Channing Tatum & Reese Witherspoon Go Glam For Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue

Vanity Fair debuted their always glam Hollywood Issue on Tuesday and it's packed with beauty, talent and a new Miles Teller mustache!

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Vanity Fair’s 2015 Hollywood Issue (Vanity Fair)

The three-panel cover has Channing Tatum, Reese Witherspoon and Amy Adams (perched on Channing's shoulder, because where else would one be perched?!) on the front.

The second panel, shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, includes Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo and Benedict Cumberbatch.

PHOTOS: Oscar Style: Most Memorable Red Carpet Looks

Featured in the third section is Sienna Miller, Oscar Isaac and Miles Teller (sporting interesting new facial hair).

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Vanity Fair’s 2015 Hollywood Issue (Vanity Fair)

After being criticized for its lack of diversity on the Hollywood Issue covers in recent years, the magazine featured six black actors (Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, Idris Elba, Naomi Harris, Chadwick Boseman and Chiwetel Ejiofor) on the 2014 cover.

PHOTOS: Oscars Fashion Flashback: Best Dressed From Last Year's Big Night

Will the 2015 cover, with the inclusion of just one actor of a diverse background (Oyelowo from "Selma") raise eyebrows?

-- Jesse Spero

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Jordan pilot hostage Moaz al-Kasasbeh 'burned alive'

The BBC's Paul Adams: "The mood in Amman tonight is furious"

Continue reading the main story

Islamic State

• Broken but not beaten
• What is Islamic State?
• Why is IS so violent?
• Can IS be defeated?

Jordan has confirmed the death of pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh after a video published online by Islamic State (IS) claimed to show him being burned alive.

The video shows a man standing in a cage engulfed in flames. Officials are working to confirm its authenticity.

Jordan's King Abdullah hailed Lt Kasasbeh as a hero, saying Jordan must "stand united" in the face of hardship.

The pilot was captured when his plane came down near Raqqa, Syria, during a mission against IS in December.

The video posted on Tuesday was distributed via a Twitter account known as a source for IS propaganda.

The highly produced 22-minute film includes a sequence showing the Jordanian pilot walking at gunpoint amongst rubble apparently caused by coalition air strikes that targeted jihadists.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says that in a world already shocked by the calculated cruelty of Islamic State's actions, the horrific video is aimed primarily at Arab populations in Jordan and the Gulf states.

Jordanian state TV reports that Lt Kasasbeh, 26, was killed a month ago. Jordan had tried to secure his release since then.

The country has vowed "punishment and revenge" for his death, and the king described IS as a "deviant criminal group".

Jordan's King Abdullah: "It is every Jordanian's duty to stand together"

Jordan, which has joined the US-led coalition against IS, had been attempting to secure Lt Kasasbeh's release as part of a prisoner swap, offering to free Iraqi militant Sajida al-Rishawi in exchange.

She is a failed suicide bomber now on death row in Jordan for her role in attacks in the capital, Amman, that killed 60 people in 2005.

IS had sought Rishawi's release as part of a deal to free captive Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. A video that appeared to show Goto's dead body appeared three days ago.

At the scene: Paul Adams, BBC News, Amman

Relatives had gathered around Lt Kasasbeh's father (centre) in Amman

Jordanians greeted the news with horror. Many have seen the gruesome video, barely edited, played over and over on television.

Hundreds gathered in the streets after dark, demanding revenge against Lt Kasasbeh's killers. Some also wanted to know why Jordan was involved in this fight at all.

The pilot's father was among supporters when the news came through. He and other family members have left the capital to mourn at home.

King Abdullah said Lt Kasasbeh had died defending his beliefs and homeland. The defence ministry said the pilot's blood would not have been shed in vain. It is promising a fitting punishment.

For many Jordanians, this has to begin with the quick execution of Sajida al-Rishawi, the failed al-Qaeda suicide bomber, jailed 10 years ago for her part in a spate of bombings against hotels here.

Profile: Lt Moaz al-Kasasbeh

A spokesman for the Jordanian armed forces, Mamdouh al-Ameri, said Lt Kasasbeh had "fallen as a martyr".

"His blood will not be shed in vain," he said. "Our punishment and revenge will be as huge as the loss of the Jordanians."

Jordanian officials were quoted as saying Rishawi would be executed imminently, along with three other convicted militants.

Late on Tuesday, supporters of the pilot expressed their anger at a rally in Amman

Analysis: Jonathan Marcus, BBC diplomatic correspondent

One thing is clear from this video - Islamic State never had any intention of releasing the young Jordanian pilot. According to Jordanian state media he was killed on 3 January, well before the supposed prisoner exchange talks moved into high gear.

The cynical manipulation of this episode by IS shows the importance it affords to information warfare - here an attempt to create problems for the Jordanian authorities and to weaken the Arab-Western coalition, at a time when it appears to be struggling to make dramatic headway against IS on the ground.

This is the problem for the coalition. Its air campaign is in many ways a stop-gap intended to halt the progress of IS, but requiring effective troops on the ground to significantly turn back its advance.

Jordan's King Abdullah is cutting short a visit to the US after news of Lt Kasasbeh's death, but he met President Barack Obama on Tuesday evening before flying home.

Mr Obama earlier said in a statement that if the video was real, it would be "one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity" of IS.

"I think it will redouble the vigilance and determination on the part of the global coalition to make sure they are degraded and ultimately defeated," he added.

The Jordanian king has already met US Vice-President Joe Biden who "reinforced America's ironclad support" for Jordan, the White House said.

Timeline: Jordanian pilot held hostage

24 December 2014: Jordanian Lt Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh captured by IS after his plane crashes

25 December 2014: Pilot's father urges IS to show mercy

20 January 2015: IS threatens to kill two Japanese hostages unless Japan pays $200m ransom within 72 hours

24 January: IS releases video of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto holding a picture apparently showing Haruna Yukawa's decapitated body

24 January: IS calls for release of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi militant sentenced to death in Jordan

28 January: Jordan offers to release Rishawi in exchange for Lt Kasasbeh

29 January: Deadline to kill Lt Kasasbeh and Mr Goto expires

31 January: Video released appearing to show Kenji Goto's body

3 February: Video released appearing to show Lt Kasasbeh burnt alive, with Jordanian media suggesting he was killed weeks earlier

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7 dead after NYC commuter train hits SUV stuck on tracks

A commuter train struck an SUV that was stuck on the tracks in a suburban New York community during the afternoon rush hour Tuesday, killing the car's driver and six passengers on board the train.

The crash, which was the deadliest incident in the history of the Metro-North rail system, sent hundreds of passengers scrambling for safety. Authorities said the impact was so forceful the electrified third rail came up and pierced the train.

"You have seven people who started out today to go about their business and aren't going to be making it home tonight," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told a press conference late Tuesday.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said that 12 people were injured, 10 of them seriously, and described the train as "completely charred and burned."

"I am amazed anyone got off that train alive," Astorino added. "It must have been pure panic, with the flames, the third rail and the smoke."

Authorities said the railroad crossing gates had come down on top of the Jeep Cherokee, which had stopped on the train tracks. The female driver got out to inspect the vehicle and got back into it to drive away when it was struck at around 6:30 p.m. local time, approximately 45 minutes after departing New York's Grand Central Station. 

Rick Hope told WNYW that he was in his car directly behind the Jeep when it was struck by the train. He said he had started to back up his car to give the woman room to also back up but when she got back into the Jeep she moved forward into the path of the oncoming train.

"It looks like where she stopped she did not want to go on the tracks but the proximity of the gate to her car, you know, it was dark -- maybe she didn't know she was in front of the gate," Hope said.

"I am amazed anyone got off that train alive."

- Rob Astorino, Westchester County Executive

The train shoved the SUV about 10 train car lengths as smoke poured out of the scorched front rail car, its windows blackened. It was unclear how fast the train was going, but the maximum would be 60 mph, a railroad official said. 

Passengers on the train said they felt a jolt, then heard a huge explosion. 

"I was horrified — the crash and the flames," passenger Devon Champagne told the New York Post. "I thought I was going to die for a minute. It was the scariest moment of my life."

The paper reported that some tried to reach passengers in the first car of the train, which sustained the heaviest damage. 

"They were basically trapped in there with the fire," said passenger Jamie Wallace. "A few of us in my car tried to break the glass so we could get through, but to no avail."

More than 750 passengers were likely aboard the train. About 400 passengers got off from the rear of the train and taken to a nearby rock climbing gym for shelter. Buses were headed there to pick them up and take them to their destinations.

All railroad grade crossings have gate arms that are designed to lift automatically if they strike a vehicle no the way down, railroad safety consultant Grady Cothen said. The arms are made of wood and are designed to be easily broken if a car trapped between them moves forward or backward, he said.

Metro-North is the nation's second-busiest railroad, after the Long Island Rail Road. It was formed in 1983 and serves about 280,000 riders a day in New York and Connecticut. Service on its Harlem Line was suspended between Pleasantville and North White Plains after the crash.

Metro-North has had many recent accidents. Late last year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued rulings on five accidents that occurred in New York and Connecticut in 2013 and 2014, repeatedly finding fault with the railroad while also noting that conditions have improved.

Among the accidents was a Dec. 1, 2013, derailment that killed four people, the railroad's first passenger fatalities, in the Bronx. The NTSB said the engineer had fallen asleep at the controls because he had a severe, undiagnosed case of sleep apnea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from MyFoxNY.com.

Click for more from the New York Post.

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Justin Bieber: ‘Very Persistent’ With Miranda Kerr After VS Fashion Sh

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   Justin Bieber didn’t want to let a certain angel go! After their flirty hangout at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2012, Justin was ‘very persistent’ about staying close to Miranda Kerr!

   The night that started it all. It’s no secret that Justin Bieber, 20, and Miranda Kerr, 31, got very close at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2012, which was just one event that led Miranda’s ex, Orlando Bloom, 37, to throw a punch at Justin ormaybe two on July 30 in Ibiza. After the show, Justin was reportedly “very persistent” in trying to contact Miranda. Did this add more fuel to Orlando’s fire to go after Justin?

   Justin Bieber Was ‘Very Persistent’ To Get Close To Miranda Kerr

   After Orlando took a swing at Justin, the “Boyfriend” singer teased the actor by saying, “Say hi to Miranda for me” and “she was good.” Justin continued to taunt the idea of hooking up to Miranda in Orlando’s face by posting a sexy bikini pic of the Victoria’s Secret model on his Instagram before deleting. Since the incident, Miranda is “very embarrassed” about the entire situation.

   Justin used his flirty night with Miranda to insult Orlando, but did anything actually happen between the two? 

   “Since their already infamous hang out, Bieber has tried to reach out to Kerr several times,” a source told E! News, “but she didn’t entertain his attempts at maintaining steady contact—they texted a bit here and there.”

   At the time of the fashion show, Miranda was still married to Orlando. After the very public flirting with Justin, Orlando wasdisgusted with Miranda and couldn’t look at her the same. Less than a year later, the couple separated. Miranda’s lawyer maintains that nothing happened between her and Justin beyond what we saw at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

   Orlando Bloom: Justin Bieber ‘Doesn’t Respect Women’

   One of the main reasons Orlando tried to punch Justin was the fact that he doesn’t believe Justin respects women. Even though he is usually not a “violent person,”HollywoodLife.com learned exclusively that Orlando wasn’t going to stand for Justin’s behavior with the ladies.

   “Orlando is not a violent person,” our source reveals to HollywoodLife.com. “In fact, he’s all about promoting peace. However, he will not tolerate a person, Justin Bieber included, who doesn’t respect women. He thinks Justin needs to be put in his place and Orlando is well aware that Justin has badmouthed him before.”

   Justin’s “badmouthing” comes from Orlando’s relationship with Miranda and Orlando hanging outwith Justin’s own ex, Selena Gomez, 22, at the We Day California event in March 2014.

   Oh, what a tangled web these celebs weave.

   HollywoodLifers, what do you think about this recent revelation about Justin’s “persistent” nature toward Miranda? Is that what instigated Orlando’s punch at Justin? Let us know!

   – Avery Thompson

   More Justin Bieber News:

   1. Justin Bieber Posts Flirty Pic With Model — Starting ‘Dating Rumors’
   2. Stephen Colbert Mocks Justin Bieber & Orlando Bloom Fight — Watch Clip
   3. James Franco Disses Justin Bieber After Orlando Bloom Fight — Watch

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Marries Robotics Star Tasha McCauley

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his partner Tasha McCauley quietly married on December 20 at their home in Los Angeles, The Daily Mail reports. “I have a girlfriend but I tend not to really like to talk about it in public,” the actor said in a 2013 interview with Howard Stern. “The girl that I’m with, she really doesn’t want to be a part of it and you can imagine not wanting to have that kind of scrutiny.”

We’re guessing that’s because she’s busy being a genius, multi-lingual roboticist. McCauley speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic, has an MBA, and is the co-founder and former CEO of Fellow Robots, a company based in Silicon Valley. (“Robotics CEO marries trophy boyfriend Joseph Gordon-Levitt,” tweetedThe Cut, offering a deliciously feminist take on the happy, banal piece of celebrity news.)

Here’s McCauley describing how she approaches the unknown, in an interview with Toy & Game Conference: “Optimistically and skeptically! I guess I should clarify that by skeptically, I don’t meancynically. Both are Greek in origin. Cynical, in early English, denoted faultfinding, while skeptical means “to consider or examine.” I’m skeptical because I love pushing limits in order to understand how things really work. And I’m optimistic because, so far in my life, the unknown has revealed many wonderful possibilities.”

Mazal tov, guys! (Now to find our new Official Single Jewish Millennial Heartthrob. Leave your nominations in the comments.)

(Photo by Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)

Related: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a Feminist

Tagged with: editorspick , Jewish Celebrities , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Tasha McCauley , weddings

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Funny Videos

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Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy gives up Egypt citizenship

Mohamed Fahmy's release is said to be "imminent" after he agreed to relinquish his Egyptian citizenship

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Who are the jailed journalists?
• Muted reaction - why?

Mohamed Fahmy, one of two al-Jazeera journalists still held in Egypt, has renounced his Egyptian citizenship to secure his release, his family say.

Mr Fahmy's brother said the journalist, who is also Canadian, was told to give up his nationality or his freedom.

Canada says his release is imminent. The status of his Egyptian colleague Baher Mohamed remains unclear.

Peter Greste, who was freed on Sunday, said he felt "incredible angst" at leaving his colleagues in a Cairo jail.

The Australian journalist was freed from prison and deported after 400 days behind bars.

The three al-Jazeera English journalists were arrested in 2013 after being accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after former President Mohammed Morsi was ousted by the military.

All three denied the charges against them and said their trial was a sham.

'Release imminent'

A decree issued by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi last November allows the deportation of foreign prisoners.

Mr Fahmy's brother, Adel, told reporters that the Egyptian authorities gave the journalist the choice between "dropping the nationality or his freedom".

"It was a very difficult decision. Mohamed is very proud and comes from a patriotic family of high-ranking military and policemen that have defended this country and fought its wars," Adel Fahmy said.

Many of his family members were offended by Mr Fahmy's decision to relinquish his citizenship, he added, but said his fiance and his mother had pushed him to do so.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said on Monday that Mr Fahmy's release was "imminent" but gave no details of a resolution. 

There are still concerns over the fate of Mr Mohamed, however, because he is an Egyptian who holds no dual nationality.

'Step forward'

Speaking on Monday, Mr Greste said: "If it's right for me to be free then it's right for all of them to be free."

He described his release as "a massive step forward" for the Egyptian authorities but added that he felt a "real mix of emotions" after learning he would be freed.

There was "real stress in having to say goodbye to my colleagues and friends - people who've really become family inside that prison," he said.

In June last year, Mr Fahmy and Mr Greste were sentenced to seven years in prison and Mr Mohamed to 10. Their sentences sparked an international outcry.

The three men's convictions were overturned on 1 January but they remained in custody pending a retrial.

Several students have also been held in the same case. The students deny working for Al-Jazeera but it is thought that material filmed on their phones was used by the network.

In a separate case, Abdullah El-Shamy, a journalist for Al-Jazeera's Arabic channel, was arrested in August 2013 when police broke up a protest by supporters of Mr Morsi.

He was released on health grounds in June 2014 after a hunger strike of nearly five months.

According to campaign group Reporters Without Borders, there are currently 165 journalists imprisoned around the world, including 15 in Egypt.

Timeline: Journalists' detention

Mr Fahmy (left) and Mr Mohamed remain in jail

• 29 December 2013: Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy arrested in police raid on Cairo's Marriott Hotel. Baher Mohamed later arrested at home
• 29 January 2014: 20 people including the three journalists referred to trial, charged with spreading false news, belonging to a terrorist organisation and operating without a permit
• 22 February: First court appearance of the three journalists
• 23 June: Defendants sentenced to seven years, with Baher Mohamed receiving an additional three years
• 12 November: President Sisi signs decree allowing repatriation of foreign prisoners
• 1 January 2015: Highest court orders retrial, but the three journalists not allowed bail
• 1 February 2015: Peter Greste freed and deported, his two colleagues remain behind bars

Muted reaction in Egypt media

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