Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is accused of bombing Boston Marathon in April 2013, has been found guilty of all 30 charges that he faced, many of which carry the death penalty.
The jury in Massachusetts will now decide what sentence Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, will receive.
Three people were killed and more than 260 injured when the bombs exploded at the finish line in April 2013.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s lawyers admitted he played a role in the attacks but said his older brother was the driving force.
The guilty conviction was widely expected. In the next phase of the trial, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s legal team will push for him to be given a life-in-prison sentence instead of death.
His chief lawyer, Judy Clarke, specializes in defending high-profile clients facing the death penalty, including the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski.
Although Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s defense team had repeatedly appealed for a change of venue, Boston is not known for its support of capital punishment.
Massachusetts abolished the practice in 1984 and has not executed anyone since 1947. But Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted of federal, not state crimes.
A police officer was killed in the days following the attack as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan, who also died, attempted to flee.
As the guilty verdicts were read on April 8, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev kept his hands folded in front of him and looked down.
Nearby, the mother of one victim, 8-year-old Martin Richard, wiped tears from her face after the verdict was read. Martin Richard’s father embraced one of the prosecutors.
The governor of Massachusetts welcomed the verdict, and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said: “I hope today’s verdict provides a small amount of closure.”
The family of Officer Sean Collier, who was killed days after the attack, said: “While today’s verdict can never bring Sean back, we are thankful that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be held accountable for the evil that he brought to so many families.”
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s defense team say he took part in the bombing, but argue that his elder brother, Tamerlan, was the mastermind of the attack who influenced Dzhokhar into participating.
Prosecutors portrayed the brothers as equal partners in a plan to “punish America” for wars in Muslim countries.
Among the most damning evidence was a video that showed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev placing a backpack bomb near to Martin Richard, and a statement scrawled inside the boat where he was found hiding days after the attack.
“Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop,” Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote, as he lay wounded and bleeding inside the dry-docked boat in suburban garden.
The jury was also shown a surveillance video of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev casually purchasing milk at a nearby supermarket less than 30 minutes after the bombs wreaked carnage at the finish line.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is an ethnic Chechen. His family moved to the US about a decade before the bombings.
North Korea has urged Mexico to free one of its ships detained in Veracruz state in 2014.
It has accused Mexico of illegally holding its Mu Du Bong ship, after it ran aground last year.
Pyonyang blames the United States for making sure the ship is not released.
North Korea said the Mu Du Bong was a legitimate commercial ship and its detention a “rampant violation” of sovereignty.
However, a UN expert says the ship belongs to North Korea’s Ocean Maritime Management, which is on a UN blacklist.
In July 2013 one of North Korea’s ships was seized in Panama after Soviet-era weapons and fighter jets were found hidden under sugar sacks.
United Nations sanctions ban most arms shipments to North Korea.
Under resolutions adopted after Pyongyang’s nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, the export of all arms and related parts, with the exception of small arms and light weapons, to the communist country is prohibited.
The Mu Du Bong ran aground on a reef off Mexico’s Veracruz state in July 2014. North Korea says it has since paid a bond to cover damage to the reef.
Speaking at a news conference at the UN on April 8, North Korea’s deputy ambassador An Myong Hun said the ship and its crew should be released.
“This ship is totally a peaceful and legitimate commercial ship which sails under the direction of the Ministry of Land and Sea Transportation,” he said.
“The detention of Mu Du Bong is a rampant violation of the dignified sovereignty of the DPRK [North Korea].”
But Hugh Griffiths, co-ordinator of the UN panel that oversees sanctions violations, told journalists that there was “overwhelming” evidence to show the ship was linked to OMM.
A spokesman for Mexico’s UN mission, meanwhile, told AFP news agency his country was “fulfilling our international obligation under Security Council resolutions”.
OMM was blacklisted by the UN in July 2014. The UN said it had played a key role in arranging the shipment of concealed arms found in Panama.
Jeremy Clarkson will make his first appearance on the BBC since losing Top Gear job as the guest host of Have I Got News for You on April 24.
A spokesman for the broadcaster said: “Jeremy’s contract has not been renewed on Top Gear but he isn’t banned from appearing on the BBC.”
Jeremy Clarkson, 54, has hosted the satirical news quiz on numerous occasions.
During one appearance in 2008, Jeremy Clarkson threw a pen at regular panelist Ian Hislop that left the latter with a cut on his face.
Jeremy Clarkson was suspended by the BBC on March 10 following a “fracas” with Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon in a hotel in North Yorkshire.
Oisin Tymon, 37, suffered swelling and a split lip in the assault on March 4 and visited a hospital for his injuries.
Following an internal investigation, the broadcaster announced on March 25 Jeremy Clarkson’s contract on Top Gear would not be renewed.
According to broadcaster, Top Gear will continue without Jeremy Clarkson, however it is unclear whether co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond will remain.
France’s far-right Front National (FN) leader Marine Le Pen has said she will move to stop her father Jean-Marie Le Pen from standing in polls later this year.
In a statement Marine Le Pen said her father’s status as honorary president of the party “does not mean he can take the Front National hostage”.
Last week Marine Le Pen condemned her father for repeating his claim that the Nazi gas chambers were “a detail of history”.
Marine Le Pen is widely expected to run for president in 2017.
In the statement, Marine Le Pen says her father “seems to have entered a veritable spiral between a scorched earth strategy and political suicide”.
“Given this situation, I have told him I will oppose… his candidacy in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur,” she said.
She said Jean-Marie Le Pen’s “crude provocations seem aimed at harming me but, alas, they have dealt a very heavy blow to the whole movement”.
Earlier this month 86-year-old Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party’s founder, gave a radio interview in which he repeated his controversial remarks on the Nazi gas chambers.
His daughter condemned those remarks, leading Jean-Marie Le Pen to declare to a far-right newspaper that “one is only ever betrayed by one’s own”.
Last month the FN polled 25% of votes in the first round of local elections.
While lower than some opinion polls had predicted, correspondents say that performance showed that Marine Le Pen’s strategy, including shutting down the party’s overtly racist elements, is paying off.
Greece’s PM Alexis Tsipras has arrived in Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, as his country struggles with a debt crisis.
Alexis Tsipras will also meet Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev on April 9.
Greece is embroiled in negotiations with the EU and IMF to unblock a bailout package and could run out of funds within weeks.
Greek officials have previously pointed to Russia as a possible alternative source of financial assistance.
Analysts say Russia’s own economic woes mean any help would be limited.
“Russia is not and cannot be a (EU) substitute for Greece, it can only be a supplementary option,” said Constantinos Filis from the Institute of International Relations.
Alexis Tsipras and Vladimir Putin are expected to discuss ties between the EU and Russia, which were badly strained by the Ukraine crisis.
Before his arrival, Alexis Tsipras described the sanctions imposed by the EU and US on Russia in the wake of its annexation of the Crimea as “a road to nowhere”.
The European Parliament President, Martin Schulz, said Alexis Tsipras should not break with the EU line on sanctions.
“Greece demands and gets a lot of solidarity from the EU. We can therefore also ask for solidarity from Greece and for this solidarity not to be ended unilaterally by pulling out of joint measures,” he told a regional German newspaper, the Muenchner Merkur.
Russia imposed a ban on many western food imports in retaliation, but Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov has said the government could consider removing three countries, including Greece, from the embargo, Russian state media reported.
Alexis Tsipras came to power pledging to end austerity, but his plans have met resistance from Greece’s EU/IMF creditors, who lent the country billions to help it avoid bankruptcy.
Greece has not received bailout funds since August 2014, with the EU and IMF dissatisfied with the pace of Greek reforms.
A Greek repayment of €448 million ($483 million) to the IMF is due on April 9.
On April 7, the Greek government said Germany owed Greece nearly €279 billion ($303 billion) in war reparations for the Nazi occupation during World War Two.
South Carolina police officer Michael Slager has been charged with murder after video emerged of him shooting a black man running away from him.
State investigators arrested North Charleston Officer Michael Slager on April 7 after viewing the mobile phone video of the shooting.
According to authorities, victim Walter Lamer Scott was shot after the white officer had already targeted him with a stun gun.
The US Department of Justice is set to launch an investigation.
“When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said, announcing the arrest.
“When you make a bad decision, I don’t care if you’re behind the shield or a citizen on the street, you have to live with that decision.”
Photo North Charleston Police
Police officers in the US fatally shoot and kill hundreds of people each year, but only a handful of cases result in the officer facing criminal charges.
The incident on April 4 began after Walter Lamer Scott’s car was stopped for having a broken rear light, local media reported.
A video of the incident published by the New York Times shows a brief scuffle before Walter Lamer Scott begins running away. The video then shows Officer Michael Slager firing several shots at Walter Lamer Scott, who falls to the ground.
The Postand Courier newspaper of Charleston reported that Walter Lamer Scott had been arrested about 10 times, mostly for failing to pay child support or show up for court hearings.
His brother, Anthony Scott, told the Post and Courier that he believed his brother fled from Michael Slager because he owed child support.
Anthony Scott said that because of the video, “we have received the truth” and “through the process, justice has been served”.
Chris Stewart, a lawyer for Walter Lamer Scott’s family, called the passer-by who recorded the video a “hero”.
The shooting occurred as heightened scrutiny is being placed on police officer shootings, particularly those that involve white officers and unarmed black suspects.
A grand jury declined to indict Ferguson, Missouri officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown last August, leading to nationwide protests.
South Korean activist Lee Min-bok has flown thousands of copies of controversial Sony film The Interview over the North Korean border.
Lee Min-bok said he had carried out the launches at night four times since January, most recently on April 4.
The Seth Rogen comedy, about a fictional CIA plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, enraged Pyongyang.
Sony initially pulled The Interview after a hacking attack and threats to attack cinemas which were screening it.
But it changed its mind and gave the film a limited cinema release after being accused of responding to an attack on free speech.
The FBI says North Korea was behind the hack and threats, though it denies this.
Lee Min-bok, a defector from North Korea, said he had tied the DVDs to balloons along with bundles of US dollars and leaflets criticizing Kim Jong-un’s regime.
He told AFP news agency: “I launched thousands of copies and about a million leaflets on Saturday, near the western part of the border.”
He said the launches were all done in remote areas and without publicity but that the police “would have no right to stop me”.
Lee Min-bok told CNN, which joined him on Saturday’s launch, that he had not laughed at The Interview and found it vulgar.
But he said North Korea “hates this film because it shows Kim Jong-un as a man, not a God” and that he wanted to “tell the truth” to North Koreans.
Any North Korean who had access to a DVD player and was found to have watched the film would likely face a lengthy sentence in a prison camp.
South Korean activists have repeatedly carried out balloon drops across the border of material which they say shows the reality of life outside the restrictive country, in the hope of encouraging North Koreans to reject propaganda and stand up to their leadership.
North Korea has demanded South Korea stop such launches, saying they are provocative. Its border guards have in the past tried to shoot down the balloons.
Ryanair has canceled more than 250 flights to France due to a planned strike by French air traffic controllers.
Further cancellations are likely, the low-cost airline warned.
The SNCTA union of air traffic controllers told the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGCA) that the strike would take place on April 8 and 9.
“Disruption is expected over the whole country,” the DGCA said.
The Authority has asked airlines to cut their schedules for flights to and from France on April 8 by 40%.
The SNCTA says it is unhappy about offers made by the state on new working conditions and retirement plans.
The union has also called on its members to go on strike between April 16-18 and April 29- May 2.
“We sincerely apologize to all customers affected by this unwarranted strike action and we call on the EU and French authorities to take measures to prevent any further disruption,” said Ryanair in a statement.
“It’s grossly unfair that thousands of European travelers will once again have their travel plans disrupted by the selfish actions of a tiny number of French ATC [air traffic control] workers.”
Ryanair is offering to transfer customers’ tickets to other flights or provide refunds.
Air France says that it expects to operate almost all its long-haul flights and 60% of its medium-haul flights to and from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
Travelers booked on short- and medium-haul Air France flights on April 8 or April 9 can choose to travel between April 10 and April 15 instead, it said.
“Expect cancellations and major delays,” warned the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation on Twitter.
James Best, who was best known for his role as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on TV show Dukes of Hazzard, has died aged 88.
James Best died in a hospice in Hickory, North Carolina, after a brief illness due to complications from pneumonia, his wife Dorothy said.
Dukes of Hazzard ran on CBS from 1979 to 1985.
James Best was a prolific actor and starred in dozens of films and TV shows alongside the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Stewart.
But it was his portrayal of Sheriff Coltrane – who was forever outwitted by Luke and Bo Duke – which made him a national figure.
Beginning his on screen career in 1950, James Best secured a contract at Universal Studios and played a string of villains in westerns before moving to television.
Off screen, James Best taught drama at the University of Mississippi and University of Central Florida.
He also taught an acting class in Hollywood, working with celebrities including Gary Busey, Clint Eastwood, Farrah Fawcett and Quentin Tarantino.
In 2011, James Best sued Time Warner for using his image on Dukes of Hazzard merchandise, saying he did not receive all the royalties he was entitled.
The case was settled out of court in 2013, the day before it was due to go to trial.
James Best was last seen on screen in 2013 TV movie The Sweeter Side of Life and had been due to start work on a film called Old Soldiers, about World War Two veterans.
James Best is survived by his wife Dorothy, a son and two daughters.
If you have had the opportunity to stay up to speed with the world of technology, you have probably come to realize by now that realism and the most immersive experience combined together have been significant keys in determining the future of cloud gaming.
Though the same could be said about nearly any type of video game out there, these two specific factors are considered to be the most important, as both realism and immersion allow for much more quicker response times compared to other stimuli. And if you consider yourself to be a gamer, whether amateur or pro, we all know how recent bandwidth and latency issues can turn our gaming experience into something far less enjoyable than it was designed to be. With that being said, these are just some of the reasons why most of the world is experimenting with virtual reality gaming more than ever.
Also known as immersive multimedia in some technology circles, virtual reality has grown to be much more than a stranger at events like E3, but the latest advancements in this hardware and software still continue to turn heads. While the virtual technology we have available is still quite limited in several aspects, it is only the beginning.
The Oculus Rift headset is tested by attendees at the Eurogamer Expo at Earls Court in London.
Sony, Oculus, and Facebook — Oh My!
It was only two years ago when Facebook purchased Sony and Oculus VR, which is probably the most popular virtual reality gaming start-up to date. But while the social media giant has yet to carve any solid plans into stone as to what they plan to do with this buy of the century, several other companies are stepping up to the plate with their own virtual reality demonstrations. And as for the rest of the developers, such as Virtuix Omni, add-on virtual reality gaming equipment is creating just as much buzz.
During E3 in 2014, Virtuix Omni revealed their 360-degree treadmill, designed to be used in conjunction with the Oculus Rift headset. They even developed special shoes that users would need to wear with the low-friction surface in order to allow players to slide across the platform.
Though Oculus Rift has been receiving most of the attention since virtual gaming was introduced to the public, it’s not the only piece of hardware that’s been turning heads. Ubisoft and Electronic Arts have also hinted that they will be taking the route of virtual gaming as well in the near future.
Project Morpheus Headset
“There is No Spoon” — Project Morpheus
Initially revealed at the 2014 GDC (Game Developers Conference), industry-leader Sony has also decided to join in on the virtual gaming phenomenon with Project Morpheus. Intended to be used in conjunction with the variety of games they already have to offer to consumers, Project Morpheus’ newest evolution has a wide range of features that land right up there with the Oculus Rift. And, if we’re lucky, we may even be able to own one ourselves by 2016.
Complete with a field view that stretches to 100 degrees, Project Morpheus offers a comfortable 5.7-inch OLED screen and is able to support an outstanding 120 FPS (frames per second). In addition, one of its newest features also enables 3D audio and “social screen,” allowing users to project what they see inside the Morpheus system onto a larger television screen, which enables other players to join in.
Samsung Unpacked – Gear VR
Smartphones Get Smarter — Gear VR
Powered by the Galaxy Note 4, Samsung’s Gear VR is yet another device that has been brought to us by Oculus, the company at the forefront of the virtual reality industry. Known for their brilliant mobile phone models and their display abilities, the Gear VR was designed to give users the most cinematic experience possible in terms of both games and videos.
Using the Note 4, users can easily create an immersive effect by connecting the mobile phone into the VR device in conjunction with the 3D dual lenses. In addition to its simple touch pad and controls, Samsung is planning to give early adopters of this device access to a collection of 360-degree videos and movie trailers from a variety of studios, all pre-loaded.
Gameface Mark IV
Put Your Game Face On — GameFace
The GameFace prototype by GameFace Labs has certainly come a long way since its first introduction. Now in its fifth iteration, the GameFace virtual reality headset still doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as something like the Oculus and all of its add-ons. Instead, the GameFace offers a more inclusive solution to the casual gamer. Running on a custom Android-based virtual reality operating system, this is truly an all-in-one unit that continues to advance. Now with a 2.5k display, which is the highest in virtual reality, the GameFace headset is one that offers desktop-class graphics and much less latency than its previous models.
The Future of Reality Gaming
Each year we witness more diverse and advanced technology than the year before. And in the case of virtual reality gaming, we can only expect it to continue to grow upwards. From being able to take tours around countries you’ve never visited before to making exercise more interesting, it’s clear to see that this kind of technology has not even begun to reach its full potential. Just imagine all of the current games we play on wired gaming consoles and computers, and how they can improve by moving to a virtual reality system like the Oculus Rift or Morpheus.
Ten years ago, not many people would have ever thought that this kind of technology would ever exist, but then again, no one ever expected mobile phones to do what they are able to do now. Regardless of which genre of games you enjoy playing, whether it’s poker, puzzles, adventure, etc., don’t be too shocked if it becomes enhanced by the inclusion of virtual-reality hardware in the near future. What do you see yourself using this kind of technology for in the future? Games? Social media? With the technology we have available today, there’s no reason to leave any stone unturned.
Don McLean’s American Pie lyrics have sold for $1.2 million at a New York auction.
The 16-page original manuscript had been expected to fetch as much as $1.5 million at the Christie’s sale.
Don McLean, 69, had hinted in February the original manuscript would reveal the song’s lyrical meaning – which had always been kept a mystery.
“The writing and the lyrics will divulge everything there is to divulge,” he said.
Don McLean previously acknowledged the beginning of the song is about the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper – Jiles P. Richardson – in a plane crash, but has remained elusive about the rest of the track.
The mystery has made American Pie one of the most debated songs in music history.
Don McLean said writing the song was “a mystical trip into his past”.
The singer said he decided to sell the manuscript, which includes multiple drafts with handwritten notes and deletions, on a whim.
Eight-minute American Pie was No 1 in the US for four weeks and reached No 2 in the UK singles chart in 1972.
Kids listening to President Barack Obama’s story during the White House Easter egg roll started screaming in horror as a bee interrupted their activity.
Barack Obama, who was reading from Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, laughed as he tried to calm the youngsters down.
Photo Reuters
“Wait wait wait wait,” the president said, laughing.
“Hold on! Hold on! You guys are wild things! You aren’t supposed to be scared of bees when you’re a wild thing!”
“Bees are good. They won’t land on you. They won’t sting you. They’ll be okay,” Barack Obama said.
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has announced his 2016 White House bid.
The Republican wrote on his website: “I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government.”
Rand Paul stands out from the Republican pack because of his comparatively libertarian views.
He becomes the second Republican to enter the contest that concludes in November 2016.
A first-term senator hailing from one of the country’s most well-known libertarian families, Rand Paul first held elected office when he rode a wave of Tea Party popularity to the US senate in 2010.
Photo Reuters
Once there, Rand Paul soon drew attention when he spoke for more than 12 hours in protest about President Barack Obama’s drone policy and the nomination of John Brennan to lead the CIA.
He has proven to be a thorn in the side of many of his fellow Republicans, openly challenging them on issues such as government surveillance, drone policies and sanctions on Iran and Cuba.
Rand Paul has also questioned the size of the US military and proposed relaxing drug laws that lock up offenders at a high cost for tax payers.
It is not clear how successful Rand Paul will be amongst mainstream Republican supporters.
His father, former member of the US House of Representatives Ron Paul, ran several unsuccessful presidential campaigns that had strong appeal to libertarians who favor limited government and lower taxes.
Rand Paul is expected, however, to run a very tech-savvy campaign that could create appeal to new Republican demographics, like young voters.
He is due to make his announcement in person in a ballroom in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 7. He joins Senator Ted Cruz as the two most prominent declared candidates.
Rand Paul could face up to 20 other fellow Republicans doing battle for the nomination, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, both of whom are expected to enter the race soon.
The triumphant individual is widely expected to battle with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic favorite and former US Secretary of State.
Hillary Clinton has yet to officially announce her candidacy, but is expected to do so in the next two weeks.
Rand Paul attended Baylor University, but did not graduate.
He later attended Duke Medical School.
Rand Paul lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his wife Kelly and their three sons.
Germany owes Greece nearly €279 billion ($303 billion) in war reparations for the Nazi occupation during World War Two, the Greek government says.
It is the first time Greece has officially calculated what Germany allegedly owes it for Nazi atrocities and looting during the 1940s.
However, the German government says the issue was resolved legally years ago.
Greece’s radical left Syriza government is making the claim while struggling to meet massive debt repayment deadlines.
PM Alexis Tsipras raised the reparations issue when he met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin last month.
Photo Wikipedia
The new figure given by Greek Deputy Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas includes €10.3 billion for an occupation loan that the Nazis forced the Bank of Greece to pay.
“According to our calculations, the debt linked to German reparations is 278.7 billion euros,” Dimitris Mardas told a parliamentary committee investigating responsibility for Greece’s debt crisis.
Dimitris Mardas said the reparations calculation had been made by Greece’s state general accounting office.
Berlin paid 115 million Deutschmarks to Athens in 1960 in compensation – a fraction of the Greek demand. Greece says it did not cover payments for damaged infrastructure, war crimes and the return of the forced loan.
Germany insists the reparations issue was settled in 1990 legally and politically before Germany reunified.
Syriza politicians have frequently blamed Germany for the hardship suffered by Greeks under the tough bailout conditions imposed by international lenders.
PM Alexis Tsipras is trying to renegotiate the €240 billion EU-IMF bailout that saved Greece from bankruptcy. Greece has not received bailout funds since August last year, as the lenders are dissatisfied with the pace of Greek reforms.
A Greek repayment of €448 million to the International Monetary Fund is due on April 9.
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has said that Greece “intends to meet all obligations to all its creditors, ad infinitum”.
Michelle Obama danced to Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk with the So You Think You Can Dance All Stars at the 137th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 6.
The First Lady was on stage celebrating the 5h anniversary of her Let’s Move! campaign to battle childhood obesity.
The theme of this year’s Easter Egg Roll was #GimmeFive.
During her speech at the Easter Egg Roll, Michelle Obama encouraged healthy eating and an active lifestyle to the 35,000 White House guests.
It’s become more common for the First Lady to publicly dance in promotion of her campaign.
This comes only days after Michelle Obama sported her mom dance moves on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon during a segment called The Evolution of Mom Dancing Part 2.
President Barack Obama and World No 5 Caroline Wozniacki played tennis at the White House as part of the annual Easter Egg Roll event on April 6.
Caroline Wozniacki took part at this year’s themed #gimmefive campaign aimed at promoting more active and healthy lifestyles among American people.
Photo Reuters
This year’s White House Easter Egg Roll was broadcast on Live! with Kelly and Michael.
Rolling Easter eggs on the White House South Lawn is one of the most eagerly anticipated spring events in Washington DC.
The White House hosts the Easter Egg Roll every year, inviting children and their parents to come and hunt for eggs, take part in sports activities and enjoy celebrity appearances.
Ricky Gervais is to make satirical comedy Special Correspondents for Netflix that will see the star of The Office and Derek appear alongside Eric Bana.
Special Correspondents is a remake of a 2009 French film about a struggling radio journalist who files fake war reports.
Ricky Gervais will write and direct the comedy, described by Netflix’s Ted Sarandos as a “smart social satire with heart”.
Netflix’s plans to expand into film-making has already seen it sign deals with Adam Sandler, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Weinstein Company.
“Having shaken up the TV industry, Netflix is about to do the same to Hollywood,” said Ricky Gervais, whose Channel 4 series Derek was streamed by Netflix in the US.
The original Special Correspondents film starred Gerard Lanvin and Gerard Jugnot as a radio journalist and technician in Paris who pretend to report live from Iraq.
Set predominantly in New York, the new version will see Ricky Gervais and Eric Bana’s characters fake their own kidnappings during a rebel uprising in South America.
Sony Pictures acquired the rights to distribute Ricky Gervais’s remake internationally at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, California in November 2014.
FedEx is to buy its Dutch rival TNT Express for €4.4 billion ($4.8 billion) as the US parcels delivery company looks to expand its European operations.
In a joint statement, FedEx and TNT said both management boards had reached a “conditional agreement”.
FedEx has offered shareholders €8 per share, a 33% premium on TNT’s closing share price on April 2.
It comes two years after United Parcel Service (UPS) pulled out of a €5.2 billion bid for the Dutch firm.
UPS pulled out of the deal following opposition from EU competition authorities, saying it saw “no realistic prospect” of approval for its bid from the European Commission.
Since then TNT has undertaken a restructuring program, cutting costs, selling operations and investing heavily in its road network to hold on to customers in what has been a weak European market for business package deliveries.
Photo Getty Images
FedEx and TNT Express expect the deal to be completed in the first half of 2016 and say they are confident any European competition concerns can be overcome this time.
The European regional headquarters of the combined companies will remain in the Netherlands, while FedEx has promised to maintain the TNT Express brand “for an appropriate period”.
TNT Express CEO Tex Gunning said: “This offer comes at a time of important transformations within TNT Express and we were fully geared to executing our stand-alone strategy.
“But while we did not solicit an acquisition, we truly believe that FedEx’s proposal, both from a financial and a non-financial view, is good news for all stakeholders.”
However, the terms of the takeover allow for a competitor to make an offer within the next eight weeks and for the current deal to be terminated if that offer exceeds the existing proposal by 8%.
TNT Express warned in February 2015 that it expected adverse trading conditions to continue in its main western European markets this year, as it reported a €196 million annual loss on revenues which fell 3.2% to €6.6 billion.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has admitted he accidentally described himself as Hispanic.
The New York Times has revealed that Jeb Bush identified himself as Hispanic in 2009.
The newspaper published a voter registration form where Jeb Bush had marked “Hispanic” rather than “White, not Hispanic”.
Jeb Bush tweeted: “My mistake! Don’t think I’ve fooled anyone!,” after his son, Jeb Bush Jr., called him a “honorary Latino”.
The newspaper posted a fuzzy copy of the form, which it said it had obtained from the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.
The Bush camp said it was unclear how the error was made.
“The governor’s family certainly got a good laugh out of it,” spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said.
“He is not Hispanic.”
The Republican politician has excellent credentials for his alternative ethnicity. He is a fluent Spanish speaker and his wife, Columba Bush, was born in Mexico. He also spent two years in Venezuela during his early twenties.
Born in Texas, Jeb Bush is the brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George H.W. Bush. He is believed to be considering seeking the Republican nomination for president in the 2016 elections.
Jeb Bush is widely seen as a centrist Republican who can appeal to different demographics, hopefully including Hispanic voters.
Nanjing’s former mayor, Ji Jianye, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for corruption.
The Chinese court in Yantai found Ji Jianye guilty of accepting 11.3 million yuan ($1.9 million) in bribes between 1999 and 2013, when he was dismissed.
As mayor Ji Jianye was nicknamed “Bulldozer” for his heavy promotion of construction and redevelopment in Nanjing.
Ji Jianye is the latest high profile official to be jailed under President Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown.
The court said in a statement that it had been “lenient in meting out punishment, as Ji admitted his guilt and showed repentance”.
Ji Jianye assumed the powerful role of mayor of Nanjing in 2010.
Nnajing is the capital of Jiangsu province and home to about seven million people.
In January 2013 Ji Jianye was placed under investigation suspected of “severe violations of disciplines and laws”. He was arrested and expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2014.
The court heard Ji Jianye had received huge amounts of money and gifts from a range of influential people and companies – including construction firms – in exchange for favorable deals and contracts.
As has become common practice, Ji Jianye’s case was heard in eastern Shandong, far from his home province and support base in Jiangsu.
President Xi Jinping launched his anti-corruption drive on coming into office in November 2012.
Xi Jinping warned that public anger over corruption threatened the survival of the Communist Party, and promised to pursue “tigers” – top-level officials – as well as “flies”.
A bust of Edward Snowden, which was secretly installed in Fort Greene Park by a group of anonymous artists at night, has been removed by the New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
The sculpture was mounted on April 6 in Brooklyn near the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument in Fort Greene Park.
The artists said they intended the bust to be a tribute to Edward Snowden.
The former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor fled to Russia in 2013 after revealing extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.
One park visitor described the officials’ decision to remove the bust as “censorship”.
B.B. King has been hospitalized for a diabetes-related issue, TMZ reports.
B.B. King, 89, was rushed to hospital in Las Vegas over the weekend as a result of dehydration.
The legendary blues musician has suffered from Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years. His camp has not issued a statement yet.
In October 2014, B.B. King was forced to cancel a number of concerts after falling ill. During a performance in St. Louis, fans began to leave early because of B.B. King’s reported erratic performance.
Shortly thereafter, B.B. King announced that he was cancelling the remaining eight shows to focus on his health.
