A Tanzanian woman is traveling around Africa showcasing her soccer ball juggling skills as a way to feed her family. Her video clips have gone viral on social media and captivated the hearts of many people in the continent and beyond. This month, one of her clips caught the eye of U.S. president Donald Trump who tweeted “Amazing!” Lameck Masina caught up with her in the Malawi capital, Lilongwe, and filed this report.
…

your ads here!

A Tanzanian woman is traveling around Africa showcasing her soccer ball juggling skills as a way to feed her family. Her video clips have gone viral on social media and captivated the hearts of many people in the continent and beyond. This month, one of her clips caught the eye of U.S. president Donald Trump who tweeted “Amazing!” Lameck Masina caught up with her in the Malawi capital, Lilongwe, and filed this report.
…

your ads here!

After five years of imprisonment, prominent Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zaid was released and returned to his family Monday.

Zaid, popularly known as “Shawkan,” said he would continue his work as a journalist, despite harsh conditions to his release. Shawkan will remain under “police observation” for the next five years, required to check in with police every day at sunset and will be prohibited from managing his financial assets and properties during those five years.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists, welcomed his release but condemned the conditions.

“We are relieved to hear that Shawkan is finally free after spending over five years in jail and call on authorities to end their shameful treatment of this photojournalist by removing any conditions to his release,” said Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa Program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Shawkan was one of hundreds of people arrested after Egyptian security forces stormed two Muslim Brotherhood sit-in camps in August 2013, several months after the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after weeks of protests against him.

In September, an Egyptian court upheld death sentences against 75 of the over 700 defendants in the original mass trial. Shawkan, who was taking photos outside the sit-in camps in 2013, was given five years in prison — a term he had already served.

Last April, the United Nations’ cultural agency UNESCO awarded Shawkan the World Press Freedom Prize.

The mass trial and Shawkan’s imprisonment have elicited widespread criticism on the lack of press freedom in Egypt.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index. Over 30 journalists remain in Egyptian prisons, according to the rights group.
…

your ads here!

After five years of imprisonment, prominent Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zaid was released and returned to his family Monday.

Zaid, popularly known as “Shawkan,” said he would continue his work as a journalist, despite harsh conditions to his release. Shawkan will remain under “police observation” for the next five years, required to check in with police every day at sunset and will be prohibited from managing his financial assets and properties during those five years.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists, welcomed his release but condemned the conditions.

“We are relieved to hear that Shawkan is finally free after spending over five years in jail and call on authorities to end their shameful treatment of this photojournalist by removing any conditions to his release,” said Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa Program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Shawkan was one of hundreds of people arrested after Egyptian security forces stormed two Muslim Brotherhood sit-in camps in August 2013, several months after the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after weeks of protests against him.

In September, an Egyptian court upheld death sentences against 75 of the over 700 defendants in the original mass trial. Shawkan, who was taking photos outside the sit-in camps in 2013, was given five years in prison — a term he had already served.

Last April, the United Nations’ cultural agency UNESCO awarded Shawkan the World Press Freedom Prize.

The mass trial and Shawkan’s imprisonment have elicited widespread criticism on the lack of press freedom in Egypt.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index. Over 30 journalists remain in Egyptian prisons, according to the rights group.
…

your ads here!

Luke Perry, who gained instant heartthrob status as wealthy rebel Dylan McKay on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died Monday after suffering a massive stroke, his publicist said. He was 52.

 

Perry was surrounded by family and friends when he died, publicist Arnold Robinson said. The actor had been hospitalized since last Wednesday, after a 911 call summoned medical help to his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles.

 

“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning,” Robinson said in a statement. At Perry’s bedside were his children, Jake and Sophie; fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer and his former wife, Minnie Sharp.

 

Perry had played construction-company owner Fred Andrews, father of main character Archie Andrews, for three seasons on “Riverdale,” the CW series that gives a dark take on “Archie” comics. A fourth season has been slated.

 

Born and raised in rural Fredericktown, Ohio, Perry gained fame on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” which ran from 1990 to 2000.

 

Perry has had roles in a handful of films, including “The Fifth Element,” “8 Seconds” and “American Strays.” He appeared in HBO’s prison drama “Oz” and voiced cartoons like “The Incredible Hulk” and “Mortal Kombat.” In recent years he starred in the series “Ties That Bind” and “Body of Proof.”

 

The same day he was hospitalized, Fox TV announced that it would be running a six-episode return of “90210” that features most of the original cast, but Perry was not among those announced.

 
…

your ads here!

Luke Perry, who gained instant heartthrob status as wealthy rebel Dylan McKay on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died Monday after suffering a massive stroke, his publicist said. He was 52.

 

Perry was surrounded by family and friends when he died, publicist Arnold Robinson said. The actor had been hospitalized since last Wednesday, after a 911 call summoned medical help to his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles.

 

“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning,” Robinson said in a statement. At Perry’s bedside were his children, Jake and Sophie; fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer and his former wife, Minnie Sharp.

 

Perry had played construction-company owner Fred Andrews, father of main character Archie Andrews, for three seasons on “Riverdale,” the CW series that gives a dark take on “Archie” comics. A fourth season has been slated.

 

Born and raised in rural Fredericktown, Ohio, Perry gained fame on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” which ran from 1990 to 2000.

 

Perry has had roles in a handful of films, including “The Fifth Element,” “8 Seconds” and “American Strays.” He appeared in HBO’s prison drama “Oz” and voiced cartoons like “The Incredible Hulk” and “Mortal Kombat.” In recent years he starred in the series “Ties That Bind” and “Body of Proof.”

 

The same day he was hospitalized, Fox TV announced that it would be running a six-episode return of “90210” that features most of the original cast, but Perry was not among those announced.

 
…

your ads here!

A floppy-eared pooch wearing a red crustacean costume rides in a wagon decorated like a shrimp boat, followed by another “boat” wagon occupied by a pug in a sailor hat.

Behind them, on a leash, strolls a white maltese in a Wonder Woman costume alongside canines in fluffy purple, green and gold tutus.

The dog-centered Krewe of Barkus is one of 50 walking Carnival clubs in New Orleans that parade throughout the Mardi Gras season, ranging from satirical and political to the cute and risque.

It’s the most walking clubs in the city’s long Carnival history, making the weekslong celebration more colorful and diverse than ever, says Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy, who publishes an annual guide with historical facts about Carnival, as well as parade schedules and route maps.

“It’s just amazing how many different ways there are to express yourself at Mardi Gras,” Hardy said. And the walking clubs have added “a new level of inclusion and diversity and participation that we have not seen before.”

Among the favorite walking parades drawing thousands of spectators yearly are the Star Wars-themed Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, the satirical and sometimes downright raunchy adult-themed Krewe du Vieux, and Barkus.

While some groups put on choreographed dances or march between floats and bands in the larger parades, others take center stage in the French Quarter, strolling along the narrow streets of the historic neighborhood where large floats aren’t permitted.

Krewe of Cork members donning grape and wine-themed costumes sipped from goblets as they handed out beads with corks and grapevine emblems.

The “krewe,” the New Orleans name for a Carnival club, included women dressed in nude bodysuits covered with clear balls made to look like champagne bubbles.

Thousands of spectators turned out for the parade, watching from the sidewalks of the city’s famed Bourbon Street, where topless women held signs advertising colorful “nipple glitter” for revelers wanting to decorate their breasts.

Naughty or not, it’s all in good fun, and most parades are family-friendly, Hardy said.

“The best thing I like about it is the freedom of expression and the creativity,” said New Orleans native Cortney Sessum, donning a platinum blond wig as she took in the sights of Barkus. “I love seeing the costume ideas.”

Some walking clubs have already paraded and are done for the season, while others will parade more than once. And there’s still plenty to see between now and Fat Tuesday on March 5.

The Krewe of Red Beans, where members use red beans in place of beads to create elaborate suits and costumes, will parade on “Lundi Gras,” the Monday before Mardi Gras, in a nod to the city’s culinary tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays.

Among the groups parading on Fat Tuesday is Pete Fountain’s Half Fast Marching Club, which walks ahead of the Zulu and Rex float parades, as well as the masked revelers of the Society of St. Anne and several Mardi Gras Indian tribes donning elaborately beaded costumes and tall feathered headdresses.

“There’s something for everyone,” Hardy said. “I tell people, if you can’t have a good time at Mardi Gras, you better check your pulse. Something’s wrong with you, baby.”
…

your ads here!

A floppy-eared pooch wearing a red crustacean costume rides in a wagon decorated like a shrimp boat, followed by another “boat” wagon occupied by a pug in a sailor hat.

Behind them, on a leash, strolls a white maltese in a Wonder Woman costume alongside canines in fluffy purple, green and gold tutus.

The dog-centered Krewe of Barkus is one of 50 walking Carnival clubs in New Orleans that parade throughout the Mardi Gras season, ranging from satirical and political to the cute and risque.

It’s the most walking clubs in the city’s long Carnival history, making the weekslong celebration more colorful and diverse than ever, says Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy, who publishes an annual guide with historical facts about Carnival, as well as parade schedules and route maps.

“It’s just amazing how many different ways there are to express yourself at Mardi Gras,” Hardy said. And the walking clubs have added “a new level of inclusion and diversity and participation that we have not seen before.”

Among the favorite walking parades drawing thousands of spectators yearly are the Star Wars-themed Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, the satirical and sometimes downright raunchy adult-themed Krewe du Vieux, and Barkus.

While some groups put on choreographed dances or march between floats and bands in the larger parades, others take center stage in the French Quarter, strolling along the narrow streets of the historic neighborhood where large floats aren’t permitted.

Krewe of Cork members donning grape and wine-themed costumes sipped from goblets as they handed out beads with corks and grapevine emblems.

The “krewe,” the New Orleans name for a Carnival club, included women dressed in nude bodysuits covered with clear balls made to look like champagne bubbles.

Thousands of spectators turned out for the parade, watching from the sidewalks of the city’s famed Bourbon Street, where topless women held signs advertising colorful “nipple glitter” for revelers wanting to decorate their breasts.

Naughty or not, it’s all in good fun, and most parades are family-friendly, Hardy said.

“The best thing I like about it is the freedom of expression and the creativity,” said New Orleans native Cortney Sessum, donning a platinum blond wig as she took in the sights of Barkus. “I love seeing the costume ideas.”

Some walking clubs have already paraded and are done for the season, while others will parade more than once. And there’s still plenty to see between now and Fat Tuesday on March 5.

The Krewe of Red Beans, where members use red beans in place of beads to create elaborate suits and costumes, will parade on “Lundi Gras,” the Monday before Mardi Gras, in a nod to the city’s culinary tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays.

Among the groups parading on Fat Tuesday is Pete Fountain’s Half Fast Marching Club, which walks ahead of the Zulu and Rex float parades, as well as the masked revelers of the Society of St. Anne and several Mardi Gras Indian tribes donning elaborately beaded costumes and tall feathered headdresses.

“There’s something for everyone,” Hardy said. “I tell people, if you can’t have a good time at Mardi Gras, you better check your pulse. Something’s wrong with you, baby.”
…

your ads here!

Pharrell is heading home to Virginia Beach to launch a new music and culture festival.

The Grammy-winning superstar announced Monday SOMETHING IN THE WATER, a multi-day event he’s calling a “cultural experience” that will debut April 26-28. He will perform on a stage set on the beach; other performers include Missy Elliott, Travis Scott, Migos, Dave Matthews Band, Janelle Monae, Diplo, SZA, Lil Uzi Vert and Pusha T.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

Pharrell said in an interview with The Associated Press that he created the festival to give back to the community that raised him and helped him achieve his goals and dreams.

“Virginians are taste-makers,” he said, naming famous folks from the state, from Ella Fitzgerald to Allen Iverson to Missy Elliott.

“Virginia has been home to some of the most gifted artists, athletes, and scientists to ever live. And it makes sense — the people of Virginia are one-of-a-kind: uniquely gritty, bold, and brilliant,” Pharrell said. “Virginia needs this right now and the world will see what we Virginians have known all along: there really is Something in the Water.”

The festival won’t just focus on music: The film “The Burial of Kojo” — acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY company — will be screened, followed by a discussion. The film will premiere on Netflix on March 31.

SOMETHING IN THE WATER will also include a pop-up church service, karaoke featuring trap music as well as moments with wellness expert Deepak Chopra and Geoffrey Canada, the president of the Harlem Children’s Zone whose work has transformed the lives of thousands of inner-city youth.

Other musicians set to perform include Jaden Smith, Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada, Ferg, Jhene Aiko, Rosalia, Leikeli47, Maggie Rogers, Mac DeMarco, Masego, Virgil Abloh and John-Robert.

“It’s been fun curating the artist-performers,” said the Oscar-nominated Pharrell, who has produced hits for everyone from Jay-Z to Britney Spears.

Virginia Beach Mayor Robert “Bobby” Dyer said the festival “is going to be a transformative event for our city.”

“We are absolutely thrilled with the plans Pharrell and his team have for this year. There will be no doubt that what is in the water' around Virginia Beach issomething’ very special,” he said.
…

your ads here!

Pharrell is heading home to Virginia Beach to launch a new music and culture festival.

The Grammy-winning superstar announced Monday SOMETHING IN THE WATER, a multi-day event he’s calling a “cultural experience” that will debut April 26-28. He will perform on a stage set on the beach; other performers include Missy Elliott, Travis Scott, Migos, Dave Matthews Band, Janelle Monae, Diplo, SZA, Lil Uzi Vert and Pusha T.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

Pharrell said in an interview with The Associated Press that he created the festival to give back to the community that raised him and helped him achieve his goals and dreams.

“Virginians are taste-makers,” he said, naming famous folks from the state, from Ella Fitzgerald to Allen Iverson to Missy Elliott.

“Virginia has been home to some of the most gifted artists, athletes, and scientists to ever live. And it makes sense — the people of Virginia are one-of-a-kind: uniquely gritty, bold, and brilliant,” Pharrell said. “Virginia needs this right now and the world will see what we Virginians have known all along: there really is Something in the Water.”

The festival won’t just focus on music: The film “The Burial of Kojo” — acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY company — will be screened, followed by a discussion. The film will premiere on Netflix on March 31.

SOMETHING IN THE WATER will also include a pop-up church service, karaoke featuring trap music as well as moments with wellness expert Deepak Chopra and Geoffrey Canada, the president of the Harlem Children’s Zone whose work has transformed the lives of thousands of inner-city youth.

Other musicians set to perform include Jaden Smith, Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada, Ferg, Jhene Aiko, Rosalia, Leikeli47, Maggie Rogers, Mac DeMarco, Masego, Virgil Abloh and John-Robert.

“It’s been fun curating the artist-performers,” said the Oscar-nominated Pharrell, who has produced hits for everyone from Jay-Z to Britney Spears.

Virginia Beach Mayor Robert “Bobby” Dyer said the festival “is going to be a transformative event for our city.”

“We are absolutely thrilled with the plans Pharrell and his team have for this year. There will be no doubt that what is in the water' around Virginia Beach issomething’ very special,” he said.
…

your ads here!

Keith Flint, the singer and iconic frontman of British rave scene band The Prodigy, has died at the age of 49, the electronic pop group said.

Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious after finding his body on Monday in Essex, northeast of London.

“We attended and, sadly, a 49-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed,” Essex Police told AFP.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

The Prodigy issued a statement calling Flint a “true pioneer, innovator and legend”, Britain’s domestic Press Association news agency reported.

Heavily tattooed and topped with a bleached mohawk, Flint helped turn The Prodigy into one of the most influential groups to emerge from the underground rave scene.

Their biggest hits included “Firestarter” and “Smack My Bitch Up”, which merged intense dance beats with punk elements.

“There was a real determination for it to have zero compromise,” Flint told AFP in 2015.

“There really needed to be an antidote to the DJ scene, which made it quite brutal.”
…

your ads here!

Keith Flint, the singer and iconic frontman of British rave scene band The Prodigy, has died at the age of 49, the electronic pop group said.

Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious after finding his body on Monday in Essex, northeast of London.

“We attended and, sadly, a 49-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed,” Essex Police told AFP.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

The Prodigy issued a statement calling Flint a “true pioneer, innovator and legend”, Britain’s domestic Press Association news agency reported.

Heavily tattooed and topped with a bleached mohawk, Flint helped turn The Prodigy into one of the most influential groups to emerge from the underground rave scene.

Their biggest hits included “Firestarter” and “Smack My Bitch Up”, which merged intense dance beats with punk elements.

“There was a real determination for it to have zero compromise,” Flint told AFP in 2015.

“There really needed to be an antidote to the DJ scene, which made it quite brutal.”
…

your ads here!

Striving to improve behavior at soccer matches, FIFA President Gianni Infantino sees women as role models for male players.

There is less simulation and time-wasting in the women’s game, according to Infantino, and it’s time for men to clean up their act to improve the image of soccer.

“The men’s game has developed incredibly, positively, but a few maybe side effects have unfortunately developed as well that we are fighting now,” Infantino said Saturday. “Let’s take the example of the women’s game.”

Infantino’s admiration for the conduct of female players stands in contrast to predecessor Sepp Blatter, who urged them to wear tighter kits to make the game more popular.

“Women are nicer than men, probably, generally,” Infantino said. “Sometimes we men feel that we need to show how strong we are, probably in the human nature, and this is reflected as well in some of the behavior in society in general but also on the football pitch.”

On field behavior

Infantino was speaking after the game’s lawmaking body, the International Football Association Board, discussed ways of improving on-field behavior at its annual meeting, including treatment of referees. Yellow and red cards for misconduct by team officials are now entered in the laws of the game after successful trials.

“When it comes to behavior,” Infantino said, “if there’s something to learn from the women’s game … it’s certainly this: This is much less time lost and wasted on simulations or on other situations we criticize in the men’s game. We are intervening now.”

Such as ensuring someone substituted “doesn’t greet all the players before going out (leaving the pitch) and so on — wasting time,” Infantino said. “All the things you don’t see in the women’s game.”

Diving has been reduced by the introduction of video review, Infantino said, while announcing his support for VAR at the June 7-July 7 Women’s World Cup in France. The decision will have to be ratified by the FIFA Council at a meeting in two weeks in Miami.

“Players now know that it’s not just sufficient to have a look where is the referee, so if he doesn’t see me I can simulate, because he or she will be caught,” Infantino said. “That’s why VAR automatically helps the fight against simulation and diving in a very efficient way.”

Handballs

To reduce controversies, the handball law has been adjusted.

Referees won’t necessarily have to decide if there was deliberate handling, but judge the outcome and whether an unfair advantage was obtained by gaining possession or control of the ball.

It won’t be an offense if the arm or hand is very close to the body but it will be if they are in an elevated position when the ball is handled. But even if a player accidentally handled while scoring, the goal would be ruled out.

Kicks and penalties

Disruptive behavior around free kicks should be reduced from June. The attacking team will not be allowed within 1 meter (yard) of the defensive wall in an attempt to stop players jostling and matches being delayed by the necessary intervention of referees.

In two changes affecting goalkeepers, goal kicks won’t have to leave the penalty area and only one foot will have to remain on the line when facing a penalty.

Substitutes

To speed up the game, players being substituted must leave the field at the nearest point rather than at the halfway line.

“It’s a fairly standard time-wasting tactic that when a manager wants to make a substitution, he can send a player to be substituted to the opposite end of the pitch,” said Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell, one of the eight IFAB members.

FIFA has four delegates and the British nations have the other four, with six votes required for a change to the laws which come into effect from June.
…

your ads here!

A new dance style, born in Chicago, is recognized around the world. It’s called hiplet and combines hip-hop and ballet. Ksenia Turkova traveled to Chicago to meet the Godfather of hiplet, Homer Hans Bryant.
…

your ads here!

Jason Cerda is a professional dancer and recording artist. He’s performed on stage with Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and other big-name musicians and now uses his expertise to teach young performers how to dance. Maxim Moskalkov has the story.
…

your ads here!

Tributes poured in Thursday for Andre Previn, the multifaceted artist renowned for his mastery of classical music as well as jazz, who has died at age 89. 

 

The prolific German-American musician with four Oscars, 10 Grammys and a coveted Kennedy Center honor was known for his broad repertoire, working as a jazz pianist, film composer, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

 

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the death this morning of our Conductor Emeritus Andre Previn,” the London Symphony Orchestra said in a statement. “He will be hugely missed by everyone at the LSO and remembered with great affection. 

 

“May he always play all the right notes in the right order.” 

 

Studies began at age 6

Born in Berlin on April 6, 1929, Previn’s father enrolled him at the German capital’s Conservatory of Music at age 6 upon realizing his son had perfect pitch. 

 

The family fled Nazi Germany in 1939, moving to Los Angeles, where Previn’s great-uncle was the music director for Universal Studios. 

 

An accomplished jazz pianist, he began working at MGM in 1946 while still in high school, launching an illustrious career in film composing that won him four Academy Awards for his work on films, including 1964’s My Fair Lady. 

 

But he left the studio in the 1960s to focus on classical music; in addition to the L.A. Philharmonic he served as music director of the Houston and Pittsburgh symphonies, and frequently guest-conducted worldwide. 

 

His mercurial tastes for music also applied to women: Previn married five times, most famously to actress Mia Farrow, with whom he had three biological children.  

 

He also adopted three more children with Farrow, including a daughter Soon-Yi, who married film director Woody Allen in 1997. The marriage resulted in a public feud with Farrow, who had had a long relationship with Allen. 

 

“See you in the Morning beloved Friend,” tweeted Farrow, who posted several photos of her and Previn. “May you rest in glorious symphonies.”
…

your ads here!

Tributes poured in Thursday for Andre Previn, the multifaceted artist renowned for his mastery of classical music as well as jazz, who has died at age 89. 

 

The prolific German-American musician with four Oscars, 10 Grammys and a coveted Kennedy Center honor was known for his broad repertoire, working as a jazz pianist, film composer, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

 

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the death this morning of our Conductor Emeritus Andre Previn,” the London Symphony Orchestra said in a statement. “He will be hugely missed by everyone at the LSO and remembered with great affection. 

 

“May he always play all the right notes in the right order.” 

 

Studies began at age 6

Born in Berlin on April 6, 1929, Previn’s father enrolled him at the German capital’s Conservatory of Music at age 6 upon realizing his son had perfect pitch. 

 

The family fled Nazi Germany in 1939, moving to Los Angeles, where Previn’s great-uncle was the music director for Universal Studios. 

 

An accomplished jazz pianist, he began working at MGM in 1946 while still in high school, launching an illustrious career in film composing that won him four Academy Awards for his work on films, including 1964’s My Fair Lady. 

 

But he left the studio in the 1960s to focus on classical music; in addition to the L.A. Philharmonic he served as music director of the Houston and Pittsburgh symphonies, and frequently guest-conducted worldwide. 

 

His mercurial tastes for music also applied to women: Previn married five times, most famously to actress Mia Farrow, with whom he had three biological children.  

 

He also adopted three more children with Farrow, including a daughter Soon-Yi, who married film director Woody Allen in 1997. The marriage resulted in a public feud with Farrow, who had had a long relationship with Allen. 

 

“See you in the Morning beloved Friend,” tweeted Farrow, who posted several photos of her and Previn. “May you rest in glorious symphonies.”
…

your ads here!

It was acting, not love, when Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sang a duet Sunday at the 91st Academy Awards.

 

Gaga discussed the emotional performance of “Shallow” from their film “A Star Is Born” during an appearance Wednesday on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live .” The duet led online posters to say the stars are in love.

 

The artist rolled her eyes and called social media “the toilet of the internet,” saying it has hurt pop culture.

 

Gaga said, “Yes, people saw love and guess what, that’s what we wanted you to see.”

 

Gaga says it was a love song in a love story and they had “worked all week on that performance.”

 

She said, “I guess we did a good job. Fooled ya!”

 

Gaga brought her Oscar for “Shallow” to the show.

 

 
…

your ads here!

It was acting, not love, when Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sang a duet Sunday at the 91st Academy Awards.

 

Gaga discussed the emotional performance of “Shallow” from their film “A Star Is Born” during an appearance Wednesday on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live .” The duet led online posters to say the stars are in love.

 

The artist rolled her eyes and called social media “the toilet of the internet,” saying it has hurt pop culture.

 

Gaga said, “Yes, people saw love and guess what, that’s what we wanted you to see.”

 

Gaga says it was a love song in a love story and they had “worked all week on that performance.”

 

She said, “I guess we did a good job. Fooled ya!”

 

Gaga brought her Oscar for “Shallow” to the show.

 

 
…

your ads here!

On a clear, frigid night in a courtyard made of walls of ice, Bruce McCafferty and his young son stand mesmerized, bathed in the pulsating rainbow light emanating from a series of stout ice formations.

McCafferty and his son Dougie have come out to Ice Castles in North Woodstock, New Hampshire, a collection of ice tunnels, caverns and a 97-foot (30-meter) ice slide that cover an acre (half a hectare) of farmland that some have said are like something out of the movie “Frozen.”

The winter wonderland, one of six in North America, is built from scratch when the cold conditions allow the ice to sprout from the barren ground.

Other parks are located in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Excelsior, Minnesota; Dillon, Colorado; Midway, Utah; and Edmonton, Alberta. This year, the attractions will stand until early March in most locations.

At the center of the New Hampshire attraction stand six ice structures that are nearly four feet tall (more than a meter tall) and are lit from within by colored lights.

“It’s quite magical isn’t it?” McCafferty said. “It’s an amazing creation. I’d really like to know how they actually built it.”

The attraction starts small in December, when the site’s lead builder Matt Pasciuto and his team set up icicle farms: metal racks that are sprayed with water to allow icicles to grow on them overnight. The icicles are then harvested by “ice artists,” who place them around more than 70 sprinklers.

“Once we turn the sprinklers on, the water starts freezing to those icicles, making them grow together, bigger and bigger and thicker and thicker,” Pasciuto said. “We grow the castle about two to three feet [a half-meter to one meter] at a time.”

Within a few weeks, the icicles have managed to cover the entire park, and some reach heights of 20 feet (six meters).

On a recent sunny day, the massive ice walls shined with a glacial blue hue. After the sun went down, the castles seemed to burst with colors thanks to LED lights embedded in the ice. The astonishing visuals are complemented by a synchronized fantasy soundtrack playing throughout the venue.

The attraction, which moved to this year from neighboring Lincoln, draws tens of thousands of visitors each season.

“When the movie `Frozen’ came out, that was a huge boost because now everyone says, ‘Oh, we get to see an actual ice castle,'” Pasciuto said.

Three years ago, Adam Schellinger started bringing his girlfriend on annual dates to the Ice Castles in New Hampshire, a three-hour drive from their hometown of Brooklyn, Connecticut. On last year’s visit, Schellinger got down on one knee and popped the question. The crowd immediately began cheering. The couple was married in September.

“When I proposed, it was blue, and then it went to purple,” recalled Schellinger, who returned for a visit with his wife Ashley a couple weeks ago. “It was just awesome — a great backdrop for sure.”

After a mild start to the winter, the weather in New Hampshire this year has mostly cooperated with only a few days with above-freezing temperatures. But that isn’t always the case, according to Melissa Smuzynski, public relations director for Ice Castles. She said some locations occasionally have had to cut their seasons short due to warmer winters but that “we haven’t noticed a long-term pattern over the years of our seasons becoming shorter.”

But Pascuito says he dreads the warmer days.

“The last couple of years we’ve had some really bad warm spells in February where it gets to 60 degrees [Fahrenheit, 15 degrees Celsius]. This is New Hampshire — that shouldn’t happen,” he said. “We love the cold. We want a nice long winter.”
…

your ads here!

On a clear, frigid night in a courtyard made of walls of ice, Bruce McCafferty and his young son stand mesmerized, bathed in the pulsating rainbow light emanating from a series of stout ice formations.

McCafferty and his son Dougie have come out to Ice Castles in North Woodstock, New Hampshire, a collection of ice tunnels, caverns and a 97-foot (30-meter) ice slide that cover an acre (half a hectare) of farmland that some have said are like something out of the movie “Frozen.”

The winter wonderland, one of six in North America, is built from scratch when the cold conditions allow the ice to sprout from the barren ground.

Other parks are located in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Excelsior, Minnesota; Dillon, Colorado; Midway, Utah; and Edmonton, Alberta. This year, the attractions will stand until early March in most locations.

At the center of the New Hampshire attraction stand six ice structures that are nearly four feet tall (more than a meter tall) and are lit from within by colored lights.

“It’s quite magical isn’t it?” McCafferty said. “It’s an amazing creation. I’d really like to know how they actually built it.”

The attraction starts small in December, when the site’s lead builder Matt Pasciuto and his team set up icicle farms: metal racks that are sprayed with water to allow icicles to grow on them overnight. The icicles are then harvested by “ice artists,” who place them around more than 70 sprinklers.

“Once we turn the sprinklers on, the water starts freezing to those icicles, making them grow together, bigger and bigger and thicker and thicker,” Pasciuto said. “We grow the castle about two to three feet [a half-meter to one meter] at a time.”

Within a few weeks, the icicles have managed to cover the entire park, and some reach heights of 20 feet (six meters).

On a recent sunny day, the massive ice walls shined with a glacial blue hue. After the sun went down, the castles seemed to burst with colors thanks to LED lights embedded in the ice. The astonishing visuals are complemented by a synchronized fantasy soundtrack playing throughout the venue.

The attraction, which moved to this year from neighboring Lincoln, draws tens of thousands of visitors each season.

“When the movie `Frozen’ came out, that was a huge boost because now everyone says, ‘Oh, we get to see an actual ice castle,'” Pasciuto said.

Three years ago, Adam Schellinger started bringing his girlfriend on annual dates to the Ice Castles in New Hampshire, a three-hour drive from their hometown of Brooklyn, Connecticut. On last year’s visit, Schellinger got down on one knee and popped the question. The crowd immediately began cheering. The couple was married in September.

“When I proposed, it was blue, and then it went to purple,” recalled Schellinger, who returned for a visit with his wife Ashley a couple weeks ago. “It was just awesome — a great backdrop for sure.”

After a mild start to the winter, the weather in New Hampshire this year has mostly cooperated with only a few days with above-freezing temperatures. But that isn’t always the case, according to Melissa Smuzynski, public relations director for Ice Castles. She said some locations occasionally have had to cut their seasons short due to warmer winters but that “we haven’t noticed a long-term pattern over the years of our seasons becoming shorter.”

But Pascuito says he dreads the warmer days.

“The last couple of years we’ve had some really bad warm spells in February where it gets to 60 degrees [Fahrenheit, 15 degrees Celsius]. This is New Hampshire — that shouldn’t happen,” he said. “We love the cold. We want a nice long winter.”
…

your ads here!

Those fur-trimmed parkas so common on city sidewalks have become a boon to backwoods trappers.

Coyote fur pelts are in big demand to provide the lush, silvery or tawny-tinged arcs of fur on the hoods on Canada Goose coats and their many global imitators. A good western coyote, prized for its silky, light-colored fur, can fetch more than $100. The top price at a recent Colorado auction hit $170, a 40 percent increase from four years ago.

“Coyotes are hot,” said John Hughes, a longtime buyer at J and M Furs in Roundup, Montana, “and it’s all due to the trim trade.”

Fur market

Late fall and early winter are the prime trapping time, when coyote coats are at their fullest, but a lot of the selling happens in late winter. Fur is sold at big auction houses in Canada, by individual fur buyers across North America and at local auctions near where the animals roam. At one such auction in a VFW hall in the upstate New York town of Herkimer, tables were piled high with the furs of hundreds of muskrats, beavers, fishers, mink, red fox, gray fox, otters, bobcats and coyotes.

“They like the white-belly coyotes, something like this, the whiter belly,” said John Rutherford, a trapper and hunter, showing a lush, long-haired coyotes.

Fur experts say the uptick in coyote demand began with Canada Goose parkas, with their distinctive Arctic Circle patch, a brand that went big in 2013 when model Kate Upton famously wore one over her bikini on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit Issue. Over the years, more celebrities and their fashion-conscious followers began donning the parkas, which now can retail for more than $1,000 each.

“Canada Goose is always the name that people relate to, but there are so many other brands that make similar coats,” said Mark Downey, CEO of Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. of North Bay, Ontario. “Basically, it’s just a coyote trim ruff that goes around the hood of all those kinds of coats.”

Downey suspects the bull market for coyote will continue. North American Fur Auctions was similarly optimistic in a November web posting, saying the trim business continues to be in full fashion with Canada Goose being the major taker.

Toronto-based Canada Goose did not respond to requests for comment.

Trappers face competition

The hot market for coyotes comes as trappers deal with recent economic slumps in China and Russia, competition from ranched fur and the intense ire of animal welfare activists, who consider the popular steel leg-hold traps particularly cruel.

Coyote trappers see themselves as sportsmen helping control populations of a ubiquitous animal often considered a nuisance. Coyotes have been spotted from the streets of Los Angeles to Manhattan’s Central Park. Farmers view them as chicken poachers, and suburban residents see them as threats to their pets.

To trappers, coyotes are one of the few money-making animals, along with bobcats and a few others.

“It is the one bright spot in most of the country,” said Dave Linkhart, of the National Trappers Association.

Hughes will pay trappers an average of $75 to $105 and as much as $120 for a western coyote. He sells to operations that create trim strips, which sells to garment makers.

“The coyotes that we have here in Montana are probably the best coyotes in the world for trim,” Hughes said. “They’re heavy, so the hair stands up for the trim, and they’re pale.”

Western coyotes scarce

He handles an average of 10,000 coyotes annually, though the numbers are down for western coyotes this year. Some blame early-season snow in Canada and the western United States, which made it harder for trappers to get out. Others believe there are simply fewer western coyotes this winter.

Either way, Downey said, “there’s not enough western coyotes to go around,” increasing demand on eastern coyotes, which tend to have coarser fur.

At the Herkimer auction, eastern coyotes tended to sell for $19 to $46. Rutherford made more than $200 for seven coyote furs.

“Coyotes are going to move,” he said. “Good-quality coyotes are going to sell. “
…

your ads here!