James Brady, former Reagan press secretary and gun-control advocate, dies

James Brady, a former White House press secretary who was severely wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan and later became a prominent gun-control advocate, has died.

Brady died at 73 after a series of health issues, his family said in a statement on Monday.
"Over the years, Jim inspired so many people as he turned adversity into accomplishment," the statement said.

Brady was one of four people hurt in Reagan's shooting by John Hinckley outside a Washington hotel.

Suffering a head wound, it was erroneously reported at one point that Brady had died. He was, however, left partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Reagan, severely wounded as well, also survived the attack and served two terms as President. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting and has spent the ensuing years in a psychiatric hospital.

After leaving the White House, Brady launched the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which pushes for stricter firearms laws.


He inspired the Brady Bill, which was fiercely fought over for years before Congress approved it and President Bill Clinton signed it into law in 1993. It requires background checks for gun purchases.
President Barack Obama praised Brady's legacy.

"Jim is a legend at the White House for his warmth and professionalism as press secretary for President Reagan; for the strength he brought to bear in recovering from the shooting that nearly killed him 33 years ago; and for turning the events of that terrible afternoon into a remarkable legacy of service," Obama said in a statement.
The Brady Campaign also acknowledged his death in a tweet: "We are heartbroken over James Brady's passing. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife, Sarah, and their family."
Brady was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award. The White House press briefing room also was named in his honor.

Source : www.edition.cnn.com

Manchester United beats Liverpool 3-1 in preseason International Champions Cup

Second-half strikes from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard earned Manchester United a morale boosting 3-1 win over Premier League rivals Liverpool in the final of the preseason International Champions Cup in Miami on Tuesday morning.

Liverpool took the lead in the 14th minute when the lively Raheem Sterling was brought down in the area by United defender Phil Jones and skipper Steven Gerrard drilled home the penalty.

The Merseyside team should have doubled its advantage shortly after half-time but Rickie Lambert fluffed his shot after finding space inside the area.

United equalised in the 55th minute with Javier Hernandez delivering a cross deep to the back post and Rooney coolly side-footed home a cushioned volley from a tight angle.

Two minutes later, Mata's well-struck effort from the edge of the box took a slight deflection off Mamadou Sakho and beat Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

United wrapped up the win in the eight-team tournament when substitute Jesse Lingard blasted home from 18 yards out two minutes from time.

Source : www.abc.net.au

Beyonce releases surprise 'Flawless' remix featuring Nicki Minaj

Beyonce has joined forces with Nicki Minaj for a surprise remix of "Flawless" that has left the rap blogosphere and Twitter completely blown away. Listen below.

The standout line is Beyonce's declaration, "Of course sometimes shit goes down when there's a billion dollars on an elevator," a once-and-for-all ending to that infamous elevator tussle between  Jay Z and Solange.

But the line "You wish I was your pound cake" is rife for unpacking, too. And then there's Minaj, who marks her first Beyonce collaboration by reestablishing herself as hip-hop's Queen Bee: "Winning is my motherf—ing protocol/'Cuz I score before I ever throw the ball." Minaj's verse is otherworldly in its intensity, recalling the fire she spat at the end of Kanye West's "Monster" four years ago.

There's also a quick sample of Outkast's "SpottieOttieDopaliscious" horn riff in the "Flawless" remix." Outkast wrapped its headlining set at Lollapalooza right before Beyonce posted the remix on her website.

The surprise "Flawless" remix follows the surprise release of "Beyonce," which was released as a "visual album" without warning last December. The album featured guest spots by Frank Ocean, Drake and Beyonce's hubby, Jay Z.

source : www.billboard.com

Orlando Bloom Tried To Hit Justin Bieber, Missed

Orlando Bloom and Justin Bieber got into a heated altercation at Cipriani in Ibiza, Spain, early Wednesday morning, reports The New York Post.

After getting in each other’s faces—Bloom threw a punch at the pop star—the crowd cheered.

According to witnesses, Bloom took a swing at Bieber after the singer, 20, made a rude comment about Bloom’s ex, Miranda Kerr. But a source close to Bieber insisted that the comment was only made after Bloom took a swing, and missed.

“Justin was at one table, and Orlando was at another,” a source told The New York Post. “But when Bieber and his party were later walking past Bloom’s table, Orlando refused to shake Bieber’s hand.” Then “Bieber said something rude to Orlando, like, ‘She was good.'”



Another source close to Bieber countered that the pop star didn’t make any rude comment and that “Justin didn’t even know Orlando was there. But when they saw each other, it was Orlando who was just being an a-hole to Justin.”“They got in each other’s faces and there were words,” a source said. “But they were separated by their entourages.”

A witness captured 30 seconds of the confrontation on video and posted it to Facebook. It shows Bloom walking away from Bieber and being separated by a crowd, but then turning back to walk to Bieber and confront him.“When they were back together again, Orlando threw a punch at Bieber,” said a source. “He just tried to pop him! The whole place cheered.”

The bad blood between the two began in 2012 when Bieber was seen getting flirty with Kerr after a Victoria’s Secret fashion show, which reportedly led to tension between the model and her Hollywood star husband, Bloom. The married couple then separated in October 2013.

Then newly single Bloom was seen spending time with Bieber’s ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez, in April. 

Source : www.novinite.com