Lady Gaga’s new single, Applause, has been rushed out after a number of snippets leaked online.
“A pop music emergency is underway,” tweeted Lady Gaga as the single was distributed to iTunes and YouTube.
Applause, Lady Gaga’s first new material since 2011, was originally scheduled for release on August 19.
Leaks are almost a fact of life for today’s pop stars, with Beyonce, Katy Perry and Jay-Z all seeing unauthorized material appear online this year.
Of 2013’s major releases, only David Bowie managed to keep his new album under wraps.
The release of his comeback single, Where Are We Now, on the morning of his 66th birthday came as a surprise to fans and critics around the world.
Lady Gaga’s new single, Applause, has been rushed out after a number of snippets leaked online
Low quality clips from Lady Gaga’s record first began to appear online on Saturday.
“Lord in heaven, why?” Lady Gaga tweeted, blaming hackers for the leak.
“You just couldn’t wait. This is too much for one Saturday.”
At first, Lady Gaga, 27, mobilized fans – asking them to report leaks to her record label – but by Monday evening she had relented and released the song to radio and online stores.
A short burst of robotic pop, Applause has so far received positive reviews.
Calling the single a “throwback” to her earlier material, Rolling Stone said: “Applause is all bouncy disco and simple messages.”
Billboard magazine said it was “built around pulsating synthesizers and morphs into a thrilling dance cut when it circles back to its chorus”.
But Spin magazine said Applause “offers few reasons to clap”, calling the track “bland” and “behind the times”.
Lady Gaga is due to give the first performance of the single at the MTV Awards on August 25.
Lady Gaga’s third album, ARTPOP, will be released in November.
Kris Jenner fired back at Barack Obama after he criticized Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for their opulent lifestyles.
Kris Jenner, 57, during her Kris show on Friday said she disagreed with President Obama that Kim and Kanye have been influencing the younger generation to be obsessed with wealth and money.
Barack Obama, 52, in a recent Kindle Singles interview bemoaned the “change in culture” that has warped the American Dream and referenced the E! network’s popular Keeping Up With The Kardashians show.
“There was not that window into the lifestyles of the rich and famous,” Barack Obama said of his time growing up.
“Kids weren’t monitoring every day what Kim Kardashian was wearing, or where Kanye West was going on vacation, and thinking that somehow that was the mark of success,” said the president, who has twice referred to Kanye West in the past as a jackass.
Kris Jenner countered that she thought it was admirable that people, including a high school graduate such as herself, aspired to obtain great jobs.
“But, I wasn’t aware that you could only set the bar so high and that we could only dream so big,” Kris Jenner told the sympathetic studio audience.
Kris Jenner fired back at Barack Obama after he criticized Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for their opulent lifestyles
Kris Jenner chided the Columbia University and Harvard Law School graduate for pointing out that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West live in a 10,000-square-foot house.
“I bet the President has some friends with 10,000 square foot houses and he probably wouldn’t mind going over there when asking them to have a party for campaigning for dollars to run for president,” Kris Jenner said.
Kris Jenner also thought it was strange that Barack Obama was singling out Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
“I find it so odd that he’s picking on Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Well, Kanye West, first of all, doesn’t go on vacation. Ever,” Kris Jenner said.
“And Kim Kardashian is the hardest-working young lady in the world. She never sleeps, she never stops, she never slows down and works so hard for what she’s got,” she added.
Kris Jenner also drew a comparison between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 10,000-square-foot mansion, noting that Barack Obama, “if she’s not mistaken”, lives in the 55,000-square-foot White House.
She also defended the Keeping Up With The Kardashians empire for employing hundreds of workers on the reality show.
It’s not the first time that Barack Obama has hard harsh words for Kanye West.
After the singer upstaged Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Barack Obama famously called him a jackass in an interview.
In the May issue of The Atlantic, Barack Obama said he prefers rapper Jay-Z over Kanye.
The president acknowledged liking Kanye West and the singer’s Chicago roots, but stood by his earlier characterization.
James “Whitey” Bulger, one of America’s most notorious mob bosses, has been convicted of nearly a dozen murders, racketeering and conspiracy.
James Bulger, 83, terrorized an Irish-Catholic neighborhood of Boston in the 1970s and ’80s as leader of the Winter Hill Gang.
He betrayed no emotion upon hearing the verdict after a two-month trial.
Whitey Bulger went on the run in 1994 and was finally captured in Santa Monica, California, in 2011.
He was said to have been an inspiration for the gangster played by Jack Nicholson in Oscar-winning 2006 film The Departed.
The trial in Boston heard gruesome evidence that James Bulger had participated in 19 murders, but he was found guilty on Monday of a role in only 11 of them.
Convicted of 31 of the 32 total criminal counts against him, James Bulger faces a life prison sentence. But analysts have pointed out that even a short sentence would likely see the stooped, grey-haired ex-gangster die in prison.
Whitey Bulger refused to testify at the trial, calling the proceedings “a sham” because he said he had been promised immunity by a now-deceased prosecutor in return for protection from other mobsters.
James “Whitey” Bulger has been convicted of nearly a dozen murders, racketeering and conspiracy
During the trial, the federal jury of 12 heard testimony from 72 witnesses and saw 840 exhibits
Prosecutors said James Bulger had been a longtime FBI informant protected by corrupt agents, who turned a blind eye to the Winter Hill gang’s activities in return for information on the Italian Mafia.
But his lawyers denied he was an informant, arguing that he paid the FBI for information about investigations.
The defense did not contest James Bulger ran a criminal enterprise, but strongly denied he killed women and that he was “rat” – an informant against others in the criminal underworld.
James Bulger’s victims included anyone he saw as a threat, prosecutors said, including innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“This is not some Robin Hood story about a guy who kept angel dust and heroin out of Southie,” prosecutor Fred Wyshak told the jury in closing arguments, referring to the South Boston neighborhood that was his gang’s turf.
James Bulger’s former associates testified against him, saying he threatened anyone who could expose his crime syndicate, and threatened others with pistols and machine guns to force them to hand over cash.
Among other things, he was accused of strangling two women with his bare hands, shooting two chained men in the head after interrogating them for hours, and opening fire on two men as they left a South Boston restaurant.
Defense lawyers sought to portray the key witnesses, all convicted mob members, as pathological liars who were attempting to pin their own crimes on Bulger.
Another witness, real estate developer Richard Buccheri, said the mob boss threatened to kill him and his family if he did not pay $200,000, sticking a shotgun in Buccheri’s mouth.
“Today is a day many in this city thought would never come,” Massachusetts US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said in a press conference after the verdict, which she said marked the end of an “ugly” era in Boston’s history.
“Despite the corruption, we stand here today because of the dogged work of honest and dedicated members of law enforcement.”
James “Whitey” Bulger was featured on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list for 16 years until he was found living in California with his girlfriend Catherine Greig.
She was sentenced in 2012 to eight years in prison for helping James Bulger evade the law.
He fled Boston in 1994 after a retired FBI agent tipped him off that he was about to be indicted.
His origins in a Boston housing project, his career in the criminal underworld, and his years on the run from the law captivated the city, especially as his younger brother William rose to become president of the state Senate.
James Bulger’s disappearance was a major embarrassment for the FBI, especially after it was alleged in court that he and his gang paid off several FBI agents and state and Boston police officers, offering cash and cases of fine wine in exchange for information on search warrants and wiretaps.
Blackberry is exploring options for its business, which could see the company sold off.
Timothy Dattels, a Blackberry board member, will head a new committee that will consider different business models, including partnerships.
The smartphone maker wants to increase sales of its Blackberry 10 model, seen as crucial to the future of the company.
“We believe that now is the right time to explore strategic alternatives,” said Timothy Dattels.
“During the past year, management and the board have been focused on launching the Blackberry 10 platform and BES 10, establishing a strong financial position and evaluating the best approach to delivering long-term value for customers and shareholders.”
Blackberry is exploring options for its business, which could see the company sold off
Prem Watsa, chairman of Blackberry’s largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial, resigned from the board as the formation of the committee was announced. Prem Watsa said he wanted to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
“I continue to be a strong supporter of the company, the board and management as they move forward through this process, and Fairfax Financial has no current intention of selling its shares,” he said.
Blackberry has struggled in recent years to regain market share lost to Apple and users of Google’s Android operating system.
“It’s quite surprising to see a statement like this made publically,” said Francisco Jeronimo from the technology research firm IDC.
“Everyone knows that they’ve been struggling and looking at their options. It’s clear that they haven’t been able to find anyone who wants to buy or form a partnership.
“Blackberry has very strong assets and is one of the most recognized portfolios in the industry.
“The question now is how much they’re asking and what’s on offer.”
Shares in the company rose by more than 5% as the news of the committee formation emerged.
The company dropped its Research in Motion name in January 2013 and rebranded as Blackberry, to coincide with the launch of the Blackberry 10 model.
In its most recent quarter, Blackberry lost $84 million and expects to lose more money in the three months to the end of August.
Zhang Lin has spent six years building his dream mountaintop villa – on top of a Beijing apartment block.
The eccentric professor shifted tons of rubble and rock onto the roof of the building to construct the outrageous home which looks like it has been carved from a mountainside.
The property even has a rocky mountain garden, complete with rubble and shrubbery.
However, Zhang Lin’s distraught neighbors are less than impressed with the project and fear the building is about to collapse.
The rooftop home, which never received planning approval, has caused cracks to appear in his neighbors’ ceilings and walls while some have had to put up with leaks from broken pipes and drains.
They have also been forced to live with the noise and disturbance caused from the building work.
One resident said their apartment is constantly flooded while another described the academic as a “menace”.
“This was originally a small attic when he bought it. But he tore that down and built this mountain on top of us,” said one.
Professor Zhang Lin has spent six years building his dream mountaintop villa on top of a Beijing apartment block
“He’s broken drains so we’re always being flooded when it rains and there are huge structural cracks in our ceiling and walls,” they added.
“He is a menace as a neighbor and he didn’t get any permission to build this monstrosity,” said another.
Zhang Lin could now be ordered to tear down his mountain penthouse if it is deemed unsafe.
“It has come to our attention that Professor Zhang did not apply for permission for this structure. So unless he can prove it is safe, it will have to come down,” explained a city official.
China is known for its crazy design and architecture.
The Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is filled with grand European buildings and wide walkways. Ornate fountains and statues also line the streets of the town.
During its construction in 2007, a replica of the Eiffel Tower standing at 108 metres was even built.
There is also a replica of a fountain from the Luxemburg Gardens in a main square called Champs Elysées.
Last year developers began building 39 Palladian mansions in a Beijing suburb at a cost of $15 million to create the country’s most expensive housing estate.
The Western-style mansions with tall columns and impressive entrances wont look out of place on a sprawling English estate.
Last month China unveiled a gigantic glowing doughnut-shaped hotel in Huzhou, near Shanghai.
The 27-storey Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, looms over the skyline offering 321 spacious guest rooms, including 44 suites and 39 villas.
It also unveiled plans to build sky-high farms – towers in Tai Po, Hong Kong, that would grow rice, fruit and vegetables on each of the levels.
China has also laid claim to the title of the world’s largest building – the The New Century Global Center in Chengdu, Sichuan province, which could 20 Sydney Opera Houses inside.
China’s new tallest building – the 2,073ft Shanghai Tower, has also just been completed in the city’s financial district.
Simon Cowell was joined by a bevy of bikini-clad blondes and former flame Sinitta in his annual summer cruise of the Mediterranean.
Despite being joined by a decidedly more masculine crowd as he embarked upon his month-long holiday on Sunday, Simon Cowell appeared to be back to his old ways as he enjoyed a day of jet-skiing and sunbathing with his army of female friends.
Joining the music mogul were Kelly Bergantz, who is his top female TV executive at Syco Entertainment and a close friend, as well as her sister Jamie – and the pair wasted no time in soaking up the sun in bikinis.
Simon Cowell, 53, appeared to be keen to stay active as he enjoyed the first day of his summer break, using the opportunity to get out and about on a jet-ski.
Expertly ripping through the waves as he meandered the area near his luxury yacht, the father-to-be appeared to be enjoying a spot of alone time.
As Simon enjoyed an action-packed day out, Kelly Bergantz, who married Ben Belldegrun in April, donned a white bikini, while her sister Jamie was clad in a similar blue bikini, decided to kick back and relax on the lavish vessel in the Mediterranean sun for the afternoon, while queen bee Sinitta chatted with crew members.
As Sinitta joined Simon Cowell on board, she also broke her two week Twitter silence as she wrote: “Bye Bye Blighty, take care til next time … Ps what a “header” Van-Persie!!! Xx.”
Simon Cowell was joined by a bevy of bikini-clad blondes and former flame Sinitta in his annual summer cruise of the Mediterranean
Prior to Monday, Sinitta hadn’t tweeted since July 29, with a tweet many believe was a reaction to finding out Simon Cowell was destined to become a father.
Sinitta tweeted: “Something has just happened. ..half miracle, half nightmare! #WakeMeUpIWantToGetOff!!”
It was previously reported Sinitta grew emotional at discovering Simon Cowell had fathered a child with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, telling him “it should have been me”.
After visiting his mother Julie in London last week, Simon re-emerged on the continent on Sunday as he prepared to board the $73million yacht for his annual month-long cruise.
Simon Cowell’s “harem” usually includes ex-fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy and former girlfriend and best friend Jackie St Clair, who was reported to be shocked at his recent news that he has fathered a child with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, was not on board – and has not joined him on the yacht.
The music mogul has rarely been seen over the past two weeks – bar an X Factor promotional appearance at a press conference – since it emerged his married lover was pregnant.
While Simon Cowell will spend the next few weeks cruising the Med, it’s expected Lauren Silverman, 36, will remain at her home in The Hamptons, New York, with estranged husband Andrew as they try to resolve their issues regarding the care and custody of their seven-year-old son.
Simon Cowell has chartered the $458,000-a-week 196.9 foot vessel for his winter holidays in the Caribbean and summer holidays in the Med in recent years.
Joining him last summer was Lauren Silverman and her husband Andrew, along with Simon’s usual harem.
The yacht features seven guest cabins and sleeps up to 13 guests, with a crew of 15 catering to their every need.
Earlier this month, photos taken in August 2012 emerged that appeared to show Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman kissing on the yacht, despite her husband also being on board. Simon Cowell is said to have met up with Andrew in New York just before his flight to Europe.
Simon Cowell and Andrew Silverman secretly met with each other reportedly at the Francis S. Gabreski airport in Westhampton Beach, New York, where they allegedly spent three hours clearing the air.
The summit is supposedly the first time the men had come face-to-face since the news emerged that Simon Cowell was the father of Andrew Silverman’s estranged wife’s love-child.
Simon Cowell – who is standing by New York socialite Lauren Silverman and their child – will pay $20,000-a-month for the sprawling three-bed property in NYC.
The couple are also now discussing which of Simon Cowell’s many properties they will also share – as he already owns multi-million dollar homes in Beverly Hills and London.
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are officially a couple, according to friends, and the music mogul is keen that she finalizes her divorce from her property millionaire ex as quickly and peacefully as possible.
Sinitta told The Sun she believes Simon Cowell will be a good father because “he’s great with kids”.
The Swiss sales assistant who refused to show Oprah Winfrey a luxury handbag costing nearly $35,000 claims the superstar lied about what happened in the Trois Pommes luxury boutique where she works.
Speaking anonymously to Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick, the Italian bag lady said she felt “powerless” and in the grip of a “cyclone” after Oprah Winfrey went on TV in America to claim she had been the victim of racism.
Oprah Winfrey was in Switzerland in July when she walked into the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich looking for a handbag to match the outfit she was going to wear to old friend Tina Turner’s wedding.
She claims the sales assistant refused to show her the black crocodile leather bag because – seeing a black woman – she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it.
Now the saleslady has hit back, stating: “I wasn’t sure what I should present to her when she came in on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 so I showed her some bags from the Jennifer Aniston collection.
“I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do.
“She looked at a frame behind me. Far above there was the 35,000 Swiss franc crocodile leather bag.
“I simply told her that it was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags.
“It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag.
Oprah Winfrey claims Trois Pommes sales assistant refused to show her a black crocodile leather bag because, seeing a black woman, she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it
“She looked around the store again but didn’t say anything else. Then she went with her companion to the lower floor. My colleague saw them to the door. They were not even in the store for five minutes.”
She emphatically denied ever saying to Oprah Winfrey: “You don’t want to see this bag. It is too expensive. You cannot afford it.”
The saleslady went on: “This is not true. This is absurd. I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never. Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.
“I don’t know why she is making these accusations. She is so powerful and I am just a shop girl.
“I didn’t hurt anyone. I don’t know why someone as great as her must cannibalize me on TV.
“If it had all taken place as she claimed, why has she not complained the next day at the wedding of Tina Turner with Trudie Goetz, my boss? She was there also at the Turner wedding as a guest. I don’t understand it.
“I spoke to Oprah Winfrey in English. My English is okay but not excellent, unfortunately.
“I didn’t know who she was when she came into the store. That wouldn’t have made any difference if I had.
“We work really hard to greet all the people who come into the store with the same level of respect and treat them all equally.
“If someone asks me whether he or she can see an article, I always present these. Because that person is a potential buyer. And my job is to sell it.
“I’m glad if I can sell an article. It is a reward for me, if I can sell a nice piece. This means that I’m good at my job.”
She has worked in the store for five years and says 50% of the clientele come from abroad and that a bag costing nearly $35,000 is sold “only a few times a year”.
Asked what she would say to Oprah Winfrey now she added: “I would apologize and say it was all a misunderstanding. I surely did not intentionally want to insult Ms. Winfrey. I hope this nightmare ends soon.”
According to new reports, bribes are routinely paid by major foreign pharmaceutical companies operating in China.
Five sales representatives for foreign companies told the BBC their firms paid bribes in order to increase sales of their products.
None of them wanted to be identified, fearing they would lose their jobs.
The revelations come as Beijing widens its investigation into drugs-price fixing amid a bribery scandal engulfing drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline.
One of the salesmen said his company paid about $1,000 to get its product back on the shelves at one hospital.
“I don’t deny [giving money to doctors] happens in foreign companies,” the sales representative said.
“It is rare though and only very few people get it,” he added.
GSK was accused of directing up to $500 million through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to Chinese doctors and officials
But he described an incident where a product had been cleared from a hospital’s shelves, which proved to be “an embarrassment” for him and his company.
“If we follow the normal procedure to recover it, it is very complicated. It will cost a lot of money and energy. We looked for a quick way.”
The sales representative admitted that strictly speaking, the money paid out to ensure the product returned to shelves was probably a bribe and that his manager signed it off. He said it would have cost a lot more to achieve the same result through official routes.
“It may cost us more if we have not paid the bribe. It will be a lot of money and energy,” he said.
Such revelations follow last month’s allegations by the Chinese police that the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline had engaged in “mafia-style behavior”. GSK was accused of directing up to $500 million through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to doctors and officials.
A detained Chinese executive from the firm told state television that bribes paid by his company had inflated prices of its products by a third.
GSK has said that it is co-operating with the Chinese investigation.
China’s health care spending is expected to more than double by the end of this decade.
By investigating possible drugs price fixing the authorities are hoping to tackle the rising costs.
Zimbabwe’s presidential election winner Robert Mugabe has launched a stinging attack on his opposition rivals in his first public speech since he won the disputed poll.
Rejecting PM Morgan Tsvangirai’s claims that the vote was stolen, he said those against him could “go hang”.
Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) boycotted the speech.
The MDC has lodged a legal challenge against the result of the “stolen election”, demanding it be rerun.
Robert Mugabe won 61% of the vote in the election on 31 July, while Morgan Tsvangirai came second with 35% and Welshman Ncube third with 3%, according to official results.
The president’s Zanu-PF party also gained a parliamentary majority of more than two-thirds, winning 160 of the 210 seats.
In his Heroes’ Day speech, which dealt with a series of national issues, Robert Mugabe focused at one point on his election victory and called for celebrations.
“Those who lost elections may commit suicide if they so wish. Even if they die, dogs will not sniff their corpses,” he said.
“We are delivering democracy on a platter. We say take it or leave it, but the people have delivered democracy.”
Zimbabwe’s Western detractors had been “put to shame”, he added. “Never will we go back on our victory.”
Non-governmental organizations had been used to rig elections in 2008, he claimed, but Zanu-PF had never stopped planning since then and had “buried thieves in our midst”.
“We found we were dining with and sharing our bed with thieves. We will never give thieves the power to rule.”
Robert Mugabe has launched a stinging attack on his opposition rivals in his first public speech since he won Zimbabwe’s presidential election
Robert Mugabe’s main rival Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of the 2008 presidential vote, but official results said he had failed to win outright.
He later pulled out of the second round because of attacks on his supporters, and eventually a power-sharing agreement was worked out.
Heroes’ Day is Zimbabwe’s proud annual celebration, when the country remembers those who died during the 1970s fight for independence.
Robert Mugabe was speaking at National Heroes’ Acre, the monument in the capital where some of those killed are buried.
Morgan Tsvangirai earlier called for calm, saying there was no national celebration for the day but rather “a nation in mourning”.
In a statement, published by the NewsDay newspaper, Morgan Tsvangirai said the majority of Zimbabweans were “still shocked at the brazen manner in which their vote was stolen”.
“We must all remain calm as we celebrate Heroes’ Day. I know that we will always be a heroic people.”
The MDC’s boycott of the national commemoration has exposed the deep rifts at the heart of this troubled country, our correspondent says.
Robert Mugabe has not yet been sworn in for a seventh consecutive term, since the appeal is ongoing. He maintains that he and Zanu-PF won free and fair elections.
The MDC has said it has “strong evidence of electoral irregularities”, including bribery, abuse of “assisted voting”, and manipulation of the electoral roll.
African and regional monitors praised the poll for being peaceful but noted some irregularities.
But a local observer group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) and its network of 7,000 observers, said that about one million voters – mainly in urban areas – were “systematically disenfranchised” by being omitted from the voters’ roll or turned away.
The nine-member Constitutional Court is expected to discuss the complaint this week. It has up to two weeks to deliver its verdict.
But with several judges being supporters of Robert Mugabe, few expect the MDC challenge to bear fruit.
In a separate development on Sunday, state radio reported that the ministry of mines had denied a report in the Times newspaper that it had agreed to sell Iran uranium for its nuclear programme.
A ministry statement was quoted as stressing that the report was “a malicious and blatant lie”, and that no export licenses had been issued.
Iran’s foreign minister has also denied the report.
Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands has died after a year and a half in a coma following an accident at an Austrian ski resort, officials say.
Prince Friso, who was 44, was moved from hospital in London back to the Netherlands last month, but had since suffered complications.
He was hit by an avalanche in February 2012 and buried for 15 minutes.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are said to be on their way home from a holiday in Greece.
“Prince Friso has died of complications related to the hypoxic brain injury, which he suffered as the result of his skiing accident in Lech, Austria on 17 February 2012,” a royal palace statement said.
Prince Johan Friso died on Monday morning in The Hague, the palace added.
Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands has died after a year and a half in a coma following an accident at an Austrian ski resort
The prince’s wife, Princess Mabel, is said to have spent her 45th birthday on Sunday at his bedside.
Shortly before becoming king on the abdication of Queen Beatrix, his elder brother, Willem-Alexander spoke in April of the “terrible situation” the family had lived with for more than a year.
Prince Johan Friso’s wife and Beatrix had been doing their best to be there for him every day “to give him a chance”, he said.
The prince had been skiing off-piste with friends in Lech when the avalanche struck.
An emergency beeper he was wearing enabled rescuers to find him but medical officials in Innsbruck said it took some time to revive him and he suffered “massive” brain damage. They said he had suffered a heart attack lasting some 50 minutes.
Prince Johan Friso was later flown to London for treatment at the private Wellington Hospital, which has a specialist neurological unit.
He was eventually discharged in July 2013 but remained in a “state of minimal consciousness”.
At the time, officials said he would spend the summer with his family at the royal palace in The Hague, with medical treatment provided by a specialist team.
Prince Friso was Beatrix’s second of three sons, but was no longer in line to the throne after his 2004 marriage to Mabel Wisse Smit, because of her earlier involvement with a notorious Dutch drug criminal.
Prince Johan Friso had worked for several years in London and the couple moved there after their marriage. He took up his last job as chief finance officer at Urenco in 2011, having worked previously in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
Prince Johan Friso and Princess Mabel had two daughters, Luana and Zaria.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 will premiere on A & E TV Wednesday, August 14.
Here is a list of ten fun facts you didn’t know about Phil, Miss Kay, Uncle Si, Jase, Willie, Jep Robertson and their wives:
1. Jase, Willie and Jep actually have a fourth brother, Alan. Alan Robertson is the oldest of the bunch, and he will make a special appearance in the upcoming fourth season of the show.
2. Miss Kay’s favorite meal to make is fried frogs, and apparently there are two ways to cook them. Jase Robertson recommends soaking them in lemon juice first, and Miss Kay says you can fry them or sauté them in butter to make them extra delicious.
3. Phil Robertson recently ran into his old football friend, Terry Bradshaw, at the airport. When the two men attended Louisiana Tech University, Phil Robertson played first string quarterback ahead of Terry Bradshaw.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 will premiere on A & E TV Wednesday, August 14
4. Contrary to popular belief, the tea Uncle Si Robertson always drinks is unsweetened.
5. The Duck Dynasty clan appeared in Darius Rucker’s Wagon Wheel music video, a remake of the popular Old Crow Medicine Show song.
6. Jase, Willie and Jep Robertson’s wives actually do love their husband’s beards, and prefer them to the “preppy look” the men used to have.
7. In addition to his huge truck seen on the show, Willie Robertson drives a camouflage BMW.
8. Miss Kay Robertson isn’t the only “Miss” of the family. Everyone calls the women of the show by their first names, and adds “Miss” at the beginning. It’s the proper Southern thing to do.
9. The Duck Commander warehouse actually has a store in it. People travel from all over to see the Robertsons, and sometimes hundreds of people are lined up outside at a time. The family claims to know which state is having Spring Break based on all the license plates in the parking lot.
10. Uncle Si Robertson’s favorite way to eat dove is with cream cheese, jalapenos and wrapped in bacon.
Just few days ahead of Duck Dynasty Season 4’s premiere, A &E TV website has published a rare photo of Si Robertson with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Christine.
Si Robertson with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Christine
Duck Dynasty will premiere on A & E Wednesday, August 14.
Hungarian Nazi war crimes suspect Laszlo Csatary has died at the age of 98 while awaiting trial, his lawyer said.
Laszlo Csatary died in a Hungarian hospital after suffering from a number of medical problems, Gabor Horvath said.
He at one time topped the list of most wanted Nazi war crimes suspects and is alleged to have helped deport 15,700 Jews to death camps in World War II.
Laszlo Csatary faced charges relating to his wartime activities in both Hungary and in neighbouring Slovakia.
Gabor Horvath said his client died on Saturday morning.
“He had been treated for medical issues for some time but contracted pneumonia, from which he died.”
Hungarian Nazi war crimes suspect Laszlo Csatary has died at the age of 98 while awaiting trial
Laszlo Csatary had denied the allegations against him, saying he was merely an intermediary between Hungarian and German officials and was not involved in war crimes.
He was charged in June by Hungarian prosecutors in relation to what they said had been his role as chief of an internment camp for Jews in Kosice, a town then part of Hungary but now in Slovakia.
Kosice, known at the time as Kassa, was the first to be established after Germany occupied Hungary in March 1944.
Prosecutors said in a statement that Laszlo Csatary, a Hungarian police officer at the time, had “deliberately provided help to the unlawful executions and torture committed against Jews deported to concentration camps… from Kosice”.
Laszlo Csatary was sentenced to death in his absence in Czechoslovakia in 1948 for war crimes.
Slovakia was seeking his extradition from Hungary so it could formally sentence him although, with the abolition of the death penalty, it intended to imprison him.
The legal proceedings in Hungary were halted last month on the grounds of double jeopardy.
Laszlo Csatary was named in 2012 by the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center as its most wanted suspect. It claimed he oversaw the deportations of Jews from Kosice to the Auschwitz death camp.
He was tracked down in Budapest in July 2012 by reporters from the UK’s Sun newspaper, with help from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and was put under house arrest.
Laszlo Csatary fled to Canada after the war, where he worked as an art dealer in Montreal and Toronto. He disappeared in 1997 after being stripped of his Canadian citizenship.
The cast of Glee was honored with an award for choice TV show comedy at Sunday’s Teen Choice Awards at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.
Show star Amber Riley thanked fans for their unwavering devotion as she cast are returning to the screen this fall for their fifth season without show breakout Cory Montheith, who played Finn Hudson.
“Although we lost someone that we really love, that you guys love too, we are very fortunate to come back [for the next season],” she said.
“Cory was like a brother to us and like a dad, and you know he was always ready to sign an autograph for a fan – he loved you gleeks and he loves his fans.
“So on behalf of our brother and our classmate, we accept this award,” Amber Riley continued.
Lea Michele’s tearful speech for Cory Monteith at the Teen Choice Awards 2013
Cory Monteith’s former girlfriend and Glee co-star Lea Michele, who won the award for choice TV comedy actress, tearfully took to the microphone to pay tribute to her former boyfriend.
“I just wanted to be here today to personally thank all of you and tell everyone out there how much all of your love and support has meant to me over these very difficult past few weeks,” Lea Michele, 26, said.
“Not that I had any doubt before, but you guys are most certainly the greatest fans in the world.”
Lea Michele continued: “I wanted to dedicate this award to Cory, and for all of you out there who loved and admired Cory as much as I did. I promise that with your love, we’ll get through this together.
“He was very special to me and to the world, and we were all lucky to witness his incredible talent, his handsome smile and his beautiful, beautiful heart.
“And whether you knew him personally or as Finn Hudson, Cory reached out and he became part of all of our hearts – and that’s where he’ll stay forever.”
Cory Monteith, who co-hosted the Teen Choice Awards in 2010, was found dead July 13 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
An autopsy revealed Cory Monteith, 31, died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg spent an afternoon working incognito as a taxi driver in Oslo, he has revealed.
Jens Stoltenberg said he had wanted to hear from real Norwegian voters and that taxis were one of the few places where people shared their true views.
He wore sunglasses and an Oslo taxi driver uniform for the shift in June, only revealing his identity once he was recognized by his passengers.
Jens Stoltenberg’s exchanges with his passengers were captured on a hidden camera.
The footage – made in collaboration with an advertising company – has been posted on the prime minister’s Facebook page and made into a film which will be used as part of his campaign for re-election in September.
“It is important for me to hear what people really think,” Jens Stoltenberg told Norwegian media.
“And if there is one place people really say what they think about most things, it’s in the taxi.”
Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg spent an afternoon working incognito as a taxi driver in Oslo
Some of the passengers who appear in the film had been told to wait for the taxi – without being told who would be driving – while others were picked up randomly and from taxi ranks.
Most of them appear to realize very quickly that there is something different about their driver, with one saying: “From this angle you really look like Stoltenberg.”
Another says she was lucky to meet him as she “wanted to send a letter”.
The conversation turns to politics in most cases.
Jens Stoltenberg engages one passenger on education, saying: “The main point is to make sure good students have something to stretch for, and to give those who struggle extra help.”
None of the passengers was charged for the ride.
Jens Stoltenberg told the VG newspaper: “I’m pretty well known in Oslo, but I tend to sit in the back seat.”
The Labour prime minister came in for criticism for his driving, at one point jolting the car abruptly when, he said, he mistakenly applied the brake pedal on the automatic car, thinking it was the clutch.
He said he had not driven in eight years.
Jens Stoltenberg is popular in Norway, but opinion polls suggest he is lagging behind the opposition ahead of the election.
Asked by VG whether he would consider becoming a taxi driver full time if he lost the election, Jens Stoltenberg replied: “I thinkthe country and the Norwegian taxi passengers are best served if I’m the prime minister and not a taxi driver.”
Kylie Jenner celebrated her Sweet Sixteen this weekend without Kim Kardashian during a family birthday dinner in Malibu, California.
Kim Kardashian, 32, and newborn daughter North West stayed home while the rest of the Kardashian clan celebrated the birthday of the youngest child of Kris Jenner and Bruce Jenner.
Kylie Jenner was on the receiving end of several online birthday messages from family and friends that included adorable intimate portraits.
Kim Kardashian wasn’t the only no-show at Kylie Jenner’s birthday dinner. Kanye West didn’t make it to the family outing and Khloe Kardashian’s husband Lamar Odom also was not in attendance, according to a report in RadarOnline.com.
Kim Kardashian did take time from new mommy duty to post a split photo showing Kylie Jenner with her older sister Kendall, 17, as young girls smiled cheek-to-cheek with a more recent shot of the teens similarly posing close together.
Kim Kardashian shared a photo spread with her more than 18 million followers on Twitter on Kylie Jenner’s birthday
“Happy Birthday to my baby sis @kyliejenner !!!! Can’t believe your 16! I love you so much!” Kim Kardashian tweeted to her more than 18 million followers.
Kim Kardashian also posted a six-picture photo montage showing Kylie Jenner with various members of the Kardashian clan.
Khloe Kardashian, 29, jumped the gun and posted a happy birthday message on Friday showing her and little sister Kylie Jenner posing together with pouty lips.
She followed it up by posting six pictures of just her and Kylie Jenner together.
“Happy birthday to my sweet sweet @kyliejenner. No one could ever understand the bond we have and I love that! We understand our weirdness and that’s love man!” Khloe Kardashian wrote in the caption.
Kourtney Kardashian, 34, took it up a notch and posted a 30-photo montage of Kylie Jenner and the Kardashians.
“Happy Birthday @kyliejenner !!! Sixteen years old is a little crazy!” Kourtney Kardashian wrote in the caption.
Kourtney Kardashian also posted a photo of Kylie Jenner about to blow out her 16 candles.
Kris Jenner also wished her daughter happy birthday online and shared a photo of them showing their striking resemblance.
Kylie Jenner’s sister Kendall, 17, posted a nine-photo montage of images of the two sisters growing up together.
“happy birthday to my crazy, beautiful, wild little sister @kyliejenner !! can’t believe you’re turning 16! I love you and don’t know what I would do without you! have an amazing day! lets party!” Kendall Jenner’s caption read.
They were shown as little girls in matching dresses, posing on a tennis court together and wearing matching skirts.
Kylie Jenner’s friend Hailey Baldwin, 17, also shared four photos showing the girls having a good time together.
“Happy 16th birthday to my wifey @kyliejenner I am grateful to have such a great friend and I hope you have the best day today. Love you,” Hailey Baldwin’s caption read.
Milyn Jensen, the girl credited for the breakup of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, says she was “absolutely shocked” when she found out she was the reason for their split.
Milyn Jensen, a 22-year-old former nursing student, hooked up with Justin Bieber in December last year, after being introduced by his best friend, rapper Lil Twist.
Speaking to The Sun On Sunday, Milyn Jensen said: “I was absolutely shocked when I read he had split up with Selena over what we did. I hate being the girl that broke them up.”
Milyn Jensen – fondly known as Mimi by her friends – said Justin Bieber whisked her, her best friend and Twist off in his custom-design 4×4 to MacDonald’s after meeting a nightclub in Los Angeles on the night of December 21.
After buying her “some large fries” and “two double cheeseburgers for himself”, Justin Bieber, 19, allegedly drove them to a mari**ana store then back to his $4.5 million LA home.
Milyn Jensen is the girl credited for the breakup of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez
After a quick tour, Justin Bieber allegedly took Milyn Jensen to the Beverly Hills Four Seasons hotel, where he had a luxury penthouse suite decked out with “white roses” for their arrival.
“He offered me a drink… I’d only taken two sips before we started messing around,” Mimi said.
“Suddenly we were kissing and I started to take off my clothes, it was a natural thing.
“Justin knew what he was doing like a man much older than his years. I felt like he’d had a lesson or two.”
Since then Milyn Jensen has been the target of much hate from fans of Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber, including her own 14-year old niece who apparently does not speak to her following the tryst.
But she has benefited from the exposure, dropping out of her nursing course to focus on a reality TV career as the new star of Bad Girls Club: Miami.
And despite sleeping with her ex-boyfriend, Milyn Jensen says she is a massive Selena Gomez fan, and likes it when people tell her she looks like the Spring Breakers star.
“I’m a huge Selena fan and I’m on Team Selena!” Milyn Jensen toldHollywoodlife.com.
“She is gorgeous! Anyone comparing me to her would be a compliment. I’ve gotten a few based on saying we look alike with our dark hair and skin!”
The whole world is waiting for baby North West’s picture.
However, since giving birth to her first child on June 15, Kim Kardashian hasn’t even been seen in public, let alone given any small glimpse of her bundle of joy – except in those fake photos she sent out.
According to TMZ, Kim Kardashian and boyfriend Kanye West have reached a decision and rejected a lucrative seven-figure magazine offer to instead follow the lead of close pals Jay Z and Beyoncé – by releasing the first pic themselves through social media.
It had been reported that Kim Kardashian’s mother Kris Jenner had been close to closing a deal worth as much as $4 million – the profits from which were said to be being donated to charity.
However, TMZ reports that a high-end publication, such as Vanity Fair, may still be in the running.
New mother Kim Kardashian resting at home on June 29
Just three days after welcoming baby daughter North West, US News first reported that Kanye West was dead against the idea of “pimping out” his child.
Kanye West, 36, is said to be staunchly opposed to reality TV shows such as the one that made his “baby mama” a household name, calling them “demeaning”.
Although he’s previously made several appearances on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kanye West insists he won’t be returning due to the backlash he received.
As reported by US News, Jo Piazza, author of Celebrity Inc: How Famous People Make Money, says: “[Kanye West] furiously does not want these pictures sold to the world. He doesn’t like the idea of pimping his child, even though he is quite good at pimping out himself.”
This isn’t the first time the couple has chosen not to reap the monetary benefits when it comes to their child.
On December 30, Kanye West made the announcement that 32-year-old Kim Kardashian was expecting live onstage during his concert in Atlantic City.
Now it is expected that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian will make a similarly spontaneous move with the photos of their first child.
Usain Bolt regained his 100 m world title and won a fourth individual World Championships gold with a season’s best of 9.77 seconds in Moscow.
In heavy rain, the 26-year-old Jamaican made amends for his false start in Daegu two years ago and further cemented his status as the greatest sprinter in history.
The six-time Olympic champion overtook Justin Gatlin in the final stages, forcing the American to settle for silver in 9.85.
Usain Bolt’s compatriot Nesta Carter (9.95) claimed bronze, while Britain’s James Dasaolu was eighth (10.21).
It was another convincing victory for Usain Bolt, who demonstrated his superiority by equalling the eighth-fastest time of his career in unfavourable conditions.
Such is Usain Bolt’s dominance of the event, he does not have to be at his quickest to win major championships.
Usain Bolt regained his 100 m world title and won a fourth individual World Championships gold in Moscow
Justin Gatlin, who beat Usain Bolt in Rome in June, said: “I’m getting closer, I’m very happy with my race. The last 30m I got long. In Rome I was able to… do my race, which I didn’t do tonight.
“He [Usain Bolt] has been working on his start – in Rome he had the best reaction out of everybody and he is 6ft 5in. I had to make sure I was beating him to 50 m.”
James Dasaolu, who ran 9.97 in the semi-finals earlier on Sunday, said: “I got to 50 m or 60 m but then they just started to run away from me.
“I think the semi-final took it out of me, but I made it through three rounds and I’m happy that I’m injury free and I can continue with the rest of the season.”
The sight of Usain Bolt surging past his rivals is now a familiar one, as is his fooling around at the start line – as the rain bounced off the Moscow track, he mimed holding an umbrella.
When the gun went, his reaction time of 0.163 sec was equal to that of main rival Justin Gatlin, and the pair were shoulder-to-shoulder before Usain Bolt eased away.
Perhaps the only disappointment of the evening was that the Luzhniki Stadium was not full for the championships’ blue riband event.
Those who were there, however, saved their loudest cheers for the man charged with lifting the sport after a spate of failed drug tests, the most recent concerning Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Kelly-Ann Baptiste.
But neither the rain nor doping scandals could dampen the celebrations as Usain Bolt, with flashbulbs lighting up the stadium, embarked on a jubilant lap of honor.
The family of Kenneth Bae, the American missionary who was detained in North Korea last year, says he is seriously ill and has been moved from a labour camp to a hospital.
Kenneth Bae, 45, who was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for trying to overthrow the North Korean government, has diabetes and an enlarged heart.
His sister says he is now too weak to work.
The US government has appealed to North Korea to release Kenneth Bae.
Kenneth Bae (known in North Korea as Pae Jun-ho) was detained last year after entering North Korea as a tourist and sentenced in May this year.
Kenneth Bae was detained last year after entering North Korea as a tourist and sentenced in May this year
He was said to have used his tourism business to form groups to overthrow the government.
Kenneth Bae’s sister, Terri Chung, said on Saturday he had recently been visited by a Swedish diplomat and that her brother was now in a hospital.
“We’re terribly worried about his health. I think it has been deteriorating,” Terri Chung told the KING5.com news website in the US.
North Korea has arrested several US citizens in recent years, including journalists and Christians accused of proselytism.
They were released after visits to Pyongyang by high-profile officials, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
In his Eid message, Pope Francis has urged Christians and Muslims to work together to promote mutual respect, particularly by educating new generations of believers.
The pontiff greeted Muslims around the world during his Sunday blessing of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome.
Pope Francis has urged Christians and Muslims to work together to promote mutual respect
Pope Francis said that “our brothers” the Muslims had just concluded their holy month of Ramadan, dedicated to fasting, prayer and alms-giving.
The Pope spoke from his studio window overlooking the square.
Pope Francis, who has made caring for the poor the landmark theme of his pontificate, addressed tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in scorching summer heat.
Unlike his predecessors who spent their summers in the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo outside the Italian capital, where the weather is slightly cooler, Pope Francis has chosen to continue working at the Vatican during the summer holidays.
Pope Francis is preparing major reforms of the Vatican bureaucracy as a result of scandals involving Vatican finances and clerical abuse of minors.
2 x sachets of raspberry flavor sugar-free jelly crystals
300 ml (10fl oz) just-boiled water
600 ml (1pt) cold water
200 g (7oz) fresh strawberries
300 ml (10fl oz) low-fat ready-made custard, preferably fresh
125 ml (4½oz) double cream
100 g (3½oz) fresh raspberries
100 g (3½oz) fresh blueberries
Fresh mint leaves, to decorate
Fresh fruit trifles
Directions:
You’ll need 6 glass dessert dishes for this; each one needs to hold about 250 ml (9fl oz). You can also make the trifle in a large bowl, but it will take a little longer to set. Break the sponge fingers in half and place them in the base of each dish. Drizzle with a little sherry if you like. Dissolve the jelly crystals in 300 ml (10fl oz) just-boiled water in a large jug according to the packet instructions, then stir in the 600 ml (1pt) of cold water.
Hull the strawberries and cut them in half or into quarters if they are very large. Scatter the strawberries over the sponge fingers. Pour the jelly slowly over the broken sponge fingers and strawberries until they are evenly covered. Cover the dishes with clingfilm and chill for 3-4 hours or until the jellies are set.
Take the dishes out of the fridge and remove the clingfilm. Spoon the custard on top of each jelly without taking it right to the sides.
Put the cream in a bowl and whisk with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Try not to overwhip the cream – it’s ready when it looks like soft, billowing clouds. Add a large spoonful of the whipped cream to each trifle, placing it on top of the custard. Decorate the trifles with fresh raspberries, blueberries and a few fresh mint leaves. These keep well in the fridge so you can make them up to 2 days before serving – ideal if you’re planning a party.
