The News Of …

Nelson Mandela’s health is continuing to improve but the anti-apartheid hero remains in a serious condition – South Africa’s president said today.
Jacob Zuma paid a visit to the 94-year-old in a Pretoria hospital, where the former president has been treated for six days – according to a statement released by the presidency.
“We continue to appeal to people to keep Madiba in their prayers and wish him a speedy recovery” – Mr Zuma said, referring to Mr Mandela by his clan name.
Mr Mandela is being treated for a recurring lung infection, and it is his fourth spell in hospital since December.

Nelson Mandela.

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Residents of North America who tried watching Nintendo’s E3 presentation this morning found that the official Nintendo stream didn’t work as hoped. Viewers who wonder – if they missed anything while trying to connect to the European or Japanese streams can watch the entire 41-minute presentation here.

Nintendo’s E3.

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The former N.F.L. star Chad Johnson – known as Chad Ochocinco during his playing days – was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail for a probation violation in a domestic violence case. Judge Kathleen McHugh of Broward County Circuit Court in Florida angrily rejected a no-jail plea deal after Johnson playfully slapped his lawyer on the backside in court.
“I don’t know that you’re taking this whole thing seriously” – Judge McHugh said. “This isn’t a joke.”

Chad Johnson.

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Michael Jackson’s 15-year-old daughter Paris was hospitalized early Wednesday morning following an attempt at suicide – a source told FOX411.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said that fire personnel responded to a home in Calabasas for a medical rescue on Wednesday.
“We received a call at 1:27 in the morning. We transported a patient to the hospital at 1:47″ – a rep told FOX411. “We responded to a call of an overdose. That’s the kind of call we got.”
Her mother – Debbie Rowe – confirmed to ET that her daughter tried to commit suicide, adding that the teen has had “a lot going on [lately].”

Paris Jackson.

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Bayern Munich made a brutally efficient case that it is the team to beat in the Champions League this season, humbling visiting Barcelona, 4:0, on Tuesday in the first leg of their semifinal at Allianz Arena. Thomas Muller scored two goals and set up two others for Bayern, which did not so much change places with Barcelona atop the pedestal as shove the visitors off it.
“They gave us a thrashing” – Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said.
The eagerly anticipated showdown between European heavyweights, both four-time winners of the competition, was a mismatch. Bayern dominated the midfield even as it surrendered much of the possession, frustrating Barcelona’s passing game before it could get close enough to create chances and then punishing the Catalans at the other end. Bayern used its size advantage to dominate in the air on set pieces, at times simply bullying Barcelona into submission.

Franck Ribery.

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Famed folk singer Richie Havens – the opening act at the 1969 Woodstock music festival – died Monday of a sudden heart attack, his publicist said. He was 72.
Havens, who retired three years ago, toured for more than 30 years and recorded 30 albums.
Havens told Billboard that his breakthrough at Woodstock came after another artist’s equipment got stuck in traffic. He was supposed to be the fifth act.
“It was 5 o’clock and nothing was happening yet” – Havens told Billboard. “I had the least instruments (to set up on stage) and the least people (in his band).”
So Havens went on and performed for 40 minutes, as planned. Organizers asked him to do four more songs, he told Billboard.

Richie Havens.

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Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon’s performance as an upset wife earned her a trip to jail and a disorderly conduct charge Friday.
“You are going to be on national news” – Witherspoon allegedly told a Georgia state trooper as he handcuffed her on Atlanta’s Peachtree Road early Friday morning.
That didn’t discourage Trooper First Class J. Pyland from writing a very quotable arrest report suitable for national news.
Witherspoon – who is in Atlanta to make a movie titled “The Good Lie” – is charged with interfering with Pyland’s arrest of her husband, Hollywood agent James Toth, on a drunken driving charge.
“Mrs. Witherspoon began to hang out the window and say that she did not believe that I was a real police officer” – Pyland wrote. “I told Mrs. Witherspoon to sit on her butt and be quiet.”

Reese Witherspoon.

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The 2013 NFL schedule release is all about the order, not the opponents. We already knew the 16 opponents for all 32 NFL teams heading into Thursday.
The schedule is based on a predetermined formula that doesn’t allow for favoritism, a fact I’ve come to realize many fans and even media members don’t understand. The divisions rotate playing one division in conference and another out of conference. The teams in the NFC North, for instance, face the NFC East and AFC North this season. That’s eight games. Then you have six division games. That’s 14 games decided.
The NFL tries to help out the lesser teams with the remaining two games. First-place teams play two conference games against the other first-place team from the year before. Last-place teams get two games against fellow bottom-dwellers in conference, and so on.
Those two games are the only difference between a schedule for a team like the San Francisco 49ers and a last-place squad like the Arizona Cardinals. Two games. That’s it.

2013 NFL schedule.

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Amanda Bynes may have retired from acting, but she’s hasn’t removed herself from the spotlight completely. The Nickelodeon star has been tweeting up a storm recently with random thoughts on her likes, dislikes and life in general.
After showing off her drastic new makeover last week on her social media account, Bynes (26) has been sharing a series of bizarre tweets.
The Easy A actress moved to New York in September 2012 following two-hit-and-run charges and a DUI arrest in L.A, but Bynes has still made headlines in the Big Apple for her erratic behavior.

Amanda Bynes.

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How amazing! The youngest Braxton sister announced yesterday, March 13, that she had a “love on top,” before confirming that she’s pregnant! In fact, Tamar revealed that she’s well on her way to becoming a mother. Keep reading for all the details!
Tamar Braxton’s first child is being born into an amazing family, that’s for sure! Appearing on Good Morning America on March 13, the R&B singer and star of the reality show Braxton Family Values announced the good news that she was pregnant.
There to promote her show, Tamar surprised everyone with the news. “I have a love on top” – she said, referencing Beyonce. “I’m pregnant.”

Tamar Braxton.

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