Castro turns 87 out of public view
Former Cuban president Fidel Castro turned 87 behind closed doors Tuesday, with official tributes in state media serving as a reminder that the clock is ticking on his revolutionary generation’s grip on power.
Castro stepped down as president following a near-fatal illness in 2006, and his successor, younger brother Raul, has said that his current term ending in 2018 will be his last, ostensibly ending nearly six decades of rule by the brothers.
Fidel Castro has made only a couple of public appearances this year, and last month he skipped celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Cuban Revolution that were attended by several allied heads of state.
There’s no evidence that Castro’s health is in immediate danger, though his advancing age is evident in the images published through official channels.
Chris Brown sued over fight at studio
A man who claims he was punched and kicked by a member of Chris Brown’s entourage during a fight at a recording studio sued the R&B singer on Tuesday for assault and battery. Sha’keir Duarte sued Brown for unspecified damages in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming he suffered a concussion as well as humiliation and mental anguish as a result of the attack.
Brown’s attorney Mark Geragos called the case frivolous and said it amounted to an attempted shakedown. “This is what gives lawyers and lawsuits a bad name is garbage like this,” Geragos said, adding that he will seek to have the lawsuit dismissed and will countersue Duarte.
Duarte claims he was beaten by a member of Brown’s entourage identified in the suit only as “Hood” during a fight over a parking spot. The fight at Westlake Recording Studios erupted on Jan. 27 between the entourages of Brown and fellow singer Frank Ocean. The fight started after Brown parked in Ocean’s spot at the studio.
The birthday bunch
Singer Buddy Greco is 87. Rock singer David Crosby is 72. Comedian-actor Steve Martin is 68. Actress Susan Saint James is 67. “Far Side” cartoonist Gary Larson is 63. Actress Marcia Gay Harden is 54. Actress Halle Berry is 47. Actress Mila Kunis is 30.