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Walt Disney seated with drawing board on his lap and representations of his creations Mickey and Minnie Mouse behind, in photo taken from around 1933 and which appears in an upcoming PBS documentary, "Walt Disney."(Photo: Edward Steichen, © Condé Nast Archive/Corbis)
Disneyland celebrates 60th anniversary
Friday marks 60 years since Walt Disney welcomed the first guests to his happy place, and the theme parks are rolling out the diamond-year celebrations. The innovator's dream sparkles with a new Paint the Night parade, fireworks shows and the World of Color — Celebrate! show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and Mickey Mouse. The Matterhorn abominable snowman also got an upgrade, and imagineers brought back the original and legendary Hatbox Ghost in the Haunted Mansion. Think you know your Disney trivia? Take a read! Check out reader photos from their trips to Disney:
One year later, still few answers in the shootdown of MH17 over Ukraine
It's been a year since Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was blown out of the sky over war-ravaged eastern Ukraine, but there's still little certainty on what actually brought it down. Most evidence points to the plane being taken down by a missile over an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels, but where the weapon was fired from — the air or the ground — and who fired it remains unclear. Ukrainian and Western officials say the plane was shot down by a rebel missile and Russia supplied the weapon or trained rebels to use it. Both the rebels and Moscow deny that. The families of the 298 victims are still waiting for answers.
Detroit mom in freezer murder case sentenced
A Detroit mother who admitted to beating, burning and killing two of her children returns to court Friday for sentencing. Mitchelle Blair, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder in June for the deaths of Stephen Berry, 9, and his sister Stoni Blair, 13 — calling them "demons" — and faces mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. Police discovered the bodies in her freezer March 24. Blair told the court she doesn't have any remorse but still admits guilt for her children's deaths.
Mitchelle Blair appears in court July 17 for sentencing. She pleaded guilty to murdering her children, who were found in a freezer March 24.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Jessica J. Trevino, Detroit Free Press)
Japan hotels goes really high tech (and weird)
A robot dinosaur receptionist will greet guests at Japan's Henn na Hotel when it opens Friday. The property in Sasebo is using robots (not all of them dinosaurs) to perform a variety of functions including checking in guests, carrying luggage to rooms and making cups of coffee. Henn na Hotel isn't the first to employ robots — Starwood is also experimenting with smart technology, like robot butlers.
A receptionist dinosaur robot performs at a new hotel, aptly called Henn na Hotel or Weird Hotel, in Sasebo, Japan. From the receptionist that does the check-in and check-out to the porter that ís a stand-on-wheels taking luggage up to the room, the hotel, that is run as part of Huis Ten Bosch amusement park, is "manned" almost totally by robots to save labor costs.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi, AP)
Muslims to celebrate end of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr
Muslims will gather Friday to mark the end of Ramadan with the annual Eid al-Fitr celebration. Since June 17, observers of Ramadan have fasted each day. To celebrate Eid, Muslims gather early in the morning for a prayer and then spend the rest of the day exchanging gifts, eating and visiting with family. Eid occurs at the start of the 10th month on the Islamic lunar calendar each year, at the sight of a new moon.
In this Sept. 10, 2010 file photo, an American flag adorns the stage as worshippers gather for prayer during Eid al-Fitr morning services marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: M. Spencer Green, AP)
And, the essentials:
Weather: There's a warm front on the move Friday. Expect thunderstorms across the Ohio Valley, Gulf Coast and the Rockies.
Stocks: Asia stocks rose on strong U.S. earnings reports.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Driving Miss Daisy and Welcome to Sweden.
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Contributing: Associated Press
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