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Si Robertson launches new album for his wife Christine

Duck Dynasty’s Uncle Si Robertson has recorded Can’t take the Swamp Outta of the Man for his wife Christine with Kix Brooks on his new album.

Si Robertson has recorded new album for his wife Christine
Si Robertson has recorded new album for his wife Christine

Si Robertson: Me and My Smokin Hot Honey album is available on Itunes with http://itunes.apple.com/album/id87649… Jessica Andrews , Marsha Robertson , Macy Jae , Ally Moore , Kolby Koloff ,The Mauldin Brothers Revival , Zach Harris , Greg Droman , Ashley Howard Nelson , Jay Nelson , Brandon Ray.

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Jase Robertson shares his life’s experiences in hunting, marriage and parenting in new book

Duck Dynasty’s Jase Robertson shares his life’s experiences in hunting, evangelism, marriage and parenting in his new book, Good Call: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Fowl.

Jase Robertson maintains the humorous approach he’s known for as he talks about how he managed to save his virginity until marriage, and the bag of pot a young man brought to a Bible study that he and his wife, Missy, hosted at their first home.

Jase Robertson shares his life's experiences in hunting, evangelism, marriage and parenting in his new book
Jase Robertson shares his life’s experiences in hunting, evangelism, marriage and parenting in his new book

In the book, Jase Robertson is open about the anger he felt toward his father, Phil Robertson, who had abandoned him and his two brothers. He also talks about how the birth of his daughter, Mia, has enabled him and Missy to help other parents who have a child born with a cleft lip and soft palate.

Among the stories Jase shares in a chapter about “facial profiling” happened in an airport en route to speak to a Christian men’s group in Montana. Since the event was being held right after hunting season, his beard was in “full bloom”. After receiving suspicious looks and a pat-down from Homeland Security, he accidentally bumped into a woman who then screamed when she turned around and looked at him.

When he finally reached his gate and sat down, a young boy asked him for an autograph and he logically assumed the boy recognized him from Duck Dynasty. After receiving the autograph, the boy asked Jase Robertson if he could ask him a question.

“Sure, buddy,” Jase Robertson said.

“Ask me anything you want.”

The boy replied: “How much does Geico pay y’all?”

“Wait a minute,” Jase Robertson said.

“I’m not a caveman. I’m Jase the Duckman. You know, from <<Duck Dynasty>>. Quack, quack?”

“It didn’t take me long to realize the boy had no idea what I was talking about,” he added.

Bloomsburg Fair 2014: Willie and Korie Robertson to host Q&A session at grandstand

Duck Dynasty’s Willie and Korie Robertson will host a Q&A session at the grandstand of the 159th Bloomsburg Fair on September 21, officials announced.

ZZ Top – whose song Sharp Dressed Man coincidentally is the Duck Dynasty theme song – will perform September 25.

Willie and Korie Robertson will host a Q&A session at the grandstand of the 159th Bloomsburg Fair on September 21
Willie and Korie Robertson will host a Q&A session at the grandstand of the 159th Bloomsburg Fair on September 21

Willie and Korie Robertson will discuss their show, their daily lives and will also take questions from fans, said Carey Howell, superintendent of the grandstand. The talk format is something “more and more fairs are looking into, rather than just having bands,” he said.

Tickets will most likely go on sale in late July or early August, Carey Howell said. Pricing has yet to be determined. ZZ Top tickets will also go on sale around the same time.

The Robertsons have been doing shows at various fairs and are scheduled to make a similar appearance at the Iowa State Fair in August, with fellow Uncle Si Robertson. Tickets for that show, A Conversation with the Robertsons, are $32, according to the Iowa fair’s website.

Turkey mine explosion traps up to 300 people underground in Soma

More than 200 people are trapped underground after an explosion and a fire at a coal mine in Soma, western Turkey, that has killed several miners, officials said.

Those trapped are about 1.2 miles below the surface and 2.5 miles from the mine’s exit.

Search and rescue operations are taking place in Manisa province. It is estimated that 580 workers were underground at the time, but that many escaped.

Quoting health officials, local lawmaker Muzaffer Yurttas told broadcaster NTV that 20 bodies had been retrieved and that at least another 20 workers had been taken to hospital. He said later that four people had been killed.

More than 200 people are trapped underground after an explosion and fire at a coal mine in Soma
More than 200 people are trapped underground after an explosion and a fire at a coal mine in Soma

“They died of choking and burns,” he said.

A senior local official, Mehmet Bahattin Atci, said thick smoke at the privately owned mine was hampering rescue efforts.

Energy Ministry Taner Yildiz is going to Soma to oversee the rescue operation, NTV said.

Although Taner Yıldız mentioned “casualties” in his first statement after the accident, he warned that the death tolls reported in the press could be “misleading”, Hurriyet newspaper reported.

“Various numbers can be reported. I don’t want to give any numbers. We first have to reach our workers underground,” he told journalists before leaving for Manisa.

He also said four separate rescue teams were currently working in the mine.

“The fire creates a problem but oxygen is being pumped into the mine shafts that weren’t affected,” he added.

Analysts say the safety record of Turkey’s coal mining industry lags behind that of most industrial nations.

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Six Ukrainian troops killed in Donetsk ambush

Six Ukrainian troops have been killed in an ambush in the eastern Donetsk region, the defense ministry has said.

A unit was attacked near the town of Kramatorsk by about 30 insurgents with heavy weapons, it said. Eight more servicemen were wounded.

Donetsk region is one of two in eastern Ukraine that declared themselves separate from Ukraine after referendums deemed illegal by Kiev, the US and EU.

Six Ukrainian troops have been killed in an ambush in the eastern Donetsk region
Six Ukrainian troops have been killed in an ambush in the eastern Donetsk region

In Luhansk, separatists said an attempt was made on the life of a rebel leader.

Self-declared governor Valery Bolotov was shot and had lost a lot of blood, but his life was not in danger, the press office of the “Luhansk People’s Republic” said.

Earlier the Kiev-appointed governor of Donetsk region said Ukraine was planning a national referendum on devolving power to regions.

Speaking at a news conference in Donetsk, Serhiy Taruta called on parliament to pass legislation which would authorize a vote to help regions get more power while remaining within Ukraine.

Serhiy Taruta also described Sunday’s separatist referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk as “an opinion poll”.

He said the self-declared “People’s Republic of Donetsk” did not exist legally or politically, and that the Donetsk region could not survive economically as an independent territory.

People in the east “should hear answers to the questions that they are concerned about”, he said.

Separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk say 89% and 96% respectively voted in favor of “self-rule” in the referendums.

Armed rebels remain in control of many official buildings across eastern Ukraine.

Peaches Geldof’s house targeted twice by thieves since she died

Peaches Geldof’s home has been targeted twice by thieves since she passed away, police have revealed.

The latest break-in happened on Friday at the property near Wrotham, Kent Police said.

Peaches Geldof's home has been targeted twice by thieves since she passed away
Peaches Geldof’s home has been targeted twice by thieves since she passed away

The thieves left empty-handed, but a lawnmower was taken in the previous burglary in mid-April, the force said.

Peaches Geldof died on April 7 at the age of 25. An inquest into her death heard heroin “was likely to have played a role”.

A police spokesman said that following the latest break-in, officers arrived within five minutes.

“Police are investigating a burglary at an address in Fairseat Lane, Wrotham, on 9 May,” he said.

“No personal items are believed to have been stolen.

“Additionally, in mid-April a lawn mower was reported [to police] to have been taken from the grounds.”

Kristin Lund: UN names first female peacekeeping mission commander in Cyprus

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Norway’s Major General Kristin Lund was appointed to lead troops in Cyprus.

Kristin Lund, 55, is the first woman woman to command a UN peacekeeping force.

Norway's Major General Kristin Lund was appointed to lead troops in Cyprus
Norway’s Major General Kristin Lund was appointed to lead troops in Cyprus

She has a distinguished military career going back 34 years and including postings in Lebanon and Afghanistan, a UN statement said.

Kristin Lund will replace China’s Major General Chao Liu on August 13.

In Cyprus, Kristin Lund will command 996 soldiers and police officers as well as 149 civilian staff.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the government of Greece.

Since then, the northern third has been mainly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots.

Kristin Lund’s first overseas mission was in 1986 as transport officer with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

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Welcome to New York: Dominique Strauss-Kahn movie to be shown at Cannes Film Festival

Welcome to New York movie starring Gerard Depardieu as a disgraced politician based on Dominique Strauss-Kahn will be shown for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival.

The controversial movie has been much-anticipated but will not be shown as part of the official festival program.

Instead, Welcome to New York will be shown at midnight on Friday at a private beach screening.

Welcome to New York tells of how a French politician is accused of attempted rape in a New York hotel room.

Welcome to New York movie starring Gerard Depardieu as a disgraced politician based on Dominique Strauss-Kahn will be shown for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival
Welcome to New York movie starring Gerard Depardieu as a disgraced politician based on Dominique Strauss-Kahn will be shown for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival

DSK quit his role as boss of the International Monetary Fund in 2011 after being accused of a sex attack on a maid in a Manhattan hotel. Once seen as a French presidential hopeful, Socialist Dominique Strauss-Kahn also had to give up his political ambitions.

Charges were eventually dropped and DSK subsequently reached a settlement with the maid. Two other cases against him were also dismissed.

The two-hour film, in which Gerard Depardieu plays a character called Deveraux, was funded mostly in the US and the director Abel Ferrara is also American.

As such, the French-language production counts as being American.

Welcome to New York will be released in cinemas in countries outside France, but in France it is being made available, at least initially, on pay-to-view websites.

“We realized it was the perfect film to experiment with this type of release,” producer Vincent Maraval told Variety magazine.

“We’ll get to target the widest possible audiences at a faster pace, with a smaller investment… and preserve some kind of curiosity around the movie before the press starts unveiling what’s in it.”

In the same interview, Vincent Maraval also criticized the French political, TV and movie establishment, saying: “No French TV station wanted to finance us.

“Everyone warned us not to make this film, both our friends and our enemies.”

Vincent Maraval told Variety there was an “incestuous relationship” between the “media and political elites” in France, which made it impossible to make films about “current affairs”.

Gerard Depardieu put some of his own money into the film and took a low fee of 100,000 euros.

The politician’s wife is played by English actress Jacqueline Bisset.

Welcome to New York tells the story of how a French economics professor becomes a politician backed by his wife’s millions, rises to fame and prosperity only to be brought down by accusations of rape.

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Mozzarella arrests: Italian factory shut down and 13 people detained

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Italian police has shut down a mozzarella factory and arrested 13 people in the Campania region after finding that prized local buffalo milk was being cut with cheaper imported cow milk.

Authorities also found that the cheese, produced near the southern town of Caserta, contained as much as 20 times permissible levels of bacteria, said Carabinieri Police Maj. Alfonso Pannone.

Italian police has shut down a mozzarella factory and arrested 13 people in the Campania region after finding that prized local buffalo milk was being cut with cheaper imported cow milk
Italian police has shut down a mozzarella factory and arrested 13 people in the Campania region after finding that prized local buffalo milk was being cut with cheaper imported cow milk

Apparently, the cheese factory knew what it was doing was illegal because it had two public health service agents tipping them off to whenever a health and safety inspection would be carried out. In fact, the factory is said to be so unsafe to work at that one worker lost his fingers due to safety violations. Police arrested the crooked public health service officials in addition to 11 other people from the mozzarella factory.
Police on Monday also shut down seven stores selling the cheese in the Campania region which includes Naples.

Milky white buffalo mozzarella is prized by Italians and tourists. It carries a special label supposed to guarantee quality and protect its reputation.

The probe began after a worker lost some of his fingers because of safety flaws.

Sherri Shepherd files her own legal docs for divorce after Lamar Sally filed his own docs

Sherri Shepherd has filed for divorce from Lamar Sally after he first filed for legal separation on May 2, TMZ reports.

Sherri Shepherd has filed for divorce from Lamar Sally after he first filed for legal separation on May 2
Sherri Shepherd has filed for divorce from Lamar Sally after he first filed for legal separation on May 2 (photo Getty Images)

Lamar Sally filed after three years of marriage, and is seeking full legal and physical custody of the unborn baby they are expecting through a surrogate this July.

Now, Sherrie Shepherd, 47, herself has filed her own divorce docs in New Jersey, claiming irreconcilable differences. However, according to TMZ, Sherri Shepherd makes no mention of their expected child in her filings.

TMZ also reports when it comes to the estranged couple’s prenup, in which Lamar Sally would get $60,000, he wants the prenup “invalidated on grounds of fraud” whereas the talk show host wants it “enforced.”

Sherri Shepherd and Lamar Sally tied the knot back in August 2011 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Sherri Shepherd was previously married to Jeff Tarpley, with whom she shares 9-year-old son Jeffrey.

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Oscar Pistorius trial: Prosecutor Gerrie Nel applies for mental observation

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel in the trial of Oscar Pistorius has formally requested that he undergo a mental observation.

Gerrie Nel made the application after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster said the Olympic double amputee was “a danger to society”.

Judge Thokozile Masipa said she would announce her decision on Wednesday.

Oscar Pistorius denies intentionally killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.

The Paralympic champion says he accidentally shot Reeva Steenkamp through the toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.

Oscar Pistorius may spend up to 30 days in a state mental health institution for observation and assessment of his mental health
Oscar Pistorius may spend up to 30 days in a state mental health institution for observation and assessment of his mental health

The court has adjourned until Wednesday.

The prosecution accused the defense on Tuesday of changing its plea – from putative self-defense to a psychiatric disorder.

Gerrie Nel said that a “psychiatric evaluation was essential” and it was in the interests of justice for the accused to be referred.

The defense is vigorously resisting the prosecution move, which it argues is “manifestly absurd”.

Dr. Merryll Vorster told the court earlier that she would not say that Oscar Pistorius had “a mental illness” and that he was “still able to function at high level as an athlete and still able to socialize”.

But she said that people with Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GADs) like Oscar Pistorius probably should not have firearms.

She said that GAD would not “render you unfit to stand trial”.

On Monday Dr. Merryll Vorster said that the athlete had had an anxiety disorder since childhood and was “anxious” about violent crime.

His actions on Valentine’s Day last year “should be seen in context of his anxiety”, she said.

If the prosecution request is granted, Oscar Pistorius may spend up to 30 days in a state mental health institution for observation and assessment of his mental health.

The athlete has described the prosecution move as “a joke”, insisting that Monday’s evidence from Dr. Merryll Vorster had “gone well”.

But the prosecution argues that her testimony is further proof that the athlete is changing his defense.

Court sources have indicated that it is unlikely that Judge Thokozile Masipa will grant the prosecution its request.

Dr. Merryll Vorster said on Monday that the reactions of Oscar Pistorius in the early hours of 14 February 2013 would have been different to that of a “normal, able-bodied person without generalized anxiety disorder”.

She said that Oscar Pistorius was more likely to respond to any threat with “fight” rather than “flight”.

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Nigeria girls abduction: US flies manned surveillance missions

The US is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria to try to find more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The US is also sharing commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerian government, officials said.

It comes after militants released a video of about 130 girls, saying they could be swapped for jailed fighters.

Boko Haram seized them from a school in the northern Borno state on 14 April.

“We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over Nigeria with the government’s permission,” said a senior administration official, who declined to be named.

A team of about 30 US experts – members of the FBI and defense and state departments – is in Nigeria to help with the search.

The types of aircraft deployed have not been revealed, but the US has sophisticated planes that can listen into a wide range of mobile phone and telecommunications traffic.

The US is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria to try to find more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram
The US is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria to try to find more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram

Other officials, quoted by Reuters, said the US was also considering deploying unmanned “drone” aircraft to aid the search.

US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said earlier on Monday that intelligence experts were closely examining the Boko Haram video for clues that might help locate the girls.

Pogu Bitrus, a leader in the town of Chibok, from where the girls were seized, said vegetation in the video resembled that in the nearby Sambisa forest reserve.

The video showed some 136 girls wearing bulky hijabs. Militants said they had “converted” to Islam.

The girls’ families have said that most of those seized are Christians.

Two girls on the video singled out for questioning said they were Christians but had converted to Islam.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said the girls could be exchanged for “our brethren in your prison”.

“I swear to almighty Allah, you will not see them again until you release our brothers that you have captured,” he said.

In a video last week, Abubakar Shekau threatened to sell the girls into slavery.

A Nigerian government statement said “all options” for the girls’ release were on the table.

However, Interior Minister Abba Moro appeared to dismiss the offer, saying no exchange would take place. The reason for the discrepancy was unclear.

It appears some sort of negotiations will take place because of the large presence of international advisers in the country, including hostage negotiators.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden”, had previously said the girls should not have been at school and should get married instead.

The militants have been engaged in a violent campaign against the Nigerian government since 2009.

President Goodluck Jonathan – whose government has been heavily criticized for its response to the abduction – said on Sunday that help from abroad had made him optimistic of finding the girls.

He says he believes the girls are still in Nigeria.

The kidnapping has triggered a huge international campaign with world leaders and celebrities calling for the children to be released.

The UK, the US, France and China already have teams helping on the ground in Nigeria. An Israeli counter-terrorism team is also on its way.

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MERS virus: CDC confirms second imported case

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials have confirmed a second case in the country of MERS, a virus that has killed at least 145 people, mostly in Saudi Arabia.

The CDC identified the patient as a healthcare worker who travelled from Saudi Arabia to Orlando, Florida.

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) causes fever and kidney failure but is not considered highly contagious.

The patient has been isolated in hospital, health officials said.

MERS belongs to the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold and SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which caused some 800 deaths globally in 2003.

MERS belongs to the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold and SARS
MERS belongs to the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold and SARS

Health officials say MERS only appears to spread through close contact, but there is no known cure.

“This is unwelcome but not unexpected news,” CDC director Tom Friden told reporters on Monday of the Florida case.

The Florida patient is not connected to the first confirmed US case, reported two weeks ago in Indiana, although the patients’ circumstances are similar.

A healthcare worker who “works and resides” in Saudi Arabia, the Florida patient took a flight on May 1st from Jeddah to London’s Heathrow Airport, then continued on to Boston, Atlanta and finally Orlando.

Health officials said they were contacting passengers on those flights “out of an abundance of caution” and directing them to look out for symptoms which include high fever, cough and shortness of breath.

The first confirmed MERS patient, also a healthcare worker in Saudi Arabia, has been released from hospital and is “fully recovered”.

CDC officials said they had found no secondary infections from the Indiana case and genome testing suggested the virus was not changing, despite a growing number of cases reported in Saudi Arabia since March.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 538 MERS cases have been reported worldwide since 2012, with 145 deaths. The vast majority of cases have been found in Saudi Arabia, especially among healthcare workers.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to wear masks and gloves when dealing with camels so as to avoid spreading MERS.

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Solange Knowles attacks Jay-Z in New York hotel elevator

The Standard Hotel in New York, where it is claimed a fight broke out between Jay-Z and his sister-in-law Solange Knowles, has said it is “disappointed” a video has been leaked.

A statement from The Standard Hotel in New York confirmed it was investigating how footage from its elevator was released.

“We are shocked and disappointed that there was a breach of our security system and confidentiality we count on providing our guests,” it said.

Jay-Z, Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowle had attended the Met Gala Ball last week in New York
Jay-Z, Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowle had attended the Met Gala Ball last week in New York

Beyonce’s management has declined to comment on the story so far.

The video was released by TMZ. It says that the footage is of Jay-Z, Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles and claims there is a physical argument going on in an elevator.

It’s thought the incident happened after the three had attended the Met Gala Ball last week in New York.

The hotel added: “We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline the individuals involved to our fullest capacity.”

The Standard, High Line, is an 18-story boutique hotel located in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

The chain also has hotels in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida.

Solange Knowles, 27, is Beyonce’s younger sister and is a singer-songwriter in her own right.

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Donald Sterling slams Magic Johnson during interview with Anderson Cooper

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In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling finally spoke about his racist comments that were leaked in April.

Donald Sterling, 81, apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and other wealthy African Americans for not doing enough to help minorities, and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is.

Early on in the interview, Donald Sterling tried to gain viewers’ sympathy by describing what his granddaughter had to go through at school after the tapes were released.

“My little grandchild goes to a Catholic nursery, and they were passing around candy to everybody. When they got to her, they said, <<We don’t give candy to racists>>. So it hurts me,” he said.

Donald Sterling took the stance of being set up by V. Stiviano and being “baited” into the comments. He claimed that jealousy is what fueled his comments and not race.

“One of the things that I said was <<don’t bring blacks to my game>>. Twenty-five percent of the people at my games is black. She would always use the black word. That’s a black girl.

“So when she said I’ll bring four gorgeous black guys to the game, players, I was a little jealous, maybe.”

While on the topic of jealousy, Donald Sterling also asked if Anderson Cooper could relate to him being jealous when it comes to women.

Donald Sterling apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is
Donald Sterling apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is (photo CNN)

“Did you ever like a girl, were you ever jealous of her a little bit if she was with other guys? It’s not that I didn’t want her to be photographed.

“(You were jealous?)

“I admit, I was jealous,” said Donald Sterling apparently unaware that Anderson Cooper is gay.

Donald Sterling then said that Anderson Cooper is the racist, not him.

“I think you have more of a plantation mentality than I do. And I think you’re more of a racist than I am. Because I’m not a racist, and I’ve never been a racist,” he said.

Donald Sterling then went on to bash Magic Johnson and successful black people. In his opinion, Jews help their people when they make it. Black people do not.

“Here is a man … he acts so holy. He made love to every girl in America in every city and he had those AIDS. When he had those AIDS, I went to my synagogue and I prayed for him,” he said.

“What has Magic Johnson done? He’s got AIDS. Did he do any business? Did he help anybody in south L.A.? I think he should be ashamed of himself. What does he do for the black people? I’m telling you he does nothing. It’s all talk.

“I spent millions on giving away and helping minorities. Does he do that? That’s one problem I have. Jews, when they get successful, they will help their people.

“And some of the African Americans, maybe I’ll get in trouble again. They don’t want to help anybody. What has Magic Johnson really done for Children’s Hospital which kids are lying in the hallways. They are sick. They need a bed. What has he done for any hospital? What has he done for any group?”

Anderson Cooper corrected Donald Sterling and let him know Magic Johnson does not have full-blown AIDS, but instead HIV, and also told him a few things Johnson has done for the community and as a businessman.

The interview came to an end with Donald Sterling explaining how V. Stiviano broke his heart.

“This girl, 100 other men could look at her and they wouldn’t even think she was pretty. But she was something special. And the point I’m making is she was a woman who really never asked for anything.

“It’s like a woman stabbing you in the chest or shooting you. And sometimes women say, <<I love him>> and kill him.”

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Ehud Olmert sentenced to six years in jail for bribery

Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery and fined 1 million shekels ($289,000).

Ehud Olmert’s spokesman said he would appeal to the Supreme Court and ask to be freed on bail until it had ruled. He had sought a non-custodial sentence.

He would be the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed.

Ehud Olmert, 68, was convicted in March over a real estate deal that took place while he served as mayor of Jerusalem.

Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery
Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery

The Tel Aviv District Court found him guilty of two bribery charges and said he had accepted 500,000 shekels ($145,000) from the developers of a controversial apartment complex, known as Holyland, and another 60,000 shekels in a separate real estate project.

On Tuesday, Judge Uri Rozen said bribery offences “contaminate the public sector” and “cause the structure of government to collapse”.

He added: “People who receive bribes give rise to a feeling of disgust and cause the public to despise the state’s institutions. The taker of bribes is like a traitor who betrays the public trust that was given to him – trust without which a proper public service cannot be maintained.”

Ehud Olmert’s spokesman, Amir Dan, insisted he was innocent.

“This is a sad day where a serious and unjust verdict is expected to be delivered against an innocent man,” he said.

Ehud Olmert served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009, until a flurry of corruption allegations led to his resignation.

He was acquitted of most of the major charges eventually brought against him by prosecutors but was also found guilty of breach of trust and given a one-year suspended jail sentence.

Ehud Olmert was found to have made decision when he was minister of trade and industry that benefited clients of a close associate.

Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite: Ohio twins born holding hands

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Ohio twin sisters Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite were born holding hands.

They are now breathing on their own after being removed from a ventilator, their mother has said.

Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite were born holding hands
Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite were born holding hands (photo Akron Children’s Hospital)

Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite shared an amniotic sac and placenta, a rare condition known as monoamniotic birth.

“They’re already best friends,” said their mother, Sarah Thistlethwaite.

They were born on Friday in Ohio, grasping each other’s hands when doctors lifted them up for their parents to see after delivery.

Monoamniotic birth occurs in only one in 10,000 pregnancies.

Sarah Thistlethwaite, 32, was monitored for weeks at Akron General Medical Center in Akron, as monoamniotic twins are at risk from becoming entangled in each other’s umbilical cords.

She told the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper that holding her children was “the best Mother’s Day present ever”.

“I can’t believe they were holding hands,” Sarah Thistlethwaite said.

“That’s amazing.”

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Spain: Isabel Carrasco shot dead in Leon

Isabel Carrasco, head of the provincial government in the northern Spanish city of Leon, was shot several times by a woman as she crossed a footbridge.

Spanish media report that a mother and daughter have been arrested, and that the daughter had recently been fired from the council.

Spain’s PM Mariano Rajoy has cancelled engagements.

Isabel Carrasco was head of the provincial government in the northern Spanish city of Leon
Isabel Carrasco was head of the provincial government in the northern Spanish city of Leon

Mariano Rajoy is head of the Popular Party (PP) to which Isabel Carrasco belonged.

Isabel Carrasco, 59, was the head of the PP in Leon as well as head of the local government.

The opposition Socialist Party and other parties also offered condolences and cancelled campaign events.

Isabel Carrasco was attacked on her way to a party meeting near her home at about 17:20 local time.

A police spokeswoman told AFP news agency: “We are investigating the participation of both [women] in the act.”

A spokeswoman for the Spanish interior ministry said: “Everything points to it being a personal act of vengeance unrelated to her public position.”

About 200 people gathered near the scene of her death, including the Mayor of Leon, Emilio Gutierrez, and several councilors and other local dignitaries, reported the ABC news website.

Witnesses told Spanish media that a woman shot at Isabel Carrasco as she crossed a bridge over the River Bernesga.

Two witnesses told Spanish newspaper El Pais they heard five shots.

“We thought they were firecrackers,” one of them said.

In a statement, the PP said campaign events for Monday and Tuesday had been cancelled, and thanked those who had offered condolences.

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NASA study: West Antarctica key glaciers in irreversible retreat

A NASA study revealed that West Antarctica’s key glaciers are in an irreversible retreat.

The study analyzed 40 years of observations of six big ice streams draining into the Amundsen Bay and concluded that nothing now can stop them melting away.

Although these are abrupt changes, the timescales involved are likely measured in centuries, the researchers add.

If the glaciers really do disappear, they would add roughly 1.2 m to global sea level rise.

The new study has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, but NASA held a teleconference on Monday to brief reporters on the findings.

Prof. Eric Rignot said warm ocean water was relentlessly eating away at the glaciers’ fronts and that the geometry of the sea bed in the area meant that this erosion had now entered a runaway process.

The NASA study revealed that West Antarctica’s key glaciers are in an irreversible retreat
The NASA study revealed that West Antarctica’s key glaciers are in an irreversible retreat (photo NASA)

“We present observational evidence that a large section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has gone into a state of irreversible retreat; it has passed the point of no return,” the NASA glaciologist explained.

“This retreat will have major consequences for sea level rise worldwide. It will raise sea levels by 1.2 m, or 4ft, but its retreat will also influence adjacent sectors of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet which could triple this contribution to sea level.”

The Amundsen Bay sector includes some of the biggest and fastest moving glaciers on Earth.

Pine Island Glacier (PIG), over which there has been intense research interest of late, covers about 160,000 sq km.

Like the Thwaites, Smith, Haynes, Pope, Smith and Kohler Glaciers in this region – the PIG has been thinning rapidly.

And its grounding line – the zone where the glacier enters the sea and lifts up and floats – has also reversed tens of km over recent decades.

What makes the group vulnerable is that their bulk actually sits below current sea level with the rock bed sloping inland towards the continent. This is a geometry, say scientists, that invites further melting and further retreat.

The new study includes radar observations that map the underlying rock in the region, and this finds no ridge or significant elevation in topography that could act as a barrier to the glaciers’ reverse.

“In our new study, we present additional data that the junction of the glaciers with the ocean – the grounding line – has been retreating at record speeds unmatched anywhere in the Antarctic,” said Prof. Eric Rignot.

“We also present new evidence that there is no large hill at the back of these glaciers that could create a barrier and hold the retreat back. This is why we conclude that the disappearance of ice in this sector is unstoppable.”

The researcher, who is also affiliated to the University of California, Irvine, attributed the underlying driver of these changes to global warming.

This, together with atmospheric behaviors influenced by a loss of ozone in the stratosphere, had created stronger winds in the Southern Ocean that were now drawing more warm water towards and under the glaciers.

Dr. Tom Wagner, the cryosphere program scientist with NASA, said it was clear that, in the case of these six glaciers, a threshold had been crossed.

“The results are not based on computer simulations or numerical models; they are based on the interpretation of observations,” he told reporters.

“And I think this is an important point because this sometimes can get lost on the general public when they’re trying to understand climate change and the implications.”

Prof. Eric Rignot and colleagues put no real timescales on events, but a paper released by the journal Science to coincide with the NASA media conference tries to do just this.

It does include computer modeling and was led by Dr. Ian Joughin, a glaciologist at the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory. The study considers the particular case of Thwaites Glacier.

In the model, Dr. Ian Joughin’s team is able to reproduce very accurately the behavior of the glacier over the past 20 years.

The group then runs the model forwards to try to forecast future trends.

This, likewise, indicates that a collapse of the glacier is inevitable, and suggests it will most likely occur in the next 200 to 500 years.

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Alan Robertson has a beard since joining Duck Dynasty

Duck Dynasty’s Alan Robertson, who only joined the show last year, boasted a scruffy beard and joked that he had had to take a measure to prove he was a Robertson.

Alan and Lisa Robertson only joined Duck Dynasty last year
Alan and Lisa Robertson only joined Duck Dynasty last year (photo CBN TV)

Alan Robertson also took credit for a spike in Duck Dynasty traffic when he led his parents’ vow renewal ceremony at the start of Season 4.

His wife Lisa said that the couple’s decision to leave pastoral ministry and join their extended family had been a tiring but rewarding decision.

Alan Robertson’s new look also has him eating his words, considering he was previously committed to a clean-shaven alternative.

“We all used to cut them off. But now, since they are such big stars and their beards are in their contracts, they have to keep them a certain length,” he said of Willie, Phil, Si and the other Duck Dynasty men.

“Their beards are about to get their own agent.”

Lisa Robertson reveals she was abused by a family member for seven years

Duck Dynasty’s Lisa Robertson revealed she was abused by a family member from ages 7 to 14.

In a recent interview with Closer Weekly, Alan Robertson’s wife said six other family members have come forward to say they were abused as well.

Lisa is married to Alan Robertson, the Duck Dynasty’s beardless brother
Lisa is married to Alan Robertson, the Duck Dynasty’s beardless brother

“I’ve had six of those cousins send me notes telling me it happened to them too. I don’t know if it was the same person [who abused them],” Lisa Robertson told the publication.

“But he had the same access to them.”

Lisa Robertson, 48, told the magazine she wrote of the abuse in the book The Women of Duck Commander so that others can be helped by her experience.

“My husband was the very first person I told,” she said.

“God took my mess and made a message out of it, and He wants me to get out there and show the healing part.”

Lisa Robertson said her biggest regret is that she didn’t speak out sooner.

Lisa and Alan Robertson, the “beardless brother”, were introduced on Duck Dynasty this year.

Britney Spears extends her Las Vegas residency with more than 30 dates

Britney Spears is adding more than 30 dates to her Las Vegas residency, Caesars Entertainment announced.

Britney Spears is adding more than 30 dates to her Las Vegas residency
Britney Spears is adding more than 30 dates to her Las Vegas residency

Britney: Piece of Me will now play shows in October through December and February. Shows have also been added in August and September.

Tickets to the new shows go on sale Friday, May 16.

The first round of shows in August and September sold out, the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino says.

Britney Spears, 31, kicked off the two-year residency late last year around the time she released her eighth album, Britney Jean.

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EU imposes new sanctions on two Crimean companies and 13 people over Ukraine crisis

The EU is imposing further sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine after self-rule referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk regions say 89% and 96% respectively voted in favor of “self-rule”.

Earlier the head of the rebel Donetsk election commission, Roman Lyagin, said joining Russia “would probably be an appropriate step”.

The EU is imposing further sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine after self-rule referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk
The EU is imposing further sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine after self-rule referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk

Two Crimean companies and 13 individuals have been added to the sanctions list – the names are likely to be announced officially within the next 24 hours.

The sanctions impose travel bans and asset freezes. EU ministers are also discussing what might trigger a broader package of sanctions against the Russian economy.

In a brief statement, the Kremlin described the referendums as “the will of the people” and noted the “high turnout”.

The Kremlin denounced what it claimed had been “attempts to disrupt the votes, with the use of force, including the use of heavy weapons, against civilians”.

The Russian authorities said they expected the results of the vote to be implemented in a civilized manner, without any repetition of violence and called for dialogue between Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk.

Later Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said there were no plans to hold fresh international talks on the crisis – he accused the West of an “information blockade” over events in Ukraine and of “shameless lies”.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is to travel to Kiev on Tuesday to promote “dialogue” between the different parties.

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Denis Pushilin calls on Russia to absorb Ukraine’s Donetsk

Ukrainian separatist leader Denis Pushilin is calling on Russia to “absorb” the eastern region of Donetsk after Sunday’s unofficial vote on its status.

The leader of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic said Moscow should listen to the “will of the people”.

Ukrainian separatist leader Denis Pushilin has called on Russia to absorb the eastern region of Donetsk
Ukrainian separatist leader Denis Pushilin has called on Russia to absorb the eastern region of Donetsk

Russia has called for dialogue and “implementing” the result, but Ukraine and the EU declared the poll illegal.

The EU is imposing further sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk regions say 89% and 96% respectively voted in favor of “self-rule”.

Earlier the head of the rebel Donetsk election commission, Roman Lyagin, said joining Russia “would probably be an appropriate step”.

Russia has called for dialogue between the militants and Kiev with the participation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

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Turkey to pay $123 million for 1974 invasion of Cyprus

Turkey has been ordered to pay 90 million euros ($123 million) in damages over its 1974 invasion of Cyprus, according to a decision by the European Court of Human Rights.

The judgement is one of the largest ever ordered by the court.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the government of Greece
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the government of Greece

It said the damages were compensation for losses endured during the invasion and in the subsequent partition.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the government of Greece.

Since then, the northern third has been mainly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. Turkey still has around 30,000 troops stationed on the island, and it is the only country that recognizes northern Cyprus as a separate entity.

UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher.

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