Saturday, January 24, 2026
Home Blog Page 822

North Korea allows South Korean businessmen to enter Kaesong Industrial Complex

Pyongyang has announced it is willing to allow South Korean managers to visit the suspended jointly-run Kaesong Industrial Complex.

In a statement carried by state media, North Korea said it was prepared to discuss with the businessmen how normal operations could be resumed.

But South Korea expressed worry about its citizens’ safety and asked that government-level talks be held.

Operations at the joint industrial complex have been suspended since the North withdrew its workers in April.

North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK), responsible for ties with South Korea, said it would guarantee the businessmen’s safety.

“We have given permission for the visit and can even discuss the shipment of products at the industrial complex,” Yonhap news agency quoted the committee as saying.

South Korea “may send with them members” of the governing body that oversees the complex, the committee added.

Pyongyang has announced it is willing to allow South Korean managers to visit the suspended jointly-run Kaesong Industrial Complex
Pyongyang has announced it is willing to allow South Korean managers to visit the suspended jointly-run Kaesong Industrial Complex

But a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, said what was needed at this stage was talks between both governments, which Seoul has been requesting.

Some 123 South Korean companies have factories inside the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which lies just across the border inside North Korea.

The firms employ some 53,000 North Koreans and the zone is a key revenue earner for the North.

But Pyongyang withdrew its workers two months ago as North-South tensions escalated following Pyongyang’s third nuclear test in February.

[youtube y0HJowqtCJo]

South Korea suspends operations at Shin Kori Reactor 2 and Shin Wolsong Reactor 1

South Korea has decided to suspend operations at two more nuclear reactors over the use of unauthorized parts.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission also delayed the start of operations at two other reactors, but said there was no public safety threat.

Two reactors were suspended in late 2012, amid a scandal over parts with fake safety certificates.

South Korea has 23 nuclear reactors which supply about a third of its electricity needs.

The suspension of two reactors raised questions about power supply over the summer, local media said.

The two reactors to be suspended pending replacement of the unauthorized parts are the Shin Kori Reactor 2 and Shin Wolsong Reactor 1, the commission said.

South Korea has suspended operations at two more nuclear reactors over the use of unauthorized parts
South Korea has suspended operations at two more nuclear reactors over the use of unauthorized parts

Shin Kori Reactor 1, which is currently undergoing maintenance, and Shin Wolsong Reactor 2, a new reactor, will also not operate until parts are replaced.

All components used in South Korean nuclear reactors require specific certification.

But last year a minister revealed that some parts used in two reactors at the Yeonggwang nuclear plant had not been properly vetted.

Knowledge Economy Minister Hong Suk-woo said these were “non-core” parts that included fuses, cooling fans and power switches – items which could be used in other industries but needed international certification for nuclear power plant usage.

Earlier this month, six nuclear power engineers and suppliers were jailed in connection with the supply of components with forged safety certificates mainly to the Yeonggwang complex.

[youtube jk7wWtvMAe0]

Bryophytes: Little Ice Age plants revived after centuries

Scientists have announced that plants that were frozen during the “Little Ice Age” centuries ago have been observed sprouting new growth.

Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions.

Researchers say this back-from-the-dead trick has implications for how ecosystems recover from the planet’s cyclic long periods of ice coverage.

The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They come from a group from the University of Alberta, who were exploring an area around the Teardrop Glacier, high in the Canadian Arctic.

The glaciers in the region have been receding at rates that have sharply accelerated since 2004, at about 3-4 m per year.

That is exposing land that has not seen light of day since the so-called Little Ice Age, a widespread climatic cooling that ran roughly from AD 1550 to AD 1850.

“We ended up walking along the edge of the glacier margin and we saw these huge populations coming out from underneath the glacier that seemed to have a greenish tint,” said Catherine La Farge, lead author of the study.

Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions
Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions

Bryophytes are different from the land plants that we know best, in that they do not have vascular tissue that helps pump fluids around different parts of the organism.

They can survive being completely desiccated in long Arctic winters, returning to growth in warmer times, but Dr. Catherine La Farge was surprised by an emergence of bryophytes that had been buried under ice for so long.

“When we looked at them in detail and brought them to the lab, I could see some of the stems actually had new growth of green lateral branches, and that said to me that these guys are regenerating in the field, and that blew my mind,” she said.

“If you think of ice sheets covering the landscape, we’ve always thought that plants have to come in from refugia around the margins of an ice system, never considering land plants as coming out from underneath a glacier.”

But the retreating ice at Sverdrup Pass, where the Teardrop Glacier is located, is uncovering an array of life, including cyanobacteria and green terrestrial algae. Many of the species spotted there are entirely new to science.

“It’s a whole world of what’s coming out from underneath the glaciers that really needs to be studied,” Dr. Catherine La Farge said.

“The glaciers are disappearing pretty fast – they’re going to expose all this terrestrial vegetation, and that’s going to have a big impact.”

Kim Kardashian pulled over by police amid rumors of relationship problems with Kanye West

After recent reports of relationship problems with boyfriend Kanye West, pregnant Kim Kardashian was pulled over by police in Beverly Hills.

Kim Kardashian, 32, was driving her Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG down Wilshire Boulevard with close friend Brittney Gastineau on Saturday when she was pulled over by the Beverly Hills Police Department.

While the reasons for Kim Kardashian being stopped are as yet unknown, the expectant star looked distressed as she was spoken to by the officer.

Kim Kardashian is currently counting down the days until the birth of her first child with Kanye West.

However, the pair have sparked rumors that there could be an issue in their relationship as they haven’t been seen together since May 13.

Kim Kardashian pulled over by police amid rumors of relationship problems with Kanye West
Kim Kardashian pulled over by police amid rumors of relationship problems with Kanye West

Their time apart is despite the fact that Kim Kardashian travelled to Paris to see her baby daddy – who then headed to Milan.

The couple’s latest narrow miss came on Friday, when the pair were both in Los Angeles but not seen together.

Kim Kardashian tweeted fans from her hometown, sharing a picture of her in the backseat of a car.

The following day Kanye West was pictured looking decidedly glum as he left a Malibu restaurant without his girlfriend in tow.

The claims come after reports that Kim Kardashian had to beg Kanye West to attend her upcoming baby shower because it is being filmed for an E! special.

A source told gossip website RadarOnline.com Kim Kardashian had to beg Kanye West “to stop by the baby shower” which is taking place on June 2.

The baby shower will be filmed for Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and he just doesn’t want to appear on the show at all, period.

“Kim nagged him until he agreed when she said it would look really bad if he didn’t show up. Kanye thinks it’s silly to even go to the baby shower since he will be the only man there. He will be there for less than ten minutes, tops. It was important to Kim that he go, so he agreed.”

Denis Carré: Fake Psy hits Monaco Grand Prix after Cannes Film Festival scam

Denis Carré, a Psy lookalike, duped hundreds of people with various appearances during the recent Cannes Film Festival and now he has struck again, attending the Monaco Grand Prix over the weekend while the real singer performed in Italy on the same day.

Among those duped by Denis Carré’s appearance at the racing event were Amanda Holden and David Hasselhoff, who both posted pictures of themselves with the lookalike on their Twitter pages.

However, Amanda Holden appeared unsure if she was actually posing with Psy in the shot, captioning the picture: “Not sure if this guy is kosher?! Rumors circulating he was a fake? What do YOU think?!”

David Hasselhoff seemed a bit more certain that he wasn’t with the real Gangnam Style musician, tweeting with a picture of himself and girlfriend Hayley Roberts with “Psy”: “Was that really PSY ? I think not!!”

Amanda Holden posed with Psy lookalike Denis Carré at the Monaco Grand Prix
Amanda Holden posed with Psy lookalike Denis Carré at the Monaco Grand Prix

Other stars to have been duped by Denis Carré included Skyfall actress Naomie Harris, who unwittingly posted a picture of herself on Twitter with who she thought was Psy.

Speaking recently about how he managed to convince so many people that he was the singer, Denis Carré credited the scam to an intricate web of tricks.

He told Channel 5 News: “The game was pretty well played – we prepared a lot with my manager and communication team on how we were going to do that.

“We had the bodyguards, we had the cars, we had event managers ready for it… just to have the illusion.”

The trick was revealed when the real Psy appeared on US talk show Live with Michael and Kelly, which is filmed in New York City, while his imposter was in Cannes.

Denis Carré is said to have scammed free drinks and bottle service while lunching at the Torch Beach Club, a hotspot which has been frequented by Justin Timberlake and Mark Ronson during their time in Cannes, and was even surrounded by three security guards, according to the New York Post.

Later, Denis Carré partied at an A-list bash hosted by socialite Goga Ashkenazi at Château Garibondy, where the guest list included Rosario Dawson and supermodel Karolina Kurkova.

Woolwich attack: New arrest in connection with Lee Rigby murder

British authorities have arrested a 10th person in connection with the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

The 50-year-old man was arrested in Welling, south-east London, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Police also confirmed an address in south-east London was being searched.

British authorities have arrested a 10th person in connection with the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich
British authorities have arrested a 10th person in connection with the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich

Meanwhile shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said ministers must put “more effort” into fighting the “murderous narrative” of hate preachers.

Four of those arrested have been bailed, two released without charge and four remain in custody over the killing on Wednesday.

Two suspects, Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22 – both Britons of Nigerian descent who are understood to be converts to Islam – remain in custody in hospital in a stable condition after being shot and wounded by police at the scene after the killing.

The Metropolitan Police said the men would not be questioned until they had been discharged from hospital, and the time they had spent under arrest so far would not count towards the maximum amount of time they could legally be held without charge.

Questions are still being raised over what British authorities knew about the suspects before the killing.

[youtube KJn9P_rPKhk]

Scott Thorson had plastic surgery to look more like Liberace

Steven Soderbergh’s new HBO movie Behind the Candelabra stars Michael Douglas as Liberace, and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson, whose memoir Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace is the film’s source material.

The film suggests a focus on Scott Thorson, not Liberace.

Scott Thorson was a 16-year-old trainee veterinarian when he met Liberace. One of Liberace’s pet dogs was suffering from an eye infection, and Scott Thorson was called out to attend. Scott Thorson had been installed as live-in houseboy and not only commanded the Liberace estate by day, but featured nightly in Liberace’s Vegas stage act, driving the star on stage in a rhinestone encrusted limousine, tidying the train of Liberace’s fur gown, and being introduced to the audience by name.

Scott Thorson and Liberace lived together for five years, a period which demands a new word for “decadence”. When Scott Thorson said he loved Liberace’s gold-plated Rolls Royce, for example, Liberace wrapped the car in an enormous red bow and gave it to him, and Thorson was never seen without his ghastly gold-plated Zippo lighter, another gift from Lee, on a gold chain around his neck.

Scott Thorson claims he had plastic surgery to look more like Liberace, including a nose job and a chin implant. In a 2002 interview with Larry King, Scott Thorson said that after he put on weight during a trip with Liberace to Paris, Liberace introduced him to Priscilla Presley’s plastic surgeon. Scott Thorson said that Liberace accompanied him to his first consultation, instructing the surgeon to “make him look like my son”. But, the operations weren’t satisfactory, and Scott Thorson later had the chin implant removed.

Scott Thorson claims he had plastic surgery to look more like Liberace, including a nose job and a chin implant
Scott Thorson claims he had plastic surgery to look more like Liberace, including a nose job and a chin implant

Apparently, Liberace and his plastic surgeon drank bottles of vodka together before general anaesthetic was administered and cosmetic procedures were carried out at Liberace’s home. Robert Goulet, Charo, Phyllis Diller and Debbie Reynolds were routine houseguests. While Scott Thorson confessed to a daily diet of “co***ne, quaaludes, Biphetamine, demerol”, Lee only drank, and snorted amyl nitrate like a demon.

In 1982, after they’d broken up, Scott Thorson’s lawyers launched a $100 million palimony lawsuit. They finally settled in 1986 for $95,000, two dogs (including the one that originally had the infected eye) and the gold Rolls Royce. It was a smaller settlement than what the London tabloid the Daily Mirror demanded in 1987 once it was revealed that Liberace’s sudden weight loss was not in fact due to what his people had told everyone was the result of a watermelon diet – a refund of the half a million pounds it had been forced to pay him 30 years earlier when he sued them for implying he was homos***al without any proof when one of their journalists said this about him: They say that this deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavored, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love has had the biggest reception and impact on London since Charlie Chaplin arrived at the same station, Waterloo, on September 12,1921.

“This appalling man – and I use the word appalling in no other than its true sense of terrifying – has hit this country in a way that is as violent as Churchill receiving the cheers on V-E Day.
“He reeks with emetic language that can only make grown men long for a quiet corner, an aspidistra, a handkerchief, and the old heave-ho. Without doubt, he is the biggest sentimental vomit of all time. Slobbering over his mother, winking at his brother, and counting the cash at every second, this superb piece of calculating candy-floss has an answer for every situation.
“There must be something wrong with us that our teenagers longing for s** and our middle-aged matrons fed up with s** alike should fall for such a sugary mountain of jingling claptrap wrapped up in such a preposterous clown.”

Around that time, Scott Thorson allegedly made statements like this to the world’s press: “I know three young men now that are dead because of AIDS because of him.”

But other reports are that when Liberace was on his deathbed, Scott Thorson was there, at Liberace’s request. After Liberace died, Scott Thorson stated that the conflicts between he and Lee had been exaggerated, and that it was his lawyers who were out for the money and he personally was primarily concerned about who was going to take care of the dogs.

Then, allegedly, Scott Thorson had an affair with Michael Jackson.

All that would be enough adventure for most people and it covers the action in Behind the Candelabra it’s just the beginning of Scott Thorson’s story.

The Wonderland murders, otherwise known as the Lauren Canyon killings, occurred on the night of 1 July 1981, while Scott Thorson was still living with Liberace. A few days later, John Holmes broke into the home of Eddie Nash, owner of West Hollywood clubs such as the Kit Kat and the Starwood. John Holmes was casing the joint for the Wonderland gang, who lived at 8763 Wonderland Avenue and traded drugs. The gang broke in the next day, tying up Eddie Nash and his bodyguard and stealing a bunch of stuff.

Later, Scott Thorson was over at Eddie Nash’s house picking up some deals when right in front of his eyes, Nash’s heavies dragged John Holmes in and knocked him around with knuckle dusters until he coughed up the address of the Wonderland gang, who were all soon shot dead. Scott Thorson agreed to testify against Eddie Nash, on the proviso he go straight into witness protection.

After several years in Alaska, Scott Thorson was transferred to Jacksonville, Florida and exited from the witness protection program due to his ongoing use of dr**s. According to his memoirs, he was watching a Pat Boone documentary on TV one night when d**g dealers broke into his motel room and shot him five times. Scott Thorson insists he had no prior dealings with his assailants and that the attack was not ordered by Eddie Nash who, incidentally, now owns the gold Rolls Royce after Thorson exchanged it for co***ne.

In 2008 Scott Thorson was sentenced to four years in prison on d**g and burglary offences and now lives with his wife in New England.

[youtube HumA9eoX4zY]

Australian Rules Football: A quick guide

0

Australian Rules Football (AFL) is a physical contact sport that is described as a cross between rugby which is from the UK and Gaelic football which originated in Ireland.

AFL’s rules were codified in 1858 – predating soccer, football, rugby and Gaelic football.

Australian Rules Football is a physical contact sport that is described as a cross between rugby and football
Australian Rules Football is a physical contact sport that is described as a cross between rugby and football

Today it is the most popular sport in Australia – beating even cricket – and is a multi-billion dollar business.

  • It is played on an oval field and each team consists of 18 players who each attempt to kick the oval shaped ball through a configuration of 4 posts at the corresponding end of the field.
  • Each game lasts for 4 quarters of 20 minutes of playing time.
  • No player can be sin-binned during a game of Australian Rules Football – this can lead to terrible fights during a game.
  • Players are banned retrospectively.

[youtube 0MY0vCUBg-0]

Adam Goodes: Aboriginal Australian Rules footballer confronts 13-year-old racist girl calling him an ape

0

Australian Rules footballer Adam Goodes has been praised for his uncompromising reaction after a 13-year-old girl shouted out a racist remark to him during a game on Friday night.

Sydney Swans forward Adam Goodes – who is an Aboriginal Australian – was called an “ape” by the girl as he ran past her and responded by turning around and pointing out the girl to security who escorted her from the Melbourne stadium.

Adam Goodes, 33, is the star player for the Sydney Swans but said that the racial abuse he received at the hands of the girl rendered his sides win “meaningless” – such was his disappointment.

“To come to the boundary line and hear a 13 year old girl call me an <<ape>>, and it’s not the first time on a footy field that I’ve been referred to as a <<monkey>> or an <<ape>>, it was shattering,” he told the ABC.

Adam Goodes and the Sydney Swans were playing Collingwood, at their home of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 13-year-old girl was a Collingwood fan.

Police in Melbourne said that a 13-year-old girl had been interviewed over the incident, but had been released after two hours pending further inquiries.

In the aftermath of the racial abuse that was directed his way, Adam Goodes told the Melbourne Herald Sun: “Racism had a face…and it was a 13-year-old girl. – but it’s not her fault.”

“That’s what hurt me so bad…when I turned around, I just saw this young face and…it was just sad.

“That’s why I had to leave the arena, it just broke my heart.”

Adam Goodes ran past racist girl and responded by turning around and pointing out her to security who escorted her from the Melbourne stadium
Adam Goodes ran past racist girl and responded by turning around and pointing out her to security who escorted her from the Melbourne stadium

Early on Saturday morning, Adam Goodes took to his Twitter feed to announce that the girl had been in touch with him, apologizing for her actions.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Adam Goodes explained just how damaging it was for him as an Aboriginal Australian to hear her words.

“I’ve had fantastic support over the past 24 hours,” he said.

“I just hope that people give the 13 year old girl the same sort of support because she needs it, her family needs it, and the people around them need it,” said Adam Goodes to the ABC.

“It’s not a witch-hunt, I don’t want people to go after this young girl.

“We’ve just got to help educate society better so it doesn’t happen again.”

Adam Goodes added that the police in Melbourne had asked him if he wanted to press charges, but that he did not want to – preferring the girl instead undergoes an education program instead.

“It’s not her fault, she’s 13, she’s still so innocent, I don’t put any blame on her,” he said.

“Unfortunately it’s what she hears, in the environment she’s grown up in that has made her think that it’s OK to call people names.

“I guarantee she has no idea right now how it makes people feel to call them an ape.”

Australian PM Julia Gillard described Adam Goodes as “someone we can all look up to”.

“His words and actions today displayed the highest levels of respect and fairness – qualities he carries on and off the field,” the prime minister said.

“Adam is a credit to his club, his code and the entire community.”

The girl who is not being identified told Channel 10 news she was sorry.

“I didn’t mean it in a racist way and I’m sorry to the club and the AFL,” she said.

[youtube 3dKEAQxlRdg]

[youtube XyrbUiJCkVw]

Rob Kardashian weight loss: “I still have to lose like 40 to 50 pounds”

Rob Kardashian has been slowly and surely clawing his way back to a healthy weight after gaining over 40 pounds following the breakdown of his relationship with Rita Ora.

However, Rob Kardashian, 26, still looked chubby at a Neiman Marcus event in Las Vegas to promote his sock line, Arthur George, and admitted that he’s still got a long way to go.

“I still have to lose like 40 to 50 pounds believe it or not,” Rob Kardashian told Us Weekly at the event.

Before adding: “Six months I should be there.”

Rob Kardashian told the same magazine he weighed 235 pounds in March and was throwing himself into daily work-outs but revealed he has now recruited Lamar Odom’s trainer to help him shed.

He told the magazine: “I’m kind of doing my own thing with Lamar [Odom]’s trainer. He’s on salary since he was 19 years old, so he works for us. I’ve been spending time with him.”

Rob Kardashian also revealed his cutting out alcohol to keep down those empty calories.

Rob Kardashian weighed 235 pounds in March and was throwing himself into daily work-outs but revealed he has now recruited Lamar Odom's trainer to help him shed
Rob Kardashian weighed 235 pounds in March and was throwing himself into daily work-outs but revealed he has now recruited Lamar Odom’s trainer to help him shed

In a Kourtney & Kim Take Miami episode aired in February, Rob Kardashian blamed his weight gain on his break up with Rita Ora.

He said: “It’s crazy how this whole year, my whole relationship was only negative, all I did was gain f***ing 40 pounds and lose so much money.”

Rob Kardashian’s chubby face didn’t put off his girlie fans at the event on Saturday.

The reality star who jokily calls himself “fat boy Rob”, was joined at the Neiman Marcus footwear function by his mother Kris Jenner.

Kris Jenner, 57, proudly posed behind her only son and excitedly held up a handful of his colorful socks at the store’s display.

The Arthur George designer was famously accused of being a “jobless loser” by his sister Kim Kardashian on a 2011 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Rob Kardashian, who topped the scales at 240 pounds, has been trying to ditch the weight he gained after his breakup with British singer Rita Ora.

“I’m trying to lose 40 [by the fourth of July],” he told People Magazine in March.

“It’s a little journey.”

Rob Kardashian reportedly exercises in the morning with his trainer and then usually joins his friends on hikes, including his former dance partner Cheryl Burke.

Scott Disick celebrates his 30th birthday in Las Vegas

Kourtney Karashian celebrated her partner Scott Disick’s 30th birthday in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Kourtney Kardashian, 34, looked proud as she walked the red carpet in a peacock inspired outfit which featured a teal lace top and black and green feathered skirt.

She wore her hair in a topknot with a fringe along with blue eye-liner to match her outfit.

Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, who have a son Mason, 4, and daughter Penelope, who turns one in July, were celebrated at Hyde at the Bellagio hotel.

Scott Disick was dressed to impress in black tie attire.

Kourtney Karashian celebrated her partner Scott Disick's 30th birthday in Las Vegas
Kourtney Karashian celebrated her partner Scott Disick’s 30th birthday in Las Vegas

While most of the Kardashian clan skipped the festivities, Kris Jenner showed her support by attending the party.

Kris Jenner, 57, wore a sequinned little black dress along with a Chanel Lego handbag.

Rob Kardashian was at the party too, but raced along the red carpet without stopping to pose for photographers.

It was a surprisingly shy move for the 26-year-old, who had been hamming it up for the cameras just 24 hours earlier while promoting his new sock line in Las Vegas.

Inside the club Scott Disick took inspiration from Kanye West by rapping at the deejay booth and later attempted to serenade his girlfriend, according to Us Weekly.

“It was tough to understand what he was saying as he was rapping to music, but it looked like he was just enjoying the moment,” the onlooker told the publication.

The couple smiled and giggled throughout the night and even put on a show of PDA.

“She was sitting on his lap at one point during the evening and the two genuinely appeared to be in love and appreciative of one another,” the insider added.

While Khloe Kardashian and pregnant Kim were absent, they did send birthday messages to Scott via Twitter.

Khloe Kardashian, 28, posted a picture of her with Scott Disick, adding: “Happy birthday to letthelordbewithyou we have come a long way my friend! I love you!”

Kim Kardashian tweeted a vintage snap of herself with Scott Disick, Kourtney and Khloe, adding: “OMG I almost died when I saw this! 2006 throwback! This one’s for you Scott!”

While Scott Disick has at times avoided Las Vegas because he struggles to control his drinking, it seems he enjoyed his time in Sin City.

After the party, Scott Disick tweeted: “Thank you @hydebellagio @sbenightlife for a great #vegasbirthday!”

World’s largest national flag: Romania enters Guinness World Records with biggest flag ever made

Romania broke the world record for the biggest national flag making a triumphal entry in the famous Guinness Book.

A Romanian village unfurled what is the largest flag ever made, Guinness World Records said.

World’s largest flag came into display on Monday, 27 May 2013, following an initiative of the Romanian TV broadcaster Antena 3. Works on the huge flag were conducted in partnership with the Flags Factory.

It took about 200 people several hours Monday to roll out the flag, which measured about 349 meters (1,145 feet) by 227 meters (744.5 feet), about three times the size of a football field, according to Jack Brockbank, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records who measured the flag before pronouncing it the biggest flag in the world.

“It gives me great pleasure to recognize a new Guinness World Record title,” he said after measuring the flag.

“Congratulations Romania!”

Romania broke the world record for the largest national flag making a triumphal entry in the famous Guinness World Records
Romania broke the world record for the largest national flag making a triumphal entry in the famous Guinness World Records

He said Romania’s blue, yellow and red flag covers an area of about 79,290 square meters (853,478 square feet), downing Lebanon which had held the previous record.

The five-ton flag was displayed in Clinceni, 35 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of capital Bucharest. Workers struggled to keep it firmly planted on the ground because of windy conditions and had to use small sandbags.

Adrian Dragomir, manager of the Flags Factory which created the flag, says it took weeks to sew and 70 kilometers (44 miles) of thread was needed.

A military brass band played as Romanian PM Victor Ponta and other ministers arrived in the village to view the flag.

The ceremony was marked by spectacular aerial demonstrations performed by the “AeroClub Romania” paratroopers and “Hawks of Romania” aviators. Furthermore, a military orchestra was scheduled for a musical performance of the national anthem.

Paratroopers from Aeroclub Romania joined the campaign and made an aerial jump that was set to end with a remarkable landing across the flag.

Also a team of pilots dubbed as the “Hawks of Romania” unveiled their training skills on board of Extra 300 planes.

[youtube _xcQRc2iDnk]

Memorial Day 2013: Barack Obama pays tribute to America’s fallen from Arlington National Cemetery

President Barack Obama has paid tribute to America’s fallen soldiers in a moving Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery – as he urged the nation not to forget the thousands of troops still protecting the country.

“Let us never forgot to always remember the sacrifice they make in our name,” Barack Obama said in his Memorial Day address at the final resting place for many of America’s war heroes.

“Today most Americans are not directly touched by war, as a consequence not all Americans may always fully grasp the depths of sacrifice – the profound costs that are made in our name,” the president said.

“Our troops, our military families understand this and they mention to me whether the country fully appreciates what is happening. Let us never forget that our nation is still at war.”

President Barack Obama suggested fewer people are today touched by war due to the all-volunteer military force and advanced technology that allows the U.S. to accomplish some missions with far fewer personnel.

But he reminded the nation not to forget the 60,000 troops who are still fighting in Afghanistan.

In his speech, Barack Obama said that Arlington National Cemetery “has always been home to men and women who are willing to give their all … to preserve and protect the land that we love”.

He praised the character and selflessness that “beats in the hearts” of America’s troops.

Before his address, President Barack Obama honored the nation’s fallen military service members by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in a somber ceremony at the cemetery.

He rode by motorcade from the White House to the hallowed burial grounds in suburban Virginia on a sun-splashed, but cool spring holiday as cannon fire was heard in the distance.

Barack Obama has paid tribute to America's fallen soldiers in a moving Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery
Barack Obama has paid tribute to America’s fallen soldiers in a moving Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery

Surrounded by officials and families of service members, Barack Obama carried out the Memorial Day tradition before reflecting silently on the lives lost to battle as he held his hand held to his chest.

The president was joined by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, cemetery Executive Director Kathryn Condon and Maj. Gen. Michael Linnington, commander of the Army’s military district of Washington.

As Barack Obama attended the event at Arlington, families marked Memorial Day at cemeteries, memorials and monuments across the country.

The presentation came after First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a breakfast at the White House with “Gold Star” families of service members who have been killed.

The events come at a time when combat in Afghanistan approaches 12 years and the ranks of World War II veterans dwindles.

In one of several ceremonies honoring Americans killed in Afghanistan, the city of South Sioux City, Nebraska, planned to unveil a statue honoring Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Douangdara, a dog handler for the SEALs killed in a 2011 helicopter crash.

His service dog was also killed in the crash and is memorialized beside him in the statue.

At the American Airpower Museum on Long Island, N.Y., a program was planned to honor Women Air Service Pilots, or WASPs, who tested and ferried completed aircraft from factories to bases during World War II.

Thirty-eight died during the war, including Alice Lovejoy of Scarsdale, New York, who was killed on September 13, 1944, in a midair collision over Texas.

“It’s very important that we recognize not only their contribution to American history, but women’s history,” said Julia Lauria-Blum, curator of the WASP exhibit at the museum.

“These women really blazed a path; they were pioneers for women’s aviation. And most important, they gave their lives serving their country and must be honored like anyone else on Memorial Day.”

Another wreath-laying ceremony was planned at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City.

The park is a tribute to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous speech calling for all people to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

In Atlanta, a dedication of the History Center’s redone Veterans Park was scheduled for early evening. Soil from major battlefields will be scattered by veterans around the park’s flagpole.

In suburban Boston, veterans gathered in a park to mark Memorial Day this year rather than hold a parade because of failing health and dwindling numbers.

The city of Beverly called off its parade because so few veterans would be able to march. The parade has been a fixture in the town since the Civil War.

The holiday weekend also marked the traditional start of the U.S. vacation season. AAA, one of the nation’s largest leisure travel agencies, expected 31.2 million Americans to hit the road over the weekend, virtually the same number as last year.

Gas prices were about the same as last year, up 1 cent to a national average of $3.65 a gallon Friday.

[youtube iQ7myWetwQE]

Colombia and FARC rebels agree on agrarian reform

Left-wing FARC rebels and the Colombian government have agreed on land reform, after more than six months of peace talks.

“This agreement will be the start of a radical transformation of rural Colombia,” read a joint statement.

The deal calls for the economic and social development of rural areas and providing land to poor farmers.

Land reform is one of the most contentious issues in the talks on ending five decades of conflict.

“Today we have a real opportunity to attain peace through dialogue,” said the Colombian government’s chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle.

“To support this process is to believe in Colombia,” he told journalists at the talks in the Cuban capital, Havana.

The FARC, Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, has been in talks with the government on the Caribbean island since last November.

FARC chief negotiator Ivan Marquez said several issues remained unresolved and would be dealt with in later discussions.

“We have advanced in the construction of an accord that will necessarily be checked over before the completion of the final agreement.”

The talks in Cuba are the fourth attempt to reach a negotiated settlement of the conflict, the longest-running in Latin America.

Sunday’s agreement calls for fair access to land, and rural development – two key causes of the armed conflict.

Left-wing FARC rebels and the Colombian government have agreed on land reform, after more than six months of peace talks
Left-wing FARC rebels and the Colombian government have agreed on land reform, after more than six months of peace talks

It also calls for the creation of a land bank, as a way to reallocate land, including areas seized illegally during the fighting.

Analysts and aid groups say much of it was taken by far-right paramilitary groups on behalf of cattle ranchers and drug traffickers.

The Colombian government, however, blames at least a third of the seizures on the FARC – a claim the rebels deny.

The agreement marks a significant step forward in the peace process.

Peace talks will resume on June 11 on the second major issue – the rebels’ participation in politics.

After Sunday’s agreement was announced, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter: “We celebrate, really, this fundamental step in Havana… to end half a century of conflict.

“We will continue the (peace) process with care and responsibility.”

Juan Manuel Santos previously said he wanted the talks to end this year.

But both parties have stressed that nothing is finalized until a complete peace accord is reached.

The FARC originally set out to overthrow the government and install a Marxist regime, but in recent years the rebels have become increasingly involved in the drug trade to finance their campaign.

According to the UN, Colombia is the top producer of coca leaf, the raw material for making cocaine.

Much of the illicit d**g goes to the US, and the Andean country has been for more than a decade a major recipient of US counter-narcotics aid through the so-called Plan Colombia.

On Monday, US Vice President Joe Biden is expected to meet Juan Manuel Santos as part of an official visit to Bogota that is centred on drugs, security and trade.

“It is an encouraging development that these negotiations will lead to the end of the conflict in Colombia,” said US Ambassador to Colombia, Michael McKinley, ahead of Joe Biden’s visit.

It is difficult to find reliable statistics on how many people died from the violence in Colombia.

The government estimates that 600,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in the 1960s, with some three million more internally displaced by the fighting.

The FARC is thought to have some 8,000 fighters, down from about 16,000 in 2001.

Six points on Colombia’s government and FARC peace agenda:

  • Land reform
  • Political participation
  • Disarmament
  • Illicit d**gs
  • Rights of the victims
  • Peace deal implementation

[youtube qbSKZiol_Do]

Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winners List

Cannes Film Festival 2013: Full Winners List

 

Palme d’Or: Abdellatif Kechiche, Blue Is The Warmest Color

Grand Prix: Coen Brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Director: Amat Escalante, Heli

Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winners
Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winners

Best Screenplay: Jia Zhangke, A Touch of Sin

Best Actress: Berenice Bejo, The Past

Best Actor: Bruce Dern, Nebraska

Jury Prize: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Like Father, Like Son

Camera d’Or: Anthony Chen, Ilo Ilo

[youtube 2S9iLwBMD_I]

Teen Choice Awards 2013 Nominations: Twilight up for seven prizes

Twilight is up for seven prizes at Teen Choice Awards 2013.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is nominated in the sci-fi/fantasy and romance categories.

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner from the films are also nominated in various acting categories.

Taylor Swift is up for female artist, country artist and smile while One Direction’s Harry Styles is up against actors Channing Tatum, Taylor Lautner and Justin Bieber for male hottie.

Justin Bieber is nominated for best male artist along with Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars.

Twilight is up for seven prizes at Teen Choice Awards 2013
Twilight is up for seven prizes at Teen Choice Awards 2013

Anne Hathaway is up for awards for her roles in The Dark Knight Rises and Les Miserables.

Other films that were most nominated include Iron Man 3 and Breaking Dawn.

The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs in the US.

It honours film, TV, music, fashion and sports stars with votes from teenage viewers aged between 13 to 19.

Winners receive a full-size surfboard as their award.

The two-hour ceremony will air live in August on the Fox network in the U.S.

Teen Choice Award 2013 categories include:

Choice female artist

Selena Gomez; Demi Lovato; Pink; Rihanna and Taylor Swift

Choice male artist

Justin Bieber; Bruno Mars; Phillip Phillips; Pitbull and Justin Timberlake

Choice TV show: comedy

The Big Bang Theory; Glee; Modern Family; New Girl and Suburgatory

Choice male hottie

Justin Bieber; Liam Hemsworth; Taylor Lautner; Harry Styles and Channing Tatum

[youtube dr9MVyhYpEI]

Emmanuelle Seigner plays Vanda in Roman Polanski’s latest film Venus In Fur

Roman Polanski’s new film, Venus in Fur, with the director beautiful wife’s Emmanuelle Seigner in female leading role, is adapted from the stage-play by David Ives.

The movie is set continuously in one location: a theatre auditorium in Paris, where a harassed director has just spent a long and disagreeable afternoon auditioning actresses for a new version of Venus In Furs, the Leopold von Sacher-Masoch novel about s***al submission.

The last film screened in competition at Cannes 2013 is a slight, spry comedy of s** and power; a doodle in the festival’s margins, perhaps, but it has certainly been sketched with a flourish.

Roman Polanski has adapted the David Ives play Venus in Fur, which is itself based on a novella by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.

Emmanuelle Seigner plays Vanda in Roman Polanski's latest film Venus In Fur
Emmanuelle Seigner plays Vanda in Roman Polanski’s latest film Venus In Fur

The playwright, Thomas (Mathieu Amalric), has decided to direct his own script, and as the film begins, he is lamenting the lack of suitable actresses for the Vanda role.

“I need a s**y young woman with classical training and a scrap of brain in her skull,” he fumes.

At that moment, an actress blows in through the door, although she is not the erudite gamine of Thomas’s casting-call fantasies. She is in her mid-40s; a blur of blonde hair and blue eyeshadow; and she seems to have only the vaguest idea as to what the text is about. Her name, oddly enough, is Vanda, and she is played by Emmanuelle Seigner.

The shrugging, gum-chewing Vanda seems to be even worse than the others, but after she begs, Thomas is finally persuaded to give her a try – and of course he is astonished by what Vanda comes up with. Soon their relationship begins to change and Roman Polanski shows how Thomas experiences precisely that forbidden frisson celebrated in the novel.

It is a Pygmalion story, in its way, a story of transformation. The director might consider it his prerogative to shape and develop his leading lady in rehearsal. But that is not how Vanda sees it. For all its avowed danger and transgression there is something a little bit dated and even genteel in this theatregoers’ adventure in s**.

[youtube A3yEVufI42A]

Myriam L’Aouffir: DSK premieres his latest girlfriend on red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013

Disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has appeared in public for the first time with his new girlfriend Myriam L’Aouffir on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013.

It was confirmation that the pair are together, following DSK’s split last year from his long-suffering wife of 20 years, Anne Sinclair.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Myriam L’Aouffir were rumored last September to have started dating but this appearance appeared to be the first public confirmation. They attended the screening of a French film, Full Sun, starring veteran actor Alain Delon.

At 43 years-old, Myriam L’Aouffir is 20 years younger than her infamous economist boyfriend.

Like DSK, Myriam L’Aouffir comes from a Moroccan background, and is also believed to be estranged from her husband, with whom she has two children. She works in marketing.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn last December agreed a financial settlement with hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo whose 2011 allegation of s***al assault forced him to resign from the International Monetary Fund.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has appeared in public for the first time with his new girlfriend Myriam L’Aouffir on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has appeared in public for the first time with his new girlfriend Myriam L’Aouffir on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013

DSK – once tipped as a Socialist French president – was accused of trying to rape chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo at a Sofitel Hotel in New York.

After being held in the NYC’s notorious Rikers Island prison, criminal charges were dropped.

DSK then returned to France last year only to face accusations of s***ally abusing a young French writer.

French judges agreed there was a case against DSK, but had to drop it because the alleged attack happened more than a decade ago.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn was then charged with conspiring with pimps in Lille, northern France, to procure girls for s** parties around the world.

A film starring Jacqueline Bisset – who plays his former wife Anne Sinclair – and Gerard Depardieu as DSK which recreates the drama around the 2011 incident is expected to be released later this year.

DSK’s New York arrest ultimately destroyed his ambitions for the French presidency.

A gifted orator, fluent in English and German, DSK had been seen as a likely challenger to president Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2012 election, won by Francois Hollande.

[youtube AniL1jL_zxA]

Miley Cyrus posts self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on daily basis

Miley Cyrus recently celebrated her number one status on Maxim magazine’s hot 100 list and it seems that she is intent upon maintaining the coveted spot as she has made it a habit to post self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on an almost daily basis.

On Sunday Miley Cyrus, 20, was at it again, showing off her toned figure in an Instagram snap of herself bathed in golden light as she lounged in a black cocktail dress.

The caption for the indulgent snap demonstrated her self-promotional savvy: “CAN’T STOP. CARRY ON.”

The text was a reference to her upcoming single We Can’t Stop, which Miley Cyrus has been aggressively promoting online in an attempt to get the phrase “can’t stop” to become a trend on both Twitter and Instagram.

The song, produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, will première on Ryan Seacrest’s syndicated radio show on June 3.

Miley Cyrus posts self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on daily basis
Miley Cyrus posts self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on daily basis

Last Sunday Miley Cyrus told Billboard that she was “so excited” about the soon-to-be released album.

Miley Cyrus explained that she believes she has grown as a singer and a songwriter, saying: “I feel like I can really be myself.

“I really have more of a connection of who I am, and I feel like I can maybe express that more in my music now.”

Of the recording process Miley Cyrus added: “Me and Mike-WiLL [Made-It] teamed up, and it really just turned out to be perfect and exactly what I wanted, and exactly what I wanted my first sound to be, and my first look to be.

“I think it’s an important message for me to tell my fans – they haven’t stopped waiting, so it’s great.”

Meanwhile, rumors of a split from her fiancé Liam Hemsworth continue to plague Miley Cyrus – perpetuated by the fact that they seem to be spending so much time apart.

InTouch magazine reported that Miley Cyrus enlisted the help of a “spiritual” marriage counselor to help the pair work out their differences.

An insider told the magazine: “She’s hoping to save her relationship by enlisting a therapist. She knows that Liam has one foot out the door and that she’ll lose him if she doesn’t act fast.”

Memorial Day parade canceled in Beverly for first time in 152 years

0

The city of Beverly, a suburb of Boston, called off its Memorial Day parade this year because so few veterans would be able to march.

Veterans in Beverly gathered in a park to mark Memorial Day this year rather than hold a parade because of failing health and dwindling numbers.

The parade has been a fixture in the town since the Civil War.

Vietnam veteran Ron Innocenti tells WBZ-TV he hates canceling because of the message it sends to current service members. But he does understand the reason.

Many veterans who were gathered at the Herman A. Spear American Legion Post this weekend are upset by the decision.

“It’s not right to me,” says Ron Innocenti. He is a Vietnam veteran who has not only marched in the city’s Memorial Day parade in the past; he says he has also been its grand marshal.

He hates to cancel because of the message it sends to men and women serving now.

“It’s a slap in the face to them that we’re not doing it,” Ron Innocenti says.

“But on the other hand, I can see why we’re not doing it because of the age of the veterans we have now.”

The city of Beverly, a suburb of Boston, called off its Memorial Day parade this year because so few veterans would be able to march
The city of Beverly, a suburb of Boston, called off its Memorial Day parade this year because so few veterans would be able to march

That gets to the heart of the problem. In Beverly, there just are not enough veterans alive who are well enough to march in the parade anymore.

As for younger veterans – like the men and women who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan – they are often too busy to take part.

World War II Navy veteran Bill McPherson tells NECN he’s upset about parade cancellation but “there aren’t that many of us left”.

“My wife and I have both been quoted as saying we are upset by the whole thing,” said Bill McPherson.

There are veterans that are OK with the fact there is no longer a parade. People like the town’s Veteran’s organizer Jerry Guilebbe.

He says it can be difficult for older vets to take part.

“It’s not about parades and down the street and waving flags, it is about what we did all week long, spending countless hundreds of hours putting flags on every veteran’s grave, and remembering who they were,” said Jerry Guilebbe.

Tom Condon is the town’s oldest veteran, at 93, he recalls those who were lost.

“That people remember, who left and never came back, which is a lot of them, that’s who I remember,” said Tom Condon.

Tom Condon’s daughter, Suzanne, believes that it is about more than older vets who can no longer march a mile.

“It’s a little bit of a reflection to people who are in younger generations not really realizing how many people fought for us and how hard life was for them to make life great for us,” she said.

“It’s very disappointing to me. I think it’s a shame,” says Robert Driscoll, a local veteran who served in Korea.

“Hopefully maybe next year we can change that.”

City officials think that if enough veterans come forward to participate next year, or if the city can come up with another way to have them be a part of the parade, then the city will bring it back.

[youtube lr16rtZdgt0]

Mercedes to be investigated by FIA over Formula 1 illegal tyre test

Mercedes faces an investigation by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Formula 1’s governing body, after being accused of taking part in an illegal tyre test.

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged an official protest at the Monaco Grand Prix after discovering tyre supplier Pirelli used Mercedes to do a three-day test.

In-season testing in F1 is forbidden. Pirelli says it has a contract with the FIA allowing limited testing.

The Monaco GP stewards are to prepare a report for the FIA.

A statement said the governing body “may bring the matter before the International Tribunal”.

The body, effectively for these purposes the FIA’s court, can impose any number of penalties, ranging from exclusion from the world championship to a fine.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said: “As it is to do with the sporting regulations, you might expect a sporting penalty, but because it is not really clear what could be the effect on the race weekend, it is maybe bigger than that.

“I honestly don’t know what should be the solution. Because there is no precedent, I have no idea what should happen.”

Red Bull and Ferrari have accused Mercedes of breaking article 22.4 of the sporting regulations, which forbids in-season testing other than for a single three-day young driver test or for very limited straight-line aerodynamic tests.

Mercedes to be investigated by FIA after Ferrari & Red Bull tyre test protest
Mercedes to be investigated by FIA after Ferrari & Red Bull tyre test protest

Pirelli say they are allowed to ask teams to do up to 1,000km of testing, which was as much as Mercedes did over three days at the Circuit de Catalunya in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Grand Prix, the race before Monaco.

But Red Bull and Ferrari say the rules state this must only be with a car that is at least two years old. Mercedes used their 2013 car.

Rival teams were not informed about the test, which not only involved Mercedes’ 2013 car but also race drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Rival teams are angry because extra testing could give Mercedes a technical advantage. Mercedes says they sought permission from the FIA, which approved the test.

Mercedes has been struggling with heavy tyre usage this season.

The tyres used were development designs for next season and a new tyre Pirelli wants to introduce at the Canadian Grand Prix, the next event after Monaco.

Pirelli is aiming to introduce rear tyres that are less vulnerable to delamination following a series of failures. But the plan is in dispute – Ferrari, Lotus and Force India have yet to approve it.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he had only learnt about the test on Saturday night.

“I can understand Pirelli wanting to test the tyres,” he said.

“What’s disappointing is it’s been done in not a transparent manner. A three-day test has taken place with a current car running on tyres that are going to be used in the next grand prix and irrelevant of what you call it, that’s testing.”

He added: “We need to deal with it through the proper channels so that’s what we’ll look at doing.”

A Ferrari spokesman added: “Pirelli can offer to the teams the chance to do 1,000km of testing for tyre development and safety. But the fundamental aspect is the year of the car because if you use a current car it should be allegedly a breach of article 22.

“We want a clarification on this because if it is not against article 22 we would be interested in doing this.”

Mercedes’ test is the second tyre test conducted by Pirelli this season. The first was done by Ferrari between the Bahrain and Spanish Grands Prix but involved a 2011 car.

Insiders say Mercedes’ tyre problems this year made it logical for Pirelli to use their car in assessing new tyres aimed at preventing failures.

[youtube FfE81OUeYVM]

Debbie Martin: Angelina Jolie’s aunt dies of breast cancer at the age of 61

Debbie Martin, Angelina Jolie’s aunt, has died of breast cancer, nearly two weeks after the Hollywood star said she had had a double mastectomy to avoid such a fate.

Debbie Martin passed away at the Palomar Medical Centre in Escondido on Sunday, aged 61, the hospital said.

She was the sister of Angelina Jolie’s mother Marcheline Bertrand, who died of breast cancer in 2007 at the age of 56.

Her husband, Ron Martin, said the sisters had both had the same mutated BRCA1 gene, which Angelina Jolie inherited.

Debbie Martin, Angelina Jolie's aunt, has died of breast cancer, nearly two weeks after the Hollywood star said she had had a double mastectomy
Debbie Martin, Angelina Jolie’s aunt, has died of breast cancer, nearly two weeks after the Hollywood star said she had had a double mastectomy

“Angelina has been in touch throughout the week and her brother Jamie has been with us, giving his support day by day,” Ron Martin told E! News.

“They both loved Debbie very much and although Angie is not able to come right now she has sent her love and support which was very nice.”

Ron Martin also praised Angelina Jolie for electing to have a double mastectomy, telling the Associated Press: “Had we known, we certainly would have done exactly what Angelina did.”

On May 14, Angelina Jolie, 37, wrote in the New York Times that she had had a double mastectomy after doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer.

“I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could,” the actress explained, adding that her chances of developing breast cancer had now dropped to less than 5%.

The BRCA1 gene is present in everyone but only mutates in one in 1,000 people. Anyone with the mutation has a 50-80% chance of developing breast cancer.

[youtube TWJRU5FVjQo]

Rolling Thunder 2013: Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally pays tribute to American heroes in Washington

The Washington Mall and the Pentagon rumbled with a quarter of millions of motorcycles on Sunday as Rolling Thunder rumbled into the capital.

Rolling Thunder is an annual motorcycle rally that is held in Washington, DC during the Memorial Day weekend to call for the government’s recognition and protection of Prisoners of War (POWs) and those Missing in Action (MIAs). The tribute to American war heroes started out in 1988 with 2,500 participants.

Some 900,000 riders, passengers and spectators traveled from across the country for Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to veterans and those stilling missing in action.

The annual event started in 1988, when the Vietnam War was still fresh on the nation’s mind.

The first year, 2,500 motorcyclist rode into Washington as a way to remember the thousands of men who were missing in action or believed still held as prisoners of war.

The Washington Mall and the Pentagon rumbled with a quarter of millions of motorcycles on as Rolling Thunder rumbled into the capital
The Washington Mall and the Pentagon rumbled with a quarter of millions of motorcycles on as Rolling Thunder rumbled into the capital

Rolling Thunder has since become an institution.

Motorcycle clubs from across the country flood the capital’s hotels and suburban campgrounds.

Every sort of bike imaginable is represented – from vintage Indians to the newest Harley Davidsons to custom choppers and BMWs.

The mighty procession began in the parking lot of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, at 7 a.m.

The parade route took the thundering motorcycles past the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean Veterans Memorial and the World War II Veterans Memorial.

The Washington Monument and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial are other prominent sights along the route.

The motorcycle parade ends on the banks of the Potomac River on the National Mall.

The event also features Thunder Alley in downtown Washington DC, which features vendors selling all manner of stickers, pins and patches to commemorate Rolling Thunder.

[youtube AD_0V_A7uZo]

Karrueche Tran and Chris Brown are living together again

Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran have been spotted spending plenty of time together ever since his 24th birthday at the beginning of May.

It seems things are going so well between Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran once again that they have started living together full time.

According to TMZ, Karrueche Tran has been staying with Chris Brown since they got together again and she has already moved most of her clothing and other personal belongings into his Hollywood Hills home.

The website reports Karrueche Tran has wisely decided to keep her own apartment for the time being.

While the couple have been spending lots of time together recently, they have not gone public with their relationship.

It seems things are going so well between Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran once again that they have started living together full time
It seems things are going so well between Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran once again that they have started living together full time

However, they recently engaged in a raunchy Twitter exchange and earlier this week Karrueche Tran was on hand when Chris Brown rear ended another car, suggesting that they are indeed back together.

It is unclear how his other on/off lover Rihanna, who is currently in Morocco, will react to the news.

The latest twist in the love triangle comes as Rihanna is reportedly very upset with Topshop heiress Chloe Green.

In recent months Chloe green has been spotted partying with Chris Brown on a number of occasions.

And in what may or may not be a coincidence Chloe Green’s father Sir Philip is currently facing a $5 million lawsuit from Rihanna.

A source close to Rihanna revealed: “She knows exactly what goes on in Chris’s life and she has been aware about Chloe for a while – she’s really not happy. Rihanna considered Chloe a friend.”

Karrueche Tran was left disappointed last October when Chris Brown ended their relationship to get back with his former flame Rihanna.

But just months after confirming his reconciliation with Rihanna, Chris Brown announced that they had split again during an interview with Australian radio hosts Kyle & Jackie O Show.

Amanda Bynes racist tweet about Rihanna: “You look so ugly trying to be white”

After her arrest scandal, Amanda Bynes turned her anger toward Rihanna Sunday, posting a series of racist and offensive remarks about the singer and her relationship with Chris Brown.

Amanda Bynes, 27, briefly posted a number of tweets about Rihanna, 25, before deleting the comments.

The tirade began with Amanda Bynes writing: “@rihanna you look so ugly tryin (sic) to be white,” followed within minutes by a message blaming Rihanna for being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.

Within two minutes Amanda Bynes had deleted the first post.

Then just a few moments later, she attacked Rihanna again with a reference to Chris Brown’s assault on her in 2009, claiming he did so because the singer was unattractive.

Amanda Bynes posted a series of racist and offensive remarks about Rihanna and her relationship with Chris Brown
Amanda Bynes posted a series of racist and offensive remarks about Rihanna and her relationship with Chris Brown

“Chris Brown beat you because you’re not pretty enough,” Amanda Bynes tweeted.

Amanda Bynes then retweeted a post by Rihanna: “Look who came to see me!! My lover Stella McCartney!!!” to which the former actress responded: “No one wants to be your lover so you call everyone and their mother that I almost named my new dog Rihanna.”

Rihanna, who is known for her own feisty temper on Twitter, appeared to address the remarks within minutes of their posting.

“Ya see what happens when they cancel Intervention?” the singer wrote.

Amanda Bynes returned fire accusing the 25-year-old of doing d**gs.

“Unlike ur fugly faced self I don’t do d**gs! U need the intervention dog! I met ur ugly face in person! U aren’t pretty u know it!”

Speculation persists if Amanda Bynes’ unrequited love for Rihanna’s rumored ex-boyfriend and collaborator, rapper Drake, sparked the Twitter attack.

Amanda Bynes’ online infatuation with the musician has been well-documented. She famously tweeted in March she wanted Drake to “murder my va**na”.

[youtube tz4NUp06300]