Wednesday, 12 March 2014

President Obama appears on Between Two Ferns chat show

President Obama's interview took place in Between Two Ferns very basic studio
US President Barack Obama has followed in the footsteps of Justin Bieber and Bradley Cooper, after being interviewed by comedian Zach Galifianakis for his spoof chat show Between Two Ferns.
Mr Obama joined The Hangover star in a bid to encourage young people to sign up for health insurance.
However, he was asked about sending "ambassador Dennis Rodman" to North Korea and outlawing "same-sex divorce".
The president was also billed on-screen as a "community organiser".

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Is it going to be hard in two years when you are no longer President and people stop letting you win at basketball?”
Zach Galifianakis
 the notoriously awkward chat show takes place on a sparse set, decorated with two fern plants.
Mr Obama started on the offensive, declaring: "When I heard that people actually watch this show, I was actually pretty surprised."
"What is it like to be the last black president?" retorted Galifianakis.
"What's it like for this to be the last time you ever talk to a president?" Mr Obama replied.
"It must kind of stink, though, that you can't run three times?" the comedian continued.
Mr Obama replied: "If I ran a third time it would be like doing a third Hangover movie. It didn't really work out very well, did it?"
He then praised Galifianakis' previous interviews, especially one featuring his Hangover co-star Bradley Cooper, which ended with the pair slapping each other.
"That was a great show. He probably carried that movie didn't he?" said Mr Obama.
Barack Obama and Zack Galifianakis on Between Two Ferns After President Obama pressed the panic button it was revealed the pair had been chatting in a room that appeared to be in The White House
The Between Two Ferns series, which began in 2008, has become a cult hit online.
A typical recent video, which featured Galifianakis whipping singer Bieber with a belt for his bad behaviour, was watched by 16 million people.
The comedian's most memorable questions have included:
  • To President Obama: "Is it going to be hard in two years when you are no longer President and people stop letting you win at basketball?"
  • To Justin Bieber: "You've had three hairstyles. What's next for your career?"
  • To James Franco: "Of all the art projects you've done, which one has made people roll their eyes the hardest?"
  • To Natalie Portman: "You're an accomplished actress, you've graduated from Harvard, you've done some great international charity work. What is your phone number?"
Galifianakis and Mr Obama sparred for three-and-a-half minutes before the president revealed his real motive for appearing on the show, asking "Have you heard of healthcare.gov?".
The comedian replied under his breath "here we go", before adding: "OK, let's get this out of the way, what did you come here to plug?"
Mr Obama went on to explain why he felt it was important for young people to sign up for health insurance in the US, before the deadline on 31 March.
The interview ended with President Obama hitting a panic button, which prompted the standard black set to drop to the ground and reveal a room that appeared to be in The White House.
"Thanks for letting me shoot my show here all these years," said Galifianakis, claiming former President George Bush had given him clearance to film in the Diplomatic Room.

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Queen musical We Will Rock You to close after 12 years

The show has toured the world and been seen by more than 18 million people

We Will Rock You, the hit musical based on the songs of Queen, is to close in the West End after a 12-year run.
The show, which is the longest-running production in the history of the Dominion Theatre, will have its final curtain call on 31 May 2014.
Written by Ben Elton, it currently stars Kevin Kennedy, best known as Coronation Street's Curly Watts.
On hearing of the closure,  "Just when you get all the words right and in the proper places."
Brian May during a production of We Will Rock You The surviving members have occasionally joined the cast on stage during the show
Ben Elton, Robert De Niro, Brian May and Roger Taylor Robert De Niro (second left) is a producer on the musical, which was written by Ben Elton (first left) and soundtracked by Brian May and Roger Taylor (right)
The show is based around Queen hits such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga and Another One Bites The Dust.
Critics were never kind to the £6m production, in particular its story - set in a dystopian future where music is banned.
When it opened in 2002, the Guardian said the plot "really is as sixth form as it sounds", while the Mirror declared that "Ben Elton should be shot".
Even Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor, had his doubts,  the script was "slightly crass", although "it does have its good points".
"I do have an aversion to musical theatre, so it hasn't been easy," he added, "but I've learned to live with the musical."
Despite the criticisms, the production has been seen by more than 16 million people in 28 countries - and ranks among the top 10 longest-running musicals in West End history.
We Will Rock You (2002 cast) In its second year, the show won five prizes at the Theatregoers' Choice awards
"We want to thank every one of the many hundreds of incredible musical theatre artists, musicians and crew with whom we've had the privilege of working at the Dominion since 2002," said Taylor, Elton and Queen guitarist Brian May in a statement.
"And, of course, the incredible audiences who have rewarded them with over four-and-a-half thousand standing ovations."
"It has been a privilege to have hosted We Will Rock You for the past 12 years," added David Pearson of the Dominion Theatre.
"To have the show rocking the Dominion and seeing a standing ovation night after night has been quite amazing.
"We wish the show every success for the future, as we now prepare to accelerate our restoration and refurbishment programme ready to welcome an exciting new production in 2015."
The news of the closure comes days after Queen announced a 19-date US tour, with singer Adam Lambert taking the place of the late Freddie Mercury.

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The Big Bang Theory extended for three series

Sheldon Cooper (right) is notorious for his lack of tact and success with women.
Long-running US sitcom The Big Bang Theory has been extended for a further three series, broadcaster CBS has said.
The show, which centres on a group of high-functioning science "geeks", is now due to air until at least 2017.
The most recent series, which is screened on Channel 4 and E4 in the UK, was seen by almost 20 million viewers in the US.
"The Big Bang Theory is the biggest comedy force on television," said CBS entertainment head Nina Tassler.
She also hailed the partnership between the broadcaster and Warner Bros, who make the programme.
Actor Jim Parsons, who lies at the heart of the show as a scientific genius with negligible social skills, has already won three Emmy Awards for his role as Dr Sheldon Cooper.
According to Hollywood publication Variety, Parsons - along with his principal co-stars - are currently in negotiations to renew their contracts on the show.
The programme, which is currently in its seventh season, was the top-rated sitcom on US television in 2012-13.
Its co-creator Chuck Lorre is also behind comedy Two and a Half Men, which is also likely to be renewed along with his other current hits, Mike and Molly, and Anna Faris sitcom Mom.

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Amazon Studios 'orders four original series'

X-Files creator Chris Carter's latest sci-fi drama The After stars Jamie Kennedy and Heroes' Adrian Pasdar

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A new drama from X Files creator Chris Carter and a comedy starring Gael Garcia Bernal are among four original series commissioned by Amazon Studios.
It follows the company's second round of pilots, in which viewers gave feedback and rated 10 new shows.
The After, written and directed by Carter, and Mozart in the Jungle are joined by cop drama Bosch and dark comedy Transparent, Variety said.
Representatives of Amazon in the US and the UK were not available to comment.
Last year's Amazon pilots saw John Goodman comedy Alpha House and Silicon Valley sitcom Beta commissioned.
The After and Bosch will be Amazon's first drama commissions, following the success of original hit series from rival service Netflix, such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.
The fate of five children's series is still unknown, with Lovefilm and Amazon Prime subscribers voting on Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street, Hardboiled Eggheads, The Jo B & G Raff Show, Maker Shack Agency and Wishenpoof!.
Mozart in the Jungle Gael Garcia Bernal stars as a New York Symphony Orchestra conductor in Mozart in the Jungle
Bosch is based on Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch detective book series and is written by Connelly and Eric Overmyer.
The pilot follows the detective, played by Titus Welliver, pursuing the killer of a 13-year-old boy while also standing trial accused of murdering a suspected serial killer.
Meanwhile Carter's new offering follows eight strangers thrown together by mysterious forces, who have to help each other survive in a violent world.
Light relief comes from Mexican actor Garcia Bernal and British star Malcolm McDowell, who star in comedy drama Mozart in the Jungle, written by Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman.
Based on Blair Tindall's memoir of the same name, Garcia Bernal plays a conductor at the New York Symphony Orchestra.
Arrested Development actor Jeffrey Tambor stars in Transparent - a dark comedy about an LA family which begins to unravel after a series of secrets are revealed.
Written and directed by Jill Soloway, whose credits include Six Feet Under and United States of Tara, it also stars Gaby Hoffmann and Jay Duplass.
Last year five out of 14 pilots were chosen to be produced as series.
Bosch Bosch stars Lost and The Good Wife actor Titus Welliver as a homicide detective

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US President Obama pledges to 'stand with Ukraine'

US President Barack Obama: "We will stand with Ukraine"

Ukraine crisis

US President Barack Obama has welcomed Ukraine's interim prime minister to the White House and pledged to "stand with Ukraine" in its dispute with Russia.
He warned Russian President Vladimir Putin the international community "will be forced to apply costs" if Russia does not remove its troops from Crimea.
Earlier, leaders of the G7 group of nations issued a similar threat.
Ukraine PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk, speaking after meeting Mr Obama, said Ukraine "will never surrender" to Russia.
"It is absolutely unacceptable to have Russian boots on the Ukrainian ground in the 21st century, violating all international deals and treaties," he said.
The diplomatic appeals to Moscow come ahead of Sunday's referendum in Crimea, in which citizens will be asked if they want to stay with Ukraine or join Russia.

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Ukraine's new prime minister looks and sounds mild. He is young, bespectacled and balding, but his words were full of fire”
image of Mark Mardell Mark Mardell North America editor
The Russian military and pro-Russian armed men moved in to seize key sites in Crimea - an autonomous region of Ukraine whose population is mainly ethnic Russian - in late February after the fall of President Viktor Yanukovych.
US vote President Obama said the US has "been very clear that we consider Russia's incursion into Crimea outside of its bases to be a violation of international law".
"We have been very firm in saying we will stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in ensuring that territorial integrity and sovereignty is maintained," he added.
In reference to scheduled talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in London on Friday, Mr Obama said he hoped diplomatic efforts will result in a "rethinking of the process".
People fish as a Russian naval vessel passes by in Sevastopol bay, Crimea, on 12 March 2014 Russia's military presence remains visible in the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea, where the majority of people are ethnic Russians.
Cossack guard in front of Crimea's regional government in Simferopol on 12 March 2014 Cossacks, loyal to Russia, stand guard in front of Crimea's regional government in the Crimean capital Simferopol.
People walk under a referendum poster reading "Together with Russia. March 16 - referendum" in Simferopol on 12 March 2014 The world's focus is on Crimea ahead of its controversial referendum on Sunday. Citizens will vote whether they want to stay with Ukraine or join Russia. This poster reads: "Together with Russia."
Sailor hoists Ukrainian flag on a naval ship in Sevastopol, Crimea, on 12 March 2014 The interim government in Ukraine and its Western allies say the vote violates Ukraine's constitution and will not be lawful. Russia says it will respect the outcome of the referendum.
People discuss developments in front of Lenin statue in Donetsk, Ukraine, on 12 March 2014 Will other Russian-dominated parts of Ukraine - such as here in Donetsk - want to hold a similar vote?
But he stressed that if Moscow "continues on the path that it is on then, not only us, but the international community... will be forced to apply a cost to Russia's violations of international law and its encroachments on Ukraine".
He did not specify what those costs would be, but Washington has already issued visa bans to some high-profile Russians and threatened asset freezes for others.
Mr Obama also said the US "will completely reject" the results of Crimea's referendum, saying it had been put together in a "slapdash" way.
This was a very public show of America's support for the interim Ukrainian government, the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan reports from Washington.
The BBC's John Simpson says the vote "won't affect anything in the longer run"
But it is still unclear what, if anything, will force Russia to change course, she adds.
As Mr Obama and Mr Yatsenyuk were holding talks, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to authorise $1bn in loan guarantees to Ukraine's new government and allow the US to impose sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Earlier, the leaders of the G7 group of industrial nations - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US - and the EU issued a similar statement out of Washington.
They threatened to "take further action, individually and collectively" if Russia continues on its course.
At a joint news conference in Warsaw, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said EU foreign ministers could discuss "a second stage of sanctions" when they meet on Monday.
EU leaders have already suspended talks with Russia on easing visa restrictions as well as preparations for a G8 meeting in Sochi in June.

Crisis timeline

  • 21 November 2013: President Viktor Yanukovych abandons deal on closer ties with EU in favour of closer co-operation with Russia
  • December 2013: Pro-EU protesters occupy Kiev city hall and Independence Square
  • 20 February 2014: At least 88 people killed in 48 hours of bloodshed in Kiev
  • 21 February: President Yanukovych signs compromise deal with opposition leaders
  • 22 February: President Yanukovych flees Kiev. Parliament votes to remove him and sets elections for 25 May
  • 27-28 February: Pro-Russian gunmen seize key buildings in Crimean capital Simferopol
  • 1 March: Russian parliament approves President Vladimir Putin's request to use Russian forces in Ukraine
  • 6 March: Crimea's parliament asks to join Russia and sets referendum for 16 March
Mrs Merkel also indicated the EU could sign the "political part" of a long-awaited agreement on closer ties with Ukraine later this month.
'Subversive agents' Ukraine's national security chief Andriy Parubiy has warned of a major Russian military build-up on Ukraine's borders.
He said Russian troops had not withdrawn since carrying out military exercises near Ukraine's eastern and southern frontiers last month, and were now "only two to three hours" from Kiev.
And he also accused Moscow of sending "subversive agents" into those areas to try to create a pre-text to deploy troops in the same way it has done in Crimea.
Mr Parubiy said Kiev's parliament will vote on Thursday to establish a National Guard of 20,000 people - recruited from activists involved in the recent pro-Western protests as well as from military academies - to strengthen Ukraine's defences.
The National Guard, he said, would be deployed to "protect state borders, general security and prevent "terrorist activities".
Tensions have been high since President Yanukovych fled Ukraine for Russia on 22 February following days of violent clashes between police and protesters in Kiev, in which more than 90 people were killed.
The protesters had been in Kiev's Independence Square since November, in protest at Mr Yanukovych's decision to reject a deal with the EU in favour of a bail-out from Russia.

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Agencies recover 13 bodies from Lagos boat accident

What was supposed to be a less than two minutes’ boat trip turned to be a quest of no return for no fewer than 13 people on Tuesday at the 4th Avenue, 42 Road, Festac Town, Festac, Lagos State.
The wooden canoe that was conveying them and other eight passengers capsized midway into the journey.
Among the 21 passengers were children returning from school and men and women coming back from their places of work.
The children, women and few of the men perished in the 15-meter-distance journey.
The man who paddled the canoe was also said to be among the casualties. It was learnt that some passengers held on to him in a last-ditch effort to cling to life.
Rescue agencies said 13 dead bodies were recovered; five people were rescued alive, while three others were still missing.
Our correspondent learnt that the incident, which happened around 7.30pm, was caused by overloading.
It was learnt that the canoe usually carried a maximum of eight passengers, but was forced to take 21, as some of the passengers sat on each other’s laps.
An eyewitness, David Mark, who was part of the local rescue efforts, said, “The incident happened around 7.30pm. The people wanted to cross over to the other side and enter FESTAC Town, but the boat overturned in the middle of the water.”
A resident of the area, Sikiru Balogun, said 12 corpses were recovered on the first day, while one was taken out on Wednesday morning.
“Thirteen people died in all, but we brought out five people alive. The man who paddled it could have escaped too because he knew how to swim if not that those people  held on to him. This would not have happened if the canoe carried only eight or nine people that it could take. Instead, it carried 21 people,” he said.
Another resident, Akeem Idris, said, “We first brought out a lady, whom I knew because she used to sell recharge cards on my street. Then we brought out two people- a boy and a man. A woman who had four children was also brought out dead with her children.”
It was learnt that N10 was usually paid as fare for a trip through a canoe, while a longer route, usually by motorcycle, could cost N100.
PUNCH Metro observed that the water was murky and dirty. There also appeared to be a swamp around the area which residents said made escape from the water difficult.
Our correspondent also saw a broken down bridge by a side of the murky water.
A resident said there used to be a link bridge, which was demolished by the local government authorities.
The source said, “There was a bridge there, but the council came and removed it. Somebody wanted to construct a new one, but they came again, packed all the materials he was using and stopped the work.”
The Amuwo Odofin Local Government Chairman, Ayodele Adewale, while condoling with the families of the victims, ruled out the construction of a link bridge on the water.
“We do not have plans to construct any link bridge. There is one about 2,000 metres away and that should be enough. We have told the residents that there was no way we could construct a bridge there. For over two years we have mobilised against a tragedy like this  through the residents’ association. We created a tricycle park to ease the movement of people. But we are taking measures to ensure this does not happen again,” Adewale said.
The Managing Director, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said people must be careful when using the waterways.
He said, “The Lagos State Government is advocating the use of life jackets. We have put a lot in place to forestall this.”
The Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, South-West, Ibrahim Farinloye, told our correspondent that the federal agency had started training water craft operators from Niger State to help forestall such occurrence in the future.
It was gathered that the 13 corpses were taken to the mortuary, while the five survivors had been taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
When our correspondent visited the LASUTH, the Chief Matron, Medical and Emergency Ward, Mrs. Lawal Yusuf, said they had been discharged.
“The five boys brought here from FESTAC Town had been discharged. We were able to give them some drugs before releasing them this afternoon,” she said.

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FIGHT AGAINST BOKO HARAM: "Continue Praying For Us In Our Ongoing Operations - Army Appeals

The Spokesman of the division, Col. Muhammmad Dole, made the appeal during an interactive session with newsmen in Maiduguri.
He said “we are appealing to residents to continue praying for us in our ongoing operations against the insurgents.
“We are also calling on the people to cooperate and assist with useful information that could help in the success of our operations.’’
He commended the local vigilance group popularly called Civilian JTF for assisting the military in its operations.
He said “I must commend the efforts of the Civilian JTF toward assisting us in ensuring that we succeed in the operations.
“The Civilian JTF is actually adding colour to what the military is doing in the fight against the insurgents.’’
Dole said although there were some minor lapses on the part of the Civilian JTF, the overall performance of the vigilance group had been commendable.
“One important point is that members of Civilian JTF are not professionals, but surprisingly they have been able to live up to their expectations,’’ he added.
READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/61614.html
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