Auckland man told 'too old' to enter bar
An Auckland man has laid a complaint with the Human Rights Commission after he was allegedly turned away from a bar for being too old. 'A bar full of 18-year-old girls' »
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The Dress That Sent The Internet Into Meltdown
The seemingly innocent design sent the internet into complete meltdown as people argued over whether the dress was in fact blue and black or white and gold. "But on the black background some might see it as white." He even speculated, perhaps jokingly, that the white-gold prejudice favors the idea of seeing the dress under strong daylight.
marie claire -
Chan spends precious time with family
FIRST ON 7: Video has emerged of Andrew Chan sharing tender moments with his family inside Bali's Kerobokan prison. The 31-year-old is one of two Australians on death row in Indonesia for attempting to smuggle drugs from the country in 2005. The pair, dubbed the Bali Nine duo, are waiting for authorities to order their transfer from prison to their place of execution on Nusakambangan island, where the firing squad has been heard training at night.
Yahoo and Agencies -
S. Africa family reunited with child snatched in 1997
A baby stolen from her sleeping mother's arms shortly after birth has been found by the family through an astonishing coincidence 17 years later, her biological family and South African police said Friday. A 50-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with kidnapping after pupils noticed a remarkable likeness between the 17-year-old and her younger biological sister who started attending the same school this year. DNA tests have confirmed that the older girl is the daughter of Celeste and Morne Nurse, who was snatched from Groote Schuur hospital as a three-day-old baby named Zephany in April 1997, local media reported.
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Williamson six gives Kiwis one wicket victory
Kane Williamson coolly struck a straight six to give New Zealand a one wicket victory over Australia in a dramatic battle between the cricket World Cup hosts at Eden Park on Saturday. Williamson lofted Pat Cummins over the boundary with last man Trent Boult at the wicket to finish on 45 not out in New Zealand's 152 for nine off 23.1 overs. Mitchell Starc scythed through the New Zealand batting after Brendon McCullum had given the home side a flying start with 50 from 24 balls, including seven boundaries and three sixes, to take six for 28 from nine overs.
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Islamic State under pressure as Kurds seize Syrian town
Kurdish forces dealt a blow to Islamic State by capturing an important town on Friday in the latest stage of a powerful offensive in northeast Syria, a Kurdish militia spokesman said. Islamic State has been forced into retreat across parts of the strategic region, a land bridge between territory it controls in Syria and Iraq, even as its fighters have mounted new raids this week on Assyrian Christian villages, abducting more than 200 people. The capture of Tel Hamis was announced by the Kurdish YPG militia and confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the country's civil war.
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Japan police arrest teens for 'IS-inspired' killing
Japanese police on Friday arrested three teenagers on suspicion of killing a 13-year-old schoolboy, in a chilling murder some local media suggested was inspired by Islamist extremist executions. The brutalised and naked body of Ryota Uemura was found in undergrowth near a river last Friday. Low-crime Japan has been captivated by the killing, with media reporting every twist and turn in the investigation, including details of how the youngster's mobile phone was used to send a friend request on a messaging app around the time of his death.
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Obamacare case seen as big threat for hospitals
For more than a year, hospitals have been enjoying a cash influx from treating newly Obamacare-insured patients. But those same hospitals are now facing the prospect of losing out on billions of dollars of money from those patients because of a major Supreme Court case due to be argued next Wednesday. Among those worried about that possible fallout are the nation's largest for-profit and nonprofit hospital operators. The facilities of both those hospital operators are primarily based in states that will be directly affected the high court's decision in the case called King v. Burwell. Plaintiffs in that case claim that federal financial aid that helps most Obamacare customers in 37 states served by federally run HealthCare.gov pay for their insurance is illegal under the Affordable Care Act.
CNBC -
Jury: Billionaire looted mining firm; trial eyed huge home
Billionaire Ira Rennert plundered a now-bankrupt mining company to pay for personal luxuries, jurors found Friday after a trial that spotlighted one of the world's biggest private homes. MagCorp's bankruptcy trustee argued the billionaire built the mansion with money improperly milked from the company.
Associated Press -
Bill Nighy 'got busted' smuggling Marmite
Bill Nighy "got busted" trying to sneak Marmite through airport security. The 65-year-old actor, who stars alongside Dame Judi Dench in 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel', has revealed his love of Marmite and Yorkshire Tea, both of which he tried to take with him to India when filming the new movie. "The problem is that I'm addicted to Yorkshire Tea, and for me, nothing else can really hit the spot.
Bang Showbiz -
Eight Spanish combatants arrested after returning from Ukraine
Police arrested eight Spanish men who returned from fighting alongside pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, in what they said was the first operation of its kind in Europe. Officers detained the suspects in six regions across Spain after they returned from predominantly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, the interior ministry said in a statement. The Spaniards belonged to the far-left and were inspired by the International Brigades, the multinational volunteer forces that fought against Francisco Franco's uprising during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.
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Clarke laments Aussie batting woes
Michael Clarke fears Australia may have spent too much time focusing on power batting instead of sensible batting at training. "Sometimes in T20 cricket and one-day cricket you can get caught up working on the power side of your game," Clarke said. "Because I think you face conditions like that all around the world, not just here in New Zealand," Clarke said.
AAP -
6 women accuse hot yoga founder of sex assaults, groping
A yoga guru who founded a rigorous routine of exercises practiced in steamy rooms around the world is facing lawsuits by six women who claim he sexually assaulted them. The most recent case, filed Feb. 13 in Los Angeles Superior Court, said Bikram Choudhury raped a Canadian woman who had shelled out $10,000 from her college fund for a nine-week class so she could teach the 26-pose technique to others. "Throughout the sexual abuse, defendant Bikram Choudhury offered multiple explanations and justifications for his behavior," the lawsuit said.
Associated Press -
Mugabe celebrates 91st birthday with million-dollar bash
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Saturday celebrated his 91st birthday with a lavish million dollar bash that was slammed by the opposition as "obscene" in a country wracked by poverty. Thousands of supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF, many wearing party regalia emblazoned with the president's image, sang and danced as he arrived for the jamboree at a luxury hotel in the famed Victoria Falls resort. The party, which comes a week after Mugabe's birthday, was held on the hotel golf course, with white marquees housing the guests.
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Hamm: My big fat divorce check 'got the job done'
Oil tycoon Harold Hamm told CNBC on Friday his nearly $1 billion check to ex-wife Sue Ann Arnall helped put his divorce "in the rearview mirror." "That became a famous check. Read More Harold Hamm's ex cashes the big check after all "It laid around for a week or so," said Hamm. Mr. Hamm may hope that the 'job is done,' but the Oklahoma Supreme Court, not Mr. Hamm, will determine when this matter is concluded," the attorney said.
CNBC -
Tributes pour in for Leonard Nimoy, aka Mr Spock
"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy," said Obama, who recalled meeting the Boston-born Nimoy with the Vulcan salute in 2007. More than a household name, Nimoy was a "lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time," the president added. "I loved Spock," said Obama.
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The dress that broke the Internet
By some reckonings, Buzzfeed invented "viral," but its deputy news director, Jon Passatino, appeared truly surprised by just how many clicks the dress generated. Neetzan Zimmerman, formerly an editor at another viral content machine, Gawker, and widely considered an expert in virality, tweeted that the dress is a "viral singularity." It appears to have started with a Tumblr post of the photo, headlined "what colors are this dress," and spread from there as those who saw white-and-gold engaged in pitched battles with the blue-and-black camp.
CNBC -
N. Korea vows 'merciless' war against US
North Korea vowed to wage a "merciless, sacred war" against the United States on Thursday, days before the launch of annual joint South Korea-US military exercises that have incensed Pyongyang. "Nuclear weapons are not a monopoly of the US," the ruling party's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, warned in an editorial carried by the state KCNA news agency. North Korea "will wage a merciless sacred war against the US now that the latter has chosen confrontation", the Rodong Sinmun said.
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Gas prices soar in California as supply shrinks
Gas prices are soaring in California in a classic example of supply and demand after an explosion stopped gasoline production at an Exxon Mobil refinery while another remains offline due to labor unrest. Average retail gas prices in the state have surged 25 cents a gallon in less than a week, from $2.98 per gallon for regular on Monday to $3.23 per gallon on Friday. In some areas of Southern California, gas station owners were forced to pass price hikes of 24 cents per gallon along to consumers on Thursday after seeing wholesale prices shoot up.
Associated Press -
Breakers sweep into ANBL grand final
New Zealand Breakers skipper Mika Vukona is confident in his team's ability to do the business whether they meet Cairns or defending champions Perth in the Australian NBL grand final series. Cairns hold a 1-0 lead in their semi-final against Perth, who are at home for game two, which tips off on Sunday night. Corey Webster contributed 15 points and Vukona 12, while Tai Wesley came off the bench for 11 points and eight boards.
NZ Newswire -
Federer stuns Djokovic in Dubai
Roger Federer claimed the 84th title of his legendary career, kept his nose in front in his personal rivalry with Novak Djokovic, and equalled his best achievement at any tournament by winning the Dubai Open for the seventh time on Saturday. The second was abruptly truncated with a fine first serve, and this seemed to inspire Federer.
AFP
