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Gia Allemand hanged herself while on phone to her mother Donna Micheletti

Lisa.Felice
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Gia Allemand hanged herself while on phone to her mother Donna Micheletti

Gia Allemand was allegedly on the phone to her mother when she hanged herself, according to new reports.

The 29-year-old Bachelor star committed suicide at her New Orleans home last week.

According to TMZ, Gia Allemand’s mother Donna Micheletti is reported to have told police that during the call, the phone “had gone silent”.

Donna Micheletti then tried “in vain” to communicate with her daughter for a further ten minutes.

Gia Allemand’s boyfriend, NBA star Ryan Anderson then returned home to check on her, but when he found her body, made a 911 call.

TMZ reports “she had been without oxygen for around 30 to 40 minutes”.

Gia Allemand allegedly left a suicide note on the dining room table, leaving all of her property to her mother.

She was taken to hospital and put on a life-support machine while Donna Micheletti and Ryan Anderson stayed by her side until the machine was eventually removed.

Meanwhile, Gia Allemand’s father Eugene Allemand has revealed that he and his daughter argued before her death and he only found out the news from reporters.

“I was as shocked as anybody,” Eugene Allemand told the New York Daily News.

“I didn’t see this coming.

“We had a fight on Mother’s Day and I said some things that I regret,” he added.

Gia Allemand was allegedly on the phone to her mother when she hanged herself
Gia Allemand was allegedly on the phone to her mother when she hanged herself

“I wish I could take them back, but it’s too late. If she were still here, I would I would tell her I’m so sorry and that I love her and that she will always be my rainbow.”

Eugene Allemand split from Gia’s mother back in 1992 but stayed in touch with his daughter, according to the newspaper.

He said he and his daughter quarrelled after Gia didn’t send his mother a Mother’s Day card.

“I said don’t bother calling me on Father’s Day,” Eugene Allemand revealed.

 “It was lots of nasty things said in the heat of the moment.”

Donna Micheletti, who was pictured holding a vigil outside the New Orleans hospital where her daughter passed away, has said little in the wake of her daughter’s tragic death.

But a few days ago, she urged people not to listen to claims made by self-proclaimed “friends” of her daughter.

“The family and close friends of Gia Allemand have not spoken to the media to date, nor have they posted comments or insight on Twitter,” Donna Micheletti said in an official statement.

“There are numerous statements and theories in the media regarding Gia’s death and her life that refer to sources close to Gia or friends of hers.

“As her mother, I am well aware of Gia’s close friends and her best friends and I am personally going on record to refute all statements to the media out there thus far with the exception of official statements we have released through publicist Penelope Jean Hayes, and those jointly with Ryan Anderson’s NBA team representation.

“Gia liked everyone and always found the good in people, however there were acquaintances that she had disassociated with whom are now speaking as her close friends.

“I don’t like to give further publicity by mentioning names here, however there is a particular individual, Loredana Ferriolo, identifying herself as Gia’s best friend and the fact is that Gia expressed directly to me that she did not trust this individual and her motives for her own public exposure.

“After the funeral, I do intend to speak about my dear daughter’s life and death, and will do so in an open disclosure way with a trusted media source. Thank you for all those truly concerned and God bless.”

Loredana Ferriolo – who became well known as one of Tiger Woods’ alleged mistresses – told the New York Daily News that she spoke to Gia Allemand the night she died.

“Either she was crying or she had a cold. I asked her and she paused and said, <<Yeah, I have a cold>>. I thought she was crying. But she insisted it was a cold.”

“I was with her a week before and everything was fine,” she added.

Loredana Ferriolo, 30, said that as far as she knew, Gia Allemand and her partner, Ryan Anderson, 25, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, were still going strong, although she admitted Gia missed her native East Coast.

“They were still together and talking every night and saying <<I love you>>,” said Loredana Ferriolo.

“I came forward because there was all this speculation that Gia was depressed or on drugs and that’s not true,” she said.

“I want to respect her memory.”

PlayStation 4 launch dates announced

Nancy Clayson
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PlayStation 4 launch dates announced

Sony has announced the launch dates for its PlayStation 4 console: the next-generation games machine will become available in North America on November 15 and Europe on November 29.

Its rival Microsoft has only said that the Xbox One will go on sale some time the same month.

Experts suggested that the latest revelation might help gain the Japanese firm headlines, but that it would be software that ultimately decided which company came out on top.

“Sony has made fantastic progress as it prepares to release the PS4, but the console still lacks a show-stopping exclusive game,” said Rob Crossley, associate editor at the Computer and Video Games news site, following the announcement at the Gamescom trade fair in Cologne.

“That will certainly come eventually, but some might argue the most crucial time is now.

“Sony’s press conference once again demonstrated the company has an enviably deep and meaningful relationship with the indie developer community… but Sony executives will no doubt be feeling uneasy as the list of major Xbox One exclusive games continues to grow.”

Lewis Ward, a games expert at the consultants IDC, agreed that at this point the launch date was of limited importance.

Sony has announced the launch dates for its PlayStation 4 console
Sony has announced the launch dates for its PlayStation 4 console

“If it turns out that the PS4 goes on sale a week before the Xbox One, for example, then clearly Sony will have time to itself to make some hay,” he said.

“But until we know when Microsoft is going to land I’m not sure what putting the date out there does much beyond making a news story – it won’t change people’s buying intentions.”

Sony said there had already been more than one million pre-orders of its new console worldwide. It added that a total of 32 countries would be able to buy the PS4 during the Christmas holiday season.

Previously unannounced PS4 titles unveiled in Germany included:

  • Shadow of the Beast – a reboot of the 1980s Commodore Amiga title – as a Sony exclusive
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, a post-apocalyptic game from the UK-based developers of cult title Dear Esther
  • Minecraft, the landscape-building title which has already been a hit on the Xbox 360 and PCs

Sony also announced a price cut to its handheld console, the PlayStation Vita.

It said the “Wi-Fi only” version of the device would now cost $199 excluding tax – a $50 reduction. It also promised cheaper memory cards.

Similar cuts are being made in Europe after the machine’s price was reduced earlier in the year in Japan.

“The handheld business has not been performing well, but I think a $50 cut will push up Vita sales significantly,” said Lewis Ward.

“But the real driver over the long term will be must-have games and the choice is still thinner than some consumers would want.”

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev shot through face, legs and left hand before his capture

Diane A. Wade
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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev shot through face, legs and left hand before his capture

Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was shot through the face, legs and left hand before his capture, according to newly unsealed court documents.

Despite his injuries, Dhozkhar Tsarnaev was able to “respond vocally” to questioning, Dr. Stephen Odom said several days after the bombings.

The twin bombs at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 killed three and injured more than 260.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

He was found hiding inside a boat in a backyard garden after a two-day Boston-area manhunt.

The other suspect, his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed during a shootout with police the night before.

Dr. Stephen Odom, a trauma surgeon who treated Dzhokhar Tsarnaev after his capture by heavily armed police, testified at a hearing at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on April 22.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was shot through the face, legs and left hand before his capture, according to newly unsealed court documents
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was shot through the face, legs and left hand before his capture, according to newly unsealed court documents

He told court officials that the worst of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s injuries was a gunshot wound from a bullet that entered through his mouth and exited the left side of his face.

“This was a high-powered injury that has resulted in skull-base fracture, with injuries to the middle ear, the skull base, the lateral portion of his C1 vertebrae, with a significant soft-tissue injury, as well as injury to the pharynx, the mouth, and a small vascular injury that’s been treated,” Dr. Stephen Odom explained, according to the transcript unsealed on Monday.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev also had multiple gunshot wounds elsewhere, including his legs and his left hand.

By the time Dr. Stephen Odom testified, the 19-year-old had had multiple medical procedures.

The doctor said despite his injuries and ongoing treatment with the painkiller Dilaudid, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev knew where he was and that he was receiving medical treatment.

“He knows that he has had multiple procedures, but I’m not sure how aware he is of the specifics,” Dr. Stephen Odom told the court.

“He knows that he has an injury to the neck and to the hand.”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appeared in court on July 10, with his face swollen and his arm in a cast.

Among the charges he faces are 30 counts of using a weapon of mass destruction. Prosecutors could press for the death penalty.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has also been charged over the death of a fourth person, a university police officer allegedly shot dead by Dzhokhar and his brother Tamerlan in the days after the attack.

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Angela Merkel becomes first German chancellor to visit Dachau camp

Diane A. Wade
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Angela Merkel becomes first German chancellor to visit Dachau camp

Angela Merkel has laid a wreath at the former Nazi concentration camp of Dachau, in the first such visit to the site by a German chancellor.

Angela Merkel made a short, emotional speech saying the camp “fills me with deep sadness and shame” and said it was a warning of the dangers of indifference.

The visit is part of Angela Merkel’s election campaign and was followed by a rally in a beer tent nearby.

Political opponents called the combination “tasteless”.

Some 30,000 people died in Dachau before it was liberated by US soldiers on 29 April 1945.

It was the first camp to be built by the Nazis in March 1933.

Angela Merkel has laid a wreath at the former Nazi concentration camp of Dachau, in the first such visit to the site by a German chancellor
Angela Merkel has laid a wreath at the former Nazi concentration camp of Dachau, in the first such visit to the site by a German chancellor

Angela Merkel, who toured the remnants of the camp, said it stood for “a horrible and unprecedented chapter of our history”.

“At the same time, this place is a constant warning: how did Germany reach the point of taking away the right of people to live because of their origin, their religion?”

Angela Merkel said the “vast majority of Germans” had closed their eyes to what was going on, and said her visit was intended “to be a bridge from history to the present and into the future that we want to continue to build”.

Max Mannheimer, the 93-year-old president of the Dachau camp committee, had long lobbied for Angela Merkel to go to the camp, near Munich in southern Germany.

He hailed her decision as “historic” and a “signal of respect for the former detainees”.

But a leader of the opposition Greens party, Renate Kuenast, described Angela Merkel’s programme of the camp visit followed by an election rally as a “tasteless and outrageous combination”.

“If you’re serious about commemoration at such a place of horrors, then you don’t pay such a visit during an election campaign,” she told the daily Leipziger Volkszeitung.

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Duck Dynasty school supplies line at Walmart

Nancy Clayson
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Duck Dynasty school supplies line at Walmart

Duck Dynasty school supplies are now at Walmart.

That’s right you can have Si, Willie, Jase and Phil Robertson on your notebooks, composition, folders and binders.

Duck Dynasty school supplies are now at Walmart
Duck Dynasty school supplies are now at Walmart

Prices range from $2.37 to $9.97 for lunch boxes.

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Duck Dynasty franchise represented in six Walmart departments

Clyde K. Valle
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Duck Dynasty franchise represented in six Walmart departments

Duck Dynasty‘s bearded hunters adorn the top-selling graphic T-shirt at Walmart.

“You might have wondered if women would wear a T-shirt with bearded men on the front,” said Duncan Mac Naughton, Walmart’s chief merchandising and marketing officer.

The answer is yes, he added.

In fact, A&E Network’s reality series has become a gold mine for Walmart, and both companies are looking to take advantage of the show’s success with a major expansion of its licensing empire.

The Duck Dynasty franchise is represented in six Walmart departments, including apparel, home goods and sporting goods, but there are plans to expand to 13 departments by the holiday season, said Kate Winn, senior VP-consumer products at A&E Networks.

While there’s the obvious – sporting goods, apparel and DVDs – Duck Dynasty is rolling out some more-unusual merchandise: Halloween costumes for dogs complete with beards and camo gear, along with antibacterial bandages.

Duck Dynasty‘s bearded hunters adorn the top-selling graphic T-shirt at Walmart
Duck Dynasty‘s bearded hunters adorn the top-selling graphic T-shirt at Walmart

Walmart has also introduced the bandages, which come with camouflage decorations and feature sayings from members of the Robertson family, the colorful bayou entrepreneurs, such as: “If you’re too busy to duck hunt, you’re too busy.”

Pointing to a display of the bandages during a store tour for media in Rogers, Arkansas, Walmart President-Health and Wellness John Agwunobi said it’s part of a “longstanding relationship” with Duck Dynasty that’s been successful in other categories.

“Walmart has responded to the program because it is a show the entire family can watch and is wholesome entertainment, which isn’t prevalent on TV right now,” Kate Winn said.

Before they achieved cable-TV fame, the Robertsons, owners of West Monroe, Louisiana-based Duck Commander, were suppliers to Walmart for several years, producing duck-hunting VHS tapes sold in the stores with their phone number included.

For years, the Robertsons would shave their beards before annual trips to see buyers in Bentonville, until a few years ago they decided to keep them when making the trip, a Walmart spokeswoman said.

Duck Dynasty merchandise is also available at national retailers like Kohl’s, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.

Kate Winn said there’s an apparel deal in the works at Kohl’s, with merchandise set to hit shelves in the fall.

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Indian rupee hits new all-time record low against US dollar

Clyde K. Valle
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Indian rupee hits new all-time record low against US dollar

The Indian rupee has hit a new all-time record low against the US dollar, amid concerns the Federal Reserve will soon scale back its stimulus measures.

It dropped to 64.13 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday.

Foreign investors have been pulling money out of India, as the economy has slowed and the cost of borrowing in dollars has risen.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is rumored to have intervened to stem the slide in the currency.

The Indian rupee has declined by nearly 16% against the US dollar since May and is Asia’s worst performing currency so far this year.

Its further decline on Tuesday was mirrored by falls in markets across other developing markets, particularly in Asia.

On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell by 2.6%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 2.2% and South Korea’s Kospi dropped by 1.6%.

The Indonesian stock market fell 4.9% on Tuesday, pushing it into a formal bear market – meaning it has fallen by more than 20% since its last peak.

Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting are due to be published on Wednesday, and may set out more details about the rollback of its “quantitative easing” stimulus programme.

The Indian rupee has hit a new all-time record low against the US dollar, amid concerns the Fed will soon scale back its stimulus measures
The Indian rupee has hit a new all-time record low against the US dollar, amid concerns the Fed will soon scale back its stimulus measures

The Fed is expected to start slowing the rate of its purchases of government debts with newly-created money from next month.

Another source of concern in India is the country’s widening current account deficit.

The current account deficit is a broader measure than the trade deficit, and includes cross-border income flows on investments.

As well as weakening the currency, the deficit can also act as a drain on the central bank’s foreign currency reserves, and suggests that the Indian economy as a whole needs to borrow more money from abroad.

Meanwhile, the Indian government has been attempting to stem the tide of investor money leaving the country by imposing capital controls.

The combination of all these factors has sparked comparisons to the financial crisis that India faced in 1991. In July that year, the rupee eventually fell by more than 32% against the US dollar after foreign exchange reserves were depleted.

On that occasion, the country had to be rescued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Weakness concentrated in the Brazilian real and Indian rupee makes sense, as these are current account deficit economies with limited ability to defend their currencies,” said Bank of Singapore’s chief economist Richard Jerram.

“India is in worse shape than Brazil, with few viable policy responses.

“Capital controls in India are not likely to have much impact and there is the risk that a [credit] ratings agency downgrade leads to further currency weakness.”

Over the weekend, Indian PM Manmohan Singh tried to calm fears that India was facing another currency crisis.

Manmohan Singh said that back in 1991, the country only had enough foreign currency reserves to cover the country’s borrowing needs for 15 days, while currently it has reserves equivalent to six to seven months.

“So there is no comparison. And no question of going back to [the] 1991 crisis,” Manmohan Singh told the Press Trust of India.

International investors have withdrawn $11.58 billion in shares and debt from India’s markets since the beginning of June, according to official data.

India, which is Asia’s third-largest economy, grew at an annual rate of 5% in the 2012-13 financial year, the slowest pace in 10 years.

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Crime writer Elmore Leonard dies aged 87

Sonia Pantiss
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Crime writer Elmore Leonard dies aged 87

Crime novelist Elmore Leonard, author of Get Shorty, Maximum Bob and Out of Sight, has died at the age of 87.

A statement on his website said Elmore Leonard died on Tuesday morning “surrounded by his loving family”.

Elmore Leonard is the author of 45 crime novels
Elmore Leonard is the author of 45 crime novels

The author of 45 novels, Elmore Leonard had been in the process of writing his 46th.

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Sliding Stocks on Global Market Cause Panic

Clyde K. Valle
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Sliding Stocks on Global Market Cause Panic

Markets on both sides of the Atlantic suffered sharp price drops on Thursday, as a collective fear amongst traders ran amok. With the FTSE down 1.6% and the Dow Jones down 1.5%, it recorded the worst drop since June. Both markets attributed the decline to fears that banks will shortly push interests rates up again. However, Mark Carney of the Bank of England has promised to keep rates at the record low of 0.5% until unemployment falls below 7%. Some feel that this manipulation of interest rates will help create a “bond bubble” which, should it burst would wreak havoc in financial circles.

Tapering Trends

Meanwhile, in the US, investors are worried that Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve Chairman, is planning on decreasing America’s $85bn-a-month bond buying programme, creating another hurdle for new growth. These actions would serve to cut the amount of cheap money available to the extent that the current economic upturn could stall and subsequently stop altogether causing panic among traders and investors alike. Fears both in the US and the UK have directly affected the markets in what market analysts have labeled a “Taper Tantrum”. Many believe this is merely a temporary blip and think that we will continue to witness the markets growth over the coming period.

Either way, it would seem that now is the time to keep an even closer eye on your stocks and shares in this particularly volatile market. Take a look at your HPQ Hewlett-Packard shares and many others at Quotenet. With all the latest stock market news and statistics, you are sure to find the information you are looking for and stay one step ahead of the competition, ensuring your finances are secure.

Who is Asian girl on Duck Dynasty Walmart commercial?

Sonia Pantiss
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Who is Asian girl on Duck Dynasty Walmart commercial?

The Asian girl on the Walmart commercial with the Duck Dynasty stars is Rebecca, Willie and Korie Robertson’s adopted daughter.

Rebecca was an exchange student that Willie and Korie Robertson sponsored. She has been with them for years now and they consider her apart of the family.

Willie and Korie Robertson have five kids: John Luke, Will, Bella, Rebecca, and Sadie
Willie and Korie Robertson have five kids: John Luke, Will, Bella, Rebecca, and Sadie

Willie and Korie Robertson have five kids: John Luke, Will, Bella, Rebecca, and Sadie.

The eldest Roberston child is also the newest to the family, Rebecca.

Rebecca came to the Roberstons as an exchange student from Taiwan, but then became their foster daughter.

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Louisiana poll shows voters don’t want Willie Robertson to run for Congress

Sonia Pantiss
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Louisiana poll shows voters don’t want Willie Robertson to run for Congress

A recent Louisiana poll shows that 41% of the state’s voters don’t think Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson should run for Congress, a week after news emerged that party officials were trying to woo him into the race.

Moreover, Louisianans ranked Willie Robertson’s Uncle Si as their most favorite family member.

The poll conducted by Conservative Intelligence Briefing mainly included questions about state politicians Bobby Jindal, David Vitter and Mary Landrieu.

But the company inquired if voters would actually consider Willie Robertson, 41, for the open seat left by retiring Rep. Rodney Alexander.

Almost half of Louisiana voters don’t want Willie Robertson to run for Congress
Almost half of Louisiana voters don’t want Willie Robertson to run for Congress

It appears they would not.

Even more surprising though is that Willie Robertson, the self-described “Boss Hog” of the West Monroe clan, isn’t even the show favorite.

Willie Robertson lost out to his tea-drinking Uncle Si.

Twenty five percent of responders listed Uncle Si as the most lovable Robertson while only 24% rooted for Willie.

Though the Washington Examiner floated Willie Robertson as a possible candidate, the CEO of Duck Commander told Fox News he was pretty busy managing his business and starring in his family’s hit show.

Duck Dynasty Season 4 premiere on A&E TV attracted a mind-blowing 11.8 million viewers last week – a record for the cable network.

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Alzheimer’s disease linked to high levels of copper

Kathryn R. Bown
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Alzheimer’s disease linked to high levels of copper

US scientists have found that a lifetime of too much copper in our diets may be contributing to Alzheimer’s disease.

However, research is divided, with other studies suggesting copper may actually protect the brain.

The latest study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed high levels of copper left the brain struggling to get rid of a protein thought to cause the dementia.

Copper is a vital part of our diet and necessary for a healthy body.

Tap water coming through copper pipes, red meat and shellfish as well as fruit and vegetables are all sources of dietary copper.

The study on mice, by a team at the University of Rochester in New York, suggested that copper interfered with the brain’s shielding – the blood brain barrier.

Mice that were fed more copper in their water had a greater build-up of the metal in the blood vessels in the brain.

A lifetime of too much copper in our diets may be contributing to Alzheimer's disease
A lifetime of too much copper in our diets may be contributing to Alzheimer’s disease

The team said this interfered with the way the barrier functioned and made it harder for the brain to get rid of a protein called beta amyloid.

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is the formation of plaques of amyloid in the dying brain.

Lead researcher Dr. Rashid Deane said: “It is clear that, over time, copper’s cumulative effect is to impair the systems by which amyloid beta is removed from the brain.”

He said that copper also led to more protein being produced: “It’s a double whammy of increased production and decreased clearance of amyloid protein.

“Copper is a very essential metal ion and you don’t want a deficiency and many nutritious foods also contain copper.”

However, he said taking supplements may be “going overboard a bit”.

Commenting on the latest findings, Chris Exley, professor of bioinorganic chemistry at Keele University in the UK, said there was “no true consensus” on the role of copper in Alzheimer’s disease.

His research on human brains reached the opposite conclusion: “In our most recent work we found evidence of lower total brain copper with ageing and Alzheimer’s. We also found that lower brain copper correlated with higher deposition of beta amyloid in brain tissue.

“He said at the moment we would expect copper to be protective and beneficial in neurodegeneration, not the instigator, but we don’t know.

“The exposure levels used mean that if copper is acting in the way they think it does in this study then it must be doing so in everyone.”

Lee Thompson Young found dead at his Hollywood home aged 29

Sonia Pantiss
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Lee Thompson Young found dead at his Hollywood home aged 29

Former Disney child star Lee Thompson Young has been found dead at his Hollywood home aged 29.

Police in North Hollywood have not given an official cause of death, but Lee Thompson Young’s manager, Paul Baruch, said the actor “tragically took his own life”.

Lee Thompson Young rose to fame in the Disney series The Famous Jett Jackson, where he played a teenage secret agent.

More recently Lee Thompson Young portrayed a Boston police detective in the series Rizzoli & Isles.

“Lee was more than just a brilliant young actor, he was a wonderful and gentle soul who will be truly missed,” Paul Baruch said.

“We ask that you please respect the privacy of his family and friends as this very difficult time.”

Lee Thompson Young’s body was found at his home by police on Monday morning after he failed to show up for work on Rizzoli & Isles, where he played Barry Frost, a bright but squeamish police detective.

Former Disney child star Lee Thompson Young has been found dead at his Hollywood home
Former Disney child star Lee Thompson Young has been found dead at his Hollywood home

The show, which also stars The Sopranos actress Lorraine Bracco, has just been commissioned for another series.

“We are beyond heartbroken at the loss of this sweet, gentle, good-hearted, intelligent man,” series producer Janet Tamaro said in a joint statement with the TNT network and Warner Bros.

“Lee will be cherished and remembered by all who knew and loved him, both on and off screen, for his positive energy, infectious smile and soulful grace.”

Lee Thompson Young was born in South Carolina in 1984 and moved to New York aged 12, where he landed the lead role in The Famous Jett Jackson.

The Disney series, which ran for three series and was turned into a movie, was eventually cancelled in 2001.

Lee Thompson Young went on to start opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the sports movie Friday Night Lights and Jamie Foxx in the made-for-TV movie Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story.

In 2009, he guest-starred in the TV series Scrubs and he played a sensitive FBI agent in FlashForward.

Lee Thompson Young also starred in the music video for the Sugababes single About A Girl.

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World Cup 2014 tickets go on sale

Clyde K. Valle
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World Cup 2014 tickets go on sale

Tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil went on sale today, with fans able to apply on FIFA’s website.

FIFA is expecting a similar demand to Germany 2006, when there were about seven applicants for every ticket of the 64-match tournament.

Around 3.3 million tickets will be available for the tournament.

Tickets will range in price from $90)for first-round matches to $990 for the final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian citizens over 60, local students and members of some social programs can purchase tickets for $23.

Tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil went on sale with fans able to apply on FIFA's website
Tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil went on sale with fans able to apply on FIFA’s website

“It’s always difficult to predict,” said FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil.

“But I truly believe that it will be more toward to what happened in Germany than in South Africa in 2010.”

According to FIFA, the 2006 World Cup was attended by more than 3.3 million fans. Almost two million tickets were sold to the general public in South Africa, although the number of applications during the first ticketing phase was significantly lower.

All applications made before 10 October 2013 will enter a random selection draw if there are not enough tickets available to fulfill all requests.

The sales of the leftover tickets will begin on November 5 on a first-come, first-served basis. Another phase will begin on December 8 after the draw is made.

The tournament begins on June 12, with Brazil playing the opener in Sao Paulo.

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Bo Guagua: Bo Xilai’s son speaks out before trial

Diane A. Wade
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Bo Guagua: Bo Xilai’s son speaks out before trial

Bo Guagua, the son of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai, says he hopes his father will be allowed to defend himself “without constraints” at his upcoming trial.

In a statement to the New York Times, Bo Guagua said he had been denied contact with his parents for 18 months.

Bo Xilai – a former party high-flier – goes on trial on Thursday charged with bribery, corruption and abuse of power.

He was expelled from the Communist Party amid a scandal over the murder of a British businessman, Neil Heywood.

Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, was jailed in August 2012 for the killing of Neil Heywood, reportedly over a deal gone wrong.

The scandal led to a shake-up at the very top of China’s political elite in the months preceding a once-in-a-decade leadership handover.

Bo Guagua, who was studying in the US when the scandal unfolded, has since kept a low profile.

“It has been 18 months since I have been denied contact with either my father or my mother. I can only surmise the conditions of their clandestine detention and the adversity they each endure in solitude,” he said in a statement to the New York Times.

Bo Guagua hopes his father Bo Xilai will be allowed to defend himself at his upcoming trial
Bo Guagua hopes his father Bo Xilai will be allowed to defend himself at his upcoming trial

“I hope that in my father’s upcoming trial, he is granted the opportunity to answer his critics and defend himself without constraints of any kind.”

“However, if my well-being has been bartered for my father’s acquiescence or my mother’s further co-operation, then the verdict will clearly carry no moral weight.”

Some reports have suggested that Gu Kailai may testify against her husband at the trial.

There has been speculation that both the parents agreed to demands from Chinese officials in return for a guarantee that their son would not be pursued.

Bo Guagua also spoke out in defense of his mother, describing her as “silenced and defenseless” and voicing concern about her state of health.

“She has already overcome unimaginable tribulation after the sudden collapse of her physical health in 2006 and subsequent seclusion,” he said.

State media, in reports of Gu Kailai’s trial, said she attributed her actions to a breakdown.

Bo Guagua last released a statement in September, saying he found the allegations against his father hard to believe.

He is soon to begin studying law in New York, he confirmed to the New York Times.

The scandal emerged after Bo Xilai’s police chief, Wang Lijun, fled to the US consulate in February 2012.

A month later, Bo Xilai was removed from his post as party chief in Chongqing and then stripped of his Communist Party posts as his wife was investigated for the murder of Neil Heywood.

Gu Kailai was subsequently convicted of poisoning the businessman to death and is in prison, as is the police chief, Wang Lijun, for abuse of power related to the subsequent cover-up.

Bo Xilai, meanwhile, has not been seen in public since March 2012.

He goes on trial on Thursday in the city of Jinan accused of taking advantage of his office to accept money and property, as well as embezzling public money.

Most political analysts believe that the outcome of the trial has already been decided and that Bo Xilai will almost certainly be found guilty.

Mohammed Badie arrested in Cairo

Roy Siemens
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0
Mohammed Badie arrested in Cairo

General Guide Mohammed Badie, the spiritual leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, has been arrested in Cairo, officials say.

Reports said Mohammed Badie was detained at a residential flat in Nasr City.

A state of emergency is in force in Egypt amid turmoil following a crackdown on Islamists in which hundreds have died.

Three days of mourning are being held for 25 police killed in Sinai by suspected Islamist militant extremists.

Almost 900 people, including more than 100 police and soldiers, are reported to have been killed in Egypt since Wednesday, when the army cleared protest camps set up by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, many of them members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement.

On Sunday, 36 Islamist protesters died in a prison van in the capital, Cairo.

Hundreds of members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been detained over recent days.

Mohammed Badie had been on the run as the military-backed interim authorities in Egypt try to suppress protests at the ousting of Mohamed Morsi.

He is facing charges of inciting violence and murder over the killing of eight anti-Brotherhood protesters outside the movement’s headquarters in Cairo last June.

Officials and state media said Mohammed Badie was detained in a flat in Nasr City in north-east Cairo, near the site of one of the protest camps bloodily broken up last week.

Images of Mohammed Badie shortly after his arrest were shown on the private channel ON TV.

Mohammed Badie, the spiritual leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, has been arrested in Cairo
Mohammed Badie, the spiritual leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, has been arrested in Cairo

The arrest comes days after Mohammed Badie’s 38-year-old son, Ammar, was shot dead during protests in the capital’s Ramses Square.

Mohammed Badie’s deputy, Khairat al-Shatir, was arrested in the days following Mohamed Morsi’s overthrow.

Correspondents say his detention will further ratchet up tensions in the country, where an indefinite dusk till dawn curfew is in place, a leaves a power vacuum at the top of the Brotherhood movement.

The attack on the Sinai police convoy, close to the town of Rafah on the Gaza border, was one of the deadliest on security forces in several years.

It is not clear who carried out the attack. Sinai is home to a range of militant groups, some of which have links to al-Qaeda.

The off-duty police officers were reportedly ordered to leave the buses before being shot in the back of the head.

State television showed their flag-draped coffins arriving by plane in Cairo.

Egypt’s official media has not connected the killings to the Muslim Brotherhood, but the deaths add to the sense of crisis.

In a separate incident, another police officer was killed in the north Sinai town of el-Arish.

Attacks by Islamist militants on the Egyptian security forces have surged in northern Sinai since 2011 – they have been close to daily in recent weeks.

European Union foreign ministers will meet on Wednesday to decide whether to cut some of the billions of euros in aid pledged to Egypt.

Meanwhile, Egyptian prosecutors have added a further 15 days to ousted President Mohamed Morsi’s detention while they investigate fresh allegations against him.

Mohamed Morsi has reportedly been accused of complicity in acts of violence against protesters outside the presidential palace last December. His detention had already been extended by 30 days in a separate case on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for another former leader, Hosni Mubarak, has said he hopes his client could be released from prison within the next two days.

Lawyer Fareed al-Dib said Hosni Mubarak had been cleared of one corruption charge and they were waiting for the court to check whether he still had to be held in custody on other counts.

Hosni Mubarak is facing a retrial for corruption and complicity in the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising which ended in his removal from power after 30 years.

While it is still no more than a rumor, analysts say his release would be seen by many Egyptians as a signal that the military is rolling back the changes that flowed from the uprising of 2011.

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Prince George first official pictures released

Nancy Clayson
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Prince George first official pictures released

Prince George’s first official photographs have been released.

Prince George – who is third in line to the British throne – is pictured with his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The pictures were taken by the Duchess of Cambridge’s father, Michael Middleton, in the garden of their family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

Taken earlier this month, they show the royal couple, Prince George and their black cocker spaniel, Lupo.

Tilly, a golden retriever belonging to the Middleton family, can be seen lying down behind them.

The photographs of Prince George, who was born on July 22, were released by Kensington Palace.

Kate Middleton with Prince William and baby George joined by retriever Tilly and cocker spaniel Lupo
Kate Middleton with Prince William and baby George joined by retriever Tilly and cocker spaniel Lupo

On Monday Prince William, giving his first interview since becoming a father, told CNN: “He’s a little bit of a rascal, I’ll put it that way.

“He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I’m not sure – but he’s doing very well at the moment.”

Renowned photographer Terry O’Neill said he thought the pictures were “absolutely charming”.

“It reminded me when I first started photography for myself – I just went for the light, and it was really interesting lighting. As a matter of fact when I heard about these pictures, I thought <<Who have they got to do these pictures>> – and the thought crossed my mind they might have asked the Queen because she’s quite a good photographer – I thought that would be one up to the paparazzi.”

The cultural and education manager of Magnum Photos, Fiona Rogers, told Radio 4’s Today programme the photograph of the couple and Prince George with the family’s dogs was “technically not the most accomplished photograph”.

“It’s a photograph that any one of us could have in our family albums,” she said.

Pervez Musharraf indicted over Benazir Bhutto’s assassination

Roy Siemens
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0
Pervez Musharraf indicted over Benazir Bhutto’s assassination

Pervez Musharraf has been indicted in Pakistan on three charges over the 2007 assassination of opposition leader and former PM Benazir Bhutto.

Prosecutors said the Pakistani ex-President was charged with murder, criminal conspiracy to murder and facilitation of murder.

Pervez Musharraf made no public remarks at the hearing but denies the charges. The case was adjourned until 27 August.

Benazir Bhutto was killed at an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi in December 2007.

Pervez Musharraf, who returned to Pakistan from self-imposed exile earlier this year, is currently under house arrest.

But he appeared in court in Rawalpindi amid tight security. Six others were indicted along with Pervez Musharraf, including four suspected militants and two senior police officials. The court set the next hearing for 27 August.

Pervez Musharraf has been indicted in Pakistan on three charges over the 2007 assassination of opposition leader and former PM Benazir Bhutto
Pervez Musharraf has been indicted in Pakistan on three charges over the 2007 assassination of opposition leader and former PM Benazir Bhutto

Pervez Musharraf’s legal team dismissed the indictment: “These charges are baseless. We are not afraid of the proceedings. We will follow legal procedures in the court,” his lawyer, Syeda Afshan Adil, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

Correspondents say although many expected Pervez Musharraf to be charged, the move is unprecedented. In a country which has been ruled by the army for more than half of its existence, no serving or past military chief has ever been indicted for a crime.

Pervez Musharraf has consistently maintained that all charges against him are politically motivated.

He first came to power in 1999 when he ousted Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup. Pervez Musharraf ruled the country for nine years before being voted out and then he left Pakistan to live in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London.

The former military ruler returned to Pakistan earlier this year in the hope that he could lead his party into elections, but was disqualified from standing and found himself under house arrest fighting a series of charges relating to his time in power.

These include charges relating to the murder of a Baloch tribal leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti, in 2006 and his attempt to sack the entire higher judiciary in November 2007.

Nawaz Sharif is now back in power having emphatically won elections earlier this year. His government has said that it also plans to put Pervez Musharraf on trial for treason.

Benazir Bhutto’s assassination at an election rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007 was blamed by Pervez Musharraf’s government on the Taliban.

A 2010 UN report said Benazir Bhutto’s death could have been prevented and that Pervez Musharraf’s government failed to provide enough protection – at the time his aides dismissed the report as a “pack of lies”.

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Karrueche Tran shows off leg-long zipper tattoo at Zing Vodka’s Kandyland soiree

Lisa.Felice
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0
Karrueche Tran shows off leg-long zipper tattoo at Zing Vodka’s Kandyland soiree

Karrueche Tran’s body is covered with six tattoos – five of which are quotes.

Chris Brown’s girlfriend put her bit of ink on full display while attending Zing Vodka’s Kandyland soiree in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

Karrueche Tran, 25, displayed her leg-long zipper tattoo while wearing a red romper by Kimi Kouture.

Karrueche Tran put her bit of ink on full display while attending Zing Vodka's Kandyland soiree in Beverly Hills
Karrueche Tran put her bit of ink on full display while attending Zing Vodka’s Kandyland soiree in Beverly Hills

The bi-racial beauty accessorized her revealing onesie with white gladiator heels and waist-long ombré extensions.

Among Karrueche Tran’s other tattoos is the word “Promise” on her pinky and “The Past is practice” on her arm.

Not seen with Karrueche Tran was 24-year-old Chris Brown, who suffered a “nonepileptic seizure” while at the Record Plant recording studios last week.

According to his rep, Chris Brown’s health issues stem from “the continued onslaught of unfounded legal matters and the nonstop negativity”.

Karrueche Tran just shot the fall campaign for Karmaloop clothing, while Chris Brown’s sixth studio album – X – officially comes out on Tuesday.

 

Bruce Jenner ends feud between Kris and his mother Esther

Lisa.Felice
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Bruce Jenner ends feud between Kris and his mother Esther

In the latest episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kris Jenner and Bruce’s mother Esther finally put their differences to one side but not without a bit of drama first.

Bruce Jenner decided to fly his 87-year-old mother to Los Angeles after her third husband died.

“It’s kind of lonely around here,” the pensioner confessed on the phone after 95-year-old Frank passed away.

Bruce Jenner, who admitted his relationship with his mother has had its “ups and downs”, hatched a plan to bring her from rural Idaho to see her grandchildren, and mark her birthday.

But the plan didn’t initially inspire his wife.

“Your mum doesn’t really like me,” Kris Jenner told her husband.

“You’ve had no relationship with her for the last 15 or 18 years,” Bruce Jenner shot back.

“I’ve seen her four times in my life. She yelled at me,” said Kris Jenner, who said she was saddened at the way Esther treated her.

“Last time she came to my home I made her feel like a princess. Why would I go and visit someone who can’t stand me?”

“Just have her see you as you are,” said Bruce Jenner, who wanted the pair to mend their relationship.

“It’s important to me. It would be a big treat for her.”

Bruce Jenner later complained to step-daughter Khloe Kardashian, saying Kris could hold a grudge for 20 years.

“My home is open to her,” said Kris Jenner, who insisted she was extremely busy.

“I’ll do my best to be around. In 23 years [of marriage] I think you’ve mentioned her name maybe a dozen times.”

“I don’t think she’s really crazy about me,” Kris Jenner later confided to pal Rhonda over drinks, telling her it was “f*cked up” that Esther hadn’t wished to see her grandchildren grow up.

Kris Jenner and Bruce’s mother Esther finally put their differences to one side but not without a bit of drama first
Kris Jenner and Bruce’s mother Esther finally put their differences to one side but not without a bit of drama first

“Why am I crying?” asked Kris Jenner.

“This is a great thing,” Rhonda advised her.

Bruce Jenner later asked his mother to try and make amends with Kris.

“I have never felt that I could reach out to Kris,” Esther admitted.

But Kris Jenner made the first move saying: “I’m hopeful we can find a way to be family.”

“It’s kind of awkward,” said Kris Jenner, who was reluctant to greet her guest, who again complained that she hadn’t ever got approval from Esther.

“I hope that she can find a way not to judge me anymore,” Kris Jenner said.

During a special dinner, the family began to warm to the outspoken pensioner as she told Kendall Jenner she was too skinny – like her – and needed to put on weight.

And after a whisky cocktail Esther begins to talk about how she won’t wed again – and how any prospective husbands probably won’t be able to “get it up”.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Kris Jenner told Esther – before saying she had to leave early to look after Kim.

“If I’m that sassy at 87, I’m going to be really happy,” she added.

However, Bruce Jenner still wanted the women to iron out their differences – and brought her to the house the following day.

“I really wanted a little time with you,” Esther said.

“We haven’t been too close in any way.

“I’m so sorry for that. I wish I could have been closer.”

“It was very complicated, a lot of personalities in the mix,” Kris Jenner said.

“I felt like I should stay away, and I have. But it’s not right. You’re Bruce’s wife. And the longest marriage he’s had,” Esther added.

“You’ve been good for him.”

“Wow, I’ve waited 23 years for this,” Kris Jenner said, before the pair hugged and kissed.

“Better late than never.”

“I’ll go home singing,” Esther said.

Meanwhile in Sunday night’s episode, Kim Kardashian fears she may be losing her clothes sense as she meets with Khloe and Kourtney about their fashion line.

Kim Kardashian was mocked by sister Khloe, who accused her of Tumblr-stalking her in a bid to regain her “cool”, as Kim wondered how she could get the-then fifteen-year-old to post more images of her online.

Willie Robertson greets camouflage bride and groom in Pennsylvania

Sonia Pantiss
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Willie Robertson greets camouflage bride and groom in Pennsylvania

Meghan Cook, a Pennsylvania camouflage-clad bride, and her groom, Charlie Miller, got a little advice from a bewhiskered witness on their wedding day: Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson.

WTAE-TV reports Willie Robertson told the couple to always love and forgive one another as they were wed Saturday morning at a Field & Stream store near Pittsburgh.

Willie Robertson popped in for the nuptials of Mehgan Cook, who sported a camouflage sash on her dress, and Charlie Miller, who was completely clad in camo gear.

The two hadn’t planned on marrying at the store but Mehgan Cook said they were eager to meet Willie Robertson.

Willie Robertson told Mehgan Cook and Charlie Miller to always love and forgive one another as they were wed at a Field & Stream store near Pittsburgh
Willie Robertson told Mehgan Cook and Charlie Miller to always love and forgive one another as they were wed at a Field & Stream store near Pittsburgh

“I was going to cancel the wedding ’cause I heard Willie was coming,” Mehgan Cook told KDKA-TV.

Instead, Mehgan Cook said, her mother came up with the idea of a wedding at the store – and they got a surprise when Willie Robertson appeared during the ceremony.

“That’s a first for me, it’s good to be a part of that,” Willie Robertson said.

“They look like my kind of folks with the camouflage. That was cool.”

On the Duck Dynasty Season 4 premiere, which aired last week, family members threw a surprise wedding for patriarch Phil Robertson, wearing a black jacket over camouflage garb, and his wife, Miss Kay. They could only afford a justice of the peace when they married 48 years ago.

The show drew 11.8 million viewers on the A&E channel, making it the No. 1 non-fiction series telecast in U.S. cable television history in total viewers as well as all key demographic groups.

Mehgan Cook said she had been engaged to another man, but he died in a car crash four years ago. But she met Charlie Miller at the scene and eventually the two started dating.

“I never thought it would happen again,” Mehgan Cook said, tearing up.

Switzerland blocks North Korea ski lift deal

Diane A. Wade
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Switzerland blocks North Korea ski lift deal

Switzerland has decided to block a deal to sell ski lifts to North Korea in the latest setback for leader Kim Jong-un’s pet ski resort project.

The Swiss government cited expanded sanctions on luxury exports to North Korea.

Heavy rains and landslides have already delayed the project, viewed as a response to South Korea hosting the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Kim Jong-un has ordered the army to complete the resort by year’s end.

Switzerland has decided to block a deal to sell ski lifts to North Korea in the latest setback for leader Kim Jong-un's pet ski resort project
Switzerland has decided to block a deal to sell ski lifts to North Korea in the latest setback for leader Kim Jong-un’s pet ski resort project

The North Korean leader has repeatedly visited the Masik ski resort site and promoted it as an attempt to enhance the lifestyle of the nation’s citizens.

But Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) labelled the resort a “prestigious propaganda project for the regime”.

“It is inconceivable that this resort will be used by the general public,” Seco spokeswoman Marie Avet said.

It is thought Kim Jong-un learned to ski in Bern, where he attended secondary school without revealing his true identity.

The ski lift deal with Swiss company Bartholet Maschinenbau, valued at more than $7 million, is reportedly the third to fall through due to sanctions.

Austrian and French manufacturers also turned down deals, citing political reasons.

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Cecil Gaines story: The Butler beats Kick-Ass 2 in US

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Cecil Gaines story: The Butler beats Kick-Ass 2 in US

The Butler, a star-studded drama inspired by African-American Eugene Allen who served as a White House butler to eight presidents, was the top draw at North American cinemas this weekend.

Lee Daniels’ new movie, which stars Forest Whitaker, took an estimated $25 million in the US and Canada between Friday and Sunday.

“We did not expect it to do this well,” said a spokesman for its distributor.

In contrast, comic book sequel Kick-Ass 2 could only manage fourth place with a first weekend haul of $13.5 million.

That was less than the $19.8 million its predecessor made in its first weekend in the US and Canada in April 2010.

Kick-Ass 2‘s takings were swelled, however, by the $6.3 million it made in ticket sales outside North America.

According to The Weinstein Company’s Erik Lomis, the involvement of Oprah Winfrey was “a significant factor” in The Butler‘s success.

“Her publicity machine really kicked into high gear,” he said of the talk show queen, whose appearance as Forest Whitaker’s wife marks her first starring role since 1998’s Beloved.

“An Oprah Winfrey endorsement virtually guarantees you a hit,” agreed Paul Dergarabedian of box office analysts Hollywood.com.

The Butler was the top draw at North American cinemas this weekend
The Butler was the top draw at North American cinemas this weekend

According to the Hollywood Reporter, The Butler appealed strongly to black church-goers, a demographic specifically courted in its promotional materials.

Starring Forest Whitaker as the fictional manservant Cecil Gaines, Lee Daniels’ The Butler co-stars Robin Williams, John Cusack, Mariah Carey and Jane Fonda.

The film’s slightly tortuous nomenclature came about after the Weinstein Company lost a legal battle with Warner Brothers over the right to use the title The Butler.

Warner Bros comedy We’re the Millers held onto second place in this week’s chart, making $17.8 million in its second week in US and Canadian cinemas.

Last week’s top film, Matt Damon’s sci-fi thriller Elysium, dropped to third place after making an estimated $13.6 million between Friday and Sunday.

Jobs, starring Ashton Kutcher as the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, was the third new entry in this week’s Top 10, claiming seventh place with a first weekend tally of $6.7 million.

That was almost twice as much made by Paranoia, a corporate espionage thriller starring Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford that made its debut in 13th spot with a $3.5 million haul.

North American box office:

  1. Lee Daniels’ The Butler – $30.5 million
  2. We’re the Millers -$17.8 million
  3. Elysium – $13.6 million
  4. Kick-Ass 2 – $13.5 million
  5. Planes – $13.1 million

Source: Hollywood.com

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Cecil Gaines story: The Butler debuted in theaters this weekend

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Cecil Gaines story: The Butler debuted in theaters this weekend

The Butler, which is based on the story of long-time White House butler Eugene Allen, hit theaters on Friday.

It’s not surprising that some broad creative license was taken with Eugene Allen’s life.

However, some of the most remarkable episodes are true.

Eugene Allen spent 34 years in the White House watching as eight presidents filed in and out and witnessing the country change from within the walls that were changing it.

The Butler is based on the story of long-time White House butler Eugene Allen
The Butler is based on the story of long-time White House butler Eugene Allen

The life of Eugene Allen is the basis for Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which debuted in theaters this weekend. The film was inspired by a 2008 Washington Post story titled A Butler Well Served by This Election, which first brought Eugene Allen’s story to the mainstream: a butler who served every president from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan and weathered the worst of the country’s brutal racial history was about to see the first black president of the US sworn into office.

Eugene Allen was “a black man unknown to the headlines”, Will Haygood wrote in that Post article.

Now, however, Eugene Allen’s story is playing out on the big screen in an Oscar-baiting film with a sprawling cast including Robin Williams, Terrence Howard, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Liev Schrieber, Oprah Winfrey, and, in the role inspired by Allen, Forest Whitaker.

In The Butler, Forest Whitaker’s Cecil Gaines is a slightly fictionalized version of Eugene Allen, one whose story – though very close to Allen’s own – plays better as the stylistic, sweeping melodrama the film sets out to be.

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Man shoots himself dead at Olivia Newton-John’s Jupiter home

Lisa.Felice
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0
Man shoots himself dead at Olivia Newton-John’s Jupiter home

A man has reportedly shot himself dead at Olivia Newton-John’s Florida home.

Police responded to a possible suicide at the $5.6 million house in Jupiter at 12.15 p.m. on Monday and Tequesta Fire Rescue confirmed they found a man’s body at the scene.

Sgt. Scott Pascarella from the Jupiter Police Department said the man is not related to the homeowners and does not live there, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Olivia Newton-John, 64, and her husband, businessman John Easterling, 61, were out of town at the time of the shooting, officials said.

Contractors were at the house carrying out repairs and one contractor was seen crying there this afternoon, the Palm Beach Post reported.

A man has shot himself dead at Olivia Newton-John's Florida home
A man has shot himself dead at Olivia Newton-John’s Florida home

Neighbors said they have not seen Olivia Newton-John at the home, which is being sold, in a while.

Police have released few details about the call and have not released an identity of the man, who is believed to have shot himself in the head.

While officials said it appears to be a suicide, Scott Pascarella said police are treating it as a death investigation. The medical examiner and Jupiter Inlet Colony Police remain at the scene.

Comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who sold her own Miami mansion for $16.5 million in June, is reportedly under contract to buy the home. One website said the sale was worth $5.6 million.

Jupiter Inlet Colony is a coastal community in Palm Beach with around 360 residents and 240 homes.

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