Family, friends remember Joan Rivers in poignant, funny funeral

September 8, 2014 0
Melissa Rivers and her son Cooper depart the funeral of her mother, comedian Joan Rivers, at Temple Emanu-El in New York

By Christine Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) – Family and friends bid farewell on Sunday to Joan Rivers, the outspoken comedian who became famous around the world for her acerbic wit and brash style, at a private funeral sprinkled with jokes, laughter and songs. Journalists Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer, comedian Whoopi Goldberg, tycoon Donald Trump, actress Sarah Jessica Parker and comedian Kathy Griffin were among the celebrities who attended the service at Temple Emanu-El, a landmark synagogue on New York’s Fifth Avenue where Rivers, 81, was a member of the congregation.

Cumberbatch takes unsung WWII hero to Toronto in ‘Imitation Game’

September 8, 2014 0
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch attends the media day at the Chelsea Flower Show in London

By Mary Milliken TORONTO (Reuters) – The code-breaking machine that may have cut World War II by two years and saved millions of lives was invented by British mathematician Alan Turing, a prickly genius and unlikely war hero unknown to most of the world. The star power of British actor Benedict Cumberbatch and his new film “The Imitation Game” could bring Turing’s triumph and tragedy to a broad audience beyond Britain, where Queen Elizabeth recently pardoned the man who inspired the modern computer with his “Turing machine.” “The Imitation Game” is one of the most anticipated films at the Toronto Film Festival, where it will screen on Tuesday, and has earned praise and early awards buzz after distributor The Weinstein Co. gave a sneak peek at the Telluride Film Festival. Cumberbatch, one of the most sought-after actors in film and television, gave an immediate “yes” to playing Turing. “There is a huge burden, an onus of responsibility,” Cumberbatch told Reuters on Sunday.

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Exhibit to show Reno as world’s divorce capital

September 7, 2014 0

RENO, Nev. (AP) — For nearly six decades, Reno was known as the divorce capital of the world because of liberal divorce laws that drew hundreds of thousands of estranged spouses from across the country, including Arthur Miller, Jack Dempsey, Clare Boothe Luce and Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.

Family, friends remember Joan Rivers at a private service

September 7, 2014 0
Flowers and a photo, which were left in tribute as part of a makeshift memorial, sit on the steps in front of Joan Rivers' former residence in New York

By Christine Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) – Family and friends gathered on Sunday to remember Joan Rivers, the outspoken comedian who became famous around the world for her acerbic wit and brash style, at a private ceremony in Manhattan. Journalist Barbara Walters, comedian Whoopi Goldberg, tycoon Donald Trump, actress Sarah Jessica Parker were among the first to arrive for the invitation-only service at Temple Emanu-El, a landmark synagogue on New York’s Fifth Avenue where Rivers, 81, was a member of the congregation. Hundreds of fans, along with dozens of reporters, photographers and television crews waited for the arrival of friends and family, including Rivers’ daughter Melissa.

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Dubai lays out plans for Legoland, other parks

September 7, 2014 0

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A property development company controlled by Dubai’s ruler has outlined plans for the first phase of an entertainment and resort complex in the city that will include the Middle East’s first Legoland theme park.