SHARPISH-KANE UPDATE

I HAVE DECIDED TO CLOSE THE SHARPISH-KANE BLOG FOR NOW. I MAY RESUME PUBLISHING LATER THIS SUMMER, BUT AS OF NOW MY TIME DOES NOT ALLOW FOR WORKING ON A BLOG. THANKS, SK.

SHARPISH-KANE UPDATE

ALTHOUGH I AM BACK, SHARPISH-KANE WILL NOT RESUME PUBLISHING UNTIL WEDNESDAY JULY 6. I AM CURRENT RE-VAMPING THE BLOG AND WILL UNVEIL THE RE-DESIGN NEXT WEDNESDAY. I WOULD LOVE TO ADD NEW LINKS, ESPECIALLY TO ANY BLOGS OR NEWS SITES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD YOUR LINK, JUST ADD A COMMENT TO THIS POSTING. THANKS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON JULY 6.

SHARPISH-KANE UPDATE

SHARPISH-KANE WILL BE ON A TEMPORARY HIATUS UNTIL WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29.

SNAPSHOTS

ITS THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER. THE BEST TIME OF YEAR IS AHEAD AS THE HEAT SETTLES IN.

SK MEN

SK MEN/ AMATEUR MEN (#125)

5 SHOTS OF AMATEUR MEN FROM AROUND THE WORLD. TODAYS THEME: HIT THE BEACH, ITS THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

TV/ "MAD MEN" TOPS CRITICS CHOICE TV AWARDS: The inaugural Critics Choice TV Awards gave top honors to "Mad Men," which won for Best drama, as well as supporting acting honors for Christina Hendricks and Best acting honors for Jon Hamm. Creator Matt Weiner accepted by saying he thinks of himself as a TV critic at the event, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "Like a TV critic, I'm a champion of the underdog," he said. ABC's "Modern Family" won Best comedy. Best comedy actors went to Jim Parsons from "The Big Bang Theory" and Tina Fey from "30 Rock". Supporting comedy actor awards went to  Neil Patrick Harris for "How I Met Your Mother" and Busy Phillips for "Cougar Town". Best drama actress went to Julianna Margulies for "The Good Wife," while Best supporting drama actor went to John Noble from "Fringe". In other awards, "The Daily Show" won Best talk show, Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs" won Best reality show host. There was a tie in Best reality series, with the award shared by "Hoarders" and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills". And "American Idol" took the award for Best reality show competition. Danny DeVito accepted the icon award by saying "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has given him "a new lease on life". The show was hosted by Cat Deeley and airs Thursday on ReelzChannel. It streamed live on VH1. Full details on all the awards can be found on the Critics Choice TV Awards website.

TV/ TERRY O'QUINN TO JOIN "HAWAII FIVE-0": Terry O'Quinn will join former "Lost" co-star Daniel Dae Kim and recur on the Hawaii-set police procedural "Hawaii Five-0" as a Navy Seal Lt. Commander who trained Alex O'Loughlin's McGarrett in Coronado and served with his father in Vietnam. Media reports describe his character as a "strong and stubborn man you would want in your corner when things go south who holds answers to mysteries surrounding the slaying of McGarrett's parents". O'Quinn will appear in the drama's fall season premiere. Filming on the series begins in mid-July and will see O'Quinn return to the Aloha State. O'Quinn previously was cast in "Hallelujah," ABC's Marc Cherry pilot infused with a gospel choir. The pilot did not receive a series order. "Hawaii Five-0," from CBS Television Studios, returns this fall to CBS on Mondays.

FILM/ PENN BADGLEY TO PLAY JEFF BUCKLEY IN BIO-PIC: "Gossip Girl" star Penn Badgley will play the late iconic singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley in the feature "Greetings from Tim Buckley," which Dan Algrant is directing. Written by Algrant, Emma Sheanshang and David Brendel, the film will tell the true story of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley’s 1991 appearance at his father’s tribute concert in St. Ann’s Church. Through a romance with a young woman working at the concert, he comes to understand the father who abandoned him and his cathartic performance launches his career. A firm start date has yet to be announced.

FILM/ "HANGOVER II" SUIT SETTLED: Warner Bros. has settled the lawsuit brought by a Missouri tattoo artist over the mark on Ed Helms’ face in "The Hangover II, which the artist claimed infringed a copyrighted tattoo he created for boxer Mike Tyson. Terms of the settlment were not disclosed. Sources say the deal was hammered out during an all-day mediation in St. Louis on Friday. The tattoo artist, who created the original tattoo and registered the copyright, sued in April asking that a federal judge halt the release of the blockbuster comedy sequel because it prominently features the tattoo without permission. But on May 24, just days before the film was scheduled to be released, a US District Court Judge denied the tattoo artist's request for a preliminary injunction. "Hangover II" has since become the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever, pulling in around $500 million worldwide. The case was continued and Warners said that it planned to digitally alter the tattoo for the home video version of the film if the case didn’t settle quickly. A notice of dismissal is expected to be filed shortly.

MUSIC/ AMY WINEHOUSE CANCELS TOUR: Amy Winehouse has cancelled all her scheduled shows on her European tour, her spokesman has confirmed. A statement said she would be given "as long as it takes" to sort herself out. It follows her 90 minute comeback performance in Serbia last weekend, pictured left, at which she was booed and jeered at the start of her European tour. The singer initially pulled out of two festival shows in Turkey yesterday and in Greece tomorrow, but now all her gigs have been pulled. Her tour, which was originally scheduled to include 12 performances, had been due to continue in Bilbao, Spain, on July 8. The full statement said: "Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances. Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen". The singer, 27, has had a long battle with drink and drugs which has overshadowed her music career in recent years. In a media interview in October, Winehouse said that she had been drug-free for 3 years. In the run-up to her live return last weekend, she spent a week at London's Priory clinic.

THEATRE/ "BORN YESTERDAY" TO SHUTTER ON SUNDAY: The new Broadway production of Garson Kanin's "Born Yesterday," which earned Nina Arianda a Best Actress Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of dumb-blonde Billie Dawn, will close a month earlier than expected on June 26. It will have played 28 previews and 73 performances at the Cort Theatre. Tony winner Doug Hughes directed the revival that also stars Jim Belushi and Robert Sean Leonard. It opened April 24 following previews from March 31. For her performance as Billie, Arianda won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Play and also received a nomination for the Drama Desk Award. "Born Yesterday" also received nominations for Best Revival of a Play from the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle. The production's costume designer received a Tony nomination for best costume design for a play. The original production of "Born Yesterday" made Judy Holliday a star and an Oscar winner when she portrayed Billie in the Hollywood film.


THEATRE/ "RAIN" TO CLOSE IN SEPTEMBER: "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles" will play its final performance on Broadway September 4 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. When it closes, the production will have played 8 previews and 341 regular performances. After opening October 26, 2010, at the Neil Simon theatre for a 13 week limited engagement, the show re-opened by popular demand at the Brooks Atkinson theatre February 8, 2011. In a statement, the producers said: "When we originally opened "Rain" at the Neil Simon we were thrilled for the chance to share this successful touring show with the Broadway community. The opportunity to move theatres and continue playing for an additional 7 months at the Brooks Atkinson has exceeded our wildest expectations.  It’s been an incredible journey and we look forward to continuing the North American tour of "Rain" as well as launching international engagements in Singapore and Johannesburg this summer". The show was the winner of the 2011 Drama Desk for Outstanding Revue.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

WORLD/ EMPEROR PENGUIN TURNS UP ON NEW ZEALAND BEACH: A young emperor penguin evidently took a wrong turn from the Antarctic and ended up stranded on a New Zealand beach, the 1st time in 44 years the aquatic bird has been sighted in the south Pacific country. A local resident was taking her dog for a walk on Peka Peka beach on the North Island's western coast when she discovered the bird. "It was out of this world to see it, like someone just dropped it from the sky," she said. Conservation experts say the penguin is about 10 months old and stands about 32 inches high. Emperor penguins are the tallest and largest species of penguin and can grow up to122cm high and weigh more than 75lbs. A curator at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, said the bird was likely to have been born during the last Antarctic winter. It may have been searching for squid and krill when it took a wrong turn. He said emperor penguins can spend months at a time in the ocean, coming ashore only to molt or rest, but did not know what might have caused this particular one to become disoriented. Miskelly said the penguin appeared healthy and well fed, with plenty of body fat, and probably came ashore for a rest. However, he said the penguin would need to find its way back south soon if it were to survive. Despite the onset of the New Zealand winter, the bird was probably hot and thirsty, he said, and it had been eating wet sand. "It doesn't realise that the sand isn't going to melt inside it," the curator said. "They typically eat snow, because it's their only liquid". A program manager for New Zealand's department of conservation said officials are asking people to stand back from the peguin and to avoid letting dogs near it. Other than that, he said, officials plan to let nature take its course. Simpson said the bird could live several weeks before needing another meal. The last confirmed sighting of a wild emperor in New Zealand was in 1967 at the southern Oreti beach.

WORLD/ 5.3 QUAKE JOLTS CHRISTCHURCH: A 5.3 magnitude earthquake rocked the region around Christchurch, New Zealand, at 10:34pm this evening, local time. The region was rocked by a further 10 aftershocks overnight, with the biggest being a magnitude 4.4 shortly before 3:30am, Wednesday. The main jolt was felt widely across Canterbury although there were no reports of significant damage or injuries. It was first thought to be centred 10km west of Akaroa, but scientists later said it was centered about 4 miles SW of  Christchurch and at a depth of about 4.5 miles. The quake was the strongest since magnitude 5.7 and 6.3 shocks hit Christchurch last Monday. While Christchurch Airport was carrying out runway checks following the 5.3 quake, 4 flights were diverted to Auckland. 2 inbound trans-Tasman Air New Zealand flights, NZ888 from Sydney and NZ804 from Brisbane, were diverted to Auckland. 2 other flights, Pacific Blue's DJ82 from Brisbane and Jetstar's JQ191 from Gold Coast, were diverted to Auckland but had planned to return to Christchurch, once the Airport gave the all clear.

WORLD/ LESBIAN WEDDING HELD IN NEPAL: A lawyer and a college professor, both from the US, have celebrated Nepal's 1st public lesbian wedding ceremony. The nuptials were performed on Monday near the capital, Kathmandu. Same-sex marriages are not legal in Nepal, but the country is drafting laws to guarantee sexual rights. The couple from Denver, Colorado, celebrated in a Hindu Nepalese tradition at the Dakshinkali temple. Local gay rights activists and supporters attended the ceremony, carried out by a Hindu priest, as did close friends and member of parliament Sunilbabu Pant, a gay rights activist. In a media interview, he said that it was the 1st public wedding ceremony of a lesbian couple in the mostly conservative nation. Same-sex marriages are not officially legal in Nepal, even though the supreme court has ordered the government to legally guarantee sexual rights and end discrimination. The laws are still being drafted, but political differences have delayed their passage into law. Pant said while Monday's wedding did not hold any legal status, "it was a huge achievement for gay rights campaign in Nepal". His Blue Diamond Society has been fighting for gay rights for several years, and recently opened a travel agency hoping to attract foreign gay couples to come to Nepal for weddings and honeymoons. The couple said they were happy to be married in Nepal and to contribute to the campaign for gay rights in the country.

AVIATION/ EADS UNVEILS HYPERSONIC PAX JET MODEL

Aerospace group EADS, owner of Airbus, has unveiled a model of a hypersonic jet that flies above the atmosphere, yet takes off from a regular runway. "It is not a Concorde but it looks like a Concorde, showing that aerodynamics of the 1960s were very smart," said EADS' chief technical officer at the Paris Air Show. The "Zero Emission Hypersonic Transportation" (Zehst) would potentially be able to transport 50 to 100 people between Paris and Tokyo in 2.5 hours. By flying above the atmosphere and using biofuel to get the plane off the ground initially, the EADS said it hopes to avoid the supersonic boom and pollution Concorde was notorious for. "When you are above the atmosphere nobody hears anything," the EADS officer said. The plane, being developed in collaboration with Japan, is being primarily designed with the business market in mind. The plane would take off using a regular turbofan engine, before rocket boosters kick in to start a sharp ascent, sending the plane soaring above the atmosphere. Ramjet engines, currently used in missiles, will then take the plane up to altitudes of 32km as the plane cruises at speeds beyond Mach 4, or 4x the speed of sound. After a gliding descent, the turbofans will reignite to enable landing. EADS expects to have an unmanned demonstrator by 2020. However, the head of EADS said it could be another 30-40 years before commercial flights are a reality.

AVIATION/ ENGINE FIRE FORCES DELTA 757 RETURN TO ATLANTA

A DELTA AIRLINES Boeing 757 had to make an emergency return to Atlanta, Georgia, late last night, due to an engine fire. Airport officials said 3 passengers suffered minor injuries during the emergency evacuation. Delta Flight 1323 from Atlanta, Georgia, to Los Angeles, California, with 174 passengers and crew onboard, had departed Atlanta at 11:51pm. During its initial climb, the crew declared an emergency, reporting a left hand engine fire indication. They then levelled off at about 4200 feet and landed safely back in Atlanta, about 10 minutes after their initial departure. Shortly thereafter, the crew ordered an immediate evacuation via the slides, at which time the 3 passengers suffered minor injuries. Emergency Services responded to the aircraft and attended to the left hand engine. The injured passengers were treated and released on scene. According to media reports from Atlanta, the left hand engine is charred and suffered substantial damages. The NTSB and FAA have opened an investigation.

AVIATION/ RUSAIR TUPOLEV TU134A CRASHES IN PETROZAVODSK

A RUSAIR Tupolev TU134A crashed on approach to Petrozavodsk, Russia, shortly before Midnight last night, killing 44 people and seriously injuring 8 others. RusAir Flight 243 was on Domestic Service on behalf of RUSLINE, from Moscow Domodedovo to Petrozavodsk, with 43 passengers and 9 crew members onboard. The Tuopolev took off from Moscow at 10:30pm local time, and was due to arrive in Petrozavodsk at 12:04am today. However ,shortly before Midnight, it crashed on a highway next to residential houses, about 0.6 miles away from Petrozavodsk Airport, which was shrouded in fog. The aircraft, registration RA-65691 and pictured top, broke up and burst into flames on impact. Officials said 36 passengers and 8 crew members were killed in the crash. There were 8 survivors, 7 passengers and 1 Flight Attendant. Of those injured, 5 passengers and the F/A have been medically evacuated to hospitals in Moscow, while the other 2 passengers were too critically injured to be transferred. Russia's Emergencies Ministry said that that among those killed in the crash were 4 foreigners and a family of 4 with dual Russian-US citizenship.

Russian investigators said both black boxes were recovered early this morning, shortly after the flames were extinguished. Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) said the invesitgation had just begun and speculation in the press about the possible cause of the crash was premature. Investigators have found out that the Tupolev began to descend earlier than planned for unknown reasons and deviated from the runway track, possibly to attempt an forced landing on the highway. Media reports in Russia say thhat the aircraft hit a power line, causing a power cut that extinguished landing lights on the runway. Other Russian officials said the back-up systems were then switched on, but too late to stop the aircraft from crashing..

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*SPIRIT AIRLINES announced that it will begin charging customers $5 to have their boarding pass printed by an Airport agent. Customers can avoid a fee by checking in online or, for a few more months, by using a self-service Airport kiosk. However, checking-in via Spirit's self-service kiosks won't remain free in the future. Spirit says beginning June 26, 2012, customers who use Airport kiosks to print their boarding passes will be charged $1. The Airline will wavie the boarding-pass fee "in cities where Spirit does not have Airport check-in kiosks or if a customer is not able to use the automated kiosk to print their boarding pass".

*JETBLUE is the latest carrier to order the re-engined A320neo, pledging to acquire 40 of the type as part of a raft of adjustments to its narrowbody fleet. The annoucement at the Paris Air Show, said the carrier also plans to convert 30 of its 52 firm A320 orders to the larger A321s powered by IAE V2500 engines. JetBlue has only operated the A320 model since its launch 11 years ago. Additionally, JetBlue is deferring 8 A320s originally scheduled from 2014-15 to 2017 to reduce its capital commitments in the near term.

*European low-cost operator NORWEGIAN has ordered another 15 Boeing 737-800s, taking to 78 the number it has ordered from Boeing. The order, announced during the Paris Air Ahow, is valued at $1.2 billion. Norwegian has also firmed its order to buy 3 Boeing 787s, 1st agreed to in May

*Lessor CIT Group has inked a memorandum of understanding with Airbus at the Paris Air Show for 50 A320neo family aircraft. It brings the total number of aircraft in the Airbus orderbook for CIT to 241, comprising 195 A320 family aircraft (including the 50 A320neo aircraft), 39 A330s and 7 A350 XWBs. Of these 141 have been delivered so far.

*Sukhoi is to launch a business jet version of its Superjet 100 regional aircraft but appears to be backing away from a stretched variant in the near term. The Russian airframer's civil aircraft division disclosed initial plans for the executive aircraft at the Paris Air Show today, but will give further details at the NBAA show in Las Vegas in October.

*Russian carrier AEROFLOT has signed a deal for 8 Boeing 777-300ER jetliners at the Paris Air Show. The carrier is yet to confirm delivery slots for the long-range twinjets.

*Russia officials are investigating how a woman was able to a flight without a ticket, documents or any luggage. The incident at Moscow Domodedovo Airport occurred last Friday and involved a flight for Dushanbe, the capital of the restive Central Asian republic of Tajikistan. The woman apparently managed to break into the airport grounds the night before and boarded the flight after avoiding passport and other control areas. She has been arrested and Russian officials said that Airport security officials would be "punished".

*AIR INDIA said yesterday it expects to pay the back due salaries for the month of May to its employees later this week. The cash strapped carrier is currently trying to re-oganize and the money to pay its employees came from the government.

*KOREAN AIR LINES has tentatively signed for up to 30 Bombardier CSeries twinjets, the deal for the flag-carrier giving the program a further lift at the Paris air show. Its agreement is for 10 CS300 aircraft, with options on another 10 and purchase rights for 10 more.

*MALAYSIA AIRLINES has signed for 10 Boeing 737-800s at the Paris air show, confirming existing options from a 2008 deal. The order takes MAS's total 737 orders to 45 aircraft. Deliveries of the 10 new orders are due in 2016 after the remaining 30 aircraft from the original deal arrive. They are due through to 2015.

*VIETNAM AIRLINES will begin service to London, England, in December, marking the 1st direct air service between the 2 countries. State-owned Vietnam Airlines did not say how many flights would initially operate to London's Gatwick Airport, or whether they would originate from Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport or Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat.

*The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has granted an operating license to the VIETSTAR AIRLINES. With an authorized capital of VND400 billion, VietStar Airlines provide air travel, domestic rescue, and charter services. More details, including a planned start up date, routes and fares, are due to be announced soon.

*Taiwanese carrier TRANSASIA AIRWAYS has placed a firm order for 6 Airbus A321neos today at the Paris Air Show. The carrier already operates 5 A321s and a pair of A320s and has a further 6 sharklet-equipped A321s on delivery. TransAsia plans to use the aircraft to meet growing demand on regional services, especially on direct routes between Taiwan and mainland China.

*Mongolian carrier MIAT has ordered a Boeing 767-300ER and a pair of 737-800s at the Paris Air Show. In a statement, MIAT said the jets were the "ideal airplanes for us to expand our existing fleet to offer more scheduled and charter services from Mongolia to major cities in Asia and Europe".

*GARUDA INDONESIA has placed a definitive order for 25 Airbus A320neo aircraft at the Paris Air Show.

*Australia's 2 major Airports faced major disruptions today as the ash cloud from a Chilean volcano drifted across the south of the country. QANTAS and VIRGIN AUSTRALIA cancelled all flights into and out of Sydney and Melbourne. Adelaide Airport has been shut and flights in and out of Canberra have been delayed and canceled. TIGER AIRWAYS canceled all flights today and JET AIRWAYS also reported cancelations. The latest forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology shows that the ash plume will move into the Tasman on Wednesday and no longer affect flights from the major cities.

*The UK AAIB announced today that they have opened an investigation into an incident involving a GERMANWINGS A319 near London, on April 11, 2011. The incident had not been disclosed before today. On that date, Flight 2376, was on approach to London Stansted, and descending thru 18000 feet, when it collided with a weather balloon. The aircraft, which was inbound from Stuttgart, Germany, landed safely. The German BFU said the Airbus was not damaged in the incident.

*The US NTSB has released its Final Report into an incident involving a JETBLUE A320 near Burlington, Vermont, on February 19, 2011. On that date, the Airbus was on approach to Burlington at 6000 feet, about 17 miles SE of the Airport, when it encountered turbulence causing injuries to 2 Flight Attendants. The aircraft, inbound from New York JFK, went on to make a safe landing about 8 minutes later. On April 19, the NTSB reported the Captain rated the turbulence severe. Both F/A's struck the aft galley floor and the rear passenger door. 1 F/A received minor bruising injuries while the other F/A suffered multiple rib fractures. In their Final Report, out today, the NTSB said the Probable Cause was: "The airplane's inadvertent encounter with turbulence during the approach, which resulted in serious injury to a Flight Attendant". The full Report can be found on the NTSB website.

*AMERICAN AIRLINES Flight 293, a Boeing 777, had to make an emergency return to Delhi, India, today, June 21, after the crew reported the right hand generator had failed on takeoff. The aircraft landed safely back in Delhi and was removed from service for repairs. The aircraft is expected to be repaired later today and the flight to Chicago OHare is expected to depart at that time, about 19 hours behind schedule.

*LUFTHANSA Flight 411, an A340 on service from New York JFK to Munich, Germany, was involved in a close call with EGYPTAIR Flight 986, a Boeing 777 on service from New York JFK to Cairo, Egypt, last evening at JFK. Flight 411 was cleared for takeoff from JFK's runway 22R at 6:52pm, when the tower controller called "CANCEL TAKEOFF CLEARANCE" at 6:53pm. The crew of Flight 411 rejected takeoff at high speed and was able to slow on the runway. The Airbus vacated the runway at taxiway H and Emergency Services were dispatched to inspect the hot brakes. According to reports, the Lufthansa jet was ordered to abort takeoff as the Egyptair Boeing, which was on taxi for departure, missed the turn onto taxiway B and instead turned onto the runway 22R, the same runway the Lufthansa Airbus was departing from. Reports say that another airliner, which observed the incident, said on the open communication lines "that was close". The Lufthansa A340 was able to depart again about 2 hours later, while the Egyptair 777 departed New York about 75 minutes later. The FAA has opened an investigation.

*VIRGIN ATLANTIC Flight 69, a Boeing 747, was delayed in departure from London Gatwick, yesterday, June 20. According to media reports, shortly before pushback from the gate for its flight to Kingston, Jamaica, a Jamaican national slit his throat with a razor. Emergency Services were dispatched the man was transported to hospital. He was treated and released for superficial cuts to his neck. Media reports say the man was being deported from Britain, back to his native Jamaica. Virgin postponed the flight until today and offered counseling to any passengers or crew who were said to be "horrified" by what they witnessed.

*SATA INTERNATIONAL Flight 680, an A320, had to make an emergency return to Funchal, Portugal, yesterday, June 20. According to media reports, the Airbus encountered a flock of seagulls, just as it rotated for takeoff from Funchal. A number of birds were ingested into both engines, causing both engines to vibrate. The crew crew continued their climb out and returned to Funchal, landing safely about 15 minutes later. The A320 was removed from service for a full inspection and repairs, while a replacement A320 was dispatched to continue the flight to Copenhagen, Denmark. According to the Airport, the flock of seagulls had been sitting near the runway for quite some time, despite ultrasound equipment to scare the birds away. The seagulls only took flight, as the Sata Airbus took off.

*SMALL PLANET AIRLINES Flight 3206, an A320, had to make an emergency landing in Vilnius, Lithuania, yesterday, June 20. The crew abandoned their 1st approach into Vilnius, reporting an unsafe nose gear indication. The crew used alternate gear extension to lower and lock all gear and then safely landed on its 2nd approach, about 15 minutes later. The Airbus, which had been inbound from Hurghada, Egypt, had to be towed off the runway and was later removed from service for inspection and repairs.

*DELTA AIRLINES Flight 221, a Boeing 757, had to make an emergency diversion to Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday, June 19. While enroute from Atlanta, Georgia, to Brasilia, Brazil, the crew had to shut down the right hand engine for unspecified technical problems. The 757 was diverted to Caracas, where it landed without incident. A replacement 757 was dispatched to Caracas and the aircraft arrived in Brasilia, about 18 hours behind schedule. The incident aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repairs.

*DELTA AIRLINES Flighth 2003, an MD88, blew a tire upon landing in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday, June 17. The MD88, which had arrived from Panama City, Florida, rolled out safely. According to the FAA, a gear door was damaged in the incident and the aircraft was removed from service for repairs.

*BRITISH AIRWAYS Flight 2957, a Boeing 737, had to make an emergency landing at London Gatwick, on Thursday, June 16. While enroute from Glasgow, Scotland, to Gatwick, the crew declared an emergency and performed an emergency descent, reporting a loss of cabin pressure. Passenger O2 masks were deployed and the 737 went on to make a safe landing at Gatwick. In a brief statement, BA said the cause of the cabin decompression was being investigated. A large number of passengers onboard Flight 2957 were also booked on Flight 2714, which departed later the same day for Malaga, Spain. However, shortly after departure from Gatwick, the crew requested return, reporting a technical problem with the landing gear. The aircraft landed safely back at Gatwick. That 737 has returned to service while the 737 involved in the decompression incident remains out of service.

*AIR CANADA Flight 850, a Boeing 777, had to make an emergency return to Calgary, AB, Canada, on Tuesday, June 14. While enroute at 33000 feet, about 280 miles N/NE of Calgary, the crew reported a main battery problem and requested return. The 777, which had been enroute to London Heathrow, landed back in Calgary about 75 minutes later. In a brief statement, the Canadian TSB reported that the crew noted a smell of smoke in the cockpit. Maintenance replaced a main battery charger that was determined to be faulty. According to the TSB, Air Canada is investigating an ongoing problem with faulty batteries.

SNAPSHOTS

AN AERIAL VIEW TODAY OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE PARIS AIR SHOW TODAY AT LE BOURGET AIRPORT. THE SHOW IS OPEN TO INDUSTRY ONLY UNTIL FRIDAY, WHEN IT OPENS TO THE PUBLIC. THE SHOW CLOSES SUNDAY.

SK MEN

SK MEN

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/ AMY WINEHOUSE CANCELS PART OF TOUR AND RETURNS TO UK: Amy Winehouse has canceld part of her European tour after the singer was booed for appearing to be too drunk to perform at a concert in Serbia's capital Belgrade. She is pulling out of shows in Istanbul, Turkey, today, and Athens, Greece, on Wednesday. A spokesman said Winehouse would like to apologize to fans, but "feels that this is the right thing to do". The singer has struggled with addiction for some time. Her spokesman added that Winehouse will return home after agreeing with management that "she cannot perform to the best of her ability". Her tour, which was originally scheduled to include 12 performances, is now due to resume in Bilbao, Spain, on July 8. This weekend's concert in Belgrade, pictured left, was the 1st of the tour, and for almost 90 minutes, Winehouse mumbled her way through parts of songs. A British critic said: "She sang a few strained notes, before stumbling across the stage and at one point throwing her microphone to the floor. At times she left the stage altogether, her band attempting to fill in. She was frequently booed by the crowd". The Grammy-award winning singer had been under strict instructions not to drink after recently finishing a course of alcohol rehabilitation in London.

TV/ "BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL" TOPS DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS: CBS' "The Bold and the Beautiful" was the big winner at Sunday night's Daytime Emmy Awards. The CBS soap was named best daytime drama, making it a 3rd consecutive win for the series. Additionally, "B&B" star Heather Tom took the trophy for best leading actress, while Scott Clifton was named best younger actor for his role on the show. "B&B" also won the Daytime Emmy for best direction, tying with CBS sister soap "The Young and the Restless". The latter also won the award for best writing. Among the other acting categories, Michael Park of CBS' "As the World Turns" was named best leading actor for a second consecutive year, while Laura Wright of ABC's "General Hospital" won for best actress. Jonathan Jackson was named best supporting actor for "General Hospital," while the Daytime Emmy for outstanding younger actress went to Brittany Allen for ABC's now-canceled "All My Children". In other awards, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" took home the award for best talk show for a 2nd consecutive year, while "The Dr. Oz Show" was named best informative talk show. The category for best talk show host saw a tie between Dr. Mehmet Oz of "The Dr. Oz Show" and retiring host Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa for "Live With Regis and Kelly". The best game show category also saw a tie, with "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" each being recognized. Ben Bailey of Discovery Channel's "Cash Cab" was named best game show host for the 2nd year in a row. Full details on all the awards can be found on the Emmy website.

TV/ SEASON FINALE OF "THE KILLING" ENDS WITH A SHOCK: After a slow moving season and several red herrings, AMC's "The Killing" season finale made sure views have reason to tune in to Season 2. In a shocking twist to a season in which several of the male characters were under suspicion at some point in time, the answer to the question of who killed Rosie Larsen, may or may not have been answered. The last 5 minutes of the show turned the tables on everything that had been assumed up until that point. While the critics were mixed in their reaction, with several of them missing the point, the series ended its 1st year with a solid ratings performance last night. Drawing 2.3 million viewers to Sunday night's closer, the Mireille Enos-Joel Kinnaman drama rose dramatically from its penultimate episode, which lured 1.8 million. For the finale, about 1.07 million were in the adults 25-54 demographic. According to AMC, the first season of "The Killing" was the 2nd highest freshman season in the network's history behind "The Walking Dead" in viewers and the adult demos (18-49, 25-54). Fan reaction is mixed to the finale, but on boards across the country, the fans appear to have grasped the finales final twist and turns more so than any of the television critics.

TV/ POOL TO REPLACE REGIS ON "LIVE" NARROWS: According to media reports today, 3 names have surfaced to replace Regis Philbin in November when he retires from "Live with Regis and Kelly". The field has narrowed to: TV and radio personality and "American Idol" host  Ryan Seacrest, 36; Bravo executive and host of the network’s late-night talk show, "Watch What Happens: Live," Andy Cohen, 43; and, actor Mark Consuelos, 40, who frequently substitutes for Philbin on the show and happens to be married to co-host Kelly Ripa. According to THR, all 3 candidates have shown they can handle hosting a live show. They went on to say: "Cohen and Consuelos may have the upper hand when it comes to chemistry with the actress. She has been a guest on Cohen’s Bravo show several times and they're personal friends. And Consuelos’ connection to Ripa needs no further explanation". ABC has given no word on when an official announcement will be made.

TV & FILM/ RYAN DUNN DIES AT 34: "Jackass" cast member Ryan Dunn died early today of injuries sustained in a fiery car crash, and speed may have been a factor, police said. Dunn and a passenger in his 2007 Porsche died after the car left the roadway and burst into flames, near the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester. The 34 year old Dunn appeared on MTV shows "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam" and the 3 "Jackass" big-screen adaptations. He also was the star of his own MTV show, "Homewrecker," and hosted "Proving Ground" on the G4 cable network. According to a biography posted on his website, Dunn was born in Ohio and moved at age 15 to Pennsylvania, where he met Bam Margera on his first day of high school. Dunn, Margera, Christopher Raab (known as Raab Himself) and Brandon DiCamillo, under the moniker CKY for "Camp Kill Yourself," started making videos that featured them skateboarding and performing stunts. Dunn was working as a welder and at a gas station when Johnny Knoxville, a friend of Margera's through the skateboarding circuit, asked the crew to allow their videos to be part of the series "Jackass," which became a hit on MTV and ran from 2000 to 2002. The passenger who died in the crash had not yet been identified, police said.

FILM/ NEW CAST ADDED TO "HOBBIT" FILMS: Evangeline Lilly from "Lost" and Barry Humphries, aka "Dame Edna," will star in "The Hobbit," Peter Jackson announced on his Facebook page Sunday. He made the announcement in the form a letter. "Yikes! I can finally get back to some postings!  We've finished our first block of shooting and moved straight into location scouting. More on that soon. But today, I'm thrilled to announce two new cast members who will be joining us for our second block of shooting. Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character, the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! I'm also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes! More soon, including a flurry of answers to your questions. Sorry for the delay!". Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom are among the stars appearing in "The Hobbit" films, which will be released in December 2012 and December 2013.

FILM/ KELLER TO WRITE "PASSAGE" SCRIPT: Jason Keller has been hired to pen the adaptation of Justin Cronin's epic 2009 novel "The Passage" for Fox 2000. "Let Me In" director Matt Reeves came on to develop and direct the project in April, and he has settled on Keller as his collaborator. Keller wrote the screenplay for the Marc Forster-directed "Machine Gun Preacher," which Relativity Media just acquired for a fall release, and he co-wrote Relativity's untitled Snow White project, which just began filming with Julia Roberts starring. Cronin's "Passage," which is the 1st of a planned trilogy, is set a hundred years in the future after a government experiment to lengthen the human life span ends up turning people into vampires. Fox 2000 picked up rights to the proposed trilogy of books in 2007. John Logan wrote the original draft of the script when Ridley Scott, who is producing the project, was also considering it as a directing gig. Keller also has his screenplay for "Go Like Hell" in development at Fox.

FILM/ "HANOVER II" BECOMES TOP R-RATED COMEDY: Over the weekend, Warner Bros. The Hangover Part II grew its worldwide box office total to $488.7 million, surpassing the $467.5 million earned by the original film to become the biggest R-rated comedy of all time. The big surprise is the film’s international performance. Through Sunday, "Hangover II’s" international gross was $256 million, while it has earned $232.7 million so far in North America. Internationally, the biggest territories include the U.K. ($48 million), Germany ($31.5 million) and Australia ($30.4 million). The 1st "Hangover" grossed $190.2 million internationally, and $277.3 million domestically. "Hangover II" is far from being finished, and still has Spain and Japan yet to open.