■IRAQ
Arnie pumps up Army
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has dropped in on US troops, thanking them for the sacrifices they and their families are making. Schwarzenegger entered a crowded dining hall at Camp Victory on Baghdad’s outskirts on Monday to a loud roar from the soldiers gathered. The governor congratulated them on the job they were doing before shaking hands and posing for photographs. The former bodybuilder also discussed with soldiers the need to work out, reminding them: “You have to pump up every day.” Schwarzenegger also handed out cigars.
■UNITED STATES
Unruly man stops flight
US Airways said a flight made an unscheduled stop after the pilot decided a passenger was being unruly. Airline spokesman Todd Lehmacher said Flight 728 left Philadelphia for London on Monday night and the pilot diverted it to Boston to have the passenger removed. Lehmacher said the pilot had the man removed before beginning the Atlantic crossing “in the interest of safety.” The man’s name wasn’t immediately available and Lehmacher did not say what kind of disturbance he allegedly made on the plane. Lehmacher did say there was no indication of any terrorist threat.
■UNITED STATES
The word of the year is ...
What word sums up 2009? How about “unfriend?” That’s the New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2009 Word of the Year. It means to remove someone as a friend on a social networking Web site such as Facebook. Each year Oxford University Press tracks how the English language is changing and chooses a word that best reflects the mood of the year. This year’s finalists also included “netbook,” a small laptop, and “sexting,” sending sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone.
■UNITED STATES
Hey, Boss, where are you?
Bruce Springsteen bellowed “Hello, Ohio!” to his fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills. That’s in Michigan. The 60-year-old rock legend referred to the neighboring state several times on Friday night until E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt whispered in his ear. A visibly embarrassed Springsteen grinned and said such a mistake was “every front man’s nightmare.” The Detroit Free Press said Springsteen rocked the forgiving audience for nearly three hours with new and old hits, including a complete performance of his album Born to Run.
■UNITED KINGDOM
Edward Woodward dies
Edward Woodward, the English actor who starred in Breaker Morant and The Wicker Man, the TV dramas Callan and The Equalizer and had a long stage career, has died at the age of 79. He had been suffering from various illnesses, including pneumonia, and died in hospital, his agent Janet Glass said. Woodward began his career on the stage at the Castle theatre in Farnham, England, in 1946. After graduation from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he worked extensively in repertory companies as a Shakespearean actor throughout England and Scotland, making his London debut in Where There’s A Will in 1955. He also worked on Broadway in New York and in Australia and recorded 12 albums. He starred in the British TV show Callan from 1967 to 1972 and the US TV show The Equalizer from 1985 until 1989. He was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth in 1978 for services to drama.
RSS