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Jodi Arias verdict: Travis Alexander murderer sentenced to life without parole

Nancy Clayson
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Jodi Arias verdict: Travis Alexander murderer sentenced to life without parole

Jodi Arias, who shot and stabbed boyfriend Travis Alexander in his Arizona home in 2008, has been sentenced to life without parole, in a long and highly publicized case.

The woman had faced the death penalty but that was removed as an option in March, when a jury failed to reach agreement on prison or execution.

Jodi Arias, 34, was convicted of premeditated murder in 2013.

She initially blamed the killing of boyfriend Travis Alexander, 30, on intruders, and later said she had killed him in self-defense.Jodi Arias sentenced to life without parole

Jodi Arias shot Travis Alexander and stabbed him nearly 30 times in his suburban Phoenix home.

Four family members of Travis Alexander spoke ahead of the sentence, criticizing Jodi Arias as they broke down in tears.

“Stop murdering my brother again and again by smearing his name,” Travis Alexander’s sister Tanisha Sorenson said, referring to Jodi Arias as “this evil that sits behind me”.

Jodi Arias also gave a statement in which stood by her testimony of self-defense and accused police and prosecutors of changing their story during the investigation.

“The most important thing I want to say is that I’m very sorry for the enormous pain I caused to the people who loved Travis,” Jodi Arias said.

“I’m truly disgusted and I’m repulsed with myself.”

Greece default 2015: Government denies accusations

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece default 2015: Government denies accusations

The Greek government has dismissed media reports that the country is preparing to default on its loans if it cannot reach agreement on its bailout terms with international creditors.

A government spokesman said negotiations were proceeding swiftly towards a solution.

Greece negotiated a three-month extension to its €240 billion ($272 billion) bailout at the end of February.

The Greek government is due to pay the IMF €203 million on May 1st and €770 million on May 12th.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

However, reports suggest the government is rapidly running out of money. It needs to find €2.4bn to pay civil service salaries and pensions this month.

The Greek government has also denied reports that it was considering calling early elections if it failed to negotiate a settlement with its international creditors.

Last week, eurozone officials said Greece only had six working days left to come up with a revised list of reforms to seal a deal on its next rescue bailout.

Eurozone deputy finance ministers want an agreement on the €7.2 billion loan in time for a Eurogroup meeting on April 24th.

PM Alexis Tsipras has said that Athens will not be able to service its debt without financial help from the European Union.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptmnzmWT5R4

Ex-Blackwater guards jailed over 2007 Iraq killings

Roy Siemens
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Ex-Blackwater guards jailed over 2007 Iraq killings

Four former Blackwater guards have been jailed for the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007.

Nicholas Slatten has been sentenced to life in prison and three others to 30 years.

They were convicted last year for the killings in Baghdad’s crowded Nisoor Square.

A further 17 Iraqis were injured as the private contractors opened fire to clear the way for a US convoy.

The shootings sparked international outrage and a debate over the role of defense contractors in warfare.

Nicholas Slatten faced a charge of murder, while the other men faced multiple counts of manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and using firearms while committing a felony.Ex-Blackwater guards jailed over 2007 Iraq killings

In a court in Washington DC, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were all sentenced to 30 years in prison for their involvement in the killings.

The men had claimed that they were under fire from insurgents but prosecutors successfully argued what happened was an unprovoked ambush against civilians.

Dozens of victims and witness were flown from Iraq to the US for the trial.

Video monitors in the courtroom showed photos of the dead and wounded and images of cars shot at and blown up with grenade launchers fired by the guards.

Mohammad Kinani Al-Razzaq’s nine-year-old son Ali was killed in the attack.

A picture of the boy smiling was shown on court monitors as Kinani Al-Razzaq said: “What’s the difference between these criminals and terrorists?”

The sentences were announced following a day-long hearing in which the defendants reaffirmed their innocence and their lawyers unsuccessfully argued for leniency.

Prosecutors argued that the sentences be made even harsher because the ex-guards had never expressed any remorse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J2kfmXHqBc

White House 2016: Marco Rubio announces presidential campaign

Diane A. Wade
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White House 2016: Marco Rubio announces presidential campaign

Marco Rubio has announced he will run for the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election.

The 43-year-old Florida senator said on a conference call he was “uniquely qualified” to bring the party into the future.

Marco Rubio is the third Republican to officially announce a candidacy after Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.

He is expected to make a formal announcement at a political rally in Miami on April 13.

It comes a day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would stand for the Democratic nomination.

Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American, has been a harsh critic of President Barack Obama’s policies, especially on immigration and the diplomatic thaw with Cuba.

“The Republican Party, for the first time in a long time, has a chance in this election to be the party of the future,” Marco Rubio said on the call, according to the Associated Press.Marco Rubio White House 2016

“Just yesterday, we heard from a leader from yesterday who wants to take us back to yesterday, but I feel that this country has always been about tomorrow,” Marco Rubio added, referring to Hillary Clinton.

Marco Rubio, who was first elected in 2010, holds conservative positions on government and military spending, abortion and negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

He was previously criticized by some Republicans for initially supporting a bipartisan Senate immigration reform bill.

Marco Rubio has since said that border security must be strengthened before any change, criticizing President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

He is due to speak to supporters at the Freedom Tower in Miami at 18:00 local time.

Marco Rubio would be the first Hispanic president if he won, as would Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

The field for the Republican nomination is likely to be crowded, with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker also expected to run.

Hillary Clinton, the first major candidate on the Democratic side to declare, is travelling to Iowa and other states, seeking to meet voters before a more formal rally in May.

Nelly arrested on felony drug charges in Tennessee

Lisa.Felice
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Nelly arrested on felony drug charges in Tennessee

Nelly has been arrested on felony drug charges after police stopped the bus in which he was travelling in Tennessee.

The 40-year-old Grammy Award-winning rapper, real name Cornell Haynes, was pulled over on April 11 because the bus was allegedly not displaying legally-required stickers.

The bus was then searched after a state trooper smelled marijuana, authorities in Tennessee said.Nelly arrested on felony drug charges in Tennessee

Officers are alleged to have found drugs and handguns on board.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said Nelly was taken to Putnam County Jail after the bus, which had six people on board, was stopped on Interstate 40.

Nelly was charged with felony possession of drugs, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and was later released on bail.

One other man travelling on the coach was arrested and charged, authorities said.

A statement said two state troopers searched the bus and found “five colored crystal-type rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine, as well as a small amount of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia” as well as the guns.

According to CNN, Nelly’s lawyer Scott Rosenblum said “there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop”.

Scott Rosenblum said he was “extremely confident that when the facts come out, Nelly will not be associated with the contraband that was allegedly discovered”.

Nelly, whose hits include Hot in Herre, Dilemma and Ride Wit Me, is currently starring in his own reality TV show, Nellyville.

The reality show centers around Nelly’s home and family life with his two children and his sister’s two children, who he adopted after his sibling died from leukaemia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvmzIMUj1O8

Kanye West jumps into lake during Armenia concert

Lisa.Felice
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Kanye West jumps into lake during Armenia concert

Kanye West was mobbed by dozens of fans after jumping into Swan Lake during a concert in Armenia.

Kim Kardashian’s husband had been giving a free concert in the capital, Yerevan.Kanye West jumps into lake during Armenia concert

Security and police plucked Kanye West out of the scrum as photographers waded into Swan Lake to capture the melee.

Kanye West has been in Armenia with Kim Kardashian on a high-profile trip to connect with her family’s heritage.

Kim Kardashian seemed impressed with her husband’s exploits, tweeting: “Thousands of people were there! Kanye jumped in swan lake to be closer to the crowd on the other side & so many people jumped in too!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EPuNpdxQuU

Günter Grass dead: German Nobel literature prize winner dies in Luebeck at 87

Sonia Pantiss
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Günter Grass dead: German Nobel literature prize winner dies in Luebeck at 87

German Nobel literature prize winner Günter Grass has died at the age of 87, his publisher announces.

The author of The Tin Drum has passed away in a hospital in the northern city of Luebeck, the Steidl publishing house said on Twitter.Gunter Grass dead at 87

Born in what was then Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland), Günter Grass served in the German military in World War Two and published his breakthrough anti-Nazi novel, The Tin Drum, in 1959.

Later in life Günter Grass became a vocal opponent of German reunification in 1990, and argued afterwards that it had been carried out too hastily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD2sDFYG0FU

Jean-Marie Le Pen pulls out of France’s regional elections

Diane A. Wade
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Jean-Marie Le Pen pulls out of France’s regional elections

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s National Front (FN), has announced he is pulling out of regional elections amid a row with his daughter Marine Le Pen.

Marine Le Pen, who now leads the far-right party, condemned her father for his recently repeated claims Nazi gas chambers were a “detail of history”.

Jean-Marie Le Pen told Le Figaro newspaper he would not be standing in the south-eastern Paca region.

But he said he thought he was “the best candidate for the National Front”.Jean Marie Le Pen pulls out of election

Jean-Marie Le Pen said his granddaughter Marion Marechal-Le Pen would be the best person to stand in his place.

“If she accepts, I think she would head a very good list [of candidates]. She is certainly the best, I am not going to say after me, but she is,” he told the publication.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is FN’s honorary president, did not make it clear whether he would seek a place as a candidate on the list of his granddaughter for the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region.

Marine Le Pen has tried to rid the party of its racist image.

Game of Thrones Season 5: First four episodes leaked online

Sonia Pantiss
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Game of Thrones Season 5: First four episodes leaked online

Game of Thrones Season 5 have been leaked online a day before its official release.

The copies of the first four episodes were spotted on IPTorrents, The Pirate Bay, RARBG and KickassTorrents.

Greg Spence, the producer in charge of post-production for Game of Thrones told The Denver Post a week ago he was worried about potential leaks.Game of Thrones Season 5

He said: “The cast is looping all over the world, sending files back and forth.

“Artists are working in special-effects houses all over the world. The files are watermarked, and editors have to confirm in writing that they’ve deleted them.”

The trailer for Game of Thrones Season 5 was leaked in January after screenings of the last two season four episodes.

The official version was released shortly after.

Game of Thrones was the most pirated show on the internet for three years in a row and after the trailer leak.

China to stop issuing multiple entry Hong Kong visas

Diane A. Wade
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China to stop issuing multiple entry Hong Kong visas

China has decided to stop issuing multiple entry Hong Kong visas to residents of Shenzhen, state media reports.

The move is an attempt by Beijing to ease growing anger in Hong Kong over shopping trips by mainlanders who are take advantage of lower taxes.

Shenzhen residents will now only be able to enter Hong Kong once per week, and stay for no longer than a week.

Hong Kong officials say 47 million visits were made in 2014 by mainland Chinese people.

About a tenth of those visits were by people who entered Hong Kong more than once a week, a large proportion of them Shenzhen residents holding multiple entry visas.Shenzhen travel

Many of the visitors buy up household goods in bulk to resell across the border – as Hong Kong does not charge sales tax – despite this being illegal.

There have been angry protests in recent months over this so-called parallel trading, occasionally resulting in scuffles in shopping malls close to the border.

China’s Xinhua news agency, citing the ministry of security, said on April 13 that the new rules applied immediately.

It said the decision had been made because of concerns that Hong Kong was struggling to cope with the huge numbers of tourists.

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive CY Leung welcomed the move, saying he had raised the issue with Beijing in June.

Mainlanders have to get permission from their government to enter Hong Kong.

CY Leung warned that existing visas would remain valid, meaning it could take some time for the effect of the change to be seen.

He also cautioned that the “unruly protests” seen in towns close to the border had actually hampered the discussions and “hurt the feelings between the people of Hong Kong and the mainland”, the South China Morning Post reports.

Parallel trading has been a key factor in the growing anti-mainland sentiment in Hong Kong.

There is huge demand in China for household items from Hong Kong, in particular milk powder, as they are seen as being both cheaper and better quality.

Hong Kongers say this trade pushes up costs and causes huge delays at border crossings, while also complaining about poor behavior from mainlanders.

The authorities on both sides of the border routinely arrest people caught smuggling and crack down on commercial operators, but locals have long demanded more decisive action.

White House 2016: Hillary Clinton launches campaign to become first woman US president

Diane A. Wade
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White House 2016: Hillary Clinton launches campaign to become first woman US president

Hillary Clinton has launched her campaign to become the first woman US president.

The former secretary of state also announced a tour of key states for her campaign.

Hillary Clinton is taking a road trip to meet small groups of voters in Iowa, having announced her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on April 12.

She had been expected to declare her candidacy for months.

Hillary Clinton ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 but lost to Barack Obama.Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign

A few hours into her journey from New York to Iowa, Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Road trip! Loaded the van & set off for IA. Met a great family when we stopped this afternoon. Many more to come. -H.”

Her team said she would spend the next few weeks building up grassroots support in the early Democratic primary states.

Hillary Clinton’s first rally, to officially kick off her campaign, is not expected until mid-May. But her trip to Iowa is to be a “listening tour” where Hillary Clinton will meet voters at low-key events.

Later this week, Hillary Clinton is expected to meet groups of students, teachers and small business owners.

On April 12, Hillary Clinton launched her campaign website and declared in a video that she was running for president.

“Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times,” she said, “but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top.

Hillary Clinton added that she wanted to be a champion for “everyday Americans”.

The video features a number of Americans talking about their hopes and aspirations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KalquJby0uU

Kim Jong-un appears in public with wrist bandage

Nancy Clayson
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Kim Jong-un appears in public with wrist bandage

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has appeared in public with a bandage on his right wrist in the latest health mystery since his 40-day disappearance.

Kim Jong-un, 32, was spotted with a bandage on his right hand during a recent inspection of a weapons factory in Pyongyang.Kim Jong un wrist injury

He waved and smiled at supporters in the video on North Korean Central TV, seemingly unaffected by the injury.

A South Korean government official said: “He didn’t have the injury when he inspected a military unit on April 4.

“So it must be recent.”

The source of Kim Jong-un’s injury remains unclear.

Rumors around Kim Jong-un’s health ran riot last year after he failed to appear in public for 40 days without explanation.

Walter Scott funeral held in Summerville, South Carolina

Nancy Clayson
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Walter Scott funeral held in Summerville, South Carolina

Mourners has gathered in Summerville, South Carolina for the funeral of black driver Walter Scott.

Walter Scott was fatally shot by North Charleston police officer Michael Slager after fleeing a traffic stop.

A hearse being escorted by two police on motorcycles drove up as the growing crowd looked on April 11. Mourners waited outside through humidity and a period of light rain while flowers were unloaded and brought inside the sanctuary.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Police initially said Walter Scott was shot on April 4 during a tussle over Michael Slager’s department-issued Taser.

However, a witness video surfaced later, showing Walter Scott being shot eight times as he ran away. Officer Michael Slager was fired and charged with murder.

The incident sparked outrage as another instance of a white law enforcement officer fatally shooting an unarmed black man under questionable circumstances.

Turkish state television bans opposition party’s election ad

Diane A. Wade
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Turkish state television bans opposition party’s election ad

Turkish state television TRT has banned the main opposition party’s election campaign advertisement because it directly targets the government.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) accused TRT of “abusing public office” and vowed to take legal action.

The opposition party has previously protested at TRT “bias” towards President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The election will take place on June 7.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

In a statement on the CHP website, deputy leader Bulent Tezcan said: “By taking the decision not the broadcast the advertisement, TRT has created a new scandal.

“The main purpose of state-funded television in all democratic countries is fairness of broadcasting. TRT’s direction is committing the crime of abuse of public office.”

Bulent Tezcan also reminded the state TV that it is “owned by the public”.

TRT has so far declined to comment.

The opposition ad featured the slogan “we applaud as a nation” and criticized the “oppression” of justice, freedom and secularism in Turkey.

It urged voters to attend CHP’s first mass election rally on April 11.

The controversy follows a ruling by a court in Ankara on April 9, which ordered CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to pay damages for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a speech in 2013.

Orthodox Easter 2015: Holy Fire miracle celebrated in Jerusalem

James J. Williams
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Orthodox Easter 2015: Holy Fire miracle celebrated in Jerusalem

Thousands of Christian Orthodox pilgrims have crowded the Old City of Jerusalem for the Holy Fire ceremony.

The Orthodox Easter Holy Fire is considered a miracle occurring every year on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter Sunday.

The crowding forced police to close the Christian Quarter and tempers flared as Christian pilgrims and local Christians could not get through to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is believed to be built on the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Holy Fire miracle Jerusalem

Israeli police deployed hundreds of officers in to secure the old city as Christian worshipers from the Orthodox denominations eagerly anticipated the ceremony.

Those who arrived early watched as the key-holder to the sacred site arrived to unlock the church doors. Due to the church being divided by different denominations, the keys are held by a Muslim man whose family has been considered neutral by all parties for several generations.

Each year at 14:00 local time (12:00GMT), on the day before Orthodox Easter Sunday, the ceremony marks a miracle.

After a procession around the church, all of the lights inside are extinguished before the entrance of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch who carries a handful of candles. When the Patriarch emerges, the candles are believed to be lit by a miraculous flame which is then used to light the candles of the congregation.

Egypt: Mohammed Badie’s death sentence confirmed

Roy Siemens
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Egypt: Mohammed Badie’s death sentence confirmed

An Egyptian judge has confirmed the death sentences for the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Badie and 13 others.

They have been sentenced to death for planning attacks against the state.

A US-Egyptian citizen and 36 others have been jailed for life.

Mohammed Badie was sentenced in March and is embroiled in some 40 other trials. The sentences are subject to appeal.

Hundreds of people have been sentenced to death in a crackdown on the Brotherhood following the removal of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

However, so far only one death sentence has been carried out.Mohammed Badie death sentence

The court session was broadcast live on TV.

The sentences are the final phase in the trial which saw Muslim Brotherhood leaders charged with encouraging members of the group to confront the state and spread chaos following the dispersal of protests in 2013.

They were handed down following advice from Egypt’s highest Islamic legal official, the grand mufti.

Two of the defendants were sentenced to death in absentia.

Mohamed Badie was already sentenced to death in a case last year related to attacks on police stations in the southern province of Minya. But the ruling was later overturned and a retrial was ordered.

US-Egyptian citizen Mohamed Soltan was sentenced to life imprisonment for supporting the Brotherhood and transmitting false news.

The son of Brotherhood preacher Salah Soltan, he has been on hunger strike for months and has received attention from local and international human rights organizations.

Critics describe the trials against Brotherhood members as politicized, but the government insists on the transparency and independence of the judiciary.

Barack Obama’s historic handshake with Raul Castro in Panama

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama’s historic handshake with Raul Castro in Panama

President Barack Obama has told Latin American leaders that the days when the United States could freely interfere in regional affairs are past.

Barack Obama was speaking just before the VII Summit of the Americas in Panama City.

The US president and Cuban leader Raul Castro shook hands as the opening ceremony began, their first encounter since a December detente.

Barack Obama and Raul Castro’s historic formal talks due on April 11 could be overshadowed by tensions between Venezuela and the US.Barack Obama handshake Raul Castro

The US president told a forum of civil society leaders in Panama City that “the days in which our agenda in this hemisphere presumed that the United States could meddle with impunity, those days are past”.

At past Summits of the Americas, which bring together the leaders of North, Central and South America, the US has come in for criticism for its embargo against Cuba and its objection to having Cuba participate in the gatherings.

This seventh summit is the first which Cuba will attend and much of the attention will be focused on the body language between the former foes.

Barack Obama’s speech before the summit came a day after the State Department recommended that Cuba be removed from the US lists of countries which sponsor terrorism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmCTi8wWOf4

Avril Lavigne details battle with Lyme disease

Lisa.Felice
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Avril Lavigne details battle with Lyme disease

In a recent interview, Avril Lavigne has detailed her battle with Lyme disease and said “a lot of good” came out of her being sidelined.

“I haven’t stopped working since I was 15,” the singer told Billboard.

“Just to have this downtime, this time spent with my family, has been really good for me just to take a step back and look at my life, and really get to see who in my life is really there for me when I need them.”

Avril Lavigne was bedridden for five months and was scared for her life. All that time being sidelined gave her a lot of time to think.Avril Lavigne Lyme disease

“I’ve never been so clear before, or as close to my family,” she said.

“So there’s been a lot of good that has come out of it. And moving forward, I’m really clear on what I want in life.”

Avril Lavigne also said the disease has given her perspective and given her a sort of “just do it” attitude. She is now going to record a Christmas album, something she has always wanted to do. She is also going to address her disease head-on with a new song.

“I need to talk about Lyme disease, because it’s real, it’s out there, it was a simple bug bite and it could happen to anybody. People need to know about it, because it’s not talked about that much and a lot of the information that’s out there is inaccurate,” Avril Lavigne said.

Bruce Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer to air on April 24

Lisa.Felice
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0
Bruce Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer to air on April 24

Bruce Jenner is expected to make the official announcement to the world that he is undergoing a transition from man to woman in the upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC’s 20/20.

The former Olympian’s transition has been widely speculated and documented via occasional quotes and photographs.

ABC News has described the two-hour interview as “far-ranging”.Bruce Jenner interview Diane Sawyer

Bruce Jenner’s transition seemed to be confirmed last month by his daughter Kendall in an Us Weekly interview, but the magazine since retracted the story.

The publication originally quoted Kendall Jenner as saying: “He’s a wonderful man. And just because he’s changing shoes now, so to speak, doesn’t make him less wonderful. I will always love my dad, whether he’s a man or a woman.”

However, Kendall Jenner fired back on Twitter: “Shame on US Weekly for making up quotes. I NEVER said those things. I never spoke to them.”

Bruce Jenner – The Interview special will air on Friday, April 24th, at 9/8c on 20/20.

Orthodox Easter 2015: Pilgrims mark Good Friday with Via Dolorosa procession in Jerusalem

James J. Williams
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Orthodox Easter 2015: Pilgrims mark Good Friday with Via Dolorosa procession in Jerusalem

Thousands of Orthodox Christians flock to the Old City of Jerusalem to retrace the last steps of Jesus Christ.

Carrying wooden crosses and singing hymns, worshippers walked in procession along the Via Dolorosa in the Old City of Jerusalem, marking Good Friday, retracing what they believe was the route that Jesus Christ took to his crucifixion.Orthodox Easter Via Dolorosa Jerusalem

Worshipers who follow the Eastern calendar began the Easter festival of Good Friday eventually make their way to the Holy Sepulchre church where Christians believe Jesus was buried, before rising from the dead three days later.

The annual ritual, in the Old City of Jerusalem, attracts thousands of pilgrims from around the world each year.

Richard Dreyfuss sues Walt Disney Pictures over What About Bob profits

Sonia Pantiss
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Richard Dreyfuss sues Walt Disney Pictures over What About Bob profits

Richard Dreyfuss has sued Walt Disney Pictures over his slice of profits made from the 1991 movie What About Bob?.

The case also involves Christine Wagner, whose late husband produced Tom Hanks’ 1989 movie Turner and Hooch.

Both parties have said Disney has refused demands to allow their chosen auditors access to its financial records.

The legal papers have criticized film studio accounting practices in general.

Papers filed by Richard Dreyfuss and Christine Wagner’s lawyer Neville Johnson have been published online by The Hollywood Reporter.Richard Dreyfuss sues Disney over What About Bob profits

They claim Disney has made it “exceedingly difficult for profit participants to retain the best possible representation and be paid the monies they are due.”

The papers claim their chosen auditing firm Robinson Inc, which they say specializes in Hollywood cases, is “tough, tenacious, and gets results”.

However, they say Disney has instead asked for the audit to be done by one of the nationally recognized “big four” accounting companies.

Richard Dreyfuss co-starred with Bill Murray in What About Bob?, which the legal papers state was the 19th biggest film of 1991, taking more than $63.7 million at the US box office alone.

Christine Wagner says she is entitled to 50% of Turner and Hooch net profits, which starred Tom Hanks as a detective took $167 million worldwide.

The lawsuit have accused film studios of making auditing “as onerous as possible” and claim the wait to examine books at Disney is an “inexcusable and outrageous” three years.

The legal papers claim: “It’s a one-sided world where corporations assert their control over talent who do not have the leverage to otherwise protect themselves.

“What Disney has done is reduce an already very small pool of auditors to a nearly non-existent puddle, and made it exceedingly difficult for profit participants to retain the best possible representation and be paid the monies they are due.”

Cuban thaw: Barack Obama and Raul Castro meeting at Panama Summit

Diane A. Wade
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Cuban thaw: Barack Obama and Raul Castro meeting at Panama Summit

President Barack Obama is set for a key meeting with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro in Panama.

Delegations of 35 nations from North, Central and South America are gathering in Panama for what is being billed as a “historic” Summit of the Americas.

Barack Obama and Raul Castro will meet for the first time since a recent thaw in US-Cuba relations.

The two shook hands once before, at Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013.Raul Castro and Barack Obama in Panama

On April 10, Barack Obama and Raul Castro spoke on the phone after arriving in Panama City, according to a Facebook post by Jorge Leganoa, the deputy director of Cuba’s state-run National Information Agency.

He provided no additional details but White House officials confirmed to news agencies the call had taken place.

The White House has been playing coy, saying that while there are no plans for any formal one-to-one meetings between the two presidents, there may well be an opportunity to “meet on the margins”.

Meanwhile, the State Department has recommended Cuba be removed from the US list of countries which sponsor terrorism.

Listeria outbreak: Sabra hummus recall over possible contamination

Kathryn R. Bown
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Listeria outbreak: Sabra hummus recall over possible contamination

Thirty thousands of cases of hummus produced by Sabra Dipping Co have been recalled due to possible contamination with listeria.

The FDA announced the recall after inspectors discovered listeria during random testing at a Michigan retail store.

Listeria is a food-borne organism which can cause fever and nausea in most cases, and people make full recoveries.

The disease, listeriosis, can be fatal to people with weakened immune systems, and lead to miscarriages among pregnant women.Sabra hummus recall listeria

The national recall applied to Sabra Classic Hummus brand of the blended chickpea snack – five of its 60 products – although no illnesses have so far been reported.

The contamination was discovered on March 30 at a Kroger grocery store in Port Huron, Michigan.

This is the second food recall related to listeria in the US this week.

On April 9, Blue Bell Creameries expanded an earlier recall after an additional three people in Texas were made ill by its products, according to the CDC.

Three people in Kansas have already died from listeria outbreak.

White House 2016: Hillary Clinton to announce presidential bid on April 12

Diane A. Wade
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White House 2016: Hillary Clinton to announce presidential bid on April 12

Hillary Clinton is to announce her 2016 presidential bid on Sunday, April 12, according to Democrats sources.

The forms secretary of state’s announcement will most probably come via social media, including a video message. Early state visits could come as soon as next week with Iowa the most likely first stop.

Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid marks the second time she has tried to become the first female to win the White House.Hillary Clinton White House 2016

After her defeat at the hands of Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton firmly said “no” when asked whether she would ever run for president again. However, since then, her position has evolved.

In recent months, Hillary Clinton has been gearing up for her campaign. Behind the scenes, she has hired a robust team, including many of Barack Obama’s former advisers and strategists.

Her team also recently signed a lease for a new office space in Brooklyn, New York, which will serve has her campaign headquarters.

Hillary Clinton will enter the race as the clear front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, and is leading all her possible Republican opponents in early polls.

Lacey Spears verdict: Mommy blogger sentenced to 20 years in jail for killing son with salt

Nancy Clayson
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Lacey Spears verdict: Mommy blogger sentenced to 20 years in jail for killing son with salt

Lacey Spears has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for making her 5-year-old son sick and eventually killing him to gain attention online.

The 27-year-old New York mother administered salt into her son Garnett’s feeding tube from infancy while writing a blog about his illness.

Prosecutors described Lacey Spears’ actions as evil, inhuman and despicable.

The judge said Lacey Spears was suffering from a rare mental disorder and so was spared the maximum 25-year sentence available.

The boy died in 2014 at Westchester Medical Centre after he was treated for gastrointestinal symptoms that his mother had induced.

Garnett’s feeding tube had been in place since infancy when Lacey Spears told doctors he could not keep food down.

When she took him to hospital saying he was having seizures, doctors found his sodium levels to be extremely high.

The prosecution said that having administered him salt at their home in suburban New York, Lacey Spears twice took the boy into a bathroom at the hospital to do the same.Image: Lacey Spears, David R. Sachs

They said she posted pictures of Garnett dying on her Facebook account.

Acting state supreme court justice Robert Neary called Lacey Spears’ crime “unfathomable in its cruelty”, bringing Garnett “five years of torment and pain”.

Assistant district attorney Doreen Lloyd said: “She continued to portray him as a sick child for her own bizarre need for attention.

“She used that feeding tube as a weapon to kill him.”

Lacey Spears had told investigators that her son, whose father was killed in a car accident, suffered from a number of medical problems from Crohn’s disease and Celiac diseases to ear abnormalities.

The judge described her as mentally ill and identified her condition as Munchausen by proxy syndrome, in which a person, usually a parent, sickens a child to gain attention from the child’s plight.

Lacey Spears’ defense lawyers had refused to raise the disorder as a defense and said she had not been diagnosed with any mental illness.

They had asked for the minimum sentence of 15 years. They have filed an appeal against her conviction.

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