Miley Cyrus has been granted with a temporary restraining order against Devon Meek, the Arizona man who was recently detained by police while trying to meet the star.
Miley Cyrus has been granted with a temporary restraining order against Devon Meek (photo People)
A Los Angeles judge granted Miley Cyrus the order against 24-year-old Devon Meek on Friday. Miley Cyrus’ court filing states that the Sierra Vista man believes the singer is communicating to him through her songs.
According to the documents, Los Angeles police took Devon Meek into custody on May 16 and he was placed under a psychiatric hold. The docs say Devon Meek was arrested outside a property he believed is owned by Miley Cyrus, but the documents don’t specify the location.
A police detective wrote in a sworn statement that Devon Meek told officers they should shoot him in the head if he couldn’t meet Miley Cyrus.
Mali’s Tuareg rebels have agreed to a ceasefire, two days after clashes with the army threatened to throw the country back into chaos.
Three Tuareg rebel groups occupying the key northern town of Kidal signed the agreement after talks with African Union chairman Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz.
Some 20 Malian soldiers have died since Wednesday in fighting over who holds the town.
The separatists have gained control of much of northern Mali in recent days.
Tuareg rebels have agreed to a ceasefire, two days after clashes with the army threatened to throw Mali back into chaos
In 2012 a Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali triggered a military coup in the capital, Bamako and an Islamist takeover of the north.
Civilian rule was re-established in 2013, but Islamist and separatist forces remain active in some areas.
Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, the president of Mauritania, flew to Kidal on Friday to meet rebel groups including the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA).
Minister for Internal Security General Sada Samake signed the ceasefire on behalf of the Malian government at 21:30 GMT on Friday.
The ceasefire agreement includes a pledge to revive talks and the release of 300 Tuareg prisoners held in the capital.
Violence broke out in Kidal on Saturday when Malian PM Moussa Mara visited the town to show support for government forces based there.
The rebels seized government buildings, killed at least eight civilians and took around 30 hostages, who were later released.
The separatists said they defeated government forces the town on Wednesday.
MNLA fighters have also taken control of several other towns in the north, including Menaka, Agelhok, Anefis and Tessalit. They said earlier on Friday that they were close to the key city of Gao.
The government has accused the Tuaregs of being backed by al-Qaeda militants, and called for an immediate ceasefire.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma will be sworn into office for a second term, following the African National Congress’ victory at the polls.
The ANC won a commanding victory in the country’s general election on May 7.
More than 4,000 guests are expected at the ceremony in Pretoria, including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
Neither the US or UK are sending a representative but officials from Russia, China and India are attending.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma will be sworn into office for a second term
President Jacob Zuma was officially elected for a second five-year term on Wednesday by the ANC-dominated parliament.
The expected formality of the re-election was disturbed only by lawmakers from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who turned up at parliament in red overalls and hardhats.
The EFF, led by former ANC member Julius Malema, said they dressed as maids and miners to show they intend to represent the interest of workers.
South African media say Saturday’s inauguration ceremony will be as much about celebrating Nelson Mandela and 20 years of democracy as about officially sealing Jacob Zuma’s re-election.
Jacob Zuma will take the oath of office shortly after prayers open the ceremony at 11:00 local time.
Several heads of state will be in attendance, including Robert Mugabe, Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
The US is not sending a representative but a White House statement said President Barack Obama spoke to Jacob Zuma on Friday to congratulate him on his re-election.
The centrepiece of the event is a 90-minute cultural show, with performances from local musicians, dancers and a youth choir.
Proceedings will be broadcast at 45 public viewing sites across the country as well as being shown live on television and radio.
Around 20,000 people are also expected to descend on the Union Building in Pretoria, the site of the ceremony, to watch on large TV screens.
Jacob Zuma will get back to work immediately after the national celebrations and is expected to announce his cabinet on Sunday.
Secretary of State John Kerry will testify in front of a House of Representatives panel about the deadly Benghazi terror attack in Libya less than two years ago.
State department officials say John Kerry’s appearance at the oversight panel should mean he will not need to testify in front of the recently-formed Benghazi select committee.
John Kerry will testify in front of a House of Representatives panel about the deadly Benghazi terror attack (photo Reuters)
John Kerry is scheduled to testify on June 12.
US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others were killed after an assault on the Libyan diplomatic post in September 2012.
Republicans have argued the Democratic Obama administration misled the public on the nature of the attack.
Democrats in the US Congress have named five representatives to a special panel on the Benghazi attacks despite arguing it is motivated by Republican politics.
John Kerry, who was not secretary at the time, had previously been subpoenaed by the oversight committee to appear in late May, but could not attend due to the Ukrainian crisis.
A separate select committee on Benghazi with the authorization to operate until the end of the year was approved on a largely party-line vote.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are reportedly on the verge of divorce after months of explosives rows and years of infidelity.
The singer and her husband no longer love each other and are keen to keep their split a secret, Life & Style magazine reported.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are reportedly on the verge of divorce after months of explosives rows and years of infidelity
A source told the publication that Jay-Z’s infidelity is a big issue and Beyoncé will no longer put up with him “spending nights with other women”. Her jealous streak is thought to have led to ‘explosive arguments ‘in recent months.
Although Beyoncé is allegedly keen to call it quits, she wants to protect her “perfect family” image until the financial aspects have been worked out.
Beyoncé, 32, and rap mogul have a combined net worth of $900 million and according to some divorce experts, their split could leave both parties out of pocket.
Their relationship, which has been blighted by rumours of illuminati affiliation and infidelity, was propelled the spotlight after footage emerged of Beyoncé’s sister Solange Knowles attacking her brother-in-law after the Met Gala.
Fans were not only shocked to see Solange Knowles violently kicking and punching Jay-Z in an elevator at the Standard Hotel, but they were even more surprised that Beyoncé did not intervene.
Meanwhile some celebrity watchers noticed that Beyoncé appeared to have had her wedding tattoo removed from her ring finger.
Karen Houghton, Kim Kardashian’s aunt, has revealed that the reality star is set to rip off Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding with her multi European city bash.
She revealed that Kim Kardashian even attempts to out-dress the Duchess of Cambridge.
Karen Houghton said: “Kim loved the British royal wedding and is a huge fan of Kate Middleton. She was just so caught up in that day and very impressed by it, and how it played out on TV around the world.”
She added that Kim Kardashian could be sporting a crown.
Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their 150-strong wedding party jet out to Italy today for the ceremony at the 16th-century Forte di Belvedere in Florence (photo Splash News)
“She really loves Kate and the princess has been a huge inspiration as far as her wedding plans are concerned.
“Kim saw how visually stunning the royal wedding looked and wants to replicate that. Kim and Kanye want something just as traditional and classy.”
“Kim saw how the fashion world has reacted to Kate and wants to be just like her. She could wear a crown or tiara made from real diamonds.
“Kim wore a crown with her wedding to Kris Humphries and I believe she’s thinking of doing it again.”
Karen Houghton will not attend the wedding after a fallout with Kim Kardashian’s mother – her elder sister, Kris Jenner. She said: “I wish I could be there, but I don’t think it’s fair to go when there’s a cloud of unrest hanging over Kris and I.
“This is Kim’s big day and she doesn’t need any distractions in that sense.”
Meanwhile, over in Paris, where the Kardashian clan has gathered, 33-year-old Kim had a pretty sedate hen party on Thursday night.
With 20 friends and her sisters, it was hosted in Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s favorite hangout, Hotel Costes. Afterwards the ladies took a tour of Paris by night, stopping to pose for pictures and selfies by the Eiffel Tower and the famous pyramid at the Louvre.
Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their 150-strong wedding party jet out to Italy today for the ceremony at the 16th-century Forte di Belvedere in Florence.
Duck Dynasty’s Si Robertson has released a new country EP with an assist from Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn.
Si Robertson recorded Can’t Take the Swamp Outta the Man as special gift to his wife Christine as part of the couple’s recent wedding vow renewal after 43 years of marriage
Me and My Smokin Hot Honey, the six-song EP, features Kix Brooks teaming up with Si Robertson on the song, Can’t Take the Swamp Outta the Man, which was recorded as special gift to his wife Christine as part of the couple’s recent wedding vow renewal after 43 years of marriage.
Christine Robertson is big Kix Brooks fan.
The finished product was played as Uncle Si and Christine Robertson walked down the aisle.
Harper Lee’s lawsuit filed against a museum in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, has been reinstated by a federal judge.
Harper Lee sought the reinstatement of the lawsuit after her attorneys said settlement talks with the Monroe County Heritage Museum failed
Judge William Steele signed an order Thursday granting To Kill a Mockingbird author’s request to reinstate her suit.
Harper Lee, 88, sought the reinstatement after her attorneys said settlement talks with the Monroe County Heritage Museum failed.
The author sued in 2013, accusing the museum of taking advantage of her work by selling souvenirs and using the title of her book as its website address without compensating the author.
Harper Lee and the museum filed notice of a settlement in February. That was never signed and the time for completing it ran out. Meanwhile, the museum did change its website address.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has agreed to sell his stake in the basketball team to his estranged wife, Rochelle “Shelly” Sterling.
Rochelle Sterling is moving ahead with selling the team, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.
The individual, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the deal, said that Donald and Rochelle Sterling made the agreement after weeks of discussion.
Shelly Sterling is working to resolve the dispute amicably and has been in talks with her attorney and NBA lawyers for the last couple weeks.
Donald Sterling has agreed to sell his stake in LA Clippers to his estranged wife, Shelly Sterling
She wants to “have meaningful control” over the transaction.
“She has no plans to sue the NBA,” the individual said.
“She’s trying to make nice.”
The NBA banned Donald Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million because of racist comments. The league has charged him with damaging the league and its teams. It said Donald Sterling has engaged in other conduct that has impaired its relationship with fans and merchandising partners.
Team owners are moving forward with a vote on whether to terminate his ownership.
Donald Sterling has until next Tuesday to respond.
He can appear at a June 3 hearing in New York in front of the other owners. It will take three-quarters of them to terminate Donald Sterling’s ownership, and the league says also that of Shelly Sterling.
Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the board chairman, will preside over the hearing. If three-fourths of the other 29 owners vote to sustain the charge, Donald Sterling will be forced to sell the team he has owned since 1981. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said he is confident he has the 23 votes that are necessary.
If Donald Sterling did not respond to the charge within five business days, or does not appear at the hearing, it would be deemed an admission of the “total validity of the charges as presented,” according to the NBA constitution.
Donald Sterling’s attorney had asked for a three-month delay, which the league rejected.
Tupac Shakur’s last words have been revealed by a police officer 18 years after his death.
The hip-hop star reportedly used his last words to swear at a police officer as he lay dying.
Tupac Shakur suffered multiple bullet wounds when he and his Death Row Records boss Marion “Suge” Knight were targeted in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996.
Tupac Shakur died from multiple bullet wounds in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996
Now Sergeant Chris Carroll, the officer who pulled the rapper from the wreckage of the car, has opened up about Tupac Shakur’s final moments.
According to VegasSeven.com, Sergeant Chris Carroll, formerly of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, says he was the first officer to arrive at the scene and after realizing Tupac Shakur was bleeding heavily.
Chris Carroll asked the rapper to identify the gunman.
The former police officer says: “I’m looking at Tupac, and he’s trying to yell back at Suge, and I’m asking him, <<Who shot you? What happened? Who did it?>> And he was just kind of ignoring me … I kept asking over and over, <<Who did this? Who shot you?>> And he basically kept ignoring me. And then I saw in his face, in his movements, all of a sudden in the snap of a finger, he changed. And he went from struggling to speak, being non-cooperative, to an <<I’m at peace>> type of thing. Just like that. He went from fighting to <<I can’t do it>>. And when he made that transition, he looked at me, and he’s looking right in my eyes. And that’s when I looked at him and said one more time, <<Who shot you?’ He looked at me and he took a breath to get the words out, and he opened his mouth, and I thought I was actually going to get some co-operation. And then the words came out: <<F— you>>.”
Tupac Shakur, 25, died six days later at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. The murder remains unsolved.
The US has won a World Trade Organization ruling against China in a dispute over tariffs on American luxury cars.
A WTO panel found no basis for duties that China imposed between 2011 and 2013.
The US described it as a “significant victory”.
The US has won a World Trade Organization ruling against China in a dispute over tariffs on American luxury cars
China began tariffs on saloons and off-road vehicles with an engine capacity of 2.5 litres or more in retaliation for US trade policies.
China argued when it introduced the charges that US carmakers, such as GM and Chrysler, had received government subsidies and flooded the Chinese market with the cars, which harmed China’s own car industry.
The US said China had imposed the duties without following the rules and filed the case with the WTO.
The rate was as high as 21.5%.
US Trade Representative Michael Froman said $5 billion of exports in 2013 had been taxed.
“The message is clear. China must follow the rules, just like other WTO members,” he said.
US vehicle exports to China were worth $8.6 billion in 2013, 48% more than a year earlier. It is the largest foreign market for US automakers after Canada.
Katharine McPhee has filed for divorce from Nick Cokas, seven months after she was caught kissing married director Michael Morris.
Katharine McPhee and Nick Cokas, which wed in 2008, had reportedly been separated for some time before the star was photographed locking lips with her Smash director Michael Morris.
Katharine McPhee has filed for divorce from Nick Cokas, seven months after she was caught kissing married director Michael Morris
The actress sparked rumors of a reconciliation with Nick Cokas in March when they were spotted together in public for the first time since the scandal, but she has now filed legal papers to end the union.
A statement issued by Katharine McPhee’s representative reads: “After six years of marriage, and having been separated for the past year, Katharine McPhee has filed for a dissolution of marriage from Nick Cokas. The two have an amicable relationship and will remain friends. They ask that people respect their privacy during this time.”
Meanwhile, Michael Morris has since reunited with his wife, actress Mary McCormack.
Ousted Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra and a number of family members and politicians have been detained, as leaders of Thursday’s military coup tightened their grip on power.
Yingluck Shinawatra and scores of politicians from the deposed government had earlier been ordered to report to the military.
She was kept for several hours and then driven to an undisclosed location.
Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha also met key officials, telling them reform must come before any elections.
General Prayuth Chan-ocha summoned governors, business leaders and civil servants to the Bangkok Army Club on Friday.
Ousted Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra and a number of family members and politicians have been detained, as leaders of Thursday’s military coup tightened their grip on power (photo Reuters)
Six of Thailand’s most senior military officers have now been appointed to run the country, with provincial commanders supervising local government.
Prayuth Chan-ocha told the meeting: “I want all civil servants to help organize the country. We must have economic, social and political reforms before elections. If the situation is peaceful, we are ready to return power to the people.”
The general said the coup was necessary to “quickly bring the situation back to normal”.
One local official leaving the meeting, Arkom Theerasak, told Associated Press: “There will be an election but it will take a while. The general didn’t say when.”
Yingluck Shinawatra, who had been prime minister until being removed by the judiciary this month, had been ordered to report to the military along with more than 100 other politicians, including acting PM Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan.
It was unclear whether Prayuth Chan-ocha met either of them.
Some 155 politicians have been barred from leaving the country.
Reuters quoted a military officer as saying Yingluck Shinawatra, her sister and brother-in-law had been held.
Thai military spokesman Col. Werachon Sukhondhadhpatipak said those detained were all involved in Thailand’s political “conflict” and he stressed the army was neutral and impartial in those that it had held.
Col. Werachon Sukhondhadhpatipak said the detentions should be not be longer than a week and were intended to keep the detainees away from “tension”.
On Thursday the military suspended the constitution and banned political gatherings, saying order was needed after months of turmoil.
The US led widespread international criticism of the coup, saying there was “no justification”.
Thailand’s armed forces have staged at least 12 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.
There has been a power struggle since Yingluck Shinawatra’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted by the military as PM in 2006.
Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra have strong support in rural areas but are opposed by many in the middle class and urban elite.
The latest unrest began last year, when anti-government protesters embarked on a campaign to oust Yingluck Shinawatra. An election was held in February but was disrupted and later annulled by the judiciary.
President Vladimir Putin has said he will respect the outcome of Ukraine’s presidential election on May 25.
Speaking in St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin said Russia was prepared to work with whoever was elected Ukraine’s president in Sunday’s vote.
It is the first time Vladimir Putin has explicitly indicated that he will accept Ukraine’s election result.
Violence in the east, particularly Donetsk and Luhansk, has seriously disrupted preparations for the polls.
Vladimir Putin has said he will respect the outcome of Ukraine’s presidential election on May 25
Some pro-Russian separatists have warned people against voting, while election officials and voter lists have been seized at gunpoint.
At least 14 government soldiers were killed in clashes with pro-Russia separatists in the Volnovakha area south of the city of Donetsk on Thursday.
Further clashes were reported on Friday between pro-Russia separatists and self-defense fighters in the Donetsk region, with reports of at least two people killed.
The presidential elections were called after the last elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, was deposed in February amid mass protests against his pro-Russian policies.
“We understand that the people of Ukraine want their country to emerge from this crisis. We will treat their choice with respect,” Vladimir Putin told an economic forum in St Petersburg.
“It would have been better to hold a referendum and adopt a new constitution. Under the current constitution (Viktor) Yanukovych is still in power,” he added.
Vladimir Putin also voiced concern that Ukraine would join NATO and said that he hoped the leadership in Kiev would end military action in eastern Ukraine.
He said he believed Ukraine had descended into “full-scale civil war” but denied that Moscow was behind acts involving pro-Russia separatists.
The Donetsk and Luhansk regions followed Crimea in holding independence referendums earlier this month.
All three votes have not been recognized by Kiev and its Western allies.
Angela Basset will make her directorial debut with a biopic about late singer Whitney Houston.
The Lifetime channel confirmed the movie will chronicle Whitney Houston’s rise to fame and her turbulent relationship with ex-husband Bobby Brown, from their first meeting to their marriage.
Angela Basset said “their humanity and bond fascinates us all”.
Whitney Houston died in February 2012, aged 48, after accidentally drowning in a hotel bathtub in Los Angeles.
Angela Basset will make her directorial debut with a biopic about late singer Whitney Houston
The coroner’s report into her death ruled the star had drowned due to heart failure and “chronic” cocaine use.
Whitney Houston sold millions of records worldwide including her hit cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You from 1992 film The Bodyguard, in which she also starred.
“I have such regard for both Whitney’s and Bobby’s amazing talents and accomplishments, and I feel a responsibility in the telling of their story,” Angela Basset said.
Although the movie will be Angela Basset’ first turn behind the camera, she has played several characters based on real people.
Her performance as Tina Turner in 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It earned her a best actress Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.
Angela Basset also played Voletta Wallace, the mother of murdered rapper Notorious BIG, in the 2009 film Notorious.
Earlier this year Angela Basset received several TV award nominations for her role in Lifetime TV mini-series Betty and Coretta, where she and Mary J. Blige played the wives of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, who formed a life-long bond after their husbands’ assassinations.
With a working title of Whitney Houston, the biopic is set to air in 2015. The cast has yet to be announced.
A mortar attack on an election rally in support of President Bashar al-Assad has killed at least 20 people in southern Syria, state media and activists say.
The attack happened as Bashar al-Assad supporters gathered in a tent in the city of Daraa on Thursday evening. President Bashar al-Assad was not at the event.
At least 30 people have been injured, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports.
Syrians are due to vote on June 3 in an election branded a sham by the West.
President Bashar al-Assad is widely expected to secure a third seven-year term in office after June 3 elections
President Bashar al-Assad is facing two other challengers, but he is widely expected to secure a third seven-year term in office – despite a brutal civil war now in its fourth year.
Thursday’s attack happened in the al-Matar district of Daraa, said the Observatory, which relies on reports from a network of activists on the ground.
It said the strike was carried out by an Islamist rebel brigade, and killed 11 civilians – including one child – and pro-government militiamen.
The attack “is a clear message from rebels to the regime that there is not one safe area in which to hold the election”, the Observatory’s director Rami Abdel Rahman told the AFP news agency.
This is the first time in decades that Syria is holding a multi-candidate presidential election.
Previous presidential terms have been called through a referendum with just one member of the Assad family on the ballot paper.
However, the other two candidates are not widely known and have been unable to campaign on an equal footing with the president, correspondents say.
Paul McCartney is being treated in a Tokyo hospital after a virus forced him to call off a string of concerts.
Paul McCartney, 71, has postponed five shows in Japan and South Korea.
A statement said: “Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo.
“He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest.”
Paul McCartney is being treated in a Tokyo hospital after a virus forced him to call off a string of concerts (photo Reuters)
The statement added: “Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world.”
Paul McCartney is in the middle of his Out There world tour, which has been on the road for more than a year.
It has already travelled through Japan once as well as visiting North and South America and parts of Europe.
Paul McCartney had been due to play four further concerts in Tokyo and Osaka, including one show at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan Hall, where the Beatles performed on their first Japanese tour in 1966.
The former Beatle was then due to make his first trip to South Korea to perform at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium.
Paul McCartney’s tour is due to resume with 19 more dates in the US beginning in Lubbock, Texas, on June 14.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced an 18% rise in profits to $1.3 billion for the second quarter in a statement that was accidently released before US stock markets closed.
The tech giant said that despite rising profits, it plans to lay off an additional 11,000 to 16,000 workers.
HP had previously announced it would cut 34,000 jobs as part of a restructuring announced in 2012.
HP said that despite rising profits, it plans to lay off an additional 11,000 to 16,000 workers
Shares in HP fell after the early release of the news.
HP CEO Meg Whitman said in a statement: “I’m pleased to report that HP’s turnaround remains on track.”
“We’re gradually shaping HP into a more nimble, lower-cost, more customer- and partner-centric company.”
However, analysts were disappointed by HP’s revenue growth, which fell 1% from the same period a year ago to $27.3 billion.
HP has been hit hard by declining PC sales as consumers shift towards devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Meg Whitman has tried to shift the firm’s focus to computing equipment and networking gear for business clients.
HP began a restructuring plan in 2012 that was designed to simplify the company’s business processes, accelerate innovation, lower costs and deliver better results.
Meg Whitman said the turnaround remains on track, and added: “With each passing quarter, HP is improving its systems, structures and core go-to-market capabilities.
“We’re gradually shaping HP into a more nimble, lower-cost, more customer- and partner-centric company that can successfully compete across a rapidly changing IT landscape.”
HP has not specified when it expects to see the full results of its restructuring strategy. But analysts are suggesting the company should probably take a closer look at its product mix.
HP’s personal systems division was the only segment that showed a gain in revenue in the second quarter. Other divisions, namely printing as well as enterprise group and services posted a drop in revenue.
The decline in revenue is one of the main reasons HP is cutting jobs.
McDonald’s investors have backed an executive pay plan at the company’s annual meeting despite protests.
Nearly 94% of shareholders voted in favor of the plan, which determines chief executive Don Thompson’s pay as well as a formula for paying top management.
McDonald’s investors have backed an executive pay plan at the company’s annual meeting despite protests
Last year, Don Thompson was paid a total of $9.5 million.
The vote came a day after more than 100 demonstrators seeking better pay for McDonald’s workers were arrested.
Addressing the protests, Don Thompson reportedly told investors at the meeting: “We respect the fact that they want to challenge us relative to wages.
“We pay fair and competitive wages and we provide opportunity, and we provide job opportunities and training for those entering the workforce.”
In addition to protests by workers and labor organizers, who are demanding the chain raise the minimum wage paid to workers to $15 from the US federal minimum of $7.25, McDonald’s has seen falling sales in the US.
McDonald’s has also been hit by the increasing cost of beef, and criticism from public health experts over its advertising.
Mining tycoon Liu Han, believed to have links to China’s former security chief Zhou Yongkang, has been sentenced to death.
According to Xinhua agency, a Hubei court has found Liu Han and his brother Liu Wei guilty of “organizing and leading mafia-style crime and murder”.
The two men were among a group of 36 people charged with similar crimes.
Mining tycoon Liu Han is believed to have links to China’s former security chief Zhou Yongkang
Liu Han’s sentencing is believed to be part of a wider corruption crackdown linked to ZhouYongkang’s network.
The court verdict stated that, among other things, Liu Han and his group had “in an organized fashion obtained financial gains via illegal activities”.
They had also on multiple occasions “committed murder, harm and illegal detention”.
The verdict stated they relied on “the cover-ups and collusion of government employees” to illegally control gaming machines in Guanghan in Sichuan province.
Liu Han, who is the former head of mining conglomerate Sichuan Hanlong Group, was ranked 148th on Forbes‘ list of the richest Chinese business people in 2012.
His former company once tried to take over Australian miner Sundance Resources Ltd.
Chinese state media said previously that the Sichuan-based gang had had strong political ties that played a role in Liu Han’s appointment as a delegate in Sichuan’s political advisory body.
In recent months, several top officials from Sichuan province linked to Zhou Yongkang have come under scrutiny.
Zhou Yongkang was the party secretary in Sichuan province before becoming head of China’s Public Security Ministry in 2003.
In April, China announced it had removed from office Guo Yongxiang, a former Sichuan vice-governor, and that Sichuan’s former deputy party chief Li Chuncheng was being investigated for bribery.
Speculation has swirled for months that Zhou Yongkang is being investigated for corruption, although none of the rumors have been confirmed officially.
Ousted PM Yingluck Shinawatra has appeared at a military facility in Bangkok, a day after Thailand’s army took power in a coup.
Yingluck Shinawatra is one of more than 100 political figures summoned by the army.
The army has banned 155 prominent political figures from leaving the country without permission.
On Thursday the military suspended the constitution, banned gatherings and detained politicians, saying order was needed after months of turmoil.
Yingluck Shinawatra is one of more than 100 political figures summoned by the army
On Friday afternoon it appeared Yingluck Shianwatra had left the location where she had been summoned and was going to another military location.
Some pro-government lawmakers have now gone into hiding.
The coup, which followed months of anti-government protests, has drawn widespread international criticism.
It came two days after the army declared martial law.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was “no justification” for the coup, adding that $10 million in bilateral aid could be suspended.
The UN urged a “prompt return to constitutional, civilian, democratic rule”.
Thais, meanwhile, spent the night under a curfew which ran from 22:00 to 05:00. Bangkok was reported to be largely peaceful.
The anti-government movement has claimed victory and sent its supporters home.
Military leader General Prayuth Chan-Ocha – who has appointed himself the new prime minister – said troops were taking power “in order for the country to return to normal quickly”.
“All Thais must remain calm and government officials must work as normal,” he said in a televised address.
Political factions had been holding talks for two days. As soon as the coup was announced, several key figures were detained.
The military then issued a bulletin spelling out the key points of the takeover:
Curfew nationwide from 22:00 to 05:00
General Prayuth Chan-Ocha to head ruling National Peace and Order Maintaining Council
Senate and courts to continue operating
2007 constitution suspended except for chapter on monarchy
Political gatherings of more than five people banned, with penalties of up to a one-year jail term, 10,000 baht ($300) fine, or both
Social media platforms could be blocked if they carry material with provocative content
Thailand’s army, which has staged at least 12 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932, acted after months of political deadlock.
Food companies Sherman Produce and Lansal have issued voluntary recalls of walnuts and hummus dips sold at major retailers after Listeria was detected in a sampling of the products, the FDA said on Thursday.
The recalls come weeks after Wal-Mart settled lawsuits with the families of 23 people who died from a 2011 Listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupe grown at a Colorado farm and sold by the retailer.
Lansal voluntarily pulls hummus and dip products sold at Target, Trader Joe’s and other retailers over possible Listeria contamination
St. Louis-based Sherman Produce Co said it would begin recalling 241 cases of bulk walnuts, after a recent routine sampling of the product purchased by stores in Missouri and Illinois revealed traces of Listeria, the FDA said in a statement.
Massachusetts prepared foods manufacturer Lansal Inc, commonly known as Hot Mama’s Foods, said it would voluntarily pull hummus and dip products sold at Target, Trader Joe’s and other retailers, the administration said.
Lansal launched the recall of about 14,860 pounds of hummus after a single 10-ounce container of Target Archer Farms Traditional Hummus surveyed by the Texas Department of Health tested positive for Listeria, the administration said.
Listeria monocytogenes can lead to serious, even fatal, infections especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Infections can have particularly harmful effects for pregnant women, including miscarriage and stillbirths.
No illnesses tied to the Sherman Produce walnuts or Lansal hummus products have been reported, the FDA said.
The FDA urged purchasers of the products to “dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund”.
Isidro Garcia, the man accused of kidnapping a teenager and holding her captive for 10 years and forcing her to marry him, has been charged in a California court.
Isidro Garcia, 42, has been charged with rape, lewd acts on a minor, and kidnapping to commit a s**ual offence.
The woman, now 25, had a child with the alleged kidnapper. She contacted police after getting in touch with her sister on Facebook, authorities said.
Isidro Garcia was accused of kidnapping a teenager and holding her captive for 10 years and forcing her to marry him (photo NBC)
Isidro Garcia denies all the charges and his lawyer said the woman had lied.
Outside court on Thursday, Charles Frisco said his client never hit his wife and would never have prevented her from leaving.
The woman was lying about enduring physical and s**ual abuse because the couple was breaking up, Charles Frisco added.
According to police in southern California, the abuse began in 2004, when Isidro Garcia was dating the victim’s mother and residing with her and her daughters in Santa Ana, a city in Orange County.
The police allege that Isidro Garcia began assaulting the victim that June, only four months after she arrived in the US from Mexico.
In August, Isidro Garcia assaulted the victim’s mother and drugged the teenager, driving her 26 miles north to Compton, in Los Angeles county, where he locked her in a garage, police said.
Isidro Garcia allegedly told the victim her family had given up looking for her. The woman twice tried to escape but he beat her severely, police said.
On Wednesday, Cpl Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department told reporters Isidro Garcia had “brainwashed” her and threatened to have her family deported.
Anthony Bertagna said that in 2007, Isidro Garcia forced the woman into a marriage, using documents he obtained in Mexico, and in 2012 the two had a child.
Recently, she contacted her sister on Facebook and was told that her mother had indeed been trying to find her, using a Spanish-language newspaper and television station.
First Lady Michelle Obama has announced that her daughter Malia will start driving this summer.
Michelle Obama commented on Malia’s milestone in a taped interview broadcast Tuesday by the entertainment news show Access Hollywood. It was a joint interview with actress Sarah Jessica Parker about the role of arts in education, but host Billy Bush could not resist asking Michelle Obama about her daughters, Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12.
Michelle Obama has announced that her daughter Malia will start driving this summer (photo UPI)
Michelle Obama said Sasha loves dancing and does so several times a week in an organized program.
The first lady said her girls are like other teens in that they are anxiously counting down to the start of summer and getting ready for camp and internships.
“One child is going to be driving this summer,” the first lady said, jokingly adding: “Look out.”
Asked whether Secret Service agents would be in the back seat when Malia is behind the wheel, Michelle Obama said only that “we’ve got a plan”.
Malia Obama turns 16 on July 4, making her eligible for a learner’s permit in the District of Columbia.
Michelle Obama dodged questions about whether there is dating at the White House.
“You just want me to get pushed off the Truman Balcony,” Michelle Obama joked, suggesting that could be her punishment for revealing anything about her daughters’ dating lives.
