Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson will take on the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, respectively, in the anticipated big-screen adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey novel.
The news was tweeted by novel author E.L. James on Monday morning: “Good moaning all. Hold on to your hats…”
Dakota Johnson, 23, previously appeared in The Social Network – in which she shared a love scene with Justin Timberlake – and had small roles in 21 Jump Street, The Five-Year Engagement and Beastly.
Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson will take on the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, respectively, in the anticipated big-screen adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey novel
She is the daughter of Don Johnson, best known for TV shows Miami Vice and Nash Bridges, and his actress ex-wife Melanie Griffith.
It’s thought producers cast Dakota Johnson because they wanted a young, up-and-coming actress to play the role of Anastasia Steele.
Charlie Hunnam, who is 33 years old and British, stars in the dark biker thriller Sons Of Anarchy as Jackson “Jax” Teller and also appeared in Guillermo del Toro’s robot epic Pacific Rim.
The castings close waves of rumors about who would take on the roles – Emma Watson, Imogen Poots, Armie Hammer and Ian Somerhalder, among many others, were at one time tied to a main role on the film.
The film will be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), based off the adapted script by Kelly Marcel (Terra Nova).
Fifty Shades Of Grey is currently slated for release in August 2014.
Monaco royal Andrea Casiraghi married Colombian heiress Tatiana Santo Domingo on August 31.
Tatiana Santo Domingo, 29, wore a custom-made Missoni gown as she posed with her new husband and their pet Boston terrier, Daphne, after the ceremony at the Prince’s Palace in Monte Carlo.
Her Missoni V-neck gown, which had three-quarter length sleeves, had “a bodice embroidered with raffia and silk thread”, according to Hello.
“The dress also featured a full-length circle skirt with a macramé effect supported by two layers of silk organza which charmingly matched her five-month-old son Sasha’s bloomers,” the magazine’s website reported.
Tatiana Santo Domingo teamed her gown with flat silver sandals and wore her hair loose with a garland of flowers on her head.
Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo, who have been together for seven years and have five-month-old son Sasha together, were greeted by cheers as they left the Prince’s Palace after the late morning ceremony.
Among the 400 guests present at a lunch afterwards was the cream of Monaco society. The principality’s reigning monarch Prince Albert, his wife Princess Charlene and his sister and mother-of-the-groom Princess Caroline were all in attendance.
Charlotte Casiraghi, the bride’s sister who is believed to be around six moths’ pregnant with fiancé Gad Elmaleh, and apparently introduced the happy couple, looked elegant in pale blue.
Also in attendance was Karl Lagerfeld, the Missoni family (minus Margherita who is due to welcome her first child any day now), Greek shipping heiress Eugenie Niarchos and the bride’s aunt, Lauren Santo Domingo.
Later, for the evening celebration, Tatiana Santo Domingo appeared to have changed into a different creation by the Italian family-owned fashion house, with longer sleeves and a different style of lace embellishment. She removed her floral headdress and instead accessorized with a pearl-embellished clutch.
The build-up to the royal wedding was documented last week by Lauren Santo Domingo, who shared a snap of Tatiana’s bachelorette aboard a luxury yacht.
The photo on Instagram showed the ladies all dressed in white lace ensembles and floral headbands, with picturesque mountains in the background.
In contrast to her guests, the bride-to-be stood out in a red dip-dye dress and matching red lipstick, and her photogenic pooch sitting on her lap.
Tatiana Santo Domingo, a regular on the New York social scene, dated Andrea Casiraghi for seven years before they announced their engagement in July 2012.
In March 2013, Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Sacha, who is third in line to the Monegasque throne.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is presenting intelligence to MPs which he says shows Syria used chemical weapons.
The dossier is said to show that Syria has large chemical stockpiles and was behind a chemical attack which the US says killed more than 1,400 people.
France and the US are both pushing for punitive military action against the Syrian regime. The UK parliament has voted to stay out of such a raid.
Damascus denies the attack, blaming rebel forces for the use of chemicals.
However, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said he is personally convinced that a chemical attack took place and that the government of President Bashar al-Assad was responsible.
There must be “a firm international response” to deter any future use of such weapons, he said, or else it would send a “dangerous signal to dictators all over the world”.
French PM Jean-Marc Ayrault is presenting intelligence to MPs which shows Syria used chemical weapons
But he added that he did envisage NATO having a role in such action, saying he would expect any military response to be “a very short, measured, targeted operation” and that the alliance’s resources would not be needed.
Meanwhile fighting has continued across Syria, in a conflict which has already left an estimated 100,000 people dead since 2011. On Monday, activists said 20 rebel fighters were killed in an army ambush in Adra, north-east of Damascus, AFP news agency reports.
The alleged chemical attack took place in the Gouta, an eastern area of the capital on 21 August. The US says 426 children were among the more than 1,400 people killed.
The US administration has already presented its case that the Assad regime was behind the attack, and now Jean-Marc Ayrault will present France’s own intelligence dossier to parliamentary leaders.
“We are going to give the MPs everything we have – classified until now – to enable every one of them to take on board the reality of the unacceptable attack,” he said on Monday.
French MPs are due to debate the issue at an extraordinary session of parliament on Wednesday.
President Francois Hollande is constitutionally able to order an attack without parliamentary approval, but there is growing pressure for a vote on Syria, as happened in the UK and has been promised in the US.
US lawmakers are due to reconvene next week, and White House officials have said that when it comes to a vote, they believe there will be enough support for the president.
Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday samples from hair and blood gathered after the August 21 attack had tested positive for “signatures of sarin”, and that he was confident Congress would give its approval for strikes, “because they understand the stakes”.
However, some lawmakers have expressed doubts about President Barack Obama’s plan for a “limited, narrow” military operation, questioning its purpose and effectiveness.
Vodafone has sold its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon Communications group in one of the biggest deals in corporate history.
The $130 billion deal was announced by Vodafone after the close of trading on the London Stock Exchange.
The company will return $84 billion to its shareholders, of which $34 billion will go to shareholders in the UK.
Vodafone will also invest money in its business, with funds earmarked for high speed mobile phone networks.
It said that by 2017 its main five European markets would have almost complete 4G coverage.
Vodafone group chairman Gerard Kleisterlee said: “The transaction will position Vodafone strongly to pursue our leadership strategy in mobile and unified communication services for consumers and enterprises, both in our developed markets and across our emerging markets businesses.”
Vodafone has sold its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon Communications group in one of the biggest deals in corporate history
The company is also launching a $9 billion investment plan called Project Spring, which will accelerate the introduction of 4G networks and increase investment in laying fibre optic cables, among other things.
The investments would allow the company to offer much faster broadband services to customers.
Project Spring will also add to Vodafone’s high street stores and develop mobile payment services.
Vodafone group chief executive Vittorio Colao said: “Project Spring will strengthen and accelerate our existing Vodafone 2015 strategy, enabling us to take even greater advantage of the growing global demand for ubiquitous high-speed data.”
It is the third biggest corporate transaction, behind Vodafone’s 1999 deal to buy Germany’s Mannesmann and AOL’s purchase of Time Warner in 2000.
Despite the huge size of the deal, it will not generate tax revenue for the UK.
Vodafone says that as the US business is owned by a Dutch holding company, it will not be liable for tax.
However, it will pay $5 billion in tax in the United States.
Vodafone shares rose 3.4% during the day.
The deal ends a long-running saga, with both Vodafone and Verizon trying to take full control of Verizon Wireless over the years, but having been unable to agree a price.
The 27th annual Burning Man festival in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert comes to a close today after a week of fiery excess.
A record-breaking crowd of 61,000 revelers watched the namesake 40-foot effigy burn to the ground on Saturday in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Sunday saw more giant bonfires and even one fiery tornado.
The temporary town known as Black Rock City, which convenes once a year, will now disperse and leave only the burning embers of their desert party behind.
The largest outdoor arts festival in North America is best described as an “experimental community”. It incorporates plenty of partying plus lighting massive fire displays, donning eye-catching costumes and performing passionate dances at sunrise.
The 27th annual Burning Man festival in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert comes to a close after a week of fiery excess
The Burning Man concludes each year on Labor Day after an explosive final night in which the effigy burns and partygoers fit in as much debauchery as possible.
This year’s event was the largest ever, even with tickets costing up to $650. Attendance peaked last year at 56,000.
The crowd limit was raised this year after organizers agreed to security, public safety, resource management and cleanup rules.
The festival has become a haven for hippies, artists, musicians and dancers and provides a week for people to explore artistic expression. No money is exchanged at the event; instead the festival-goers swap gifts to attain goods.
Many festival-goers have been impressed by the size and look of this year’s Man Base, a structure that houses the iconic ‘Man’ figure which was burned on Saturday night.
Inside a flying saucer under the Man is a multi-level structure with zoetropes, a giant chandelier and views of Black Rock City. Slides serve as exits.
The Black Rock Desert is 120 miles north of Reno and the Burning Man is the largest permitted event on federal land in the United States.
This year’s MDA Labor Day Telethon raised $55,122,055 on September 1.
In 2013, another MDA tradition comes to an end as the telethon moves from its usual “Love Network” of local stations to a major network in primetime.
This year’s MDA Labor Day Telethon raised $55,122,055 on September 1
The historic contract with the ABC television network means that the MDA Show of Strength aired for on a single network in its entirety nationwide.
A bevy of star appearances and celebrity presenters offered their time and talents to the MDA Labor Day Telethon this year.
They included Ryan Seacrest, Backstreet Boys, country stars Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack, Glee star Matthew Morrison, Enrique Iglesias, Paula Abdul, and teenage pop sensation Austin Mahone.
The MDA announced a total of $58,706,015 on September 30, 2012, the year when the annual Labor Day Telethon became MDA Show of Strength.
The newly-branded MDA Show of Strength, which aired on September 2, 2012, on 150 stations nationwide, featured the commitment, dedication and support of viewers from across the nation who joined forces with volunteers, celebrities and entertainers, and national and local sponsors to show their strength for one common goal – to win the fight against muscle diseases.
The MDA announced a total of $58,706,015 on September 30, 2012, the year when the annual Labor Day Telethon became MDA Show of Strength
“The incredible support of our national partners and their loyal customers, plus the generosity of the American public who called, texted or went online to donate, will help MDA provide care through our network of 200 clinics in the U.S., as well as help to send kids to MDA summer camps at no cost to their families,” said MDA Interim President and Medical Director Valerie Cwik, M.D.
“Their support will make a lifesaving difference in MDA’s worldwide research program, which this year will invest almost $36 million in vital projects.”
The signature Labor Day weekend show continued as the centerpiece of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s yearlong fundraising efforts. In addition to superstar performers such as will.i.am, Carrie Underwood, Pitbull and Carole King, the three-hour telecast featured uplifting stories of strength offering a window into the lives of individuals and families affected by muscle diseases; inspiring messages from many corporate sponsors, organizations and national brands; and heartfelt appeals from MDA ambassadors and celebrities.
Brazil announces it will demand an explanation from the US after allegations that the National Security Agency (NSA) spied on Brazilian government communications.
The allegations were made by Rio-based journalist Glenn Greenwald in a programme on TV Globo on Sunday.
Glenn Greenwald obtained secret files from whistle-blower Edward Snowden.
Communications from the Mexican president were also accessed by the NSA, Glenn Greenwald said.
Glenn Greenwald, a columnist for the Guardian newspaper, told TV Globo’s news programme Fantastico that secret documents leaked by Edward Snowden showed how US agents had spied on communications between aides of Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff.
Brazil’s Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo said that “if these facts prove to be true, it would be unacceptable and could be called an attack on our country’s sovereignty”.
According to the report, the NSA also used a program to access all internet content that President Dilma Rousseff visited online.
Edward Snowden’s documents showed how US agents had spied on communications between aides of Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff
The report also alleges that the NSA monitored the communications of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto before he was elected.
Glenn Greenwald said that a document dating from June 2012 showed that Enrique Pena Nieto’s emails were being read.
A spokesman for the Mexican foreign ministry told the Agence France Presse news agency that he had seen the report but had no comment.
The documents were provided to Glenn Greenwald by ex-US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, who was granted temporary asylum in Russia after leaking secret information to media in the US and Britain.
Glenn Greenwald was the first journalist to reveal the secret documents leaked by Edward Snowden on June 6. Since then, he has written a series of stories about surveillance by US and UK authorities.
The detention last month for nine hours at London’s Heathrow airport of Glenn Greenwald’s partner, David Miranda, caused widespread controversy in the UK and abroad.
Glenn Greenwald said the detention of his partner amounted to “bullying” and was “clearly intended to send a message of intimidation” to those working on the NSA revelations.
The British government said that it was right for the police to act if they believed that someone had “highly sensitive stolen information”.
Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been registered with new murder charges, officials say.
Pervez Musharraf, who is currently under house arrest, already faces murder charges over the deaths of Benazir Bhutto and a Baloch tribal leader.
He also faces charges over his attempt to sack Pakistan’s higher judiciary in 2007 and the government has said it will try him for treason.
Pervez Musharraf says that all the cases against him are politically motivated.
The latest charge relates to the death of radical cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, during the siege of Islamabad’s Red Mosque in 2007.
More than 100 people were killed when Pakistani troops stormed the mosque after a stand-off between troops and hardline Islamists barricaded inside failed.
Analysts say that the storming of the mosque angered hardliners and provoked Taliban militants to launch a bloody campaign of suicide bombings and other attacks on government and security forces.
Pervez Musharraf, who is currently under house arrest, already faces murder charges over the deaths of Benazir Bhutto and a Baloch tribal leader
“The High Court ordered Islamabad police to register murder charges against Musharraf on a petition filed by the son of Rashid Ghazi,” Tariq Asad, a lawyer who represented Abdul Rashid Ghazi, told AFP news agency.
Last month Pervez Musharraf was formally charged in connection with the 2007 assassination of opposition leader and former PM Benazir Bhutto.
It was the first time a current or ex-army chief has been charged with a crime in Pakistan.
Pervez Musharraf denied all the charges set out against him.
In addition:
Pervez Musharraf faces charges over the killing of Baloch tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, in a military operation in 2006
There is a case against Pervez Musharraf relating to his attempt to sack the entire higher judiciary in November 2007
The government has said it intends to try him for treason for suspending the constitution and imposing emergency rule in 2007.
Pervez Musharraf returned to Pakistan from self-imposed exile earlier this year and is currently under house arrest.
He came to power in 1999 when he ousted PM Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup. He ruled the country for nine years before being voted out and then he left Pakistan to live in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London.
Upon his return Pervez Musharraf hoped that he could lead his party into elections, but was disqualified from standing and found himself fighting an array of charges relating to his time in power.
Egypt’s state prosecutor announces he has referred ousted President Mohamed Morsi for trial on charges of inciting the murder of protesters.
The accusations relate to violence outside the presidential palace in Cairo last December when at least seven people were killed in clashes.
Fourteen other members of the Muslim Brotherhood are to stand trial on the same charges.
Mohamed Morsi has been held at a secret location since he was deposed in July.
He faces a number of charges but this case is his first referral for trial.
Since he was ousted from power, the military-backed interim government has cracked down on Brotherhood supporters, who are demanding Mohamed Morsi’s reinstatement.
Last month, hundreds of protesters died when security forces stormed pro-Morsi camps in the capital.
Egypt’s state prosecutor announces he has referred ousted President Mohamed Morsi for trial on charges of inciting the murder of protesters
The state prosecutor referred the former president for trial late on Sunday, Egypt’s state media reported.
They said he would go on trial on charges of “incitement to murder and violence” in December 2012.
The date for the trial is yet to be announced.
The case relates to clashes outside the presidential palace in early December 2012.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators had rallied outside the building on the night of 4 December and the following day in protest at what they described as Mohamed Morsi’s illegal decrees giving him sweeping powers and also his drive to change the country’s constitution.
On Sunday, state media said an investigation revealed that Mohamed Morsi had asked the Republican Guard and the minister in charge of police to break up the protesters’ sit-in, but they had refused to obey the order.
Mohamed Morsi’s aides are then alleged to have called their supporters to deal with the demonstrators.
At least seven people died in the clashes and hundreds more were injured.
Mohamed Morsi’s supporters say they were defending the palace after being attacked by opposition activists.
Among the other 14 suspects due to go on trial with the ousted president are leading figures in the Brotherhood’s political wing, Mohammed al-Beltagi and Essam El-Erian.
Mohamed Morsi has previously been accused of the “premeditated murder of some prisoners, officers and soldiers” when he and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were freed during a breakout at a Cairo prison in January 2011.
Mohamed Morsi is also alleged to have plotted attacks on jails in the uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak and of conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
According to an international team of scientists, the origins of human tuberculosis have been traced back to hunter-gatherer groups in Africa 70,000 years ago.
The research goes against common belief that TB originated in animals only 10,000 years ago and spread to humans.
The work, published in Nature Genetics, outlines the strong relationship between the evolutionary history of both humans and TB.
The disease causes more than one million deaths every year.
Previous research has indicated that human TB originated about 10,000 years ago in Africa during the Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT), when the human population was expanding and agriculture was becoming prominent.
Researchers combined geographic and genetic data from 259 strains of TB to reconstruct its evolutionary history and compare it to the origins of humans in Africa.
The origins of human tuberculosis have been traced back to hunter-gatherer groups in Africa 70,000 years ago
Prof. Sebastian Gagneux, from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, said: “We found that the most basal – the earliest – lineages of TB and humans originated in the same place, in Africa, 60,000 years earlier than what people previously thought.
“What we have done is provide a strong hypothesis to reinforce the idea that TB originally started in humans, and migrated to animals during NDT.”
The question the scientists are now trying to answer how TB managed to survive 60,000 years among small groups of people.
A striking feature of TB, which is not common in other diseases, is that people can be infected with it for years before showing any symptoms. The disease is able to reactivate itself after a certain time period.
This latency is what the researchers suggest kept TB alive during early years.
Prof. Sebastian Gagneux said: “If there are only a few people to infect, it makes no sense to kill them, as you would risk killing itself too. It’s an evolutionary dead-end.”
Once the human population started expanding during the NDT, TB became more active and was able to spread farther.
So, as the number of hosts increased during and after the NDT, so did TB’s drive for increased virulence.
“The next step in this research would be to use genetic information to understand this activation and deactivation mechanism of TB,” said Dr. Inaka Comas, lead author of the research.
TB remains a global threat, causing 1.4 million deaths in 2011, according to the World Health Organization. If scientists can understand how TB and humans co-developed, it may help find a way to reduce its prominence.
Pope Francis showed he is well in touch with what’s popular in society today by posing for a “selfie” with young Italian pilgrims in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
The head of 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide has already amassed more than three million followers on the social networking site Twitter, with his latest offering believed to be the first ever “papal selfie”.
Pope Francis posed for a selfie with young Italian pilgrims in St Peter’s Basilica
Around 500 teenagers had travelled from the Diocese of Piacenza and Bobbio for a pilgrimage, and shared a private audience with the pontiff.
Pope Francis was also presented a gift from his followers of a portrait of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.
He has made a concerted effort to understand and integrate with worldwide youth since he succeeded Pope Benedict XVI.
This was demonstrated when Pope Francis attended Brazil’s World Youth Day, with tens of thousands of people greeting him as he urged young Catholics to “make disciples of all nations”.
Following his return to Vatican City from Brazil, Pope Francis Tweeted: “What an unforgettable week in Rio! Thank you, everyone. Pray for me. #Rio2013 #JMJ.”
The Pope has already charmed the masses with his informal style, simplicity and sense of humor.
Pope Francis has also being known to ring people up who have written to him asking for prayers or told him of personal tragedy.
Pope Francis has once again shown his willingness to break with tradition by bowing to Muslim royal Queen Rania of Jordan.
As leader of the world’s 1.2billion-strong Catholic community, protocol usually dictates that visitors bow to the Pope when they meet him at the Vatican.
Pope Francis has once again shown his willingness to break with tradition by bowing to Muslim royal Queen Rania of Jordan
But when Queen Rania came to the Holy See with her husband King Abdullah II on Thursday, he inverted that formality by lowering his head to her.
Pope Francis made no discernible bow toward her husband, the king. The Jordanian royals were leaving following a private audience with the pope in his library.
“Francis behaves as he did before he became pope and is not interested in protocol,” a senior Vatican official told the Daily Telegraph.
Up until the 19th century, those meeting the pope stoop to kiss his slippers and, to this day, the tradition remains that all visitors, including women, bow to him, the official said.
Pope Francis has called on all people of faith, regardless of religious sect or affiliations, to observe Saturday, September 7, as a global day of prayer and fasting for Syria.
The pontiff condemned the use of chemical weapons as a means to settle any domestic or international conflict.
On September 7, staring 7 PM until midnight at St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis asked each and every religious person and those against war to join him “gather together in prayer, in a spirit of penitence, to ask from God this great gift [of peace] for the beloved Syrian nation and for all the situations of conflict and violence in the world.”
“Never again war!” Pope Francis said.
The pontiff referred to the Second World War of 1939 to 1945 of which he was able to personally witness the destruction, loss of lives as well as after effects as rehabilitation and rebuilding started to take place.
Pope Francis has called on all people of faith, regardless of religious sect or affiliations, to observe September 7, as a global day of prayer and fasting for Syria
Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936.
“War brings on war! Violence brings on violence,” he said.
“We want a peaceful world.
“We want to be men and women of peace.”
Pope Francis continued to urge both sides that any conflict will not be ended with another conflict. Instead, “listen to the voice of their conscience and with courage take up the way of negotiations”.
“Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace!” he said.
“All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace.
“I forcefully condemn the use of chemical weapons.
“I tell you I have impressed in my mind and heart the images of what happened in the last days.
“There is the judgment of God, and also the judgment of history, upon our actions from which there is no escaping.”
Fox and Friends co-host Tucker Carlson said he was lost in good thoughts when caught snoozing on live television.
“He’s really asleep,” co-presenter Mike Jerrick said, as Tucker Carlson was filmed nodding off.
“I don’t think we’re being good co-hosts right now,” co-presenter Alyson Camerota said.
Fox and Friends co-host Tucker Carlson was caught snoozing on live TV
When Tucker Carlson awoke from his slumber he begged: “I know we’re not on television… Are we honestly live?”
He did what many would do – took a sip of coffee and said he’d “roll with it,” seeking further assurance that he’s daydream had turned nightmare.
Tucker Carlson’s excuse was he’d been up late the night before as a replacement on the Sean Hannity Show.
Laughter rang around the studio and Mike Jerrick said there was “no need to be embarrassed”.
Maybe not, but it’s no wonder former CNN anchor Tucker Carlson’s own show on MSNBC, Tucker, was axed for low ratings, but he’s found the perfect gig as a regular late-night panelist on the aptly-named Fox News show, Red Eye.
Former US President George H.W. Bush prematurely announced Nelson Mandela’s death on Sunday morning.
The mix-up happened when George H.W. Bush’s spokesman Jim McGrath misread a Washington Post news flash.
“The 41 stmnt sent this morning was the result of my mis-reading the header on the WaPo news flash. Stupid mistake by me. Apologies to all,” Jim McGrath tweeted Sunday morning.
The original statement read: “Barbara and I mourn the passing of one of the greatest believers in freedom we have had the privilege to know. As President, I watched in wonder as Nelson Mandela had the remarkable capacity to forgive his jailers following 26 years of wrongful imprisonment – setting a powerful example of redemption and grace for us all. He was a man of tremendous moral courage, who changed the course of history in his country. Barbara and I had great respect for President Mandela, and send our condolences to his family and countrymen.”
The South African presidency corrected the statement, saying former President Nelson Mandela is still alive.
Former President George H.W. Bush announced Nelson Mandela’s death after his spokesman misread news flash
“It is clearly incorrect. We see it as an error on his side” and aren’t going to “make a big deal about it” presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said.
Nelson Mandela was discharged from the hospital Sunday after initially being admitted in June for a lung infection. He is still in critical condition.
South Africa’s first black president was taken by ambulance to his home in Johannesburg which has been set up to provide intensive care.
In a statement, the South African government said: “Madiba’s condition remains critical and is at times unstable.
“Nevertheless, his team of doctors are convinced that he will receive the same level of intensive care at his Houghton home that he received in Pretoria.”
George H.W. Bush, 89, is also dealing with health problems of his own.
He was unable to attend the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial last Wednesday because his old age has confined him to a wheelchair.
Jim McGrath told the LA Times that he is “unable to participate in events like this anymore due to his mobility situation”.
As reports emerged that Khloe Kardashian has given Lamar Odom an ultimatum to seek help for drug addiction or move out of their home – the reality star has broken her silence on Twitter with a cryptic message.
Appearing to neither confirm nor deny the reports, Khloe Kardashian simply wrote: “As much as I wish I were made of steel… I’m not.”
Khloe Kardashian has given Lamar Odom an ultimatum to seek help for drug addiction or move out of their home
Showing that she’s still got a fighting spirit however, Khloe Kardashian then added: “I’m pretty damn close to it though hehe.”
TMZreported earlier that Khloe Kardashian asked Lamar Odom to leave after spending around four hours together on Saturday night.
The website claims that Khloe Kardashian – who has asked Odom to leave their family home in the past – was angered after learning about his DUI arrest from the news, rather than hearing it first from her husband.
Khloe Kardashian, 29, reportedly wants Lamar Odom, 33, to agree to a stint of rehab before he can return to their home.
Backstreet Boys will open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon tonight at 9/8c, on ABC television stations across the country.
The multiplatinum group of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell will perform their newest single In A World Like This from their eighth studio album and nationwide tour of the same name.
In addition to their new song, the group will treat the viewing audience to a BSB classic when they launch into one of the most popular hits of their 20-year career, I Want It That Way.
Backstreet Boys will open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon
“Performing at an event like the MDA telethon has a much deeper meaning to us now that we all have families or children of our own,” said Brian Littrell.
“When I met the families at the show, I made sure to tell them that their children are an inspiration to all of us, and I encouraged them to be strong, and to continue to hold their loved ones close and fight together. We hear that research for many of these diseases is moving at an incredible pace, so we all agree that we’ll continue to do our part to help MDA keep moving forward in its search for treatments and cures.”
In addition to the Backstreet Boys performance, the 2013 telethon will feature a star-studded celebrity lineup, including: Ryan Seacrest; Paula Abdul; country stars Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack; Enrique Iglesias; teenage pop sensation Austin Mahone; “Glee” star Matthew Morrison; hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez; American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez; Kenny Loggins with the Blue Sky Riders; American blues rock band Vintage Trouble; and Universal recording artist and star from The Voice Chris Mann.
Additional presenters for the 2013 show include: ABC’s Dr. Richard Besser; Dancing with the Stars contestant and Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson; Emmy award-winning journalist Jann Carl; Olympic gold medal gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner; and No Doubt drummer Adrian Young and his son Mason Young.
Si Robertson’s character is one of the reasons Duck Dynasty has become such a phenomenal hit. Uncle Si’s love of long nonsensical tales has viewers enraptured and much of these he imparts on Twitter.
Si Robertson has some 237,000 followers on the platform, all eager to hear his missives.
Si Robertson’s character is one of the reasons Duck Dynasty has become such a phenomenal hit
Here are five of Si Robertson’s funniest Tweets:
“A dog is just like a car, a mattress…Or a tree you gotta test them out.”
“Some people say I’m a dreamer, others say, <<If you fall asleep at work again we’re going to have to let you go>>.”
“I live by my own rules (reviewed, revised and approved by my wife)…but still my own”
“With these corrective lenses, I can see so good; I can see into the future. Hey, I see Willie getting fatter.”
Princess Charlene of Monaco, also known as ex-Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock, who retired in 2007, got back in the water for a charity swim today.
Princess Charlene of Monaco, 35, was seen swimming with children in Saint Geours de Maremne in southwestern France.
The Monégasque princess wore her blonde highlighted hair scraped back as she paddled through the pool and taught the group of enthusiastic children how to swim during the Live to Swim Day.
Princess Charlene proved the best possible coach at the event organized by the club Inshore Rescue Capbreton.
The event’s aim was to raise awareness of water safety and saw 150 children participate.
Princess Charlene of Monaco was seen swimming with children in Saint Geours de Maremne in southwestern France
Her own charity, The Princess Charlene Foundation, aims to help women and children on five of the world’s seven continents. One of the focus points is also reinforcing the awareness of water safe
“Some of my present and future projects for my foundation are underlining the importance and reinforcing the awareness of water safety,” writes Princess Charlene on her foundation’s website.
“We are all aware of horrible stories about small children drowning because they could not swim.
“Teaching them how to swim could save their lives, and the importance and awareness will help them to feel more comfortable and confident in all aquatic areas as well.”
Charlene Wittstock represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with her team finishing fifth in the Women’s 4×100 m Medley. She retired from competitive swimming in 2007.
Her commitment to the sport, though, seems unwavering.
Ensuring Charlene Wittstock’s home-town of Durban, South Africa, becomes the premier city for swimming in the country, the princess is reportedly set to donate a “large amount” to the its swimming future.
This could make it the top sport in the city, ahead even of rugby and football.
Last month Princess Charlene’s husband Prince Albert, 55, showed off his sporting abilities as he played volleyball on a beach.
The princess finally put rumors to bed over the ‘turbulent’ start to her marriage last month in a rare interview.
She said the tears streaming down her cheeks at her wedding to Albert in 2011 were not the result of a series of rows over his womanizing ways, but in fact tears of happiness.
Princess Charlene described this speculation, as well as rumors she attempted to escape in the days leading up to her wedding, as “categorical lies”.
New reports claim that Khloe Kardashian has given Lamar Odom an ultimatum to seek help or move out of their home.
According toTMZ,Khloe Kardashian asked Lamar Odom to leave after spending around four hours together on Saturday night.
Khloe Kardashian has given Lamar Odom an ultimatum to seek help or move out of their home
The website claims that Khloe Kardashian – who has asked Lamar Odom to leave their family home in the past – was angered after learning about his DUI arrest from the news, rather than hearing it first from her husband.
Khloe Kardashian, 29, reportedly wants Lamar Odom, 33, to agree to a stint of rehab before he can return to their home.
A source told TMZ: “They’re still at an impasse and the prospects of saving their marriage are <<grim>>.”
It was revealed on Friday that a week before Lamar Odom was arrested on suspicion of DUI he was involved in a three-car collision on the exact same freeway.
The crash was not reported to authorities, however a journalist for the Los Angeles Times has claimed that his car was rear-ended by another vehicle hit by Lamar Odom’s white Mercedes on Saturday.
Secretary of State John Kerry says the US has evidence that the chemical nerve agent sarin was used in a deadly attack in Damascus last month.
John Kerry said samples from hair and blood gathered after the attack “tested positive for signatures of sarin”.
The US blames the Syrian government for the August 21 attack.
President Barack Obama has vowed punitive action but wants Congress to vote on it first.
Syria dismissed the delay and said it was ready for any strike.
UN experts have been in Syria gathering evidence to determine whether chemical weapons attacks have taken place on various occasions. They have now arrived in the Netherlands with samples for analysis.
The biggest and deadliest apparent attack took place on August 21 in east Damascus. The US says more than 1,400 people were killed.
Washington said only the Damascus government has the capacity to launch such an attack.
Syria has denied it was responsible and blames the rebels.
John Kerry says the US has evidence that the chemical nerve agent sarin was used in a deadly attack in Damascus last month
John Kerry implied that the US evidence was supplied by its own sources, rather than via the UN inspectors.
“In the last 24 hours, we have learned through samples that were provided to the United States that have now been tested from first responders in east Damascus and hair samples and blood samples have tested positive for signatures of Sarin,” Kerry said on NBC’s Meet The Press.
“So this case is building and this case will build.”
The US has previously said it had similar evidence of sarin use in other attacks.
John Kerry also said he was confident that Congress would give its approval for the US to launch strikes against Syria after it reconvenes on September 9.
Congressmen “will do what is right because they understand the stakes”, he said, declining to explain whether Barack Obama would press ahead even if Congress voted against.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said Barack Obama’s decision to delay the strikes pending a vote in Congress was just “a political and media manoeuvre”.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remained defiant on Sunday, saying: “Syria… is capable of facing up to any external aggression just as it faces up to internal aggression every day, in the form of terrorist groups and those that support them.”
The Syrian government has been fighting rebel forces since March 2011.
More than 100,000 people are estimated to have died in the conflict, and at least 1.7 million have become refugees.
Syria is known to have extensive supplies of chemical weapons.
Barack Obama has often said that using them would cross a “red line”, prompting US intervention.
On Saturday, Barack Obama said any action would be limited, ruling out a ground invasion.
Congress is due to reconvene on September 9, meaning any military operation would not happen until then.
The opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said President Barack Obama’s decision to delay any strikes in Syria was a “failure in leadership” and could “embolden” the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.
Arab League foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo on Sunday, with Saudi Arabia urging them to back calls for strikes against Syria.
The UK has ruled out taking part in any attack, after PM David Cameron failed to win the support of parliament last week.
That leaves France as the only other major power that has said it could strike against Syria – though it says it will not act on its own before the vote in the US Congress.
David Frost has died at the age of 74 after a suspected heart attack while on board Queen Elizabeth cruise ship.
The family of the British veteran broadcaster issued a statement saying Sir David Frost had been giving a speech aboard the Queen Elizabeth on Saturday night.
David Frost’s career spanned journalism, comedy writing and daytime television presenting, including The Frost Report.
Internationally, David Frost will be remembered for his revealing interviews with former US President Richard Nixon.
A statement said: “His family are devastated and ask for privacy at this difficult time. A family funeral will be held in the near future and details of a memorial service will be announced in due course.”
Born in Kent, Sir David Frost studied at Cambridge University where he became secretary of the Footlights club, and met future comedy greats such as Peter Cook, Graham Chapman and John Bird.
After university he went to work at ITV before he was asked to front the BBC programme That Was The Week That Was, which ran between 1962 and 1963.
Casting a satirical eye over the week’s news, the show boasted scriptwriters including John Cleese, John Betjeman and Dennis Potter.
David Frost has died at the age of 74 after a suspected heart attack while on board Queen Elizabeth cruise ship.
The Frost Report brought together John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett in a sketch show which would influence many comedy writers including the Monty Python crew.
David Frost’s often-mimicked catchphrase “hello, good evening and welcome” was by now in full use.
One of The Frost Report‘s most enduring pieces was the “class sketch”, featuring John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.
The Frost Programme for ITV followed, which saw David Frost move away from comedy into in-depth interviews with political figures, royalty and celebrities.
It was on this programme that he had a terse interview with then PM Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Argentine cruiser Belgrano during the Falklands conflict.
At the same time, David Frost began work on The David Frost Show in the US.
He later conducted a series of interviews with Richard Nixon, who had resigned the presidency two years earlier, in which the former president came close to apologizing to the public for his role in the Watergate scandal.
Their exchanges were eventually made into the film Frost/Nixon – based on a play – which saw Michael Sheen portray David Frost to Frank Langella’s Richard Nixon.
David Frost himself appeared at the premiere of the film in 2008.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela has left a Pretoria hospital and has gone to his Johannesburg home, where he is continuing to receive intensive care, the presidency says on its website.
The announcement came a day after officials denied reports that Nelson Mandela, 95, had already been discharged.
The presidency’s statement says Nelson Mandela’s condition remains critical and at times unstable.
South Africa’s first democratically elected president has been in hospital since June with a lung infection.
Nelson Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is revered around the world for leading the fight against white minority rule and preaching reconciliation with the white community despite being imprisoned for 27 years.
“His team of doctors are convinced that he will receive the same level of intensive care at his Houghton home that he received in Pretoria [hospital],” the statement from President Jacob Zuma’s says.
It adds that Nelson Mandela’s home in the suburb of Houghton has been “reconfigured to allow him to receive intensive care there” and he will be treated by the same health care personnel who have been looking after him since June 8.
Nelson Mandela has left a Pretoria hospital and has gone to his Johannesburg home
If necessary, he will be readmitted to hospital, the presidency says.
Despite his various illnesses, the statement from Jacob Zuma’s office notes, the former president had displayed “immense grace and fortitude”.
The South African government has released few details about his condition, appealing for Nelson Mandela’s privacy and dignity to be respected.
Correspondents say this is not the discharge of a man who has made a significant recovery but the transfer of a patient from an intensive care ward in a hospital to a specially built intensive care unit in his own home, presumably in line with his family’s wishes.
“It is a day of celebration for us, that he is finally back home with us,” said his grandson Mandla Mandela.
On Saturday, sources close to Nelson Mandela told the international media that he had already returned home.
This was denied by South Africa’s presidency, which handles all communications about the former leader’s health.
Nelson Mandela’s lung condition is said to result from the tuberculosis he contracted during the 27 years he spent in prison for taking up arms against white minority rule.
He is been hospitalized four times in the past year and his latest stay lasted 84 days.
He became president after 1994 elections – the first time black South Africans were allowed to vote – and stepped down five years later.
Nelson Mandela’s last public appearance was at the 2010 football World Cup, which South Africa hosted.
Saturday night’s launch of The X Factor 2013 in the UK certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to unearthing a wealth of incredible new talent.
One of the most emotional performances of the night came from 17-year-old student Hannah Barrett, who broke down in tears as she spoke to judges Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.
Hannah Barrett said: “I wanna be the UK’s sweetheart. I like the A-levels I’m doing at school, it’s OK. I work in Gregg’s part-time, but my dream has always been to be a singer.
“My dad passed away a couple of years ago and my dad was my inspiration from a young age with music. My mum is supportive of me but we have a tough relationship.
Hannah Barrett broke down in tears as she spoke to X Factor judges
“Me and my mum don’t really get along, eventually I was kicked out and so basically I live in accommodation for young teenagers. I’m happy being there but it’s not home.”
After moving Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger to tears with her touching rendition of Read All About It, Sharon hugged her warmly, telling her: “I want you to do something for me. I want you to work on your performance.
“It’s tough competition and we want you to get through to the next round. You moved me, I love you. Your dad would be proud of you, you’ve got old school soul.”
Nicole Scherzinger added: “I’m speechless, you’re gorgeous when you sing. I’m blown away by you. Honey, I believe you. You are going all the way. This is just the beginning for you.”
Gary Barlow gushed: “It’s one thing to sing a song but it’s another to tell a story through your performance. I felt the pain within you and it really touched me.”
Also impressing were Alejandro Fernandez, 17, and Tom Mann, 19, a part-time football coach for kids.
