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/ 26 January 2006

Psychotherapist fought for gay rights

Betty Berzon, a psychotherapist and author who championed gay rights after struggling for more than half her life with her own sexuality, has died. She was 78. Berzon died at her San Fernando Valley home early on Tuesday, said her long-time partner Teresa DeCrescenzo. Berzon had battled breast cancer for many years, she said.

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/ 26 January 2006

‘He had something very rare — class’

When Fayard Nicholas danced, his body knew instinctively what to do — whether it was tap, ballet or his signature, high-in-the-air full split. Teamed with his brother, Harold, Nicholas moved with a natural grace and athleticism that inspired generations of dancers, from Fred Astaire to Maurice and Gregory Hines to Savion Glover.

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/ 18 January 2006

Edward Hall, pioneer in solid-fuel technology, dead at 91

Colonel Edward Hall, who as director of the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile programme helped develop America’s solid-fuel rocket technology, putting the United States decades ahead of other superpowers, has died. He was 91. Hall died on Sunday at Torrance Memorial Medical Centre, said his daughter, Sheila Hall. The cause of death was not immediately known.

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/ 13 January 2006

Beach Boys file lawsuit over missing memorabilia

The Beach Boys are suing two men for -million, claiming they stole a trove of photos, recordings and other band memorabilia from a warehouse with the intent of putting the items up for auction. The lawsuit names three defendants — Allan Gaba, the owner of a North Hollywood, California warehouse, his friend, Roy Sciacca, and Gem Systems, a company Sciacca was involved in.

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/ 7 January 2006

Teen amputee recovers stolen leg

An American teenage amputee whose prosthetic leg was stolen has recovered the artificial limb after it was apparently placed in her yard by a remorseful thief, police said on Friday. In November, burglars broke into the Los Angeles area home of 16-year-old Melissa Huff, stealing money and other valuables, including her prosthetic leg.

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/ 20 December 2005

Waltons actress dies at 95

Character actress Mary Jackson, best known as Miss Emily Baldwin on the iconic 1970s television series The Waltons, has died. She was 95. On The Waltons, which ran on CBS from 1972 to 1981, Jackson played one of two sisters who made bootleg whiskey they referred to as ”the recipe”.

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/ 17 December 2005

US jet evacuated after passenger says the ‘B’ word

A Southwest Airlines jet was evacuated at an airport in the Los Angeles region on Friday after a passenger was reportedly heard to say the word ”bomb”, prompting a security alert, authorities said. The Southwest flight had been taxiing to takeoff at Bob Hope airport in Burbank, California when the evacuation was ordered, said an airport spokesperson.

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/ 12 December 2005

Paramount to buy Spielberg’s DreamWorks

DreamWorks SKG, the studio co-owned by director-producer Steven Spielberg, will be bought by Paramount Pictures, in a deal announced on Sunday in Hollywood. The deal represents a failure by the studio’s founders to build a firm successfully integrated across the spectrum of popular arts and culture.

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/ 11 December 2005

‘Richard Pryor was a giant’

Groundbreaking African-American comedian Richard Pryor died of a heart attack early Saturday at the age of 65, his wife said. The pioneering stand-up comic and actor who broke barriers with his unflinching racial satire had been in declining health for years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986.

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/ 22 November 2005

Potter’s scare tactic works wonders

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire may be the scariest of the films about the teen wizard but it also had the most successful opening of the series. Warner Brothers said Potter was the top film in all 19 countries where it opened at the weekend, including the United States, where it ended a box-office slump, and in Britain, where it smashed all records.

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/ 22 November 2005

Report details harmful effects of ocean noise

Increasing levels of ocean noise generated by military sonar, shipping, and oil and gas exploration is threatening dolphins and whales that rely on sound for mating, finding food and avoiding predators, according to a new report. The report found that the affects of ocean noise on marine life range from long-term behavioral change to hearing loss to death.

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/ 14 November 2005

Schwarzenegger heads to China

Election-chastened California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday left for China on a six-day visit aimed at boosting trade and investment and battling movie piracy, officials said. The action movie hero, who was dealt the bitterest defeat of his political career last week when voters rejected referendum measures on which he had staked his reputation, will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

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/ 14 November 2005

Mauresmo beats Pierce in Los Angeles

Amelie Mauresmo outlasted Mary Pierce 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in a marathon base-line slugfest to win the WTA Championships on Sunday for the biggest title of her career. ”I really think that’s a huge step for me,” she said. ”I don’t know where it’s going to take me, but it is a step. You know that it’s an important moment.”

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/ 12 November 2005

Pierce on a winning streak

Mary Pierce defeated Amelie Mauresmo 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in an all-French match at the WTA Championships on Friday to complete round-robin play with a 3-0 record. By winning, Pierce finished first in the Black group and will play top-ranked Lindsay Davenport in Saturday’s semifinals.

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/ 11 November 2005

Davenport takes aim at Sharapova

World number one Lindsay Davenport looked to wrap up a perfect round-robin performance at the WTA Tour Championships on Thursday when she faced Russian glamour girl Maria Sharapova in her final group match. Davenport went into the clash with the security of knowing her semifinal berth was assured, thanks to her victories over Patty Schnyder of Switzerland and Russian Nadia Petrova.

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/ 9 November 2005

Pierce surprises Clijsters

Mary Pierce surprised Kim Clijsters 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (2) at the WTA Championships on Tuesday in a wildly uneven rematch of their United States Open final. Top-ranked Lindsay Davenport improved to 7-0 lifetime against Nadia Petrova of Russia with a 6-2, 7-6 (1) victory in round-robin play.

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/ 8 November 2005

Grokster shuts down file-swapping service

Grokster, which came out on the losing end of a Supreme Court decision, has agreed to shut down its internet file-swapping service and pay $50-million to settle music and movie piracy claims. Grokster executives indicated they plan to launch a legal, fee-based "Grokster 3G" service before year’s end under a new parent company.

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/ 4 November 2005

Hollywood sign to get a facelift

One of the world’s most famous landmarks, the 82-year-old Hollywood sign perched high above Los Angeles, is to follow Tinseltown tradition and get a facelift, officials said on Thursday. The giant letters spelling out the word that is synonymous with movie production will undergo a little restoration and some cleaning.

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/ 27 October 2005

Website lists Californian lost-and-found

Danny de Vito has a $26 cheque waiting for him from All-State Insurance. Reese Witherspoon is owed nearly $100 by Tiffany. And California first lady Maria Shriver has more than $300 waiting for her in the state’s unclaimed property vault, according to the state controller’s website.