Jazz singer Jimmy Scott has died at the age of 88.
Jimmy Scott had the rare genetic condition Kallmann’s Syndrome, which meant he never reached puberty and his voice did not deepen.
Madonna once described him as “the only singer who makes me cry”.
Jimmy Scott also recorded with Lou Reed and appeared on the soundtrack to 1990s TV drama Twin Peaks.
Jimmy Scott had the rare genetic condition Kallmann’s Syndrome, which meant he never reached puberty and his voice did not deepen
Speaking of his voice, which was often mistaken for a woman’s, he said: “I learned that it was a gift that I was able to sing this way.
“Many times, I’d think, I’d love to try this in a lower register… but then after a while you think, sing with what you got.”
Jimmy Scott began his recording career in the 1950s. By 1962, he had been signed by Ray Charles, who also produced his album Falling in Love Is Wonderful.
He regarded the album as his “masterpiece” – but it was withdrawn from sale after a matter of weeks because of a legal wrangle with his former record label, and Jimmy Scott withdrew from the music industry.
Jimmy Scott then took jobs including as a shipping clerk, waiter and a ward captain for the Democratic Party before a late musical renaissance that began in the early 1990s.
All the Way, which was released in 1992, was nominated for a Grammy Award for best jazz vocal performance.
Jimmy Scott’s career blossomed late in life as he continued to record and tour.
Prince George has been photographed walking for the first time.
The prince was walking with the help of his mother, Kate Middleton.
Prince George’s tentative steps were captured on Sunday as Princes William and Harry lined up on opposing sides in the Jerudong Trophy at Cirencester Park Polo Club (photo Getty Images)
Prince George’s tentative steps were captured on Sunday as Princes William and Harry lined up on opposing sides in the Jerudong Trophy at Cirencester Park Polo Club.
It is believed to be the first time the baby prince has been seen taking to two feet in public.
Prince George – who is third in line to the UK’s throne – will turn one next month.
He was also seen playing football on the sidelines of the charity polo match.
According to Clarence House, it was an “impromptu family day out”.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers.
The students went missing on Thursday near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on their way back from lessons.
Hamas has denied it was involved in their disappearance.
The disappearance is being seen as the biggest strain on relations between the two sides since a Palestinian unity government was announced in April.
As tensions mounted, Israeli troops surrounded a house in the West Bank city of Hebron late on Sunday and gunfire was heard.
Unconfirmed reports said two men were arrested. It is not clear if the incident was connected to the search for the missing teenagers.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers
“Those who carried out the kidnapping of our youngsters are Hamas people,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to the fact that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently announced a unity government backed by Hamas.
Israel suspended crisis-hit peace talks with the Palestinians when the government was announced and insists it will not deal with a Palestinian government backed by Hamas.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements “silly” and said the arrests of Hamas figures were “aimed at breaking the will of the Hamas movement in the West Bank”.
The Israeli army says it has arrested about 80 Palestinians in the search for the teenagers.
Israel says an “intensive operation” is under way to find the two 16-year-olds – Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar – and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach.
They were last seen in the area of Gush Etzion, a bloc of Jewish settlements located between Jerusalem and the predominantly Palestinian city of Hebron.
Palestinian officials have said they are co-operating with the search.
Benjamin Netanyahu previously said he holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the teenagers’ wellbeing but Palestinian officials have pointed out that the three went missing in an area under full Israeli control.
Israel has said it suspects militants may try to trade the teenagers for Palestinian prisoners, as happened after the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Sgt. Gilad Shalit was freed in 2011 after Israel and Hamas agreed a deal under which more than 1,000 Palestinians were released from Israeli detention.
Also on Sunday, the Israeli army said it had conducted aerial raids on the Gaza Strip overnight in retaliation for rockets fired from the Strip into Israel.
The Sunni extremist group in Iraq has posted photos online that appear to show mass executions of Iraqi soldiers.
The army personnel are pictured being led away and then lying in trenches before and after their “execution”.
Iraqi military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the pictures were authentic and depicted events in Salahuddin province.
However, the images’ authenticity has not been independently confirmed.
Their emergence came as the Iraqi government claimed to have “regained the initiative” against the offensive by Sunni rebels led by ISIS – the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
The Sunni extremist group in Iraq has posted photos online that appear to show mass executions of Iraqi soldiers
Extremists captured key cities, including Mosul and Tikrit, last week, but several towns have now been retaken from the rebels.
The pictures, apparently posted by ISIS, are said to show what happened to soldiers after the group took over an army base in Tikrit following the surrender of the garrison there.
Video footage, apparently filmed earlier, shows many hundreds of men being marched off from near the Speicher base, with the voice on tape saying they were soldiers who had surrendered at the facility.
Still photographs show large numbers of young men being transported away in trucks.
Captions on the photographs, which again appeared to have been issued by ISIS, said they were being taken away to their deaths.
What appear to be ISIS fighters are seen firing on their captives in some images.
Earlier, Iraqi army spokesman Lt. Gen. Qasim Ata, said the military had scored successes against the militants in several areas, killing 279 of them. The figure could not be independently verified.
There were reports of heavy clashes round the city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, with mortar shelling of some districts as militants tried to enter the city.
Government forces were reported to be building up in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, ready for a counter-offensive on Tikrit.
Washington remains concerned at the security situation in Iraq and has announced it is increasing security at its embassy in Baghdad but relocating some staff to safer areas.
The US embassy would remain “fully equipped to carry out its national security mission”, the state department said.
The USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier is being deployed to the Gulf, accompanied by two more warships. However, the US says no US troops will be deployed on the ground in Iraq.
Neighboring Iran has offered direct assistance to Baghdad, but denies sending troops. However, there are reports of more than 130 Revolutionary Guards on hand to provide training and advice.
American Top 40’s DJ Casey Kasem has died at the age of 82, his daughter has announced.
Casey Kasem became a household name in the US after launching the nationally-syndicated show in 1970.
He also voiced cartoon character Shaggy in Scooby-Doo.
Casey Kasem had suffered from Lewy body disease, a form of dementia, and had recently been at the centre of a bitter family court battle over his care.
DJ Casey Kasem was best known for hosting radio show American Top 40
His death comes days after a judge allowed the star’s daughter Kerri to withhold food, liquid and medication from her father against the wishes of his wife of 34 years, Jean.
A message posted on Twitter by Kerri Kasem said: “Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends.
“Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken.
“Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad.”
He had numerous other roles in TV shows, animations and commercials over the years.
The veteran presenter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1981 and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1992.
In 2003, Casey Kasem was honored with the Radio Icon award at The Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas.
Last month, Jean Kasem moved her husband from a California nursing home to friends in Washington state, after courts in California awarded Kerri temporary conservatorship over her father’s care.
Court documents showed that Casey Kasem’s daughters Kerri and Julie had accused Jean of “elder abuse” by isolating their father from his children.
The US is sending a major warship into the Gulf to provide it with military options should the situation in Iraq deteriorate further.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the USS George HW Bush, which carries dozens of fighter jets, to be moved from the North Arabian Sea.
Meanwhile, Iran says it could be prepared to work with the US to fight Sunni insurgents in Iraq.
The insurgents have seized several cities and are threatening Baghdad.
Fighting under the banner of The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), they regard Iraq’s Shia majority as “infidels”.
The US is sending warship USS George HW Bush into the Gulf to provide it with military options should the situation in Iraq deteriorate further
State forces and Shia militia are reported to have ousted rebels from two towns in Diyala province north-east of Baghdad. But an air strike on the town of Jalawla killed seven Kurdish fighters by mistake; they had earlier moved in to positions evacuated by the Sunni rebels.
President Barack Obama has said he will take several days to decide what action to take over Iraq, but insisted that no US troops will be deployed.
The aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush will be accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun. They were due to arrive in the Gulf late on Saturday.
Secretary of State John Kerry has called on Iraq’s political leaders to put their differences aside to defeat the Islamist offensive.
John Kerry urged the government to ratify recent election results without delay and stick to a constitutional time-frame to form a new government.
Correspondents say the US is frustrated with Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki and his Shia-led government for ignoring the concerns of Sunnis and Kurds.
Earlier, Nouri al-Maliki addressed troops in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, insisting: “This is the beginning of the end of them [ISIS].”
Fears of ISIS sparking a wider Sunni uprising have increased with reports that other groups have joined the insurgents.
Colombians are voting in a runoff election between incumbent President Juan Manuel Santos and his conservative rival Oscar Ivan Zuluaga.
The campaign has been dominated by discussions on the ongoing peace talks with the leftist FARC rebel group.
President Juan Manuel Santos, who launched the negotiations in November 2012, lost the first round of the vote last month by a narrow margin.
His opponent Oscar Ivan Zuluaga says he will impose tougher conditions in order to carry on with the talks.
More than 32 million Colombians are eligible to vote, but the turnout was low in the first round at just over 40%.
Oscar Ivan Zuluaga defeated Juan Manuel Santos in the first round of vote by a narrow margin
Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, 55, is a former cabinet minister in Juan Manuel Santos’s centre-right government.
Their main disagreement seems to be on how to end a five-decade long conflict with Colombia’s main rebel group, the FARC.
Oscar Ivan Zuluaga initially said he would pull out of the talks and boost military attacks on the weakened rebel group.
That is the line adopted by his mentor, former president Alvaro Uribe, who was elected senator this year and is still one of the most influential figures in Colombian politics.
Later in the campaign he said he would continue to negotiate with the Farc provided the rebels renounced military action during the talks.
Juan Manuel Santos, 62, is aiming to conclude negotiations by the end of the year.
Government negotiators and rebel leaders have held several rounds of talks in the Cuban capital, Havana.
They have agreed on three points of the agenda drawn up in 2012: land reform, future political participation and drug trafficking, which is allegedly the main source of income for the rebels.
Three other points remain to be agreed on: the rights of the victims, disarmament of the rebels and the implementation of the agreement.
On the eve of the vote, Colombia stopped to watch the national team in its opening match in the football World Cup.
Both candidates were quick to congratulate the team on its 3-0 victory over Greece in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte.
Polls open at 08:00 local time and close at 16:00 local time. Results are expected shortly after polls close, as ballots are electronic.
A violent protest sparked outside the Russian embassy in Ukraine, which saw windows smashed, the Russian flag torn down and cars overturned.
Russia accused Ukrainian police of doing nothing to stop the attack, and called it a “grave violation of Ukraine’s international obligations”.
Meanwhile NATO released images which it says back up Ukrainian claims that Russian tanks crossed into Ukraine.
Moscow has denied sending the tanks to help pro-Russian rebels in the east.
Ukrainian radicals attacked cars and removed flag from Russian embassy in Kiev
A range of images show the T-64 tanks first at a Russian military staging area near Rostov-on-Don, and then apparently inside Ukraine earlier this week.
Unlike Ukrainian armored vehicles, the tanks have no markings or camouflage.
NATO says the pictures “raise significant questions” about Russia’s role in eastern Ukraine.
Saturday’s disturbance in Kiev occurred when several hundred protesters hurled eggs and paint at the Russian embassy.
One petrol bomb was also hurled, windows smashed and flags torn down.
The protesters – some wearing balaclavas – overthrew cars with diplomatic plates. One protester held a sign saying: “Russia is a killer.”
Russia’s protest against the incident was echoed by the US state department: “The United States condemns the attack on the Russian embassy in Kiev, and calls on Ukrainian authorities to meet their Vienna convention obligations to provide adequate security.”
Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko vowed to retaliate against pro-Russia separatists in the east after a military plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire, killing all 49 people on board.
The Ilyushin-76 transport was attacked by separatist forces as it was about to land in the city of Luhansk.
Jenna Fischer has announced she became a mother for the second time after secretly welcoming a new baby last month.
Jenna Fischer and her husband Lee Kirk welcomed their second baby on May 25
Jenna Fischer and her husband Lee Kirk have confirmed to E! News that their second child was born in May.
“We are pleased to announce the birth of our daughter Harper Marie Kirk. Born May 25, 2014. The family is doing great. We are happy, healthy and sleepy,” a joint statement issued by the new parents reads.
Jenna Fischer and Lee Kirk married in 2010 and are already parents to son Weston, who was born in 2011.
Eve and Maximillion Cooper tied the knot at Blue Marlin, Cala Jondal Beach in Ibiza, Spain, on Saturday.
Eve and Maximillion Cooper tied the knot at Blue Marlin, Cala Jondal Beach in Ibiza (photo Getty Images)
The newlyweds said “I do” on the beach at approximately 8 p.m., and guests were asked to dress in elegant beach attire.
Eve Jihan Jeffers, 35, and British designer Maximillion Cooper, 41, got engaged in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Christmas Day last year after three years of dating. They first met at an annual 3,000-mile international car rally.
Two months ago, Eve celebrated her bachelorette party at Up&Down in NYC’s Meatpacking District with a close group of girlfriends.
“Thank u to all my girls for tonight,” the singer gushed at the time.
“The best #bachelorette party #ever #girlsnightout #almostmrscooper #fun.”
FIFA has banned German legend Franz Beckenbauer from all its activities for “failing to co-operate” with its inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process.
Franz Beckenbauer had been asked to help with a FIFA ethics investigation led by lawyer Michael Garcia.
The 68-year-old was part of the FIFA executive committee that voted to give the tournament to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.
FIFA has banned Franz Beckenbauer from all its activities for failing to co-operate with its inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process
He has been banned for 90 days.
Franz Beckenbauer captained West Germany to victory as hosts at the 1974 World Cup, and was coach when they next lifted the trophy in Italy 16 years later.
He then managed at Olympique Marseille and Bayern Munich, where he is now honorary president.
FIFA said Franz Beckenbauer ignored “repeated requests” to assist with an independent investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
No details have been given on what Michael Garcia wanted to speak to Franz Beckenbauer about.
In a statement, FIFA said: “The apparent breach relates to Mr. Beckenbauer’s failure to co-operate with an ethics committee investigation despite repeated requests for his assistance.
“The case is now the subject of formal investigation proceedings being conducted by investigatory chamber member Vanessa Allard as chief of the investigation.”
The three Israeli teenagers missing from the West Bank since Thursday have been abducted by a “terror group”, Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu says.
Benjamin Netanyahu said an “intensive operation” is under way to find the two 16-year-olds and one 19-year-old.
The three seminary students went missing near an Israeli settlement north of Hebron as they were returning from evening lessons.
Palestinian officials say they are co-operating with the search.
“Our children were kidnapped by a terror group,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.
An intensive operation is under way to find the three teenagers missing from the West Bank since Thursday
“There is no doubt about that.”
The teenagers have been identified as Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar – both 16 – and Eyal Yifrach, 19.
They were last seen in the area of Gush Etzion, a bloc of Jewish settlements located between Jerusalem and the predominantly Palestinian city of Hebron.
The Israeli army says it is conducting house-to-house searches in the West Bank.
The search is being seen as the biggest strain on relations between the two sides since a Palestinian unity government was announced in April.
Benjamin Netanyahu has already said he holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the teenagers’ wellbeing.
In response, Palestinian officials have pointed out that the three went missing in an area under full Israeli control.
Israel has arrested at least 12 people in the Hebron area, they say.
In an earlier statement on the operation, the Israeli army pointed to the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and said the three may have been taken to be traded for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Sgt. Gilad Shalit was freed in 2011 after Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas agreed a deal under which more than 1,000 Palestinians were released.
In April, Israel suspended crisis-hit peace talks with the Palestinians when a Hamas-backed Palestinian unity government was announced.
New rumors have emerged that Beyonce is cheating on Jay-Z with her bodyguard, Julius de Boer.
Julius de Boer is from the Netherlands and speaks five languages. He is divorced and has a 4-year-old daughter, and his boss is one Jay-Z’s personal bodyguard.
“I have worked for RAD for over one year as personal protector of the famous singer Beyonce in the USA and abroad,” says Julius de Boer in interview with a Dutch newspaper.
“In past years I have traveled all continents, mostly in private jets and traveled in the most luxurious hotels stayed. [As a Dutchman I] had to learn to cope and adapt. Adaptability, in physical and psychological terms is the main characteristic that you must possess. I met my boss Norman Oosterbroek in college and he [protects] Jay-Z,” he added.
New rumors have emerged that Beyonce is cheating on Jay-Z with her bodyguard, Julius de Boer
Julius de Boer came to fame as the man who stopped Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles, from attacking Jay-Z in NYC’s Standard Hotel elevator.
Beyonce is now the center of controversy that claimed that she’s been cheating on Jay-Z.
According to Star Magazine, Beyonce has been sleeping with Julius de Boer for a very long time. This is not the first time that publication reported “exclusive stories” about Mr. & Mrs. Carter, they even claimed that Blue Ivy’s parents are getting a divorce.
“Jay definitely thinks that there was and may still be something romantic going on between Bey and Julius,” says a source to an interview with the magazine.
“He wanted to fire Julius last February, but Beyoncé said, <<Julius isn’t going anywhere>>.”
“They’ve spent a lot of time together behind closed doors, he even stayed in her hotel room,” the source added.
This is not the first time that Beyonce was linked to Julius de Boer. Back in 2009 Beyonce was photographed leaving a hotel in Berlin with Julius de Boer who was reportedly smeared with her red lipstick.
Street Outlaws’ Tyler “Flip” Priddy passed away on May 28, 2013, at his home in Yukon, Oklahoma, at the age of 31.
Tyler Gene Priddy was born November 30, 1981 in Chickasha to Gene and Glenda (Long) Priddy.
Street Outlaws’ Tyler “Flip” Priddy passed away on May 28, 2013
He attended Hinton Elementary School and graduated from Putnam City High School in Warr Acres. He worked for Warren Caterpillar for 10 years and was currently the parts warehouse manager.
Tyler Priddy enjoyed drag racing. Starting with a Mustang, then an El Camino, he eventually turned his passion towards Discovery Channel’s reality show Street Outlaws, where he beat out several others to be selected for the show. On the show, Tyler’s nickname is Flip.
Anything he could get on and go fast he would because Tyler Priddy was a “Gear Head”. He loved racing RC cars and Jeepin’ with his boys. Tyler Priddy loved his four boys and had nicknames for them all. They were his world. He was never seen without a Miller “High Life” or a “Monster” in his hand.
Tyler “Flip” Priddy is survived by his wife Morgan Amber Priddy of Yukon, his children Tovey Gene (Rito), Remey J (Flemerson), Dresdyn Rinot (Day Day) and Bennett William Edward (Baby B).
June Shannon has shot to fame thanks to TLC’s reality hit Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Mama June has four children: Anna “Chickadee,” Jessica “Chubbs,” Lauryn “Pumpkin,” and Alana “Honey Boo Boo” .
1. She became a grandmother at 32. Mama June’s first daughter, Anna “Chickadee” Shannon, had “Baby Kaitlyn” during the first season of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo at the age of 18.
2. She’s legally blind. Mama June had childhood cataracts that went untreated.
3. Mama June is rarely seen without socks. She has what her family calls “forklift foot,” due to an accident and therefore, she usually keeps her socks on.
June Shannon has shot to fame thanks to TLC’s reality hit Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
4. She can’t drive. Mama June doesn’t drive, except the occasional go kart.
5. Bingo is her vice.
6. She loves to “crop dust” people.
7. She is scared of mayonnaise (or “marannaise”). Mama June has a fear of white condiments, mayo in particular.
8. She’s a commitment-phobe. Mama June doesn’t like the word “marriage.” She’s only had one other long-term relationship besides her current one with Sugar Bear. Mama June and Sugar Bear had a commitment ceremony last year.
9. Mama June and Sugar Bear met in an online chat room.
10. Her nickname is Coupon Queen.
11. Each of her four children has a different father. Sugar Bear is Honey Boo Boo’s biological father.
12. Since Here Comes Honey Boo Boo started, Mama June has lost more than 100 pounds.
Marc Anthony has settled an ongoing court battle with his ex-wife, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, regarding child support.
A judge ordered Marc Anthony to pay $26,800 per month in child support for his two sons with Dayanara Torres, Christian and Ryan.
Marc Anthony will pay $26,800 per month in child support for his two sons with Dayanara Torres
Marc Anthony, 45, was previously paying $13,400 a month. Dayanara Torres requested that amount be raised to $123,426 a month in November 2013, citing lifestyle changes, in addition to child support needs. Part of the ten-fold child support increase included the need for a nanny and housekeeper, which would cost Dayanara Torres up to $7,000 a month.
According to court documents, Marc Anthony’s legal team offered $28,000 per month, but the judge ordered $26,800. His team also offered $30,000 per year for travel, but the judge ordered $12,000.
The documents also revealed that the original judgment required Marc Anthony to pay support until the kids were 21, plus college education. The judge terminated support when the kids turn 18, per California law.
Marc Anthony and Dayanara Torres, 39, were married from 2000 to 2004. One week after their divorce was finalized, Marc Anthony married Jennifer Lopez.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was freed last month after five years in Taliban captivity, is in a stable condition in hospital in Texas, officials have said.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 28, arrived in the US from Germany early on Friday and was taken to a military medical center for the next part of his reintegration.
He “looked good”, was in uniform, and saluted, Maj. Gen. Joseph DiSalvo said.
Bowe Bergdahl has not yet been in contact with his family, which officials described as his own choice.
“He appeared just like any sergeant would when they see a two-star general – a little bit nervous,” Gen. Josepg DiSalvo said.
“But he looked good, saluted, and had good deportment.”
Bowe Bergdahl has not yet been in contact with his family, which officials described as his own choice
Bowe Bergdahl arrived at about 01:40 local time and was subsequently driven in a three-vehicle convoy to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston.
Army officers also said Bowe Bergdahl had not yet been in contact with his parents, Robert and Jani Bergdahl, who are not in Texas.
“Family support is a critical part of the reintegration process,” Army psychologist Col. Bradley Poppen said.
“Overall, though it is a returnee’s choice to determine when, where and who they want to re-engage with socially, and I believe the family understands that process at this point in time.”
In the near future, Bowe Bergdahl will work with medical staff on reintegration, the progress of which will be driven by the soldier himself.
“There is no set timeline,” Joseph DiSalvo said.
The focus of reintegration will be on re-equipping the soldier, who is staying in a hospital room, with an “appropriate level of mental and physical stability to effectively resume normal activities with minimal physical and emotional complications”, he said.
Col. Bradley Poppen said: “What we are trying to do is get him to recognize that the coping skills he used to survive this long, five-year ordeal may not be healthy and functional now.”
Bowe Bergdahl has not yet been made aware of the media coverage of the circumstances of his disappearance from a military base in Afghanistan in 2009 nor of the controversy over the deal that saw him exchanged for five senior Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
“Anything surrounding the controversy of his disappearance is not part of his reintegration,” Gen. Joseph DiSalvo said.
Shortly after Bowe Bergdahl’s release, several commentators and soldiers came forward to brand him a deserter and call for him to be punished.
Critics of the prisoner swap, which include some Democrats, have objected to the fact Congress was not given notice of the deal. They say the Taliban detainees are too dangerous to free.
The Pentagon has concluded he left his post in Paktika province without authorization but it is unclear if he intended to desert. The Army has said it will investigate the circumstances of his capture, leaving open the possibility he could be prosecuted for misconduct.
An Army review of the matter will take place after Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s treatment has finished, officials said.
Donald Trump is fighting with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel over a sign affixed to Trump’s downtown skyscraper.
The 20ft tall T-R-U-M-P sign was placed 200ft above the Chicago River and is backlit by bright lights.
Rahm Emanuel’s office said the mayor believed the “architecturally tasteful building” was “scarred” by the sign.
Donald Trump has said the sign is “magnificent” and “popular” and argued the city previously signed off on it.
It enhances the building, he told NBC News, and said the building itself was “a great piece of architecture, great for Chicago”.
“Cities love the [Trump] brand and we are getting tweets, letters and phone calls from people who just love it [the sign].”
Donald Trump built the Trump International Hotel and Tower six years ago to replace an ageing Chicago Sun-Times building with its own sign
The billionaire blamed Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune‘s architecture critic, for stirring up controversy with his harsh criticism during the sign’s recent installation.
“If this sign was in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, nobody would care – but it is in Chicago, and in a part of Chicago full of great buildings from the 1920s to the 1960s and onward,” Blair Kamin, a Pulitzer Prize-winner said.
None of the other towers have signs on them, he added, calling the Trump sign an “egotistical overstatement”.
Donald Trump built the Trump International Hotel and Tower six years ago to replace an ageing Chicago Sun-Times building with its own sign. It is now the second-tallest building in the city.
The former tenants of the site agree with Blair Kamin.
“It is, rather, an obnoxious New York interloper, not unlike The Donald himself,” wrote the Sun Times newspaper, which described the sign on its current building as “sociable but not loud”.
Kelly Quinn, Rahm Emanuel’s spokeswoman, told the New York Times the mayor instructed Donald Trump’s office to look into “options available for further changes”.
But passers-by who were asked by NBC News on Friday to share their thoughts generally liked the sign.
Voters in Afghanistan are deciding who will succeed President Hamid Karzai after run-off polls.
The choice was between former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani.
The head of the election commission said turnout was good and most polling stations had opened but admitted some places had run out of ballot papers.
The Taliban threatened to target voting, and there are concerns that fraud could produce a disputed result.
Leading candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani have campaigned relentlessly ahead of Afghanistan presidential election’s second round
It should be the first time that power in Afghanistan has been democratically transferred.
As most foreign soldiers prepare to withdraw by the end of this year, whoever becomes the new leader faces multiple challenges.
Taliban insurgents remain active, the economy is weak, corruption is endemic and the rule of law goes largely unenforced.
About 12 million Afghans are eligible to vote. Polls closed at 16:00 local time but officials said those in line at that time could still vote.
The election commission said 6,204 polling centres had opened, but about 160 remained closed because of security threats.
Abdullah Abdullah won 45% of the first-round vote, with Ashraf Ghani securing 31.6% – neither achieved the 50% needed to avoid a second round.
Both sides have faced multiple claims of fraud.
Correspondents say that a seamless transfer of power would be a significant achievement for Afghanistan and a vindication of international efforts to establish a functioning democracy after the abuses of the Taliban era.
But Afghanistan’s mountainous and remote terrain, coupled with the dilapidated condition of many of its roads, mean that holding a country-wide election is a major challenge. Thousands of donkeys will be deployed to carry ballot boxes to some of the more inaccessible villages.
The preliminary result is expected on July 2 and the final result on July 22.
Chuck Noll, the man who was known as the most successful NFL coach of all time, has died at the age of 82.
Chuck Noll led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl victories between 1975 and 1980.
Chuck Noll was known as the most successful NFL coach of all time
Local media reported that Chuck Noll died of natural causes at his home in Sewickley, Pennsylvania.
He had a reputation as a meticulous coach and his team achieved renown for their defense – or the “Steel Curtain” as it became known.
“He will go down as the guy who helped create the mystique that exists now with the Steelers,” Chuck Noll’s successor as coach Bill Cowher told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A former linebacker with the team, Andy Russell, told the paper: “He’d tell us life is a journey and you never arrive. He was always telling us at some point to find our life’s pursuit.
“I love the guy. He was a tremendous mentor in my life.”
Nigerian gospel singer Kefee Obareki Don-Momoh has reportedly died in a hospital in the US.
Known to her fans as the “Branama Queen”, Kefee Obareki Don-Momoh is believed to have become ill on a flight to the US about two weeks ago and fallen into a coma.
Kefee Obareki Don-Momoh’s best-known hits are Branama and Kokoroko
The singer, who was reportedly pregnant, fell into a coma while on a flight to Chicago, where she was working, making videos amongst other things. The plane was forced make an emergency landing and she was rushed into the Intensive Care Unit of an hospital in Los Angeles.
Nigerian Entertainment Today published a statement from Kefee Obareki Don-Momoh’s UK manager saying she had died of lung failure.
Married to DJ Teddy Don-Momoh, the star’s best-known hits are Branama and Kokoroko.
Kefee Obareki Don-Momoh’s music career reportedly began at the age of 8 when she sang in a church choir.
Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 each year to honor the United States flag and to commemorate the flag’s adoption.
On the same day, the US Army celebrates its birthday.
Flag Day falls within National Flag Week, a time when Americans reflect on the foundations of the nation’s freedom. The flag of the United States represents freedom and has been an enduring symbol of the country’s ideals since its early days. During both events, Americans also remember their loyalty to the nation, reaffirm their belief in liberty and justice, and observe the nation’s unity.
Many people in the US honor this day by displaying the American flag at homes and public buildings. Other popular ways of observing this holiday include: flag-raising ceremonies; Flag Day services; school quizzes and essay competitions about the American flag; musical salutes; street parades; and awards for special recognition.
Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 each year to honor the United States flag and to commemorate the flag’s adoption
Organizations such as The National Flag Day Foundation are actively involved in coordinating activities centered on the event and keeping the flag’s traditions alive. Following Flag Day is Honor America Days, a 21-day period through to Independence Day (July 4) to honor America. During this period, people hold public gatherings and activities to celebrate and honor the nation.
Although Flag Day is a nationwide observance, it is not a public holiday in many parts of the US. It is a legal holiday in a few areas in the USA, such as Montour County in Pennsylvania.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress replaced the British symbols of the Grand Union flag with a new design featuring 13 white stars in a circle on a field of blue and 13 red and white stripes – one for each state. Although it is not certain, this flag may have been made by the Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross, who was an official flag maker for the Pennsylvania Navy. The number of stars increased as the new states entered the Union, but the number of stripes stopped at 15 and was later returned to 13.
In June 1886, Bernard Cigrand made his first public proposal for the annual observance of the birth of the flag when he wrote an article titled The Fourteenth of June in the old Chicago Argus newspaper. Bernard Cigrand’s effort to ensure national observance of Flag Day finally came when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation calling for a nationwide observance of the event on June 14, 1916. However, Flag Day did not become official until August 1949, when President Harry Truman signed the legislation and proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day.
In 1966, Congress also requested that the President issue annually a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as National Flag Week.
The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation to: call on government officials in the USA to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on Flag Day; and to urge US residents to observe Flag Day as the anniversary of the adoption on June 14, 1777, by the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the US.
The American flag, also nicknamed as “Old Glory” or “star-spangled banner”, has changed designs over the centuries. It consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars. Each of the 50 stars represents one of the 50 states in the United States and the 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies that became the first states in the Union.
A Ukrainian military transport plane has been shot down by pro-Russian rebels in Luhansk, killing all 49 Ukrainian service personnel on board.
Ukraine’s defense ministry said the Il-76 transport plane crashed after coming under anti-aircraft fire over Luhansk.
In a statement it said “terrorists” had “cynically and treacherously” fired on the aircraft.
The plane was carrying troops and military equipment and was about to land at the city’s airport.
It is thought to be the biggest loss of life suffered by government forces in a single incident since Kiev began an operation to try to defeat the insurgency in east Ukraine.
A Ukrainian military transport plane has been shot down by pro-Russian rebels in Luhansk, killing all 49 people on board
Military spokesman Vladislav Seleznov said “preliminary information” suggested all 49 military personnel on board the aircraft – nine flight crew and 40 troops – were killed.
He added that the investigation was just beginning into how the separatists brought down the plane, but initial reports indicated that three “Stinger-like” missiles were used.
The incident came less than a week after pro-Russia rebels launched a series of attacks on Ukrainian forces at Luhansk International Airport.
The airport has been under the control of government forces but the rebels hold most of the rest of the city.
Luhansk is the main city of one of two eastern regions where pro-Russia separatists have declared independence from Kiev.
The “anti-terrorist operation” by Ukraine government forces has left at least 270 people dead over the past two months.
Ukraine’s new President Petro Poroshenko had said that fighting must end “this week” following his inauguration in Kiev last Sunday.
Meanwhile, the US said it was confident that tanks being used by separatists in eastern Ukraine came from Russia.
“Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area,” a US state department spokeswoman said.
“We are confident that these tanks came from Russia,” she added.
The appearance of the tanks, filmed in various towns in the Donetsk region, sparked a row between Kiev and Moscow.
Russia has denied allegations that the tanks had entered Ukraine from its territory.
