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Published by Radar Online MEGA James Franco has been served with legal documents by Johnny Depp — who wants to grill the Pineapple Express actor about whether he slept with his former wife Amber Heard when she was still married. Page Six broke the story, Depp's lawyers had been trying to track down Franco for some time and will now be allowed to move forward with a deposition. MEGA The Pirates of the Caribbean actor is suing his ex-wife for defamation after she wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post. The title of the article was I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change. In the article, Heard wrote about her experience dealing with people's criticism of her after she came forward with abuse accusations. She never once mentioned Depp by name but it wasn't hard to figure out who she was talking about. The Viper Room Curse: Johnny's Ex-Business Partner Missing — What Does Depp Know? “Imagine a powerful man as a ship, like the Titanic. That ship is a huge enterprise. When it strikes an iceberg, there are a lot of people on board desperate to patch up holes — not because they believe in or even care about the ship, but because their own fates depend on the enterprise,” she wrote. Depp claims the article violated a non-disclosure clause that was included in their divorce settlement. MEGA Depp is also accusing Heard of fabricating the photos of her alleged injuries that were released around the time of their divorce. He claims she doctored the photos but Heard denies the accusations. The photos show the actress with two black eyes, a broken nose, and a busted lip. She was recently ordered to turn over her cell phones as part of the court battle. Johnny Depp's Old Bandmate Claims Ex-Wife Amber Heard 'F—ed His Career Over', Drove Him To Abuse Drugs Depp also believes Heard cheated on him with multiple other men. One of them is Franco. He wants to grill the actor about his theory under oath along with whether Franco saw injuries on Heard in the days after the alleged assault. Depp claims security footage from his apartment shows Franco and Heard in an elevator in May 2016. The footage was shot 24 hours after Heard claims Depp attacked her and gave her a black eye. Depp believes Franco will have answers on whether Heard ever mentioned a fight of if there were visible marks on her face/body. “I have denied Ms. Heard’s allegations vehemently since she first made them in May 2016 … when she walked into court to obtain a temporary restraining order with painted-on bruises that witnesses and surveillance footage show she did not possess each day of the preceding week. I will continue to deny them for the rest of my life. I never abused Ms. Heard or any other woman,” Depp wrote in his lawsuit. MEGA Heard's attorney claims Franco lived in the same building at the time and they were not having an affair. The trial is set to start on April 11, 2022. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Humeyra Pamuk and Joel Schectman WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. airlines canceled close to 900 flights on Saturday, the second straight day of massive cancellations as surging COVID-19 infections have sidelined some pilots and other crew members, upending plans for tens of thousands of holiday travelers over the Christmas weekend. More than 880 Christmas Day flights, including domestic flights and those into or out of the country, were canceled, up from 690 on Christmas Eve, according to a running tally on flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. Around 800 flights were delayed. The Christmas holidays are typically a peak time for air travel, but the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections, forcing airlines to cancel flights as pilots and crew need to be quarantined. United Airlines canceled 230 flights, a company spokesperson said. “The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” spokesperson Maddie King said. She added that the cancellations made up a small portion of United’s 4,000 average daily flights during the holiday season. “We are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays,” she said. FlightAware data showed that Delta Air Lines scrubbed 292 flights as of 11:23 a.m. EST (1623 GMT), while a spokesperson for American Airlines said the carrier had to call off 90 mainland flights. Globally, a total of more than 2,500 flights were called off on Saturday and some 4,200 others were delayed. “Our operation has been running smoothly, and unfortunately a number of COVID-related sick calls led us to make the difficult decision to pre-cancel some flights scheduled for today,” a spokesperson for American Airlines said. Not all airlines were affected equally. A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said there were no issues to report with the carrier’s flights on Saturday. The Omicron variant was first detected in November and now accounts for nearly three-quarters of U.S. cases and as many as 90% in some areas, such as the Eastern Seaboard. The average number of new U.S. coronavirus cases has risen 45% to 179,000 per day over the past week, according to a Reuters tally. While recent research suggests Omicron produces milder illness and a lower rate of hospitalizations than previous variants of COVID-19, health officials have maintained a cautious note about the outlook. Ahead of the Christmas holiday, Americans scrambled for COVID-19 tests and many went ahead with their travel plans. U.S. officials have said that people who are fully vaccinated should feel comfortable proceeding with holiday travel. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Joel Schectman; Editing by Kieran Murray and Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Steve Gorman (Reuters) -NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, built to give the world its first glimpse of the universe as it existed when the earliest galaxies formed, was launched by rocket early Saturday from the northeastern coast of South America, opening a new era of astronomy. The revolutionary $9 billion infrared telescope https://graphics.reuters.com/SPACE-EXPLORATION/TELESCOPE/klvyknwbrvg, described by NASA as the premiere space-science observatory of the next decade, was carried aloft inside the cargo bay of an Ariane 5 rocket that blasted off at about 7:20 a.m. EST (1220 GMT) from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) launch base in French Guiana. The flawless Christmas Day launch, with a countdown conducted in French, was carried live on a joint NASA-ESA webcast. The liftoff capped a project decades in the making, coming to fruition after years of repeated delays and cost over-runs. “From a tropical rain forest to the edge of time itself, James Webb begins a voyage back to the birth of the universe,” a NASA commentator said as the two-stage launch vehicle, fitted with double solid-rocket boosters, roared off its launch pad into cloudy skies. After a 27-minute, hypersonic ride into space, the 14,000-pound instrument was released from the upper stage of the French-built rocket about 865 miles above the Earth, and should gradually unfurl to nearly the size of a tennis court over the next 13 days as it sails onward on its own. Live video captured by a camera mounted on the rocket’s upper stage showed the Webb gliding gently away after it was jettisoned, drawing cheers and applause from jubilant flight engineers in the mission control center. Flight controllers confirmed moments later, as the Webb’s solar-energy array was deployed, that its power supply was working. Coasting through space for two more weeks, the Webb telescope will reach its destination in solar orbit 1 million miles from Earth – about four times farther away than the moon. And Webb’s special orbital path will keep it in constant alignment with the Earth as the planet and telescope circle the sun in tandem. By comparison, Webb’s 30-year-old predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, orbits the Earth from 340 miles away, passing in and out of the planet’s shadow every 90 minutes. Named after the man who oversaw NASA through most of its formative decade of the 1960s, Webb is about 100 times more sensitive than Hubble and is expected to transform scientists’ understanding of the universe and our place in it. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, striking a spiritual tone as he addressed the launch webcast by video link, quoted the Bible and hailed the new telescope as a “time machine” that will “capture the light from the very beginning of the creation.” COSMOLOGICAL HISTORY LESSON Webb mainly will view the cosmos in the infrared spectrum, allowing it to peer through clouds of gas and dust where stars are being born, while Hubble has operated primarily at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths. The new telescope’s primary mirror – consisting of 18 hexagonal segments of gold-coated beryllium metal – also has a much bigger light-collecting area, enabling it to observe objects at greater distances, thus farther back into time, than Hubble or any other telescope. That, astronomers say, will bring into view a glimpse of the cosmos never previously seen – dating to just 100 million years after the Big Bang, the theoretical flashpoint that set in motion the expansion of the observable universe an estimated 13.8 billion years ago. Hubble’s view reached back to roughly 400 million years following the Big Bang, a period just after the very first galaxies – sprawling clusters of stars, gases and other interstellar matter – are believed to have taken shape. While Hubble caught glimmers of “toddler” galaxies, Webb will reveal those objects in greater detail while also capturing even fainter, earlier “infant” galaxies, astrophysicist Eric Smith, NASA’s Webb program scientist, told Reuters hours before the launch. Aside from examining the formation of the earliest stars and galaxies, astronomers are eager to study super-massive black holes believed to occupy the centers of distant galaxies. Webb’s instruments also make it ideal to search for evidence of potentially life-supporting atmospheres around scores of newly documented exoplanets – celestial bodies orbiting distant stars – and to observe worlds much closer to home, such as Mars and Saturn’s icy moon Titan. The telescope is an international collaboration led by NASA in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies. Northrop Grumman Corp was the primary contractor. The Arianespace launch vehicle is part of the European contribution. “The world gave us this telescope, and we handed it back to the world today,” Gregory Robinson, Webb program director for NASA told reporters at a post-launch briefing. Webb was developed at a cost of $8.8 billion, with operational expenses projected to bring its total price tag https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nasa-telescope/northrop-ceo-grilled-by-u-s-lawmakers-over-space-telescope-idUSKBN1KG2US to about $9.66 billion, far higher than planned when NASA was previously aiming for a 2011 launch. Astronomical operation of the telescope, to be managed from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, is expected to begin in the summer of 2022, following about six months of alignment and calibration of Webb’s mirrors and instruments. It is then that NASA expects to release the initial batch of images captured by Webb. Webb is designed to last up to 10 years. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Barbara Lewis, Hugh Lawson and Nick Zieminski) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Maria Caspani and Jonathan Allen (Reuters) -Millions of Americans are pushing ahead with holidays that include cross-country flights, busy tourist attractions and indoor dining, even as the surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the Omicron variant forces them to adapt some plans on the fly. Debbie Rodriguez said she thought “long and hard” about canceling this year’s family Christmas trip to New York City before opting last-minute on Thursday to travel from Houston. “We just decided we’re not going to live in fear,” said Rodriguez, 48, as she waited for luggage at New York’s LaGuardia airport with her husband and two children. Rodriguez said her fully vaccinated family had planned to see the Rockettes’ Christmas show before it was canceled due to the COVID outbreak, so they will instead check out landmarks including the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. On Christmas Day, they will dine indoors at a restaurant in Harlem away from the crowds, then visit the Empire State Building, she said. COVID-19 infections have surged in the United States in recent days due to Omicron, which was first detected in November and now accounts for approximately 73% of cases across the country and as many as 90% of cases in some areas, such as the eastern Atlantic states. While Americans scramble for COVID-19 tests https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-testing-struggles-keep-up-with-omicron-2021-12-22 and weigh varying public health guidance about how to gather safely for a second Christmas marked by the pandemic, many showed they were willing to brave the latest surge in order to enjoy holiday traditions such as worshipping and eating out. The Transportation Security Administration on Wednesday screened 2,081,297 passengers through the nation’s airports, an increase of 144,000 over the number of travelers it screened pre-pandemic on the same date in 2019. In-person Christmas services will be held at all churches and parishes in the Archdiocese of New York, which includes more than 2.5 million Roman Catholics across 10 counties, communications director Joseph Zwilling said. There will be no new restrictions in place because of Omicron, but Zwilling said the Archdiocese would continue to require mask-wearing and social distancing as it has since last year. “The existing measures have been working,” he said. Two of Washington, D.C.’s Michelin-starred restaurants, Kinship and Metier, are fully reserved and have waitlists for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, said chef and owner Eric Ziebold. To-go orders have increased for Christmas Eve, but it is too early to say the same for New Year’s, he said. “Guests want to get through one holiday before they focus on the next, especially since new details about the Omicron variant are announced daily,” he said. ALTERED PLANS In the last seven days, the average number of new COVID cases has risen 37% to 165,000 per day, according to a Reuters tally https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/countries-and-territories/united-states. Deaths and hospitalizations, which can be lagging indicators, are relatively unchanged nationwide. Cases have risen 96% so far in December, while deaths are up 55% and hospitalizations have increased 28%. In anticipation of an even larger surge of cases requiring medical attention or hospitalization, the Centers for Disease Control late Thursday cut its recommended quarantine period https://www.reuters.com/world/us/cdc-cuts-quarantine-time-7-days-healthcare-workers-amid-omicron-surge-2021-12-23 for COVID-positive healthcare workers who are asymptomatic to seven days from 10. “As the healthcare community prepares for an anticipated surge in patients due to Omicron, CDC is updating our recommendations to reflect what we know about infection and exposure in the context of vaccination and booster doses,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio all set one-day records for new cases this week, according to the Reuters tally. U.S. health officials have said people who are fully vaccinated should feel comfortable proceeding with holiday travel and family gatherings. They warned those who are unvaccinated are at higher risk of getting seriously ill or dying from the virus. “We should all be concerned about Omicron, but not panicked,” President Joe Biden said in a Twitter post on Thursday, after outlining his latest steps to combat the virus earlier this week. Omicron’s rapid spread will also put a damper on New York’s iconic New Year’s Eve celebration for a second straight year. Mayor Bill de Blasio said attendance for the midnight ball drop in Times Square will be capped at 15,000 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-city-scale-down-new-years-eve-celebrations-times-square-2021-12-23, roughly a quarter of the typical pre-pandemic crowd size. In Manhattan’s Bryant Park on Thursday, bundled-up skaters circled the outdoor ice rink with views of the Empire State Building as carols and Christmas pop songs boomed from loudspeakers. At the rink’s edge, Reneé Rosenthal, a 51-year-old merchandising representative for Hallmark greetings cards, embraced a friend she has known since elementary school in New Jersey. Rosenthal said she booked the five-day trip with her husband and two teenaged children from their home in Houston in the summer, when everything seemed like it was getting back to normal. They had tickets for “The Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center, but the performance was canceled after too many dancers tested positive for COVID. They also had tickets to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but abandoned the idea when they saw the long line to show proof of vaccination. They switched their plans to include a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park and a sightseeing tour on an open-top double-decker bus. The skating and reunion with her old friend still worked out, however. “This is the only thing we had planned that we didn’t have to change,” Rosenthal said. (Reporting by Maria Caspani, Peter Szekely, Lisa Shumaker, Rich McKay, Julia Harte and Jonathan Allen; Writing by Julia Harte; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Daniel Wallis and Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English James Franco’s sexual misconduct accusers have claimed he “continues to downplay” their experiences after he admitted it was “wrong” to sleep with his students. The 43-year-old actor was accused of sexually inappropriate behaviour by five women in a 2018 article, which resulted in two of the women – Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal – filing a lawsuit against him in 2019, for which they reached a $2,235,000 settlement earlier this year. The allegations stemmed from Franco’s acting school, Playhouse West Studio 4, which he opened in 2014 before it closed in 2017, where the five women were students. And in a recent interview addressing the allegations, Franco admitted he did sleep with some of his students but said that while he thought it was fine at the time because it was “consensual”, he now knows it was wrong. However, in a statement released by the attorneys who represent Sarah and Toni after the interview, the women accused Franco of being “blind about power dynamics”, as well as being “completely insensitive” about the “immense pain and suffering he put his victims through”. The statement read: “In addition to being blind about power dynamics, Franco is completely insensitive to, and still apparently does not care about, the immense pain and suffering he put his victims through with this sham of an acting school. “It is unbelievable that even after agreeing to a settlement he continues to downplay the survivors’ experiences and ignore their pain, despite acknowledging he had no business starting such a school in the first place. “This wasn’t a misunderstanding over a course name, it wasn’t the result of him being overworked — it was, and is, despicable conduct. “Nobody should confuse this interview with Franco taking accountability for his actions or expressing remorse over what happened. It is a transparent ducking of the real issues released just before a major holiday in hopes that he wouldn’t face any scrutiny over his response.” In Franco’s interview, the actor admitted he was wrong to sleep with his students, but insisted he didn’t start the school to “lure” women in. He said: “I’ll admit I did sleep with students. I didn’t sleep with anybody in [my ‘Sex Scenes’ class], but, over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students and that was wrong. “But like I said, I, it’s not why I started the school and I, I didn’t, I wasn’t the person that selected the people to be in the class. So, it wasn’t a master plan on my part. But yes, there were certain instances where, you know what I was in a consensual thing with, with a student and I shouldn’t have been.” View the full article

Published by AFP Supporters of former president Donald Trump storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 Washington (AFP) – Former US president Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to block the release of White House records to a congressional committee investigating the January 6 assault on the Capitol by his supporters. Trump asked the nation’s highest court to stay a ruling this month by a federal appeals court which rejected his attempt to keep the documents and records secret. Trump, who has been accused of fomenting the assault on Congress, is seeking to exercise his privilege as a former president to keep White House records and communications that might relate to the attack under wraps. The appeals court agreed with a lower court this month that ruled President Joe Biden could waive executive privilege on the records so they could be handed over to the panel investigating the violence by Trump supporters. In a filing with the Supreme Court, Trump’s lawyers argued that “a former president has the right to assert executive privilege, even after his term of office.” They condemned the congressional records request as “strikingly broad” and accused the committee in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives of conducting an investigation of a “political foe.” “Congress may not rifle through the confidential, presidential papers of a former President to meet political objectives,” Trump’s lawyers said. “In an increasingly partisan political climate, such records requests will become the norm regardless of what party is in power,” they said. Trump’s lawyers defended executive privilege, saying it affects “the ability of presidents and their advisers to reliably make and receive full and frank advice, without concern that communications will be publicly released to meet a political objective.” The US Court of Appeals agreed to delay the release of the White House records until lawyers for the former Republican president could file their appeal to the Supreme Court. Trump’s lawyers asked the conservative-majority Supreme Court to schedule a hearing on whether the probe request is constitutional and to block release of the documents in the meantime. In response, the House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection reportedly asked the Supreme Court to expedite consideration of Trump’s filing, with a House counsel writing to the justices that a delay “would inflict serious injury” on the committee and the public. Public interest In its ruling, the appeals court said “the right of a former president certainly enjoys no greater weight than that of the incumbent.” “In this case, President Biden, as the head of the Executive Branch, has specifically found that Congress has demonstrated a compelling need for these very documents and that disclosure is in the best interests of the nation,” the court said. The appeals court said the public interest was greater than Trump’s own in relation to the records, which are held by the National Archives. The records are being sought by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attempt by hundreds of Trump supporters to block certification of Biden’s November 2020 election victory. Documents that Trump hopes to block include emails, phone records, briefing materials and other records. The more than 770 pages include records of his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former senior advisor Stephen Miller and his former deputy counsel Patrick Philbin. Trump has also sought to block the release of the White House Daily Diary — a record of his activities, trips, briefings and phone calls. Another trove of documents Trump does not want Congress to see includes memos to his former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, a handwritten note on the January 6 events and a draft text of his speech at the “Save America” rally, which preceded the attack. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Amira Karaoud and Mary Milliken BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (Reuters) – After exhausting journeys that took them from Kabul to Qatar to European cities to U.S. military bases, Afghan families fleeing the Taliban alighted in Kentucky, in a small city well versed in receiving refugees. Bowling Green has welcomed waves of refugees over four decades, beginning with the Cambodians in the 1980s and then Bosnians in the 1990s, plus Iraqis, Burmese, Rwandese and Congolese and others, who have helped make the city of 72,000 a diverse and economically thriving place. Wazir Khan Zadran was a tribal leader who fought 20 years ago against the Haqqani network, a powerful faction within the Taliban. Although he more recently worked with a non-governmental organization, he knew the Taliban would come for him. Zadran said the Americans saved him and his family by picking them up in a Chinook helicopter in August and taking them to the Kabul airport. After a spell at a New Mexico military base, they were sent to Bowling Green and quickly realized they had lucked out in their new American lives. (See https://reut.rs/3H4tNjZ for a picture package on Zadran and other refugees) “We are so happy in Bowling Green,” said the 41-year-old father, who has secured a comfortable house and sent his children to school with the assistance of the local resettlement agency, the International Center, founded in 1981. “Also, the local community is helping us and introducing the culture to us,” Zadran added. His six children are learning songs in English, sending “Dear Santa” letters off, going to the library and lapping up ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. In the aftermath of rising anti-immigrant and refugee sentiment during the Trump administration, the United States government is now handling its biggest refugee evacuation since Vietnam. Of the nearly 75,000 expected to settle in America, Bowling Green will receive 350 Afghans in fiscal year 2022. There are plenty of jobs for new residents of Bowling Green, an agricultural and manufacturing hub, perhaps best known for the assembly plant that makes the coveted Corvette sports car. The Bosnians, who now number around 10,000 and own several companies, attest to the good job prospects when the Afghans’ expedited work permits arrive in coming months. “In 2000 when I came here, I arrived with a couple of suitcases and two infant children and my wife,” said Tahir Zukic, a Bosnian from Srebrenica who owns Taz Trucking, employing 100 people and 140 trucks. “It’s absolutely an amazing place to be, with a lot of opportunity and you can just do what you like to do.” For those who did not work with the Americans in Afghanistan, learning the language could be the toughest part of adapting to their new home, Zukic said. But they also must learn how America works, how to drive, how to get a credit card. And what to do when tornadoes approach. The twisters that tore through Kentucky this month jolted the Afghans’ sense of security. They were confounded by the 1 a.m. sirens that reminded them of Kabul and shocked by the uprooted trees, roofs ripped off houses and deaths in one neighborhood home to many immigrants. “We never saw a storm like this before in our life in Afghanistan, so we felt maybe we were going to another war,” Zadran said. “But God saved us.” ‘THIS IS MY PLACE’ Firas Majeed arrived in Bowling Green from Baghdad via Brooklyn, New York, in 2016. The Iraqi refugee came to visit a friend and decided “this is my place.” He now co-owns a grocery store stocked with Middle Eastern and European foods after working as a welder. “The quality of life is higher than in the big cities,” said Majeed, who appreciates the big skies and verdant farms around Bowling Green, strong job market, low rents and medical care. Majeed said the Afghans will get a lot of support because everyone saw the images of the chaotic evacuation from Kabul. The Iraqis can teach them things, like how to get a driver’s license. Bowling Green is also a place that allows refugees to hold onto their identities while becoming Americans – offering a socially conservative environment to raise families and practice religions. At the Forest Park Baptist Church, Congolese refugees have breathed new life into the community. Worship services and Bible study are translated into Swahili and sometimes held in that language. “We love their gospel singing,” said church leader Mike Givens, and the church translates their songs so everyone hears the message. “Our community has changed, so if we do not seek or go after the immigrant population, our church will not survive,” added Givens. Back at the Zadran house, the children make quick progress with their new culture. The eldest, Zuleikha, teaches her siblings a song in English with the lyrics “What are you thankful for?” As they applaud their own performance, Zuleikha declares “Finished!” and flashes a wide grin. (Reporting by Amira Karaoud and Mary Milliken; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tom Holland has described playing Spider-Man as a “brotherhood”. The 25-year-old actor once again starred as Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter ego in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and he was joined by both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, who who reprised their roles as the iconic Marvel superhero having played him in their own separate trilogies. Speaking to Marvel, Tom said: “It’s like a brotherhood.” His co-star Zendaya – who plays MJ in the big screen franchise – added: “It was so beautiful. [Tobey, Andrew, and Tom] care so deeply about the characters, and what their characters — what their journey had been as Spider-Man. “It was so beautiful to see all of you guys connect on that and be able to talk to each other about such a special experience that very few people have been able to don the suit. “It was great to see how much you guys all really cared and had each other’s back. It was really sweet.” Tom and Zendaya both described Tobey – who was last seen as Spider-Man in 2007 – as “so funny” and “so cool” on set. He said: “Man, he was so funny. He was really excited to be back. You could tell it really meant a lot to him. Him putting the suit on again. Us getting back together. It was awesome.” Tom admitted he was “stressed” the first day they all got together, and Zendaya admitted she was “nervous” for her real life boyfriend before the rehearsal. She joked: “Like dropping you off at kindergarten for the first day. Like, ‘I hope the other kids like him.’ And like, ‘I hope he doesn’t come back crying.’ “ Tom also had high praise for “the legend himself” Andrew, and he revealed how much it meant for his co-star to be back as Spider-Man after seven years. He added: “Andrew Garfield, the legend himself. He’s such a lovely guy. I think this film was his way of making peace with Spider-Man It was such a privilege to work with him. I know that it meant a lot to him.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Olly Alexander eats a mince pie every day in December. The Years & Years singer is a huge fan of the festive treat but refuses to tuck into them any time before the month of Christmas as he needs to find some way to “limit” himself from eating too many of the sweet treats. He said: “My only Christmas tradition is from the 1st of December I have a mince pie every day. Like, at least one. I really love mince pies so I have to limit myself but once December starts, I start eating them, That’s it.” The ‘King’ hitmaker has vowed to do better at keeping his diary next year. He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “My New Year’s resolution is to… I keep a diary but I’m not very good at keeping up with it, so my new year’s resolution is to keep up with my diary.” Although he’s excited about his plans for 2022, Olly isn’t trying to “predict” too much of what might happen because the coronavirus pandemic means sudden changes could be brought about at any time. He said of 2022: “I’m bringing an album out, ‘Night Calls’, and I’m just happy to be doing it still and having the music out there. We’ve got the tour booked for the spring and fingers crossed that will go ahead. “What will be, will be, I’m trying not to predict anything any more because you don’t know what’s going to happen.” Meanwhile, the ‘It’s A Sin’ star revealed he is open to future acting roles, though it will be hard to beat the hit Channel 4 drama about the 1980s AIDS crisis, in which he starred as Ritchie Tozer. He said: “I don’t have any plans yet. “‘It’s A Sin’ was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I would love to do some more acting, but I feel like it’s gonna be so hard to beat ‘It’s A Sin’. “I don’t know. We will have to wait and see. I don’t have any plans yet.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Groff was impressed by Keanu Reeves’ work ethic on ‘The Matrix Resurrections’. The 36-year-old star features in the new sci-fi blockbuster as the villainous Agent Smith and explained how he was amazed by the effort Keanu put into a fight scene as he returns to the role of Thomas Anderson/Neo. Jonathan told The Hollywood Reporter: “All of the rumours are true about Keanu’s level of work ethic. He was there training and getting ready before all of us got there. “My first day in the training tent, Keanu was in his jiu-jitsu outfit doing kicks and punches. I mean, he really sets the bar for all of us in the training.” The ‘Mindhunter’ actor continued: “It was so exciting to be doing such extraordinary fight choreography with the greatest action star of our time and someone that’s so devoted to their craft. “I really tried to take in every single moment of getting to be with Keanu and I learned so much from working with him. It’s an experience I’ll hold in my heart for the rest of my life. “There’s so much trust that’s involved in these fight scenes because you’re really hitting each other, but you’re not hurting each other. So it’s great abandon matched with great precision.” Groff’s role was played by Hugo Weaving in the original ‘Matrix’ trilogy and the actor revealed that he had his predecessor in his thoughts when preparing for the movie. He explained: “There’s a YouTube clip of Hugo Weaving every time he says, ‘Mr. Anderson!’ in the span of ‘The Matrix’ trilogy. So I watched this video clip a lot, and I played the movies in the background while I ate dinner. I always had Hugo in my mind.” View the full article

Published by AFP Travellers queue at a check-in counter at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on November 27, 2021, after several countries banned flights from South Africa Washington (AFP) – The United States will next week lift the travel ban imposed on several southern African nations when the Omicron variant of Covid was first detected, officials said Friday. Countries around the world restricted travel from southern Africa after the variant was detected in South Africa, which reported Omicron to the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 24. WHO and the United Nations spoke out against the travel bans, and officials in South Africa said they were being punished for identifying the strain and being transparent. “The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, esp boosted,” Kevin Munoz, the White House assistant press secretary, said on Twitter. He said the travel ban would be lifted on December 31. A senior White House official added that with Omicron present across the United States and globally, international travelers from the eight affected countries would not have a significant impact on US cases. “During the travel pause President Biden reduced the time for pre-departure testing to one day opposed to three days… travelers from these eight countries will be subject to these same strict protocols,” the official said. – Omicron across US – The ban applied to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. Holiday festivities are expected to further drive up Covid cases in the United States where the heavily mutated Omicron variant is pushing some stretched hospitals — and exhausted health workers — to the brink. Omicron now accounts for more than 90 percent of all cases in some regions of the country. The seven-day average of new daily cases is about to pass the Delta peak seen in September, according to non-profit website Covid Act Now. Intensive care units are running at near-capacity in some states. US health authorities are banking on vaccinations to lower the number of severe Covid cases, and inoculation numbers have been strong all week. President Joe Biden this week also announced the purchase of 500 million rapid tests by the federal government. However, the additional tests are not expected to be available until January. Infection rates are soaring across South Africa as a result of the Omicron variant, but fewer people have died or required hospital treatment compared to previous waves of Covid, local health officials say. Omicron is known to be far more contagious than previous variants of Covid-19 but appears to cause a less severe illness than its predecessors. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA ‘Tis the season to find that special someone to cuddle up next to, but these celebs don’t need a mistletoe to show their love. Whether it’s couples who have been married for years or new flames who recently sparked up a romance, it’s safe to say love is certainly in the air for everyone from Zendaya and Tom Holland to Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson. Scroll through the photos below to see what couples will be cuddling up together for the holidays. Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker MEGA PDA lovers Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have been hot and heavy ever since they first made their relationship Instagram Official shortly after Valentine’s Day, though the lovebirds heavily hinted at their romance one month prior. The famous duo had been close pals and neighbors for years before taking their relationship to the next level. After sharing NSFW snaps together on social media and making out at any and all public events, Barker decided to take the next step with the KUWTK alum. Surrounded by roses and candles in the shape of a heart, the Blink-182 drummer popped the question to his brunette babe in October. It’s safe to say these two certainly don’t need a mistletoe or the clock to strike 12 on New Years to be locking lips this holiday season. Justin & Hailey Bieber MEGA Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Bieber are also anything but shy when it comes to flaunting their love, with the model even admitting after the two wed in 2018: “We’ve literally never been more obsessed with each other.” Whether it be the Biebers expressing their love for each other on social media or the “Baby” crooner dedicating an entire album to his wife, these two sure know how to show the public what true love looks like. Kim Kardashian & Pete Davidson MEGA While these two may be an unlikely pair, it seems Kardashian and Davidson’s romance is in full bloom, with the SNL star even copping an invite to the infamous Kardashian-Jenner Christmas Eve extravaganza. The reality star, 41, and funnyman, 28, first hit it off when Kardashian was the guest host on SNL in October. Their relationship appeared to blossom from there, with the new flames being spotted out and about together multiple times. Machine Gun Kelly & Megan Fox MEGA Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly will definitely be bringing the heat this holiday season, as the Hollywood couple often offer fans a glimpse into their steamy love life. If their tongue touching photos at awards shows weren’t enough to leave people’s jaws on the floor, then the Jennifer’s Body star’s September post teasing her followers with intimate details of the couple’s sex life, certainly did the trick. “When I tell you that the table at this air bnb saw some things ,” Fox captioned a photo of herself posing in front of a table at their recent Airbnb. MGK and the actress have been going strong ever since they made their relationship official in the summer of 2020. The “twin flames” first met on set of the thriller Midnight in the Switchgrass, where Fox said she felt an instant spark. Chelsea Handler & Jo Koy Rich Polk/NBCUniversal Chelsea Handler made everyone believe in love this year, so it’s unlikely she’ll be spending the holidays away from her long-time-friend-turned-boyfriend. Speculation surrounding her and Jo Koy‘s relationship began circulating after the two were spotted together at a Dodgers game in the beginning of September. Shortly after, the blonde babe gushed she’s “finally in love, with the best kind of guy there is,” telling her followers: “There is hope for everyone! That kind of stuff.” By the end of September, the Chelsea Lately alum confirmed she and the funnyman were an item. Since changing the status of their relationship, Handler can’t stop flaunting her newfound love — and we’re loving it! Chrissy Teigen & John Legend MEGA It’s safe to say power couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are looking forward to spending the holidays with their adorable brood. The loved-up parents of Luna, 5, and Miles, 3, first met in 2007 when the Lip Synch Battle star played Legend’s love interest in his music video “Stereo.” Later on, they revealed that post-filming, the two went to his hotel room and ate In-N-Out and hooked up. The EGOT winner and model know how to keep their romance alive, as Legend often shares snaps of the duo enjoying date nights. And if the two couldn’t get anymore romantic, Legend has featured Teigen in several of his love ballad music videos. Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively MEGA Hollywood’s favorite couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are the perfect example of what true love looks like, as they know when to comically troll each other on social media or praise the other for their hard work and accomplishments. Though they often gush over each other on social media, they manage to keep their relationship on the down low. The good-looking couple was first linked in 2011 and secretly tied the knot the following year. And while they like to keep their private lives private, the Deadpool star couldn’t help but recently spill the tea about their sex life. While discussing the best parts about being married to the Gossip Girl alum that the public wouldn’t expect, Reynolds touched on Lively’s amazing baking skills. “I mean, it is an obvious perk,” the actor said of the mother of his children, before quipping: “Not complaining about that or the sex.” John Krasinski & Emily Blunt MEGA There may be a lot of high-profile romances, but nothing compares to John Krasinski and Emily Blunt‘s relationship. The power duo began dating in 2011, got engaged in August 2009 and tied the knot in Italy in the summer of 2010. Looking back on when the lovebirds first met, the 13 Hours star recalled: “It was one of those things where I wasn’t really looking for a relationship and I was thinking I’m going to take my time in L.A.,” the handsome hunk explained at the time. “Then I met her and I was so nervous. I was like, ‘Oh God, I think I’m going to fall in love with her.’ As I shook her hand I went, ‘I like you.’ It’s one of those things where as soon as you meet someone you kind of know.” As for the Devil Wears Prada actress, she lovingly admitted: “Meeting John really changed my life.” Zendaya & Tom Holland MEGA New power couple Zendaya and Holland have everybody talking. Ever since the two began filming Spider-Man: Homecoming, the actors have been inseparable. While an insider previously spilled the duo has “been super careful to keep it private and out of the public eye,” the young-and-in-love cuties made their relationship official over the summer when Holland wished his brunette beauty a happy birthday on Instagram. Despite the two being close for years, Zendaya still manages to leave the actor speechless. During the Spiderman: No Way Home premiere earlier this month, the Marvel actor got distracted mid interview after he realized his girlfriend arrived to the red carpet. “I think Zendaya just showed up,” the hunky actor excitedly exclaimed, as he heard the crowd roar. “That sounds like Zendaya just showed up.” Chris Hemsworth & Elsa Pataky MEGA Long-time Hollywood couple Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have learned how to stay true to their relationship while being in the spotlight. TheThor star, 37, and his wife decided to move back to Byron Bay — the Australian actor’s homeland — in 2015 to live a more peaceful and laid-back lifestyle. Hemsworth and Pataky — who share three children — may keep their lives private, but the glimpses they offer fans is enough to let them know the couple is still happily in love. From sharing adorable photos of Pataky enjoying ice cream to her taking care of their children, Hemsworth will certainly be thankful for his stunning wife this holiday season. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Arriana McLymore and Maria Caspani NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. airlines canceled hundreds of flights on Christmas Eve amid a surge in COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant but millions of wary Americans carried on with travel plans through a second pandemic-clouded winter holiday. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both canceled dozens of Christmas Eve flights because of staff shortages amid the surge in infections. United Airlines canceled 177 flights and Delta canceled 150 flights, data from the website FlightAware showed as of 11:56 a.m. Eastern Time (1656 GMT). More than 2,100 flights globally were scrapped, with 527 cancellations within, into, or out of the United States, according to the site. The cancellations upended some plans but many Americans pushed ahead with holiday travel. Moses Jimenez, an accountant from Long Beach, Mississippi, flew to New York with his wife and three children, even though the latest torrent of coronavirus cases dashed their hopes to catch a performance of “Hamilton” or visit some museums. “Hamilton” was one of a dozen Broadway shows forced to cancel shows this week when cast and crew members tested positive for COVID-19. Museums were scratched from the family’s itinerary because many now require proof of vaccination and the two younger children are ineligible for the shot. Instead, Jimenez, 33, said his brood would make the most of roaming city streets and parks and seeing relatives and friends. On Christmas Day, they plan to enjoy a home-cooked meal, a family tradition, at their Airbnb lodging. “We just wanted to get out of the house, really, get the kids out to the city for Christmas,” Jimenez told Reuters on Thursday at New York’s LaGuardia airport. COVID-19 infections have surged in the United States due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant, which was first detected in November and now accounts for nearly three-quarters of U.S. cases and as many as 90% in such areas as the Eastern seaboard. The average number of new COVID-19 infections has risen 37% to 165,000 per day over the past week, according to a Reuters tally. As Omicron spreads, the Biden administration announced it would lift travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month after the variant was detected there. White House spokesman Kevin Munoz tweeted that the restrictions had bought America time “to understand Omicron” and “know our existing vaccines work.” SURGING INFECTIONS AND TRAVEL Daily totals of deaths and hospitalizations, considered lagging indicators, were little changed nationwide over the past seven days, but have jumped 55% and 28%, respectively over the course of December. Friday’s flight cancellations were prompted by a spike in Omicron cases which “had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement. The Transportation Security Administration on Thursday screened 2,187,792 passengers through U.S. airports, a decrease of about 364,000 over the number of travelers it screened pre-pandemic on the same date in 2019. While Americans scrambled for COVID-19 tests and weighed varying public health guidance – U.S. officials have said that people who are fully vaccinated should feel comfortable proceeding with holiday travel – many were determined to enjoy some semblance of celebrations and tradition. In-person Christmas services were planned at all churches and parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, which includes more than 2.5 million worshipers across 10 counties and mask-wearing and social distancing measures will remain in effect, said spokesperson Joseph Zwilling. Omicron’s rapid spread will also put a damper on New York’s iconic New Year’s Eve celebration for a second straight year. Mayor Bill de Blasio said attendance for the midnight ball drop in Times Square will be capped at 15,000, roughly a quarter of the typical pre-pandemic crowd size. Many New York holiday visitors planned to limit themselves to much smaller gatherings. Madeleine Kennedy, a ski instructor from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, flew to New York on Thursday armed with a trove of COVID testing kits ahead of a scaled-down Christmas affair with family in the borough of Queens. “The second time around, I think the world is less shocked and I think we’re going to be able to plow through this,” Kennedy said. (Reporting by Arriana McLymore and Maria Caspani in New York; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Writing by Steve Gorman and Raphael Satter; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Andrea Ricci and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by DPA A sign with the inscription “Google” hangs in front of a training place of the company in Rennes. A Russian court has imposed large fines on Google and Facebook’s parent company Meta for allegedly refusing to delete “forbidden content.” Sebastian Gollnow/dpa A Russian court has imposed large fines on Google and Facebook’s parent company Meta for allegedly refusing to delete “forbidden content.” Google was ordered to pay 7.2 billion roubles (98 million dollars) and Meta, which also owns Instagram, nearly 2 billion roubles (27 million dollars). According to the court rulings cited by news agency Interfax on Friday, the amount of the fines was based for the first time on the annual turnover of the corporations in Russia. The US search giant Google said it wanted to study the ruling in detail before discussing further steps. Google and Facebook have already been fined several times in Russia, as have Twitter and TikTok. Russian authorities have been targeting social networks especially since the mass protests at the beginning of the year against the imprisonment of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny. They accuse the platforms of not consistently removing messages calling for unauthorized demonstrations, child pornography content or suicide calls. Internet activists criticize the actions as repression against a free internet in Russia. The deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Anton Gorelkin, said that “very unpleasant measures” would be taken if fines did not help. The Facebook logo is displayed on a smartphone with a Meta Logo in the background. A Russian court has imposed large fines on Google and Facebook’s parent company Meta for allegedly refusing to delete “forbidden content.” Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sara Cheng and Jessie Pang HONG KONG (Reuters) -Two more Hong Kong universities removed on Friday public monuments to the 1989 Tiananmen protests in Beijing, following the dismantling of a sculpture commemorating victims of the crackdown at another university this week. The removals at Chinese University and Lingnan University in the global financial hub came as authorities have been clamping down under a national security law imposed by China. Human rights activists say the law is being used to suppress civil society, jail democracy campaigners and curb basic freedoms, but authorities say the security laws have restored stability after mass protests in 2019. Just before dawn, a 6.4-metre (20-foot) -tall bronze statue representing the “Goddess of Democracy” holding a flame aloft was removed from a public piazza at Chinese University. In a statement, the university said the “unauthorised statue” had been taken away following an “internal assessment”. The sculpture, which had stood on the campus for more than a decade, was modelled on a 10-metre (30-foot) white plaster and foam statue erected by students in Tiananmen Square to symbolise their resolve to pursue liberty and democracy in China under Communist party rule. A group of about two dozen students gathered to denounce the move by their university, handing out June 4 flyers as well as missing person posters of the democracy goddess with the words: “Have you seen her?” Another read, “Bring her back”. Others placed crystanthemums, a traditional Chinese symbol of mourning, lit candles on the site where the statue once stood, and played the song “Bloodstained Glory” to remember the hundreds, perhaps thousands killed in 1989. “I feel heartbroken and shocked,” said Felix Chow, a former Chinese University student and district councillor. “This statue represents the school environment is open. It’s a symbol of academic freedom … It makes people doubt whether the school can still ensure the space is free and people can speak freely,” he told Reuters. Unlike mainland China, where authorities ban any memorials or public commemoration of June 4, Hong Kong had previously been the only place on Chinese soil where such remembrances were permissible. For the past two years, however, police, citing COVID-19 risks, have banned an annual June 4 candlelight vigil that had regularly drawn tens of thousands of people. Also before dawn on Christmas Eve, Hong Kong’s Lingnan University took down a wall relief sculpture about the Tiananmen event that depicted the “Goddess of Democracy” and a row of tanks halting before a lone protester known as “tank man”; as well as victims shot by Chinese troops. When asked by Reuters whether Hong Kong or Chinese authorities had instructed all three universities to remove these Tiananmen monuments, the office of Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, said it had no comment. The sculptor of both works, Chen Weiming, told Reuters he would sue the universities if there was any damage to his works. In the main hall of the student union at Lingnan University, a towering red drawing of the Goddess of Democracy had also been covered over in grey paint. Students responded by pasting a sheet of paper with the word “shameful” on the effaced image, but it was quickly ripped off by security guards. In an email to Reuters, Lingnan University said that items that may pose “legal and safety risks” had been “cleared, or removed and stored appropriately”. When Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, it was promised wide ranging autonomy and freedoms by China under a so-called “one country, two systems” arrangement. Earlier this week, the University of Hong Kong dismantled and removed an eight-metre (26-ft) -tall “pillar of shame” statue to victims of the Tiananmen crackdown. The disappearances of these symbolic monuments from three universities in quick succession mean that hardly any Tiananmen monuments remain to public view in Hong Kong. “Since the Chinese communists implemented the national security law in Hong Kong, they have eradicated the freedom of press, of assembly and the freedom of expression,” Chen, the artist, told Reuters. “They want to remove the real history of the brutal crackdown … they wouldn’t allow any different viewpoints to continue to exist in Hong Kong.” (Additional reporting by Jessie Pang, Joyce Zhou, James Pomfret and Edmond Ng; Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Michael Perry and Clarence Fernandez) View the full article

Published by AFP Several hundred huddled under a grey sky in the Bethlehem's Manger Square to watch the Palestinian scouts and bagpipers parade Bethlehem (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – The rise of the Omicron variant heralded on Friday another pandemic-tinged Christmas for billions, with Santa’s arrival and longed-for family reunions overshadowed by the prospect of yet more Covid restrictions. Festive jokes about reindeer having “herd immunity” and millions isolating “Home Alone” may be wearing thin, but the emergence of the ultra-infectious Omicron variant means the pandemic is not going away anytime soon. For the second year, surging infections have complicated yuletide plans from Sydney to Seville. In Bethlehem — the Palestinian town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that Christians believe was Jesus’ birthplace — hoteliers have been disappointed. After a near-total lockdown last year, Israel has again closed its borders. Just several hundred huddled under a grey sky in the city’s Manger Square to watch the Palestinian scouts and bagpipers parade past. But this year, like last, midnight mass on Christmas Eve will be reserved for just a small circle of people by invitation only and celebrations on Friday were subdued. “It is a bit surreal,” American student Hudson Harder told AFP. “There is a selfish part where it’s like ‘Oh I get to see this place so empty’ but on the other hand you feel for the shops, all the money they are losing, it’s really quite tragic.” ‘Sliver of hope’ In Europe, governments are reimposing misery-inducing safety measures that are draining the fun from Christmas for many. The Netherlands is back in lockdown while Spain and Italy have made wearing masks compulsory outdoors. And with Britain hitting a record high number of Covid-19 infections again on Friday for a third day in a row, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested getting a vaccine booster shot as a Christmas gift for relatives. In France, the government urged people to get booster shots just three months after initial jabs, down from the current suggestion of five months as it sought to fight off the fast-spreading Omicron. Still, Christmas gatherings will be easier than a year ago in many other places around the world. Most Australians are allowed to travel interstate over the festive break for the first time in two years, with Sydney’s Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher saying that Christmas was “a ray of light” in dark times. Pope Francis is still scheduled to deliver the traditional Christmas Eve midnight mass from St Peter’s Basilica. Across the Atlantic, US First Lady Jill Biden took an unexpected guest to a children’s hospital in Washington: her husband Joe, who is the first sitting president to accompany their spouse for the traditional Christmas book-reading. The couple chatted with patients and doctors, showing one boy a photo of “Commander” — their new puppy — before settling into chairs beside a Christmas tree and reading a book inspired by the Disney movie “Frozen”. Biden and his wife plan to stay at the White House for Christmas — an uncommon practice for recent American presidents. The family normally rings in the New Year in the sunny US Virgin Islands but will instead go to their home in chilly Delaware, a few hours northeast of Washington. ‘Operation Present Drop’ Millions of Americans were on the move to see loved ones for Christmas, even as Covid infections surpass the peak of the previous wave and hospitals run out of beds. Thousands could face a grim holiday weekend, with major carrier United cancelling 120 flights because infection numbers had affected flight crews and other operations. But angst born from a seemingly interminable crisis, long testing queues, cancelled flights and close contact notifications was not going to prevent Santa from doing his rounds. The hirsute spreader of holiday cheer had reportedly been cleared for travel in Canada’s airspace after showing proof of vaccination and a pre-flight negative Covid test, Ottawa’s transport minister said. Santa’s flight crew — including reindeer Rudolph, whose “nose shone red and bright (but) made sure he had no Covid-19 symptoms before taking off” — had also been given the all clear. And Australian authorities said they were working round the clock to ensure “Operation Present Drop” goes smoothly. “Our air traffic controllers will be guiding Santa safely through Australian airspace,” said aviation safety authority Airservices. “He’s cleared to fly at 500 feet so he can skim the rooftops and deliver his presents quickly and quietly –- after all, his magical sleigh isn’t your average aircraft.” burs-des-bgs/ah/yad View the full article

Provincetown is lit and Magic Lights of Provincetown is a portfolio capturing the unique holiday and post holiday season in Provincetown. (Thanks to Dan McKean for great Holiday Market and Fireworks images… And to Chris Racine for shots of his work lighting Town Hall. The others are by Michael Goff) Provincetown is literally and metaphorically well lit. From lighthouses to Artists chasing the legendary reflected light for their work, to spotlights on performers, and many more. It’s another way to look at the town we love and suggests new facets to explore and understand it’s pull and hold on many of us. ‘First Light’ , Provincetown’s New Year celebration kicks off next week. Consider being part of it or having a different kind of experience in January of February. This post is sponsored by Provincetown Tourism. Provincetown is Lit. The Town Lights Its Streets, Stages and Skies To Celebrate the New Year; In Ptown, Love is Love, Light is Leitmotif; Both Help Make The Magic of An Off-season Visit 33 1. In early November each year there is a ceremonial lighting of the Monument to mark the first landing of the Pilgrims in Provincetown in 1620. That’s the start of the holiday lighting up of the town that runs through January. 2. As the days get colder and shorter on the Cape, residents and businesses creatively light the town, on and off Commercial Street, through until the end of January. 3. The lights set the tone for 4 cross-cultural holidays — each celebrating miracles of light in December. The Jews mark the miracle of lamp oil lasting eight days instead of one in a wrecked temple. Christians celebrate the old men who follow the light in the sky to witness the miracle of light born of a dark nasty manger. In December, of course we also mark the shortest day, the dark solstice but Provincetown hasn’t burned witches for years. (She always hosts the best Halloween parties, anyway.). Finally, rounding out the mystical quad is the local observance of Holly Folly an alternate spirituality that celebrates the sound of sunlight refracted through a giant Martini glass that miraculously didn’t empty day or night. All hail the patron saint of swizzle sticks, Trampolina. 3.5 Provincetown’s also got a massive light-up lobster-pot Christmas tree built each year with 60+ lobster traps ; And some of the town’s finest restaurants are open through the winter. On some nights, that experience is defined by the candle-light flickers you see walking by. The food is comfort cuisine, well prepared, and they’re waiting to serve up some comfort for you and whoever is lighting up your life at the moment. 4. Fast forward to modern day Provincetown, gay resort Mecca, and this tribe knows lighting from landscape to to get a just-right flattering bounced light, dimmers, and shadows that make stomachs look like abs. 5. Artists have sworn by the light in Provincetown, it’s said the specific properties of it are the result of reflecting off the water on three sides of the town. Bohemians and professionals have come seeking it for well over a century, making Provincetown America’s longest running artist colony. There are no reports of Thomas Kinkade, the painter of light, being here, but Charles Webster Hawthorne, who started the art colony in Provincetown, came to Cape Cod to teach painting en plein air. Galleries are open on Commercial and in the Whaler [Don’t miss the Members’ Open: Small Works Show at PAAM, the Art Museum] Provincetown is lit. Next Pg. 2–> View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Grindr has been fined £5.5 million for selling user data to advertisers. The location-based dating app – which is aimed at gay men – received the fine from the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, who claimed that sharing data without consent broke GDPR rules. Tobias Judin, head of the international department at the NDPA said in a statement: “Our conclusion is that Grindr has disclosed user data to third parties for behavioural advertisement without a legal basis. The Grind (sic) app is used to connect with other users in the LGBTQ+ community, and we are aware that many users choose not to use their full name or upload a picture of their face in order to be discrete. Nonetheless, their personal data and the fact that they were on Grindr was disclosed to an unknown number of third parties for marketing purposes, without giving the users accessible information or a genuine choice.” The Authority went on to claim that “thousands” of Grindr users have now had their data shared “unlawfully”, and explained that the gravitas of the situation justified the size of the fine. Judin added: “Thousands of users in Norway have had their personal data shared unlawfully for the commercial interests of Grindr, including GPS location and the fact that the users in question were on Grindr. Business models based on behavioural advertisement are common in the digital economy, and it is imperative that administrative fines for GDPR violations are dissuasive in order to foster compliance with the law.” Grindr now has three weeks to appeal the fine. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Flight logs for Jeffrey Epstein’s private jets were released as evidence in the current federal trial against Ghislaine Maxwell, and the logs allegedly show that former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton flew on the late financier and convicted sex offenders jets more often than previously believed. According to the new logs released as evidence this week, Trump flew on Epstein’s jets stretching as far back as 1993. In fact, the former president flew on the private jets four times in 1993, once in 1994, once in 1995, and once in 1997. Although there are no last names for all of the guests that flew along with Trump, the logs say that he was joined by a Marla and a Tiffany – believed to be his ex-wife wife Marla Maples and his daughter Tiffany Trump – during the one flight in 1994. Trump’s son Eric is also documented in the logs as having joined his father on the one flight in 1995 from Palm Beach to New York City. Even though Trump flew on Epstein’s planes more than previously thought, it was still not as many times as former president Bill Clinton. MEGA Clinton flew on Epstein’s private jets a total of nine times, according to the newly released flight logs that only documented the flights made between April 1991 and January 2006. Besides Trump and Clinton, other high-profile individuals documented in the flight logs include Bobby Kennedy Jr. – who was a passenger on two flights in February 1994, former U. S. Senator George Mitchell – who was a passenger on one flight in April 1994, and Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman – who was a passenger on several previously undisclosed flights between 1991 and 2006. As Radar reported yesterday, these newly released flights logs come as the prosecution and defense started their closing arguments in Ghislaine Maxwell’s federal sex-trafficking trial, where the British socialite and former lover and confidant of Jeffrey Epstein is being accused of grooming and recruiting young girls for the late sexual predator. Maxwell has categorically denied all sex-trafficking allegations against her, and claims she is being utilized as a scapegoat for Epstein’s crimes. The trial is still ongoing, but if found guilty of the charges, Maxwell is facing nearly 80 years in prison. MEGA View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis have pledged their support to the women who have accused Chris Noth of sexual assault. The ‘And Just Like That…’ actresses have been left “deeply saddened” by the allegations made against their former co-star – who reprised his ‘Sex and the City’ role as Mr. Big for just one episode of the new reboot before being killed off – and praised his accusers for having the strength to speak out. They said in a joint statement: “We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth. “We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it.” Last week, two women came forward to The Hollywood Reporter to allege they had been sexually assaulted by the 67-year-old actor. A woman, identified only as Zoe, alleged he had “raped her from behind” in 2004 when she was just 22, and another known as Lily claimed she was 25 and had had a dinner date with the actor in New York before he allegedly assaulted her in 2015. The Daily Beast then published an account from a female tech executive who alleged Noth had sexually assaulted her in 2010 at a New York City restaurant where she worked as a hostess and lounge singer. The actor – who was recently fired from ‘The Equalizer’ and dropped by his talent agency in the wake of the claims – has denied the allegations. He said in response to the Hollywood Reporter piece: “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. “These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women.” Noth – who has been married to Tara Wilson since 2012 – also branded the third woman’s claim a “complete fabrication”. But he has pledged to co-operate if police get involved. His lawyer, Andrew Brettler, said: “No one from any law enforcement agency has contacted Chris or any of his representatives. Obviously if anyone does reach out, we will cooperate fully.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Andy Cohen has recovered from COVID-19 for the second time. The 53-year-old TV star has revealed he’s now “all better” after recently contracting the virus for the second time since the start of the pandemic. The ‘Watch What Happens Live’ host was asked by a fan on Twitter: “Andy, did you get the covid and was that why all the WWHLs were reruns? (sic)” And in reply, Andy – who is fully vaccinated – said: “Yes! All better now.” Andy was diagnosed with COVID-19 two weeks ago, quarantined at home and has subsequently tested negative, according to TMZ. Andy announced news of his first COVID diagnosis on Instagram, near the start of the pandemic. The TV host explained what he was “putting a pin” in his show to focus on his recovery from the virus. He wrote on the photo-sharing platform at the time: “After a few days of self-quarantine, and not feeling great, I have tested positive for Coronavirus. As much as I felt like I could push through whatever I was feeling to do #WWHL from home, we’re putting a pin in that for now so I can focus on getting better. (sic)” Andy also urged his followers to adhere to the expert advice at the time. He said: “I want to thank all the medical professionals who are working tirelessly for all of us, and urge everybody to stay home and take care of themselves.” Andy experienced a range of symptoms during his first COVID experience – including fever, fatigue, a cough, and a loss of smell – and he previously admitted that it took him some time to regain his energy. He shared: “It took about ten or 11 days, I would say, to work through my system. You know, It takes a bit to get your energy back.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Bonner County Sheriff’s Office An Idaho man has been charged with murder and cannibalism after allegedly killing a 70-year-old man and eating his flesh in the hopes it would “cure his brain.” According to the Bonners Ferry Herald, 39-year-old James David Russell is suspected of murdering David Flaget in September after some of Flaget’s tissue was found within Russell’s home. The victim’s body was also reportedly found in a car outside of Russell’s home on September 10. Part of the victim’s body was allegedly missing, according to newly released court documents. Authorities also found a bloodied microwave, a glass bowl, a bloodied knife, and a duffle bag at the suspect’s home. “When dealing with death and carnage it’s a shock to our conscience,” Phillip Stella, a Bonner County Detective, said last week. “As far as I know this is the first cannibalism charge in Idaho.” According to court documents, the authorities received a report about a possible murder on September 10, and once arriving at the scene they found Flaget’s dead body upside down in his truck. “There’s a lot of facets we will certainly never know,” Stella also said regarding Russell’s alleged crime. “It wasn’t the bloodiest crime scene, but it’s more of the psychological, ‘what the heck is going on here?’ and ‘why am I picking up pieces?’ It’s a walk down the dark path that we don’t see very often.” According to the probable cause affidavit, Russell allegedly killed and ate his victim because he believed he could “heal himself by cutting off portions of flesh” in order to “cure his brain.” This was also reportedly not the first time Flaget had a run in with Russell. “Flaget had several conflict-like run-ins with Russell and told the family about them,” Stella said. “The family had enough warning signs that Mr. Russell was a danger to himself or others.” According to documents, court proceedings were paused in October after a judge found Russell unable to stand trial for the charge of first-degree murder and ordered him to the Idaho Security Medical Program, although the results of Russell’s mental health evaluation on October 5 are still sealed under court order. The next time Russell is reportedly scheduled to appear back in court will be for a review hearing on December 28. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday accused unspecified cable television personalities and social media companies of making money by “peddling lies” about COVID-19 vaccines and spreading misinformation that can kill their viewers and followers. In a White House speech warning the unvaccinated of the dangers of the fast-spreading Omicron variant, Biden said: “The unvaccinated are responsible for their own choices.” But he added: “Those choices have been fueled by dangerous misinformation on cable TV and social media.” Biden did not identify any person or company by name, but the White House has been critical of Fox News and the network’s night-time hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. Biden previously criticized Facebook for allowing posts that spread vaccine falsehoods. “You know, these companies and personalities are making money by peddling lies and allowing misinformation that can kill their own customers and their own supporters,” Biden said. “It’s wrong. It’s immoral. I call on the purveyors of these lies and misinformation to stop it. Stop it now,” Biden said. A politically motivated disinformation campaign has helped fuel skepticism about the safety of vaccines in the United States against overwhelming medical evidence that shows they work and pose little risk. One in four American adults is not vaccinated. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Jarrett RenshawEditing by Heather Timmons and Howard Goller) View the full article

Brothers Osborne Are Releasing a Deluxe Edition of 'Skeletons' Album, With Three New Tracks 19 Published by Taste of Country Brothers Osborne have even more Skeletons to unearth in 2022. The duo have announced plans to put out a deluxe version of their third studio album, adding three songs for a total listing of 15 tracks. One of those songs is the Grammy-nominated “Younger Me,” which the Brothers put out as a stand-alone song in April. The song was co-written by the group’s T.J. and John Osborne, as well as singer-songwriter Kendell Marvel, and it’s a tender reflection dedicated to their younger selves, acknowledging that they “made it harder than it had to be” sometimes, but affirming that “Youth ain’t wasted on … Read More View the full article

The post after singing said, simply: Sit down and stay humble y’all … and kiss my motherfucking ass !!!!!⁣ ⁣ : @herb_ritts View the full article