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Sarah Brightman Postpones Space Adventure

James J. Williams
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Sarah Brightman Postpones Space Adventure

Sarah Brightman has announced she will not be going to the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2015.

The British soprano wrote on her blog that she was postponing the adventure for “personal family reasons”, giving no further explanation.

Sarah Brightman, 54, was due to fly to the ISS on 1 September as a tourist.

When, or even if, Sarah Brightman will get to complete her dream of a 10-day holiday in orbit is not clear.

It is thought such a trip would cost the singer about $50 million.

Photo EPA
Photo EPA

Space Adventures, the company that was organizing Sarah Brightman’s trip, is given only a very limited number of seats on Soyuz rockets to sell to tourists.

Who will take Sarah Brightman’s berth in September is uncertain. It ought to be Sarah Brightman’s back-up – a Japanese executive Satoshi Takamatsu, but Space Adventures has yet to confirm this.

Space Adventures’ Eric Anderson said: “Since 2012, Sarah has shared her story of a lifelong dream to fly to space. Her international fame as the world’s best-selling soprano has enabled her message to circle the globe, inspiring others to pursue their own dreams.

“We’ve seen firsthand her dedication to every aspect of her spaceflight training and to date, has passed all of her training and medical tests. We applaud her determination and we’ll continue to support her as she pursues a future spaceflight opportunity.”

The European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who was due to join Sarah Brightman in the Soyuz in September, tweeted: “Sad to lose a fantastic crew mate. Best of luck, Sarah.”

Flights to and from the ISS are currently on hold following the failure of a robotic cargo ship in late April.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy5zN0izH_k

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation to End on September 27

Sonia Pantiss
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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation to End on September 27

Long-running drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will end this year, CBS has confirmed.

CSI, which began in 2000 and spawned three spin-offs, will end on September 27 with a two-hour finale.

Original cast members William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger will return as Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows.CSI Crime Scene Investigation ends in 2015

Ted Danson, the show’s current star, will continue his role as “DB” Russell in sister show CSI: Cyber, which began its first season in March.

The show’s other spin-offs, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, ran for 10 and nine seasons respectively before being cancelled.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows a team of forensic investigators based in Las Vegas.

Highlights during the show’s 15-year run include Grave Danger, a two-hour episode from 2005 that Quentin Tarantino conceived and directed.

CSI has also featured guest appearances from Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Charlie Sheen, who appeared in a 2008 “cross-over” episode with his then-sitcom Two and a Half Men.

Harry Shearer Leaves The Simpsons Following Dispute with Producers

Sonia Pantiss
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Harry Shearer Leaves The Simpsons Following Dispute with Producers

Harry Shearer has announced he will leave The Simpsons after more than 25 years following a dispute with producers.

The 71-year-old actor voices Ned Flanders and Mr. Burns in the show.

Executive producer Al Jean said in a statement to the New York Times that Harry Shearer had turned down a new pay deal.

The Simpsons “will go on” and the actor’s characters will be recast, Al Jean added.

Harry Shearer took to Twitter to say the decision “wasn’t about money” and that signing up to a new series would have stopped him from doing other work.

He provided the voice for addled school principal Seymour Skinner as well as rapacious millionaire Montgomery Burns and Ned Flanders, Homer Simpson’s chipper neighbor.Harry Shearer leaves The Simpsons

Harry Shearer has announced he is leaving the long-running animated series on Twitter claiming that a lawyer for executive producer James L. Brooks said: “Show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best.”

In a follow-up tweet, the actor added: “This because I wanted what we’ve always had: The freedom to do other work. Of course, I wish him the very best.”

In response, Al Jean wrote: “Harry Shearer was offered the same deal the rest of the cast accepted, and passed.

“The show will go on and we wish him well. Maggie took it hard.

“We do not plan to kill off characters like Burns and Flanders but will recast with the finest voiceover talent available.”

Last week, the Fox network confirmed it had commissioned two more series of The Simpsons.

According to reports at the time, Harry Shearer had yet to sign a new contract.

On May 14, Harry Shearer stressed that he had no plans to retire.

The Simpsons has been on air since 1989, and the new series will take the total number of episodes to 625.

China’s Army Bans Smartwatches over Security Fears

Nancy Clayson
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China’s Army Bans Smartwatches over Security Fears

China’s army has imposed a ban on smartwatches and wearable tech over security fears.

According to the People’s Liberation Army Daily, the Chinese military’s official newspaper, security concerns had been raised after one recruit had received a smartwatch as a birthday gift.

One expert said the move was a natural extension of restrictions already placed by most armies on mobile phones.

The warning was prompted by one incident in a military district in East China where a new recruit received a smartwatch as a gift from his girlfriend and tried to use the device to take a photo of his fellow soldiers.

His squad leader stopped him and reported the matter to higher authorities, which ruled that such devices can harm military action and security.China's Army Bans Smartwatches over Security Fears

The newspaper said the country’s agency responsible for protecting state secrets subsequently issued the following decree: “The use of wearables with internet access, location information, and voice-calling functions should be considered a violation of confidential regulations when used by military personnel.”

It reported that teaching materials and warning signs had subsequently been created to ensure that the message was spread among military personnel.

“The moment a soldier puts on a device that can record high-definition audio and video, take photos, and process and transmit data, it’s very possible for him or her to be tracked or to reveal military secrets,” the newspaper added.

One expert suggested, however, that the rise of wearable tech posed a challenge to military forces across the globe.

The army ban comes on the heels of a separate controversy over a Chinese TV anchor who appeared on-air wearing what looked like an Apple Watch and was accused by some viewers of “showing off her wealth.”

Philadelphia Amtrak Crash: Train Travelling at Twice the Speed Limit

Nancy Clayson
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Philadelphia Amtrak Crash: Train Travelling at Twice the Speed Limit

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people, was travelling at twice the speed limit.

The driver applied the emergency brakes when the train hit 106mph on a 50mph track, said the NTSB.

His efforts had only brought the speed down to 102mph when the deadly crash happened.

The speed was recorded in the so-called black box recovered from the wreckage.

Robert Sumwalt of the NTSB told reporters a speed control system in place along parts of that route along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor was not yet in place on that section.Philadelphia Amtrak train crash May 2015

He said: “We feel that had such a system been installed in this section of track, this accident would not have occurred.”

Amtrak Train 188 was going from Washington to New York when it derailed on May 12, leaving more 200 people injured.

The death toll rose from six to seven on May 13, as another body was found by the search and rescue team.

Only three victims have been publicly identified so far. Jim Gaines, a 48-year-old father of two and software architect for the Associated Press, was travelling home to New Jersey following a work conference in Washington DC. Justin Zemser, a-20 year-old Navy Midshipman, was on leave from the Naval Academy in Maryland, and was visiting family in New York. Wells Fargo senior vice-president Abid Gilani, the company confirmed.

One of the busiest stretches of passenger rail in the country, between Philadelphia and New York, is closed as officials continue to try to establish exactly what happened.

President Barack Obama said he was “shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the derailment”.

As emergency crews continued to dig through the wreckage, lawmakers in Washington debated the future of Amtrak’s budget, with one spending committee voting to slash their funding by almost a fifth.

Congress has only 18 more days before federal funding for transportation infrastructure expires, but the funding is likely to be temporarily extended.

Amtrak is a national publicly funded rail service, serving tens of millions of people every year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRkUkDoqC4s

USA Freedom Act: House Rejects NSA’s Bulk Collection of Phone Records

Diane A. Wade
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USA Freedom Act: House Rejects NSA’s Bulk Collection of Phone Records

House of Representatives has rejected the NSA’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records after voting in favor of the USA Freedom Act.

A 338-to-88 overwhelming vote in favor of the USA Freedom Act, already backed by the White House, means Senate backing would make it law.

The bill would empower the NSA to search data held by telephone companies on a case-by-case basis.

Bulk collection was revealed in 2013 by NSA’s former contractor Edward Snowden.House approves USA Freedom Act

Supporters of the Freedom Act, including privacy and civil rights advocates, say it protects privacy while preserving national security powers.

The bill, which only affects people within the US, would amend sections of the USA Patriot Act, which was passed after the 9/11 attacks and which will expire on June 1st.

The amendments would ban the NSA’s mass collection of telephone data – phone numbers, time and duration of calls – as well as emails and web addresses.

“Americans’ liberty and America’s security can co-exist,” said House Judiciary Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte, who voted in favor of the bill.

“These fundamental concepts are not mutually exclusive.”

Earlier this month, a US appeals court ruled that bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency was illegal.

Burundi Coup: President Pierre Nkurunziza Unable to Return from Tanzania

Roy Siemens
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Burundi Coup: President Pierre Nkurunziza Unable to Return from Tanzania

A coup took place in Burundi while President Pierre Nkurunziza was out of the country.

Pierre Nkurunziza flew back from a summit in Tanzania, but the airport had been closed to stop him from landing. His plane reportedly returned to Tanzania.

Heavy fighting has been taking place overnight between soldiers loyal to the president and those who back the coup.

Confusion remains as to whether the coup has been successful or not.

Burundi coup was announced by Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare, a former intelligence chief and ally of the president who was dismissed in February, after Pierre Nkurunziza left for Tanzania on May 13.Burundi coup 2015

Thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate the announcement.

However, overnight, army chief of staff Gen. Prime Niyongabo – a supporter of President Pierre Nkurunziza – announced: “The attempted coup… has been stopped.”

His announcement came after a night of negotiations between Gen. Prime Niyongabo and the defense minister, who backs the coup.

Factions loyal to each side began fighting each other for control of the national television and radio station, witnesses said.

There has been mounting unrest in Burundi since President Pierre Nkurunziza, who came to power in 2005, announced he was seeking a third term in office – apparently in contravention of the constitution.

Announcing the coup, Gen. Godefroid Niyombare said he did not recognize the leadership because the president’s bid for a third term violated the constitution.

“The masses vigorously and tenaciously reject President Nkurunziza’s third-term mandate. President Pierre Nkurunziza has been relieved of his duties. The government is overthrown,” he said in a radio broadcast.

A few hours later the Burundi presidency dismissed the coup attempt, saying: “It is with regret that we have learned that a group from the armed forces mutinied this morning and declared an imaginary coup.

“This coup attempt has been foiled and that these people, who read the coup announcement on the radio, are being hunted by defense and security forces so that they can be brought to justice.”

Pierre Nkurunziza had been in Dar es Salaam to discuss the crisis with regional leaders.

He flew back to Burundi upon learning of the coup, but the airport had been shut to prevent him landing, and so he had returned to Dar es Salaam. It is not clear if he remains there.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said the summit had condemned the coup, adding: “The region will not accept, nor will the region stand by, if violence does not stop or escalates in Burundi.”

The US and UN have appealed for calm.

Burundi unrest began on April 26 and has led to the deaths of more than 20 people.

Tens of thousands of Burundians have fled to neighboring states in recent weeks.

President Pierre Nkurunziza has rejected calls to postpone next month’s election. However, the summit in Tanzania urged him to do so.

Pierre Nkurunziza, a 51-year-old former rebel leader, argues that he is entitled to run for a third term because he was first appointed to the role by parliament in 2005.

The Burundian constitution states a president should govern only for two terms, but earlier this month a court upheld Pierre Nkurunziza’s interpretation.

Johnny Depp Ilegally Sneaks His Dogs in Australia

Lisa.Felice
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Johnny Depp Ilegally Sneaks His Dogs in Australia

Johnny Depp’s dogs face death in Australia if they are not removed from the country until May 16.

The 51-year-old Hollywood star and his wife, Amber Heard, are accused of breaking import laws by not declaring their Yorkshire Terriers, Boo and Pistol, to customs when they flew in to Queensland by private jet last month.

Australia has strict quarantine laws to prevent the accidental import of animal disease and infections.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the laws applied to everyone.Johnny Depp and Amber Heard dogs

Barnaby Joyce said Boo and Pistol had been “snuck in” to Australia and were discovered when they were taken to a dog groomer.

“Mr. Depp has to either take his dogs back to California or we’re going to have to euthanise them,” he told reporters on May 14.

“He’s now got about 50 hours left to remove the dogs. He can put them on the same charter jet he flew out on and fly back out of our nation.”

Dogs brought into Australia must be law be quarantined for a minimum of 10 days after arrival, longer if they are suspected of carrying any diseases or tics.

An online petition to save the “cute dogs” had received more than 1,300 signatories by midday on May 14.

“Have a heart Barnaby! Don’t kill these cute puppies,” it appealed.

There was no immediate comment from Johnny Depp or Amber Heard.

Johnny Depp is in Australia filming the fifth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Dead Men Tell No Tales.

The actor’s spokesman, Brett Chant, said the dogs were in “home quarantine”, but he did not specify where, the AP reported.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGn-x-I8taY

2015 Cannes Film Festival Opens with Emmanuelle Bercot’s La Tete Haute

Sonia Pantiss
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2015 Cannes Film Festival Opens with Emmanuelle Bercot’s La Tete Haute

The 68th annual Cannes Film Festival is getting under way in the south of France.

This year’s festival is being held from May 13 to 24.

Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman are among the notables due to attend.

Other stars, among them Cate Blanchett and Matthew McConaughey, are expected to appear during the 12-day event.

Sienna Miller and Jake Gyllenhaal will sit on a competition jury headed by sibling duo Joel and Ethan Coen.

Cannes Film Festival officially kicks off later with a gala screening of French drama La Tete Haute (Standing Tall).

France is well-represented in the race for the festival’s top prize, making up five of the 19 Palme d’Or entries.

Yet this year’s line-up has been criticized for including a number of films by European film-makers that feature both Hollywood stars and English-language dialogue.Cannes Film Festival 2015

They include Youth, from Italy’s Paolo Sorrentino, which stars Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel as old friends vacationing in the Alps.

Another contentious title is The Lobster, from Greece’s Yorgos Lanthimos, which was shot in Dublin and has a cast headed by Colin Farrell.

A more welcomed development this year is the festival’s perceived championing of female film-makers.

La Tete Haute director Emmanuelle Bercot is only the second woman to win the coveted opening night slot since the festival began in 1946.

Director Agnes Varda, who made her name during the French New Wave of the 1960s, will become the first woman to receive an honorary Palme d’Or.

Natalie Portman, meanwhile, is presenting a special screening of her feature directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness, about the early years of Israel.

Hotly anticipated titles this year include a new film version of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, starring Michael Fassbender in the title role.

Also included in the competition line-up is Todd Haynes’ Carol, in which Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara play lovers in 1950s New York.

Films screening out of competition include Woody Allen’s latest, Irrational Man, and Amy, a documentary about Amy Winehouse that has been called “misleading” by the late singer’s father.

Mad Max: Fury Road will also have a special screening on May 14, the same day the latest installment in the apocalyptic action series opens in cinemas.

James Freeman Biography: Who Is Kenya Moore’s Married Boyfriend?

Lisa.Felice
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James Freeman Biography: Who Is Kenya Moore’s Married Boyfriend?

RHOA star Kenya Moore met “bachelor” James Freeman on the March 22 Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker episode.

Many commented on how well the pair hit it off during their date on the show and Bravo revealed at the end of the episode that the two are still dating.

However, on May 12, Kenya Moore took to Instagram to share a pretty shocking update about her Millionaire Matchmaker date, James Freeman — he got married just one week after their episode on the hit Bravo show aired. And to make the situation worse, Kenya Moore added that she learned the heartbreaking news through social media.

James Freeman married Jaimi Gregory on April 3, a week after the Millionaire Matchmaker episode aired.

Jaimi Gregory Freeman, 36, is a beach volleyball player, coach, and entrepreneur.

She is the coach of the Laguna Beach 14’s Team.

Photo Instagram
Photo Instagram

James Freeman is an eleven-year veteran of real estate investment analysis, and a sixteen-year veteran of corporate strategic development and operations.

He has held multiple executive management positions with specific responsibility for the oversight of commercial real estate and private equity investments

James Freeman currently serves as Senior Managing Partner of Evolution Real Estate Partners, LLC and is a member of EREP’s Board of Directors and Investment Committee.

He is responsible for all facets of executive management including the development of EREP’s vision and strategy.

Evolution Real Estate Partners, LLC (“EREP”) is a real estate investment firm that acquires Non-Performing Assets (“NPAs”), which include Non-Performing Loans (“NPLs”) and Other Real Estate (“ORE”) from underserved market segments of the banking sector in the U.S. and Europe which lacked the benefit of a government-led recapitalization.

Prior to EREP, James Freeman acted as Managing Director of Evolution Capital Management (EVO), an investment advisory firm which historically managed a $1 billion+ balance sheet. Prior to EVO, James Freeman was the Founder and Managing Partner of Iron Grove Realty Advisors (IGR), a full-service commercial real estate advisory firm whose client list included JP Morgan Chase, Wyndham Hotel Group, Mesirow Financial and Meridian Development Partners. Prior to IGR, James Freeman held the position of Vice President, Business Development for Wyndham Hotel Group, one of the largest hotel companies in the world, with a 2006 market cap of $6.2 billion.

Prior to Wyndham, James Freeman held the position of Vice President, Business Development for Cendant Corporation, A Fortune 300 diversified conglomerate in which he had direct accountability for the generation of $100+ million in annual departmental and affiliate revenues.

James Freeman graduated with a B.A. from Princeton University, and attended New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate where he maintained a GPA of 4.0, before leaving to join EVO.

Jaimi Gregory Freeman Biography: Meet James Freeman’s Wife

Lisa.Felice
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Jaimi Gregory Freeman Biography: Meet James Freeman’s Wife

A shocked Kenya Moore learnt this week that her boyfriend James Freeman, who she was set up with on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker, was secretly married.

The 44-year-old Real Housewives of Atlanta star thought they were still dating when she found out online he had gotten married to another woman.

James Freeman, a Princeton educated investment banker, married Jaimi Gregory on April 3, a week after the Bravo show aired.

Jaimi Gregory Freeman, 36, is a beach volleyball player, coach, and entrepreneur.

She is the coach of the Laguna Beach 14’s Team.

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

According to her athlete profile, she was born September 2, 1978 in Westminster, California and now lives in San Jose.

The 5’7’’ blonde is the daughter of Gerald and Sally Gregory. Her parents are athletes too, her father was the head coach at Oregon from 1986-94, and was a teammate of Stanford coach Don Shaw on the US National Team from 1978-1979 ; while her mother,  swam and played water polo at UC Santa Barbara from 1972-1976, and played volleyball for Wright State in 1977.

Jaimi Gregory Freeman attended Stanford where she played for the team.

Kenya Moore wrote on Instagram on May 12: “Unfortunately, I just learned today that the man I met and fell in love with from Millionaire Matchmaker was married a week after the show aired. I am astounded and devastated to have learned this news VIA social media as opposed to from him directly.”

The former Miss USA met James Freeman back in March after being set up by Millionaire Matchmaker star Patti Stanger.

Kenya Moore posted a photo of herself and James Freeman on Instagram on March 22, just 12 days before James and his fiancée Jaimi Gregory tied the knot on April 3.

Jaimi Gregory Freeman: Who Is James Freeman’s Wife?

Lisa.Felice
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Jaimi Gregory Freeman: Who Is James Freeman’s Wife?

Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore revealed on May 12 that her boyfriend James Freeman, who she was set up with on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker, was secretly married.

It appears James Freeman married Jaimi Gregory on April 3, a week after the Bravo show aired.

According to Jaimi Gregory Freeman’s Facebook account, she is a volleyball player, coach, and entrepreneur.

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

Kenya Moore, 44, wrote on Instagram on May 12: “Unfortunately, I just learned today that the man I met and fell in love with from Millionaire Matchmaker was married a week after the show aired. I am astounded and devastated to have learned this news VIA social media as opposed to from him directly.”

The former Miss USA met James Freeman, a Princeton educated investment banker, back in March after being set up by Millionaire Matchmaker star Patti Stanger.

Kenya Moore posted a photo of herself and James Freeman on Instagram on March 22, just 12 days before James and his fiancée Jaimi Gregory tied the knot on April 3.

She captioned the picture: “Sometimes you can spend your whole life looking for Prince Charming when a King arrives.”

Kenya Moore added: “Thank you @pattistanger and @cynthiabailey10 and my fans for your love and support and desire for my happiness. #matchmaker #KingJames #FriendsFirst #MillionaireMatchmaker.”

Abu Alaa al-Afri: ISIS Deputy Leader Killed in Iraq

Roy Siemens
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Abu Alaa al-Afri: ISIS Deputy Leader Killed in Iraq

ISIS deputy leader Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed, also known as Abu Alaa al-Afri, has been killed in a US-led coalition air strike in northern Iraq, the Iraqi ministry of defense says.

The second-in-command of Islamic State was inside a mosque in Tal Afar that was targeted, spokesman General Tahsin Ibrahim said.Abu Alaa al-Afri ISIS Deputy Leader Killed in Iraq

Abu Alaa al-Afri had been meeting dozens of militants who also died in the strike, he added.

In recent weeks, there were unconfirmed reports that Abu Alaa al-Afri had taken temporary charge of ISIS operations.

Iraqi security sources claimed that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been incapacitated as a result of a coalition air strike in northern Iraq in March.

Last week, the US state department offered a reward of up to $7 million for information on Abu Alaa al-Afri, whom it identified as Abdul Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli.

Characteristics of becoming a successful writer

Dana R
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Characteristics of becoming a successful writer

Some people think that becoming a writer is difficult, which is not right. The main thing is not becoming a writer the point is to become a good writer. The point of discussion id that writer are born or made, there is a difference between talent and learned talent, most of the philosophers and professional writer believe that any one can be a writer because there is no talent that can not be adopt or learned. You can easily become a writer but you must have some skills, the skills are as follows:

Reading habit: the one known habit of writers is reading it is known as necessary that writer have to read different books, topics, contents and other related things. But the main focused thing is that you have to read the content in which you are not interested, because some of the writer and people use to read just that content in which they are interested.

successful writer
Photo Source: www.forbes.com

Imaginary thoughts: the most important characteristic of a good writer is that his thoughts must be futuristic and also revolves around the imaginations. The thoughts should be imaginary in a way that if you are sitting indoor but you can imagine a whole outdoor scenario, like you can portray the whole scene on your mind and then translate it in your words. The words that can explain that thought that scenario and can express the imagination. The other point is that you have to write it in a way that the imagination feels like reality. But you must have some raw material for your imagination that you can easily write about it like for example a princess it is a material for your imagination.

Passionate: the most important and necessity to become a writer is that you must have a passion to write, that you are writing for your satisfaction or writing it as a hobby. But if you are just writing it for money than you cannot write it in a way that can be attractive or appealing because the passion is not there. The one who writes with passion and deep from the core of heart and with attentive mind you can automatically find the writing content valuable.

Ambition:  there are many professions in which you can be successful without ambition, but the writing is the one profession in which you are nothing without the ambition. When you set a goal that you have to become the most remarkable writers hen you can do it. The most concerned thing is that without the ambition you write it and will be in the pool of unknown writers. http://www.top10writers.com visit this site to get the guide of writers and to enhance your writing skills

Good story telling: the only way to attract the audience towards the story is the way of telling the story, the story is based on many truths and lies, and you have to explain the lie as a truth and the truth as a lie. Your way of telling the story makes you a successful writer. These are the initials of becoming the writer.

Conclusion:

Once the writing skills are developed then it will be quite easy to pour your thoughts on a piece of paper. Yes it requires time, but very soon you will be one of the top writers.

Kenya Moore Reveals Her Millionaire Matchmaker Boyfriend James Freeman is Married

Lisa.Felice
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Kenya Moore Reveals Her Millionaire Matchmaker Boyfriend James Freeman is Married

Former Miss USA and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore revealed via Instagram that her boyfriend James Freeman, whom she met on Millionaire Matchmaker, secretly married someone else behind her back.

Kenya Moore, 44, said she first discovered the news after photos of James Freeman and his new wife surfaced online.

She wrote on Instagram: “Unfortunately, I just learned today that the man I met and fell in love with from Millionaire Matchmaker was married a week after the show aired. I am astounded and devastated to have learned this news VIA social media as opposed to from him directly.”Kenya Moore and James Freeman on Millionaire Matchmaker

Kenya Moore added: “However, I still believe in love and my heart remains open to the man God has for me. I wish him well.”

She met James Freeman back in March after being set up by Millionaire Matchmaker star Patti Stanger.

While Kenya Moore’s Instagram account doesn’t have many pictures of James Freeman, she did share a photo of them together shortly after her episode of Millionaire Matchmaker aired.

She captioned the picture: “Sometimes you can spend your whole life looking for Prince Charming when a King arrives.”

Kenya Moore added: “Thank you @pattistanger @cynthiabailey10 and my fans for your love and support and desire for my happiness. #matchmaker #KingJames #FriendsFirst #MillionaireMatchmaker.”

Toyota and Nissan Issue Massive Auto Recall over Takata Airbags

Clyde K. Valle
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Toyota and Nissan Issue Massive Auto Recall over Takata Airbags

A total of 6.5 million Toyota and Nissan cars are being recalled worldwide to replace potentially faulty airbag inflators produced by Takata.

Toyota said it was recalling just under 5 million cars, including the Corolla, Vitz and other models made between March 2003 and November 2007.

Nissan is recalling about 1.56 million cars over the same issue.

The Japanese carmakers said the recall was for investigative purposes and no accidents or injuries have been reported.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Toyota, the world’s biggest carmaker, said the recall affected 35 of its models made around the world and that it would include 1.36 million cars in Japan.

The move is the latest in the saga of potentially exploding airbags made by Japanese car parts maker Takata that has been linked to at least six deaths – all in Honda cars.

After the recalls by Toyota and Nissan were announced, Honda – Japan’s No 3 carmaker – said it was also preparing to announce more car recalls related to the air bags.

No details were given on the number of cars Honda would recall.

In March, Honda had said it was recalling another 100,000 vehicles in the US related to the airbags.

About 25 million vehicles with Takata airbags have been recalled worldwide by 10 different carmakers since 2008.

Germany’s Economic Growth Slows Down in Q1 2015

Clyde K. Valle
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Germany’s Economic Growth Slows Down in Q1 2015

According to latest official figures, the German economy slowed by more than expected in Q1 2015, growing by just 0.3%.

That compares with growth of 0.7% in Q4 2015, and was below analysts’ estimates of 0.5%.

Meanwhile, the French economy grew at its fastest rate in nearly two years, expanding by 0.6% in Q1 2015.

The growth figure is the strongest since Q2 2013, when France’s economy expanded by 0.7%.

Last month, INSEE said French consumer spending grew by 1.6% in Q1 2015, boosted by lower oil prices and a weaker euro.German economy slows down in 2015

French industrial production grew at its fastest pace for four years in the first quarter, INSEE added.

Despite private consumption and investment in construction and industrial equipment rising. Germany saw its exports fall which held economic growth back.

The German Federal Statistics Office also released inflation data which showed consumer prices rose by 0.5% in the year to April, up from 0.3% in March.

The figure was a marginal upward revision from the first estimate of 0.4%.

Inflation in German, as in the rest of the eurozone, remains stubbornly below the European Central Bank’s (ECB) target of just below 2%. The bank launched a €60 billion monthly bond buying program in March to try to stimulate the region and avoid deflation.

Italy’s economy grew slightly more than expected in the first quarter, fuelling hopes of a recovery.

The economy expanded by 0.3% in Q1 2015 having been flat in Q4 2014 and was flat on an annual basis official figures showed, beating analysts’ forecasts for 0.2% growth.

It is the first time the Italian economy has grown since Q3 2011.

An estimate of economic growth across the whole of the eurozone is due later.

Karachi Attack: 43 Shia Muslims Killed as Gunmen Open Fire on Bus

Roy Siemens
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Karachi Attack: 43 Shia Muslims Killed as Gunmen Open Fire on Bus

Gunmen attacked a bus carrying Ismaili Shia Muslims in the Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least 43 and injuring other 20, police say.

According to Karachi police, six gunmen on motorcycles, appearing to be from a banned extremist group, stopped the bus and fired indiscriminately.

The bus carrying about 60 was going to an Ismaili Shia place of worship.

Shia minority are the target of frequent sectarian attacks from Sunni militant groups.

Photo EPA
Photo EPA

No group has yet said it carried out the attack.

Provincial police chief Ghulam Haider Jamali said the attack appeared to be the work of the same group involved in recent drive-by shootings of senior police officials in Karachi.

Ghulam Haider Jamali said the bus was on its way to an Ismaili Shia Muslim place of worship when gunmen boarded it in the Safoora Goth area of Karachi and fired at those on board.

The attackers are said to have escaped easily.

The Taliban and other Sunni Muslim extremist groups have targeted Shia Muslims in Pakistan in the past.

In the last few months, several mosques belonging to religious minorities have been bombed.

Pakistan is about 20% Shia and 70% Sunni. Ismaili Shias, in common with other Shia Muslims revere Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKHkjawS_fo

Philadelphia: Amtrak Train Crash Kills at Least Five

Nancy Clayson
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Philadelphia: Amtrak Train Crash Kills at Least Five

An Amtrak train has derailed in Philadelphia, killing at least five people and injuring dozens of others.

Up to 10 carriages of the Washington-New York Amtrak service went off the track on May 12.

Emergency officials and fire-fighters are at the scene looking for passengers who may be trapped in the wreckage.

More than 240 people were on board Train 188, officials say.

It is not known what caused the derailment.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was dispatching a team of investigators to the crash site.

Photo AP
Photo AP

The train derailed in a suburb of Philadelphia, shortly after leaving the city’s main station.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said at least five people died.

“It is a devastating scene,” Michael Nutter told reporters.

“Never seen anything like this in my life.”

“We walked the entire length of the train area. The engine [is] completely separated from the rest of the train and one of the cars is perpendicular to the rest of the cars. It’s unbelievable.”

The mayor also said that, according to preliminary information, 243 people were on the train. Not all had been accounted for, he said.

A fire official was quoted as saying that more than 50 people were taken to hospital, six of them critically injured.

TV footages from the scene showed injured passengers being taken away on stretchers and fire-fighters using ladders to search for those trapped in wreckage.

Many others appeared to have minor injuries.

Former Congressman Patrick Murphy tweeted that he was on the train when it crashed.

“Im on @Amtrak train that just crashed. Im ok. Helping others. Pray for those injured,” Patrick Murphy wrote.

Associated Press employee Paul Cheung said he was fortunate to be at the back of the train and the front of it “looks pretty bad”, the news agency reported.

Paul Cheung said he saw “some people mangled up”.

He said just before the crash the train “started to decelerate, like someone had slammed the brake”.

Paul Cheung added that the front of the train was “a complete wreck. The whole thing is like a pile of metal”.

The crash took place close to the scene of one of the worst rail accidents in US history. In 1943, 79 people were killed when a train travelling from Washington to New York derailed.

Amtrak is a national publicly funded rail service, serving tens of millions of people every year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-GJQ59YeKI

Hyon Yong-chol: North Korea Defense Minister Executed for Falling Asleep

Diane A. Wade
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Hyon Yong-chol: North Korea Defense Minister Executed for Falling Asleep

According to South Korea’s spy agency, General Hyon Yong-chol, the North Korean defense minister, has been executed for showing disloyalty to Kim Jong-un.

The spy agency has told South Korean parliament that Gen. Hyon Yong-chol was killed on April 30 by anti-aircraft fire in front of an audience of hundreds, the Yonhap news agency reports.

It said Hyon Yong-chol had fallen asleep during an event attended by Kim Jong-un and had not carried out instructions.Hyon Yong chol North Korea defense minister executed

Reports from North Korea are impossible to independently confirm.

According to analysis site NK News, Hyon Yong-chol had last appeared in state media a day before the alleged execution date.

Hyon Yong-chol is believed to have been a general since 2010, though little is known about him. He served on the committee for late leader Kim Jong-il’s funeral in December 2011, an indication of his growing influence.

He was appointed defense minister in 2014.

Kim Jong-un has conducted a series of purges of close officials since becoming North Korea’s leader.

The most notable was his uncle, Chang Song-thaek – once North Korea’s second-most powerful figure.

Chang Song-thaek was arrested in December 2013 in front of a party meeting, found guilty of treason and immediately executed. The move was widely seen as the young Kim Jong-un stamping his authority.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3X4iLYIFLI

Second Nepal Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 48

Diane A. Wade
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Second Nepal Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 48

At least 48 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in the second earthquake that hit Nepal on May 12, officials say.

At least 17 have also died in India.

The 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck eastern Nepal, near Mount Everest, two weeks after more than 8,000 people died in a devastating quake.Nepal second earthquake May 2015

It hit near the town of Namche Bazaar and sent thousands of panicked residents on to the streets of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

The April 25 quake’s magnitude was 7.8.

The latest quake struck at 12:35 Nepali time and was centered about 47 miles east of Kathmandu, in a rural area close to the Chinese border.

The quake was felt in northern India, Tibet and Bangladesh. India’s home ministry said 16 people had been killed in the state of Bihar, and one more in Uttar Pradesh. Officials in China said one person was confirmed dead in Tibet.

Rescue helicopters have been sent to districts east of Kathmandu that are believed to be worst hit.

Verizon Agrees to Buy AOL for $4.4 Billion

Clyde K. Valle
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Verizon Agrees to Buy AOL for $4.4 Billion

Verizon has agreed to buy AOL in a deal worth $4.4 billion.

Buying AOL will broaden the amount of advertising Verizon can sell and will increase video production.

AOL owns websites such as the Huffington Post, Techcrunch, Engadget, Makers and AOL.com.

Verizon is trying to become more of a one-stop shop for internet services and entertainment.Verizon buys AOL

AOL, famous for posting compact discs for its services through thousands of letterboxes in the 1990s, still has two million customers for its slower dial-up internet service.

It also became memorable for its messaging service, which would greet users with an audio clip that would cheerfully announce “you’ve got mail!”.

In 2001, during the dotcom stock market bubble, AOL merged with Time Warner in a deal valued at more than $160 billion when it was announced. The deal was unwound in 2009 when AOL was split off into a separate company.

In 2014, AOL had only 0.74% of the $145 billion global digital advertising market, according to eMarketer. Market leader Google had 31.4% market share last year, followed by Facebook with 7.9%.

As well as automated advertising, Verizon said the deal would give impetus to its 4G wireless video and internet video ambitions, and feed into its plans for capitalizing on the so-called “internet of things”.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong will continue to lead the company if the deal goes through – the transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

“We are excited to work with the team at Verizon to create the next generation of media through mobile and video,” Tim Armstrong said.

Verizon is offering $50 a share for AOL, compared with AOL’s closing price of $42.59 on May 11.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMOCKufFNAI

 

Top Seven $100 Million Artworks

Sonia Pantiss
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Top Seven $100 Million Artworks

1. Pablo Picasso, Women of Algiers – $160 million (2015)

Pablo Picasso Women of Algiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Francis Bacon, Three Studies of Lucian Freud – $142m (2013)Francis Bacon Three Studies of Lucian Freud

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Alberto Giacometti, Pointing Man – $141.3 million (2015)Alberto Giacometti Pointing Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Edvard Munch, The Scream – $119.9 million (2012)

Edvard Munch The Scream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Pablo Picasso, Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust – $106.5 million (2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Alberto Giacometti, Walking Man I – $104.3 million (2010)Giacometti Walking Man I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Pablo Picasso, Boy With a Pipe – $104.1 million (2004)Pablo Picasso Boy with a Pipe

Picasso’s Women of Algiers Becomes Most Expensive Painting to Sell at Auction

Sonia Pantiss
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Picasso’s Women of Algiers Becomes Most Expensive Painting to Sell at Auction

Pablo Picasso’s Les Femmes d’Alger (Women of Algiers) has become the most expensive painting to sell at auction after fetching $160 million at Christie’s in New York on May 11.

Eleven minutes of prolonged bidding from telephone buyers preceded the final sale – for much more than its pre-sale estimate of $140 million.

Once the bidding reached $120 million, the Picasso was pursued by five clients on telephones, often in agonizingly slow, $1 million increments, before finally being sold to a buyer represented by Brett Gorvy, Christie’s international head of contemporary art.

The final price was $179.3 million including commission of just over 12%.

The previous all-time auction high, also at Christie’s, had been the $142.4 million paid by Elaine Wynn, co-founder of the Wynn casino empire, for Francis Bacon’s Three Studies of Lucian Freud in November 2013.Picasso Women of Algiers record price at auction

Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’) is the most opulent and imposing of a series of paintings that Pablo Picasso produced from 1954 to 1955 in response to Eugène Delacroix’s 1834 Orientalist masterpiece, Women of Algiers. It had last been on the market in November 1997, when it sold for $31.9 million at a Christie’s auction of works owned by the American collectors, Victor and Sally Ganz. It was bought at that auction by a Saudi collector and kept in a house in London, said two dealers with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named because of concerns over confidentiality.

The sale also featured Alberto Giacometti’s life-size sculpture Pointing Man, which set its own record.

The Swiss-born sculptor is renowned for his hauntingly emaciated figures made in postwar Paris when Europe was in the grip of Existentialist angst. He became one of the art market’s ultimate trophy names in February 2010 after the billionaire Lily Safra paid $103.4 million for the 1961 bronze, Walking Man I, at a Sotheby’s auction in London.

Pointing Man is now the most expensive sculpture sold at auction, after going for $141.3 million. Both buyers chose to remain anonymous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF9JY4aD7VY

El Nino Weather Phenomenon Predicted for 2015

James J. Williams
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El Nino Weather Phenomenon Predicted for 2015

According to scientists, the El Nino weather pattern, which can drive droughts and flooding, is underway in the tropical Pacific for the first time in 5 years.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology predicted that El Nino could be a “substantial” event.

The phenomenon arises from variations in ocean temperatures.

The El Nino is still in its early stages, but has the potential to cause extreme weather around the world.

US scientists announced earlier in April that El Nino had arrived, but it was described then as “weak”.El Nino 2015

Australian scientists said models suggested it could strengthen from September onwards, but it was too early to determine with confidence how strong it could be.

“This is a proper El Nino effect, it’s not a weak one,” David Jones, manager of climate monitoring and prediction at the Bureau of Meteorology, told reporters.

“You know, there’s always a little bit of doubt when it comes to intensity forecasts, but across the models as a whole we’d suggest that this will be quite a substantial El Nino event.”

El Nino had been expected during last year’s record-breaking temperatures, but failed to materialize.

The last El Nino in 2010 was linked with monsoons in Southeast Asia, droughts in southern Australia, the Philippines and Ecuador, blizzards in the United States, heatwaves in Brazil and extreme flooding in Mexico.

El Nino is a warming of the Pacific Ocean as part of a complex cycle linking atmosphere and ocean.

The event is known to disrupt weather patterns around the world, and can bring wetter winters to the southwest US and droughts to northern Australia.

The consequences of El Nino are much less clear for Europe.

Extreme weather events like El Nino will become more intense as global temperatures rise, researchers say.

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