North Korea announces it has produced its first home-grown smartphone – Arirang – but experts have disputed its origins.
The Arirang handset, described as a “hand phone” in state media, was shown to leader Kim Jong-un during a factory tour.
North Korea has had a mobile network since 2008, but activity is heavily monitored and restricted.
Last year North Korea launched a tablet, but it later emerged it was likely to have been made in China.
Clues to the tablet’s origin were uncovered by Martyn Williams, an expert on North Korean technology, who noted that parts of the tablet’s software code suggested links to a manufacturer in Hong Kong.
The Arirang smartphone, named after a popular folk song, was unlikely to have been made in the country, Martyn Williams added.
He noted that actual manufacturing was shown, and that the device was “probably made to order by a Chinese manufacturer and shipped to the May 11 Factory where they are inspected before going on sale”.
Kim Jong-un demoing the Arirang smartphone, which appeared to be running a version of Google’s Android mobile operating system
Kim Jong-un was accompanied by the Korean Workers’ Party propaganda chief and the head of the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a hint that the devices could be used for widespread dissemination of government information.
The North Korean leader was seen to be demoing the device, which appeared to be running a version of Google’s Android mobile operating system.
There are no further details available about the smartphone’s exact specifications, but the KNCA reported that Kim Jong-un praised the “high pixels” of the built-in camera.
The article said Kim Jong-un had high hopes for the “educational significance in making people love Korean things”.
He advised that factory workers should “select and produce shapes and colors that users like”.
Mobile phones in North Korea have been available since 2008. The national network is maintained thanks to a joint operation by the North Korean government and Egyptian telecoms company Orascom.
Phones on the network are heavily restricted. They cannot access the internet and can only make calls within North Korea.
For a short time, foreigners in the country were able to use mobile internet, but this access was later revoked.
It is believed that many in North Korea, particular those near the borders, use illegally owned mobiles to contact people outside the country.
Being found in possession of a foreign phone would be a very serious crime.
Duck Dynasty’s producers are dishing out another family show – Porter Ridge – this time for Discovery Channel.
Porter Ridge features a tight-knit community whose code is simple: “Respect the Lord, love your family and watch each other’s backs.”
Scott Gurney, who is the executive producer for both Duck Dynasty and Porter Ridge, said he expects new show will appeal to a similar demographic.
“This is great show for families to watch,” Scott Gurney told FOX411.
“It’s a great show for all ages and for males and females. That’s one of the things that’s great about <<Duck Dynasty>>, it has such a broad audience, and I think this show will do the same thing.”
Fans of the A&E series about the Robertson family members who work together to produce duck calls has often praised the show for its good, clean message and family-friendly plot lines.
Duck Dynasty ends each episode with a prayer.
“We don’t tap into the religion as much in this show. It’s more about friendships, relationships and an older way of living… loving your neighbor.”
Still, Scott Gurney said Porter Ridge should also leave viewers with a warm, fuzzy feelings as the episodes come to an end.
Duck Dynasty’s producers are dishing out another family show, Porter Ridge
“I think that one of the big things that people love about <<Duck Dynasty>> is that it’s a positive takeaway, and I think the same thing is going to exist with this series.”
But the similarities likely end there, he declared.
“This is a different show. It’s not <<Duck Dynasty>>… It’s not so much family based and more friendship based.”
The series follows a group of friends – and rivals – living in Southern Indiana, in an area with no rules, no leaders and no streetlights. And yet, somehow everyone manages to get along.
“Cameras follow this interesting culture that if you didn’t see it on TV, you’d honestly think it doesn’t exist,” Scott Gurney said.
Scott Gurney insisted that the series is unscripted – even though it seems implausible that one of the show’s stars shares his home with eight grizzly bears.
Jeff Watson, 48, appears on Porter Ridge and spends his days with his neighbors and with his domesticated bears.
“They’ve been in my house, but they don’t stay in here all the time,” Jeff Watson said of the bears.
It is elements like his pets that make the series so dissimilar to anything else that’s on TV, Jeff Watson said.
“I don’t know if there is anything out there that I can compare this show to. I wouldn’t compare it to <<Duck Dynasty>>. So many people are making that comparison… The only similarity that I would see between our show and <<Duck Dynasty>> is funny characters,” he said.
In fact, Jeff Watson said – if anything – he thinks Porter Ridge is much more reminiscent of TV shows from an earlier time period.
“To me this show is a mixture of <<Dukes of Hazards>> meets <<Little House on the Prairie>>, meets <<The Waltons>>, meets <<Andy Griffith>>.”
And though it’s not a sitcom, Jeff Watson insisted the wholesome reality show wouldn’t be painting a picture of Indiana overall.
“We’re not trying to represent the whole state of Indiana… This is us. We’re just individuals. We’re not in any way trying to say <<this is Indiana>> or <<this is southern Indiana>>.”
Like Scott Gurney, Jeff Watson predicts the show will attract families.
“I’m sure there are people out there who would like to see a show that’s less cussing, more family values, camaraderie, rapport, relationship between the characters, not a lot of fighting between everybody… I think people are getting a little tired of too much drama and they want to see people getting along, and we get along around here.”
Porter Ridge premieres on Discovery Channel on Tuesday, August 13.
Kanye West bought two high-performance armored vehicles to protect Kim Kardashian and their baby daughter North.
Kanye West, 36, and partner Kim Kardashian, 32, were recently singled out by President Barack Obama for their opulent lifestyle warping the American dream.
Inspired by the President’s Limo One, Kanye West has reportedly spent $1.2 million each for two Prombron Iron Diamonds by Dartz Motorz.
Dartz Motorz is the Latvian company that angered PETA for featuring leather interior made from the foreskin of a whale p**is.
On the Dartz website, the Iron Diamond is said to prevent kidnapping, hijacking and “other problems which can meet rich and lonely lady on the street”.
Kanye West bought two high-performance armored vehicles to protect Kim Kardashian and their baby daughter North
Kanye West’s two-month-old daughter Nori should rest easy inside the super-SUV “built to withstand attacks from landmines and rocket-propelled grenades”.
“Kanye is fully aware that his new family is so high-profile they attract the attention of weirdos and psychopaths,” a source told the Daily Star.
“He aims to leave nothing to chance…His priority is to get delivery of the vehicles, especially Kim’s, before he begins his US tour in October.”
The 21-time Grammy winner apparently decided to beef up security for his family at Jay Z’s suggestion.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian will also reportedly employ two bodyguards and use body doubles as decoys for paparazzi.
The source ominously added: “If there have been any kidnapping threats already against their daughter, he isn’t saying. But that fear is clearly in his mind.”
According to Us Weekly, Kanye West “doesn’t leave North for more than an hour” and he tenderly “holds the baby all the time”.
Kanye West’s new album Yeezus debuted at number one in 31 countries, but due to lack of promotion the overall sales have been disappointing.
Lindsay Lohan has admitted to Oprah Winfrey that she is the one to blame for her troubles.
“I’m my own worst enemy, and I know that,” Lindsay Lohan actress said in a promotional video released Monday for her upcoming post-rehab one-on-one interview with Oprah.
The sneak peek from the highly anticipated interview airing on Sunday showed Oprah Winfrey, 59, back in her tabloid talk show element and peppering Lindsay Lohan, 27, with questions.
“Do you think you can turn it around?” Oprah Winfrey asked.
“What is it you’re addicted to?”
Lindsay Lohan has admitted to Oprah Winfrey that she is the one to blame for her troubles
Lindsay Lohan wore a conservative orange frock with her trademark red locks tied back into a high ponytail and considered Oprah Winfrey’s questions with a serious look on her face.
The trouble star and Oprah Winfrey sat opposite each other in white chairs with the chat host opting for a grey cardigan, white blouse and black pants.
The teaser video is the first time Lindsay Lohan has been seen addressing her addiction issues since her release from 90 days of court-ordered rehab.
Linsay Lohan left rehab at the end of July and quickly took on a guest-hosting stint on Chelsea Lately.
Oprah Winfrey’s television network OWN also has an eight-part docu-series planned that will chronicle Lindsay as she tries to rebuild her career and stay sober.
The reality TV show will air in 2014 and will be helmed by Amy Rice, who directed the 2009 documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama.
Lindsay Lohan’s latest movie The Canyons has been a disappointment at the box office, to say the least, raking in just $30,100 on its opening weekend.
Despite the weak numbers, it has been revealed that Lindsay Lohan was recently approached by actor-director Ben Affleck about starring in his next project.
The one-one-one interview between Oprah Winfrey and Lindsay Lohan will air on Oprah’s Next Chapter on Sunday, August 18, at 9 p.m.
Oprah Winfrey has said she is sorry for a “blown up” media response after she claimed she encountered racism in upmarket Trois Pommes handbag store in Zurich.
Oprah Winfrey’s racism claims were made amid a political row in Switzerland over asylum seekers’ rights
Speaking on the red carpet premiere for her new film, The Butler, Oprah Winfrey said: “I think that incident in Switzerland was just an incident in Switzerland.”
“I’m really sorry that it got blown up. I purposefully did not mention the name of the store. I’m sorry that I said it was Switzerland,” she added.
Oprah Winfrey’s claims were made amid a political row in Switzerland over asylum seekers’ rights.
Norwegian media reported that some of the people in a video of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg posing as a taxi driver were paid for taking part.
Norway’s ruling Labour Party confirmed that 5 of 14 passengers filmed in the cab had each been paid 500 kroner ($85; 64 euros).
But while they had been asked to take part in a Labour video, they were not told what it involved, it said.
Jens Stoltenberg said he wanted to hear from real voters before polls next month.
The prime minister’s party, in power since 2005, is trailing Norway’s Conservative Party in opinion polls.
Some of the people in a video of PM Jens Stoltenberg posing as a taxi driver were paid for taking part
The video, made in collaboration with an advertising company in June, is due to be screened during the election campaign but has already been posted on Jens Stoltenberg’s Facebook page.
News that five of Jens Stoltenberg’s passengers were not picked up at random was revealed by Norway’s Verdens Gang (VG) tabloid.
“They’re five ordinary people who were asked if they wanted to take part in a video for the Labour Party and who knew nothing else, except that they were going to be picked up in a taxi,” party spokeswoman Pia Gulbrandsen said.
“Their spontaneity was real when they realized that the driver was the prime minister.”
None of the passengers had to pay for their ride.
Jens Stoltenberg came in for criticism for his driving, at one point jolting the car abruptly when, he said, he had mistakenly applied the brake pedal on the automatic car, thinking it was the clutch.
The two-term prime minister said he had not driven in eight years.
Paypal founder Elon Musk has revealed plans for a radical new “hyperloop” transport system that could “shoot” passengers 380 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes.
Travellers enter aluminium pods mounted by skis either to their feet or to their cars.
The pods, mounted above the ground on columns 50 to 100 yards apart, travel through steel tubes, reaching speeds of up to 800 mph and travelling on a cushion of air.
Elon Musk, who is also behind electric car firm Tesla and space company SpaceX, says the system could be built for less than a high speed rail link.
He told Bloomberg Business Week the system would be “like getting a ride on Space Mountain at Disneyland”.
“It would have less lateral acceleration – which is what tends to make people feel motion sick – than a subway ride, as the pod banks against the tube like an airplane,” he said.
“It would feel supersmooth.”
“The Hyperloop (or something similar) is, in my opinion, the right solution for the specific case of high traffic city pairs that are less than about 1500 km or 900 miles apart,” Elon Musk claimed.
Elon Musk boasted on Twitter he has been working on the plan all night after promising to release the details today, creating massive speculation online over its technology.
“Pulled all nighter working on Hyperloop (as did others),” he tweeted.
“Hopefully not too many mistakes.”
Elon Musk said he started thinking about the idea when plans for a 130 mph (210 km/h) high-speed train connection between LA and San Francisco were revealed, but now he has detailed his own version on Tesla’s site.
“I originally started thinking about [Hyperloop] when I read about California’s high-speed rail project which was somewhat disappointing,” he told a Google Hangout with Richard Branson last week.
“It’s actually worse than taking the plane. I get a little sad when things are not getting better in the future.
“Another example would be like the Concorde being retired and the fact there is no supersonic passenger transport. I think that is sad. You want the future to be better than the past, or at least I do.”
Elon Musk made his fortune with the internet payment system PayPal before switching his skills into developing the new Falcon rocket system for NASA and the Tesla electric car.
Elon Musk unveils plans for the Hyperloop that will shoot passengers from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes
HE claims Hyperloop would be a practical solution for city pairs separated by 1,000 miles (1,600 km) or less. Beyond this distance, it would be better to take a plane, he explained.
But for the shorter distance, Elon Musk’s new concept would beat the plane, he argues, because it would not waste time ascending and descending.
“You want a transport system that is roughly twice as fast as the next best alternative, that costs less, that is safer, that is not subject to weather and is more convenient,” Elon Musk said.
“If there were such a thing, I think most people would take it. In fact, it would increase the travel between the city pairs because of the increased convenience.”
Experts say Elon Musk’s track record could help the plan become a reality.
“Hyperloop is quite an old science fiction idea but Elon Musk is the sort of man who could make it work,” said physicist Martin Archer from Imperial College London.
“He’s the guy who made electric cars go fast with Tesla, which many people didn’t think would be possible; and he’s the head of SpaceX which is the only commercial rocket builder that has managed to hook up with the International Space Station.”
Elon Musk says he will leave it to others to build the system initially.
“I have to focus on core Tesla business and SpaceX business, and that’s more than enough,” he told investors of Tesla, his electric car firm.
“If nothing happens for a few years, with that I mean maybe it could make sense to make the halfway path with Tesla involvement,” Elon Musk said.
“Hyperloop consists of a low pressure tube with capsules that are transported at both low and high speeds throughout the length of the tube,” Elon Musk said in an exhaustive paper detailing the system posted online.
“The capsules are supported on a cushion of air.”
Each of the capsules is pressurized, and Elon Musk says they have an emergency braking system as well as a reserve air supply in the event of an emergency.
The entrepreneur admits the scheme came from a disdain for current systems.
“When the California <<high speed>> rail was approved, I was quite disappointed, as I know many others were too.
“How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL – doing incredible things like indexing all the world’s knowledge and putting rovers on Mars – would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world?”
Elon Musk claims the scheme can power itself through solar energy.
“By placing solar panels on top of the tube, the Hyperloop can generate far in excess of the energy needed to operate.
“This takes into account storing enough energy in battery packs to operate at night and for periods of extended cloudy weather,” he claims.
Elon Musk estimates the overall cost of the tube, pillars, vacuum pumps and stations will be $4.06 billion for the passenger version of Hyperloop, and $5.31 billion for the larger version capable of sending cargo and even cars.
Elon Musk says a route from LA to San Francisco could be running within seven years.
“It could happen at least 4-5 years after a working prototype is developed, so 7-10 years away,” he told reporters.
“That’s comparable timing to the rail project.”
Elon Musk also said he may develop a prototype system himself, despite previously claiming he would leave it to others.
“I’ve sort of come around a little bit on my thinking here,” he said.
Haji, best known for her role in the 1965 film Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, has died at the age of 67.
The Canadian actress, who was born Barbarella Catton, appeared in several other Russ Meyer films including Motor Psycho and Supervixens.
Haji’s friend, the actress Kitten Natividad, revealed the news on her Facebook page.
“I lost my dear friend Haji…. I Love you and miss you so so much…. RIP,” Kitten Natividad said.
Haji was best known for her role in the 1965 film Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Haji was spotted by Russ Meyer working as a dancer in a club and got her to read for a small part in his film Motor Psycho – eventually giving her the starring role.
In an interview Haji admitted she told Russ Meyer she “didn’t know the first thing about acting”.
“He told me, <<Don’t worry baby, just stick with me, I’ll teach you everything>>. So I just sort of did it, I wasn’t terrific, but it was fun,” she said.
Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, about three go-go dancers who embark upon a vengeful murder spree, is a favorite of Quentin Tarantino and is still popular on the arthouse film circuit.
Haji also appeared in films including Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Bigfoot and John Cassavetes’ The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.
Her last film role was in Killer Drag Queens on Dope in 2003.
Haji was featured as one of the top 1,000 most glamorous women of the 20th Century, in the book Glamorous Girls of the Century by Steve Sullivan. She continued to perform live burlesque shows until last year.
TV drama Breaking Bad has scored its highest audience yet in the US, as the show’s final run begins.
A total of 5.9 million viewers tuned in to cable channel AMC on Sunday night, doubling the audience of the opening episode of the last series.
Breaking Bad has scored its highest audience yet in the US
Only zombie drama The Walking Dead has proved a bigger hit for the channel, pulling in 8.1 million fans earlier this year.
Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston as a chemistry teacher turned meth dealer.
Its audience has grown steadily through word of mouth, DVD sales and critical acclaim. The first series averaged 1.2 million viewers, while the most recent series was seen by 2.6 million.
The gritty drama is not afraid to pull its punches, killing off key players and charting the moral tailspin of Bryan Cranston’s character, Walter White.
Breaking Bad has won five Emmys since it debuted in 2008, and is up for a further eight prizes at this year’s ceremony on September 22.
After Sunday night’s premiere, only seven episodes remain.
Scientists discovered that a surge of electrical activity in the brain could be responsible for the vivid experiences described by near-death survivors.
A study carried out on dying rats found high levels of brainwaves at the point of the animals’ demise.
US researchers said that in humans this could give rise to a heightened state of consciousness.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Jimo Borjigin, of the University of Michigan, said: “A lot of people thought that the brain after clinical death was inactive or hypoactive, with less activity than the waking state, and we show that is definitely not the case.
“If anything, it is much more active during the dying process than even the waking state.”
A surge of electrical activity in the brain could be responsible for the vivid experiences described by near-death survivors
From bright white lights to out-of-body sensations and feelings of life flashing before their eyes, the experiences reported by people who have come close to death but survived are common the world over.
However, studying this in humans is a challenge, and these visions are little understood.
To find out more, scientists at the University of Michigan monitored nine rats as they were dying.
In the 30-second period after the animal’s hearts stopped beating, they measured a sharp increase in high-frequency brainwaves called gamma oscillations.
These pulses are one of the neuronal features that are thought to underpin consciousness in humans, especially when they help to “link” information from different parts of the brain.
In the rats, these electrical pulses were found at even higher levels just after the cardiac arrest than when animals were awake and well.
Dr. Jimo Borjigin said it was feasible that the same thing would happen in the human brain, and that an elevated level of brain activity and consciousness could give rise to near-death visions.
“This can give us a framework to begin to explain these. The fact they see light perhaps indicates the visual cortex in the brain is highly activated – and we have evidence to suggest this might be the case, because we have seen increased gamma in area of the brain that is right on top of the visual cortex,” she said.
“We have seen increased coupling between the lower-frequency waves and the gamma that has been shown to be a feature of visual awareness and visual sensation.”
However, Dr. Jimo Borjigin said that to confirm the findings a study would have to be carried out on humans who have experienced clinical death and have been revived
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has won Mali’s presidential election after his rival Soumaila Cisse admitted defeat in the second round.
Ex-Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse said he had congratulated Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and wished him good luck, AFP reported.
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, 68, served as prime minister from 1994 to 2000.
Mali has suffered a year of unrest including a military coup and a French-led military intervention to oust Islamist rebels from the north.
No official results have yet been released following Sunday’s runoff, however, reports had put Ibrahim Boubacar Keita well ahead.
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has won Mali’s presidential election after his rival Soumaila Cisse admitted defeat in the second round
In the first round Soumaila Cisse polled just 19% against Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s 40% and most of the other candidates then gave Keita their endorsements.
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita – known as IBK – will now oversee more than $4 billion in foreign aid promised to rebuild the West African state.
A 12,600-strong United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Mali (Minusma) is currently deploying, as France begins to withdraw its 3,000 troops.
After the first round Soumaila Cisse had complained of widespread fraud, with more than 400,000 ballots declared spoiled.
However, Mali’s Constitutional Court rejected the allegations and the head of the EU election observer mission, Louis Michel, praised the electoral process for its transparency.
On Monday, observers from the EU and the African Union again praised the way the second round was carried out.
“Malians should be congratulated because it seems to me they are regaining control of their democratic destiny, which is in fact nevertheless a tradition that exists in Mali,” said Louis Michel.
Professor Zhang Lin, who built a rock-covered roof-top villa on top of a Beijing high-rise, may have to demolish his house, reports from China say.
The villa, surrounded by rocks, trees and bushes, sits on top of a 26-storey building in Beijing’s Haidian district.
State-run China Daily says it was built without the proper permissions.
Zhang Lin’s villa, surrounded by rocks, trees and bushes, sits on top of a 26-storey building in Beijing’s Haidian district
Residents of the building have told Chinese media they fear the construction of the roof-top house has made the high-rise unsafe.
China Daily identified the owner as the head of a state-run traditional medicine chain.
Citing a statement from Haidian urban management officials, it said that government approval for the house had not been obtained and so a compulsory demolition order had been filed.
Prof. Zhang Lin had 15 days to present documents proving the structure had been approved, the paper said.
Newspaper reports said other residents in the tower block had complained that the villa had damaged pipes and the structural integrity of the building.
The rocks surrounding the sprawling villa are said to be fake but the grass and trees are real.
The Missouri State Fair has banned for life a rodeo clown who donned a mask bearing the likeness of President Barack Obama for a mocking comedy act.
The clown’s act on Saturday night – during which fans were asked whether they wanted to see “Obama run down by a bull” – drew swift denunciation.
The Missouri State Fair organizers said on Monday the act was “inappropriate” and apologized for the “unconscionable stunt”.
A spokesman for Gov Jay Nixon said the clown’s act was “deplorable”.
Rodeo clowns are an established part of the sport in the US.
In addition to entertaining the fans with comedy sketches between bull riding and other competitive feats, they distract the bulls once they have thrown their riders, in order to give the cowboys a chance to escape.
The unidentified rodeo clown sparked outrage after impersonating Barack Obama at the Missouri State Fair
The most popular rodeo clowns can take in $2,000 per night at the largest events, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In amateur video taken of the event in Sedalia, Missouri, a performer wearing what appears to be a toothy Barack Obama fright mask, jacket, and straw cowboy hat can be seen standing in the middle of the rodeo arena.
The announcer is heard calling attention to him, at which point a voice cries over the public address system: “I know I’m a clown, he’s just running around acting like one, doesn’t know he is one.”
The unidentified clown’s numerous detractors have insisted rodeo is a competitive sport and a brand of family entertainment, not a political platform.
“All members of the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association are very proud of our country and our president,” the association’s board of directors said in a statement.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
State Representative Steve Webb, like Barack Obama a Democrat, suggested the act had “racial overtones”, in an interview with the Kansas City Star.
In 2012, Barack Obama lost the state of Missouri in the US Midwest 54% to 44%. But in 2008, he lost the state by fewer than 4,000 votes.
Lady Gaga’s new single, Applause, has been rushed out after a number of snippets leaked online.
“A pop music emergency is underway,” tweeted Lady Gaga as the single was distributed to iTunes and YouTube.
Applause, Lady Gaga’s first new material since 2011, was originally scheduled for release on August 19.
Leaks are almost a fact of life for today’s pop stars, with Beyonce, Katy Perry and Jay-Z all seeing unauthorized material appear online this year.
Of 2013’s major releases, only David Bowie managed to keep his new album under wraps.
The release of his comeback single, Where Are We Now, on the morning of his 66th birthday came as a surprise to fans and critics around the world.
Lady Gaga’s new single, Applause, has been rushed out after a number of snippets leaked online
Low quality clips from Lady Gaga’s record first began to appear online on Saturday.
“Lord in heaven, why?” Lady Gaga tweeted, blaming hackers for the leak.
“You just couldn’t wait. This is too much for one Saturday.”
At first, Lady Gaga, 27, mobilized fans – asking them to report leaks to her record label – but by Monday evening she had relented and released the song to radio and online stores.
A short burst of robotic pop, Applause has so far received positive reviews.
Calling the single a “throwback” to her earlier material, Rolling Stone said: “Applause is all bouncy disco and simple messages.”
Billboard magazine said it was “built around pulsating synthesizers and morphs into a thrilling dance cut when it circles back to its chorus”.
But Spin magazine said Applause “offers few reasons to clap”, calling the track “bland” and “behind the times”.
Lady Gaga is due to give the first performance of the single at the MTV Awards on August 25.
Lady Gaga’s third album, ARTPOP, will be released in November.
Kris Jenner fired back at Barack Obama after he criticized Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for their opulent lifestyles.
Kris Jenner, 57, during her Kris show on Friday said she disagreed with President Obama that Kim and Kanye have been influencing the younger generation to be obsessed with wealth and money.
Barack Obama, 52, in a recent Kindle Singles interview bemoaned the “change in culture” that has warped the American Dream and referenced the E! network’s popular Keeping Up With The Kardashians show.
“There was not that window into the lifestyles of the rich and famous,” Barack Obama said of his time growing up.
“Kids weren’t monitoring every day what Kim Kardashian was wearing, or where Kanye West was going on vacation, and thinking that somehow that was the mark of success,” said the president, who has twice referred to Kanye West in the past as a jackass.
Kris Jenner countered that she thought it was admirable that people, including a high school graduate such as herself, aspired to obtain great jobs.
“But, I wasn’t aware that you could only set the bar so high and that we could only dream so big,” Kris Jenner told the sympathetic studio audience.
Kris Jenner fired back at Barack Obama after he criticized Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for their opulent lifestyles
Kris Jenner chided the Columbia University and Harvard Law School graduate for pointing out that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West live in a 10,000-square-foot house.
“I bet the President has some friends with 10,000 square foot houses and he probably wouldn’t mind going over there when asking them to have a party for campaigning for dollars to run for president,” Kris Jenner said.
Kris Jenner also thought it was strange that Barack Obama was singling out Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
“I find it so odd that he’s picking on Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Well, Kanye West, first of all, doesn’t go on vacation. Ever,” Kris Jenner said.
“And Kim Kardashian is the hardest-working young lady in the world. She never sleeps, she never stops, she never slows down and works so hard for what she’s got,” she added.
Kris Jenner also drew a comparison between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 10,000-square-foot mansion, noting that Barack Obama, “if she’s not mistaken”, lives in the 55,000-square-foot White House.
She also defended the Keeping Up With The Kardashians empire for employing hundreds of workers on the reality show.
It’s not the first time that Barack Obama has hard harsh words for Kanye West.
After the singer upstaged Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Barack Obama famously called him a jackass in an interview.
In the May issue of The Atlantic, Barack Obama said he prefers rapper Jay-Z over Kanye.
The president acknowledged liking Kanye West and the singer’s Chicago roots, but stood by his earlier characterization.
James “Whitey” Bulger, one of America’s most notorious mob bosses, has been convicted of nearly a dozen murders, racketeering and conspiracy.
James Bulger, 83, terrorized an Irish-Catholic neighborhood of Boston in the 1970s and ’80s as leader of the Winter Hill Gang.
He betrayed no emotion upon hearing the verdict after a two-month trial.
Whitey Bulger went on the run in 1994 and was finally captured in Santa Monica, California, in 2011.
He was said to have been an inspiration for the gangster played by Jack Nicholson in Oscar-winning 2006 film The Departed.
The trial in Boston heard gruesome evidence that James Bulger had participated in 19 murders, but he was found guilty on Monday of a role in only 11 of them.
Convicted of 31 of the 32 total criminal counts against him, James Bulger faces a life prison sentence. But analysts have pointed out that even a short sentence would likely see the stooped, grey-haired ex-gangster die in prison.
Whitey Bulger refused to testify at the trial, calling the proceedings “a sham” because he said he had been promised immunity by a now-deceased prosecutor in return for protection from other mobsters.
James “Whitey” Bulger has been convicted of nearly a dozen murders, racketeering and conspiracy
During the trial, the federal jury of 12 heard testimony from 72 witnesses and saw 840 exhibits
Prosecutors said James Bulger had been a longtime FBI informant protected by corrupt agents, who turned a blind eye to the Winter Hill gang’s activities in return for information on the Italian Mafia.
But his lawyers denied he was an informant, arguing that he paid the FBI for information about investigations.
The defense did not contest James Bulger ran a criminal enterprise, but strongly denied he killed women and that he was “rat” – an informant against others in the criminal underworld.
James Bulger’s victims included anyone he saw as a threat, prosecutors said, including innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“This is not some Robin Hood story about a guy who kept angel dust and heroin out of Southie,” prosecutor Fred Wyshak told the jury in closing arguments, referring to the South Boston neighborhood that was his gang’s turf.
James Bulger’s former associates testified against him, saying he threatened anyone who could expose his crime syndicate, and threatened others with pistols and machine guns to force them to hand over cash.
Among other things, he was accused of strangling two women with his bare hands, shooting two chained men in the head after interrogating them for hours, and opening fire on two men as they left a South Boston restaurant.
Defense lawyers sought to portray the key witnesses, all convicted mob members, as pathological liars who were attempting to pin their own crimes on Bulger.
Another witness, real estate developer Richard Buccheri, said the mob boss threatened to kill him and his family if he did not pay $200,000, sticking a shotgun in Buccheri’s mouth.
“Today is a day many in this city thought would never come,” Massachusetts US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said in a press conference after the verdict, which she said marked the end of an “ugly” era in Boston’s history.
“Despite the corruption, we stand here today because of the dogged work of honest and dedicated members of law enforcement.”
James “Whitey” Bulger was featured on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list for 16 years until he was found living in California with his girlfriend Catherine Greig.
She was sentenced in 2012 to eight years in prison for helping James Bulger evade the law.
He fled Boston in 1994 after a retired FBI agent tipped him off that he was about to be indicted.
His origins in a Boston housing project, his career in the criminal underworld, and his years on the run from the law captivated the city, especially as his younger brother William rose to become president of the state Senate.
James Bulger’s disappearance was a major embarrassment for the FBI, especially after it was alleged in court that he and his gang paid off several FBI agents and state and Boston police officers, offering cash and cases of fine wine in exchange for information on search warrants and wiretaps.
Blackberry is exploring options for its business, which could see the company sold off.
Timothy Dattels, a Blackberry board member, will head a new committee that will consider different business models, including partnerships.
The smartphone maker wants to increase sales of its Blackberry 10 model, seen as crucial to the future of the company.
“We believe that now is the right time to explore strategic alternatives,” said Timothy Dattels.
“During the past year, management and the board have been focused on launching the Blackberry 10 platform and BES 10, establishing a strong financial position and evaluating the best approach to delivering long-term value for customers and shareholders.”
Blackberry is exploring options for its business, which could see the company sold off
Prem Watsa, chairman of Blackberry’s largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial, resigned from the board as the formation of the committee was announced. Prem Watsa said he wanted to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
“I continue to be a strong supporter of the company, the board and management as they move forward through this process, and Fairfax Financial has no current intention of selling its shares,” he said.
Blackberry has struggled in recent years to regain market share lost to Apple and users of Google’s Android operating system.
“It’s quite surprising to see a statement like this made publically,” said Francisco Jeronimo from the technology research firm IDC.
“Everyone knows that they’ve been struggling and looking at their options. It’s clear that they haven’t been able to find anyone who wants to buy or form a partnership.
“Blackberry has very strong assets and is one of the most recognized portfolios in the industry.
“The question now is how much they’re asking and what’s on offer.”
Shares in the company rose by more than 5% as the news of the committee formation emerged.
The company dropped its Research in Motion name in January 2013 and rebranded as Blackberry, to coincide with the launch of the Blackberry 10 model.
In its most recent quarter, Blackberry lost $84 million and expects to lose more money in the three months to the end of August.
Zhang Lin has spent six years building his dream mountaintop villa – on top of a Beijing apartment block.
The eccentric professor shifted tons of rubble and rock onto the roof of the building to construct the outrageous home which looks like it has been carved from a mountainside.
The property even has a rocky mountain garden, complete with rubble and shrubbery.
However, Zhang Lin’s distraught neighbors are less than impressed with the project and fear the building is about to collapse.
The rooftop home, which never received planning approval, has caused cracks to appear in his neighbors’ ceilings and walls while some have had to put up with leaks from broken pipes and drains.
They have also been forced to live with the noise and disturbance caused from the building work.
One resident said their apartment is constantly flooded while another described the academic as a “menace”.
“This was originally a small attic when he bought it. But he tore that down and built this mountain on top of us,” said one.
Professor Zhang Lin has spent six years building his dream mountaintop villa on top of a Beijing apartment block
“He’s broken drains so we’re always being flooded when it rains and there are huge structural cracks in our ceiling and walls,” they added.
“He is a menace as a neighbor and he didn’t get any permission to build this monstrosity,” said another.
Zhang Lin could now be ordered to tear down his mountain penthouse if it is deemed unsafe.
“It has come to our attention that Professor Zhang did not apply for permission for this structure. So unless he can prove it is safe, it will have to come down,” explained a city official.
China is known for its crazy design and architecture.
The Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is filled with grand European buildings and wide walkways. Ornate fountains and statues also line the streets of the town.
During its construction in 2007, a replica of the Eiffel Tower standing at 108 metres was even built.
There is also a replica of a fountain from the Luxemburg Gardens in a main square called Champs Elysées.
Last year developers began building 39 Palladian mansions in a Beijing suburb at a cost of $15 million to create the country’s most expensive housing estate.
The Western-style mansions with tall columns and impressive entrances wont look out of place on a sprawling English estate.
Last month China unveiled a gigantic glowing doughnut-shaped hotel in Huzhou, near Shanghai.
The 27-storey Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, looms over the skyline offering 321 spacious guest rooms, including 44 suites and 39 villas.
It also unveiled plans to build sky-high farms – towers in Tai Po, Hong Kong, that would grow rice, fruit and vegetables on each of the levels.
China has also laid claim to the title of the world’s largest building – the The New Century Global Center in Chengdu, Sichuan province, which could 20 Sydney Opera Houses inside.
China’s new tallest building – the 2,073ft Shanghai Tower, has also just been completed in the city’s financial district.
Simon Cowell was joined by a bevy of bikini-clad blondes and former flame Sinitta in his annual summer cruise of the Mediterranean.
Despite being joined by a decidedly more masculine crowd as he embarked upon his month-long holiday on Sunday, Simon Cowell appeared to be back to his old ways as he enjoyed a day of jet-skiing and sunbathing with his army of female friends.
Joining the music mogul were Kelly Bergantz, who is his top female TV executive at Syco Entertainment and a close friend, as well as her sister Jamie – and the pair wasted no time in soaking up the sun in bikinis.
Simon Cowell, 53, appeared to be keen to stay active as he enjoyed the first day of his summer break, using the opportunity to get out and about on a jet-ski.
Expertly ripping through the waves as he meandered the area near his luxury yacht, the father-to-be appeared to be enjoying a spot of alone time.
As Simon enjoyed an action-packed day out, Kelly Bergantz, who married Ben Belldegrun in April, donned a white bikini, while her sister Jamie was clad in a similar blue bikini, decided to kick back and relax on the lavish vessel in the Mediterranean sun for the afternoon, while queen bee Sinitta chatted with crew members.
As Sinitta joined Simon Cowell on board, she also broke her two week Twitter silence as she wrote: “Bye Bye Blighty, take care til next time … Ps what a “header” Van-Persie!!! Xx.”
Simon Cowell was joined by a bevy of bikini-clad blondes and former flame Sinitta in his annual summer cruise of the Mediterranean
Prior to Monday, Sinitta hadn’t tweeted since July 29, with a tweet many believe was a reaction to finding out Simon Cowell was destined to become a father.
Sinitta tweeted: “Something has just happened. ..half miracle, half nightmare! #WakeMeUpIWantToGetOff!!”
It was previously reported Sinitta grew emotional at discovering Simon Cowell had fathered a child with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, telling him “it should have been me”.
After visiting his mother Julie in London last week, Simon re-emerged on the continent on Sunday as he prepared to board the $73million yacht for his annual month-long cruise.
Simon Cowell’s “harem” usually includes ex-fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy and former girlfriend and best friend Jackie St Clair, who was reported to be shocked at his recent news that he has fathered a child with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, was not on board – and has not joined him on the yacht.
The music mogul has rarely been seen over the past two weeks – bar an X Factor promotional appearance at a press conference – since it emerged his married lover was pregnant.
While Simon Cowell will spend the next few weeks cruising the Med, it’s expected Lauren Silverman, 36, will remain at her home in The Hamptons, New York, with estranged husband Andrew as they try to resolve their issues regarding the care and custody of their seven-year-old son.
Simon Cowell has chartered the $458,000-a-week 196.9 foot vessel for his winter holidays in the Caribbean and summer holidays in the Med in recent years.
Joining him last summer was Lauren Silverman and her husband Andrew, along with Simon’s usual harem.
The yacht features seven guest cabins and sleeps up to 13 guests, with a crew of 15 catering to their every need.
Earlier this month, photos taken in August 2012 emerged that appeared to show Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman kissing on the yacht, despite her husband also being on board. Simon Cowell is said to have met up with Andrew in New York just before his flight to Europe.
Simon Cowell and Andrew Silverman secretly met with each other reportedly at the Francis S. Gabreski airport in Westhampton Beach, New York, where they allegedly spent three hours clearing the air.
The summit is supposedly the first time the men had come face-to-face since the news emerged that Simon Cowell was the father of Andrew Silverman’s estranged wife’s love-child.
Simon Cowell – who is standing by New York socialite Lauren Silverman and their child – will pay $20,000-a-month for the sprawling three-bed property in NYC.
The couple are also now discussing which of Simon Cowell’s many properties they will also share – as he already owns multi-million dollar homes in Beverly Hills and London.
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are officially a couple, according to friends, and the music mogul is keen that she finalizes her divorce from her property millionaire ex as quickly and peacefully as possible.
Sinitta told The Sun she believes Simon Cowell will be a good father because “he’s great with kids”.
The Swiss sales assistant who refused to show Oprah Winfrey a luxury handbag costing nearly $35,000 claims the superstar lied about what happened in the Trois Pommes luxury boutique where she works.
Speaking anonymously to Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick, the Italian bag lady said she felt “powerless” and in the grip of a “cyclone” after Oprah Winfrey went on TV in America to claim she had been the victim of racism.
Oprah Winfrey was in Switzerland in July when she walked into the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich looking for a handbag to match the outfit she was going to wear to old friend Tina Turner’s wedding.
She claims the sales assistant refused to show her the black crocodile leather bag because – seeing a black woman – she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it.
Now the saleslady has hit back, stating: “I wasn’t sure what I should present to her when she came in on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 so I showed her some bags from the Jennifer Aniston collection.
“I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do.
“She looked at a frame behind me. Far above there was the 35,000 Swiss franc crocodile leather bag.
“I simply told her that it was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags.
“It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag.
Oprah Winfrey claims Trois Pommes sales assistant refused to show her a black crocodile leather bag because, seeing a black woman, she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it
“She looked around the store again but didn’t say anything else. Then she went with her companion to the lower floor. My colleague saw them to the door. They were not even in the store for five minutes.”
She emphatically denied ever saying to Oprah Winfrey: “You don’t want to see this bag. It is too expensive. You cannot afford it.”
The saleslady went on: “This is not true. This is absurd. I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never. Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.
“I don’t know why she is making these accusations. She is so powerful and I am just a shop girl.
“I didn’t hurt anyone. I don’t know why someone as great as her must cannibalize me on TV.
“If it had all taken place as she claimed, why has she not complained the next day at the wedding of Tina Turner with Trudie Goetz, my boss? She was there also at the Turner wedding as a guest. I don’t understand it.
“I spoke to Oprah Winfrey in English. My English is okay but not excellent, unfortunately.
“I didn’t know who she was when she came into the store. That wouldn’t have made any difference if I had.
“We work really hard to greet all the people who come into the store with the same level of respect and treat them all equally.
“If someone asks me whether he or she can see an article, I always present these. Because that person is a potential buyer. And my job is to sell it.
“I’m glad if I can sell an article. It is a reward for me, if I can sell a nice piece. This means that I’m good at my job.”
She has worked in the store for five years and says 50% of the clientele come from abroad and that a bag costing nearly $35,000 is sold “only a few times a year”.
Asked what she would say to Oprah Winfrey now she added: “I would apologize and say it was all a misunderstanding. I surely did not intentionally want to insult Ms. Winfrey. I hope this nightmare ends soon.”
According to new reports, bribes are routinely paid by major foreign pharmaceutical companies operating in China.
Five sales representatives for foreign companies told the BBC their firms paid bribes in order to increase sales of their products.
None of them wanted to be identified, fearing they would lose their jobs.
The revelations come as Beijing widens its investigation into drugs-price fixing amid a bribery scandal engulfing drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline.
One of the salesmen said his company paid about $1,000 to get its product back on the shelves at one hospital.
“I don’t deny [giving money to doctors] happens in foreign companies,” the sales representative said.
“It is rare though and only very few people get it,” he added.
GSK was accused of directing up to $500 million through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to Chinese doctors and officials
But he described an incident where a product had been cleared from a hospital’s shelves, which proved to be “an embarrassment” for him and his company.
“If we follow the normal procedure to recover it, it is very complicated. It will cost a lot of money and energy. We looked for a quick way.”
The sales representative admitted that strictly speaking, the money paid out to ensure the product returned to shelves was probably a bribe and that his manager signed it off. He said it would have cost a lot more to achieve the same result through official routes.
“It may cost us more if we have not paid the bribe. It will be a lot of money and energy,” he said.
Such revelations follow last month’s allegations by the Chinese police that the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline had engaged in “mafia-style behavior”. GSK was accused of directing up to $500 million through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to doctors and officials.
A detained Chinese executive from the firm told state television that bribes paid by his company had inflated prices of its products by a third.
GSK has said that it is co-operating with the Chinese investigation.
China’s health care spending is expected to more than double by the end of this decade.
By investigating possible drugs price fixing the authorities are hoping to tackle the rising costs.
Zimbabwe’s presidential election winner Robert Mugabe has launched a stinging attack on his opposition rivals in his first public speech since he won the disputed poll.
Rejecting PM Morgan Tsvangirai’s claims that the vote was stolen, he said those against him could “go hang”.
Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) boycotted the speech.
The MDC has lodged a legal challenge against the result of the “stolen election”, demanding it be rerun.
Robert Mugabe won 61% of the vote in the election on 31 July, while Morgan Tsvangirai came second with 35% and Welshman Ncube third with 3%, according to official results.
The president’s Zanu-PF party also gained a parliamentary majority of more than two-thirds, winning 160 of the 210 seats.
In his Heroes’ Day speech, which dealt with a series of national issues, Robert Mugabe focused at one point on his election victory and called for celebrations.
“Those who lost elections may commit suicide if they so wish. Even if they die, dogs will not sniff their corpses,” he said.
“We are delivering democracy on a platter. We say take it or leave it, but the people have delivered democracy.”
Zimbabwe’s Western detractors had been “put to shame”, he added. “Never will we go back on our victory.”
Non-governmental organizations had been used to rig elections in 2008, he claimed, but Zanu-PF had never stopped planning since then and had “buried thieves in our midst”.
“We found we were dining with and sharing our bed with thieves. We will never give thieves the power to rule.”
Robert Mugabe has launched a stinging attack on his opposition rivals in his first public speech since he won Zimbabwe’s presidential election
Robert Mugabe’s main rival Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of the 2008 presidential vote, but official results said he had failed to win outright.
He later pulled out of the second round because of attacks on his supporters, and eventually a power-sharing agreement was worked out.
Heroes’ Day is Zimbabwe’s proud annual celebration, when the country remembers those who died during the 1970s fight for independence.
Robert Mugabe was speaking at National Heroes’ Acre, the monument in the capital where some of those killed are buried.
Morgan Tsvangirai earlier called for calm, saying there was no national celebration for the day but rather “a nation in mourning”.
In a statement, published by the NewsDay newspaper, Morgan Tsvangirai said the majority of Zimbabweans were “still shocked at the brazen manner in which their vote was stolen”.
“We must all remain calm as we celebrate Heroes’ Day. I know that we will always be a heroic people.”
The MDC’s boycott of the national commemoration has exposed the deep rifts at the heart of this troubled country, our correspondent says.
Robert Mugabe has not yet been sworn in for a seventh consecutive term, since the appeal is ongoing. He maintains that he and Zanu-PF won free and fair elections.
The MDC has said it has “strong evidence of electoral irregularities”, including bribery, abuse of “assisted voting”, and manipulation of the electoral roll.
African and regional monitors praised the poll for being peaceful but noted some irregularities.
But a local observer group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) and its network of 7,000 observers, said that about one million voters – mainly in urban areas – were “systematically disenfranchised” by being omitted from the voters’ roll or turned away.
The nine-member Constitutional Court is expected to discuss the complaint this week. It has up to two weeks to deliver its verdict.
But with several judges being supporters of Robert Mugabe, few expect the MDC challenge to bear fruit.
In a separate development on Sunday, state radio reported that the ministry of mines had denied a report in the Times newspaper that it had agreed to sell Iran uranium for its nuclear programme.
A ministry statement was quoted as stressing that the report was “a malicious and blatant lie”, and that no export licenses had been issued.
Iran’s foreign minister has also denied the report.
Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands has died after a year and a half in a coma following an accident at an Austrian ski resort, officials say.
Prince Friso, who was 44, was moved from hospital in London back to the Netherlands last month, but had since suffered complications.
He was hit by an avalanche in February 2012 and buried for 15 minutes.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are said to be on their way home from a holiday in Greece.
“Prince Friso has died of complications related to the hypoxic brain injury, which he suffered as the result of his skiing accident in Lech, Austria on 17 February 2012,” a royal palace statement said.
Prince Johan Friso died on Monday morning in The Hague, the palace added.
Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands has died after a year and a half in a coma following an accident at an Austrian ski resort
The prince’s wife, Princess Mabel, is said to have spent her 45th birthday on Sunday at his bedside.
Shortly before becoming king on the abdication of Queen Beatrix, his elder brother, Willem-Alexander spoke in April of the “terrible situation” the family had lived with for more than a year.
Prince Johan Friso’s wife and Beatrix had been doing their best to be there for him every day “to give him a chance”, he said.
The prince had been skiing off-piste with friends in Lech when the avalanche struck.
An emergency beeper he was wearing enabled rescuers to find him but medical officials in Innsbruck said it took some time to revive him and he suffered “massive” brain damage. They said he had suffered a heart attack lasting some 50 minutes.
Prince Johan Friso was later flown to London for treatment at the private Wellington Hospital, which has a specialist neurological unit.
He was eventually discharged in July 2013 but remained in a “state of minimal consciousness”.
At the time, officials said he would spend the summer with his family at the royal palace in The Hague, with medical treatment provided by a specialist team.
Prince Friso was Beatrix’s second of three sons, but was no longer in line to the throne after his 2004 marriage to Mabel Wisse Smit, because of her earlier involvement with a notorious Dutch drug criminal.
Prince Johan Friso had worked for several years in London and the couple moved there after their marriage. He took up his last job as chief finance officer at Urenco in 2011, having worked previously in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
Prince Johan Friso and Princess Mabel had two daughters, Luana and Zaria.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 will premiere on A & E TV Wednesday, August 14.
Here is a list of ten fun facts you didn’t know about Phil, Miss Kay, Uncle Si, Jase, Willie, Jep Robertson and their wives:
1. Jase, Willie and Jep actually have a fourth brother, Alan. Alan Robertson is the oldest of the bunch, and he will make a special appearance in the upcoming fourth season of the show.
2. Miss Kay’s favorite meal to make is fried frogs, and apparently there are two ways to cook them. Jase Robertson recommends soaking them in lemon juice first, and Miss Kay says you can fry them or sauté them in butter to make them extra delicious.
3. Phil Robertson recently ran into his old football friend, Terry Bradshaw, at the airport. When the two men attended Louisiana Tech University, Phil Robertson played first string quarterback ahead of Terry Bradshaw.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 will premiere on A & E TV Wednesday, August 14
4. Contrary to popular belief, the tea Uncle Si Robertson always drinks is unsweetened.
5. The Duck Dynasty clan appeared in Darius Rucker’s Wagon Wheel music video, a remake of the popular Old Crow Medicine Show song.
6. Jase, Willie and Jep Robertson’s wives actually do love their husband’s beards, and prefer them to the “preppy look” the men used to have.
7. In addition to his huge truck seen on the show, Willie Robertson drives a camouflage BMW.
8. Miss Kay Robertson isn’t the only “Miss” of the family. Everyone calls the women of the show by their first names, and adds “Miss” at the beginning. It’s the proper Southern thing to do.
9. The Duck Commander warehouse actually has a store in it. People travel from all over to see the Robertsons, and sometimes hundreds of people are lined up outside at a time. The family claims to know which state is having Spring Break based on all the license plates in the parking lot.
10. Uncle Si Robertson’s favorite way to eat dove is with cream cheese, jalapenos and wrapped in bacon.
Just few days ahead of Duck Dynasty Season 4’s premiere, A &E TV website has published a rare photo of Si Robertson with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Christine.
Si Robertson with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Christine
Duck Dynasty will premiere on A & E Wednesday, August 14.
