s throne to sainthood, according to the Pew Research Center.
Fifty-two of the first 55 popes got the nod but that pace has slowed dramatically. Only five popes have become saints in the last 1,000 years, although that will now shoot up to seven. Four more popes who died between 1878 and 1978 are in the pipeline – Pius IX, Pius XII, Paul VI, and John Paul I – but John Paul II leapfrogged ahead of them.
Can sainthood be revoked?
Canonization is permanent but some saints have been, for lack of a better term, demoted – by being dropped from the Vatican’s list of official feast days, sometimes because of questions about whether they actually existed.
One notable example is Saint Philomena, who was recognized in 1835 after a tomb with a remains of a teenage girl was found in the Roman catacombs with the inscription “Filumena” and a symbol of martydom, according to the Times of London.
The Vatican suppressed her cult in 1960 after experts decided there was no evidence linking the bones in the tomb to the legend of a martyred Greek princess.
Saint Christopher, the patron of travelers, lost his standing in 1969 – although not his popular cachet if the number of medals hanging from rear-view mirrors in cars is any indication. St. George, the patron of warriors, was also bumped down that year but restored in 2001 without explanation.
Where can I find a list of all the saints?
The compendiums that exist are extensive, but not necessarily exhaustive. And you might want to brush up on your Latin.
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the bureaucratic arm of the church that shepherds candidates through the complex steps, published the Index ac Status Causarum in 1998 with the names of the blesseds and saints – but only for the previous 400 years.
An oft-cited reference is Butler’s Lives of the Saints, but that was written in the mid-18th century and only contains 2,500 biographies in its latest revision.
Then there is the Acta Santorum, an index based on feast days that has 68 volumes, the first of which was published in 1643. A cluster of scholarly Jesuit priests in Brussels, the Bollandists, is toiling to complete it in chronological order, using church records and old texts in myriad languages to verify that the saints deserve veneration.
Facebook has acquired ProtoGeo, a Finnish company that makes fitness tracking app Moves.
Helsinki-based ProtoGeo created the Moves app that uses a smartphone’s built-in sensors to track activity and calories burned.
The acquisition offers Facebook an entry into the burgeoning health technology market.
Other recent purchases include mobile messaging firm WhatsApp and virtual headset maker Oculus.
ProtoGeo created the Moves app that uses a smartphone’s built-in sensors to track activity and calories burned
Facebook did not reveal how much it paid for ProtoGeo, which has fewer than 10 employees, but it is believed to be a fraction of the price it has paid for more high-profile firms recently.
The social network paid $2 billion for Oculus VR and spent $19 billion on WhatsApp.
In a blog post, ProtoGeo moved to reassure its users about the purchase.
“For those of you that use the Moves app – the Moves experience will continue to operate as a stand-alone app, and there are no plans to change that or co-mingle data with Facebook.”
Meanwhile Facebook said of the purchase: “The Moves team has built an incredible tool for the millions of people who want to better understand their daily fitness activity, and we’re looking forward to the app continuing to gain momentum.”
The app runs in the background of users’ phones, using location data to monitor activities through the day.
The free app has been downloaded more than four million times for both iPhone and Android phones, according to the firm.
Many of the big technology firms are seeing money to be made from health technology. There is a range of fitness bands and smartwatches on the market already.
Apple is rumored to be on the verge of launching its own smartwatch with fitness features and Google last month launched software for wearables.
But for Facebook, the purchase of a fitness app is likely to be all about new data which will allow it to better target adverts, thinks Alys Woodward, an analyst with research firm IDC.
“They want to know more stuff about what people do and where they are. This is useful information even if they don’t tie it back to the individual,” she said.
A Madrid convent will be searched for the body of the 17th Century author, Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish forensic scientists announced.
Ground-penetrating radar will be used to try to locate the remains of the celebrated author of Don Quixote.
Experts say the work of scanning, exhuming and analyzing any findings is expected to take several months.
Miguel de Cervantes, who died in poverty in 1616, is considered one of Spain’s most important literary figures.
Miguel de Cervantes was recorded as having died on April 22, 1616
He has been dubbed the father of the modern novel for writing The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, which is reputed to be one of the most widely read and translated books on the planet.
Scientists say they will start searching for the famous author in the Convent of Trinitarians, Madrid, on Monday.
Miguel de Cervantes was recorded as having died on April 22, 1616, and was said to have been buried a day later in the convent’s church.
The precise location of his burial, however, is not known.
Forensic scientists say the ground and walls of the oldest part of the convent would be the focus of the search, using ground-penetrating equipment to map objects under the earth.
“The radar cannot tell you whether it is the body of the writer, but it can indicate the place of burial,” the expert leading the search, Luis Avial, told reporters on Friday.
“The geo-radar can tell us that location… then comes the delicate work,” he added, referring to the exhumation and identification process.
The estimated cost of the operation is 100,000 euros ($138,000).
