Duck Dynasty’s Reed Robertson graduated from Ouachita Christian School in Monroe, Louisiana, his mother announced on Facebook.
Duck Dynasty’s Reed Robertson graduated from Ouachita Christian School (photo Facebook/Missy Robertson)
Missy Robertson wrote on her Facebook page: „We spent last night celebrating with Reed, his classmates and families. I couldn’t be more proud of the decisions he’s made about attending a Christian college and trying to live a pure life for Jesus. There will always be persecution for godly choices (which he is already experiencing), but it only solidifies these choices as what is best for God’s kingdom (Matt. 5:11-12). To all those <<kids>> out there who are doing the same, Godspeed! Stand in your faith! You will be blessed.”
Reed Robertson was born on January 24, 1995. H is the eldest child and first son of Jase and Missy Robertson.
Star Wars: Episode VII has officially begun shooting, production company Bad Robot has announced on Twitter.
Star Wars: Episode VII has officially begun shooting (photo Bad Robot/Twitter)
Bad Robot, founded by the movie’s director JJ Abrams, tweeted a picture of a branded clapper board with the hashtag “#dayone”.
A dusting of sand on the picture appears to confirm initial scenes are being shot in Abu Dhabi.
Little is known about Isaac’s role in Star Wars: Episode VII, and the actor admitted he was under strict orders not to reveal details.
The film will be the first Star Wars title released by Disney, after creator George Lucas sold the rights to the franchise in 2012.
Star Wars: Episode VII will also see the return of the three principal characters from the original trilogy – Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford).
Donald Sterling has said he will refuse to pay a $2.5 million fine from the NBA for racist comments.
“We reject your demand for payment,” LA Clippers owner’s lawyer said in a letter to the NBA, Sports Illustrated magazine reports.
Donald Sterling, 81, is also reportedly threatening to sue the league.
Donald Sterling has said he will refuse to pay a $2.5 million fine from the NBA for racist comments (photo Sports Illustrated)
He was banned from the NBA for life after he was recorded making racist remarks.
Donald Sterling was heard asking his girlfriend V. Stiviano not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games.
In the letter, Maxwell Blecher also wrote that no punishment was warranted for Donald Sterling’s actions and that his rights for a fair investigation had been violated, according to the USA Today.
The NBA recently appointed Dick Parsons, a businessman and lawyer, as new Clippers interim president while the league attempts to force a sale of the team.
Amid the upheaval, the team was eliminated from the league play-offs on Thursday.
Coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the game “the locker room was not good in a sad way. It felt like all the stuff they have gone through came out and they released all their emotions”.
Doc Rivers himself was fined $25,000 for shouting at a game official during an earlier game.
“I know I am tired,” he said, adding he expected to return to the Clippers next season.
“I am going to go somewhere and lose some weight. I gained 40 pounds in this thing. I just felt like I had to try and protect our guys.”
The US government has fined GM $35 million for delays in recalling small cars with faulty ignition switches.
The fine is the maximum allowed by US law.
General Motors said it had already begun reviewing its processes and policies to avoid future delays to recalls of this nature.
To date, the carmaker has recalled 2.6 million cars with the defective switch, which has been linked to 13 deaths.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Board (NHTSA) said it was the single highest civil penalty ever levied as a result of a recall investigation.
“Safety is our top priority, and today’s announcement puts all manufacturers on notice that they will be held accountable if they fail to quickly report and address safety-related defects,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement announcing the fine.
The US government has fined GM $35 million for delays in recalling small cars with faulty ignition switches
As a result of the settlement, GM has also agreed to provide NHTSA with access to the results of its internal investigation as well as to speed up its process for determining when to recall vehicles.
“We have learned a great deal from this recall [and] we will emerge from this situation a stronger company” said GM CEO Mary Barra in astatement.
GM was fined for not reporting a problem with ignition switches in its Chevrolet Cobalt and other models.
The faulty switches prevented the airbags from working and have been linked to at least 13 deaths in the US.
The NHTSA received reports in 2007 and in 2010 about the problems with the switches, but each time it “determined it lacked the data necessary to open a formal investigation”.
Both GM and the agency have been criticized by customers for their slow response to investigating safety concerns.
US car manufacturers are required to report safety defects within five days of discovering them.
In April, Mary Barra testified in front of Congress and said she was “deeply sorry” over the company’s handling of the defect.
Last month, GM revealed it had taken a $1.3 billion hit to cover the cost of the recall.
However, GM has asked a judge to ban cases “alleging purely economic damages” due to the recall, and has argued it is not responsible for problems with cars manufactured before 2009, when it was bailed out by the US government.
Two and a Half Men will end after Season 12, CBS network confirmed.
“[Producer] Chuck Lorre is creating a season-long event. Chuck is very psyched about this, he’s got some great ideas and very big surprises,” said CBS entertainment executive Nina Tassler.
Nina Tassler didn’t know whether bringing Charlie Sheen’s character back from the dead would be one of the shocks in store.
CBS confirmed the last episode will air in 2015.
Two and a Half Men has seen a number of real-life controversies since it began in 2003. As producers announce it is ending, we take a look back at some of the most talked-about moments.
After months of media reports about his personal life, Warner Bros terminated Charlie Sheen’s contract after “careful consideration” in March 2011.
Production on the show stopped in February after Charlie Sheen insulted producer Chuck Lorre in several interviews.
Two and a Half Men will end after Season 12
In previous weeks, Charlie Sheen had given a number of angry, rambling interviews. He insisted he was drug-free after undergoing rehabilitation earlier in the year.
Charlie Sheen had a contract for $2 million per episode but before his sacking had said he was being paid too little and demanded $3 million.
A court had ordered Charlie Sheen to rehab in 2010 after he pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife at the time, Brooke Mueller Sheen.
Ashton Kutcher, known for his previous roles on That 70s Show and the prank show Punk’d, was announced as Charlie Sheen’s replacement in May 2011.
“I can’t replace Charlie Sheen but I’m going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people,” Ashton Kutcher said at the time.
Ashton Kutcher would later go on to be the highest paid actor on US TV, earning $24 million in 2012 according to the Forbes rich list.
The first episode of Season 9 was watched by 28.7 million people in the US when it was aired in September 2011, giving the show its highest ratings since it began.
It saw Charlie Sheen’s character, Charlie Harper, being killed off, after his real-life sacking from the program.
Old girlfriends turned up at his funeral before it was revealed he had been killed by a Paris Metro train. The episode also saw the arrival of Ashton Kutcher’s character.
Angus T. Jones, the child star of the show, stepped back from Two and a Half Men after describing it as a “filth” and urging viewers not to watch it.
He reportedly made $350,000 an episode.
Angus T. Jones later apologized and appeared in a number of episodes in 2013, before eventually quitting entirely.
According to new reports, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will get married at Florence’s 16th Century Belvedere Fort in Italy on May 24.
A spokeswoman at the mayor’s office said that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West rented the villa for 300,000 euros.
A Protestant minister will preside over the ceremony, said Elisa Di Lupo.
Kanye West, 36, proposed Kim Kardashian on her 33rd birthday in October 2013, renting out San Francisco baseball ground AT&T Park for the occasion.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will get married at Florence’s 16th Century Belvedere Fort in Italy on May 24 (photo US Magazine)
This is the first marriage for Kanye West, who was previously engaged to designer Alexis Phifer.
It will be the third marriage for Kim Kardashian.
There has been no confirmation of the nuptials from either Kim Kardashian or Kanye West yet.
Kim Kardashian was married to music producer Damon Thomas from 2000 to 2003 and spent 72 days married to professional basketball player Kris Humphries in 2011.
Their ceremony was broadcast as a two-part TV special called Kim’s Fairytale Wedding.
In an interview with Florence’s La Nazione newspaper on Friday, Kanye West talked about the beauty of Florence and said he was “very excited” about the wedding.
Kanye West said he and Kim Kardashian had been to Florence last year and believed that their daughter, North, born in June 2013, was conceived “among the Renaissance masterpieces”.
“It was our first honeymoon,” he added.
“It’s one of the most beautiful cities of the world, for me the most beautiful in Europe.”
Elisa Di Lupo said the proceeds from the rental would go to fund restoration of many of Florence’s artistic treasures.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West had reportedly been planning a wedding ceremony in Paris but that’s unlikely as anyone wanting to get married there has to be resident in the French capital for four weeks before authorities will grant a marriage license.
Soma Holding, the operator of the mine that collapsed, killing at least 284 people in Turkey, has denied any negligence.
Representatives from Soma Holding defended their response to the disaster, telling a news conference their priority had been to save lives.
They added that an unexplained build-up of heat in the mine appeared to have caused the collapse.
It was Turkey’s worst-ever mine disaster and has sparked angry protests against the government.
There are thought to be up to 18 workers still trapped inside the mine, according to Turkish ministers and Soma Holding. It is not clear if the men are still alive.
Another 363 escaped, while 122 are injured.
At least 284 people died in Soma mine explosion in Turkey
The disaster began when an explosion on Tuesday sent carbon monoxide gas into the mine’s tunnels while 787 miners were underground.
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said that a fire was still burning inside the mine, but it was “declining”.
Anyone negligent about safety at the mine would be punished, Taner Yildiz said: “We won’t take any notice of their tears.”
Speaking to journalists, plant manager Akin Celik said: “We still do not know how the accident happened. There is no negligence of ours in this incident.”
“We want to find answers as well. We have never faced such conditions, such circumstances. We haven’t slept for three days because we’re first trying to save lives.”
Soma Holding executives said it was not clear what caused the explosion and collapse.
However, General Director Ramazan Dogru said reports that the fire began at a transformer were wrong.
“Overheating led to a collapse” at another part of the mine, he said, adding that this caused a fire which rapidly expanded. He said it was not clear why the overheating had occurred.
Much of the news conference focused on whether the mine had rescue chambers – safe rooms where miners can take refuge for an extended period of time.
Mining officials said an existing rescue chamber at the mine’s upper levels had been disassembled as production there had stopped, and work on a rescue chamber at the lower section was under way.
Rescue chambers were not a legal requirement, and the mine had an escape route for workers, they added.
Company chief Alp Gurkan said he was “saddened” by the disaster, and that he “couldn’t believe what [he] was hearing” when he heard the news.
“All the high-level mining experts in Turkey have seen this as the safest mine. We have difficulty in understanding how this event has happened,” he said.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been criticized for being insensitive in his reaction to the disaster, by appearing to suggest that it was a fact of life.
His aide Yusuf Yerkel made headlines on Thursday when photos emerged of him appearing to kick a protester in Soma.
Later pictures of Recep Tayyip Erdogan appearing to slap a protester in a local supermarket were also shown in the Turkish media.
The Soma mine was privatized in 2005. The government has been accused of rejecting a recent proposal for an inquiry into mine accidents, but officials say the Soma mine was subject to regular inspections, most recently in March.
In a recent report, the UN warns over an “alarming deterioration” in human rights in eastern Ukraine, where separatists are fighting security forces.
The UN also found “serious problems” of harassment and persecution of ethnic Tatars in Crimea, the mainly ethnic Russian region Moscow annexed in March.
Russia condemned the report, saying it ignored abuses by Ukraine’s government.
Meanwhile, a third-party initiative to restore law and order in one troubled city, Mariupol, seems to be succeeding.
Violence between separatists and pro-Ukrainian forces has left dozens dead in the east and south this month.
Violence between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces has left dozens dead in the east and south
Separatists control towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where they have been skirmishing with units of the Ukrainian security forces, sent in to reassert government control.
The revolt in the east gained momentum after Russia annexed Ukraine’s mainly ethnic Russian region of Crimea in March.
Moscow acted after the overthrow of Ukraine’s elected pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, during unrest in the capital Kiev in February, and his replacement with an interim government, backed by Ukrainian nationalists. A new Ukrainian president is due to be elected on May 25.
In another development, former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt has accused EU officials of risking war with Russia by displaying “megalomania” in Ukraine.
Helmut Schmidt, chancellor from 1974 to 1982, told German newspaper Bild: “The danger that the situation gets ever more tense, as it did in August 1914, is growing day by day.”
The UN’s conclusions are contained in a 37-page report, its second monthly assessment of the situation.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said in Geneva: “Those with influence on the armed groups responsible for much of the violence in eastern Ukraine [must] do their utmost to rein in these men who seem bent on tearing the country apart.”
The UN’s report details growing lawlessness in eastern and southern Ukraine:
Peaceful demonstrations, primarily by supporters of Ukraine’s unity, deteriorate into violence
Protesters are attacked and beaten
Local police do nothing to prevent the violence and sometimes openly co-operate with the attackers
UN monitors have also documented cases of targeted killings, torture and abduction, primarily carried out by anti-government forces in eastern Ukraine.
The report highlights threats to journalists and international observers, and abductions or attacks on some.
In its response, Russia’s foreign ministry said the report lacked any semblance of objectivity, and accused its authors of following “political orders” to whitewash Ukraine’s new, pro-Western leaders.
The report, it said in a statement in Russian, ignored “the crudest violations of human rights by the self-proclaimed Kiev authorities”.
Separatists in Donetsk announced on Thursday they were setting up their own parliament and were planning to open the border with Russia shortly.
Steelworkers in the flash-point port of Mariupol have begun citizen patrols after talks between officials from their company Metinvest, which is owned by oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, and local police and community leaders.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has canceled his visit to Chibok, the town where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted, officials say.
Goodluck Jonathan would stop in Chibok, in the north-east, on his way to a conference in Paris on the threat from Boko Haram militants.
But the visit was called off for security reasons, the officials said.
President Goodluck Jonathan has canceled his visit to Chibok
Goodluck Jonathan – under pressure over his government’s failure to rescue the girls – will fly direct to Paris.
On Thursday, relatives of the girls called for their unconditional release by Boko Haram.
Goodluck Jonathan is said to have ruled out negotiations over a possible release of prisoners.
Nothing was seen of the girls for almost a month after they were taken from Chibok.
But on Monday the group released a video showing more than 100 of them and offering an exchange for prisoners.
President Goodluck Jonathan has been criticized for not visiting Chibok – more than a month after the girls were seized.
The president will travel to Paris to take part in a summit convened by French President Francois Hollande to discuss Boko Haram.
The leaders of Nigeria’s neighbors – Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Chad – are scheduled to attend the summit on Saturday, which will also include representatives from the UK, US and EU.
A statement said delegates at the meeting will “discuss fresh strategies for dealing with the security threat posed by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in west and Central Africa”.
According to a new study, only eating breakfast and lunch may be more effective at managing type 2 diabetes than eating smaller, more regular meals.
Researchers in Prague fed two groups of 27 people the same calorie diet spread over two or six meals a day.
They found volunteers who ate two meals a day lost more weight than those who ate six, and their blood sugar dropped.
Experts said the study supported “existing evidence” that fewer, larger meals were the way forward.
Only eating breakfast and lunch may be more effective at managing type 2 diabetes than eating smaller, more regular meals
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, which controls the amount of sugar in the blood, meaning blood sugar levels become too high.
If untreated, it can lead to heart disease and stroke, nerve damage, light-sensitive eyes and kidney disease.
Scientists at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague divided a group of 54 volunteers aged 30 to 70 with type 2 diabetes into two groups of 27 people.
Volunteers were then given either a six-meal-a-day diet (A6) for 12 weeks followed by a two-meal day diet (B2), or vice versa.
The study compared two meals with six meals – as the latter accorded with current practice advice in the Czech Republic, researchers said.
Each diet contained on average 1,700 calories a day.
The B2 group ate between 06:00 and 10:00 and then between 12:00 and 16:00, and the A6 group ate their food throughout the day.
Weight loss for the B2 group averaged 1.4 kg (3lb) more than A6, and they lost about 4 cm (1.5 in) more from their waistlines.
Lead scientist Dr. Hana Kahleova, at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, said the results were “very pleasing”.
She said: “The patients were really afraid they would get hungry in the evening but feelings of hunger were lower as the patients ate until they were satisfied.
“But when they ate six times a day the meals were not leaving them feeling satisfied. It was quite surprising.”
Dr. Hana Kahleova said the study could apply to people without diabetes who were trying to lose weight.
Malaysia Airlines’ losses widen after flight MH 370 vanished over two months ago, raising questions about the future of the 76-year-old carrier.
The company’s net loss rose by 59% to 443 million ringgit ($138 million) in the January-to-March period, marking its fifth straight quarter of losses.
Malaysia Airlines attributed it to “tough operating conditions” and “negative sentiment”.
Investors shrugged off the news with shares rising 2.4%.
Only 30% of the company is able to be bought freely on the stock exchange in Kuala Lumpur, with the rest held by state investment firm Khazanah Nasional.
Malaysia Airlines’ losses widen after flight MH 370 vanished over two months ago
Of the 30% that trades on Malaysia’s stock exchange, most of that is owned by the country’s pension funds and other institutions, leaving a small proportion for retail investors to trade.
Overall though, Malaysia Airlines has lost more than 40% of its market value this year.
Flight MH370 went missing on March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, leading to a massive search and rescue operation that is still ongoing and may cost millions of dollars.
The Malaysian government believes the plane ended its journey in the Indian Ocean, but no trace of the plane or wreckage has been found so far.
The crisis led to a high number of cancellations and reputational damage to the carrier, including a 60% drop in sales from China.
About two-thirds of the 239 people on board MH370 were from China, prompting boycotts by some travel agents on the Mainland.
Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the disappearance of MH370 added to its poor results, which were “not unexpected”.
“The results were made worse with the impact on air travel in general following the disappearance of MH370. The whole market has reacted by slowing down demand,” he said in a statement.
The company “needs to accelerate efforts to improve its revenue stream and better manage our high costs which have increased” he added.
“This need has become even more urgent for Malaysia Airlines’ future survival and sustainability in a market that is not showing any signs of letting up on competition.”
Malaysia Airlines has been struggling in the face of high fuel prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and increased competition from budget carriers in the region.
“Further efforts need to be made to manage fuel costs which increased 14% despite a decrease in jet fuel price,” the company said.
Malaysia Airlines has racked up losses of more than $1.3 billion over the last three years and analysts expect that to rise further.
Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said at a news conference on Thursday that the government has no plans to financially bail out Malaysia Airlines.
Malaysia Airlines said much of the costs associated with the disappearance of MH370 will be covered by insurance.
However, the mounting red ink has increased speculation it may be forced to file for bankruptcy or possibly be broken up even though it is majority-owned by Malaysia’s state investment firm
Despite the grim outlook, Malaysia’s airline chief plans to continue with the company’s turnaround effort.
“We still have much work ahead of us to deal with the reality of the business and competition as a dynamic and nimble operation,” he said.
“MH370 has brought out the best of our Malaysia Airlines team to stand united to face the crisis. We will be leveraging on this team spirit to fight for our future.”
India’s opposition candidate Narendra Modi will be the next prime minister, with counting trends showing the pro-business Hindu nationalist and his party headed for the most resounding election victory the country has seen in thirty years.
The opposition Hindu nationalist BJP party has promised “good times ahead” as early results suggest it is on course for a landslide victory.
Narendra Modi’s landslide win was welcomed with a thundering rally on India’s stock markets and jubilant celebrations at offices across the country of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where supporters danced, exploded fireworks and handed out sweets.
Although final results are not expected until later, the scale of the predicted victory is such that the ruling Congress party has admitted defeat.
India’s opposition candidate Narendra Modi will be the next prime minister
BJP leader Narendra Modi tweeted: “India has won. Good times ahead.”
This is the most resounding victory for a political party in India for 30 years, say correspondents.
Narendra Modi, chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, is seen as a no-nonsense, can-do leader who stands for development and muscular nationalism.
He campaigned on promises of a revival in economic growth.
But many Indians still have profound concerns over Narendra Modi because of claims he did little to stop the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, in which at least 1,000 people died, most of them Muslims – allegations he has always denied and over which he was never charged.
The election result will be a crushing blow to the Congress party, which is led by the Nehru-Gandhi family and has dominated Indian politics since independence.
It reflects voter anger with Congress, which has been mired in serious corruption scandals and whose leadership has been considered ineffective in recent years, analysts say.
India’s PM Manmohan Singh rang Narendra Modi to congratulate him on his victory.
Narendra Modi, 63, celebrated with a visit to his elderly mother in Gandhinagar, the state capital of Gujarat.
Latest election results showed the BJP is on course to win 278 seats, surpassing the 272 seats needed to secure a majority in the lower house of parliament.
With their allies, the party could achieve more than 300 seats.
Meanwhile, the Congress party – which has been in power for the past decade – is leading in fewer than 50 seats.
Accepting defeat, the Congress Party spokesman, Shakil Ahmed, said: “We are accepting the people’s verdict in all humility.
“Trends of the counting are certainly not in our favor. The trends point out that the country has decided to vote against us,” he was quoted by news agency AP as saying.
Even before the Congress party’s announcement, there were scenes of jubilation outside the BJP’s headquarters. Firecrackers exploded and people handed out sweets.
More than 500 million people voted in what is the world’s biggest exercise in democracy.
Voter turnout in the mammoth nine-phase general election was a record 66.38%, beating the previous 1984 poll record.
Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev joked with a friend not to text him hours after the FBI released Tsarnaev’s photo as a suspect in the deadly attack, text messages showed.
Dias Kadyrbayev texted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev shortly after the FBI publicly released photos of Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as suspects in the deadly 2013 attack.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev responded that he had seen the news, then texted: “Better not text me my friend.” Then: “Lol.”
In another text, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told Dias Kadyrbayev he could go to his room and “take what’s there” followed by a smiley face.
Some of the messages had been released previously, but a complete transcript of Dias Kadyrbayev’s text messages in the days after the bombing was released by prosecutors Thursday.
Dias Kadyrbayev texted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev shortly after the FBI publicly released photos of Tsarnaev brothers (photo VKontakte)
Dias Kadyrbayev and another friend, Azamat Tazhayakov, are accused of removing a backpack containing fireworks and a laptop from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth several days after the bombings. A third friend, Robel Phillipos, is accused of lying to investigators.
None of the three men are accused of participating in the bombing or knowing about it ahead of time.
Azamat Tazhayakov and Robel Phillipos declined to testify this week during a hearing over statements they made under questioning by federal agents.
US District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock said Thursday he would not throw out their statements.
Dias Kadyrbayev had been expected to testify Friday, but Judge Douglas Woodlock said that will be postponed until after testimony from an expert witness.
The judge did not rule on Dias Kadyrbayev’s request to suppress statements he made to investigators; his suppression hearing is expected to resume in two weeks.
Prosecutors and the men’s attorneys are arguing over whether the statements were voluntary and can be used as evidence in the upcoming trials. Prosecutors have said the men willingly spoke to federal agents after being told of their right to remain silent and to contact a lawyer. Dias Kadyrbayev’s lawyer, Robert Stahl, has argued that his client, who is from Kazakhstan, did not have a complete command of the English language and did not fully understand the waiver forms he signed.
Three people were killed and more than 260 others injured in two bomb attacks at Boston Marathon in April 2013.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges and is awaiting trial in November. His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, also a suspect in the bombings, died following a shootout with police several days later.
Jay-Z, Beyonce and Solange Knowles say they are a “united family” despite an elevator fight seen in a leaked video.
The video, which was leaked to TMZ, showed Solange Knowles lashing out at Jay-Z in an elevator after the Met Gala on May 5.
“Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred,” said a joint statement.
Jay-Z, Beyonce and Solange Knowles say they are still united despite elevator fight
“They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family.”
New York’s Standard Hotel employee who leaked the footage has been identified and fired, it emerged on Thursday.
The Standard Hotel said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the leak and said it would it would hand over “all available information to criminal authorities”.
The employee was fired for “breaching the security policies of the hotel and recording the confidential CCTV video,” it added.
The three-minute video shows Solange Knowles entering the elevator with Jay-Z, Beyonce and their entourage.
Solange Knowles then confronts Jay-Z, whose wife stands by without interfering.
A bodyguard holds Solange back, although she again tries to kick Jay-Z. There is no audio on the recording.
The full statement was released by the family to the Associated Press.
The statement reads: “As a result of the public release of the elevator security footage from Monday, May 5th, there has been a great deal of speculation about what triggered the unfortunate incident.
“But the most important thing is that our family has worked through it. Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred.
“They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family.
“The reports of Solange being intoxicated or displaying erratic behavior throughout that evening are simply false.
“At the end of the day, families have problems and we’re no different. We love each other and above all we are family. We’ve put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same.”
Thousands of protesters in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro who marched against the cost of hosting the football World Cup in Brazil have been dispersed by riot police firing tear gas.
Some demonstrators hurled stones while other burned tyres and blocked roads.
They say they are angry that billions of dollars are being spent on next month’s football tournament, rather than social projects and housing.
Protests also took place in many other cities, including the capital Brasilia.
Teachers and civil servants, among others, were also on strike across Brazil.
Thousands of protesters in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro marched against the cost of hosting the football World Cup in Brazil (photo Reuters)
In Rio, aerial images showed hundreds of people marching in rush-hour traffic on a main thoroughfare. The city will host the final match of the World Cup on July 13.
Protesters there and in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, clashed with police before beginning to disperse.
The number of people on the streets was much lower than during similar protests last year.
Some of those taking part, however, promised the demonstrations would get bigger and more frequent as the World Cup gets closer.
Last June, more than a million people took to the street over poor public services, corruption and the high cost of hosting the World Cup.
The tournament is due to kick off on June 12.
The demonstrations began earlier in the day in Sao Paulo, with one of the biggest protests in the city’s Itaquera district near the Arena Corinthians stadium, which will host the tournament’s opening match.
Protesters there demanded housing, and not stadiums, be built in accordance with FIFA standards, in reference to world football’s governing body.
“Our goal is symbolic,” said Guilherme Boulos, the head of Homeless Workers Movement.
“We don’t want to destroy or damage the stadium. What we want is more rights for workers to have access to housing and to show the effects the Cup has brought to the poor.”
The government has tried to downplay the scale of Thursday’s unrest, arguing it was not related to the World Cup.
“From what I’ve seen, these are specific claims by workers. I’ve seen nothing that is related to the [World] Cup,” Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said.
“There’s no reason to panic ahead of receiving three million Brazilian tourists and 600,000 foreign tourists [for the tournament].”
The planned protests coincide with a range of strikes, including one by the police force in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco.
The army was deployed there to provide additional support after some robberies and looting, before the strike ended on its third day.
Local media reported that, in the last 24 hours alone, 234 people were arrested. Recife, the state capital, is due to host five matches during the World Cup.
Injured Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods are now recuperating and supporting each other in rehab.
The champion skier is currently recovering from a second right knee operation that kept her from being a part of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Injured Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods are now recuperating and supporting each other in rehab (photo USA Today)
Whereas, the 38-year-old golfer is recuperating from surgery to relieve pain from a pinched nerve in his back that helped him miss the Masters.
Lindsey Vonn, 29, said from Florida that rehab is not a fun thing to do, asserting that it could become monotonous, the Washington Times reported.
She, however, added that if one is going through rehab, it’s nice to have a partner, who relates to other person’s situation and whom they can talk to, rehab and train with.
Tiger Woods, in a recent posting on his website, had said that it does help to rehab with Lindsey Vonn, however, he added that her programs were much further along than his.
According to new reports, Barbara Walters said at a party for her retirement from journalism that she isn’t ready to say goodbye for good.
“Who knows what the future brings?” the news legend asked in her speech.
Barbara Walters interviewed every president and first lady from Richard and Pat Nixon to Barack and Michelle Obama
“Maybe instead of goodbye I should say à bientôt – which in French means <<see you later>>.”
Barbara Walters, 84, spoke at an ABC News party celebrating her six decades in journalism, which included serving as the first woman to anchor a nightly news broadcast.
She said that her first night on the air was a mess. But she added that if she paved the way for other women, she was grateful.
Barbara Walters noted that she had interviewed every president and first lady from Richard and Pat Nixon to Barack and Michelle Obama.
The party, at the Four Seasons restaurant, found celebrities from Woody Allen to Joan Rivers to Michael Douglass milling with news luminaries like Ben Sherwood, the ABC News president.
Barbara Walters joked that she would finally have time to get Botox – and that she would no longer need it, now that is no longer on TV.
A Sudanese woman has been sentenced to hang for apostasy – leaving Islam – after she married a Christian man.
Amnesty International condemned the sentence, handed down by a judge in Khartoum, as “appalling and abhorrent”.
Local media report the sentence on Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag, who is eight months’ pregnant, would not be carried out for two years after she had given birth.
Sudan has a majority Muslim population, which is governed by Islamic law.
“We gave you three days to recant but you insist on not returning to Islam. I sentence you to be hanged to death,” the judge told the woman, AFP reports.
Sudan has a majority Muslim population, which is governed by Islamic law (photo AFP)
Western embassies and rights groups had urged Sudan to respect the right of the pregnant woman to choose her religion.
The judge also sentenced the woman to 100 lashes after convicting her of adultery – because her marriage to a Christian man was not valid under Islamic law.
This will reportedly be carried out when she has recovered from giving birth.
Earlier in the hearing, an Islamic cleric spoke with her in a caged dock for about 30 minutes, AFP reports.
Then she calmly told the judge: “I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy.”
Amnesty International said Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag was raised as an Orthodox Christian, her mother’s religion, because her father, a Muslim, was reportedly absent during her childhood.
In court, the judge addressed her by her Muslim name, Adraf Al-Hadi Mohammed Abdullah.
Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag was convicted of adultery on the grounds that her marriage to a Christian man from South Sudan was void under Sudan’s version of Islamic law, which says Muslim women cannot marry non-Muslims.
The woman was originally sentenced to death on Sunday but given until Thursday to return to Islam.
There were small groups of protesters outside the court – both her supporters and those who back the punishment.
About 50 people chanting “No to executing Meriam” were confronted by a smaller group who supported the verdict, but there was no violence.
Amnesty’s Sudan researcher Manar Idriss condemned the punishments, saying apostasy and adultery should not be considered crimes.
“The fact that a woman has been sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion is appalling and abhorrent,” he said.
Death sentences are rarely carried out in Sudan.
Her lawyers plan an appeal to a higher court to get the sentence overturned.
On Tuesday, the embassies of the US, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands issued a joint statement expressing “deep concern” about the case and urging Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion, AFP says.
Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag was arrested and charged with adultery in August 2013, and the court added the charge of apostasy in February 2014 when she said she was a Christian and not a Muslim, Amnesty said.
Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez has been charged with a 2012 double murder, while still facing a previous murder charge.
Prosecutors say Aaron Hernandez drove up alongside the vehicle of two men with whom he had a “chance encounter” at a club earlier and shot and killed them.
Aaron Hernandez was arrested last June for allegedly killing Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro player found near his home.
Aaron Hernandez has been charged with a 2012 double murder, while still facing a previous murder charge
His lawyers did not have any immediate comment on the new charges.
But last August, lawyer Michael Fee, speaking about the Odin Lloyd murder charges, had said there had been “an incredible rush to judgment in this case”.
On Thursday, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, the victims in the 2012 shootings, were “ambushed and executed” as they were driving in Boston, Massachusetts on July 16, 2012.
Daniel Conley says they and Aaron Hernandez had had an “encounter” at a nightclub earlier in the evening and the former NFL player was the gunman.
Those details mirror the alleged motive in Odin Lloyd’s death. According to authorities, Aaron Hernandez and two friends picked up Lloyd at home in the early hours of June 17, 2013.
Aaron Hernandez allegedly told Odin Lloyd he was upset about an incident at a nightclub days before.
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said that Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, both Cape Verdean nationals, were “two young, innocent victims”, according to the Boston Globe.
A former tight end for the Boston-based New England Patriots, Aaron Hernandez was dropped from the Patriots – and his $40 million contract – shortly after his arrest in June.
Wal-Mart has reported a fall in profits due to particularly cold winter weather.
The world’s largest retailer’s net income for the three months to the end of April was $3.58 billion, down 5% on a year ago. Net revenue was up slightly at $115 billion. Both fell short of analysts’ forecasts.
Wal-Mart has reported a fall in profits due to particularly cold winter weather
Wal-Mart shares fell almost 2% in early morning trading.
The retailer also announced a 0.1% rise in like-for-like sales over the period at its UK supermarket business Asda.
Asda said it was reviewing the roles of more than 4,000 managers with a view to creating more roles in store.
Wal-Mart said that like-for-like sales at its own stores were flat during the three month period.
“Like other retailers in the US, the unseasonably cold and disruptive weather negatively impacted US sales and drove operating expenses higher than expected,” said group chief executive Doug McMillon.
“Wal-Mart’s underlying business is solid, and I’m confident in our long-term strategies.”
Wal-Mart forecast higher earnings per share for the current three-month period – $1.15-$1.25 compared to the $1.10 posted during the last quarter.
GM has decided to recall a further 2.7 million vehicles, most of which have brake light defects.
The recall, which affects a number of different models, will cost about $200 million, the carmaker said.
GM has decided to recall a further 2.7 million vehicles, most of which have brake light defects
Last month, General Motors revealed it had taken a $1.3 billion hit to cover the cost of recalling about 2.6 million cars with defective ignition switches.
GM said the latest recall was due to a greater emphasis on safety following the ignition problems.
“We have redoubled our efforts to expedite and resolve current reviews and have identified and analyzed recent vehicle issues which require action,” said GM’s safety chief Jeff Boyer.
The main recall involves 2.44 million Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Auras models in the US.
GM said the fault could result in brake lights not working when the brakes are applied, or the lights coming on when the brakes are not applied. Cruise control and traction control might also be affected, it said.
The carmaker said it was aware of “several hundred” complaints, 13 crashes and two injuries as a result of the fault.
The other GM recalls include 140,000 Chevrolet Malibus for hydraulic brake booster issues and more than 100,000 Chevrolet Corvettes for faulty head lights.
A 4-year-old boy had a lucky escape when his neighbor’s dog attacked him while playing on his bike.
The family cat pounced on the dog and chased him off.
Jeremy Triantafilo was playing in the drive of his Bakersfield, California, home on Tuesday when the dog attacked him, only for Tara the cat to fly in, hurl herself at the dog and chase it off down the street moments later.
Jeremy Triantafilo was playing in the drive of his Bakersfield, California, home on Tuesday when the dog attacked him (photo CCTV Roger Triantafilo)
The moment was caught on CCTV and became viral the internet yesterday, attracting over 5 million views on YouTube.
ABC News went to interview Jeremy Triantafilo and his parents, who explained that Tara followed them home from the park five years ago and has lived with them ever since.
The cat immediately took to sleeping in Jeremy’s crib with him when he was a baby, and formed a strong bond with the boy as was proven in her fearless rescue.
Jeremy Triantafilo received a nasty bite from the dog that needed stitches, but is now recovering at home.
Bakersfield police identified the attacking dog as an eight-month-old Labrador-Chow mix, who apparently was known for having a dislike for children and bicycles.
President Barack Obama has joined 9/11 survivors and rescuers at the memorial museum dedication ceremony on the site of the attacks in New York.
Barack Obama told those gathered it was a “sacred place of healing and of hope”.
The National September 11 Memorial Museum includes thousands of personal items and parts of the World Trade Center towers themselves.
Almost 3,000 people died on 11 September 2001 after al-Qaeda hijackers flew planes into the towers.
Another hijacked plane hit the Pentagon. A fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought with the hijackers.
The National September 11 Memorial Museum includes thousands of personal items and parts of the World Trade Center towers themselves (photo NBC News)
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama toured the museum, viewing a memorial wall with photos of victims and a mangled fire truck, before the ceremony began at 10:00 EST.
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joined them.
In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Michael Bloomberg said the museum was “a reminder to us and all future generations that freedom carries heavy responsibilities”.
Barack Obama said the museum means we can all “look into the faces of nearly 3,000 innocent souls”.
“We can touch their names and hear their voices, glimpse the small items that speak to the beauty of their lives – the wedding rings, a duty helmet, a shining badge,” he told those gathered.
As well as rescuers, survivors and relatives of people who lost their lives, there was in attendance the New York mayor at the time of the attacks, Rudy Giuliani, the present mayor, Bill de Blasio and actor Robert De Niro.
Along with the nearby memorial plaza, the New York city museum cost $700 million in donations and public money.
The museum, not far from the original site of the World Trade Center, is largely underground.
The museum will be fully open to the public on May 21.
The museum features dramatic and horrific moments of the day in videos, including the two skyscrapers collapsing, but also symbols of heroism, such as damaged fire trucks and the wristwatch of one of the passengers who confronted the hijackers.
“You won’t walk out of this museum without a feeling that you understand humanity in a deeper way,” said museum President Joe Daniels.
Charles Wolf, who lost his wife Katherine in the attacks, said he was awaiting the ceremonial opening on Thursday with a mix of anticipation and dread.
“It brings everything up,” he said.
The museum is not without controversy. Some relatives of victims are upset that unidentified humans remains found in the rubble will be located near the museum at Ground Zero.
Some Muslim groups have also said a video describing al-Qaeda and the run-up to the attacks does not differentiate enough between the violent hijackers motivated by a radical vision of Islam and regular Muslims.
Turkish trade unions are holding a one-day strike in protest at the country’s worst ever mine disaster, which has claimed at least 282 lives up to now.
Thousands have taken to the streets in cities across the country; clashes have broken out in Izmir.
President Abdullah Gul visited the scene of the disaster in Soma, as Turkey holds three days of mourning.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan was booed and jostled by angry protesters during his visit to Soma on Wednesday.
Several unions are reportedly taking part in the 24-hour strike, and blame the privatization of the mining sector for making working conditions more dangerous.
Some 3,000 people have begun gathering in the capital, Ankara, to march on the labor ministry. Protests have also begun in Istanbul.
It was a second day of protest, after police clashed with crowds on Wednesday.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon on some 20,000 people who took to the streets in Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city situated just 75 miles from Soma, the Hurriyet Daily News reports. A union boss in the city was said to have been hospitalized.
Soma mine disaster has claimed at least 282 lives up to now (photo CBC)
More than 5,000 protesters say they will stay in the city centre until some colleagues who were detained are released.
Protests continued for a second day in Istanbul and Ankara, after police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds on Wednesday.
There were reports of demonstrations in Bursa, Antalya and other cities.
“Those who pursue privatization… policies, who threaten workers’ lives to reduce cost… are the culprits of the Soma massacre and they must be held accountable,” said the Public Workers Unions Confederation.
Rescue efforts continue at the mine in Soma but there is little hope of finding anyone else alive.
Eight bodies were recovered overnight, bringing the death toll to 282. Up to 150 miners remain missing.
Excavators have been digging new graves in the town’s cemetery, as hasty funerals are being held for victims.
Women cried and sang improvised songs about their relatives as the bodies were lowered into the graves.
President Abdullah Gul called on Turks to be “unified… to get over these hard times” during his visit to Soma. He was speaking after meeting injured miners in hospital and touring the scene of the disaster.
Scuffles broke out during PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit. People booed him and kicked his car, calling for his resignation. He was forced to seek refuge in a shop at one stage. The town’s ruling AK party offices were also attacked.
However, it was PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s aide, Yusuf Yerkel, who made headlines on Thursday when photos emerged of him appearing to kick a protester in Soma.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been criticized for being insensitive in his reaction to the disaster, after he cited numerous mining accidents throughout the world, including in Britain in the 19th Century, in defending the Turkish government’s record.
He said every effort would be made to find the missing miners, and promised a full investigation.
The Soma mine was privatised in 2005.
The government has been accused of rejecting a recent proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into mine accidents in the area, although officials say the Soma mine was subject to regular inspections, most recently in March.
An electrical fault triggered the blast soon after midday on Tuesday, while 787 miners were underground, some 1.2 miles below the surface and 4km from the mine entrance.
The resulting power cut made the mine cages unusable. Many of them died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Government officials said 363 miners were rescued in the hours after the explosion, but no survivors have been brought out since dawn on Wednesday.
Turkey’s worst mining disaster until now was in 1992, when 263 miners were killed near Zonguldak, on the Black Sea.
Coal mining is a major industry in the Soma area, helping to supply a nearby lignite-fired thermal power plant, but safety has long been a concern. Nearly 40% of Turkey’s electricity production depends on coal.
