Ted Kennedy’s family, friends prepare for memorial

Sen. Edward Kennedy’s close friends and family prepared for a memorial service at the JFK Presidential Library on Friday as mourners from all walks of life continued their own personal farewells. Numerous political heavyweights are expected to speak at the “celebration of life” service, including Vice President Joe Biden, Connecticut Sen.

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Ted Kennedy recalled as N. Ireland peace broker

Worldwide tributes for U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, who has died after a long battle with brain cancer, poured in Wednesday, led by politicians hailing his role in securing a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose administration presided over the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which led to an end to decades of sectarian violence in the province and established a united ruling Assembly, praised Kennedy’s commitment to the process

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Obama presents 16 with Presidential Medal of Freedom

A pioneer, a preacher, an activist and an athlete were among 16 people who President Obama honored Wednesday with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. “This is a chance for me and for the United States of America to say thank you to some of the finest citizens of this country and of all countries,” Obama told the audience assembled for the ceremony at the White House. “At a moment when cynicism and doubt too often prevail, when our obligations to one another are too often forgotten, when the road ahead can seem too long or hard to tread, these extraordinary men and women, these agents of change, remind us that excellence is not beyond our abilities, that hope lies around the corner and that justice can still be won in the forgotten corners of this world,” the president said.

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Golf: Woods claims 70th PGA Tour title

Tiger Woods claimed his 70th PGA Tour title with a four-shot victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. Even by the world number one’s standards, this was a remarkable victory as he got the better of Ireland’s Padraig Harrington in a compelling last-round head to head

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Former England manager Bobby Robson dies

Former manager of the England football team, Bobby Robson, has died aged 76 after a long fight with cancer. The coach led the national side of his home nation between 1982 and 1990 , guiding the team to the semifinal of the 1990 World Cup, where his side were defeated by Germany in a penalty shootout. Robson’s curriculum vitae as a club coach was long and successful including spells with Fulham, Ipswich and Newcastle United in England, PSV Eindhoven in Holland, Sporting Lisbon and Porto in Portugal and Barcelona in Spain.

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Coppola’s wife: ‘Apocalypse Now’ was ‘out of control’

Eleanor Coppola met her husband, Francis in Ireland in 1962. It was on the set of splatter flick “Dementia 13” — she was the shy set decorator; he was the ambitious rookie director. They began dating and three months later she became pregnant and the couple married.

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Gay footballers battle for world domination

One year before the FIFA World Cup kicks off, 26 teams of gay and lesbian footballers are battling for global supremacy in the Gay Soccer World Championships. Co-ordinated by the International Gay & Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA), the tournament, which began on Sunday, is being hosted by the Federal Triangles club in Washington D.C., and supported by the local Major League Soccer (MLS) side D.C

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The Day that Guns Came to Church in Louisville

At 4:55 p.m, five minutes before New Bethel Church’s highly publicized “open-carry service” was set to begin Saturday evening, Lynne Smith walked into the sanctuary with her husband and two friends and took a seat in the front row. Asked what weapon she had with her, Smith had to stop and think about which gun she’d brought but finally said it was a Beretta .25 automatic. Her husband, Michael Houston, wore a Browning .380 in a holster.

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