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Xbox One: Microsoft unveils its next-generation console which goes on sale later this year

Nancy Clayson
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Xbox One: Microsoft unveils its next-generation console which goes on sale later this year

Microsoft has unveiled its next-generation console, the Xbox One, which will go on sale later this year.

Xbox One was shown off alongside a new Kinect sensor and a redesigned gamepad.

Microsoft described the voice and gesture-controlled machine as an “all-in-one” system offering games, live TV, movies and music.

The firm’s Entertainment and Devices Division accounted for $9.6 billion worth of sales in Microsoft’s last financial year.

That only represented about 13% of its total revenue for the period – but one analyst said the importance of this launch should not be underestimated.

“Microsoft is very strong in business software and the enterprise cloud business, but its consumer businesses are facing tremendous challenges: PCs are declining rapidly and Windows Phone handsets have only a fraction of the market shares of rivals,” said Jia Wu from consultants Strategy Analytics.

“Xbox represents Microsoft’s core strategy in the consumer entertainment market, especially after it sold its Mediaroom video distribution business to Ericsson earlier this year.

“This is also the unique asset which Microsoft has that can differentiate itself from Apple, Google and several of the other large tech companies.”

Microsoft’s decision to show off its new hardware in the opening minutes of its presentation sharply contrasted with Sony’s PlayStation 4 press conference in February when the Japanese company decided not to reveal the look of its machine – a move that was mocked by some commentators.

Despite earlier speculation, Microsoft’s machine does not require an always-on internet connection and will run second-hand games – the firm said it would provide more details about this “in the coming weeks”.

The Xbox One sees Microsoft add a Blu-ray drive and Skype functionality to its console, incorporate vibrating feedback into its gamepad’s triggers, and upgrade the Kinect camera’s sensor to 1080p high definition resolution.

It said the new Kinect would be better at analyzing body movements, allowing users to more accurately control games characters and navigate other entertainment options.

“When you’re exercising, it can read your heartbeat,” claimed the firm.

New tools will also allow users to record and edit gameplay so clips can be easily uploaded to the web.

EA Sports was first to announce new titles for the machine revealing FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and the fighting game UFC would all launch on the platform within the next 12 months using a new games engine called Ignite.

Microsoft has unveiled its next-generation console, the Xbox One, which will go on sale later this year
Microsoft has unveiled its next-generation console, the Xbox One, which will go on sale later this year

It said the new machine allowed it to carry out four times as many calculations a second as the Xbox 360 and 10 times more “animation depth and detail”.

Microsoft Studios also revealed that Forza Motorsports 5 – the latest in its own racing car franchise – would be available when the console launched.

The division added that it planned to release 15 games within the console’s first year, eight of which would be new franchises.

Activision also provided a first look at the next title in its Call of Duty series – Ghosts. It will use a new games engine to take advantage of the Xbox One’s improved graphics capabilities, offering more detailed textures for human skin and other features. The title will also be released on rival platforms.

French publisher Ubisoft was not part of the launch, but took the opportunity to announce that two games in development – Watch Dogs and Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag – would be available for the Xbox One before the end of 2013.

The company’s chief executive, Yves Guillemot, said he was excited by the opportunities offered by the machine’s improved specifications.

“We believe it will reinvigorate the industry,” he said.

“There’s a huge step up in graphics and there’s a big step up in terms of memory as well.

“It will take time to take full advantage of the machines because we’ll have to learn how to best optimize the technology – but even from the beginning you will see a huge difference between a game on the two different generations.”

Much of the presentation was dedicated to the console’s non-gaming features including its ability to make video calls; trigger live TV and online movies by voice command; and run several programs simultaneously without any apparent drop-off in performance.

Time was also given to promote an upcoming live-action television series based on Microsoft’s Halo games franchise which movie director Steven Spielberg is working on. The firm said tie-in interactive content would be offered exclusively to the Xbox One.

“Where Nintendo’s approach to next-gen gaming seems to ignore the need to share time with television and other forms of entertainment, and Sony’s approach seems willing to share the space, Microsoft’s vision is to so blur the line between different forms of entertainment that switching from game to television or movie watching will be as simply as flipping between television channels,” said Brian Crecente, news editor at games site Polygon.

“More importantly, it is lining up to make its system the one through which all entertainment happens. If it manages to pull it off, the Xbox One could become the one jumping off point for all forms of entertainment.”

News of a five-year deal with the US’s National Football League – which will allow sports fans to call up statistics, video replays and information about what live events mean for their fantasy teams – may also appeal to Microsoft’s domestic audience.

However, it did not discuss whether it was pursuing similar tie-ups for consumers overseas.

Microsoft is planning to launch its new console at a time when many video games makers are trying to reduce costs.

Electronic Arts, Square Enix and Activision Blizzard are among firms which have announced layoffs over the past couple of months.

But the updated machines may put the companies under fresh strain.

Games engine developer Epic has warned that if studios want to take full advantage of the advances in graphics power that will be available, then their design costs could be double what they were when the Xbox 360 and PS3 launched.

“The additional rendering capabilities of these consoles will demand larger budgets for the marquee high-end games,” said Lewis Ward, video games analyst at tech research firm IDC.

“That creates a risky proposition for developers.

“But the costs are going to be mitigated to an extent – studios have said it will be easier to make games on next-gen platforms because they’re going to be closer to the development environments that are common on the PC side.”

Lewis Ward was referring to the fact that Microsoft has decided to power its machine with an eight-core x86-based CPU (central processing unit) made by AMD rather than continue with IBM’s PowerPC technology. The move means its console will run off a chip that is similar to those found in most PCs.

Sony has also opted to switch from its proprietary Cell processor tech to the x86 architecture meaning, in theory, it should be easier to port a title across different platforms.

However, the move means neither of the two new consoles will be backwards compatible with the former generation’s catalogue of games.

Both Microsoft and Sony plan follow-up “keynote” announcements at the E3 trade show in Los Angeles on June 10.

Nintendo launched its next-generation console, the Wii U, last year and has said it will not host a major press conference at the event.

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Dominique Venner: Suicide inside Notre-Dame de Paris

Diane A. Wade
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Dominique Venner: Suicide inside Notre-Dame de Paris

French police says a 78-year-old man, named as Dominique Venner, has killed himself inside the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, causing its evacuation.

The man pulled out a shot-gun and shot himself through the mouth beside the main altar shortly after 16:00.

He has been named as Dominique Venner, an award-winning far-right historian.

Dominique Venner had recently been involved in the campaign against the government’s decision to legalize same s** marriage.

On Saturday, President Francois Hollande signed the bill into law.

Police said Dominique Venner had made no statement before killing himself, although a note was found next to his body. They did not disclose its contents.

Earlier on Tuesday, he had written on his blog a damning critique of the same-sex marriage bill.

“New spectacular and symbolic actions are needed to wake up the sleep walkers and shake the anaesthetized consciousness,” he wrote.

French police says a 78-year-old man, named as Dominique Venner, has killed himself inside the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, causing its evacuation.
French police says a 78-year-old man, named as Dominique Venner, has killed himself inside the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, causing its evacuation.

“We are entering a time when acts must follow words.”

Dominique Venner is also a former member of the Secret Army Organization (OAS), which opposed Algerian independence in the early 1960s and tried to assassinate Charles De Gaulle.

Notre-Dame is the most visited landmark in France, attracting more than 13 million visitors each year, but security is relatively relaxed.

It would not be difficult to conceal a weapon in a shoulder bag.

The cathedral is celebrating its 850th year, and at the time of Dominique Venner’s death, it would have been busy.

Police said the evacuation began immediately, that there were no further problems, and that the cathedral for the moment remained closed.

“It’s unfortunate, it’s dramatic, it’s shocking,” the rector of Notre-Dame, Monsignor Patrick Jacquin, told the Associated Press news agency.

This was the first suicide in decades at the cathedral, he said. A few people had jumped to their deaths from Notre-Dame’s twin towers, but no-one was thought to have killed themselves at the altar before, he added.

“We will pray for this man, as for so many others at their end.”

Last Thursday, a 50-year-old man with a history of mental problems killed himself with a sawn-off shotgun in front of a dozen children at a private Catholic school next to the Eiffel Tower.

Eurovision 2013: Russia calls Azerbaijan’s failure to award any points as outrageous action

Sonia Pantiss
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Eurovision 2013: Russia calls Azerbaijan’s failure to award any points as outrageous action

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called Azerbaijan’s failure to award any points to Russia’s entry in this year’s Eurovision song contest as “outrageous”.

Sergei Lavrov said the points had been “stolen” from Russia’s Dina Garipova and “this outrageous action will not remain without a response”.

Azerbaijan says it cannot explain how it awarded no points to Russia, when Dina Garipova came second in its phone poll.

Russian voters awarded the maximum 12 points to Azerbaijan’s Farid Mammadov.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has ordered an inquiry into how its votes for Russia apparently went missing.

And the country’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, sitting next to Sergei Lavrov at a press conference in Moscow, called it a “detective story”.

Elmar Mammadyarov said records from all three of Azerbaijan’s mobile phone operators show that Azeris awarded Ukraine’s entry the most votes, followed by Russia’s.

Azerbaijan says it cannot explain how it awarded no points to Russia, when Dina Garipova came second in its phone poll
Azerbaijan says it cannot explain how it awarded no points to Russia, when Dina Garipova came second in its phone poll

“Where did the votes go? How did they disappear? This, of course, is a question for our public television,” he said.

Sergei Lavrov said he and his counterpart had agreed they should take a “unified course of action” once the reasons for the discrepancy became clear.

A spokesman for the European Broadcasting Union, which runs the Eurovision Song Contest, said the phone vote was not definitive. A national jury in each country also contributes 50% of the final decision, the Associated Press reports.

Despite the high-level political interest, 10 points for second place from Azerbaijan would not have made any difference to Dina Garipova’s fifth place, since she finished 17 points behind Norway.

Azerbaijan, which hosted last year’s contest, has traditionally tried to maintain good relations with Moscow though there have been tensions over energy in the past.

Meanwhile, the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has weighed in with his own accusations. Suspicious that the Belarusian singer did not receive a single point from Russia, he has claimed that the final was falsified.

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Brad Pitt says he felt he was wasting his life while married to Jennifer Aniston

Lisa.Felice
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Brad Pitt says he felt he was wasting his life while married to Jennifer Aniston

Brad Pitt has revealed he felt he was wasting his life on drugs while he was married to Jennifer Aniston.

In yet another blow to his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt makes it clear that before he met Angelina Jolie on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004, his life had little meaning.

Brad Pitt, 49, who has previously admitted to ma*****na use, was married to Friends star Jennifer Aniston for seven years until 2005.

In an interview with the new issue of Esquire magazine, brad Pitt says: “For a long time I thought I did too much damage – drug damage. I was a bit of a drifter. A guy who felt he grew up in something of a vacuum and wanted to see things, wanted to be inspired. I followed that other thing. I spent years f***ing off.

“But then I got burnt out and felt that I was wasting my opportunity. It was a conscious change. This was about a decade ago. It was an epiphany.”

Brad Pitt also spoke about his decision to shrink his circle of friends he could spend as much time as possible with Angelina Jolie and their six children – Maddox, 11, Pax, 9, Zahara, 8, Shiloh, 6, and 4-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne – and he has never been happier.

The actor admitted: “I have very few friends. I have a handful of close friends and I have my family and I haven’t known life to be any happier.

“I’m making things. I just haven’t known life to be any happier.”

Brad Pitt fully supported Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a double mastectomy in February after learning she had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer because she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation.

Angelina Jolie, 37, went ahead with the operation so she can be around for her kids and Brad Pitt insists they can be no better motivation as the couple love the ‘chaos’ of their big household and the bond they all share.

Brad Pitt has revealed he felt he was wasting his life on drugs while he was married to Jennifer Aniston
Brad Pitt has revealed he felt he was wasting his life on drugs while he was married to Jennifer Aniston

He explained: “I always thought that if I wanted to do a family, I wanted to do it big. I wanted there to be chaos in the house … there’s constant chatter in our house, whether it’s giggling or screaming or crying or banging.

“I love it. I love it. I love it. I hate it when they’re gone. I hate it. Maybe it’s nice to be in a hotel room for a day – <<Oh, nice, I can finally read a paper>>. But then, by the next day, I miss that cacophony, all that life.”

Brad Pitt graces the cover of the publication, and can be seen looking as hunky as ever in a black top and wrinkled jeans, with aviator sunglasses covering his face.

His trademark long golden hair flops around his shoulder as he casually grips a camera in one hand.

Brad Pitt praised Angelina Jolie as “heroic” after she published a piece in the New York Times revealing she had undergone the double mastectomy on Tuesday.

“We set up our own little post-op recovery that became pretty fun. You make an adventure out of it,” Brad Pitt later told USA Today.

“I’m quite emotional about it, of course,” the actor said.

“She could have stayed absolutely private about it and I don’t think anyone would have been none the wiser with such good results.

“But it was really important to her to share the story and that others would understand it doesn’t have to be a scary thing. In fact, it can be an
empowering thing, and something that makes you stronger and us stronger.”

Did Amanda Berry’s 911 dispatcher curse at her?

Nancy Clayson
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Did Amanda Berry’s 911 dispatcher curse at her?

The 911 dispatcher, who spoke to Amanda Berry after she escaped from the Cleveland house of horrors, is being investigated over claims he swore at the end of her emergency call.

The operator has previously been criticized for failing to keep Amanda Berry on the line or comfort her during her desperate call for help.

But now new allegations have been made that the dispatcher calls Amanda Berry a “f****** b****” just before hanging up.

It was Amanda Berry’s 911 call that led to the discovery of fellow kidnap victims Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight after she bravely escaped the house on Seymour Avenue.

The three women had been held captive at the house for about a decade where they were repeatedly raped and tortured.

Suspect Ariel Castro, 52, remains on suicide watch in custody as he faces preliminary charges of rape and kidnapping.

Amanda Berry finally broke free with the help of a neighbor and raised the alarm.

The 911 dispatcher – one of the first people Amanda Berry spoke to after her decade long captivity – has come under fire for the way he handled the conversation with the clearly distressed 26-year-old.

Experts in the U.S. say a muffled sound at the end of the call is the dispatcher cursing at Amanda Berry.

Audio forensic experts hired by Cleveland station 19 Action News believe swear words were used.

The dispatcher is now being investigated by Cleveland City Hall, according to reports.

Cleveland station WOIO has reported that the results from an investigation by a police forensic audio team were inconclusive.

One of the 19 Action News experts says the “second word is b****”, while the second believes the dispatcher said “f****** b****”.

During the two-minute conversation, Amanda Berry, is heard screaming down the phone: “I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years, and I’m, I’m here, I’m free now.”

But multiple times the dispatcher’s response was: “Talk to the police when they get there,” before asking the name of Amanda Berry’s captor, as well as his age and ethnicity.

In the 911 call Amanda Berry implores the dispatcher that she needs the police immediately, but she is told authorities will be sent as soon as a “car becomes open”.

At one point when she says: “I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been on the news for the last 10 years,” the dispatcher replies: “I got that, dear.”

As Amanda Berry becomes more frantic the dispatcher says: “The police are on their way; talk to them when they get there.”

The 911 dispatcher, who spoke to Amanda Berry after she escaped from the Cleveland house of horrors, is being investigated over claims he swore at the end of her emergency call
The 911 dispatcher, who spoke to Amanda Berry after she escaped from the Cleveland house of horrors, is being investigated over claims he swore at the end of her emergency call

The dispatcher, whose identity has not been revealed, repeats again: “I told you they’re on their way; talk to them when they get there, OK.”

Last month, Cleveland Department of Public Safety Director Martin Flask said police were dispatched and on scene in the west side neighborhood in less than two minutes.

“While the call-taker complied with policies and procedures which enabled a very fast response by police, we have noted some concerns which will be the focus of our review, including the call-taker’s failure to remain on the line with Ms. Berry until police arrived on scene.

“Please be assured that this matter will be investigated, and if necessary, appropriate corrective action taken.”

Michelle Knight disappeared in 2002 when she was 21, Amanda Berry was 16 when she vanished in 2003 and Gina DeJesus went missing about a year later when she was 14.

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Amanda Berry’s 911 call – Full transcript:

Caller: Help me. I’m Amanda Berry.

Dispatcher: You need police, fire, ambulance?

Caller: I need police.

Dispatcher: OK, and what’s going on there?

Caller: I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years, and I’m, I’m here, I’m free now.

Dispatcher: OK, and what’s your address?

Caller: 2207 Seymour Avenue

Dispatcher: 2207 Seymour. Looks like you’re calling me from 2210.

Caller: Huh?

Dispatcher: Looks like you’re calling me from 2210.

Caller: I can’t hear you.

Dispatcher: Looks like you’re calling me from 2210 Seymour.

Caller: I’m across the street; I’m using the phone.

Dispatcher: OK, stay there with those neighbors. Talk to police when they get there.

Caller: (Crying)

Dispatcher: Ok, talk to police when they get there.

Caller: OK. Hello?

Dispatcher: OK, talk to the police when they get there.

Caller: OK (unintelligible).

Dispatcher: We’re going to send them as soon as we get a car open.

Caller: No, I need them now before he gets back.

Dispatcher: All right; we’re sending them, OK?

Caller: OK, I mean, like …

Dispatcher: Who’s the guy you’re trying — who’s the guy who went out?

Caller: Um, his name is Ariel Castro.

Dispatcher: OK. How old is he?

Caller: He’s like 52.

Dispatcher: And, uh –

Caller: I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been on the news for the last 10 years.

Dispatcher: I got, I got that, dear. (Unintelligible) And, you say, what was his name again?

Caller: Uh, Ariel Castro.

Dispatcher: And is he white, black or Hispanic?

Caller: Uh, Hispanic.

Dispatcher: What’s he wearing?

Caller (agitated): I don’t know, ’cause he’s not here right now. That’s why I ran away.

Dispatcher: When he left, what was he wearing?

Caller: Who knows (unintelligible).

Dispatcher: The police are on their way; talk to them when they get there.

Caller: Huh? I – OK.

Dispatcher: I told you they’re on their way; talk to them when they get there, OK.

Caller: All right, OK. Bye.

Christie Brinkley poses in a swimsuit at 59

Lisa.Felice
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Christie Brinkley poses in a swimsuit at 59

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley has posed in a swimsuit at 59 – for the first time in over 30 years.

Christie Brinkley rolled back the years to her glory days as one of the most sought after models as she was photographed for Social Life, a new society magazine for The Hamptons.

She last appeared in a magazine in a swimsuit when she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

The ex-wife of singer Billy Joel posed in a black two piece swimsuit at her home in the Hamptons for the photo shoot.

Christie Brinkley is also featured in other poses taken around her $30 million home for the launch issue of the magazine.

The former supermodel, who was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in 1979, 1980 and 1981, tells the magazine she has become addicted to Instagram.

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley has posed in a swimsuit at 59
Former supermodel Christie Brinkley has posed in a swimsuit at 59

“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,” she added.

Christie Brinkley, who is worth more than $80 million and has been married four times, is lives full time in The Hamptons.

Her most recent marriage ended in a bitter acrimony after her husband Peter Cook cheated on her with a 17 year old girl

Christie Brinkley fought a protracted court battle with Peter Cook where he accused her of only being interested in her fame.

The couple had divorced in 2008 but continued to fight publicly over small amounts of money and accusations of sending rude emails and trading nasty swipes in the press.

The pair reached an out of court settlement last year with Christie Brinkley taking to her Facebook page to express her relief the dispute was settled.

Christie Brinkley wrote: “Once and for all, this is my last word on the subject. Let it be known, that I <<moved on>> from my marriage to Peter Cook the moment a police offer tapped me on the shoulder and informed me that <<my husband had been cheating on me in a two year affair with his 17 year-old-daughter>>. Since that moment, it has been an odyssey of frustration as I have navigated the court system with one goal to find peace and protection for my family from the various forms of abuse at the hands of a narcissist.”

Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn drop his kids off at school

Clyde K. Valle
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Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn drop his kids off at school

Tiger Woods and his new girlfriend Lindsey Vonn seem to be proving the doubters wrong.

The acknowledged philanderer and his ski star girlfriend appear to be going from strength-to-strength as evidenced by the sight of them taking his children by Elin Nordegren to school together on Tuesday.

Low-key and subtly loved up, Tiger Woods, 37, and Lindsey Vonn, 28, looked content as they accompanied Sam, 5, and 4-year-old Charlie on their mini commute.

Tiger Woods and new girlfriend Lindsey Vonn play happy families as they drop his children off at school
Tiger Woods and new girlfriend Lindsey Vonn play happy families as they drop his children off at school

Tiger Woods dropped the children at North Palm Beach, Florida, with his girlfriend Lindsey Vonn.

In November 2009, it was revealed that Tiger Woods had cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren with nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel. In the month that followed, dozens of other women came forward claiming they had s** with Tiger, too.

Tiger Woods reportedly confessed to sleeping with more than 120 women as he sought treatment for s** addiction.

The child prodigy golfer saw his ranking plummet for a few years following the adultery scandal, but recently returned to form and the number one ranking.

George Michael fell out of his car at 70 mph while travelling on a four-lane stretch of M1 motorway

Sonia Pantiss
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George Michael fell out of his car at 70 mph while travelling on a four-lane stretch of M1 motorway

An M1 motorway driver has described the moment she nearly ran over George Michael as he lay covered in blood on the road after falling from his car at 70 mph.

Katherine Fox, 23, was travelling behind a silver Range Rover when George Michael tumbled out of the passenger door onto the third lane of the carriageway.

She and other drivers managed to skid to a halt just in time before dashing to help George Michael, who was conscious but in shock, she told The Sun.

George Michael’s Adidas tracksuit was ripped and his trainers and trademark designer sunglasses had been torn off, she said.

Katherine Fox added: “There was a nasty cut on his forehead and the back of his head. There was blood all down his face and on his teeth. He was lucky he didn’t die.”

George Michael, 49, fell out of the car while travelling on a four-lane stretch of the M1 near St Albans, Hertfordshire, on Thursday.

Katherine Fox said she was told he may have been trying to open and close the door because it was not shut properly.

Two friends he was travelling with pulled over onto the hard shoulder and ran across to tend to the pop star.

Meanwhile, Katherine Fox reversed her Mini to a point in the carriageway where it shielded him from oncoming traffic as an off-duty police officer helped to direct vehicles around the scene.

George Michael fell out of his car at 70 mph while travelling on a four-lane stretch of M1 motorway
George Michael fell out of his car at 70 mph while travelling on a four-lane stretch of M1 motorway

Katherine Fox, a children’s nanny, told The Sun: “George didn’t say anything, he just seemed in shock. He was sitting down against a car and in the arms of his friend.

“The guy holding him was quite scared. If he’d landed in the second lane he would have been hit by a car without a doubt.”

M1 motorway was closed while George Michael was airlifted to hospital with a head injury.

The singer was initially reported that he had been well enough to be discharged later that day.

But a spokeswoman for George Michael today confirmed he remains in hospital for observations, although she insisted he was “fine”.

She said: “He’s still in hospital, but this is standard practice to keep an eye on him.

“He has a couple of bumps and grazes and cuts to the head, but he’s making good progress and looking forward to getting out.”

Police are investigating the incident.

Speaking at George Michael’s home in Highgate, North London, hours after the crash, the singer’s boyfriend Fadi Fawaz, 39, said: “He is perfectly fine. Of course I was worried, but I have spoken to him and he is good.

“He suffered a few bruises but there is nothing to worry about. I have no idea what happened, I wasn’t there.”

Lady Gaga is back in her favorite high heels after recovering from hip surgery

Lisa.Felice
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Lady Gaga is back in her favorite high heels after recovering from hip surgery

Lady Gaga has been reunited with her favorite heels as she hit the town in New York in her trademark super high boots.

Lady Gaga’s re-emergence comes after she was seen wheeling around the Big Apple in a gold wheelchair, and then kitten heels.

A brief appearance at the premiere of The Great Gatsby revealed a severe short crop, but it seems that was a side show for the main event as she attended the Versace Versus party back to her usual self complete with long blonde hair and Frankenstein height boots.

Lady Gaga, 27, wore an asymmetric babydoll style minidress, presumably by Versace, which she accessorized with a yellow fur clutch.

Lady Gaga has been reunited with her favorite heels as she hit the town in New York in her trademark super high boots
Lady Gaga has been reunited with her favorite heels as she hit the town in New York in her trademark super high boots

However, the singer didn’t look completely confident, as she reached out to a pole for balance.

Lady Gaga clearly can’t wait to get back into the mix after being out of action for almost four months, as she reportedly played partygoers at the fashion event snippets of her new album.

The singer has been lying low since undergoing an operation on her hip to deal with a labral tear in February. She was forced to cancel her Born This Way Ball tour and doctors told her to take six months off.

Lady Gaga revealed on Twitter that she dealt with chronic pain for several months prior to seeking medical help, but chose to ignore its effects rather than disappoint her fans.

She has kept a low profile throughout her recovery, but was photographed in Chicago, Illinois, for her birthday last month.

Lady Gaga was seen in a wheelchair while visiting boyfriend Taylor Kinney, who works on location in the city filming the NBC drama Chicago Fire.

But clearly she couldn’t wait to dig out her boots as she enjoyed a night out.

However, Lady Gaga’s re-emergence in heels may be somewhat premature – as doctors have banned the singer from performing until September.

Friends said the decision had left her crushed. A source told The Mirror: “She has a bunch of projects she wants to roll on but she needs ­clearance from doctors. It’s really frustrating for her. She won’t be back in action until September.”

In another of her infrequent appearances, Lady Gaga – whose real name is Stephani Germanotta- showed off a platinum blonde bob in April as she enjoyed a night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.

The singer was wearing white power, heavy blush and winged eyeliner and a white top with plunging back.

Accompanied by a blonde friend, Lady Gaga looked rather sleepy as she rode home in the white convertible.

As she is taking time out of the spotlight to recuperate from her injury, Lady Gaga was probably enjoying the rest from her dramatic hairstyles or wigs we often see her sporting.

She previously admitted in an interview that she has to get her hair cut short quite regularly because her locks are in such bad condition from all the chemicals and dye she uses.

Lady Gaga, a natural brunette, told People magazine two years ago: “I have to get a chemical haircut because my blonde hair is falling out.”

Travis Alexander home becomes tourist attraction

Nancy Clayson
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Travis Alexander home becomes tourist attraction

The family who now lives in the home where Jodi Arias killed her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander is treated to a constant stream of unwanted visitors who drive past the home because of their morbid fascination about the case.

Travis Alexander’s home was sold in foreclosure in 2009, the year after he was stabbed nearly 30 times and shot by Jodi Arias.

“I was a little nervous about it. My husband, though, it didn’t bother him. He said, <<This is a good deal. It’s a beautiful home. It’s in a great school district>>,” the homeowner told USA Today.

“When we signed the papers, we didn’t realize this was going to be that big of a case.”

The couple and their three sons, who are not releasing their name, have had to adapt to a lurid following of people from mostly outside of Arizona who have become enthralled with the case.

The murder trial, which began on January 2, 2013, is just now beginning to wind down with the closing arguments expected later this week.

That said, the jury could deliberate for weeks, causing the spectacle around the murder- and in turn, this home- to continue for many.

“A lot of people came by the house on their spring break – it was really bad with people showing up around that time,” the homeowner said to USA Today.

Travis Alexander's home was sold in foreclosure in 2009, the year after he was stabbed nearly 30 times and shot by Jodi Arias
Travis Alexander’s home was sold in foreclosure in 2009, the year after he was stabbed nearly 30 times and shot by Jodi Arias

“There was a lady who drove up from Casa Grande and said she wanted to talk to me so she could get <<closure>>.”

The family that bought the home did so after seeing more than 150 others in their search, including a number of vandalized abandoned homes.

As such, it came as little surprise when parts of the carpet were missing along with faucets and the shower.

At the time, the family didn’t realized that they had been collected as evidence by investigators trying to piece together who had stabbed Travis Alexander, and left his dead body in his shower for five days before anyone called the police.

That said, the murder kept the price of the home down meaning that the family paid $206,000 for it in 2009, as compared to the $250,000 that Travis Alexander had paid for it in 2004.

The family’s offer on the house was accepted before they learned about the murder, but they still decided to go ahead with the deal once they were informed by the realtor and read up on the circumstances of the 30-year-old’s death.

The family’s three boys- and massive redesign inside the home- now reportedly give it a “cozy” feel, and while the homeowner will not release photos of the new decorating scheme, she says it looks nothing like the crime scene photos presented to the jury (and the public) during the lengthy trial.

The case has reignited interest in the case and now the family has to deal with a steady stream of self-guided tours.

“We’ve had people pull in our driveway and stop and park and get their cell phones out and take pictures of the house,” the homeowner told CNN.

“I am hoping that once this trial is over this can kind of become our home instead of Jodi Arias’ home or Travis Alexander’s old home.”

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Carl Pistorius: Oscar Pistorius’ brother acquitted in Marietjie Barnard’s death case

Clyde K. Valle
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Carl Pistorius: Oscar Pistorius’ brother acquitted in Marietjie Barnard’s death case

Carl Pistorius, brother of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, has been acquitted of culpable homicide over the death of a motorcyclist in South Africa.

A magistrate ruled that Carl Pistorius, 28, had not been negligent in the death of Marietjie Barnard in March 2008.

The prosecution admitted it had been unable to prove the charges and said it would take no further action.

The case had attracted attention as it came to court shortly after Oscar Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Carl Pistorius, brother of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, has been acquitted of culpable homicide over the death of a motorcyclist in South Africa
Carl Pistorius, brother of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, has been acquitted of culpable homicide over the death of a motorcyclist in South Africa

Oscar Pistorius, 26, is charged with premeditated murder for the Valentine’s Day shooting, but says he mistook 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp for a burglar.

Carl Pistorius cried with relief, reported AP news agency, as the magistrate acquitted him of the charges against him, which also included reckless driving.

Instead, the magistrate ruled, Marietjie Barnard, 36, had been driving excessively fast when she crashed into the back of his vehicle.

“We are satisfied with the outcome and Carl is also happy to see the end of this case,” said Carl Pistorius’ lawyer Kenny Oldwage following the hearing at Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court south of Johannesburg.

Jose Manuel Barroso urges full tax data exchange

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Jose Manuel Barroso urges full tax data exchange

The head of the European Commission has told the European Parliament he wants EU-wide exchange of income data as part of the fight against tax evasion.

Jose Manuel Barroso said he would urge Wednesday’s summit of EU leaders to support automatic exchange of people’s earnings data between tax authorities.

Tax evasion costs EU states 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) a year, more than was spent on healthcare in 2008.

MEPs are expected to call for a Europe-wide blacklist of tax havens.

Pressure is likely to be put on Switzerland to relax banking secrecy amid anger over revelations about Greek and French politicians holding secret Swiss bank accounts.

The debate comes a day after UK Prime Minister David Cameron urged British overseas territories which operate low-tax regimes to “get their house in order” and sign up to international treaties on tax.

Jose Manuel Barroso said he wanted to see the principle of automatic exchange “become the standard at international level as well”.

The US Senate is currently scrutinizing the low global tax payments of Apple Inc and its subsidiaries in the Republic of Ireland in particular.

The main subsidiary, a holding company that includes Apple’s retail stores throughout Europe, has not paid any corporate income tax in the last five years, a Senate memorandum says.

In his speech to the parliament, Jose Manuel Barroso asked: “How can we explain to honest households and businesses who are feeling the squeeze yet still paying their fair share of taxes, that there are other parts of society and enterprise who are deliberately avoiding paying up?”

Jose Manuel Barroso said he would urge Wednesday's summit of EU leaders to support automatic exchange of people's earnings data between tax authorities
Jose Manuel Barroso said he would urge Wednesday’s summit of EU leaders to support automatic exchange of people’s earnings data between tax authorities

A trillion euros was, he said, “a huge amount of money to simply let through the net”.

He said he would make a call at Wednesday’s summit of EU leaders for the EU to adopt automatic exchange of income information on 1 January 2015.

EU tax authorities, he pointed out, already automatically exchanged information for income such as employment, pensions and insurance but he was proposing to include “all relevant types of income, such as dividends and capital gains”.

Austria, which has a strong tradition of banking secrecy, would support EU efforts to exchange information on foreign depositors, Chancellor Werner Faymann was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

“We won’t be the ones who put on the brakes and block things, and not the ones whose concerns put up blockades,” he said.

He noted that 1 trillion euros was “pretty much exactly the EU budget for the next seven years”.

Europe’s cash-strapped governments cannot afford to lose a single cent in tax revenue, let alone 1 trillion euros a year.

At Tuesday’s debate, non-EU member Switzerland is expected to come under pressure to put in place new rules.

Even top Swiss bankers now admit time is running out for its trademark banking secrecy.

Last week EU finance ministers agreed to start talks with Switzerland, along with Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and San Marino, on swapping bank account information.

Attempts to tighten up on tax evasion follow a furor in Greece over the so-called Lagarde list, containing the names of more than 2,000 Greeks including senior politicians with Swiss bank accounts.

More recently, France’s Socialist government was hit by a scandal, as former Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac was forced to resign over tax fraud allegations.

He later admitted that he had hidden about 600,000 euros in a Swiss bank account.

Why penguin can’t fly

James J. Williams
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Why penguin can’t fly

Scientists say they have found an answer to why the penguin is unable to fly.

Researchers believe that the bird’s underwater prowess may have cost it its ability to fly.

By looking at seabirds closely related to the penguin, scientists confirmed that a wing that is good for flying cannot also be good for diving and swimming.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Professor John Speakman, from the Scottish University of Aberdeen and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: “Like many people, I’ve always been interested in penguins, and seeing them do these phenomenal marches across the ice, I’ve often thought: <<Why don’t they just fly?>>

“And it’s really great to be involved in the group of people that have solved it.”

There are several long-standing theories about why birds cannot fly.

Researchers believe that the penguin's underwater prowess may have cost it its ability to fly
Researchers believe that the penguin’s underwater prowess may have cost it its ability to fly

One idea is that some species became flightless because of a lack of predators on the ground.

“The other idea is a <<biomechanical hypothesis>>,” explained Prof. John Speakman.

“When the bird is flying and diving it has to use its wings to do two different things. The biomechanical hypothesis is that you cannot build a wing that is good at doing both.”

To investigate, the researchers looked at a close relative of the penguin: the guillemot.

This black-and-white seabird not only looks a lot like a penguin, it can swim nearly as well. But unlike the penguin it can fly.

The researchers analyzed the amount of energy that the bird was using.

They found that it could dive with relative ease, but while flying was much more tiring for the guillemot.

Prof. John Speakman said: “The energy costs are very very high. These birds have these very short wings and they have to beat them at an incredible speed to stay in the air. It is exhausting for them.”

The researchers believe that the guillemot is using so much energy, it is only just able to keep itself aloft.

They said that the bird represented a tipping point between seabirds that are able to both fly and swim, and those that are flightless.

In the past, they suggest, the penguin would have faced an evolutionary trade off between staying airborne or having agility beneath the waves.

Prof. John Speakman explained: “Basically the hypothesis is that as the wings became more and more efficient for them to dive, they became less and less efficient for them to fly.

“At some point it became so <<expensive>> for them to fly, that it was better to give up flying all together and make the wings into small flippers.”

Apple among America’s big tax avoiders

Clyde K. Valle
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Apple among America’s big tax avoiders

Apple has been accused by US Senate of being “among America’s largest tax avoiders”.

A Senate committee said Apple had used “a complex web of offshore entities” to avoid paying billions of dollars in US income taxes. But it said there was no indication the firm acted illegally.

Apple chief Tim Cook will go before the panel on Tuesday. In prepared testimony Apple said it did not use tax gimmicks.

The Irish Republic, home to three Apple subsidiaries, says it is not to blame for the firm’s low tax payments.

The US Senate had said that Apple paid little or nothing on billions of dollars in profits placed in Irish subsidiaries.

“They are not issues that arise from the Irish taxation system,” Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore told national broadcaster RTE when asked about the Senate committee report.

“They are issues that arise from the taxation systems in other jurisdictions and that is an issue that has to be addressed first of all in those jurisdictions.”

Apple has a cash stockpile of $145 billion, but the Senate committee said $102 billion of this was held offshore.

The company says it is one of the largest taxpayers in the US, having paid $6 billion in federal corporate income tax in the 2012 fiscal year.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has been examining “methods employed by multinational corporations to shift profits offshore”.

Some large firms in the US have come under fire for their reluctance to repatriate their foreign earnings as they could face a top tax rate of 35%.

US corporation tax is one of the highest in the world at 35%. However, companies typically pay far less, thanks to numerous deductions and exemptions.

In its report into Apple, committee chairman Carl Levin said: “Apple wasn’t satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven.

“Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere.”

Apple has been accused by US Senate of being among America's largest tax avoiders
Apple has been accused by US Senate of being among America’s largest tax avoiders

Committee member John McCain said: “Apple claims to be the largest US corporate taxpayer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America’s largest tax avoiders.”

Apple said in its statement: “Apple does not move its intellectual property into offshore tax havens and use it to sell products back into the US in order to avoid US tax.

“It does not use revolving loans from foreign subsidiaries to fund its domestic operations; it does not hold money on a Caribbean island; and it does not have a bank account in the Cayman Islands.”

It added that it had “substantial” foreign cash because it sells the majority of its products outside the US, and these foreign earnings were taxed in the jurisdictions where they were earned.

The committee has already questioned tech giants Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard over their tax practices.

In September, the committee accused the two firms of using places such as the Cayman Islands, so they do not have to pay US taxes, saying their methods ranged from “egregious to dubious validity”. Both companies deny any wrongdoing.

Five of the top 10 companies with the biggest offshore cash balances are in the technology sector.

Apple said it wanted to see legislation that “dramatically simplifies” the US corporate tax system.

It believes reform should be “revenue neutral, eliminate all corporate tax expenditures, lower corporate income tax rates, and implement a reasonable tax on foreign earnings that allows free movement of capital back to the US”.

Apple said that, though these changes may increase its own taxes, it would not be opposed to such a result “if it occurs in the context of an overall improvement in efficiency, flexibility and competitiveness”.

The company said the changes would stimulate job creation in the US, increase domestic investment and promote economic growth.

Apple drew criticism three weeks ago when it sold $17 billion in bonds to raise cash to fund payouts to shareholders, rather than repatriating some of its cash reserves, which would be taxed in the US.

The move saved the company an estimated $9.2 billion in taxes.

In its prepared testimony, Apple said that the move was in its shareholders’ best interests.

While critics argue that companies shifting their profits overseas is a huge tax avoidance scheme, others want lower rates to encourage firms to invest in the US.

Last week Cisco chief executive John Chambers said his company was likely to invest more overseas if US tax laws were not modified.

“I prefer to have the majority of my employees here in America. That’s the right decision for us, but if we can’t bring our cash back, we’re going to grow dramatically faster overseas in terms of job placements,” he told CNBC.

“I think this is something our country has to fix.”

The US is not the only country trying to ensure companies pay their “fair share” of taxes.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has called for countries to work together to clamp down on tax avoidance.

In the UK, Google, Starbucks and Amazon are among several large companies to face criticism over the amount of corporation tax they pay.

Despite making sales of hundreds of millions of pounds, they reported small profits or even losses in the UK after shifting their earnings to overseas operations.

The row led coffee chain Starbucks to agree to pay more UK corporation tax.

On Sunday, Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt defended his company, saying it had “always aspired to do the right thing”, but added that “international tax law could almost certainly benefit from reform”.

North Korea releases Chinese fishing crew

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea releases Chinese fishing crew

The Chinese fishing crew seized by North Koreans two weeks ago has been freed along with their boat, reports say.

The 16-man crew was taken captive by unidentified North Koreans in the Yellow Sea on May 5.

China said on Monday it had been negotiating with Pyongyang for their release since May 10.

All were “safe on their way back”, China’s Xinhua news agency reported. Boat owner Yu Xuejun told Reuters news agency no ransom had been paid.

Yu Xuejun had earlier said that the North Koreans were demanding a 600,000 yuan ($100,000) ransom, and that he had received eight calls demanding payment.

“There were no conditions and they didn’t take any money,” he told Reuters.

“They just released them all. I received the call from the ship captain this morning at 03:50 telling me that they had already been released.”

The Chinese fishing crew seized by North Koreans two weeks ago has been freed along with their boat
The Chinese fishing crew seized by North Koreans two weeks ago has been freed along with their boat

Last year, in a similar incident, 29 Chinese fishermen and three vessels were seized by unidentified North Koreans.

They were freed after two weeks and it was not clear whether a ransom had been paid, nor whether the captors had been the North Korean authorities or autonomous kidnappers.

China is North Korea’s biggest trading partner and closest ally. But ties between the two have chilled in recent months, in the wake of North Korea’s third nuclear test on February 12.

Beijing backed expanded sanctions against Pyongyang in response to the underground test, and some of its banks have suspended trading with North Korea’s key foreign exchange bank.

Overall tensions on the peninsula remain high following the nuclear test, with operations at the joint inter-Korean Kaesong industrial complex suspended.

In recent days North Korea has fired six short range missiles off its east coast, as part of what it says are military exercises.

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Efrain Rios Montt genocide and crimes against humanity conviction overturned

Diane A. Wade
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Efrain Rios Montt genocide and crimes against humanity conviction overturned

Efrain Rios Montt, Guatemala’s former military leader, has had his conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity overturned.

The constitutional court said the trial must go back to where it stood on April 19 and restart from that point.

On May 10, General Efrain Rios Montt, 86, was convicted of ordering the deaths of 1,771 people of the Ixil Maya ethnic group during his time in office in 1982-83.

He was sentenced to 80 years in prison. The former leader denies the charges.

The constitutional court on Monday threw out all proceedings in the case after the April day when there was a dispute between two judges about who should hear the case.

The ruling follows an appeal by Gen. Efrain Rios Montt’s defense lawyers, who argued that procedural errors had been committed.

Efrain Rios Montt, Guatemala's former military leader, has had his conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity overturned.
Efrain Rios Montt, Guatemala’s former military leader, has had his conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity overturned.

The trial – which began in March – was beset by delays and even a temporary suspension.

During the hearings, dozens of victims gave harrowing testimony about atrocities committed by soldiers.

Gen. Efrain Rios Montt became the first former leader to be found guilty of genocide by a national tribunal in May.

Now, just days later, the jubilant scenes among indigenous campaigners in a packed court were contrasted sharply with the low-key press conference in which this latest legal twist was announced.

The decision to annul the sentence does not signal the end of the legal battle either for the prosecution or for Efrain Rios Montt as both sides will now start preparing to return to court to replay the final few weeks of the trial.

An estimated 200,000 people were killed in Guatemala’s 1960-1996 civil war, the vast majority of them indigenous Mayans.

Efrain Rios Montt’s 17 months in power are believed to have been one of the most violent periods of the war.

The former general abandoned politics in 2012, after serving in Congress for a number of years.

Efrain Rios Montt is now expected to leave the military hospital where he is currently being held and return to his home under house arrest.

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Hilaria Baldwin joins husband Alec at Cannes Film Festival 2013 to promote his documentary Seduced and Abandoned

Lisa.Felice
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Hilaria Baldwin joins husband Alec at Cannes Film Festival 2013 to promote his documentary Seduced and Abandoned

Alec Baldwin famously lost his cool with film producer Harvey Weinstein at last year’s Cannes film festival.

But it appears that Alec Baldwin, 55, has managed to keep his fiery temper under control this time around.

Looking dapper and thankfully relaxed on the red carpet on Monday alongside his pregnant wife Hilaria Baldwin, 29, Alec was in Cannes to promote his new documentary film Seduced and Abandoned.

Alec Baldwin’s HBO documentary Seduced and Abondoned – directed by his friend James Toback – was filmed during last year’s film festival and follows the actor running between yachts and hotels trying to pitch a movie he hopes to finance and make.

It also includes interviews conducted by Alec Baldwin with directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski and Martin Scorsese, as well as actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain.

And it was during this process that Alec Baldwin lost his temper with Harvey Weinstein, who wouldn’t help Alec finance the film.

Hilaria Baldwin brought the glamour to Cannes in her glittering grey dress and pink heels, despite being heavily pregnant
Hilaria Baldwin brought the glamour to Cannes in her glittering grey dress and pink heels, despite being heavily pregnant

Alec Baldwin allegedly called the 60-year-old producer a “f***ing douchebag” after he refused Alec’s pitch.

But Alec Baldwin was quick to issue Harvey Weinstein with an apology by writing him a note at the amfAR charity event last year.

Harvey Weinstein said in a statement: “Alec couldn’t have been more gracious. We all lose our tempers sometime; trust me I have, too. We all appreciated his generosity to everyone at amfAR.”

His reps also explained that Harvey Weinstein couldn’t be involved in Alec Baldwin’s project because he had a hectic schedule at the time.

Filmmaker James Toback’s most recent film was the 2008 documentary on boxer Mike Tyson called Tyson.

Hopefully Alec Baldwin was able to keep his well-documented temper at bay during the rest of the filming.

Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria brought the glamour to Cannes in her glittering grey dress and pink heels, despite being heavily pregnant.

Hilaria Baldwin, who was recently named on Vanity Fair‘s list of the best dressed pregnant celebrities, tweeted ahead of her arrival to the festival that she would be missing her two dogs, saying: “It’s even harder leaving them while I’m pregnant. Their cries make me cry!”

Alec Baldwin, who has a 17-year-old daughter Ireland with ex-wife Kim Basinger, recently revealed his delight at becoming a father once again with his Yoga teacher wife Hilaria Thomas.

The actor said: “It’s really like a dream come true.

“Because as much as I have struggled as a divorced parent – and God knows, I’ve had my ups and downs – the only thing that I regret was that I missed so much of my daughter’s childhood because of this contentious situation.”

Jennifer Lawrence wears blue body paint to portray X-Men’s Mystique

Lisa.Felice
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Jennifer Lawrence wears blue body paint to portray X-Men’s Mystique

Jennifer Lawrence has hit the X-Men set like a bolt from the blue and her fans have been given a glimpse of the 22-year-old star in all her painted glory as she reprises her role as Mystique in the hit franchise.

In a snap shared on Twitter by the film’s director Bryan Singer, Jennifer Lawrence is covered in the bright color to record scenes in the Days of Future Past edition of the motion picture franchise.

Bryan Singer captioned the image: “First look: #JenniferLawrence as a vengeful #Mystique. #XMen #DaysOfFuturePast.”

The material showed off her toned stomach with a cut-out middle section and featured textured pieces to create reptile effect for the Marvels Comics mutant.

Jennifer Lawrence also wore her usually blonde locks slicked back into a flaming orange style while on set in Montreal, Canada.

Her looks were being adjusted by a hair and make-up team member as she stood in front of a green screen.

Jennifer Lawrence is covered in blue to record scenes in the Days of Future Past edition of X-Men franchise
Jennifer Lawrence is covered in blue to record scenes in the Days of Future Past edition of X-Men franchise

The backdrop is for use in a special effects post-production technique to composition two images or video streams together.

Jennifer Lawrence wore piercing yellow eye contact lenses and even the whites of her eyes seemed to be temporarily dyed to for the eerie look.

The actress also played Mystique/Raven in 2011’s X-Men: First Class and so for the sequel is her only film set for release in 2014.

However, this year Jennifer Lawrence will also reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire alongside Liam Hemsworth.

In 2013 she also is due to appear in American Hustle with Silver Linings Playbook co-star Bradley Cooper, plus Devil You Know and Serena.

Jennifer Lawrence’s ex-boyfriend Nicholas Hoult appears as Hank McCoy/beast, while Jame McAvoy portrays Charles Xavier and Ellen Page is Kitty Pride/Shadowcat.

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Oklahoma tornado kills at least 51 people as two entire schools flattened in Moore

Diane A. Wade
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Oklahoma tornado kills at least 51 people as two entire schools flattened in Moore

At least 51 people have been killed after a huge tornado tore through Oklahoma City suburbs, with the death toll likely to rise.

Worst hit was Moore, south of Oklahoma City, where neighborhoods were flattened and schools were destroyed by winds of up to 200mph.

About 120 people, including 70 children, are being treated in hospitals for their injuries.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing throughout the night.

Monday’s twister hit Moore, a suburb of about 55,000 people, and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes.

The Oklahoma chief medical examiner’s office said children were among the 51 dead.

At least two schools were devastated by the high winds, and there are reports that children are still unaccounted for.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said it was a “tragic” day, and that President Barack Obama had called her to offer assistance.

At least 51 people have been killed after a huge tornado tore through Oklahoma City suburbs
At least 51 people have been killed after a huge tornado tore through Oklahoma City suburbs

More than 200 Oklahoma National Guardsmen as well as out-of-state personnel have been called in to assist the search-and-rescue effort.

Shocked survivors spoke of the tornado’s power.

“We locked the cellar door once we saw it coming, it got louder and next thing you know is you see the latch coming undone,” survivor Ricky Stover said.

“We couldn’t reach for it and it ripped open the door and just glass and debris started slamming on us and we thought we were dead, to be honest.”

Melissa Newton said: “There’s shingles and pieces of sheet rock and wood in our yard and all across our neighborhood. Some homes are completely gone. It’s devastating.”

James Rushing said he had rushed to the Plaza Towers Elementary School, where his foster son Aiden was a pupil, to see it destroyed by the storm.

“About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said Monday’s tornado had generated winds of up to 200 mph.

“It’s certainly the most powerful tornado that I’ve ever dealt with in my 20 years with the weather service,” said NWS meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman, Oklahoma.

The town of Moore was hit by a severe tornado in May 1999, which had the highest winds ever recorded on Earth.

But Betsy Randolph of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told local news station Skynews 9 that the damage on Monday appeared to exceed that of the last devastating tornado.

Tornadoes, hail and high winds also hit Iowa and Kansas, part of a storm system stretching from Texas to Minnesota.

On Sunday, a tornado smashed a trailer park on Highway 102 near Shawnee, Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s state medical examiner confirmed on Monday that two people had been killed in the area.

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Ray Manzarek dead: The Doors co-founder dies aged 74 after long battle with cancer

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Ray Manzarek dead: The Doors co-founder dies aged 74 after long battle with cancer

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founder member of the 1960s rock band The Doors, has died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 74.

He formed the band with lead singer Jim Morrison in 1965 after a chance meeting in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

Ray Manzarek, who had suffered from bile duct cancer for many years, died in a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, with his wife and brothers at his bedside.

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founder member of the 1960s rock band The Doors, has died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 74
Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founder member of the 1960s rock band The Doors, has died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 74

The Doors found fame in the 1960s with hits such as The End, Break on Through to the Other Side and Hello I Love You.

They sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and Ray Manzarek became one of the best-known keyboardists of his era, his artistry coloring tracks like Riders on the Storm and Light my Fire.

The death of Jim Morrison of heart failure in a bath in Paris on 3 July 1971 effectively spelled the end for the band, although Chicago-born Ray Manzarek took on singing duty.

The front man had moved to the city to write. A doctor’s report stated the cause of his death was heart failure aggravated by heavy drinking.

In his latter years, Ray Manzarek played in other bands and, in 1998, wrote a best-selling memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors.

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Christine White dies in a nursing home in Washington at the age of 86

Sonia Pantiss
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Christine White dies in a nursing home in Washington at the age of 86

Actress Christine White, who played a calming wife on a classic 1963 Twilight Zone episode that featured a young William Shatner, has died at age 86.

Christine White portrayed Julia Wilson in Nightmare at 20,000 Feet in which her husband Bob, portrayed by William Shatner, becomes unnerved after seeing a gremlin on the wing of the mid-flight plane.

The tension mounts throughout the episode as Bob has just returned from a sanitarium following a nervous breakdown six months prior that also occurred on a plane.

The situation becomes tense as the gremlin starts pulling wires from a wing panel and jumps out of view each time someone else looks out the window.

Show host Rod Serling told viewers early in the episode that Bob’s destination on the flight was the “darkest corner of the Twilight Zone”.

Christine White died on April 14 in a nursing home in Washington, according to a death notice published earlier this month in The Carroll County Times in Maryland, according to a report by The New York Times.

Christine White played a calming wife on a classic 1963 Twilight Zone episode that featured a young William Shatner
Christine White played a calming wife on a classic 1963 Twilight Zone episode that featured a young William Shatner

She was born in Washington and moved to New York to pursue a career in theatre after graduating in 1947 with a degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Christine White made it to Hollywood by the 1950s and appeared on TV shows and in the movies into the 1970s.

She had acting roles in Bonanza, Perry Mason, The Rifleman, The Untouchables and Father Knows Best during her career.

Her survivors include numerous nieces and nephews.

Christine White in the classic Twilight Zone episode does her best to soothe her increasingly agitated husband as the plane travels in stormy, lightning-filled weather.

Fearing for the safety of the plane’s passengers, Bob lifts a sleeping policeman’s gun and opens the emergency exit.

He’s nearly blown away, but fires and strikes the gremlin.

While Bob is being taken away on a gurney, Rob Serling promises he won’t be confined for long as the viewer sees the wing panel ripped by the gremlin.

William Shatner, who went onto fame as Capt. James T. Kirk on television’s Star Trek, posted a Twitter message on Sunday saying that he was thinking about Christine White’s family.

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Brazilian husband caught cheating wife as lover escapes from window

Nancy Clayson
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Brazilian husband caught cheating wife as lover escapes from window

A video has surfaced from Brazil depicting the hilarious struggle of a man attempting to escape a cheating woman’s bedroom after her husband has come home.

And it’s out a third story window.

As the drama begins, a husband and wife are seen arguing on the third-floor patio of an urban apartment building.

“Who shirt is this,” demands the husband in Portuguese.

The wife angrily flings the shirt into a whooping crowd that has gathered below.

Their fight is juicy enough as is, but just off to the side a man appears in the couple’s window.

The lover attempting to escape the cheating woman’s bedroom after her husband has come home
The lover attempting to escape the cheating woman’s bedroom after her husband has come home

Shirtless and angry, the man may be an adulterer but he’s awfully quick-thinking.

He tosses out the window an escape rope he’s managed to fashion from knotted t-shirts and bravely begins to climb down.

On a window sill below, he stops. The cackling crowd mocks both him and the woman’s husband.

“Cornudo,” the growing audience yells at the husband, a Portuguese word for a man being cheated on.

As if a Hollywood celebrity had just fallen from the sky, the passersby hoot and ogle and snap photos.

They chant: “JUMP!” as emergency workers arrive to assist the struggling man. And he does just that.

A soft mat is placed below the shirtless man and the crowd cheers as leaps and bounces down to the street.

Barefoot and scowling, the shirtless man gives the woman and her husband a good shake of the fist, then shakes it at the crowd for good measure and marches out of view.

[youtube EMHxBcimal8]

Travis Alexander case: Jodi Arias’ attorneys file motion for mistrial

Nancy Clayson
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Travis Alexander case: Jodi Arias’ attorneys file motion for mistrial

Yesterday, Jodi Arias’ defense attorneys filed a motion for mistrial as one of their character witnesses scheduled to testify during the May 20, 2013, penalty phase on Arias’ behalf as backed out due to receiving death threats.

This isn’t the first time someone who has testified for Jodi Arias received public backlash. Her ex-boyfriend Darryl Brewer testified and requested his face to be hidden from the camera.

Travis Alexander and Jodi Arias before his murder on June 4, 2008
Travis Alexander and Jodi Arias before his murder on June 4, 2008

Criminal defense attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott are expected to argue eight, mitigating factors hoping the jury will spare Jodi Arias’ life and give her either life in prison without the possibility of parole, or life in prison with parole after 25 years. One of the mitigating factors is that Jodi Arias was 27-years-old at the time she stabbed her lover Travis Alexander 29 times, slit his throat from ear to ear and shot him in the head. If Jodi Arias were sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, she could be looking at getting out of prison when she is approximately 52 years old.

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Laura Fernee claims she is too pretty to work

Nancy Clayson
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Laura Fernee claims she is too pretty to work

Laura Fernee says her good looks are so powerful they are ruining her life – and have forced her to quit her job.

Laura Fernee, 33, is a science graduate and she says her slim figure and pretty face attracted unwanted attention from her male colleagues.

She also claims she has been ostracized by other women in the workplace who are jealous of her beauty.

Laura Fernee now lives off her wealthy parents after quitting her £30,000 ($47,000) job in scientific research two years ago.

She said her appearance meant she was constantly harassed and bullied, and has decided work “just isn’t for her”.

The woman said: “I’m not lazy and I’m no b***o. The truth is my good looks have caused massive problems for me when it comes to employment, so I’ve made the decision that employment just isn’t for me at the moment. It’s not my fault … I can’t help the way I look.

“Male colleagues were only interested in me for how I looked. I wanted them to recognize my achievements and my professionalism but all they saw was my face and body.”

Laura Fernee claims she is too pretty to get a job
Laura Fernee claims she is too pretty to get a job

Laura Fernee said men left “romantic gifts” on her desk and she was “constantly asked out”, which she found “sleazy”.

“Even when I was in a laboratory in scrubs with no make-up they still came on to me because of my natural attractiveness. There was nothing I could do to stop it,” she added.

Laura Fernee studied science and medical research to doctorate level and began working in a laboratory in 2008. But she said she was forced to quit three years later because of the treatment she received.

She said: “They [other women] assumed because I was pretty, I was stupid, so didn’t take me seriously at first and, because of their own insecurities, were jealous of my looks.

“Then when they realized I was very good at my job, possibly better than them, they hated me even more.”

Laura Fernee’s parents – Catherine, 65, and Alan, 70 – inherited money from Laura’s grandfather, and now pay £2,000 ($3,000) a month in rent and bills for her flat in Notting Hill, London, as well as picking up her credit card payments.

They also shell out £1,500 ($2,300) a month for her designer clothes, shoes and handbags, and £700 ($1,000) on haircuts.

Laura Fernee pays £80 ($125) a week to work out at the gym and spends £1,000 ($1,500) a month on socializing.

The woman said her critics were “underestimating just what a curse good looks can be in the workplace”.

[youtube kSFtlei5H0o]

Full spring cleaning burns more calories than running a marathon

Kathryn R. Bown
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Full spring cleaning burns more calories than running a marathon

New research shows that spring cleaning can burn off even more calories than running a marathon.

Houseproud homeowners typically burn up 3,655 calories each year just by cleaning and tidying their homes in time for the summer.

That’s about the same as 30 large glasses of white wine or 20 chocolate eclairs – or a little more than one marathon run.

Over a lifetime this amounts to almost a quarter of a million calories or 783 bacon sandwiches.

The study was carried out with a group of home owners who were asked to monitor the amount of time they spent spring cleaning and the tasks carried out.

Popular tasks included dusting and vacuuming, emptying and cleaning cupboards, scrubbing floors, cleaning windows and moving furniture.

Cleaning cupboards burnt the most calories with those taking part spending on average four hours on this task alone, using up 952 calories. This involved emptying, cleaning out and repacking the cupboards.

Dusting was the least strenuous task burning off just 170 calories per hour. Those being monitored spent two hours doing this gentle task.

The average spring clean took the home owners 16 hours and 20 minutes spread over four days.

At 3,655 calories it was well ahead of a marathon run which typically burns between 2,500 and 3,500 calories depending on the runner’s height, weight and build.

One woman who took part said: “I’m surprised at how many calories I use just by giving the house a thorough clean. There is a lot of stretching and lifting involved so great for the upper body, and walking up and down the stairs and the ladder to get into the loft are great for my legs.

New research shows that spring cleaning can burn off even more calories than running a marathon
New research shows that spring cleaning can burn off even more calories than running a marathon

“I’m almost tempted to clean up more often now I know how beneficial it is!”

Another added: “I often ache after spring cleaning – now I know why! It is incredibly rewarding to see the house de-cluttered and gleaming, even better when I know I can indulge in a few of my favorite treats without feeling guilty afterwards.”

A spokesperson for PromotionalCodes.org.uk, who conducted the study said: “Housework is a great way to exercise and knowing how many calories it burns makes it much less of a chore. After all, as well as a lovely clean house, we’re also toning, firming and making ourselves much fitter.

“There are lots of time saving devices now which means our spring clean takes less time than it did years ago. But regardless of the help we have, we’re still stretching, lifting, walking and bending – all great for getting our hearts pumping and body working hard.”

Vacuuming (1 hour) 238 calories

Dusting (2 hours) 340 calories (170calories/hour)

Emptying, cleaning, repacking cupboards (4 hours) 952 calories (238 calories/hour)

Scrubbing the floor (1 hour) 258 calories

Climbing up and down loft (20 mins) 181 calories (544calories/hour)

Turning mattresses and making beds (1 hour) 136 calories

Moving heavy furniture (2 hours) 476 calories (238calories/hour)

Cleaning windows (3 hours) 612 calories (204calories/hour)

Cleaning external doors (1 hour) 204 calories

Deep clean bathrooms (1hour) 258 calories

Total: 3,655 calories

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