Sunday 21 July 2013

Future Child Support War With Baby Mama #2

Rapper Future stepped up to the
plate and took responsibility for
ANOTHER kid ... problem is ... now
he's battling the baby mama in court over child support.
TMZ broke the story ... a woman named Brittni Mealy slapped Future with a paternity lawsuit back in Feb, claiming he was the father of her son. But a month later she dismissed the suit, without explanation. Then on June 8th, Future filed docs, admitting he knocked Brittni up and asked the court to make it official ... by legally recognizing him as the father. He also wants joint custody and for the court to determine how much child support he should pay.   Brittni then fired back with docs of her own, claiming it's not enough. She says Future left his kid without support for months. She's asking for that cash -- specifically from June and July -- plus future support.
Meanwhile Future's still battling his baby mama #1 (Jessica Smith) ... trying to shoot down her request to collect  more cash for their 10-year- old son. Yay fatherhood.

Colombian president vows to fight Farc after killings

Colombia's president has ordered the army "not to stop shooting" until the conflict with the Farc rebels is over, after 15 soldiers died in an ambush. Juan Manuel Santos also ordered more troops to the eastern Arauca region, where the attack by suspected Farc gunmen took place on Saturday. Bogota and the Farc are currently holding talks in Cuba to end more than five decades of conflict. The government has rejected a rebel call for a truce during the talks. It says a ceasefire would only provide the opportunity for the left-wing rebels to regroup and rearm. Pipeline ambush "I instructed our forces not to stop shooting until the conflict is over," said Mr Santos, who is now in the Arauca region for a security summit in the town of Tame. "These attacks are not the way. They will be confronted forcefully. "All of Colombia must work for peace precisely so that incidents like those that occurred in the last 24 hours never happen again," he said adding that the peace talks in Cuba should continue as normal. The incident happened in a rural part of Arauca known as El Mordisco, when more than 70 Farc rebels attacked a group of 26 soldiers guarding an oil pipeline. The Colombian authorities said 15 government soldiers died in the attack, although earlier report had put number of the killed at 17. Six rebels were reported to have died and another 12 seized by the army. In a separate incident in south-west Colombia, clashes killed four soldiers and several Farc fighters. Committed to peace? The peace talks, which started in November, represent the fourth attempt at a negotiated peace deal since the beginning of the conflict in the early 1960s. The last attempt to achieve peace collapsed in 2002, when it became clear that the rebels had become stronger during more three years of negotiations under a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the Farc said it had captured a former US soldier and was willing to release him to prove its commitment to the peace process. In a statement, the rebels named the man as Kevin Scott Sutay and said he had been taken on 20 June in El Retorno in the southern Guaviare Department. The US has denied he was on any form of military operation, saying he was in the area as a tourist and had "nothing to do with Colombia's internal conflict". The Farc are thought to have some 8,000 fighters, down from about 16,000 in 2001. The government estimates that 600,000 people have been killed since the conflict began with some three million more internally displaced by the fighting. Last week, the Farc's chief peace negotiator said the conflict was nearing its end. Ivan Marquez, who is taking part in the Cuba talks, called on left-wing parties and unions to join the effort to achieve peace. The government wants to sign a peace accord by November. But Mr Marquez warned against rushing into a settlement.

Egypt starts on new constitution

A 10-strong panel of legal experts, appointed by interim President Adly. Mansour, is to start work on Sunday on amending Egypt's constitution. They have 30 days to draft changes paving the way for new parliamentary and presidential elections. The previous constitution framed by the government of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi has been suspended. His Muslim Brotherhood movement has denounced the rewriting of the constitution. Thousands of pro-Morsi supporters are continuing to protest against his removal in the Nasr City area of Cairo. Demonstrators, many of them from Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, staged large rallies across Egypt on Friday, angry at his overthrow by the military on 3 July. The Brotherhood has refused to recognise the new military- backed administration. However, interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, in his first televised interview, said on Saturday he was hoping for everyone to take part in a national dialogue. "We cannot write a constitution when the country is divided. We have to return to harmony," he said. In a separate development, Jordan's King Abdullah on Saturday became the first Arab leader to visit Egypt since the fall of the Islamist-led government. He met the caretaker president and gave his backing to "Egyptian national choices," a presidential statement said. Professors and judges The Morsi-backed constitution was approved in a controversial December 2012 referendum but considered one of the most contentious measures in his year in office. Opponents complained the charter was too Islamist in content, gave Mr Morsi extensive new powers and failed to protect freedom of expression and religion. Under the caretaker president's decree announced on Saturday, a committee, made up of four university professors and six judges, has been given the task of presenting its suggested amendments to a larger, 50- member panel comprised of religious officials, politicians, unionists and army officers. One in five members of the second committee will be young people involved in Egypt's revolutionary street movements and women. The panel will have 60 days to review the proposals before the amended constitution is put to a referendum. A parliamentary vote would then follow. The Muslim Brotherhood has rejected calls for reconciliation and denounced the move to redraft the constitution. At least 60 people have been killed in violence since Mr Morsi was deposed. On Friday, three women were killed and several others hurt when a group of pro-Morsi supporters was attacked in the Nile Delta city of Mansura, The army has warned it will clamp down on violent protests. But the ousted president is still being held by the military without charge despite objections from a number of international leaders and rights groups.

Philippe becomes new Belgian king as Albert II abdicates

Crown Prince Philippe has been sworn in as the new Belgian king after the emotional abdication of his father Albert II. The Oxford- and Stanford-educated, trained air force pilot took the oath as the country's seventh king in a ceremony in parliament. To warm applause, King Philippe, 53, promised to uphold the constitution. Belgium has a constitutional monarchy in which the king plays a largely ceremonial role. One of the duties the monarch does have is trying to resolve constitutional crises. In his final address before signing a legislative act to step down, 79-year-old King Albert said his country must remain a "source of inspiration" to Europe. His resignation on the grounds of ill-health came after nearly 20 years on the throne and was timed to coincide with Belgium's national day. He stressed his wish that Belgium - split between the Dutch- speaking north and the French south - remained united. Balcony appearance In a colourful ceremony topped off by trumpet fanfare and cannon-fire, Philippe took his oath in the country's three official languages - Dutch, French and German. This was a reminder of the delicate political task that awaits him - trying to mediate across the divide between French- speaking Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders, where support for independence has been rising fast, says BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris. Flag-waving supporters gathered in the midday sun waiting for their new king and his wife, Mathilde, to greet them from the balcony of the nearby royal palace. "The new king is a bit of history," said Xavier De Graef, draped in the red, yellow and black of the Belgian tricolour. "That doesn't happen very often so we wanted to be here," Mr De Graef, from French-speaking Liege, told Reuters news agency. But not everyone was celebrating. The far-right separatist Vlaams Belang party boycotted the swearing-in ceremony. Meanwhile, Jan Jambon, parliamentary head of the N-VA party that wants Dutch-speaking Flanders to break away from Belgium and favours a republic, said the occasion "leaves me cold". Constitutional crises In the abdication ceremony at the royal palace in Brussels, the former monarch told his son: "You have all the emotional and intellectual qualities to serve our country well." He thanked an audience of some 250 dignitaries and political leaders "for all that you have achieved during my reign". Ex-king Albert also thanked his wife, Paola, for the support she had given him during his reign, and was in turn thanked by Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo for his service to his country. Mr Di Rupo holds the political power in the 183-year-old parliamentary democracy. Albert II then embraced his son and signed the official abdication papers, ending his reign. King Albert exercised his authority in mediating between political leaders on the formation of a government during the 2010-2011 parliamentary stalemate, when Belgium was left without a government for 541 days after elections failed to find a clear winner. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French communities sometimes run high, and the issue has brought down several governments, creating frequent political instability. Respect for the royal family, though, is one of the few factors that crosses the communal divide. King Albert's abdication comes only three months after Queen Beatrix of the neighbouring Netherlands vacated the Dutch throne in favour of her son Willem-Alexander.

Froome triumphs in Tour de France

Britain's Chris Froome has won the 100th edition of the Tour de France. Taking the title by more than four minutes, he linked arms with his team-mates as he crossed the line in Paris. It is Britain's second successive victory in the race - Froome's Team Sky colleague Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first Briton to win it a year ago. Marcel Kittel claimed the final stage in the twilight, with Manxman Mark Cavendish third in a hotly contested sprint along the Champs Elysees. Cavendish was attempting a 26th Tour stage win - and a fifth on the trot in Paris - which would have put him third on the all-time list behind five-time Tour winners Eddy Merckx (34) and Bernard Hinault (28). But he was edged out by a wheel length by Germany's Kittel and Andre Greipel in the French capital, with more than 350,000 spectators lining the streets. Froome had finished runner-up last year but with Wiggins electing not to defend his title after injury problems, the 28- year-old was favourite to win the race and he brought the yellow jersey home in emphatic style, ahead of Colombian Nairo Quintana and Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain. He had first taken the lead when he won the eighth of the 21 stages in a summit finish at Ax 3 Domaines in the Pyrenees. The Briton, who was born and raised in Kenya, claimed a further two stages in his maiden Tour de France title. He told ITV4: "Crossing the line with [the] guys brought tears to my eyes. I expected it to be big but this is something else. "Dave [Team Sky manager Sir Dave Brailsford] has been talking about the future of cycling - the youngsters coming through and the way the sport is moving. I look at the last decade and the way sport is going - we've got something to be proud of." But in the first Tour since disgraced rider Lance Armstrong admitted to doping in his seven Tour de France wins , which have since been expunged from the records, Froome found himself having to answer questions about drugs in the sport. He added: "I'm glad I've had to face those questions - after all the revelations of the last year. I'm glad that's been channelled towards me. "I've been able to deal with it. Cycling has changed - the peloton is standing together." In his victory speech while standing on the podium, Froome dedicated his triumph to his mother Jane, who died of cancer in 2008, for giving him "hopes and dreams". "Without her encouragement to follow my dreams, I'd probably be at home watching this event on TV," he said. "It's a great shame she never got to come see the Tour, but I'm sure she'd be extremely proud if she were here tonight." He also thanked his Team Sky colleagues for "burying themselves" for him during the gruelling race. "I'd like to thank my team-mates, who have buried themselves day in day out throughout this Tour to keep this yellow jersey on my shoulders, and the Team Sky management for believing in my ability and building this team around me. "This is one yellow jersey that will stand the test of time," he added, in a reference to doubters over doping suspicions. The final stage started as a procession, as is the tradition, and the 170 riders headed off from Versailles with Rodriguez celebrating his third place overall by handing out cigars to fellow podium finishers Froome, donning a yellow bike, and Quintana. The Brit was also handed a glass of celebratory champagne as he rode alongside a Team Sky car with its branding coloured in yellow, while he was surrounded by team-mates in special yellow-tinged sunglasses. The sun was beginning to set as they arrived in the centre of Paris and Froome made sure his trusty wingman Richie Porte led the Sky train over the finish line of the Champs- Elysees on the first of 10 circuits. A few riders attempted breakaways, included Britain's David Millar, but they were swallowed up by the peloton and it was left to the sprinters to contest the final straight.

Metallica reveals film footage, rocks secret show at Comic-Con

Metallica appeared at Comic-Con in San Diego on Friday to promote their upcoming 3-D IMAX concert film "Metallica Through the Never." The band debuted footage from the movie to a crowd of fans in the Convention Center's Hall H and later rocked an intimate crowd at a secret show. "Metallica Through the Never" was directed by Nimrod Antal ("Predators") and intersperses live Metallica concert footage with a fictional narrative about a young roadie named Trip who is sent on a mission during the show. Actor Dane DeHaan ("The Amazing Spider-Man 2") plays Trip in the film. There is a distinct storyline woven through the concert footage, but singer/guitarist James Hetfield confirmed that there is no dialogue involved. The front man wouldn't elaborate on the plot any further, but did say that a lot of thought went into creating the exact right film for Metallica. "People have done live concerts," Hetfield told CNN before the band's Comic-Con panel. "We've done live concerts and DVDs. If we're going to invest a lot of time and money and effort into something, let's make it unique. That's what we've always done. We had a ton of ideas for this thing. You get really creative with something way out of your budget and then you shrink it down. Some of the best ideas hang on and end up in the film. We wanted animation, we wanted CGI -- you name it! But I think the narrative is extremely potent and multilayered. There's a lot of dynamics going on at once. It's a couple movies in one." Another can of "Kick-Ass" "Through the Never," which opens September 27, has been rated R, which should give fans a sense of what's to come from the film. The footage revealed Friday during the panel included people rioting in the streets, a public hanging, bloody handprints and giant coffins dangling above the stage. The actual concert footage showcases a massive stage with extensive visual effects, including pyrotechnics. Hetfield hinted during the panel that Metallica may eventually bring that stage setup on tour. Following the panel, Metallica played the 1,500-capacity venue Spreckels, performing crowd pleasers like "Seek and Destroy," "Enter Sandman" and even the "Star Wars" theme and "Darth Vader's Imperial March." Actor Bradley Cooper and football player Drew Brees were in attendance. Batman and Superman: Is the screen big enough? Although the focus for the band is on promoting the film, they are slowly still working on a new album as well, which would be Metallica's first since 2008's "Death Magnetic." Hetfield was hesitant to offer any details about the music, however. "Right now we're doing the movie," he said. "When we're able to focus [on our album] we'll do that."