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MDA Telethon 2013: Bryson Foster makes second national TV appearance as show announcer

Kathryn R. Bown
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MDA Telethon 2013: Bryson Foster makes second national TV appearance as show announcer

Bryson Foster of Concord, North Carolina, is set to open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon this Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 1, 9/8c, on ABC television stations across the country.

Bryson Foster, 13, will make his second consecutive network television appearance as the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s National Goodwill Ambassador during the two-hour broadcast of the telethon that will air on WSOC, ABC Channel 9, for residents in the Charlotte area.

He will introduce some of the show’s biggest acts, including Grammy Award-winning pop sensation Backstreet Boys and teen pop star Austin Mahone. Bryson Foster makes several additional appearances throughout the show alongside co-announcer Shawn Parr doing segment introductions and national partner recognitions.

“Bryson’s positive attitude and quick-witted personality immediately capture the attention of everyone he meets, and we are honored that he will be a part of the broadcast again this year,” said MDA President and CEO Steven M. Derks. “Bryson’s enthusiasm is contagious, and he understands the importance of his role as National Goodwill Ambassador in spreading MDA’s mission of help and hope to the American public. We’re very lucky to have a shining star like him to represent the individuals and families we serve.”

Bryson Foster is MDA’s 2013 National Goodwill Ambassador, and as part of his role, he travels throughout the country (along with parents, Claire and Phil) speaking to groups about MDA’s research and lifesaving mission. Bryson is affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a disease characterized by muscle weakness in the hips, legs and shoulders. It involves progressive degeneration of voluntary and cardiac muscles; weakened cardiac and respiratory muscles severely limit life span.

Bryson Foster is set to open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon this Labor Day weekend
Bryson Foster is set to open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon this Labor Day weekend

Since becoming MDA’s Goodwill Ambassador in 2012, Bryson Foster has traveled all over the country as the face and voice of MDA. When he’s not busy on MDA’s behalf, Bryson is enthusiastic about his seventh-grade classes, and enjoys playing with his friends and singing karaoke. Bryson Foster is a self-proclaimed sports fanatic, and his ultimate dream is to become a quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, a head coach or sports announcer – in that order.

The 2013 telethon will feature a star-studded celebrity lineup, including: Ryan Seacrest; Backstreet Boys; country stars Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack; Glee star Matthew Morrison; Enrique Iglesias; Paula Abdul; teenage pop sensation Austin Mahone; 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.

As in the past, the entertainment event will raise funds and awareness to support MDA’s mission to help children and adults affected by progressive and often fatal muscle diseases.

While the telethon has consistently enjoyed robust support from some of the biggest celebrities in show business, the real stars on the telethon are the individuals and families served by MDA, including six families who will share their stories of survival and hope during the 2013 broadcast.

The MDA telethon is one of America’s longest-standing and beloved fundraising and entertainment events. For 48 years, funds raised by MDA telethons also have contributed to the organization’s worldwide research program. Today, through current clinical trials, there is growing excitement that new lifesaving treatments and discoveries are on the horizon for many of the disorders MDA is dedicated to defeating, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

MDA’s first Labor Day weekend telethon was broadcast in 1966 on a single New York station and has become the most successful fundraising event in the history of television. The show, with Jerry Lewis as its iconic host through 2010, and with help from a legion of top celebrities and entertainers, has raised millions each year to provide life-enhancing support and services for the families MDA serves.

Visit mda.org/muscle to learn more about the 2013 MDA telethon.

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MDA Telethon 2013 airs on ABC on September 1st

Kathryn R. Bown
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MDA Telethon 2013 airs on ABC on September 1st

The MDA Telethon is must-see TV watching during the Labor Day weekend, an end-of-summer tradition in the U.S. since it first began in New York City in 1954.

For many years, a Labor Day weekend tradition featured the much-loved actor and comedian Jerry Lewis rallying public support in the battle to combat muscular dystrophy, a crippling disease which currently has no known cure.

Then, in a major announcement in 2011 it was revealed that after more than four decades the 85-year-old Jerry Lewis would be stepping down as the major host for the show. The epic 20-hour “all night” money raiser was also cut back to 6 hours, and then in 2012 to only a 2-hour broadcast featuring both taped and live performances.

As Jerry Lewis himself would say, “the show must go on” with 2013 marking the 48th annual Labor Day telethon.

In 2013, a bevy of star appearances and celebrity presenters will be lending their time and talents to the MDA Labor Day Telethon
In 2013, a bevy of star appearances and celebrity presenters will be lending their time and talents to the MDA Labor Day Telethon

This year, 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.

The historic contract with the ABC television network means that the MDA telethon will for the first time air on a single network in its entirety nationwide.

In 2013, watch for the MDA Telethon to air on ABC from 9 – 11 PM on Sunday, September 1, 2013.

In 2013, a bevy of star appearances and celebrity presenters will be lending their time and talents to the MDA Labor Day Telethon.

They include 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.

Nationwide, the telethon usually creates an outpouring of support from a big-hearted American public who in 2012 helped raise more than $58 million in pledges & contributions for both service and research programs of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

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Protein RbAp48 levels clue to old-age memory loss

Kathryn R. Bown
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Protein RbAp48 levels clue to old-age memory loss

US researchers have found a clue to why memory deteriorates with age.

Experiments on mice suggested low levels of protein RbAp48 in the brain may be responsible for memory loss.

It is hoped the discovery could lead to treatments to reverse forgetfulness, but it is a big leap from the mouse to a human brain.

The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, said age-related memory loss was a separate condition to Alzheimer’s disease.

Experiments on mice suggested low levels of protein RbAp48 in the brain may be responsible for memory loss
Experiments on mice suggested low levels of protein RbAp48 in the brain may be responsible for memory loss

The team at Columbia University Medical Centre started by analyzing the brains of eight dead people, aged between 22 and 88, who had donated their organ for medical research.

They found 17 genes whose activity level differed with age. One contained instructions for making a protein called RbAp48, which became less active with time.

Young mice genetically engineered to have low RbAp48 levels performed as poorly as much older mice in memory tests.

Using a virus to boost RbAp48 in older mice appeared to reverse the decline and boosted their memory.

One of the researchers, Prof. Eric Kandel, said: “The fact that we were able to reverse age-related memory loss in mice is very encouraging.

“At the very least, it shows that this protein is a major factor, and it speaks to the fact that age-related memory loss is due to a functional change in neurons of some sort. Unlike with Alzheimer’s, there is no significant loss of neurons.”

It is still not know what impacted adjusting levels of RbAp48 in the far more complex human brain or even it if is possible to manipulate levels safely.

Lady Gaga’s new track Swine sneak peek

Lisa.Felice
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Lady Gaga’s new track Swine sneak peek

After the release of Applause, the first single from her upcoming album Artpop, Lady Gaga gave fans a sneak peek of new track Swine.

In a new video tweeted by Lady Gaga, she offered a sneak preview of snippets of brand-new track Swine.

Lady Gaga shows off her multi-tasking ability in the clip as she sings, plays the piano and slams on some electronic drums.

The video also shows off some lyrics from her song: “I know, I know, I know / I know you want me / You’re just a pig in a human’s body.”

And the energy climbs as Lady Gaga hits the next ham-fisted line – “Squealer, squealer, squeal OUT! / You’re so disgusting / You’re just a pig inside… SWINE!”

The song soon transitions into a hard rock breakdown reminiscent of a Trent Reznor B-side, and Lady Gaga looks possessed as she smashes a cymbal to the beat.

Lady Gaga gave fans a sneak peek of new track Swine
Lady Gaga gave fans a sneak peek of new track Swine

In any case, Lady Gaga seems thoroughly proud of her song, even dubbing her performance SwineFest and giving her fans a cheeky dress code.

“I will be providing a list of acceptable attire for #SwineFest throughout the week,” Lady Gaga tweeted on Wednesday.

That list apparently includes seashells, seahorses, starfish and “Botticelli-Punk accessories”, which would optimally be secured on “paint colored dreadlocks”.

She seems to love referencing the Early Renaissance painter Botticelli, even tweeting an image of his seminal painting The Birth Of Venus.

Which is fine, except the image comes with a cringe-worthy tweet: “#SomeOfUsJustLikeToRead Botticelli Punk, Seashell Girl ArtFunk!”

Lady Gaga’s new obsession apparently focuses on all things sea-related, and she even posted an animated GIF of Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

But other suggested fashion pieces for her upcoming show strayed from the nautical theme.

Lady Gaga will perform a headlining gig on Sunday at the iTunes Festival, a month-long music fest held in London, England.

“Acceptable attire for #SwineFest CONTINUED: 5: BEDAZZLED PIG NOSE 6: BOWIE MAGICIAN GARB 7: TRASHBAG or ARTCLOTHES (THERE IS A PAINT ZONE),” she wrote.

ARTCLOTHES, Lady Gaga clarified in another tweet, are “clothes you don’t mind getting covered in live art!”.

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Shellie Zimmerman reveals her marriage to George Zimmerman is on verge of ending

Nancy Clayson
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Shellie Zimmerman reveals her marriage to George Zimmerman is on verge of ending

George Zimmerman’s wife Shellie says their marriage is on the verge of ending and that she is going to have to “think about” whether she will stay with him, as it is revealed he “beat down” her self-esteem.

Shellie Zimmerman, 26, stood by her husband throughout his lengthy murder trial and even admitted to lying to a judge about the couple’s finances – a decision that led to her arrest. On Wednesday, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and community service.

She also revealed that the couple hid out in a 20-foot trailer in the woods and lived in fear every night that one of the thousands of people who had threatened George Zimmerman’s life would find them and kill them.

Shellie Zimmerman refused to say whether she and George are still together – but that doesn’t change her opinion on whether he murdered Trayvon Martin. She said she always believed he killed the unarmed teen in self-defense.

Investigative journalist Christi O’Connor spoke with Shellie Zimmerman in her first public interview since her husband’s acquittal on July 14. The interview aired this morning on Good Morning America.

“I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve laid awake at night just thinking I wish to God these circumstances were different,” she said.

Christi O’Connor told ABC News that George Zimmerman has “beaten down” his wife’s self-image.

“When I asked her why she was doing this, Shellie said, <<I want to start my life back>>,” Christi O’Connor said.

“George Zimmerman has beaten down her self-esteem. She has a moment in the spotlight. She wants everyone to know that she changed her life.”

George Zimmerman’s wife Shellie says their marriage is on the verge of ending
George Zimmerman’s wife Shellie says their marriage is on the verge of ending

When asked whether she was still together with her husband, she refused to answer.

Later, she said wanted to have children. When the interviewer asked her: “With George?” she responded: “That’s something I’m going to have to think about.”

Shellie Zimmerman stood by her husband throughout lengthy criminal that sent them both into hiding when George became a symbol of racial tension. She appeared at every court hearing for him.

And even now, she stands by his actions that night, when the neighborhood watch volunteer confronted a teenager he thought looked suspicious who was walking through his neighborhood.

When asked if she thought George Zimmerman had targeted Trayvon Martin and murdered him in cold blood, she he’s “not capable” that kind of behavior.

“That’s not his way,” she said.

Despite her presence at his court hearings, he was not in court Wednesday when she admitted to perjury when she lied about how much money the couple had raised on a website established for George Zimmerman’s legal defense.

“By lying under oath, I let my God down, I let your Honor and the court down, I let my family and friends down, and, most of all, I let myself down,” she wrote in an apology letter.

Shellie Zimmerman received 100 hours of community service and a year of probation. She said she plans to do the community service at a Christian ministry.

When asked if she wished her husband had been in court with her, she responded: “I always want my husband’s support.”

Tens of thousands protested when he not arrested Trayvon Martin’s death in February 2012.

Hundreds of other people issued death threats against George and Shellie Zimmerman and their families.

The couple were forced to flee their home in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, and go into hiding.

“We have been pretty much Gypsies for they past year and half,” she said.

“We lived in a 20-foot trailer in the woods, scared every night that someone would find us and it would be horrific.”

She also revealed that the couple’s marital problem did not come as a result of her husband’s killing of Trayvon Martin, nor even from the hiding out. They began even before George Zimmerman became a household name.

Shellie Zimmerman revealed that the night George shot Trayvon Martin, she was staying at after her father’s house because she and her husband had had a fight.

She also expressed sadness for Trayvon Martin’s parents, who have been vocal in demanding George Zimmerman be sent to prison.

“I’m so deeply sorry for the loss. I can’t even begin to understand the grief that a parent experiences when they lose a child,” Shellie Zimmerman said.

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Bread beds: Felissimo launches croissant duvet, toast pillow and doughnut bun in Japan

Kathryn R. Bown
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Bread beds: Felissimo launches croissant duvet, toast pillow and doughnut bun in Japan

A new range of “bread beds” is taking Japan by storm.

The latest offering from Japan, which have a predilection for wacky home furnishings, is a quirky collection of bedding inspired by baked goods.

So you can lay your weary head on a square toast pillow, tuck yourself into a croissant sleeping bag, snuggle up inside a doughnut and even wrap yourself in an omelet.

The good-enough-to-eat range of soft furnishings is being sold by Felissimo, and each piece is priced at ¥16,800 ($173).

Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku translated some of the names of the items in the range from Japanese to English.

The sleeping bag that looks like a creme horn or croissant roughly means “flop down in a chocolate nap”.

Croissant duvet, toast pillow and doughnut bun by Felissimo
Croissant duvet, toast pillow and doughnut bun by Felissimo

The original Japanese name merges the words Korone (コロネ), this dessert’s name in Japanese, and the word Gorone (ごろ寝), which means “napping”, reported Kotaku.

The toast set’s name is translated to “thick slices of Japanese cushion bread”.

It comes “served” with a red blanket that is meant to look like jam. The bread and jam set also work as a makeshift bed.

A thick, round, “glazed” sleeping bag is sliced in the middle to resemble a doughnut, and allows the owner to tuck in as its “cream”. The name is, roughly, “cream pocket bread”.

A circular beige sleeping bag which comes with a green blanket is dubbed the “goodnight dessert omelet”.

It rolls around you and fastens, or rolls out flat and circular. The blanket resembles the “green tea cream” accompaniment.

Many users in Japan say they are desperate to get hold of their own sweet-looking bread bed to lounge around in.

Syria intervention: Barack Obama has not yet decided on strike

Roy Siemens
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Syria intervention: Barack Obama has not yet decided on strike

President Barack Obama has said he has not yet decided on Syria strike.

However, the president said he had concluded Syrian government forces were behind a recent chemical weapons attack near Damascus.

Speaking on US television, Barack Obama said the use of chemical weapons affected US national interests and that sending a “shot across the bows” could have a positive impact on Syria’s war.

His comments follow a day of behind-the-scenes wrangling at the UN.

Meanwhile the UK had been pushing for permanent members of the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution which would have authorized measures to protect civilians in Syria.

But Syrian ally Russia refused to agree to the resolution and the meeting produced no end to the diplomatic stalemate which has long characterized the UN position on Syria.

The US State Department criticized “Russian intransigence” and said it could not allow diplomatic paralysis to serve as a shield for the Syrian leadership.

Russia is sending an anti-submarine ship and a missile cruiser to the eastern Mediterranean.

The ships are being sent to strengthen the navy’s presence in the area because of the “well-known situation” there, the Russian news agency Interfax has said.

But another news agency, RIA Novosti, quotes a senior naval command spokesman as saying that this is just a planned rotation, unconnected with Syria.

Critics have questioned what purpose a limited strike on Syria could serve, but Barack Obama told the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) it would send the government of Bashar al-Assad “a pretty strong signal that it better not [use chemical weapons] again”.

President Barack Obama has said he has not yet decided on Syria strike
President Barack Obama has said he has not yet decided on Syria strike

The US has yet to produce the intelligence it says shows Bashar al-Assad’s government is guilty of using chemical weapons, and UN weapons inspectors are still investigating inside Syria.

The team has just begun a third day of on-site investigations, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appealed for it to be “given time to do its job”. He said the inspectors would finish their investigations and be out of the area by Saturday morning.

Syria denies using chemical weapons and blames opposition fighters for the attack near Damascus on August 21, which reportedly killed hundreds of people.

It accused the West of “inventing” excuses to launch a strike.

In a sign of growing fears about an impending attack among Syrians, the Associated Press quoted Lebanese officials as saying at least 6,000 Syrians crossed into Lebanon in a 24-hour period through the main Masnaa crossing – compared to a normal daily tally of between 500 and 1,000 refugees.

In Damascus senior military commanders are reportedly staying away from buildings thought likely to be targeted.

President Barack Obama told PBS that the US had “not yet made a decision, but the international norm against the use of chemical weapons needs to be kept in place, and hardly anyone disputes that chemical weapons were used in a large scale in Syria against civilian populations”.

“We’ve looked at all the evidence, and we don’t believe the opposition possessed chemical weapons of that sort,” Barack Obama said.

He added he had concluded that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack.

“There need to be international consequences, so we are consulting with our allies,” he said.

There was “a prospect that chemical weapons could be directed at us – and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen”.

Opinion polls until now have shown very little interest among the US public in getting involved in the Syrian conflict.

In an open letter to the president, US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner demanded he explain “the intended effect of military strikes”, and how he would prevent the intervention escalating, if he wanted to win public and congressional backing for action.

More than 110 members of Congress have signed a letter formally requesting that Barack Obama seek congressional approval for any action in Syria.

US officials are expected to give senior members of Congress a classified briefing on the evidence that the Syrian government carried out the alleged chemical attack on Thursday.

The US has said it will not take action alone – but one of its primary allies, the UK, has agreed to wait until UN inspectors report back before taking a parliamentary vote on potential action.

Russia rejected a UK push to try to agree a resolution on Syria among permanent UN Security Council members on Wednesday, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying the UN could not consider any draft resolution or proposed action in Syria before the UN weapons inspectors reported back.

The use of force without a sanction of the UN Security Council would be a “crude violation” of international law and “lead to the long-term destabilisation of the situation in the country and the region”, Sergei Lavrov has said.

The UK, US and France are continuing their discussions following the meeting of the five permanent members.

More than 100,000 people are estimated to have died since the conflict erupted in Syria in March 2011, and the conflict has produced at least 1.7 million refugees.

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Kris Jenner’s show canceled after six-week trial?

Lisa.Felice
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Kris Jenner’s show canceled after six-week trial?

New reports claimed that Kris Jenner’s new FOX chat show Kris had been cancelled after its initial six-week trial run.

But the programme’s Twitter page has now responded to claims that Kris Jenner was canned and insist that no decision has been made just yet surrounding the future of her show.

A short message to fans was posted on Twitter, stating that current rumors surrounding Kris Jenner were “false”.

“Rumors flying are false but glad everyone is still buzzing about our 6 week summer run!!!!” a Tweet from the Kris Jenner Show’s official Twitter page read.

A source close to Kris Jenner also told Us Weekly that FOX actually “likes the show”.

“It’s way too early for that decision to have been made,” the insider said.

“And on top of that, FOX likes the show.”

It had been previously reported that the momager’s daytime series suffered such poor ratings that the network was adamant that “there is no chance” she will be picked up for a second season.

New reports claimed that Kris Jenner’s new FOX chat show Kris had been cancelled after its initial six-week trial run
New reports claimed that Kris Jenner’s new FOX chat show Kris had been cancelled after its initial six-week trial run

This after the talk show received a ratings boost from an appearance by Kanye West – where he revealed the first pictures of his daughter North.

A source allegedly told RadarOnline on Wednesday: “There is no chance the talk show is going to get a green light from FOX.

“The ratings were averaging an abysmal 0.8 and advertisers were less than enthusiastic about it.”

Adding: “Kris did get a ratings bump for her last show when Kanye West revealed the first baby pic of daughter, North West, with Kim, but that was a one time shot in the arm and it wouldn’t be indicative of what the ratings trend would be.”

It appeared that the 57-year-old reality star was hoping to ride the wave of her family’s fame to prop up her chat show’s ratings.

But apparently five days a week of the Kardashians may have been a bit of an overload.

The cancellation rumor comes as Queen Latifah and Bethenny Frankel try their hand this fall at hosting their own talk shows in the highly competitive field of daytime.

Just recently Jeff Probst and Ricki Lake saw both of their shows axed after just one season.

A source further explained to Radar: “It’s a very crowded market and Kris didn’t do anything to set herself apart from the field.

“Believe it or not, most of America doesn’t want to hear about the Kardashian’s for an hour everyday.”

It was also claimed that FOX would be replacing Kris Jenner with panel-format talk show title The Real, after it scored high in the key female demographics following its pilot run on July 15.

FOX is expected to make an official announcement surrounding the future of Kris Jenner in a few weeks, but it was also reported on Wednesday that they were delaying any bad news about the show out of respect to the troubles the Kardashian family is currently facing.

Khloe Kardashian is said to be in the midst of a marital crisis as her husband Lamar Odom is alleged to be in the grip of a serious addiction to drugs.

Lamar Odom had been holed up in a hotel after Khloe Kardashian reportedly “threw him out of the marital home”, following a failed intervention last week.

Despite no confirmation surrounding the future of the show, an insider at the network explained that a cancellation “will be announced in a low key fashion, probably on a Friday afternoon so it won’t generate a ton of negative press for Kris”.

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James Brown biopic to be directed by Tate Taylor

Sonia Pantiss
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James Brown biopic to be directed by Tate Taylor

James Brown’s life and music career is to be brought to the big screen in a biopic produced by Mick Jagger.

The biopic will be directed by Tate Taylor, known for his Oscar-winning adaptation of The Help in 2011.

James Brown will be played by Chadwick Boseman who portrayed the history-making baseball player Jackie Robinson in the upcoming film 42.

Tate Taylor said of ‘”the Godfather of Soul”: “Those are big shoes to fill.”

James Brown will be played by Chadwick Boseman in new biopic
James Brown will be played by Chadwick Boseman in new biopic

According to The Wrap, Chadwick Boseman will portray James Brown over a period of several decades, from his impoverished youth in Georgia to becoming one of the founding fathers of funk music and most important figures in 20th Century pop music.

James Brown biopic has been in development for years, with various actors and directors attached. The as-yet titled film is due to begin shooting in the US this year.

The Wrap reported Tate Taylor may reunite Viola Davis, Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and Nelsan Ellis – three of the stars of The Help – on the project.

Mick Jagger will also be portrayed in the film by an actor, along with his bandmate Keith Richards and Little Richard.

A relative newcomer to the Hollywood scene, 31-year-old Chadwick Boseman gained recognition in the US earlier this year for his role in 42 which told the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the 1940s.

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Vodafone and Verizon in talks over US stake sale

Clyde K. Valle
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Vodafone and Verizon in talks over US stake sale

Vodafone has confirmed it is in talks with Verizon Communications over the sale of its 45% stake in their joint venture, Verizon Wireless.

Reports earlier this year suggested that Verizon was looking to buy Vodafone’s stake in Verizon Wireless for about $100 billion.

However, there has also been speculation that the stake is worth more than this.

Shares in Vodafone jumped 8% following the company’s announcement.

Vodafone is in talks with Verizon Communications over the sale of its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless
Vodafone is in talks with Verizon Communications over the sale of its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless

Vodafone said in a statement: “Vodafone notes the recent press speculation and confirms that it is in discussions with Verizon Communications Inc. regarding the possible disposal of Vodafone’s US group whose principal asset is its 45% interest in Verizon Wireless.

“There is no certainty that an agreement will be reached.”

Verizon Wireless is the largest and most profitable phone operator in the US, with 100 million customers.

The deal would be one of the largest corporate transactions of all time if it goes through, and would provide a large cash injection for the UK telecoms company, but would leave Vodafone without a highly profitable non-European partnership.

Verizon has been looking to buy out Vodafone’s stake in Verizon Wireless for some years, however, price has been a consistent hurdle.

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Panama: North Korea ship to Cuba violated UN embargo

Roy Siemens
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Panama: North Korea ship to Cuba violated UN embargo

Panama announces an undeclared Cuban weapons cargo found on a North Korean ship is an “undoubted violation” of the UN’ arms embargo on Pyongyang.

A draft report by UN experts sent to Panama after the seizure of the ship in July confirmed a breach of sanctions, the ministry of public security said.

Two North Korean diplomats are in Panama to assist the ship’s 35 crew.

Cuba said it shipped the arms to North Korea for repair. It did not say why they were hidden under tonnes of sugar.

A source in the public security ministry said authorities had been given a first draft of the report compiled by UN sanctions panel experts, the AFP news agency reports.

The ship, the Chong Chon Gang, was seized on suspicion it was carrying drugs.

The vessel had been navigating the Panama Canal.

North Korean ship Chong Chon Gang was seized in Panama on suspicion it was carrying drugs
North Korean ship Chong Chon Gang was seized in Panama on suspicion it was carrying drugs

Officials found 25 containers of military hardware, including two Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter aircraft, air defense systems, missiles and command and control vehicles.

The statement from the Panamanian public security ministry was released after the North Korean diplomats – from the country’s mission in Havana – visited the crew members at a former military base.

They are being detained on suspicion of arms trafficking; an offence which carries a 12-year prison sentence.

The UN inspectors completed their work two weeks ago but are yet to present their official findings publicly.

The Chong Chon Gang left Russia’s far east on April 12 and travelled across the Pacific Ocean before entering the canal at the start of June, with Cuba as its stated destination.

The ship disappeared from satellite tracking systems after it left the Caribbean side of the canal, resurfacing on July 11.

Experts say this may indicate that the crew switched off the system that automatically communicates details of their location.

It was stopped near Manzanillo on the Atlantic side of the canal on July 15.

Under UN sanctions, North Korea is banned from weapons exports and the import of all but small arms.

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Life started on Mars before arriving on Earth

James J. Williams
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Life started on Mars before arriving on Earth

A new research presented at the Goldschmidt Meeting in Florence, Italy, say that life may have started on Mars before arriving on Earth.

The research supports an idea that the Red Planet was a better place to kick-start biology billions of years ago than the early Earth was.

The evidence is based on how the first molecules necessary for life were assembled.

Details of the theory were outlined by Prof. Steven Benner at the Goldschmidt Meeting.

Scientists have long wondered how atoms first came together to make up the three crucial molecular components of living organisms: RNA, DNA and proteins.

The molecules that combined to form genetic material are far more complex than the primordial “pre-biotic” soup of organic (carbon-based) chemicals thought to have existed on the Earth more than three billion years ago, and RNA (ribonucleic acid) is thought to have been the first of them to appear.

Simply adding energy such as heat or light to the more basic organic molecules in the “soup” does not generate RNA. Instead, it generates tar.

New research supports an idea that the Red Planet was a better place to kick-start biology billions of years ago than the early Earth was
New research supports an idea that the Red Planet was a better place to kick-start biology billions of years ago than the early Earth was

RNA needs to be coaxed into shape by “templating” atoms at the crystalline surfaces of minerals.

The minerals most effective at templating RNA would have dissolved in the oceans of the early Earth, but would have been more abundant on Mars, according to Prof. Steven Benner.

This could suggest that life started on Mars before being transported to Earth on meteorites, argues Prof. Steven Benner, of the Westheimer Institute of Science and Technology in Gainesville, US.

The idea that life originated on Mars and was then transported to our planet has been mooted before. But Prof. Steven Benner’s ideas add another twist to the theory of a Martian origin for the terrestrial biosphere.

Here in Florence, Prof. Steven Benner presented results that suggest minerals containing the elements boron and molybdenum are key in assembling atoms into life-forming molecules.

The researcher points out that boron minerals help carbohydrate rings to form from pre-biotic chemicals, and then molybdenum takes that intermediate molecule and rearranges it to form ribose, and hence RNA.

This raises problems for how life began on Earth, since the early Earth is thought to have been unsuitable for the formation of the necessary boron and molybdenum minerals.

It is thought that the boron minerals needed to form RNA from pre-biotic soups were not available on early Earth in sufficient quantity, and the molybdenum minerals were not available in the correct chemical form.

Prof. Seven Benner explained: “It’s only when molybdenum becomes highly oxidised that it is able to influence how early life formed.

“This form of molybdenum couldn’t have been available on Earth at the time life first began, because three billion years ago, the surface of the Earth had very little oxygen, but Mars did.

“It’s yet another piece of evidence which makes it more likely life came to Earth on a Martian meteorite, rather than starting on this planet.”

Early Mars is also thought to have had a drier environment, and this is also crucial to its favorable location for life’s origins.

Mama June celebrates her bachelorette party

Lisa.Felice
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Mama June celebrates her bachelorette party

A new Here Comes Honey Boo Boo trailer shows June Shannon downing shots and dancing the night away during her bachelorette party.

Mama June, 33, who tied the knot at her Georgia home in May, explains in the clip that once she gets her “body in motion” there’s “pretty much, like, no stopping”.

Meanwhile her husband-to-be, Sugar Bear is seen celebrating his final days as a bachelor in a less raucous way – talking and reflecting on his relationship with friends around a BBQ.

Sugar Bear sweetly tells pals gathered: “I want to get committed. I mean I want to settle down now. I’ve been a renegade for a while.

“I wanna [sic] have fun but I just want something that when I come home, I’ve got something at home.”

“The way [women] b**** and all I still love ’em [sic]. I’m going to be there. As long as she’s got a heart and loves me for who I am . . . I’m happy.

“She can be big, fat, small, skinny. ‘m still going to love her.”

June Shannon downing shots and dancing the night away during her bachelorette party
June Shannon downing shots and dancing the night away during her bachelorette party

June Shannon however doesn’t touch on “love” while partying at Wild Bill’s in Atlanta, Georgia. Instead she is clearly focused on having a good time.

“On the limo ride up here, I got a little buzzed, I feel kinda [sic] good, I’m ready to get the rest of my drink on,” she exclaims as she enters the country music venue.

Once inside the mother-of-four is seen drinking at the bar, bumping and grinding with men on the dance floor and even getting up on stage.

“If it’s a good beat it just . . . overtakes me,” June Shannon later explains.

The footage is only a taste of what the now newlyweds got up to and a full-length episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, set to air tonight, will reveal more.

June Shannon and Mike Sugar Bear Thompson met on an online chat room nine years ago following relationship break-ups.

After hitting it off they got together and their daughter, Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson was born two years later.

Honey Boo Boo shot to fame on the fly-on-the-wall pageant show Toddlers & Tiaras in 2009, which saw her score her own spin-off series last year. Her three stepsisters and parents also star.

Sugar Bear, 41, proposed to Mama June twice previously but got a “no” both times.

However, when he popped the question this year June Shannon decided to accept the offer.

Offering him some words of wisdom for the future, one of his friends Doode said: “I’ve been married four-and-a-half years and the advice I can give Sugar Bear is just to keep Mama happy.”

Another friend added: “The hard part about being married is keeping her happy.”

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Nidal Hasan sentenced to death by lethal injection for Fort Hood rampage

Diane A. Wade
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Nidal Hasan sentenced to death by lethal injection for Fort Hood rampage

Former US Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan has been sentenced to die by lethal injection for killing 13 soldiers at Texas Army base Fort Hood, a military jury has decided.

Nidal Hasan, 42, was convicted last week of the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, in which 32 others were also injured.

The defendant had tried to admit his guilt but military law bans guilty pleas in death penalty cases.

The Virginia-born Muslim said he opened fire to protect Taliban insurgents from troops about to deploy to Afghanistan.

Nidal Hasan’s court-appointed lawyers have previously told the judge they suspect he is seeking execution in a bid for martyrdom.

The jury handed down its sentence after two hours of deliberations on Wednesday.

But it could be years, possibly decades, before Nidal Hasan is executed because of the long appeals process in the military justice system.

Major Nidal Hasan has been sentenced to die by lethal injection for killing 13 soldiers at Fort Hood
Major Nidal Hasan has been sentenced to die by lethal injection for killing 13 soldiers at Fort Hood

His execution must eventually be authorized by the president.

On Wednesday before the sentence was handed down, prosecutor Colonel Mike Mulligan urged jurors to opt for a rare military death penalty.

“He will not now and he will never be a martyr,” Col. Mike Mulligan said of Nidal Hasan.

“He is a criminal. He is a cold-blooded murderer.”

“This is not his gift to God. This is his debt to society. This is the cost of his murderous rampage.”

“He will never be a martyr because he has nothing to give,” Col. Mike Mulligan added.

“He will not be giving his life, we will be taking it.”

Nidal Hasan, who represented himself, declined to speak on his own behalf, saying only: “I have no closing statement.”

The 13-member jury had to come to a unanimous agreement in order to sentence Nidal Hasan to death, otherwise he would have faced life in prison.

The US military has not executed a service member since 1961. There are five inmates on the US military’s death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, all at various stages of the appeals process.

Nidal Hasan opened fire at a medical facility on the Fort Hood base where soldiers were being evaluated before deploying overseas.

The trial heard he had prepared carefully for the attack, during which he fired 146 bullets.

The shooting spree ended when he was shot by a civilian police officer.

Nidal Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down from the wound and now uses a wheelchair.

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Michelle Obama debuts new haircut with face-framing caramel highlights

Lisa.Felice
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Michelle Obama debuts new haircut with face-framing caramel highlights

Michelle Obama has debuted a new haircut with caramel colored highlights.

Michelle Obama showed off her brand new look yesterday while speaking at a film screening in Washington, DC.

The new face-framing hairdo is significantly less drastic and more flattering than the blunt bangs she had cut in January, which she admitted were “irritating” after a while.

Placed mostly around the edges of her face, the highlights are subtle and warm, in a soft honey color.

Michelle Obama showed off her brand new look yesterday while speaking at a film screening in Washington, DC
Michelle Obama showed off her brand new look yesterday while speaking at a film screening in Washington, DC

Reactions to the style have been mostly positive, with People.com comparing it to Olivia Pope’s hairstyle in ABC series Scandal.

And the beauty editor at New York Magazine suggested that the highlights are an indication that Michelle Obama is going grey, because lighter pigments work better than dark dye on greying hair.

The First Lady never fails to make waves with her fashion and hairstyle choices.

After initially debuting her bangs in January, Michelle Obama sent the social media world into a frenzy, even causing one fan to create a Twitter account called MichellesBangs in the hairstyle’s honor.

Today, Michelle Obama is accompanying Presiden Barack Obama to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington.

In a photo from the event, Michelle is escorted by her husband down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, wearing a stunning black Tracy Reese dress adorned bright red flowers.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones separate after 13 years of marriage

Lisa.Felice
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Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones separate after 13 years of marriage

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones “are taking time apart” after 13 years of marriage, it has been confirmed.

Michael Douglas, 68, and Catherine Zeta Jones, 43, married in 2000 after meeting in France two years earlier.

They have two children – Dylan, 13, and Carys, 10.

The pair have both struggled with health problems in recent years.

Michael Douglas was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010, while Catherine Zeta Jones sought treatment for bipolar disorder in 2011 and again earlier this year.

The couple share the same birthday, 25 September, and met at the Deauville Film Festival in France in 1998.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones had their first child in August 2000, and married three months later in a lavish ceremony at New York’s Plaza hotel, where guests included Goldie Hawn, Christopher Reeve, Jack Nicholson and Brad Pitt.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones had their first child in August 2000, and married three months later in a lavish ceremony at New York's Plaza hotel
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones had their first child in August 2000, and married three months later in a lavish ceremony at New York’s Plaza hotel

OK! magazine paid $1.5 million for exclusive access to photographs of the day, but rival magazine Hello! spoiled the scoop by publishing pictures taken by somebody pretending to be a guest or a waiter.

A long legal battle followed in the UK, with the couple arguing that Hello! Magazine had invaded their privacy.

The case was eventually resolved in 2007, when the House Of Lords ruled Hello! had breached OK!‘s confidentiality.

Prior to the wedding, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones reportedly signed a pre-nuptial agreement, which entitles Zeta Jones to $1.5 million for every year of their marriage in the event of the relationship coming to an end.

Michael Douglas insisted on the contract after his first wife, Diandra, was awarded $70 million in their divorce.

Speaking to the Mirror earlier this month, Michael Douglas said his biggest regret was not ending his first marriage sooner. He had married Diandra in 1977 and they separated in 1995, but did not file for divorce until 2000.

“I have nothing against her and in fact I’m very fond of my first wife, but we should have ended that marriage eight or 10 years earlier,” Michael Douglas said.

“It took me too long to realize that if you go to a marriage counsellor to resolve problems, it’s in his interest to keep the marriage going.”

In the same interview, Michael Douglas paid tribute to Catherine Zeta Jones, who had given him “this second chance to have a family”.

“The thing I’ve learned about getting older is you can’t take love for granted,” he said.

“You protect it, nurture it and it grows and after one’s initial, physical emotional aspects, it becomes deeper.”

Michael Douglas, whose films include Wall Street and Basic Instinct, recently made his post-cancer return to the big screen playing Liberace in the biopic Behind The Candelabra.

Catherine Zeta Jones, an Oscar-winner for her role in Chicago, is currently starring alongside Helen Mirren and Bruce Willis in popcorn action film Red 2.

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Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech 50th anniversary

Diane A. Wade
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Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech 50th anniversary

America is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom, the civil rights rally at which Martin Luther King Jr. made his “I have a dream” speech.

President Barack Obama is to mark the occasion in Washington DC with an address from the same spot.

Members of the King family and veterans of the march will also be present.

Barack Obama, the first black US president, has described the 1963 protest as a “seminal event” in American history.

The march was considered a catalyst for civil rights reforms in the US.

President Barack Obama has arrived to deliver his address at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall just after an organized ringing of bells by churches and other groups at 15:00 local time (19:00 GMT), marking the exact time that Martin Luther King spoke on 28 August 1963.

The president was joined by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, who also spoke.

Former President George W. Bush, who is recovering from a heart procedure, sent a message of support.

In his statement George W. Bush said Barack Obama’s presidency reflected “the promise of America” and “will help us honor the man who inspired millions to redeem that promise”.

Chat show host Oprah Winfrey and actors Forest Whitaker and Jamie Foxx also attended the event.

America is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom, the civil rights rally at which Martin Luther King Jr. made his I have a dream speech
America is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom, the civil rights rally at which Martin Luther King Jr. made his I have a dream speech

On Saturday, thousands of people, including Martin Luther King’s eldest son, marched to the Lincoln Memorial to mark the milestone anniversary.

Half a century earlier, Martin Luther King led some 250,000 protesters down the same strip and delivered his famous speech from its steps.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” he said, in one of the most celebrated pieces of American oratory.

His address marked the peak of a series of protests against racial discrimination that had begun when seamstress Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat for a white passenger in 1955.

Her action sparked a bus boycott campaign across Montgomery, Alabama.

Marchers opened Wednesday’s damp commemoration by walking the streets of Washington DC behind a replica of the transit bus that Parks once rode.

Martin Luther King became a dominant force in the movement and so was called on to make the final speech at the march.

He advocated the use of non-violent tactics such as sit-ins and protest marches, and was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1964.

Four years later, his assassination led to rioting in more than 100 US cities.

Organizers of Wednesday’s commemoration are focusing beyond racial issues to address the environment, gay rights and the challenges faced by those with disabilities, among other matters.

In an interview on Tuesday with a radio show, President Barack Obama said he imagines that Martin Luther King “would be amazed in many ways” about the social progress made since that speech.

He cited the prominent role of many African-Americans in the political and business spheres, as well as equal rights before the law.

Barack Obama, whose own oratory is often praised, said his address on Wednesday would not match that by the civil rights leader.

“It won’t be as good as the speech 50 years ago,” he said.

“I just want to get that out there early.”

“When you are talking about Dr. King’s speech at the March on Washington, you’re talking about one of the maybe five greatest speeches in American history,” Barack Obama added.

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Phil Robertson speaks at University of Louisiana community event

Sonia Pantiss
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Phil Robertson speaks at University of Louisiana community event

Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson spoke at a community event at the University of Louisiana at Monroe last week, and said that “where there is no Jesus, evil always reigns”.

“I’m not an ordained preacher,” Phil Robertson told the student-sponsored event, according to The News Star.

“I’m just a guy who builds duck calls. I love my country. We have a great family structure that you see on television. I’m just trying to get America and the rest of the world to do two things – love God and love your neighbor.”

Phil Robertson and his family have often spoken out about their faith and love of God. Duck Dynasty reality show, based around the family and their duck call making company, Duck Commander, in West Monroe, Louisiana, has been praised for creating family-friendly entrainment without violence, and harsh language. It has also scored huge ratings throughout its run, hitting a staggering 11.8 million viewers for the premiere of its fourth season on August 14.

Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson spoke at a community event at the University of Louisiana
Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson spoke at a community event at the University of Louisiana

The proceeds for the community event went to the Warhawks for Christ student organization. Phil Robertson used the opportunity to recite some famous quotes from notable American figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, who he said were godly men who used spiritual convictions when founding the country.

Phil Robertson shared a quote from James Madison, the fourth President of the United States: “The belief in a God all powerful, wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man.”

“Why don’t politicians talk like that anymore?” Phil Robertson asked.

“I think our problem is a spiritual one … Where there is no Jesus, evil always reigns.”

Phil Robertson and his eldest son, Alan, recently spoke at Saddleback Church in California, where the family patriarch admitted that he had given in to a lot of temptations and challenges in life before he turned to God, which helped save his family.

“I have my past, you have yours…drugs, immorality, alcohol, cursing …until I learned the error of my ways,” Phil Robertson said.

He again talked about the founding fathers, and argued that if they were to see what has become of America’s morality, they would “hang their heads in shame.”

“He was here. He did die. And He was buried. And He was raised from the dead. There’s hope to get off the planet alive,” Phil Robertson concluded and urged non-believers to turn to Christ.

Eating broccoli may slow down and even prevent osteoarthritis

Kathryn R. Bown
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Eating broccoli may slow down and even prevent osteoarthritis

British researchers believe that eating lots of broccoli may slow down and even prevent osteoarthritis.

The University of East Anglia team is starting human trials following on from successful lab studies.

Tests on cells and mice showed that a broccoli compound – which humans can also get from Brussels sprouts and cabbage – blocked a key destructive enzyme that damages cartilage.

Researchers are asking 20 patients to eat a daily dose of “super-charged” broccoli.

This special cruciferous vegetable has been bred to be extra rich in nutrients – it is a cross between standard broccoli and a wild relative from Sicily.

Our body takes this glucoraphanin compound and turns it into another, called sulforaphane, which appears to protect the joints.

The volunteers will have two weeks on the diet before going under the knife to have their badly arthritic knees repaired by surgeons.

Dr. Rose Davidson and her team will look at the tissue that has been removed to see what impact, if any, the broccoli has had.

British researchers believe that eating lots of broccoli may slow down and even prevent osteoarthritis
British researchers believe that eating lots of broccoli may slow down and even prevent osteoarthritis

She said: “We’re asking patients to eat 100 g [3.5oz] every day for two weeks. That’s a normal, good-sized serving – about a handful – and it’s an amount that most people should be happy to eat every day.”

While two weeks is highly unlikely to be enough to cause any big change, Dr. Rose Davidson hopes it will be enough to offer some evidence that “super” broccoli could benefit humans.

“I can’t imagine it would repair or reverse arthritis… but it might be a way to prevent it,” she said.

Her team will be looking for proof that sulforaphane has travelled to where it is needed in the joint and that it is causing beneficial changes at the cellular level.

Another 20 knee replacement patients who have not been on the diet will be used as a comparison group.

Prof. Alan Silman, of Arthritis Research UK, which is funding Dr. Rose Davidson’s work, said: “Until now research has failed to show that food or diet can play any part in reducing the progression of osteoarthritis, so if these findings can be replicated in humans, it would be quite a breakthrough.

“We know that exercise and keeping to a healthy weight can improve people’s symptoms and reduce the chances of the disease progressing, but this adds another layer in our understanding of how diet could play its part.”

The results of Dr. Rose Davidson’s animal trials are published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

The special broccoli, known as Beneforte, was developed from publicly funded research at the UK’s Institute of Food Research and the John Innes Centre.

Vladimir Putin underwear painting removed from St Petersburg art gallery

Sonia Pantiss
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Vladimir Putin underwear painting removed from St Petersburg art gallery

Russian police have seized a painting depicting President Vladimir Putin in women’s underwear from an art gallery in St Petersburg.

The portrait features President Vladimir Putin combing the hair of Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev.

Two other pictures were also seized which poked fun at conservative Russian politicians who led a campaign to introduce controversial anti-gay laws.

Police said the paintings broke unspecified legislation.

The portrait features President Vladimir Putin combing the hair of Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev
The portrait features President Vladimir Putin combing the hair of Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev

A fourth painting depicting the head of the Russian Orthodox Church adorned with tattoos was also confiscated from the Museum of the Authorities.

Gallery owner Aleksander Donskoy claimed he had been given no formal warrant or explanation for the removal of the paintings, which were included in an exhibition entitled Rulers, by Arkhangelsk artist Konstantin Altunin.

One of the pictures seized features Vladimir Putin in a nightgown, standing behind Dmitry Medvedev and stroking his hair, while the prime minister is depicted with a woman’s body and wearing lingerie.

Another painting shows St Petersburg legislative assembly member Vitaly Milonov – one of the architects of Russia’s anti-gay laws – against the background of a rainbow, the symbol of gay pride.

St Petersburg, which hosts the G20 summit next week, was one of the first Russian cities to introduce a law against what it terms “gay propaganda”.

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Tomatina Festival 2013: Bunol to charge for tomato-throwing festival entry

Sonia Pantiss
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Tomatina Festival 2013: Bunol to charge for tomato-throwing festival entry

Spanish town of Bunol – world-renowned for its tomato-throwing Tomatina festival – is to charge entry for the first time.

Each year thousands of tourists pack the debt-hit town to take part in the hour-long tomato fight that leaves the streets running in red juice.

But the event will now be ticketed over concerns about the cost of the event and ballooning attendance.

Tourists will now have to pay a minimum of 10 euros ($13) to take part.

That has led to fears that festivals around crisis-hit Spain could be “privatized”.

Each year thousands of tourists pack Bunol to take part in the hour-long tomato fight that leaves the streets running in red juice
Each year thousands of tourists pack Bunol to take part in the hour-long tomato fight that leaves the streets running in red juice

Among the top Tomatina ticket purchasers are Australians, Japanese, Britons, Spaniards and Americans.

Some 5,000 free tickets have been allocated for local residents, but the town is expecting an influx of ticketless people.

Officials say they will take a “zero tolerance” approach and are beefing up security measures.

“This is the first year we are charging for access to this popular festival due to the need to limit the crowd for safety reasons,” Bunol town hall said in a statement, according to AFP news agency.

“We have had a problem for the past eight or 10 years: the Tomatina is not controlled, we don’t know how many people are going to come,” Bunol Mayor Joaquin Masmano Palmer reportedly told Spanish media.

But the cost of organizing the food fight is also a burden for the town, said to be indebted to the tune of several million euros.

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Alan and Lisa Robertson open up about faith, family and TV

Sonia Pantiss
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Alan and Lisa Robertson open up about faith, family and TV

Duck Dynasty has a lot of Americans riveted to their TV sets and a lot of pundits scratching their heads about how this reality-based sitcom about an eccentric, tight-knit Louisiana clan of bearded, bandanna-ed men, along with their wives, children and family-business employees, came to captivate a nation.

The A&E’s reality show drew 11.8 million viewers on its Season 4 premiere night on August 14.

For a lot of the show’s Christian fans, it’s become a rare place on a mainstream cable or broadcast network where they can see characters openly expressing – and living – their faith in a positive context.
While most of the TV time follows the Robertsons navigating their daily lives of manufacturing duck calls at Duck Commander and managing marriages, parenthood and the quirks of each other’s personalities, each episode ends with the family gathering at dinner and saying a prayer.

In real life, faith is central to the Robertson family, since beardless eldest son Alan Robertson – who was off-camera for Duck Dynasty‘s first three seasons.

Alan Robertson has been pastor of White's Ferry Church of Christ in West Monroe, Louisiana, for 20 years
Alan Robertson has been pastor of White’s Ferry Church of Christ in West Monroe, Louisiana, for 20 years

Alan Robertson has been pastor of White’s Ferry Church of Christ in West Monroe, Louisiana, for 20 years, and the rest of the clan is active in the congregation.

He also leads weekly voluntary devotional hours at the company headquarters.

With the on-screen arrival of Alan Robertson in Duck Dynasty Season 4, faith may come even more to the forefront.

In an interview with CBN’s 700 Club, Alan Robertson talked about making the decision to join the TV side of the family empire.

“My high-school years were just terrible, and it was all a secret life – running around and drinking and cutting up. So, I was at the worst possible place – I was hiding in plain sight. I was in the church, but I wasn’t a Christian. I wasn’t living for Christ.”

He also spoke about traveling the nation with his father Phil Robertson to preach: “I call us the feather and the sledgehammer. I come in, and I get people laughing. I get their tickle-bone, because I’m kind of the humor guy.

“And then dad comes in with a sledgehammer – boom!– you know. <<This is what God has done for you. This is what our nation needs>>. Boom, boom, boom!”

Alan Robertson explained: “I really feel like God had prepared us for such a moment as this. And when America needs some family to say, <<Hey, we can make mistakes, you know, we can come from nothing – we can have all these things now, but ultimately none of it matters except that we’re saved, and we’re going to be in heaven with Christ forever>>.”

His wife, Lisa Robertson, was also interviewed in the segment, and here’s her thoughts on taking their message beyond the physical congregation: “To have a great church is good. But there is people out there that’s not ever going to darken the doors that we have here. And they may not ever darken the doors of any church building.

“And so, if we can give them a little taste of Christianity, a little taste of God, but in a fun way, to tell them that just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean that you can’t have loads of fun and laugh all the time and just enjoy what God’s given you.”

Will Alan Robertson grow a beard?

Sonia Pantiss
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Will Alan Robertson grow a beard?

Duck Dynasty’s men are well known for their growing long, bushy beards, except one of them – new cast member and eldest son Alan Robertson.

Alan Robertson, 47, is a former minister who left his church to join Duck Dynasty in Season 4.

However, don’t expect him to follow that last tradition.

“I don’t want to get stuck with that look, I mean, are you kidding me?” the clean-shaven Alan Robertson said in an interview on The 700 Club.

Alan Robertson’s wife, Lisa, concurs with his feelings: “You know, when there’s things crawling out of your beard or whenever you’ve got food left from lunch or dinner, I don’t know, that just kind of grosses me out.”

He also opened up about his past, before he was a deeply faithful pastor. In fact, he was quite the wild child in his teen days.

Alan and Lisa Robertson stayed out of the Duck Dynasty spotlight before because of his ministry, but now they hope to bring their faith and values to the show's millions of viewers
Alan and Lisa Robertson stayed out of the Duck Dynasty spotlight before because of his ministry, but now they hope to bring their faith and values to the show’s millions of viewers

“My high school years were just terrible and it was all a secret life – running around and drinking and cutting up,” Alan Robertson admitted.

After graduating from high school, things spiraled even more out of control when Alan Robertson moved to New Orleans. But after a year, he realized he needed to shape up – and returned home to the loving embrace of parents Phil and Kay Robertson. He recommitted to his faith and Phil Robertson baptized him in the river behind their house.

Alan and Lisa Robertson stayed out of the Duck Dynasty spotlight before because of his ministry, but now they hope to bring their faith and values to the show’s millions of viewers.

“I really feel like God had prepared us for such a moment as this and when America needs some family to say, <<Hey, we can make mistakes, you know. We can come from nothing. We can have all these things now>>,” he said.

“Ultimately none of it matters except that we’re saved and we’re gonna be in heaven forever with Christ.”

Duck Dynasty airs Wednesdays at 10 PM on A&E.

Dallas Buyers Club trailer reveals Matthew McConaughey’s 40 lbs weight loss

Lisa.Felice
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Dallas Buyers Club trailer reveals Matthew McConaughey’s 40 lbs weight loss

Matthew McConaughey shed 40 lbs to play the role of HIV positive Texan Ron Woodroof in highly anticipated film Dallas Buyers Club.

The results of Matthew McConaughey’s dramatic transformation are shockingly clear in a new trailer for the film.

Matthew McConaughey, 43, shows off his range in the preview footage, appearing tearful, angry and frustrated as he attempts to smuggle life-prolonging drugs into the U.S.

Dallas Buyers Club, set in 1985 Dallas, begins in the doctor’s surgery with Matthew McConaughey’s Ron Woodruff being informed he has tested positive for the HIV virus.

“Have you ever used intravenous drugs? Have you ever engaged in homos**ual conduct?” the doctor asks the initially homophobic electrician.

“You made a mistake. Because that ain’t me,” a horrified Ron Woodroof replies.

After being told he has 30 days to live, Ron Woodroof determines to find a way to survive.

“There ain’t nothing out there that can kill Ron Woodroof in 30 days,” he declares.

Matthew McConaughey shed 40 lbs to play the role of HIV positive Texan Ron Woodroof in highly anticipated film Dallas Buyers Club
Matthew McConaughey shed 40 lbs to play the role of HIV positive Texan Ron Woodroof in highly anticipated film Dallas Buyers Club

Ron Woodroof  turns to Jennifer Garner’s doctor Dr. Eve Saks for assistance but is unhappy with AZT, the only conventional drug available at the time.

After learning anti-viral drugs could be found abroad but were not FDA approved within the U.S., Ron Woodroof drives to Mexico saying: “They’re not illegal, they’re merely unapproved.”

Ron Woodruff then begins bringing the drugs back over the border, initially dressing as a priest and telling customs officials he has “nada” to declare.

The trailer then cuts to him encountering Jared Leto’s transgender character Rayon on the street.

Jared Leto, who also shed 30 lbs to play the role of the HIV positive transgender, plays the part in sassy yet fragile style.

“I’ve been looking for you lone star,” she tells Ron Woodroof after getting into his car, before she negotiates “25 per cent cut” of his burgeoning operation, which he soon names Dallas Buyers Club.

“You treating these people?” Dr. Eve Saks asks, before Ron Woodroof clarifies: “They’re treating themselves. I ain’t selling drugs, I’m selling membership.”

The trailer touches on the relationship between Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey’s characters, with former homophobe Ron Woodroof assaulting a man in a grocery store after he insults Rayon.

However, things predictably don’t all go smoothly in Ron Woodroof’s new venture.

With an increased number of HIV and AIDS patients seeking his help, he comes to the attention of the FDA who investigate.

But Ron Woodruff is clever, giving police a list of members of the club, who happen to share the monikers of the Dallas Cowboys football players.

Forced to look further afield than over the Mexican border, the movie shows Matthew McConaughey travelling all over the world in search of supplies.

“Check Amsterdam, China, Israel,” he says, while declaring: “I got one life. I want it to mean something.”

The film also follows Ron Woodroof’s personal quest to survive more than his 30 day prognosis.

In reality, he actually managed to live for a further 2191 days, passing away on September 12, 1992, six years after he was diagnosed with the HIV virus.

Meanwhile there has been growing Oscar buzz surrounding Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto’s performances after Tuesday’s first viewing of the trailer which will première at the Toronto Film Festival.

Commentators have also cited Focus Features’s decision to move the film’s release date up to November 1, in order to fully maximize its awards season chances.

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RHOC: Vicki Gunvalson in tears as Brooks Ayers dumps her

Lisa.Felice
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RHOC: Vicki Gunvalson in tears as Brooks Ayers dumps her

Vicki Gunvalson of Real Housewives of Orange County has endured a very real rollercoaster ride with her on and off boyfriend Brooks Ayers.

Businessman Brooks Ayers finally called time on his relationship with Vicki Gunvalson during Monday’s broadcast of the show’s reunion special.

The split comes after Brooks Ayers had a strained relationship with not only Vicki Gunvalson but with her fellow castmates and her daughter Briana Wolfsmith Culberson.

Brooks Ayers was confronted about numerous complaints regarding his character – including one from Briana Wolfsmith Culberson.

“The resolution, obviously, is to exit stage right out of this family because of these strong feelings against me,” Brooks Ayers told Briana Wolfsmith Culberson, who curtly replied: “Because of what you’ve done, not about what I’m feeling.”

Brooks Ayers added: “You asked me before, <<Do I love her enough to let her go?>> I do.”

Vicki Gunvalson of Real Housewives of Orange County has endured a very real rollercoaster ride with her on and off boyfriend Brooks Ayers
Vicki Gunvalson of Real Housewives of Orange County has endured a very real rollercoaster ride with her on and off boyfriend Brooks Ayers

“So we’re not gonna be hearing soon that you guys are back together?” Briana Wolfsmith Culberson asked Brooks Ayers.

He replied: “Not from me, not from me – and that’s the truth.”

After giving Vicki Gunvalson a kiss she sobbed uncontrollably while being comforted by the other housewives.

“I hate my life right now,” she cried.

Vicki Gunvalson said the show’s events left her “emotionally drained”, as she “was looking forward to a future with Brooks, and it looks like it’s over”.

This final split comes after shocking audio tapes were recently released where the 46-year-old businessman could be heard slurring on them.

Brooks Ayers could be heard talking about his plans to “f**king beat [Vicki Gunvalson’s] a**” the next time he sees her, while also calling the 51-year-old a “f**king w**re.”

Brooks Ayers has subsequently issued an apology for his abusive comments but they caused him a lot of damage with fans of the show.

Vicki Gunvalsona and Brooks Ayers, who allegedly met in 2011 through Vicki’s insurance business, had a rocky relationship throughout that time.

Along with rumors that Brooks Ayers was unfaithful, the couple is also being sued for allegedly conning a business partner out of $250,000.

Professional poker player Robert Williamson III has claimed Vicki Gunvalson breached contract, committed fraud, failed to live up to good faith dealings, misrepresented herself and conspired to unjustly enrich herself and Brooks Ayers with regards to a failed vodka business.

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