France’s highest court has approved a 75% tax on high income.
The new tax is one of President Francois Hollande’s signature policies.
The initial proposal to tax individual incomes was ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Council almost exactly one year ago.
But the government modified it to make employers liable for the 75% tax on salaries exceeding 1 million euros ($1.3 million).
France’s highest court has approved a 75 percent tax on high earners that is one of President Francois Hollande’s signature policies
The levy will last two years, affecting income earned this year and in 2014.
Football clubs in France went on strike earlier this year over the issue, saying many of France’s clubs are financially fragile and say the plans could spark an exodus of top players who are paid huge salaries.
The Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain has more than 10 players whose pay exceeds 1 million euros, including the Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
There has also been a chorus of protest from businesses and wealthy individuals who have condemned the tax – including actor Gerard Depardieu, who left the country in protest.
Polls suggest a large majority in France back the temporary tax.
Lebanon’s army is to receive a $3 billion grant from Saudi Arabia.
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman made the announcement in a televised address after the funeral of a senior Lebanese politician killed in a car bomb attack. He said it would help fight terrorism.
Mohamad Chatah, a Sunni Muslim, was a staunch critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah movement that backs him.
Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah have taken opposite sides in the Syrian conflict.
Mohamad Chatah was killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut
“The king of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is offering this generous and appreciated aid of $3 billion to the Lebanese army to strengthen its capabilities,” Michel Sleiman said in his address.
He said it was the largest assistance provided in Lebanon’s history and would be used to buy weapons from France.
French President Francois Hollande said his country would “meet” any demands for weapons from Lebanon during a visit on Sunday to Saudi Arabia aimed at boosting commercial ties with the kingdom.
“I am in touch with President Sleiman… If demands are made to us, we will meet them,” Francois Hollande said.
President Michel Sleiman said the Saudi aid would finally allow the Lebanese army to “confront terrorism” and put an end to the proliferation of arms.
Kris Humphries came pretty close to scoring two points for the other team during the Boston Celtics’ matinee matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
In the first quarter with the Celtics trailing 20-18, Kris Humphries got possession of a jump ball in front of his team’s net.
Kris Humphries came pretty close to scoring two points for the other team during the Boston Celtics’ matinee matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Celtics forward then turned toward to hoop, offering a solid pump fake before doing a 180 and passing the ball to Jordan Crawford and heading toward the other end of the floor to play offense.
Pope Francis has been named the best dressed man of 2013 by Esquire magazine.
According to CNN, the magazine admits this is an unconventional decision, but they look to Pope Francis’ simple style decisions as signaling new hope for the Catholic Church.
In the past, Pope Benedict XVI wore elaborate robes and a large golden cross.
Pope Francis has been named the best dressed man of 2013 by Esquire magazine
Now, Pope Francis is making a statement with his simple garments and small iron cross.
Instead of fashion, Pope Francis has been trying to focus on the Catholic Church helping the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the poor.
Fresh anti-government protests gathered tens of thousands of Ukrainians in Kiev.
Many demonstrators also marched on President Viktor Yanukovych’s official residence outside the capital.
They have been re-energized by a brutal attack on a prominent journalist, Tetyana Chornovol, on Christmas Day.
Tetyana Chornovol had accused Viktor Yanukovych of corruption over his financing of the Mezhygirya residence in an expose.
Viktor Yanukovych denies any allegation of corruption and has called for an investigation into the attack on Tetyana Chornovol.
Protesters made their way to the Mezhygirya residence, some 9 miles away on the banks of the Dnipro river, by bike, car and minibus, where they carried a coffin to symbolize what they hope is the end of his political life, AFP reported.
Ukrainian protesters have been re-energized by a brutal attack on journalist Tetyana Chornovol on Christmas Day
Demonstrators first took to the streets in late November, angered by President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to abandon an association agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.
Protesters continue to occupy the central Independence Square and have refortified barricades to ward off attempts by police to clear the camp – though such attempts now appear to have been abandoned.
But on Sunday, more protesters returned to the streets of Kiev, many angered by the attack on Tetyana Chornovol, who says her car was run off the road before she was taken out and beaten by men.
Pictures have been circulated of her bloodied and swollen face following the beating.
Local news agencies say five men have been placed under arrest but no motive has been put forward.
Tetyana Chornovol, 34, says her assailants followed her in a “black luxury” SUV after she had been taking pictures of the residences of senior administration figures.
A female suicide bomb attack on Volgograd’s train station has killed 15 people, Russian officials say.
Another suspected female suicide bomber killed at least six people when she attacked a bus in the city in October.
Moscow is concerned militant groups could be ramping up violence in the run up to the 2014 winter Olympic Games in Sochi in February.
An Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus region has led to many attacks there in recent years. Insurgents have also attacked big Russian towns.
Volgograd lies about 900 km south of Moscow, 650 km north of the North Caucasus and 700 km north-east of Sochi.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered law enforcement agencies to take “all necessary security measures” in the bomb’s aftermath, said a Kremlin spokesman.
Vladimir Putin has ordered the most gravely injured victims to be flown to Moscow for treatment.
Security would be stepped up at train stations and airports, said a federal police spokesman.
Sunday’s explosion rocked Volgograd-1 station at around 12:45 at a time when millions of Russians are travelling to celebrate the New Year.
The bomb contained 10 kg (22 lbs) of TNT, was rigged with shrapnel and was detonated near the metal detectors at the station entrance, said a spokesman for the Investigative Committee.
“According to our information the explosion was carried out by a female suicide bomber who approached a metal detector, saw a policeman there, got nervous and detonated the bomb stuffed with pieces of shrapnel,” said the spokesman, Vladimir Markin.
A nearby security camera facing Volgograd’s train station caught the moment of the blast
He said the security presence had prevented a much higher death toll at the station, which was packed at the time of the blast as several trains were delayed.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, which Vladimir Markin said injured 34 people – eight critically – including a nine-year-old girl whose mother was killed in the attack.
RIA Novosti news agency said security sources were naming the attacker as Oksana Aslanova. She has reportedly been married twice to militants and is also suspected of being a friend of Naida Asiyalova, the suicide bomber who targeted the Volgograd bus in October.
However, the Interfax news agency said the suspect’s head had been found at the site – and, according to an unidentified security source, “it has been established that the suicide terrorist was a man who had brought explosives to the station in a rucksack”.
A nearby security camera facing the station caught the moment of the blast, showing a bright orange flash behind the station’s main doors.
The explosion shattered windows and sent debris and plumes of smoke from the station entrance.
Ambulances rushed the injured to hospital, while motionless bodies were laid out in the station forecourt.
The incident was being treated as an act of terrorism, Vladimir Markin said.
Michael Schumacher has suffered a head injury while skiing in Meribel, France.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who retired from F1 for a second time in 2012, was taken by helicopter to hospital in Moutiers before being moved to Grenoble.
Michael Schumacher, 44, is still undergoing tests in hospital where he is being comforted by his wife and three of his children.
Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte, director of the Meribel resort where Michael Schumacher suffered his injury, said: “He was a little shaken but conscious” after crashing.
Speaking to Radio Monte Carlo Sport, Gernignon-Lecomte added: “He was wearing a helmet and banged [his head] against a rock.”
Michael Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son and others in an off-piste area between two marked runs above Meribel when he fell on Sunday morning.
Michael Schumacher has suffered a head injury while skiing in Meribel,
He was attended to by two ski patrollers who requested helicopter evacuation to the nearby valley town of Moutiers, before he was subsequently moved to a bigger facility at Grenoble.
The German is receiving the attention of Professor Gerard Saillant, a close ally and friend of Schumacher and his former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt.
Prof. Gerard Saillant is an expert in brain and spine injury. He oversaw Michael Schumacher’s medical care when the German broke his leg in the 1999 British GP.
Michael Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said in a statement: “We ask for understanding that we cannot give out continuous information about his health.
“He was wearing a helmet and was not alone. No one else was involved in the fall.”
Duck Dynasty and Phil Robertson’s supporters have found a new way to duck the halls this holiday season.
The Mail The Duck campaign is sending A&E thousands of tiny yellow rubber ducks to show their support for Phil Robertson.
Conservative Christians are showing solidarity with embattled ‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson by sending thousands of tiny rubber ducks to A&E’s New York offices.
The first cardboard box jammed with 1,500 ducks will be sent to the channel’s CEO Nancy Dubuc, according to Janet Porter, the founder of the conservative group Faith2Action.
Janet Porter said she was looking for a “tangible” way to show A&E that thousands of people support Phil Robertson’s views on homos**uality.
Phil Robertson’s fans planned to mail A&E CEO Nancy Dubuc thousands of yellow rubber ducks
Rick Scarborough, president of the partner organization Vision America, came up with idea to organize a “Mail The Duck” campaign. The goal is to fight back against a “homos**ual agenda” that conservatives believe is “steamrolling” over their rights to freedom of religion and free speech.
Janet Porter, president of Faith2Action, said she plans to send the ducks in several batches. She’s already gotten at least 1,500 requests.
The campaign was launched on December 23 and Janet Porter says she’s already gotten thousands of requests to sponsor ducks and send free postcards.
Each duck sets supporters back $7. The squeaky creatures will be labeled with a sponsor’s name, city, and state, along with the message: “We cry fowl-Reinstate Phil!”
Phil Robertson, 67, was suspended from Duck Dynasty show after making anti-gay remarks during an interview with GQ magazine.
A&E Networks decided to reinstate Phil Robertson after a week of controversy.
The Robertson family is ready to move on from the controversy surrounding Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson’s racist and homophobic rants, according to a new report.
A source close to Phil Robertson and his family told People magazine A&E’s announcement that the hit show will return for another season came as a relief.
“The family is happy that they can put this behind them,” the source said.
The Robertson family is ready to move on from the controversy surrounding Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson’s racist and homophobic rants
Phil Robertson caused a firestorm of outrage last week after making anti-gay remarks during an interview with GQ magazine.
He also said black men in Louisiana during the Jim Crow era weren’t “singing the blues” and were “godly” and “happy”.
“It got a little out of hand,” the source told the magazine.
“Phil has never been disrespectful to anyone and treats everyone with kindness. He made some comments off the cuff that he shouldn’t have made, and he knows that.”
An Australian vessel is en route to East Antarctica in a renewed bid to free Akademik Shokalskiy scientific mission ship trapped in dense pack ice since Christmas.
Earlier rescue attempts by Chinese and French icebreakers were foiled by the thick ice.
Seventy-four scientists, tourists and crew are on the Akademik Shokalskiy.
The vessel is being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition to follow the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.
The Shokalskiy remains well stocked with food and is in no danger, according to the team.
An Australian vessel is en route to East Antarctica in a renewed bid to free Akademik Shokalskiy
Despite being trapped, the scientists have continued their experiments, measuring temperature and salinity through cracks in the surrounding ice.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which is coordinating the rescue, said the Aurora Australis was expected to reach the trapped research ship on Sunday around 12:00 GMT.
The powerful icebreaker can cut ice up to 5.2 ft thick – potentially still enough to plough through the estimated three-metre wall surrounding the Shokalskiy.
If this latest relief operation fails, passengers could be winched to safety by a helicopter on board the Chinese icebreaker, which had to abort its rescue mission on Saturday.
The Snow Dragon came within seven nautical miles of the Russian ship before stalling and being forced to return to the open sea.
Cuba has decided to ease restrictions on loans to private borrowers in the latest measure aimed at boosting the island’s troubled economy.
Individuals and small businesses can now borrow smaller amounts and have more time to pay back the government.
President Raul Castro had launched the program two years ago as part of measures to reform Cuban socialism.
The minimum lending has been reduced from 3,000 to 1,000 pesos ($67).
The measure was published in the official gazette.
People will also be allowed to use their houses or jewellery to guarantee their loans.
The maximum period of the loans has been extended from five to 10 years.
Earlier this month, the Cuban government lifted restrictions on private individuals buying new and second-hand cars.
Cuban government also lifted restrictions on private individuals buying new and second-hand cars
Any Cuban citizen or foreigner with enough money will now be allowed to import the vehicles through an official agency.
Previously, official permits were required and they were often issued to government officials, doctors and other people with access to the authorities, such as sports stars.
Although Cubans have been able to request bank credits since 2011, barely 500 are reported to have borrowed money.
The government wants to boost that figure as part of its efforts to encourage 1.5 million people to switch from the state payroll to the new private sector.
Some 440,000 people, or about 9% of the Cuban workforce, are now self-employed.
But analysts point out that the new businesses face a big problem – they all chase a very limited number of Cubans with cash to spend.
Croatian authorities have charged pharmaceutical company Farmal and 364 people – most of them reportedly doctors – for allegedly rigging the drugs market.
Senior managers at Farmal bribed a network of doctors and pharmacists to prescribe the company’s products, officials said.
They have been charged with bribery, abuse of power and corruption.
Local media said the indictment was the biggest of its kind in Croatia’s judicial history.
Correspondents say the health system could have collapsed if all the doctors implicated were sacked. There are around 5,000 doctors in Croatia.
Many of those charged were given probation fines as a result, local media reported.
Croatian authorities have charged Farmal and 364 people for allegedly rigging the drugs market
In a statement, Croatia’s anti-corruption agency Uskok said the top management of Farmal, based in the northern town of Ludbreg, was charged with bribing “medical workers”, mostly primary care doctors and pharmacists, to “order and prescribe drugs produced” by the company.
“The charges are brought up against 364 Croatian citizens and Farmal pharmaceutical company for bribery, abuse of power and corruption,” it said.
The agency did not specify how many doctors have been charged, but local media reported that some 300 doctors have been indicted, according to AFP.
The suspects face up to five years’ imprisonment if convicted, the news agency said.
Doctors and pharmacists were offered bribes, including money and travel, worth between 5-10% of the medicines they prescribed, according to Sofia News Agency.
The crimes allegedly took place between 2009 and 2012.
The date for the trial has yet to be set.
Croatia has previously struggled with a widespread corruption problem but became a member of the EU in July after introducing a series of reforms.
An estimated 1.3 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits after an emergency federal program expired on Saturday.
Lawmakers failed to agree on an extension of the scheme before the Congress began its winter recess.
Former President George W. Bush introduced the assistance plan in 2008 at the start of the recession.
Under the program, jobless people received an average monthly stipend of $1,166 for up to 73 weeks.
The White House says the benefits have kept millions of families out of poverty, but many Republicans argue that the scheme’s annual $25 billion price tag is too expensive.
The stalemate comes two months after a budget fight in the US Congress led to the partial shutdown of the government.
President Barack Obama has vowed to push for the renewal of the expired program when Congress reconvenes in early January.
An estimated 1.3 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits after an emergency federal program expired
“The president said his administration would, as it has for several weeks now, push Congress to act promptly and in bipartisan fashion to address this urgent economic priority,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
An estimated 1.3 million people will initially be cut off with the end of the “emergency unemployment compensation”, US officials say.
Millions more could be affected next year after they lose state benefits, which in many states expires after six months.
The financial aid was designed to help US citizens who lost their jobs during the recession and were unable to find new work while receiving the state benefits.
The US unemployment rate fell to a five-year low of 7% in November, according to the US Labor Department.
But the long-term jobless rate remains a problem for the economy, with some 4.1 million Americans currently out of work for six months or longer.
There has been repeated political wrangling between the Republicans, who control the lower house – the House of Representatives – and the Democrats, who have a majority in the upper house, the Senate.
Because of disagreements between the two houses over federal government spending, the Congress failed to pass a budget before the fiscal year ended on September 30.
Both sides eventually struck a last-gasp deal in October to end the federal shutdown and raise the federal debt limit.
A New York Times in-depth report found no proof that al-Qaeda or any international terrorist groups played any role in the Benghazi attack, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
A senior Obama administration official said the White House does not dispute the article published Saturday about the 2012 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
The six-part report goes on to say that an American-made video mocking Islam largely triggered the attack, which was not well-planned.
“The attack was led, instead, by fighters who had benefited directly from NATO’s extensive air power and logistics support during the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi,” the Times report reads, referring to the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.
A New York Times in-depth report found no proof that al-Qaeda or any international terrorist groups played any role in the Benghazi attack
“And contrary to claims by some members of Congress, it was fueled in large part by anger at an American-made video denigrating Islam.”
The Times said its investigation took months and was “centered on extensive interviews with Libyans in Benghazi who had direct knowledge of the attack there and its context.”
It is not surprising the White House would welcome this report. Since the attack, Republicans have accused the Obama administration of downplaying the perpetrators’ links to al-Qaeda for political gain. The attack took place during the last leg of the 2012 presidential campaign.
Then UN Ambassador Susan Rice (now the national security advisor) became a lightning rod of criticism after appearing on all the Sunday talk shows shortly after the Benghazi attack and arguing it was the result of the American-made video.
Republicans have also held several hearings into the administration’s handling of the attack and its aftermath.
Laurel Coppock, who plays the character “Jan” in a series of Toyota commercials, grew up on the East Coast and went to Colby College in Maine followed by the Circle in the Square Acting Conservatory in New York City.
Before moving to Los Angeles, Laurel Coppock studied and performed comedy in Chicago at Second City and ImprovOlympic.
Laurel Coppock plays the character “Jan” in a series of Toyota commercials
She also spent a year performing with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam.
Laurel Coppock can be seen in the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love and on TV shows including the new season of Arrested Development, Modern Family, The Office, 2 Broke Girls and Workaholics.
Marvin Rosales Martinez, the man who stumbled upon an orphaned $1 million lottery ticket a month after Hurricane Sandy, has finally been awarded the prize money.
New York Lottery officials cut 27-year-old Marvin Martinez a check Friday for the winning ticket he found raking leaves last November in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
New York Lottery officials cut Marvin Martinez a check for the winning ticket he found raking leaves last November in the wake of Superstorm Sandy
A state gaming commission spokesman told The New York Post investigation failed to identify anyone who claimed the scratch card was stolen or reported it missing.
Marvin Martinez, who immigrated to Long Island from El Salvador six years ago, took a lump sum payment of $779,106. After taxes that comes out to $515,612.
Marvin Martinez, who still lives with his mother in a storm-damaged home, told the newspaper he will keep working six days a week.
“Magnetic Man” Etibar Elchiyev has broken his own record for carrying metal spoons on his chest and back.
Etibar Elchiyev, 42, claims he has magnetic properties that attract the 53 spoons to his body.
The Georgian man based in Tbilisi today broke a Guinness World record that he himself created in December 2011: having the most spoons stuck on the human body.
Two years ago, Etibar Elchiyev set the record by sticking 50 spoons on his body.
The kick-boxing trainer originally planned to break the Guinness World Record for balancing spoons on one’s face – with 27 the current target to beat.
Etibar Elchiyev succeeded in sticking 53 metal spoons and breaking his own record
But he made the new weird Guinness record by managing to secure 50 metal spoons around his neck and chest setting the world record for the most spoons balanced on a human body.
Today, Etibar Elchiyev succeeded in sticking 53 metal spoons, thereby breaking his own record.
However, there are doubts whether Elchiyev’s body really contains magnet to make the feat possible. One commentator said he is only playing smart as metallic objects will stick to a hairless, smooth body.
But Etibar Elchiyev maintains that his body acts as a magnet attracting metal objects. He discovered the magnetic property of his body a few years ago, when he magnetized a car hood to his body, with a man sitting in the car.
The eclipsed Guinness world record for the most spoons balanced on the face was achieved by Aaron Caissie (Canada) on the set of Lo Show dei Record, in Milan, Italy on April 18, 2009.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ center Andrew Bynum has been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team, general manager Chris Grant announced Saturday.
Andrew Bynum did not travel with the team for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Celtics. He has been excused from all team activities.
He has played in 24 games this season, averaging 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ center Andrew Bynum has been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team
The Cavs signed Andrew Bynum as a free agent in the offseason.
Andrew Bynum spent his first seven seasons in the league with the Lakers but was hampered by multiple knee injuries.
“He doesn’t want to play basketball anymore. He never liked it that much in first place,” league source told Yahoo Sports.
Pope Francis has received a private message from Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, the Vatican said on Saturday, without disclosing its contents.
It was the first known time Bashar al-Assad has sent a direct message to the Pope since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011.
Pope Francis has made numerous appeals for an end to the conflict, the latest on Christmas Day.
Vatican sources said the message likely included the Syrian government’s position ahead of peace talks due to start on January 22nd under UN auspices in Geneva.
The Vatican, which has permanent observer status at the United Nations, also has a representative to UN organizations in Geneva.
Pope Francis has received a private message from Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad
It also said a delegation headed by Joseph Sweid, a Syrian minister of state, held talks in the Vatican with Pope Francis’ secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin and his foreign minister, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
“The delegation brought a message from President Assad for the Holy Father and illustrated the position of the Syrian government,” a statement said.
Syria’s civil war between forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and mostly Sunni Muslim rebels fighting to topple him has killed more than 100,000 people since March 2011.
The Vatican is also keen to have information on the fate of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, a Jesuit priest who supported the rebels and disappeared in July in eastern Syria.
As Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson was reinstated on the show Friday following his suspension over anti-gay comments, fans and foes of the move made their views known.
Advocacy group Faith Driven Consumer, which campaigned vigorously that Phil Robertson’s suspension be dropped, issued this statement: “Today’s decision by A&E to reinstate Phil Robertson to Duck Dynasty is in direct response to the powerful and engaged voices of millions of Faith Driven Consumers, as highlighted by more than 260,000 signers of the IStandWithPhil.com petition.
“However, the question remains, has the Faith Driven Consumer community truly been heard?
Phil Robertson was reinstated on Duck Dynasty reality show
“Despite our celebration, we remain uncertain of A&E’s true intent. Today, in the network’s statement of their core values – centered on <<creativity, inclusion, and mutual respect>> – Faith Driven Consumers are left wondering whether A&E considers us to be a part of America’s rich rainbow of diversity. Do they also now embrace the biblically based values and world view held by the Robertson family and millions of Faith Driven Consumers?”
GLAAD, the advocacy group whose vocal condemnation of Phil Robertson’s controversial comments to GQ magazine contributed to A&E’s decision to suspend him, warned both the network and its reality star that they were none too pleased, and would be watching carefully the show’s next steps.
“Phil Robertson should look African-American and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising Jim Crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists,” GLAAD said.
“If dialogue with Phil is not part of next steps then A&E has chosen profits over African American and gay people – especially its employees and viewers.”
Duck Dynasty reality show is a huge money making enterprise for A&E which is co-owned by Walt Disney Co. and Hearst Corp.
According to Forbes magazine, Duck Dynasty has generated $400 million in merchandise sales and $80 million in ad sales for the first nine months of this year.
A&E has announced today that Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson can continue with the reality show despite his anti-gay comments in GQ magazine interview.
The network is reversing its suspension of Phil Robertson, which was imposed last week after his inflammatory comments about gay and black people made. The network’s decision clears the way for the entire Robertson family to resume filming the highly lucrative program this spring.
“While Phil’s comments made in the interview reflect his personal views based on his own beliefs, and his own personal journey, he and his family have publicly stated they regret the <<coarse language>> he used and the misinterpretation of his core belief based solely on the article,” A&E executives said in a statement.
“But ‘Duck Dynasty’ is not a show about one man’s views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about family … a family that America has come to love.”
Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson can continue with the reality show despite his anti-gay comments
The network said it consulted with “numerous advocacy groups” and would soon air public service announcements that would promote “unity, tolerance and acceptance”.
A&E executives did not make themselves available for media interviews and it was not known whether any of the Duck Dynasty stars would participate in the announcements.
Before the holidays, the furor surrounding Duck Dynasty reality show exposed wide political and social rifts in the country and stocked cable news programs for days. Conservative commentators argued that Phil Robertson was being punished for exercising his right to free speech and adhering to his Christian principles. A Christian group called Faith Driven Consumers collected more than 250,000 signatures in an online petition that demanded that A&E reinstate Phil Robertson.
On Friday, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, one of many conservatives to speak out in support of the TV family after the suspension, said he was pleased with the network’s about-face.
“I am glad to hear that the folks at A&E came to their senses and recognized that tolerance of religious views is more important than political correctness,” Bobby Jindal said in a statement.
“Today is a good day for the freedoms of speech and religious liberty.”
GLAAD officials released a statement Friday evening but would not comment on whether the gay rights group had participated in talks with the network about its decision to bring back Phil Robertson.
“Phil Robertson should look African American and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising Jim Crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists. If dialogue with Phil is not part of next steps then A&E has chosen profits over African American and gay people — especially its employees and viewers,” GLAAD said.
Baby North West got her very own mini Ferrari sports car over the holidays, just like her father Kanye West.
Her mother, Kim Kardashian, shared the picture of Nori’s new wheels via Instagram on Friday.
“Like father like daughter,” Kim Kardashian, 33, wrote.
Baby North West got her very own mini Ferrari sports car over the holidays, just like her father Kanye West
Alongside the caption, the reality star shared a picture of Kanye West’s black Ferrari, with Nori’s miniature one placed to the right.
Kim Kardashian also shared the designer presents baby North Westt was gifted with earlier this week. A sweater and two dresses from Stella McCartney, black shoes marked with kittens on top by British designer Charlotte Olympia, shoes by the legendary Giuseppe Zanotti and a matching pink blanket and slippers from Michael Coste (of Hermes Paris).
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and their 6-month-old daughter spent Christmas at Kris Jenner’s home.
Vanessa Carlton tied the knot with Deer Tick’s lead singer and guitarist John McCauley on Friday, her rep confirms to Us Weekly.
The singer also revealed that Stevie Nicks officiated the ceremony.
“Married this gentleman two hours ago xo,” Vanessa Carlton, 33, wrote via Twitter late Friday night.
Vanessa Carlton tied the knot with John McCauley and Stevie Nicks officiated the ceremony
Alongside the caption, the new bride shared a photo of herself and her new husband beaming at each other while holding hands.
Vanessa Carlton looked stunning for her special day, wearing a tight-fitting, long-sleeved white wedding gown, and donning a purple head piece and matching flowers.
John McCauley had a casual outfit, green pants and a brown button-up.
Vanessa Carlton previously dated Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins from 2002 to 2007.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in 2016.
The 67-year-old country singer has been married to Carl Dean since 1966 and she reveals they are eager to mark their relationship milestone with a huge party at their sprawling estate in Nashville, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton married Carl Thomas Dean on May 30, 1966
Dolly Parton told Closer magazine: “We’ve talked about that [renewing vows] – we might do it all over again! Another big wedding. … [It will] probably be at our big old plantation home. We love it there.”
Tyler Armstrong, a 9-year-old boy from South California, has become the youngest person to climb Mount Aconcagua.
The boy wanted to raise awareness for a type of muscular dystrophy that only affects young boys.
Tyler Armstrong reached the summit of Argentina’s 22,837-foot-tall Mount Aconcagua on Christmas Eve, two days ahead of schedule, according to a post on the Top With Tyler Facebook page, which is tracking his progress.
The boy and his father set out December 7 on the arduous journey, which the young climber dedicated to those who can’t walk. He’s raising awareness and money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects 1 in 3,600 boys.
“It’s when muscles get smaller every time you use them and by 14 they can’t walk,” Tyler Armstrong said of those afflicted with the disease.
Tyler Armstrong has become the youngest person to climb Mount Aconcagua at 9
Temperatures along the route to the top of Mount Aconcagua typically drop to 20 degrees below zero this time of year. And the pinnacle is just below the elevation where oxygen is mandatory.
Tyler Armstrong is the youngest person to scale the towering peak.The previous record had been held by a 10-year-old climbe).
Mount Aconcagua – the highest in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres – is now added to an already impressive list of summits the fourth grader from Yorba Linda has reached.
At the age of 7, Tyler Armstrong climbed 14,505 feet up Mount Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous US.
Last year, Tyler Armstrong scaled Mount Kilamanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 19,341 feet. He had to apply for a special permit for that trek because, at 9, he was a year younger than the age limit.
Tyler Armstrong’s Argentina itinerary planned for him to summit between December 26 and 29. It should take him about three days to climb down from the mountain.
Tyler Armstrong is set to be back in the US on January 5, 2014.
