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World’s largest national flag: Romania enters Guinness World Records with biggest flag ever made

Romania broke the world record for the biggest national flag making a triumphal entry in the famous Guinness Book.

A Romanian village unfurled what is the largest flag ever made, Guinness World Records said.

World’s largest flag came into display on Monday, 27 May 2013, following an initiative of the Romanian TV broadcaster Antena 3. Works on the huge flag were conducted in partnership with the Flags Factory.

It took about 200 people several hours Monday to roll out the flag, which measured about 349 meters (1,145 feet) by 227 meters (744.5 feet), about three times the size of a football field, according to Jack Brockbank, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records who measured the flag before pronouncing it the biggest flag in the world.

“It gives me great pleasure to recognize a new Guinness World Record title,” he said after measuring the flag.

“Congratulations Romania!”

Romania broke the world record for the largest national flag making a triumphal entry in the famous Guinness World Records
Romania broke the world record for the largest national flag making a triumphal entry in the famous Guinness World Records

He said Romania’s blue, yellow and red flag covers an area of about 79,290 square meters (853,478 square feet), downing Lebanon which had held the previous record.

The five-ton flag was displayed in Clinceni, 35 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of capital Bucharest. Workers struggled to keep it firmly planted on the ground because of windy conditions and had to use small sandbags.

Adrian Dragomir, manager of the Flags Factory which created the flag, says it took weeks to sew and 70 kilometers (44 miles) of thread was needed.

A military brass band played as Romanian PM Victor Ponta and other ministers arrived in the village to view the flag.

The ceremony was marked by spectacular aerial demonstrations performed by the “AeroClub Romania” paratroopers and “Hawks of Romania” aviators. Furthermore, a military orchestra was scheduled for a musical performance of the national anthem.

Paratroopers from Aeroclub Romania joined the campaign and made an aerial jump that was set to end with a remarkable landing across the flag.

Also a team of pilots dubbed as the “Hawks of Romania” unveiled their training skills on board of Extra 300 planes.

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Memorial Day 2013: Barack Obama pays tribute to America’s fallen from Arlington National Cemetery

President Barack Obama has paid tribute to America’s fallen soldiers in a moving Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery – as he urged the nation not to forget the thousands of troops still protecting the country.

“Let us never forgot to always remember the sacrifice they make in our name,” Barack Obama said in his Memorial Day address at the final resting place for many of America’s war heroes.

“Today most Americans are not directly touched by war, as a consequence not all Americans may always fully grasp the depths of sacrifice – the profound costs that are made in our name,” the president said.

“Our troops, our military families understand this and they mention to me whether the country fully appreciates what is happening. Let us never forget that our nation is still at war.”

President Barack Obama suggested fewer people are today touched by war due to the all-volunteer military force and advanced technology that allows the U.S. to accomplish some missions with far fewer personnel.

But he reminded the nation not to forget the 60,000 troops who are still fighting in Afghanistan.

In his speech, Barack Obama said that Arlington National Cemetery “has always been home to men and women who are willing to give their all … to preserve and protect the land that we love”.

He praised the character and selflessness that “beats in the hearts” of America’s troops.

Before his address, President Barack Obama honored the nation’s fallen military service members by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in a somber ceremony at the cemetery.

He rode by motorcade from the White House to the hallowed burial grounds in suburban Virginia on a sun-splashed, but cool spring holiday as cannon fire was heard in the distance.

Barack Obama has paid tribute to America's fallen soldiers in a moving Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery
Barack Obama has paid tribute to America’s fallen soldiers in a moving Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery

Surrounded by officials and families of service members, Barack Obama carried out the Memorial Day tradition before reflecting silently on the lives lost to battle as he held his hand held to his chest.

The president was joined by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, cemetery Executive Director Kathryn Condon and Maj. Gen. Michael Linnington, commander of the Army’s military district of Washington.

As Barack Obama attended the event at Arlington, families marked Memorial Day at cemeteries, memorials and monuments across the country.

The presentation came after First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a breakfast at the White House with “Gold Star” families of service members who have been killed.

The events come at a time when combat in Afghanistan approaches 12 years and the ranks of World War II veterans dwindles.

In one of several ceremonies honoring Americans killed in Afghanistan, the city of South Sioux City, Nebraska, planned to unveil a statue honoring Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Douangdara, a dog handler for the SEALs killed in a 2011 helicopter crash.

His service dog was also killed in the crash and is memorialized beside him in the statue.

At the American Airpower Museum on Long Island, N.Y., a program was planned to honor Women Air Service Pilots, or WASPs, who tested and ferried completed aircraft from factories to bases during World War II.

Thirty-eight died during the war, including Alice Lovejoy of Scarsdale, New York, who was killed on September 13, 1944, in a midair collision over Texas.

“It’s very important that we recognize not only their contribution to American history, but women’s history,” said Julia Lauria-Blum, curator of the WASP exhibit at the museum.

“These women really blazed a path; they were pioneers for women’s aviation. And most important, they gave their lives serving their country and must be honored like anyone else on Memorial Day.”

Another wreath-laying ceremony was planned at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City.

The park is a tribute to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous speech calling for all people to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

In Atlanta, a dedication of the History Center’s redone Veterans Park was scheduled for early evening. Soil from major battlefields will be scattered by veterans around the park’s flagpole.

In suburban Boston, veterans gathered in a park to mark Memorial Day this year rather than hold a parade because of failing health and dwindling numbers.

The city of Beverly called off its parade because so few veterans would be able to march. The parade has been a fixture in the town since the Civil War.

The holiday weekend also marked the traditional start of the U.S. vacation season. AAA, one of the nation’s largest leisure travel agencies, expected 31.2 million Americans to hit the road over the weekend, virtually the same number as last year.

Gas prices were about the same as last year, up 1 cent to a national average of $3.65 a gallon Friday.

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Colombia and FARC rebels agree on agrarian reform

Left-wing FARC rebels and the Colombian government have agreed on land reform, after more than six months of peace talks.

“This agreement will be the start of a radical transformation of rural Colombia,” read a joint statement.

The deal calls for the economic and social development of rural areas and providing land to poor farmers.

Land reform is one of the most contentious issues in the talks on ending five decades of conflict.

“Today we have a real opportunity to attain peace through dialogue,” said the Colombian government’s chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle.

“To support this process is to believe in Colombia,” he told journalists at the talks in the Cuban capital, Havana.

The FARC, Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, has been in talks with the government on the Caribbean island since last November.

FARC chief negotiator Ivan Marquez said several issues remained unresolved and would be dealt with in later discussions.

“We have advanced in the construction of an accord that will necessarily be checked over before the completion of the final agreement.”

The talks in Cuba are the fourth attempt to reach a negotiated settlement of the conflict, the longest-running in Latin America.

Sunday’s agreement calls for fair access to land, and rural development – two key causes of the armed conflict.

Left-wing FARC rebels and the Colombian government have agreed on land reform, after more than six months of peace talks
Left-wing FARC rebels and the Colombian government have agreed on land reform, after more than six months of peace talks

It also calls for the creation of a land bank, as a way to reallocate land, including areas seized illegally during the fighting.

Analysts and aid groups say much of it was taken by far-right paramilitary groups on behalf of cattle ranchers and drug traffickers.

The Colombian government, however, blames at least a third of the seizures on the FARC – a claim the rebels deny.

The agreement marks a significant step forward in the peace process.

Peace talks will resume on June 11 on the second major issue – the rebels’ participation in politics.

After Sunday’s agreement was announced, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter: “We celebrate, really, this fundamental step in Havana… to end half a century of conflict.

“We will continue the (peace) process with care and responsibility.”

Juan Manuel Santos previously said he wanted the talks to end this year.

But both parties have stressed that nothing is finalized until a complete peace accord is reached.

The FARC originally set out to overthrow the government and install a Marxist regime, but in recent years the rebels have become increasingly involved in the drug trade to finance their campaign.

According to the UN, Colombia is the top producer of coca leaf, the raw material for making cocaine.

Much of the illicit d**g goes to the US, and the Andean country has been for more than a decade a major recipient of US counter-narcotics aid through the so-called Plan Colombia.

On Monday, US Vice President Joe Biden is expected to meet Juan Manuel Santos as part of an official visit to Bogota that is centred on drugs, security and trade.

“It is an encouraging development that these negotiations will lead to the end of the conflict in Colombia,” said US Ambassador to Colombia, Michael McKinley, ahead of Joe Biden’s visit.

It is difficult to find reliable statistics on how many people died from the violence in Colombia.

The government estimates that 600,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in the 1960s, with some three million more internally displaced by the fighting.

The FARC is thought to have some 8,000 fighters, down from about 16,000 in 2001.

Six points on Colombia’s government and FARC peace agenda:

  • Land reform
  • Political participation
  • Disarmament
  • Illicit d**gs
  • Rights of the victims
  • Peace deal implementation

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Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winners List

Cannes Film Festival 2013: Full Winners List

 

Palme d’Or: Abdellatif Kechiche, Blue Is The Warmest Color

Grand Prix: Coen Brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Director: Amat Escalante, Heli

Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winners
Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winners

Best Screenplay: Jia Zhangke, A Touch of Sin

Best Actress: Berenice Bejo, The Past

Best Actor: Bruce Dern, Nebraska

Jury Prize: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Like Father, Like Son

Camera d’Or: Anthony Chen, Ilo Ilo

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Teen Choice Awards 2013 Nominations: Twilight up for seven prizes

Twilight is up for seven prizes at Teen Choice Awards 2013.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is nominated in the sci-fi/fantasy and romance categories.

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner from the films are also nominated in various acting categories.

Taylor Swift is up for female artist, country artist and smile while One Direction’s Harry Styles is up against actors Channing Tatum, Taylor Lautner and Justin Bieber for male hottie.

Justin Bieber is nominated for best male artist along with Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars.

Twilight is up for seven prizes at Teen Choice Awards 2013
Twilight is up for seven prizes at Teen Choice Awards 2013

Anne Hathaway is up for awards for her roles in The Dark Knight Rises and Les Miserables.

Other films that were most nominated include Iron Man 3 and Breaking Dawn.

The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs in the US.

It honours film, TV, music, fashion and sports stars with votes from teenage viewers aged between 13 to 19.

Winners receive a full-size surfboard as their award.

The two-hour ceremony will air live in August on the Fox network in the U.S.

Teen Choice Award 2013 categories include:

Choice female artist

Selena Gomez; Demi Lovato; Pink; Rihanna and Taylor Swift

Choice male artist

Justin Bieber; Bruno Mars; Phillip Phillips; Pitbull and Justin Timberlake

Choice TV show: comedy

The Big Bang Theory; Glee; Modern Family; New Girl and Suburgatory

Choice male hottie

Justin Bieber; Liam Hemsworth; Taylor Lautner; Harry Styles and Channing Tatum

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Emmanuelle Seigner plays Vanda in Roman Polanski’s latest film Venus In Fur

Roman Polanski’s new film, Venus in Fur, with the director beautiful wife’s Emmanuelle Seigner in female leading role, is adapted from the stage-play by David Ives.

The movie is set continuously in one location: a theatre auditorium in Paris, where a harassed director has just spent a long and disagreeable afternoon auditioning actresses for a new version of Venus In Furs, the Leopold von Sacher-Masoch novel about s***al submission.

The last film screened in competition at Cannes 2013 is a slight, spry comedy of s** and power; a doodle in the festival’s margins, perhaps, but it has certainly been sketched with a flourish.

Roman Polanski has adapted the David Ives play Venus in Fur, which is itself based on a novella by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.

Emmanuelle Seigner plays Vanda in Roman Polanski's latest film Venus In Fur
Emmanuelle Seigner plays Vanda in Roman Polanski’s latest film Venus In Fur

The playwright, Thomas (Mathieu Amalric), has decided to direct his own script, and as the film begins, he is lamenting the lack of suitable actresses for the Vanda role.

“I need a s**y young woman with classical training and a scrap of brain in her skull,” he fumes.

At that moment, an actress blows in through the door, although she is not the erudite gamine of Thomas’s casting-call fantasies. She is in her mid-40s; a blur of blonde hair and blue eyeshadow; and she seems to have only the vaguest idea as to what the text is about. Her name, oddly enough, is Vanda, and she is played by Emmanuelle Seigner.

The shrugging, gum-chewing Vanda seems to be even worse than the others, but after she begs, Thomas is finally persuaded to give her a try – and of course he is astonished by what Vanda comes up with. Soon their relationship begins to change and Roman Polanski shows how Thomas experiences precisely that forbidden frisson celebrated in the novel.

It is a Pygmalion story, in its way, a story of transformation. The director might consider it his prerogative to shape and develop his leading lady in rehearsal. But that is not how Vanda sees it. For all its avowed danger and transgression there is something a little bit dated and even genteel in this theatregoers’ adventure in s**.

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Myriam L’Aouffir: DSK premieres his latest girlfriend on red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013

Disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has appeared in public for the first time with his new girlfriend Myriam L’Aouffir on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013.

It was confirmation that the pair are together, following DSK’s split last year from his long-suffering wife of 20 years, Anne Sinclair.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Myriam L’Aouffir were rumored last September to have started dating but this appearance appeared to be the first public confirmation. They attended the screening of a French film, Full Sun, starring veteran actor Alain Delon.

At 43 years-old, Myriam L’Aouffir is 20 years younger than her infamous economist boyfriend.

Like DSK, Myriam L’Aouffir comes from a Moroccan background, and is also believed to be estranged from her husband, with whom she has two children. She works in marketing.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn last December agreed a financial settlement with hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo whose 2011 allegation of s***al assault forced him to resign from the International Monetary Fund.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has appeared in public for the first time with his new girlfriend Myriam L’Aouffir on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has appeared in public for the first time with his new girlfriend Myriam L’Aouffir on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013

DSK – once tipped as a Socialist French president – was accused of trying to rape chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo at a Sofitel Hotel in New York.

After being held in the NYC’s notorious Rikers Island prison, criminal charges were dropped.

DSK then returned to France last year only to face accusations of s***ally abusing a young French writer.

French judges agreed there was a case against DSK, but had to drop it because the alleged attack happened more than a decade ago.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn was then charged with conspiring with pimps in Lille, northern France, to procure girls for s** parties around the world.

A film starring Jacqueline Bisset – who plays his former wife Anne Sinclair – and Gerard Depardieu as DSK which recreates the drama around the 2011 incident is expected to be released later this year.

DSK’s New York arrest ultimately destroyed his ambitions for the French presidency.

A gifted orator, fluent in English and German, DSK had been seen as a likely challenger to president Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2012 election, won by Francois Hollande.

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Miley Cyrus posts self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on daily basis

Miley Cyrus recently celebrated her number one status on Maxim magazine’s hot 100 list and it seems that she is intent upon maintaining the coveted spot as she has made it a habit to post self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on an almost daily basis.

On Sunday Miley Cyrus, 20, was at it again, showing off her toned figure in an Instagram snap of herself bathed in golden light as she lounged in a black cocktail dress.

The caption for the indulgent snap demonstrated her self-promotional savvy: “CAN’T STOP. CARRY ON.”

The text was a reference to her upcoming single We Can’t Stop, which Miley Cyrus has been aggressively promoting online in an attempt to get the phrase “can’t stop” to become a trend on both Twitter and Instagram.

The song, produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, will première on Ryan Seacrest’s syndicated radio show on June 3.

Miley Cyrus posts self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on daily basis
Miley Cyrus posts self portraits to Instagram and Twitter on daily basis

Last Sunday Miley Cyrus told Billboard that she was “so excited” about the soon-to-be released album.

Miley Cyrus explained that she believes she has grown as a singer and a songwriter, saying: “I feel like I can really be myself.

“I really have more of a connection of who I am, and I feel like I can maybe express that more in my music now.”

Of the recording process Miley Cyrus added: “Me and Mike-WiLL [Made-It] teamed up, and it really just turned out to be perfect and exactly what I wanted, and exactly what I wanted my first sound to be, and my first look to be.

“I think it’s an important message for me to tell my fans – they haven’t stopped waiting, so it’s great.”

Meanwhile, rumors of a split from her fiancé Liam Hemsworth continue to plague Miley Cyrus – perpetuated by the fact that they seem to be spending so much time apart.

InTouch magazine reported that Miley Cyrus enlisted the help of a “spiritual” marriage counselor to help the pair work out their differences.

An insider told the magazine: “She’s hoping to save her relationship by enlisting a therapist. She knows that Liam has one foot out the door and that she’ll lose him if she doesn’t act fast.”

Memorial Day parade canceled in Beverly for first time in 152 years

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The city of Beverly, a suburb of Boston, called off its Memorial Day parade this year because so few veterans would be able to march.

Veterans in Beverly gathered in a park to mark Memorial Day this year rather than hold a parade because of failing health and dwindling numbers.

The parade has been a fixture in the town since the Civil War.

Vietnam veteran Ron Innocenti tells WBZ-TV he hates canceling because of the message it sends to current service members. But he does understand the reason.

Many veterans who were gathered at the Herman A. Spear American Legion Post this weekend are upset by the decision.

“It’s not right to me,” says Ron Innocenti. He is a Vietnam veteran who has not only marched in the city’s Memorial Day parade in the past; he says he has also been its grand marshal.

He hates to cancel because of the message it sends to men and women serving now.

“It’s a slap in the face to them that we’re not doing it,” Ron Innocenti says.

“But on the other hand, I can see why we’re not doing it because of the age of the veterans we have now.”

The city of Beverly, a suburb of Boston, called off its Memorial Day parade this year because so few veterans would be able to march
The city of Beverly, a suburb of Boston, called off its Memorial Day parade this year because so few veterans would be able to march

That gets to the heart of the problem. In Beverly, there just are not enough veterans alive who are well enough to march in the parade anymore.

As for younger veterans – like the men and women who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan – they are often too busy to take part.

World War II Navy veteran Bill McPherson tells NECN he’s upset about parade cancellation but “there aren’t that many of us left”.

“My wife and I have both been quoted as saying we are upset by the whole thing,” said Bill McPherson.

There are veterans that are OK with the fact there is no longer a parade. People like the town’s Veteran’s organizer Jerry Guilebbe.

He says it can be difficult for older vets to take part.

“It’s not about parades and down the street and waving flags, it is about what we did all week long, spending countless hundreds of hours putting flags on every veteran’s grave, and remembering who they were,” said Jerry Guilebbe.

Tom Condon is the town’s oldest veteran, at 93, he recalls those who were lost.

“That people remember, who left and never came back, which is a lot of them, that’s who I remember,” said Tom Condon.

Tom Condon’s daughter, Suzanne, believes that it is about more than older vets who can no longer march a mile.

“It’s a little bit of a reflection to people who are in younger generations not really realizing how many people fought for us and how hard life was for them to make life great for us,” she said.

“It’s very disappointing to me. I think it’s a shame,” says Robert Driscoll, a local veteran who served in Korea.

“Hopefully maybe next year we can change that.”

City officials think that if enough veterans come forward to participate next year, or if the city can come up with another way to have them be a part of the parade, then the city will bring it back.

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Mercedes to be investigated by FIA over Formula 1 illegal tyre test

Mercedes faces an investigation by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Formula 1’s governing body, after being accused of taking part in an illegal tyre test.

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged an official protest at the Monaco Grand Prix after discovering tyre supplier Pirelli used Mercedes to do a three-day test.

In-season testing in F1 is forbidden. Pirelli says it has a contract with the FIA allowing limited testing.

The Monaco GP stewards are to prepare a report for the FIA.

A statement said the governing body “may bring the matter before the International Tribunal”.

The body, effectively for these purposes the FIA’s court, can impose any number of penalties, ranging from exclusion from the world championship to a fine.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said: “As it is to do with the sporting regulations, you might expect a sporting penalty, but because it is not really clear what could be the effect on the race weekend, it is maybe bigger than that.

“I honestly don’t know what should be the solution. Because there is no precedent, I have no idea what should happen.”

Red Bull and Ferrari have accused Mercedes of breaking article 22.4 of the sporting regulations, which forbids in-season testing other than for a single three-day young driver test or for very limited straight-line aerodynamic tests.

Mercedes to be investigated by FIA after Ferrari & Red Bull tyre test protest
Mercedes to be investigated by FIA after Ferrari & Red Bull tyre test protest

Pirelli say they are allowed to ask teams to do up to 1,000km of testing, which was as much as Mercedes did over three days at the Circuit de Catalunya in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Grand Prix, the race before Monaco.

But Red Bull and Ferrari say the rules state this must only be with a car that is at least two years old. Mercedes used their 2013 car.

Rival teams were not informed about the test, which not only involved Mercedes’ 2013 car but also race drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Rival teams are angry because extra testing could give Mercedes a technical advantage. Mercedes says they sought permission from the FIA, which approved the test.

Mercedes has been struggling with heavy tyre usage this season.

The tyres used were development designs for next season and a new tyre Pirelli wants to introduce at the Canadian Grand Prix, the next event after Monaco.

Pirelli is aiming to introduce rear tyres that are less vulnerable to delamination following a series of failures. But the plan is in dispute – Ferrari, Lotus and Force India have yet to approve it.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he had only learnt about the test on Saturday night.

“I can understand Pirelli wanting to test the tyres,” he said.

“What’s disappointing is it’s been done in not a transparent manner. A three-day test has taken place with a current car running on tyres that are going to be used in the next grand prix and irrelevant of what you call it, that’s testing.”

He added: “We need to deal with it through the proper channels so that’s what we’ll look at doing.”

A Ferrari spokesman added: “Pirelli can offer to the teams the chance to do 1,000km of testing for tyre development and safety. But the fundamental aspect is the year of the car because if you use a current car it should be allegedly a breach of article 22.

“We want a clarification on this because if it is not against article 22 we would be interested in doing this.”

Mercedes’ test is the second tyre test conducted by Pirelli this season. The first was done by Ferrari between the Bahrain and Spanish Grands Prix but involved a 2011 car.

Insiders say Mercedes’ tyre problems this year made it logical for Pirelli to use their car in assessing new tyres aimed at preventing failures.

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Debbie Martin: Angelina Jolie’s aunt dies of breast cancer at the age of 61

Debbie Martin, Angelina Jolie’s aunt, has died of breast cancer, nearly two weeks after the Hollywood star said she had had a double mastectomy to avoid such a fate.

Debbie Martin passed away at the Palomar Medical Centre in Escondido on Sunday, aged 61, the hospital said.

She was the sister of Angelina Jolie’s mother Marcheline Bertrand, who died of breast cancer in 2007 at the age of 56.

Her husband, Ron Martin, said the sisters had both had the same mutated BRCA1 gene, which Angelina Jolie inherited.

Debbie Martin, Angelina Jolie's aunt, has died of breast cancer, nearly two weeks after the Hollywood star said she had had a double mastectomy
Debbie Martin, Angelina Jolie’s aunt, has died of breast cancer, nearly two weeks after the Hollywood star said she had had a double mastectomy

“Angelina has been in touch throughout the week and her brother Jamie has been with us, giving his support day by day,” Ron Martin told E! News.

“They both loved Debbie very much and although Angie is not able to come right now she has sent her love and support which was very nice.”

Ron Martin also praised Angelina Jolie for electing to have a double mastectomy, telling the Associated Press: “Had we known, we certainly would have done exactly what Angelina did.”

On May 14, Angelina Jolie, 37, wrote in the New York Times that she had had a double mastectomy after doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer.

“I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could,” the actress explained, adding that her chances of developing breast cancer had now dropped to less than 5%.

The BRCA1 gene is present in everyone but only mutates in one in 1,000 people. Anyone with the mutation has a 50-80% chance of developing breast cancer.

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Rolling Thunder 2013: Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally pays tribute to American heroes in Washington

The Washington Mall and the Pentagon rumbled with a quarter of millions of motorcycles on Sunday as Rolling Thunder rumbled into the capital.

Rolling Thunder is an annual motorcycle rally that is held in Washington, DC during the Memorial Day weekend to call for the government’s recognition and protection of Prisoners of War (POWs) and those Missing in Action (MIAs). The tribute to American war heroes started out in 1988 with 2,500 participants.

Some 900,000 riders, passengers and spectators traveled from across the country for Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to veterans and those stilling missing in action.

The annual event started in 1988, when the Vietnam War was still fresh on the nation’s mind.

The first year, 2,500 motorcyclist rode into Washington as a way to remember the thousands of men who were missing in action or believed still held as prisoners of war.

The Washington Mall and the Pentagon rumbled with a quarter of millions of motorcycles on as Rolling Thunder rumbled into the capital
The Washington Mall and the Pentagon rumbled with a quarter of millions of motorcycles on as Rolling Thunder rumbled into the capital

Rolling Thunder has since become an institution.

Motorcycle clubs from across the country flood the capital’s hotels and suburban campgrounds.

Every sort of bike imaginable is represented – from vintage Indians to the newest Harley Davidsons to custom choppers and BMWs.

The mighty procession began in the parking lot of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, at 7 a.m.

The parade route took the thundering motorcycles past the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean Veterans Memorial and the World War II Veterans Memorial.

The Washington Monument and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial are other prominent sights along the route.

The motorcycle parade ends on the banks of the Potomac River on the National Mall.

The event also features Thunder Alley in downtown Washington DC, which features vendors selling all manner of stickers, pins and patches to commemorate Rolling Thunder.

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Karrueche Tran and Chris Brown are living together again

Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran have been spotted spending plenty of time together ever since his 24th birthday at the beginning of May.

It seems things are going so well between Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran once again that they have started living together full time.

According to TMZ, Karrueche Tran has been staying with Chris Brown since they got together again and she has already moved most of her clothing and other personal belongings into his Hollywood Hills home.

The website reports Karrueche Tran has wisely decided to keep her own apartment for the time being.

While the couple have been spending lots of time together recently, they have not gone public with their relationship.

It seems things are going so well between Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran once again that they have started living together full time
It seems things are going so well between Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran once again that they have started living together full time

However, they recently engaged in a raunchy Twitter exchange and earlier this week Karrueche Tran was on hand when Chris Brown rear ended another car, suggesting that they are indeed back together.

It is unclear how his other on/off lover Rihanna, who is currently in Morocco, will react to the news.

The latest twist in the love triangle comes as Rihanna is reportedly very upset with Topshop heiress Chloe Green.

In recent months Chloe green has been spotted partying with Chris Brown on a number of occasions.

And in what may or may not be a coincidence Chloe Green’s father Sir Philip is currently facing a $5 million lawsuit from Rihanna.

A source close to Rihanna revealed: “She knows exactly what goes on in Chris’s life and she has been aware about Chloe for a while – she’s really not happy. Rihanna considered Chloe a friend.”

Karrueche Tran was left disappointed last October when Chris Brown ended their relationship to get back with his former flame Rihanna.

But just months after confirming his reconciliation with Rihanna, Chris Brown announced that they had split again during an interview with Australian radio hosts Kyle & Jackie O Show.

Amanda Bynes racist tweet about Rihanna: “You look so ugly trying to be white”

After her arrest scandal, Amanda Bynes turned her anger toward Rihanna Sunday, posting a series of racist and offensive remarks about the singer and her relationship with Chris Brown.

Amanda Bynes, 27, briefly posted a number of tweets about Rihanna, 25, before deleting the comments.

The tirade began with Amanda Bynes writing: “@rihanna you look so ugly tryin (sic) to be white,” followed within minutes by a message blaming Rihanna for being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.

Within two minutes Amanda Bynes had deleted the first post.

Then just a few moments later, she attacked Rihanna again with a reference to Chris Brown’s assault on her in 2009, claiming he did so because the singer was unattractive.

Amanda Bynes posted a series of racist and offensive remarks about Rihanna and her relationship with Chris Brown
Amanda Bynes posted a series of racist and offensive remarks about Rihanna and her relationship with Chris Brown

“Chris Brown beat you because you’re not pretty enough,” Amanda Bynes tweeted.

Amanda Bynes then retweeted a post by Rihanna: “Look who came to see me!! My lover Stella McCartney!!!” to which the former actress responded: “No one wants to be your lover so you call everyone and their mother that I almost named my new dog Rihanna.”

Rihanna, who is known for her own feisty temper on Twitter, appeared to address the remarks within minutes of their posting.

“Ya see what happens when they cancel Intervention?” the singer wrote.

Amanda Bynes returned fire accusing the 25-year-old of doing d**gs.

“Unlike ur fugly faced self I don’t do d**gs! U need the intervention dog! I met ur ugly face in person! U aren’t pretty u know it!”

Speculation persists if Amanda Bynes’ unrequited love for Rihanna’s rumored ex-boyfriend and collaborator, rapper Drake, sparked the Twitter attack.

Amanda Bynes’ online infatuation with the musician has been well-documented. She famously tweeted in March she wanted Drake to “murder my va**na”.

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Oklahoma Tornado: Barack Obama visits Moore to comfort victims

President Barack Obama has visited the tornado-ravaged town of Moore in Oklahoma to comfort its victims saying that they “are not alone”.

Surveying the devastation, Barack Obama said it was “hard to comprehend”, adding: “Everywhere, fellow Americans are praying with you.”

The president visited the site of the school where seven children died.

The tornado ravaged the Oklahoma City suburb last Monday, killing 24 people and destroying some 1,200 homes.

About 33,000 people were affected and the damage has been estimated at $2 billion.

Some 377 people were also injured in the tornado, which was ranked an EF5 – at the top of the enhanced Fujita scale.

Barack Obama, alongside Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, said: “This is a strong community with strong character. There’s no doubt they will bounce back. But they need help.”

Standing on a block surrounded by debris, Barack Obama said: “Obviously the damage here is pretty hard to comprehend.”

Barack Obama has visited the tornado-ravaged town of Moore in Oklahoma to comfort its victims
Barack Obama has visited the tornado-ravaged town of Moore in Oklahoma to comfort its victims

“Whenever I come to an area that has been devastated by some natural disaster like this, I want to make sure that everyone understands that I am speaking on behalf of the entire country,” the president said.

In the past year Barack Obama has consoled the families of victims of Superstorm Sandy, the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting and the Boston Marathon bombings.

He said: “Everywhere, fellow Americans are praying with you, they’re thinking about you and they want to help. And I’m just a messenger here letting you know that you are not alone.”

Barack Obama’s first stop was the Plaza Towers Elementary School, where seven of the 10 children who died lost their lives.

In front of the wreckage and surveying piles of rubble and upturned cars, he told one school official: “I know this is tough.”

Three makeshift American flags flew in the wind, attached to parts of the debris.

Caleb Sloan, 24, who lost his home, told Reuters: “[The president] has no choice but to live by his word. I hope and pray and think he will keep his promises.”

Barack Obama has signed a disaster declaration that quickens federal aid.

Some 450 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel are in Moore, with some $3.4 million in payments so far approved for 4,200 applicants for disaster assistance.

Governor Mary Fallin said: “We’re resilient. There’s already a big path of debris that’s been moved around. People are gathering their stuff.

“It’s been truly remarkable to see how our people have responded and how strong they are.”

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Arrested Development revived by Netflix after 7 years of absence

Sitcom Arrested Development has been revived after an absence of 7 years, with many devoted fans devouring all 15 new episodes after they were made available online.

Arrested Development, which was recently dubbed the “greatest sitcom ever” by The Guardian, was axed by the Fox network in 2006.

But a new series has been made and aired by streaming service Netflix.

The series is the latest attempt by Netflix to tempt viewers away from traditional TV channels.

Netflix previously made waves in the TV industry by bypassing established networks and filming its own remake of British political drama House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey. All 13 episodes were made available at once in February.

Arrested Development has been revived after an absence of 7 years
Arrested Development has been revived after an absence of 7 years

Arrested Development established a cult following during its original three series on Fox from 2003-2006 and its return has been met with huge anticipation from its loyal fans.

Gavin and Stacey actor Matthew Horne wrote on Twitter: “I KNOW the sun is shining, but the new Arrested Development is on Netflix… so, goodbye Sunday.”

US author and Veronica Mars screenwriter Rob Thomas posted: “Netflix just emailed me that Arrested Development is online now. No one bother me for the next 7.5 hours. Hungry children – this means you.”

Before the new series appeared, creator Mitch Hurwitz told fans to pace themselves.

“Don’t feel obligated to watch it all at once,” he told the Vulture website.

“It’s a comedy! It’s not like Lord of the Rings. Comedy takes a lot out of you.”

Forbes.com writer Dorothy Pomerantz said she would savor the experience because it might be the last time key personnel including executive producer and narrator Ron Howard and actor Jason Bateman would find time to film together.

Dorothy Pomerantz wrote: “I’m going to take my time with Arrested Development and enjoy it like an old-fashioned TV show: one a week. I want the fun to last as long as possible.”

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Cannes 2013: Blue is the Warmest Colour (La vie d’Adèle) wins Palme d’Or for best film

Blue is the Warmest Colour (La vie d’Adèle), a love story about two young French women, has won the Palme d’Or for best film at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The film has attracted attention for its s** scenes as well as the acclaimed performances of actresses Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux.

Hollywood veteran Bruce Dern won best actor for his performance in Nebraska.

French star Berenice Bejo, known for silent film The Artist, won best actress for her role in The Past.

The winners were picked from the 20 films in competition and were named at the festival’s closing ceremony on Sunday.

Blue is the Warmest Colour is a three-hour coming-of-age movie in which Adele Exarchopoulos plays a 15-year-old who falls in love with an older woman, played by Lea Seydoux.

Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, the film won rave reviews in Cannes, being described as “epic yet intimate” by The Guardian.

The film also shocked some critics. The Hollywood Reporter said the “sprawling drama” would “raise eyebrows” as it crossed the barrier “between performance and the real deal”.

Some had questioned whether the s** scenes may make it too e**licit for the top prize.

But director Steven Spielberg, who chaired the jury, told reporters: “I think it will get a lot of play… I think this film carries a very strong message, a very positive message.”

In an unusual move, Steven Spielberg awarded the prize to the two lead actresses as well as the director.

Blue is the Warmest Colour ( La vie d'Adèle) has won the Palme d'Or for best film at Cannes Film Festival 2013
Blue is the Warmest Colour ( La vie d’Adèle) has won the Palme d’Or for best film at Cannes Film Festival 2013

Accepting the prize, Abdellatif Kechiche said: “I should like to dedicate this film to the wonderful youth of France whom I met during the long period while making this film.

“Those young people taught me a lot about the spirit of freedom and living together.”

Blue is the Warmest Colour prevented US film-makers the Coen brothers from repeating their Palme d’Or success of 1991, when they won for Barton Fink.

Their latest film Inside Llewyn Davis, about the 1960s New York folk scene, won this year’s Grand Prix, effectively the runners-up prize.

The best actor award marks a return to the critical bosom for Bruce Dern, who is best known for roles in 1970s films including Coming Home, The Cowboys and The Great Gatsby.

Now 76, Bruce dern has won for playing an ageing, alcoholic father on a road trip to collect a lottery prize. The film, titled Nebraska, was directed by Sideways and The Descendants film-maker Alexander Payne.

Berenice Bejo’s best actress prize has proved that her performance in The Artist was not a one-off. Her film The Past is a family drama made by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi as the follow-up to his Oscar-nominated 2011 drama A Separation.

Mexico’s Amat Escalante, who made brutal drama Heli about the country’s drugs war, was something of a surprise choice for best director.

China’s Jia Zhangke won best screenplay for A Touch of Sin, an examination of rampant corruption in his country.

The Jury Prize went to Like Father, Like Son, about two families who discover that their six-year-old boys were switched at birth, directed by Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Films that missed out included Behind the Candelabra, in which Michael Douglas plays the legendarily flamboyant entertainer Liberace, and Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty, a sumptuous story about an ageing novelist.

Steven Spielberg was joined on the jury by Life of Pi director Ang Lee, actress Nicole Kidman and Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz.

The other judges were We Need To Talk About Kevin film-maker Lynne Ramsay, French actor Daniel Auteuil, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, Japanese director Naomi Kawase and Bollywood star Vidya Balan.

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Pope Francis condemns Mafia for exploiting and enslaving people

Pope Francis has condemned mafia groups for “exploiting and enslaving people”, urging mobsters to repent.

Speaking after his weekly blessing in St Peter’s Square in Rome, he said “we must pray to the Lord to make these mafiosi convert to God”.

The pontiff’s comments came a day after the beatification of Don Giuseppe Puglisi, a Roman Catholic priest murdered by the mafia in Sicily in 1993.

The ceremony marked the penultimate step on the path to his sainthood.

Pope Francis has condemned mafia groups for exploiting and enslaving people
Pope Francis has condemned mafia groups for exploiting and enslaving people

“I think of the great pain suffered by men, women and even children, exploited by so many mafias, who make them slaves, through prostitution, through many social pressures,” Pope Francis said on Sunday.

“They cannot do this, they cannot make our brothers slaves,” he said.

Pope Francis also used his traditional Sunday appearance to pilgrims to hail Father Puglisi as a “martyr” and “an exemplary priest”.

The beatification ceremony in Sicily’s capital Palermo drew more than 50,000 people, although Pope Francis did not attend it.

By beatifying Don Giuseppe Puglisi, the Church is making a strong stand against mafia crime – which has been protected by a code of silence.

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Michael Adebolajo arrested in Kenya in 2010

Michael Adebolajo, one of the suspects in the Woolwich attack case, was arrested in Kenya in 2010, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

It said Michael Adebolajo, 28, was arrested there and it gave consular assistance “as normal” in the circumstances.

Michael Adebolajo was believed to have been preparing to fight with Somali militant group al-Shabab, a Kenyan government spokesman confirmed, and was later deported.

Meanwhile, police investigating soldier Lee Rigby’s murder have arrested a 22-year-old man in north London.

The arrest at Highbury Grove, on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, brings the total number made so far in the case to nine.

Members of Lee Rigby’s family have visited the scene of the killing, laying flowers at Woolwich Barracks where the 25-year-old drummer with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was based.

They hugged and comforted each other as they looked at some of the many thousands of floral tributes that have been left in his memory, before crossing the road to look at the exact spot where he was attacked.

Several hundred people gathered at the scene a few hours later, some chanting Lee Rigby’s name and waving Help for Heroes flags.

The Met Police said it was a planned community event in which a group of people intended to lay a wreath.

A small group of English Defence League members also joined the crowd, prompting organizers to complain that their plans had been “hijacked”.

The Kenyan government had previously denied that Michael Adebolajo had ever visited the country, but spokesman Muthui Kariuki said there had been some confusion as he was arrested under a different name.

Michael Adebolajo, one of the suspects in the Woolwich attack case, was arrested in Kenya in 2010
Michael Adebolajo, one of the suspects in the Woolwich attack case, was arrested in Kenya in 2010

In video footage of his court appearance which emerged on Sunday, Michael Adebolajo is heard to say: “These people are mistreating us, we are innocent.”

Muthui Kariuki said Michael Adebolajo was then handed over to “British security officers” when it emerged he was a UK citizen.

Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab is affiliated to al-Qaeda and is thought to have 7,000 to 9,000 fighters. It killed 76 people in a double bomb attack in Uganda as they watched the 2010 World Cup.

Michale Adebolajo and a second man, Michael Adebowale, 22, were arrested on suspicion of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich on Wednesday.

They remain in custody in hospital in a stable condition after being shot and wounded by police at the scene after the killing.

Three further men, aged 21, 24 and 28, were arrested in London on Saturday evening on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder – a Taser was used on two of them.

A 29-year-old man arrested earlier on suspicion of conspiracy to murder was released on bail on Saturday, while two women aged 29 and 31, arrested on Thursday, have been released without charge.

In an update on Sunday, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne said officers were examining CCTV footage, social media and forensic material as part of their investigation into Drummer Lee Rigby’s murder.

He appealed for any associates of Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale who believed they might have useful information to come forward.

Earlier on Sunday, Home Secretary Theresa May said “500 officers and others” were working on the case, including counter-terrorism officers brought in from elsewhere in the country.

Senior Whitehall sources have previously confirmed both suspects arrested at the scene of Drummer Lee Rigby’s killing were already known to security services.

When asked if there were mistakes made by the security services in dealing with this case, Theresa May said: “What we have is the right procedures which say when things like this happen we do need to look at whether there are any lessons to be learned.”

Theresa May also said a new taskforce was being set up to look at whether new powers were needed to tackle extremism.

It will be chaired by the prime minister and include senior cabinet ministers and security chiefs.

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Christie Brinkley looks stunning at 59

Christie Brinkley looked incredible in a floral mini-dress while posing with her children, Alexa, Jack, and Sailor at the Social Life Magazine soiree in New York Saturday.

At 59, Christie Brinkley’s mothered three grown children with three different husbands.

The evergreen supermodel and her brood transformed the Social Life Magazine‘s 10-year anniversary party at Watermill’s 70 Tanager Lane into a fabulous family affair.

Christie Brinkley, who looked more like the trio’s sister, flaunted her toned and tanned pins in the long-sleeve frock and nude peep-toe pumps.

Still sporting a gorgeous head of blonde hair, the magazine’s cover girl practically glowed as she cuddled the 27-year-old brunette and the 14-year-old redhead.

Alexa, whose father is singer Billy Joel, also displayed her slim pins in a bronze mini-skirt which she paired with a white blouse and nude platform pumps.

Christie Brinkley with her daughter Sailor
Christie Brinkley with her daughter Sailor

Sailor, whose father is architect Peter Cook, looked lovely in her blue-patterned romper, burgundy cardigan, and nude platform heels.

On Wednesday, Christie Brinkley announced that Sailor would officially kick off her modeling career in the August issue of Teen Vogue.

Meanwhile Jack, Christie Brinkley’s son with real estate developer Richard Taubman, will celebrate his 18th birthday next week.

Jack, who was legally adopted by Peter Cook, looked dapper in his black jacket, blue trousers, and black plimsolls.

The May issue, already on newsstands, features Christie Brinkley reclining poolside in a black criss-crossing bikini beneath a catsuit.

It was the first time Christie Brinkley had posed in a swimsuit in over 30 years.

The Sport’s Illustrated favorite was accused of becoming “addicted” to Instagram in Social Life.

“I find when I walk with a camera in my hand, I am extra alert and attuned to all the extraordinary beauty that abounds, from the smallest detail of a powdery pistil in a flower to the texture of the sky,” she said.

“Taking pictures intensifies my appreciation and awe.”

However, she defended her snap-happy enthusiasm on Facebook Friday.

“<<Addiction>>? Well…more like <<passion>> for taking pictures, which I share on Instagram,” Christie Brinkley noted, before wishing her fans a happy Memorial Day.

The four-time divorcée, who is worth more than $80 million, currently lives full time in the Hamptons.

Her personal life has seen many struggles in the past year – both her parents passed away and she finally resolved a lengthy and bitter custody battle with ex-husband Peter Cook.

Their marriage ended after Christie Brinkley discovered that Peter Cook had allegedly engaged in a two-year-long affair with the 17-year-old daughter of a police officer.

Christie Brinkley, who had the longest-running contract with Cover Girl, now focuses on her garden, skincare, eye-wear, and fabric lines.

Amanda Bynes accuses NYPD officer of inappropriate behavior during her arrest

Amanda Bynes now claims her arrest was an elaborate conspiracy made up by police.

Amanda Bynes, 27, has alleged she was “s***ally harassed” by the officer who arrested her on Tuesday night.

The former actress took to Twitter on Saturday to make a number of serious of accusations against a male NYPD officer, including one in which she claims he “slapped my va**na”.

It was reported that a spokesman for NYPD confirmed that they had received a formal complaint from Amanda Bynes.

“The matter is under investigation by the Internal Affairs Bureau,” the spokesman said.

Begging fans not to believe that she was arrested, Amanda Bynes said it was not the New York apartment building’s staff who called authorities but the actress herself.

Amanda Bynes wrote: “Don’t believe the reports about me being arrested. It’s all lies.

“I was s***ally harassed by one of the cops the night before last which is who then arrested me. He lied and said I threw a b**g out the window when I opened the window for fresh air. Hilarious.

“He slapped my va**na. S***al harassment. Big deal.”

While the NYPD is taking the matter seriously a source revealed that there are witnesses who discredit her account.

Amanda Bynes claims her arrest was an elaborate conspiracy made up by police
Amanda Bynes claims her arrest was an elaborate conspiracy made up by police

According the source, the building manager was with the officers at all times inside the apartment and Amanda Bynes was never alone with the male officer.

It took the actress some time to come to the door of her apartment when police arrived as she was already on the phone making a complaint but officers had entered her apartment, the source said.

However, the policeman, Amanda Bynes said, arrested her to cover up his actions.

“I then called the cops on him. He handcuffed me, which I resisted, quite unlike any of the reports stated.”

Amanda Bynes went on to say she was denied her legal rights and called police’s decision to send her for psychiatric assessment prior to charging her “offensive”.

“Then I was sent to a mental hospital. Offensive.

“I kept asking for my lawyer but they wouldn’t let me.”

Amanda Bynes claims the fact she was allowed to leave court on Friday was proof there was no basis to her charges – that include unlawful possession of mar***ana as well as reckless endangerment and attempted tampering with evidence for allegedly throwing a b**g out of her apartment window.

“The cops were creepy. The cop s***ally harassed me, they found no pot on me or b**g outside my window. That’s why the judge let me go.”

“Don’t believe any reports,” Amanda Bynes said in closing.

Amanda Bynes’ behavior has been increasingly unusual after she left California – where she was charged with DUI and other driving offenses – and moved to New York.

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King Peter II: Serbia holds state funeral for Yugoslavia’s last king

Serbia is holding a state funeral for Yugoslavia’s last king, Peter II, and three other members of his family.

King Peter II acceded to the throne in 1941, aged 17, but fled 11 days later when the Nazis invaded Yugoslavia. He never returned and died in the US in 1970.

The funeral is also being held for his wife, Queen Alexandria, his mother Queen Maria, and brother Prince Andrew.

After the memorial service, they will be buried in the family mausoleum.

Serb leaders and foreign dignitaries were attending Sunday’s service, at St George’s Church in Oplenac, near Belgrade.

The coffins of the four members of the royal family were laid out in the centre of the church before they were to be placed in the crypt, alongside their ancestors.

King Peter II had originally been interred in Libertyville, Illinois, his wife in Greece and his mother near Windsor Castle in the UK.

Serbia is holding a state funeral for Yugoslavia's last king, Peter II, and three other members of his family
Serbia is holding a state funeral for Yugoslavia’s last king, Peter II, and three other members of his family

President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic were both involved in the preparations for the funeral.

Although modern-day Serbia has the royal coat of arms on its flag, the attitudes of Serbs towards their old royal family is hard to gauge.

Peter went to school in England but returned home aged 11 when his father, King Alexander I, was assassinated in France in 1934. His brother, Prince Pavle, became Prince Regent until he was overthrown in a military coup for signing a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany.

For almost 50 years it was part of socialist Yugoslavia. At the end of World War II, Iosip Broz Tito’s communists abolished the monarchy.

“Most people would say it’s doing historical justice to a dynasty that was chased away from Serbia in 1945,” says historian Vladimir Dulovic.

“Except maybe today, by spending 50 years out of the country, they’ve grown a little too foreign for us.”

King Peter II’s son, Alexander Karadjordjevic, often described as crown prince, moved to Serbia in 2001.

An enthusiastic promoter of constitutional monarchy for Serbia, Alexander Karadjordjevic argues that a king removed from the country’s sometimes fractious politics would be a stabilizing figure.

However, According to a recent newspaper poll, only around 40% of Serbs agree.

In October 2012, three other members of Yugoslavia’s former royal family were exhumed in Switzerland and reburied in the Oplenac church crypt.

Yugoslavia’s royal family:

  • 1804      Founder of dynasty, Djordje Petrovic, known as Karadjordjevic or “Black George”, leads Serb uprising against Ottomans
  • 1811      Karadjordjevic confirmed as ruler
  • 1918      Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes proclaimed
  • 1929      Kingdom of Yugoslavia declared
  • 1934      King Alexander I assassinated in Marseille
  • 1941      King Peter II goes into exile
  • 1945      Crown Prince Alexander II born in London. Iosip Broz Tito’s communists abolish monarchy
  • 1970      Peter II dies in US

Barbara Eden back in her iconic costume at 78

Barbara Eden bravely donned her iconic crop-top and harem pantaloons for the opening ceremony of the 21st Life Ball in Vienna Saturday.

Barbara Eden, 78, spent five years and 139 episodes starring on sixties sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie.

The evergreen TV legend still looked fabulous in the pink chiffon costume and tiny red velvet bolero.

Barbara Eden even made sure to wear her star-making role’s classic braided blonde ponytail wig, scarf hat, and silver kitten heels.

Originally designed by Gwen Wakeling with colors selected by Barbara Eden, the costume caused controversy with the censors due to the slightly exposed navel.

Barbara Eden first appeared on stage at Vienna’s City Hall alongside former Olympic swimmer Greg Louganis, pop star Fergie, and even organizer Gery Keszler.

She then reenacted her classic wish-conjuring arm and head nod, which magically brought out her new “Master” – former President Bill Clinton.

Barbara Eden donned her iconic costume for the opening ceremony of the 21st Life Ball in Vienna
Barbara Eden donned her iconic costume for the opening ceremony of the 21st Life Ball in Vienna

Bill Clinton, 66, escorted Barbara Eden hand-in-hand up the tall velvet steps off the stage.

Before her big entrance, the aging beauty walked the glamorous event’s magenta carpet in a glittery gold gown featuring a thigh-high slit and matching bolero.

Rather than a gold purse, Barbara Eden clutched a replica of the purple genie’s bottle from her famous show.

The sitcom’s premise involved a 2,000-year-old genie being rescued by a handsome astronaut, who rubs her bottle after crash landing his shuttle on a beach.

Dallas star Larry Hagman, who passed away from throat cancer last November, played Captain Tony Nelson opposite the then 31-year-old starlet.

Meant to compete with the rival series Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie was created by Sidney Sheldon and aired on NBC in 1965.

The series, which was a mild hit at the time, became hugely popular during decades of syndication and the two spin-off reunion movies – neither of which starred Larry Hagman.

Barbara Eden even named her 2011 memoir after the series.

Jeannie Out of the Bottle detailed her two failed marriages and her “emotional breakdown” following the death of her only child, Matthew Ansara, from an accidental heroin overdose in 2001.

Before appearing on Jeannie, Barbara Eden made appearances on shows like I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Father Knows Best, and The Andy Griffith Show.

Barbara Eden’s most recent acting role was in the 2009 movie-of-the-week, Always and Forever alongside Dean McDermott for the Hallmark channel.

1976 Apple 1 computer signed by Steve Wozniak sold for $650,000

One of only six original Apple 1 computers from 1976 still in working order has sold at auction in Germany for more than 500,000 euros ($650,000).

The Apple 1 was one of the first 50 built by Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Jobs’ parents’ garage.

The computer – consisting only of a motherboard, signed by Steve Wozniak – went to an anonymous buyer from Asia.

One of only six original Apple 1 computers from 1976 still in working order has sold at auction in Germany for more than 500,000 euros
One of only six original Apple 1 computers from 1976 still in working order has sold at auction in Germany for more than 500,000 euros

Last year, an Apple 1 sold for 490,000 euros ($633,000).

Only about 200 Apple 1s were ever made. About 46 remain in existence, but only six of those are still in working order.

Bob Luther, author of The First Apple, called the Apple 1 the “holy grail of collectable technology”.

The one sold at auction in the German city of Cologne on Saturday was purchased together with an original monitor, tape-player, keyboard. The documentation was signed by Steve Jobs.

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Angelina Jolie declines double mastectomy interview with Ann Curry

Ann Curry reportedly failed to land the first interview with Angelina Jolie since the actress made headlines by announcing her voluntary double mastectomy.

NBC executives had been pressuring Ann Curry, 56, to secure the interview with Angelina Jolie, who Curry has interviewed in the past along with the actress’ partner Brad Pitt.

Angelina Jolie, 37, announced May 14 in an opinion piece in The New York Times that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy after learning she had the faulty BRCA1 gene that gave her an 87% chance of breast cancer.

Ann Curry and Angelina Jolie reportedly have grown a close friendship as a result of their interviews over the years and the NBC brass was hoping to score an exclusive.

Angelina Jolie turned down Ann Curry as well as all other news outlets for the time being, according to the New York Post.

Ann Curry was fired from NBC’s Today show last year and Angelina Jolie made it clear that she wouldn’t consent to an interview with anyone at NBC except for Curry, who is now a correspondent for the network.

Ann Curry failed to land the first interview with Angelina Jolie since she made headlines by announcing her voluntary double mastectomy
Ann Curry failed to land the first interview with Angelina Jolie since she made headlines by announcing her voluntary double mastectomy

 

The NBC executives wanted Ann Curry to set up a two-hour primetime special with Angelina Jolie with parts airing on the Today show.

Ann Curry returned to live TV on Wednesday night for the first time since being axed from the Today show.

She filled in for anchor Brian Williams on the NBC Nightly News and showed off a new short hairdo.

Ann Curry’s shorter hair previously got her in trouble with her NBC bosses because she didn’t notify management that she was changing her appearance and it was viewed as an act of defiance.

Angelina Jolie made her stunning revelation in an op-ed piece titled My Medical Choice.

The actress outlined her reasons for getting the double mastectomy upon learning of her elevated risks for breast and ovarian cancers.

Angelina Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died at age 56 of ovarian cancer in 2007.

The actress said with her double mastectomy she can tell her six children that they won’t lose her to breast cancer.

Angelina Jolie also said she plans to have her ovaries removed to reduce her risk of ovarian cancer.