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Journalism of Courage
Inheriting Sinatra
The late Frank Sinatra left most of his estate to his widow and children, stipulating that anyone who contests his testament will be disinherited, according to court documents. The estate left by Sinatra, who died last week at age 82, is estimated at 200 million, but most has been subject to provisions made by the legendary singer while he was still alive.
Service for Linda
A memorial service will be held on June 8 for Linda McCartney, who died of cancer last month at 56. Sir Paul McCartney8217;s office said that the remembrance service for his wife will be held at the Church of St. Martin in the fields on Trafalgar Square in Central London. McCartney8217;s office said the service was for close friends and family, but that it understood animal welfare groups and other people who wished to honour Linda McCartney planned to gather in the square for an informal candlelit tribute at the same time. Many people sent condolences after Linda McCartney8217;s death April 19 in Arizona, and the family is placing newspaper advertisements to thank them, the office statement said.
Not for peace only
Pete Peterson, US ambassador to Vietnam and former war prisoner, is to marry anethnic Vietnamese Australian woman in a union seen as symbolising Vietnam-US reconciliation. The marriage promised to be a fashionable event in Vietnam with two ceremonies planned with 200 carefully-selected guests including journalists.
Peterson, 62, took office last May as the first US ambassador to Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam war. He was imprisoned in Hanoi from 1966 to 1973 when his plane was shot down by Vietnamese communists. The former US Air Force pilot then became a Democratic Congressman in Florida who actively supported normalisation of Vietnam US diplomatic relations, which only became reality in 1995.
Peterson8217;s bride, Vi Le, 41, was born in Saigon but grew up in Vientiane, Hong Kong, Bangkok, France and Australia, where her family finally settled in 1977. She is the senior trade commissioner of the Australian embassy in Hanoi. The couple gave many interviews to the Vietnamese media in recent weeks, affirming that they were happy to make their personal contribution to thereconciliation between Vietnam and the US but that, above all, they were in love with each other. It will be the second marriage for Peterson, a widower since 1995, and the first for Le.
DiCaprio8217;s test
Actor Leonardo di Caprio may have won the hearts of millions of adolescents in the epic movie, Titanic, but he has yet to convince Britain8217;s waxwork museum Madame Tussaud8217;s that he is here to stay. The Titanic star is only on a 8220;maybe8221; list of new commissions because they cannot be sure it will be worth the time and outlay to cast him. 8220;We make about 10 new figures each a year so it8217;s very important that we choose people who we think are going to last for a while,8221; said a museum spokesman.
It costs about 40,000 to make a wax image and the museum wants to be sure it will be money well spent. 8220;We have an ongoing list of people we are considering and a go8217; list of those we actually approach. He hasn8217;t quite made it there yet,8221; added the spokesman.
Pentagonroute
The Pentagon8217;s chief spokesman admitted that he helped leak embarrassing information about a Pentagon aide who blew the whistle on President Bill Clinton8217;s alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky. But Kenneth Bacon denied that he had leaked the information about Linda Tripp to a reporter for the New Yorker magazine at the direction of the White House, calling that a 8220;mischievous misconception8221;. The incident is under investigation by the Pentagon8217;s inspector general IG, who must determine whether the leak violated US privacy laws that protect personnel files from release to the public, he said. Bacon declined to discuss specifics of the case pending the investigation8217;s outcome. The New Yorker reported in March that Tripp was arrested on a 1969 grand larceny charge but failed to report that fact on a security clearance form which asked whether she had ever been arrested.
It later emerged that the charge against Tripp, who was 19 at the time, was reduced toloitering and that she was released without a conviction on her record. Asked about the story at his regular press briefing, Bacon admitted, 8220;I was involved in a decision to release that information.8221; He said he had done it without consulting any superior at the Pentagon. 8220;In retrospect, I8217;m sorry that the incident occurred,8221; he said. 8220;I8217;m sorry that I did not check with our lawyers or check with Linda Tripp8217;s lawyers about this. But the details of this will be sorted out by the IG.8221;
