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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.

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.

Ananta Bijoy Das: Third Secular Blogger Killed in Bangladesh

Diane A. Wade
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Ananta Bijoy Das: Third Secular Blogger Killed in Bangladesh

Secular blogger Ananta Bijoy Das has been killed in north-eastern Bangladesh in the country’s third such deadly attack since the beginning of 2015.

Ananta Bijoy Das was attacked by a masked gang wielding machetes in the north-eastern city of Sylhet, police said.

He wrote blogs for Mukto-Mona, a website once moderated by Avijit Roy, himself hacked to death in February.Secular blogger Ananta Bijoy Das killed in Bangladesh

Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-born US writer, had criticized religious intolerance.

He was killed in a machete attack while he was visiting the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, as he returned with his wife from a book fair in the city. His widow suffered head injuries and lost a thumb.

In March, another blogger, Washiqur Rahman, was hacked to death in Dhaka.

The attack on Avijit Roy prompted massive protests from students and social activists, who accused the authorities of failing to protect critics of religious bigotry.

An Islamist has been arrested over Avijit Roy’s murder, while two madrassa students have been arrested over Washiqur Rahman’s killing.

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

Chinese Billionaire Li Jinyuan Takes 6,400 Employees on Holiday to France

Kathryn R. Bown
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Chinese Billionaire Li Jinyuan Takes 6,400 Employees on Holiday to France

Tiens Group has treated more than half of its 12,000 employees to a four-day holiday in Paris and Nice.

The huge Chinese company booked up 140 hotels in Paris as part of the package, a French foreign ministry spokeswoman said on May 7.

The trip by the 6,400-strong group included a mass visit to the Louvre museum, Le Parisien reported.

The members of one of the biggest Chinese groups ever to come to Europe arranged themselves on the Promenade des Anglais in the southern resort town of Nice to spell out the phrase “Tiens’ dream is Nice in the Cote d’Azur”.Tiens Group French vacation

Guinness World Records inspectors duly declared that the visitors had created the longest human-made phrase visible from the sky. The mass trip to France, and the stunt in Nice, were organized to mark 20 years of the Tiens Group.

Tiens Group chairman Li Jinyuan, 57, met France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius on May 6.

He booked 4,760 rooms in 79 four-and five-star hotels in Cannes and Monaco. The tourists also required 146 buses to drive them around. Nice was estimated to be €20 million ($22 million) better off for the visit.

According to the Tiens website, Li Jinyuan founded the group in 1995 and has expanded it into an international conglomerate with businesses in biotechnology, health management, ecommerce, hotel and tourism, among others.

Li Jinyuan is listed on the Forbes 2011 list of the world’s billionaires.

Burt Reynolds Walks with Cane at Wizard World Comic Con in Philadelphia

Lisa.Felice
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Burt Reynolds Walks with Cane at Wizard World Comic Con in Philadelphia

Burt Reynolds appeared a bit frail as he supported himself with a cane as he made his debut at the Wizard World Comic Con in Philadelphia on May 9.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

The 79-year-old Hollywood icon was on hand to speak to the audience during a Q&A session about his second memoir, But Enough About Me, coming out in November.

The book will reportedly focus on the people Burt Reynolds’ worked with throughout his illustrious career.

Though Burt Reynolds claims to have gotten along with 98 percent of the people he worked with, there’s still an ample 2 percent – of his films starting from 1959 – that will be grilled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr4_rVHIjtU

John Kerry Visits Russia for First Time Since Ukraine Crisis

Diane A. Wade
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John Kerry Visits Russia for First Time Since Ukraine Crisis

Secretary of State John Kerry flies to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin during his first visit to the country since the beginning of Ukraine in early 2014.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the visit a “positive step” and said the Russian president was prepared for “extensive” discussions at the meeting in Sochi.

Jonh Kerry will also meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

The West accuses Russia of arming rebels in eastern Ukraine and sending troops there – charges Moscow denies.John Kerry to meet Vladimir Putin in Sochi

More than 6,000 people have been killed since fighting began in April 2014 between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The conflict followed Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said John Kerry’s trip was “part of our ongoing effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure US views are clearly conveyed”.

Dmitry Peskov praised John Kerry’s decision to travel to Russia, adding: “We are always open to showing a political will for a broader dialogue.

“Through dialogue, it is possible to look for paths to a certain normalization, to a closer co-ordination in decisions.”

Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said Russia was prepared to discuss international “hot spots” as well as bilateral relations, and that the issue of Western sanctions against Russia would not be raised by the Russian side.

Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement blaming the US for provoking the Ukraine crisis and attempting to “isolate Russia” while demanding its allies follow suit.

John Kerry’s visit comes two days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended a wreath-laying ceremony in Moscow to commemorate the Russians killed during World War Two.

At a joint news conference with Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel said the annexation of Crimea had caused “a serious setback in our relations”.

Angela Merkel and other Western leaders boycotted a military parade in Red Square on May 9.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGDqmbK8_aM

New Nepal Earthquake Strikes Near Mount Everest

Diane A. Wade
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New Nepal Earthquake Strikes Near Mount Everest

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck eastern Nepal, near Mount Everest, killing at least four people.

The new tremor hit the country two weeks after more than 8,000 died in another devastating quake.

An unknown number of people are injured in the latest earthquake, according to aid agencies.

The quake hit near the town of Namche Bazaar, near Mount Everest.

According to the US Geological Survey, the latest earthquake had a magnitude of 7.3.Nepal earthquake 2015

The April 25 earthquake, centered in western Nepal, had a magnitude of 7.8.

The latest tremor was felt in northern India and Bangladesh.

In the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, which was badly damaged last month, people rushed out of buildings as the quake struck at 12:35 local time.

At least four people were killed in the town of Chautara, east of the capital, Kathmandu, where a number of buildings are reported to have collapsed.

The International Organization for Migration said bodies were being pulled from rubble there.

The epicenter of the latest earthquake was 52 miles east of Kathmandu, in a rural area close to the Chinese border.

It struck at a depth of 11.5 miles, according to the US Geological Survey.

The April 25 earthquake was 9.3 miles deep. Shallower earthquakes are more likely to cause more damage at the surface.

Si Robertson Stars in War Movie Faith of Our Fathers

Sonia Pantiss
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Si Robertson Stars in War Movie Faith of Our Fathers

Duck Dynasty ’s Uncle Si Robertson stars in Stephen Baldwin’s war drama Faith of Our Fathers.

Directed by Carey Scott, the movie is about two sons on a road trip to learn about their fathers. It is set in 1969 during Vietnam the War, where the two young fathers report to duty. One father has a strong faith and the other one is a cynic. Years later, their sons, Wayne and John Paul, meet as strangers and they form a friendship as they try to retrace their fathers’ footsteps.Si Robertson stars Faith of Our Fathers

Guided by handwritten letters from their fathers from the battlefield, they embark on an unforgettable journey to The Wall-the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Along the way, they discover the devastation of war cannot break the love of a father for his son.

Si Robertson, a Vietnam veteran himself, says he is proud to be part of a movie that promotes patriotism.

The Duck Dynasty star, who plays a gas station clerk in the war drama, believes the movie is important because it shows the many sacrifices made by the men who fought in wars.

Si Robertson wrote on his Facebook page: “Faith of Our Fathers does its best to honor the men who gave up their lives for their country. Hey, it’s a must see Jack!”

Faith of Our Fathers, also starring Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Downes and David A.R. White, will premiere on July 1st on the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

Francois Hollande Meets Fidel Castro in Havana

Diane A. Wade
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Francois Hollande Meets Fidel Castro in Havana

Francois Hollande has arrived in Havana to meet former Cuban leader Fidel Castro on a historic trip to the Communist island.

The French president is using the one-day trip to Cuba to build business and diplomatic relations five months after a detente between Havana and Washington.

Fidel Castro and Francois Hollande’s meeting was due at 15:00 local time on May 11, away from TV cameras, said the Elysee Palace.

Francois Hollande is the first French president to visit Cuba since 1898.

Speaking at the University of Havana, Francois Hollande said France would do its utmost to ensure that “the measures which have so badly harmed Cuba’s development can finally be repealed”.Francois Hollande in Cuba

Francois Hollande was referring to the US trade embargo with Cuba, which remains in place, although relations between the US and Cuba have improved in recent months.

He was due to meet his current Cuban counterpart, Fidel Castro’s brother and successor Raul, later on Monday evening.

The visit is the first trip by a Western head of state to the Communist island since the diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the US was announced in December 2014.

Francois Hollande announced plans to double the number of scholarships to enable Cuban students to continue their studies in France, as part of attempts to increase academic and scientific co-operation between the two nations.

Earlier on Monday, Francois Hollande bestowed France’s highest award, the Legion of Honour, on the head of the Catholic Church in Cuba, Cardinal Jaime Ortega.

The Cuban Catholic Church has acted as a mediator between dissidents and the Communist government.

Unlike some other European countries, France has long maintained reasonably good relations with Cuba and wants to benefit from the new economic openness.

After landing at Havana airport, Francois Hollande said the visit was a moment of “great emotion”.

Before arriving, Francois Hollande told reporters that France sought to “be the first among European nations, and the first among Western nations, to be able to say to the Cubans that we will be at their side if they decide themselves to take needed steps toward opening up”.

A number of high-ranking US and European politicians have visited Cuba since December 17, when the US and Cuba announced they would move towards re-establishing diplomatic ties.

They include New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini and top diplomats from Japan and Russia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_y2h8rEuaU

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