Democrat Wins New York Special Election
A Democrat has won an upset victory in a hotly contested race for a U.S. congressional seat from upstate New York, where proposed cuts to federal health assistance were seen as a pivotal issue.
Democrat Kathy Hochul won the seat Tuesday in New York's 26th Congressional District, where Republican Chris Lee stepped down after a scandal earlier this year.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district. Until recently, the Republican candidate, Jane Corwin, was expected to win easily.
But Hochul gained ground in recent weeks. Preliminary results indicate Hochul got 48 percent of the vote in the election, compared to Corwin's 43 percent.
Some Democrats said Corwin's campaign floundered because she supported a Republican proposal to lower government spending in part by cutting funding for and transforming Medicare — the public health insurance program for people 65 and over.
Observers say this election could be an indication of how Republicans and the Medicare plan will fare in nationwide elections next year.
Corwin's decline may also have been due in part to a third candidate, Jack Davis, who ran with the support of the conservative Tea Party movement. He may have drawn votes from people who otherwise would have supported the Republican candidate.
Tornadoes Threaten Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, 4 Dead
Severe storms and tornadoes are causing destruction and claiming lives in the central United States, just two days after scores of people were killed in the state of Missouri, in the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in nearly 60 years.
Emergency officials say at least four people died Tuesday in Oklahoma, and several dozen others were injured. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Storms also were battering parts of Kansas and northern Texas. The National Weather Service was warning of severe thunderstorms, more tornadoes, baseball-sized hail and strong winds.
Severe thunderstorms also threatened Joplin, Missouri, where on Sunday a devastating tornado crushed cars, uprooted trees and ripped apart buildings. At least 122 people died in that storm, and more victims may be found as rescuers are still searching through the wreckage.
U.S. President Barack Obama says he will travel to the storm-devastated area on Sunday. Speaking during a visit to London Tuesday, Mr. Obama pledged that the federal government will use all available resources to help the victims recover and rebuild.
Weather officials say 481 people have now been killed in the country this year by tornadoes, the deadliest toll since the 519 recorded in 1953.
Last month, tornadoes and violent thunderstorms killed more than 300 people across the southern United States. Alabama bore the brunt of the fatalities, with more than 200 dead.
Russian Court Upholds Khodorkovsky Verdict
A Moscow court has upheld the second conviction of former Russian Yukos oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Planton Lebedev.
But the court Tuesday reduced their prison terms by one year, meaning they likely will stay behind bars until 2016.
Both are serving prison time on charges of tax evasion and fraud. The Kremlin leveled additional charges of money laundering and stealing oil.
Khodorkovsky's supporters outside the Moscow courthouse chanted “disgrace” and “shame” when the decision was announced. Khodorkovsky's mother burst into tears. His lawyers promise to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Khodorkovsky and his backers say all the charges against him are politically motivated because he supports politicians opposed to former president-turned-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Amnesty International has declared Khodorkovsky and Lebedev prisoners of conscience.
Khodorkovsky said before Tuesday's court ruling that President Dmitry Medvedev would have to decide what Russia needs more — a state governed by the rule of law or the opportunity for unlawful judicial reprisals.
Khodorkovsky and Lebedev built Yukos into Russia's largest oil company. The Kremlin seized Yukos when they were charged with tax evasion fraud in 2005. Russian officials broke up the company and sold off its pieces to pay off what they say was Khodorkovsky's tax bill.
Car Bomb Wounds 15 in Pakistan
Militants have detonated a car bomb near a police building in northwest Pakistan.
Police Wednesday said at least 15 people were wounded in the dawn attack in the city of Peshawar, near the Afghan border.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. But a string of attacks in Pakistan has followed the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The Pakistani Taliban vowed revenge and already has claimed three attacks since the raid on May 2.
PNP welcomes meeting
In a follow up to the release sent to RTC news by the F.C.O Office, the Progressive National Party welcomes the invitation of the Government of the United Kingdom to Political Leaders from the Turks and Caicos Islands to attend a face to face meeting with Henry Bellingham, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for the Overseas Territories, on matters relating to constitutional and electoral reform.
We have been consistent in our calls for such a meeting with the political directorate in the United Kingdom on these matters as well as in our opposition to the suspension of representative democracy in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We are on record as challenging the legitimacy of the Consultative Forum and the Advisory Council and are of the view that, as neither of these two bodies have the consent of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands to represent their interest in this or any other matter, they ought not be permitted to attend any meetings between United Kingdom and Turks and Caicos Islands Politicians, and we object to the attendance of the Governor’s Consultative Forum and Advisory Council at such a meeting.
Our Party remains committed to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands and stands ready, willing and able to represent their interest as we seek a return to representative democracy in these Islands and we look forward to working with the People’s Democratic Movement in this effort.
'Pirates of the Caribbean' posts year's best opening
Now more than ever, the entire world knows the name of Captain Jack Sparrow. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" opened globally this weekend, and while it performed admirably in the U.S., its $256.3 million opening overseas -- the largest foreign debut ever -- is why Disney executives will be swigging celebratory bottles of rum tonight.
Domestically, the $250 million film plundered $90.1 million, passing "Fast Five's" $86.2 million debut to secure the year's largest opening. However, the 3-D adventure movie fell short of the last two "Pirates" entries; by comparison, 2006's "Dead Man's Chest" opened to $135.6 million, and 2007's "At World's End" took in $114.7 million. "On Stranger Tides," the fourth title in the "Pirates" series, also garnered the franchise's weakest reviews, but CinemaScore audiences handed the PG-13 film a favorable "B+" grade.
Creating its own box-office news was the R-rated comedy "Bridesmaids," which fell a mere 20 percent for $21.1 million. That's a smaller second-weekend drop than 2009's "The Hangover," and a far better hold than 2008's "Sex and the City," which plummeted 63 percent its second week.
"Thor," which lost many of its 3-D and IMAX screens to "Pirates," didn't fare as well. The PG-13 superhero movie declined 55 percent for $15.5 million, pushing its three-week tally to $145.4 million.
In fourth place, "Fast Five" skidded 48 percent for $10.6 million. With $186.2 million in the vault so far, the street-racing movie will attempt to become the year's first movie to reach $200 million domestically.
In fifth, the animated avian flick "Rio' slipped 44 percent for $4.7 million.
And right behind it was the horror action film "Priest," which earned $4.6 million -- a monstrous fall of 69 percent.
In limited release, "Midnight in Paris" -- the new Woody Allen romantic comedy starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams -- collected $579,000 from just six locations. Its estimated per-theater tally of $96,500 is the 15th best opening-weekend average on record, beating the likes of "There Will Be Blood," "The King's Speech," and "Black Swan".
Check back next week as two sequels, "The Hangover Part II at the l'raye Cinema.
Police Seek Man For Scamming $500K Using Drake; Nicki Minaj
Police in Toronto, Canada are searching for a man who scammed over $500,000 from a South African promoter, using Hip-Hop artists Drake and Nicki Minaj.
Andrew Wilson is accused of portraying himself as a high roller in order to scam people, to support his lavish lifestyle.
A private investigator in the United States honed in on Andrew Wilson as a suspect, while investigating phony concert in South Africa.
Police say Wilson was associated with Drake when the rapper was an up-and-coming artist in Toronto, but the two severed their business relationship years ago.
But that didn't stop Wilson from allegedly using old copies of a contract with Drake to convince the South African promoter that he was legitimate, according to The Toronto Sun.
The South African promoter who ended up sending $500,000 to an account in Singapore which was then transferred to a bank in Lebanon and has not been able to be account for since.
Wilson, 41, is accused of putting the money into an account owned by his 76-year-old Aunt, who is now facing charges as well.
Police arrested the elderly woman, who has refused to cooperate.
They are still seeking Andrew Wilson, who is wanted for two counts of fraud.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs changes his name...again
How many names can one man have?
Rapper/entrepreneur/actor/whatever else he wants to be Sean Combs started in the game as Puff Daddy before becoming known as Puffy, Puff, P. Diddy and finally, Diddy. Now, for one week, he wants to be known as "Swag."
For those who have been hiding under a hip-hop culture rock for the past few years, "swag" is short for "swagger" and according to the Urban Dictionary is defined as "How one presents him or her self to the world."
Swag announced the change via his official Twitter account and even set up a new Twitter account to reflect the temporary name change.
"I decided that I’m gonna change my name for a week in honor of my comeback," he said on a video he released. "I’ve gone as Puff, Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, King Combs – my real name is Sean Combs – and for a week, this week only, you can call me by my new name, Swag.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger delays Hollywood comeback
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has delayed all his future film projects, a statement from his office has confirmed.
The 63-year-old, who had planned to return to acting after launching a political career, is "focusing on personal matters", the statement said.
Schwarzenegger recently admitted he had fathered a child with a member of his household staff more than 10 years ago.
The former Terminator star and his wife Maria Shriver have separated.
The full statement said: "Governor Schwarzenegger is focusing on personal matters and is not willing to commit to any production schedules or timelines.
"This includes Cry Macho, the Terminator franchise and other projects under consideration.
"We will resume discussions when Governor Schwarzenegger decides."
Ms Shriver, who has moved out of the family home in Los Angeles, has been married to the former actor for 25 years.
They have four children between the ages of 14 and 21.
Schwarzenegger has maintained a high public profile and worked to revive his movie career since finishing a seven-year run as California governor in January.
Among the potential projects were plans for him to voice the central character in the animated TV series The Governator.
The show, which depicts Schwarzenegger as a devoted family man who lives a double life as a superhero, also halted production on Thursday.
'The Tree of Life' garners top prize at 2011 Cannes film festival
"The Tree of Life," an American film helmed by director Terrence Malick and starring Brad Pitt, took home to the top prize Sunday at the Cannes film festival.
Other big winners at the decades-old event, held annually on the French Riviera, included Kirsten Dunst as best actress at the competition for her role as one of two sisters battling depression ahead of the world's end in "Melancholia," and Jean Dujardin as best actor for his portrayal of silent movie star George Valentin in the French film "The Artist."
Nicolas Winding Refn, from Denmark, was named best director after overseeing "The Drive," about the life of a Hollywood stunt driver played by Ryan Gosling. The best screenplay award went to Joseph Cedar, an Israeli who penned the script for the father-son focused drama "Hearat Shulayim."
"Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da" -- in English, "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia," a movie shot in Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina -- and "Le Gamin au Velo" -- or "The Kid with the Bike," which has Belgian, French and Italian roots -- earned the "Grand Prix Ex-aequo." That is the second most prestigious overall honor at Cannes, second to Palm d'Or.
That prize went to "The Tree of Life," which tells the story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s. Pitt plays the authoritative father raising three kids along with his wife, played by Jessica Chastain.
Although Pitt, a father of six, joked last week that his parenting style isn't quite the same as the character he plays in Malick's film, the story does raise a lot of the same questions about spirituality he had as a child.
"Many people find religion to be very inspiring," he told reporters. "Myself, I found it very stifling."
"Cross" -- a film inspired by Ukrainian director Maryna Vroda's experience running cross-country as a girl -- garnered the Palm D'Or in the short-film category.
"Badpakje 46," or "Swimsuit 46," which revolves around a 12-year-old swimmer, won the jury prize in the short-film category. For full-length features, the jury prize went to "Polisse," a movie about members of a French police unit.