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Jackrabbits invade Fargo, North Dakota

Nancy Clayson
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Jackrabbits invade Fargo, North Dakota

Dog-sized jackrabbits have invaded a neighborhood of Fargo, North Dakota.

The rabbits are not harmful and at first neighbors found them charming. But they have multiplied and are now leaving their droppings everywhere and devouring trees and shrubs. They leave messes everywhere.

Residents were advised by animal control to poison the jackrabbits, though folks are loathe to do so.Jackrabbit invasion Fargo, North Dakota

One resident said the city pest control department told her that they couldn’t do anything about the jackrabbits, technically wild hares, because they were wild animals.

There is no city ordinance that deals with depopulating rabbits in the area, Fargo Police Lt. Joel Vettel told ABC News.

Female jackrabbits can bear two to four litters each year with one to nine offspring in each litter.

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Standard & Poor’s to pay $1.4 billion settlement over mortgage crisis claims

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Standard & Poor’s to pay $1.4 billion settlement over mortgage crisis claims

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has agreed to pay a $1.38 billion settlement to US regulators over allegations it knowingly inflated its ratings of risky mortgage bonds.

The deal with the Department of Justice also resolves 19 other lawsuits.

McGraw Hill – the parent company of S&P – said in a statement the “settlement contains no findings of violations of law”.

S&P is the first credit agency fined over financial crisis-era violations.

The settlement covers mortgage bond ratings between 2004 and 2007.S&P mortgage crisis claims settlement

The bonds, which included sub-prime mortgages, were blamed for the collapse of the US property market and subsequent global financial crisis.

The DoJ filed civil fraud charges against S&P two years ago.

It accused the credit rating firm of giving top recommendations – known as triple-A ratings – to mortgage bonds that it knew contained sub-prime mortgage debt and were therefore not as safe an investment as the rating suggested.

The US government said that S&P’s ratings encouraged financial institutions around the world to buy and sell what proved to be “toxic” financial products in their trillions.

It also accused S&P of failing to warn investors that the housing market was collapsing in 2006 because doing so would have hurt its business.

At the time, S&P said the US government’s case was entirely without factual or legal merit.

“On more than one occasion, the company’s leadership ignored senior analysts who warned that the company had given top ratings to financial products that were failing to perform as advertised,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement announcing the settlement.

“As S&P admits under this settlement, company executives complained that the company declined to downgrade underperforming assets, because it was worried that doing so would hurt the company’s business.

“While this strategy may have helped S&P avoid disappointing its clients, it did major harm to the larger economy, contributing to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.”

S&P will pay $687.5 million to the DoJ and a further $678.5 million to the 19 states that had brought lawsuits against it.

The ratings agency will also pay $125 million in a separate settlement with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

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Balkan genocide: International Court of Justice rejects Croatia and Serbia claims

James J. Williams
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Balkan genocide: International Court of Justice rejects Croatia and Serbia claims

The International Court of Justice has ruled that neither Croatia nor Serbia committed genocide against each other’s populations during the Balkan wars that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The Croatian government had alleged that Serbia committed genocide in the town of Vukovar and elsewhere in 1991.

Serbia later filed a counter-claim over the expulsion of more than 200,000 Serbs from Croatia.

About 20,000 people died during the 1991-1995 war, mostly Croatians.

Photo EPA
Photo EPA

The Croatian town of Vukovar was devastated when it was occupied by Serbs for three months in 1991. Tens of thousands of ethnic Croats were displaced, and about 260 Croat men were detained and killed.

Four years later, the Croatian military’s Operation Storm bombarded the majority ethnic-Serb Krajina area, forcing about 200,000 people from their homes.

Speaking in UN’s highest court on February 3, Judge Peter Tomka dismissed both the Croatian claim and the Serbian counter-claim.

Forces on both sides had carried out violent acts during the war, Judge Tomka said. However, neither side had provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate the “specific intent required for acts of genocide”.

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Go Set a Watchman: Harper Lee to publish To Kill a Mockingbird sequel after 60 years

Sonia Pantiss
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Go Set a Watchman: Harper Lee to publish To Kill a Mockingbird sequel after 60 years

Harper Lee’s unpublished novel Go Set a Watchman is to be released 60 years after the author put it aside to write To Kill a Mockingbird.

Go Set a Watchman, which features the character of Scout as an adult, will be released on July 14.

Harper Lee wrote the novel in the mid-1950s but put it aside on the advice of her editor.

“I thought it a pretty decent effort.” said the author in a statement.

Photo AP
Photo AP

“I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years.”

Set in the fictional southern town of Maycomb during the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman sees Scout return from New York to visit her father, the lawyer Atticus Finch.

According to the publisher’s announcement: “She is forced to grapple with issues both personal and political as she tries to understand her father’s attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place where she was born and spent her childhood.”

US imposes new visa restrictions on Venezuela officials

Diane A. Wade
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US imposes new visa restrictions on Venezuela officials

The US has expanded visa restrictions on unnamed Venezuelan officials it accuses of human rights violations and corruption.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said the measures were an attempt to violate Venezuelan sovereignty.

They build on sanctions imposed last year on officials alleged to have violated the rights of protesters.

The list of officials banned from entering the US has been extended, and now includes family members.

“We are sending a clear message that human rights abusers, those who profit from public corruption, and their families are not welcome in the United States,” said US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Nicolas Maduro reacted angrily and said he would write a letter to President Barack Obama.

“We can’t let an empire that has been eyeing all of us pretend or think it has the right to sanction the country of [Simon] Bolivar,” Nicolas Maduro said, making reference to the Venezuela-born hero of Latin American liberation.Nicolas Maduro and Joe Biden in Brazil

The sanctions imposed in December were aimed at officials accused over their role in suppressing anti-government protests that shook Venezuela in the first six months of 2014.

The new visa restrictions were announced a day after Nicolas Maduro accused Vice-President Joe Biden of plotting a coup against his Socialist government during an energy summit of Caribbean leaders in Washington.

Joe Biden’s office called the allegation “baseless and patently false”.

“President Maduro’s accusations are clearly part of an effort to distract from the concerning situation in Venezuela, which includes repeated violations of freedom of speech, assembly, and due process,” read a statement.

Joe Biden and Nicolas Maduro had shaken hands in Brazil during Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s inauguration ceremony on January 1.

“Vice-President Biden: Look me in the eyes. I saw you in Brazil, I gave you my hand,” said Nicolas Maduro in a televised address on February 1.

“You, who said this is a new era for relations in Latin America, were going to conspire against Venezuela,” he added.

Relations between the US and Venezuela have been tense for many years. They last had ambassadors in each other’s capitals in 2010.

Robin Williams’ widow and children fight over comedian’s estate

Lisa.Felice
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Robin Williams’ widow and children fight over comedian’s estate

Nearly six months after the death of Robin Williams, his widow, Susan Schneider, and children have gone to court in a dispute over the late comedian’s estate.

In papers filed in December in San Francisco Superior Court, Susan Schneider accused his children of taking items without her permission.

Robin Williams’ children – Zachary, Zelda and Cody – argued that Susan Schneider was “adding insult to a terrible injury” by trying to change their trust agreement.Robin Williams and wife Susan Schneider

The dispute involves items Robin Williams kept at two homes and in storage.

Susan Schneider Williams has requested that the contents of the home she shared with her husband be excluded from the jewellery, memorabilia and other items her husband said his children should have.

Robin Williams’ children have taken issue with this suggestion, saying there should be no limits placed on the items to which they are entitled.

Items in dispute include the actor’s collection of watches and the Oscar statuette he won in 1998 for Good Will Hunting.

Robin Williams, who married his third wife Susan Schneider in 2011, died from hanging at his home in Tiburon, California, in August 2014.

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News Corp investigation dropped in US

Diane A. Wade
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News Corp investigation dropped in US

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp will not be prosecuted in the US over the phone-hacking scandal in the UK.

US officials were looking into whether alleged payments to British police by journalists meant that News Corp, a US company, broke anti-corruption laws.

The US Department of Justice said on February 2 it was not pursuing charges and was closing its investigation.

The tabloid newspaper at the centre of the scandal was closed down in 2011.

Several News of the World journalists have been prosecuted in the UK, after being accused of hacking phones and paying public officials in return for exclusive stories.

Reporters gained access to the phone of missing British schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who had been murdered.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

The FBI had trawled through thousands of emails on News Corp servers, looking for evidence of any possible violations of US law.

The DOJ said in a statement on February 2 that it was ending its “investigation into News Corp regarding possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act concerning bribes allegedly paid for news leads”.

It reserved the right to reopen the inquiry if new information came to light, it said.

News Corp said it had been notified and welcomed the news.

“We are grateful that this matter has been concluded and acknowledge the fairness and professionalism of the justice department throughout this investigation,” said Gerson Zweifach, general counsel of News Corp.

A lawyer acting on behalf of a group of relatives of victims of the 9/11 attacks, who suspect that their phones were hacked, said that it was “very disappointing” that the investigation had ended.

Rupert Murdoch controls both News Corp and its sister company Twenty-First Century Fox, which split into separate businesses in 2013.

Super Bowl 2015: Katy Perry’s halftime show seen by record 118.5 million people

Lisa.Felice
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Super Bowl 2015: Katy Perry’s halftime show seen by record 118.5 million people

Katy Perry’s Super Bowl performance was seen by 118.5 million people, the biggest audience ever for the halftime show since modern ratings began in 1991.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

An estimated 114.4 million people watched the New England Patriots narrowly beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, rising to 120 million during the nailbiting finale.

Ratings company Nielsen said that made it the most-watched event in US TV history.

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Suge Knight charged with murder and attempted murder following hit-and-run incident

Lisa.Felice
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Suge Knight charged with murder and attempted murder following hit-and-run incident

Music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight has been charged with murder and attempted murder following a fatal hit-and-run incident.

Suge Knight’s lawyer says it was an accident which happened as his client tried to escape an attack last week.

Prosecutors allege that the record producer intended to run over a friend and another man after an argument.

One of the men was killed. Suge Knight, who turned himself in, faces life in prison if convicted.Suge Knight charged with murder

On February 2, a court commissioner revoked the $2 million bail after police said the defendant had a violent past and could intimidate witnesses.

Suge Knight is scheduled to appear in court in Compton, Los Angeles, on February 3, facing four charges under his real name Marion Hugh Knight.

His friend, Terry Carter, 55, was killed and Cle “Bone” Sloan, 51, injured in the incident in Compton, in Los Angeles County.

Suge Knight founded Death Row Records in the 1990s, but later declared bankruptcy and the company was sold at auction.

He helped launch the careers of artists including Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg.

Suge Knight has previously been convicted of armed robbery and assault with a gun.

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Groundhog Day 2015: Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter

Nancy Clayson
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Groundhog Day 2015: Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter as 11,000 gathered at Gobbler’s Knob on Groundhog Day, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on February 2, 2015.Groundhog Day 2015 Punxsutawney Phil

Phil’s prognostication coincides with the calendar date of the first day of spring: March 20.

In 2014, Punxsutawney Phil also predicted there would be six more weeks of winter.

In 2013, Phil had forecasted an early spring, which led to one lawyer issuing an indictment for the marmot when cold weather lingered.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown remains in hospital fighting for her life

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown remains in hospital fighting for her life

Bobbi Kristina Brown is “fighting for her life” and surrounded by loved ones in Georgia hospital on February 2, her family said.

Two days ago, Whitney Houston’s daughter was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub at her Atlanta home.

There were conflicting reports about Bobbi Kristina Brown’s condition, and hospital officials would not comment.

Her father, Bobby Brown, asked for privacy in a statement released on February 1, and the Houston family reiterated that request in a statement on February 2.Bobbi Kristina Brown hospitalized

Nick Gordon and a friend found Bobbi Kristina Brown in the tub before 10:20 a.m. on January 31 and started CPR, but it’s unclear how long she spent without oxygen.

After Bobbi Kristina Brown was found, the Roswell Fire Department told emergency responders that she may have experienced cardiac arrest, according to phone call recordings.

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s scare comes less than two weeks before the third anniversary of Whitney Houston’s death.

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Barack Obama seeks tax rises in $4 trillion budget proposal

Clyde K. Valle
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Barack Obama seeks tax rises in $4 trillion budget proposal

President Barack Obama has sent a $4 trillion budget proposal to Congress with significant tax rises, primarily on companies and the wealthy.

Barack Obama’s plan would use new taxes to remove current budget caps and fund infrastructure projects.

The president spoke at the US homeland security department, which faces a funding shortage at the end of February.

However, analysts say it is unlikely the Republican-controlled Congress will approve the proposals.

Barack Obama’s spending plan is considered the opening gambit in an expected negotiation with Congress.

Republican budget officials are expected to put forward their own proposals in a few weeks time.

GOP representatives accuse Barack Obama of reverting to tax-and-spend policies without changing the biggest areas of government spending – social security and health programs.

Paul Ryan, the Republican’s top budget official, said Barack Obama was exploiting “envy economics” in his proposal.

“This top down redistribution doesn’t work,” Paul Ryan told NBC.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Among the new tax rises is a one-off 14% tax on US profits made overseas, as well as a 19% tax on any future profits as they are earned.

No tax is currently due on foreign profits as long as they are not brought into the US.

The $238 billion raised would be used to fund infrastructure projects across the country.

According to Audit Analytics, US companies made $2.1 trillion-worth of profits abroad at April 2014.

Among Barack Obama’s proposals are:

  • tax credits for child care and “second earners”
  • earners taxed at the top rate would only be able to take tax deductions at a lower rate
  • an increase in capital gains tax from 20% to 28%
  • a tax rise on cigarettes over 10 years from $1.01 per pack to $1.95

Barack Obama also called for an end to spending caps on the military and most domestic agencies first put in place in 2011.

Calling the caps “mindless austerity”, Barack Obama’s budget eliminates such limits for the six years they are scheduled to remain in place, representing a spending increase of $362 billion.

Barack Obama warned congressional Republicans on February 2 that he would not accept lifting caps on national security spending without doing the same for domestic programs.

“I will not accept a budget that severs the vital links between our national security and our economic security,” he said.

“Those two things go hand in hand.”

The spending plan also includes proposals Barack Obama promised in his State of the Union speech last month, including free community college tuition.

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Oil prices rally continue as investors pile in

Clyde K. Valle
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Oil prices rally continue as investors pile in

Oil prices rallied on February 2 as investors speculated that the falling cost of crude may have ended.

Brent crude was up 1.3% at $53.65 a barrel, having reached $55, while US oil rose 1.7% to $48.52.

It followed the release of data showing that US demand for leasing oil rigs was slowing, suggesting that producers might be preparing to cut output.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil reported a 21% fall in quarterly earnings on lower oil and gas production.Oil prices rally February 2015

On January 30, data showed that more than 90 US oil rigs were idled, the largest number to be wound down in a single day since the mid-1980s.

Today’s price rise extended the gains made last week, and boosted oil and gas share prices. Tullow Oil rose almost 7%, while BG Group climbed 5%.

Since last summer, the prices of Brent and UK West Texas Intermediate Crude have fallen from above $100 a barrel.

Meanwhile, Exxon, the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, saw profit in the fourth quarter fall to $6.57 billion, from $8.35 billion for the same three months the year before.

Oil and natural gas production fell 3.8%, Exxon said.

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Fifty Shades Of Grey to hit UK theaters uncut

Sonia Pantiss
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Fifty Shades Of Grey to hit UK theaters uncut

Fifty Shades Of Grey will be hitting UK’s theaters in full glory after censors approved the film without any cuts.

Based on E.L. James’s best-selling books, Fifty Shades Of Grey stars Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as his lover Anastasia Steele.Fifty Shades of Grey movie

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, it is due for release on February 13 ahead of Valentine’s Day.

E.L. James’s trilogy of Fifty Shades books have reportedly sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages.

In the US the film has been given an R rating, meaning those under 17 years old can watch it if accompanied by an adult.

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Miss Amazonas 2015: Runner-up Sheislane Hayalla snatches crown from winner

Lisa.Felice
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Miss Amazonas 2015: Runner-up Sheislane Hayalla snatches crown from winner

Beauty pageant finalist Sheislane Hayalla refused to be second best at this year’s Miss Amazonas contest in Brazil.

At the coronation ceremony, on January 30, runner-up Sheislane Hayalla hugged winner Carol Toledo when she was first announced as queen, but a few seconds after the crown was gracefully placed on her rival’s head, Hayalla snatched it, threw it to the stage floor and left in a rage.

Sheislane Hayalla accused Carol Toledo of having bought the title.

Images of the incident spread quickly on social media over the weekend. Users created all kinds of memes mocking the unexpected grand finale.Miss Amazonas 2015 Sheislane Hayalla

The winner of Miss Amazonas represents the state in the national Miss Brazil contest. It was not immediately known if Sheislane Hayalla would retain its position as “first princess”. Event organizers did not comment.

“I wanted to express my disapproval of the actions in the preparations for Miss Amazonas 2015. I do not regret having protested,” Sheislane Hayalla said on her Facebook page on January 31.

“I wanted something clean and honest.”

Sheislane Hayalla represented Brazil in Miss Globe International, held in September in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she was first princess and seemed to accept the title gladly.

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Mariah Carey messes up lyrics while lip synching Fantasy at Jamaica’s Jazz and Blues Festival 2015

Sonia Pantiss
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Mariah Carey messes up lyrics while lip synching Fantasy at Jamaica’s Jazz and Blues Festival 2015

Mariah Carey messed up lyrics and forgot to sing while lip synching Fantasy and other tracks during her performance at the 2015 Jazz and Blues Festival in Jamaica on January 30.

Mariah Carey made a big show of pretending to sing, holding up the microphone and mouthing words. They were often the wrong words, or she simply missed the cues all together and her backing track did the singing for her.Mariah Carey lip synching Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2015

However, the singer kept smiling, made emotional singing faces, and played with her ear pieces.

After the show, fans took to the Jamaica Observer website, where they voiced complaints on an article that claimed Mariah Carey had “conquered” the festival and “wooed” the audience with her hit songs.

Mariah Carey also came under fire in December 2014, when she performed live at NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center, but visibly struggled to hit the high notes.

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Annie Awards 2015: Full list of winners

Sonia Pantiss
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Annie Awards 2015: Full list of winners

The 42nd annual Annie Awards winners in full:

Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon 2, DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Dean DeBlois, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Aaron Springer, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
The Simpsons, Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For a Childrens Audience
Gravity Falls, Disney Television Animation

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
Tumble Leaf, Amazon Studios

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie; Warner Bros. Pictures

Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Darrick Bachman, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Sir Ben Kingsley as the voice of Archibald Snatcher, The Boxtrolls; Focus Features/Laika

Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Bill Farmer as the voice of Goofy and Grandma, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
Flight of the Stories, Aardman Animations

Best Animated Special Production|
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Voyager Pictures LLC

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Paul Lasaine, Tom McClure, August Hall, The Boxtrolls; Focus Features/Laika

Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Narina Sokolova, Mickey Shorts; Disney

Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Fabio Lignini, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Justin Nichols, Wander Over Yonder; Disney Television AnimationAnnie Awards 2015

Character Animation in a Video Game
Mike Mennillo, Assassins Creed Unity; Ubisoft

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Daniel Barrett, Paul Story, Eteuati Tema, Alessandro Bonora, Dejan Momcilovic, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; Weta Digital

Best Animated Short Subject
Feast, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Steve Avoujageli, Atsushi Ikarashi, Pawel Grochola, Paul Waggoner, Viktor Lundqvist, Edge of Tomorrow; Sony Pictures Imageworks

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Michael Kaschalk, Peter DeMund, David Hutchins, Henrik Falt, John Kosnik, Big Hero 6; Walt Disney Animation Studios

Music in an Animated Feature Production
John Powell, Jónsi, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Christopher Willis, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez, The Book of Life; Reel FX

Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Benjamin Balistreri, Wander Over Yonder; Disney Television Animation

Best Video Game
Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Ubisoft

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
John K. Carr, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Illya Owens, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Truong “Tron” Son Mai, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Joaquim Dos Santos, Legend of Korra, Venom of the Red Lotus; Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Best Student Film
Jason Rayner, My Big Brother; Savannah College of Art and Design

Winsor McCay Award
Didier Brunner
Lee Mendelson
Don Lusk

June Foray Award
Charles Solomon

Ub Iwerks Award
DreamWorks Animation’s Apollo Software

Special Achievement Award
The Walt Disney Family Museum

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Annie Awards 2015: How To Train Your Dragon 2 wins best animation prize

Sonia Pantiss
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Annie Awards 2015: How To Train Your Dragon 2 wins best animation prize

How to Train Your Dragon 2 has secured its claim to this year’s best animated feature Oscar by taking top honors at the 42nd Annie Awards at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Royce Hall.

The DreamWorks sequel was named best feature at the event, which honored 2014’s best achievements in animation.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 also took home awards for Dean DeBlois’s direction, feature character design, storyboarding and music.

The Lego Movie won a writing award, while Ben Kingsley was recognised for his voice work in The Boxtrolls.

Feast, the short film that precedes Disney’s Big Hero 6 in cinemas, was named best animated short subject.How To Train Your Dragon 2 Annie Awards 2015

Based on the book series by Britain’s Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon 2 follows the adventures of a young Viking called Hiccup and his pert dragon Toothless.

It won the Golden Globe for best animated feature and is up for the same awards at the Oscars and the BAFTAs.

The original How to Train Your Dragon was named best animated feature at the 2011 Annies but lost out at the Oscars to Toy Story 3.

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Katy Perry Super Bowl halftime show wows crowds

Sonia Pantiss
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Katy Perry Super Bowl halftime show wows crowds

Katy Perry wowed the crowds with her Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday, February 1.

The singer used a giant tiger, Lenny Kravitz and backing dancers dressed as sharks in her show.

Katy Perry rattled through a medley of hits during a 12-minute concert that also included a guest appearance from rapper Missy Elliott.

The show ended with Katy Perry singing Firework as actual pyrotechnics exploded above her.

Britney Spears, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg were among the celebrities on hand to watch the New England Patriots narrowly beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24.Katy Perry Super Bowl halftime 2015

Earlier, Frozen star Idina Menzel kicked off proceedings at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona with the traditional rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Katy Perry, 30, followed such other high-profile half-time performers as Madonna, Beyonce and last year’s interval act, Bruno Mars.

She avoided the controversy that dogged such previous performers as Janet Jackson, whose infamous “wardrobe malfunction” made headlines around the world in 2004.

Katy Perry marked the occasion by having XLIX – the Latin numeral for 49, marking the 49th Super Bowl – tattooed on one of the fingers of her right hand.

“I thought it would be appropriate to draw blood tonight,” tweeted Katy Perry, who also sang excerpts from I Kissed a Girl and Teenage Dream during her set.

Viewers were also treated to new trailers for Jurassic World, Pitch Perfect 2 and other upcoming movies during the ad breaks that punctuated this year’s Super Bowl.

Other highlights included actor Bryan Cranston reviving his Walter White character from Breaking Bad for a car insurance commercial.

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Jessica Biel pregnant: Justin Timberlake confirms news in birthday post

Lisa.Felice
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Jessica Biel pregnant: Justin Timberlake confirms news in birthday post

Justin Timberlake has finally confirmed his wife, Jessica Biel, is pregnant.

In an Instagram post on his 34th birthday on Saturday, January 31, Justin Timberlake said he’s getting the “greatest gift”.

After months of not confirming or denying, Justin Timberlake posted a picture of Jessica Biel’s baby bump and says he “can’t wait,” but they don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.

Photo Justin Timberlake Instagram
Photo Justin Timberlake Instagram

“Thank you EVERYONE for the Bday wishes! This year, I’m getting the GREATEST GIFT EVER. CAN’T WAIT. #BoyOrGirl #YouNeverKnow #WeDontEvenKnow #WeAreTakingBets,” the singer’s message read.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel was first outed when InStyle editor-in-chief Ariel Foxman congratulated Jessica over Twitter. Justin Timberlake’s fellow *NSYNC member and friend Joey Fatone also spilled the beans and told In Touch the couple were expecting. Joey Fatone even said that Justin Timberlake is actually a “kid at heart”.

This will be the first child for Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, who married in 2012.

Ebola vaccine: First large-scale trial begins in Liberia

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola vaccine: First large-scale trial begins in Liberia

Ebola experimental vaccine first large-scale trial is due to begin in Liberia.

The potentially preventative medicine was taken under strict security to a secret location in the West African country.

Scientists aim to immunize 30,000 volunteers, including front-line health workers.

More than 8,500 people have died in the Ebola outbreak, the vast majority in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The total number of reported cases is more than 21,000. In Liberia alone, more than 3,600 people have died from the disease.Ebola vaccine trial Liberia

The trial beginning on February 2 will involve injecting a small amount of the strain of the Ebola virus into 12 volunteers in order to trick the body into producing an immune response.

However, it is not yet clear whether this will really offer protection against the disease.

Community nurses are being trained in how to monitor volunteers in the months after they have had their injections.

In the meantime, parts of the largest Ebola treatment centre in the world, on the edge of Monrovia, are being knocked down.

The number of Ebola cases in Liberia has been steadily decreasing – in recent months, there have only been five confirmed cases across the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the epidemic has entered a “second phase” with the focus shifting to ending the epidemic.

The survival rate of the current Ebola outbreak is around 40%.

Peter Greste: Al-Jazeera reporter released from Egypt prison

Roy Siemens
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Peter Greste: Al-Jazeera reporter released from Egypt prison

Al-Jazeera reporter Peter Greste was freed from Egypt prison and deported on February 1.

After 400 days behind bars, Peter Greste landed safely in Cyprus, on his way to his native Australia.

Peter Greste will not rest until his colleagues are released from prison in Egypt, his family says.

He was arrested in 2013 and tried on charges that included spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood.

Two al-Jazeera colleagues, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, remain jailed.

Mohamed Fahmy, who holds dual Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, may be freed after having his Egyptian nationality revoked, presidential sources said.

But there are still concerns about Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian who holds no dual nationality.

Peter Greste spoke about his concerns for his colleagues to his family after his release.

Speaking at a press conference in the Australian city of Brisbane, brother Andrew Greste said: “We want to acknowledge that Peter’s two other colleagues are still there.”Peter Greste jailed in Egypt

His father Juris Greste said that they felt very deeply for those left behind.

Andrew Greste also thanked all those who had supported his brother and worked for his release.

“We are small cogs in this massive campaign,” he said.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Peter Greste had told her in a telephone conversation that he was eager to return to his family in Brisbane.

“He was immensely relieved and he was desperate to come home to Australia and reunite with his family,” said Julie Bishop.

“From my discussion with him, he was very keen to be back on a beach and lying in the sun in Australia.”

The three journalists had been accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi by the military in 2013.

All the defendants denied the charges against them and said their trial was a sham.

Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste were sentenced to seven years in prison and Baher Mohamed to 10. Their convictions were overturned on January 1, but the men remained in custody pending a retrial.

Peter Greste’s release on Sunday came after a long international campaign.

His family said that he would return to Australia when he felt ready.

His mother, Lois Greste, said she had been quietly dreaming about this moment.

The first hints of Peter Greste’s release came in November, when President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he was considering granting pardons to the two foreign al-Jazeera journalists.

He had earlier signed a decree on repatriating foreign prisoners.

Peter Greste’s release was eventually confirmed by a statement issued by the Egyptian interior ministry.

According to campaign group Reporters Without Borders, there are currently 165 journalists imprisoned around the world, in countries including China, Iran, Eritrea, Egypt, Uzbekistan and Russia.

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Super Bowl 2015: Patriots win their first title in 10 years after beating Seahawks with 28-24

Clyde K. Valle
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Super Bowl 2015: Patriots win their first title in 10 years after beating Seahawks with 28-24

The New England Patriots have won their first Super Bowl in 10 years after beating the Seattle Seahawks with 28-24 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Patriots are being investigated over allegations they under-inflated balls in beating the Indianapolis Colts to reach the showpiece event.

Despite trailing 24-14, they rallied to become the first team in Super Bowl history to trail by double digits in the second half and win.

The Patriots took the lead with two minutes left and held on for victory.New England Patriots win Super Baowl 2015

The New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named the most valuable player of Sunday’s Super Bowl, with the 37-year-old throwing four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter.

He set a new record for career Super Bowl touchdown passes with 13 to break the old mark held by his childhood idol Joe Montana. Tom Brady’s 37 completions also set a new Super Bowl record.

Pop star Katy Perry was the star attraction at the half-time and she was joined by special guests Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott.

Katy Perry entered the pitch on a giant golden robotic lion as she sang her hit Roar before Lenny Kravitz provided some rock and Missy Elliott some hip-hop.

The climax saw Katy Perry lifted 50 feet off the ground by a mechanical contraption and she sang Firework as she floated above the pitch.

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Bobby Brown breaks his silence over Bobbi Kristina’s condition

Lisa.Felice
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Bobby Brown breaks his silence over Bobbi Kristina’s condition

Bobby Brown has broken his silence one day after his daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Atlanta home.

On Sunday, February 1, Bobby Brown released a statement saying: “Please allow for my family to deal with this matter and give my daughter the love and support she needs at this time.”

Bobby Brown is reportedly at Bobbi Kristina’s bedside along with family friend Tyler Perry.Bobby Brown and Bobbi Kristina Brown

Almost three years after the death of her mother Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, was found unconscious in a bathtub on Saturday morning.

Bobbi Kristina Brown was found unresponsive by her husband Nick Gordon and a friend at her home in Roswell, Georgia.

Nick Gordon found Bobbi Kristina Brown at 10:23AM E.T. and called 911. He also reportedly did CPR on his wife.

Bobbi Kristina Brown is reportedly in medically induced coma.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s condition: Whitney Houston’s daughter reportedly brain dead and on ventilator

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s condition: Whitney Houston’s daughter reportedly brain dead and on ventilator

According to new reports, Bobbi Kristina Brown is brain dead and on a ventilator after being found unconscious in a bathtub at her Atlanta home on Saturday, January 31.

A nurse at North Fulton Hospital in Atlanta told MediaTakeOut.com Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, is brain dead.Bobbi Kristina Brown brain dead

“She lost oxygen to her brain for too long – she’s not going to be able to recover,” the nurse said.

Another report claims Whitney Houston’s daughter has “significantly diminished” brain function.

Another source told MediaTakeOut.com that Bobbi Kristina Brown and her husband Nick Gordon were “staying apart” at the time of the incident.

“[He] got a call from Bobbi Kris and he felt that she was try to hurt herself. So he [and a friend] rushed home, and they found her.”

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