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Showing posts from September 15, 2013

US to seize New York skyscraper secretly owned by Iran

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The website for the building at 650 Fifth Avenue advertises for prospective tenants. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The U.S. government is set to seize a Manhattan skyscraper that prosecutors say is secretly owned and controlled by the Iranian government. The 36-story tower is located on Fifth Avenue in the heart of New York City, adjacent to Rockefeller Center, and is home to a number of corporate tenants. Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said Tuesday that the seizure and sale of the property would be the government's largest-ever terrorism-related forfeiture. A federal judge authorized the seizure in a ruling this week, finding that the building's owners had violated federal money laundering laws and sanctions against Iran . The building was constructed in the 1970's by a non-profit organization operated by the Shah of Iran, who was overthrown at the end of that decade. Today, the property is 60% owned by that organization, now called the Al

Mark Wahlberg Gets a High School Diploma

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The 42-year-old dropped out of school in the ninth grade, but finally got his degree this year, he says, in order to set an example for his kids Getty Images Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg may boast an impressive list of career accomplishments , but until now, he lacked a high school diploma. In a column he penned for the Huffington Post , the 42-year-old announced that he’s now a high school graduate. “I never made it past the ninth grade,” Walhberg wrote. “My circumstances were not unlike millions of other teens today, who live in tough working class neighborhoods surrounded by drugs, violence and crime, and who struggle to stay on the right path without positive influences.” The  Ted star explains that for the past year, he’s been completing online courses, fitting in time to study while traveling and even while on set. He officially received his diploma in June, and said that his four kids were his greatest motivation. “I