NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Jolie to leaders: Make Syria diplomacy work

ZAATARI, JORDAN

Angelina Jolie said Thursday the Syrian civil war is the world’s most acute humanitarian crisis and called on world leaders to make diplomatic efforts to end it succeed.

Jolie spoke at Jordan’s largest camp for Syrian refugees, which she toured as special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency.

“I appeal to the world leaders — please, set aside your differences, unite to end the violence, and make diplomacy succeed,” she told reporters, drawing attention to the U.N.’s World Refugee Day.

Brand scraps Mideast shows over security

LONDON

British comedian Russell Brand says he has canceled Middle Eastern dates on his forthcoming tour after promoters said they could not guarantee his safety.

Brand planned to take his “Messiah Complex” tourSFlbto Abu Dhabi and Lebanon.

Brand has said the tour focuses on icons including Che Guevara, Gandhi, Malcolm X and Jesus, and examines “the importance of heroes in this age of atheistic disposability.”

But Brand told BBC radio Thursday that the Mideast venues “contacted us to say we can no longer guarantee your safety.”

‘Star Trek’ creator to be part of space archive

LAS CRUCES, N.M.

Remains of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, his wife and the actor who played Scotty will get a final resting place in the “Final Frontier” in plans announced Thursday to launch a space archive.

The project is being developed by the Houston company Celestis, which for years has offered a service that takes partial remains into space and brings them back.

Celestis announced the new project a day before a launch from Spaceport America takes its 1,000th capsule into space.

Ashes from the Roddenberrys have been on other flights. This time, they will stay in space.

Plans call for the archive to be launched with a large experimental solar sail planned by NASA next year.

The public can pay to have digital files, photos and DNA samples included.

Also on the mission will be hair from science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.

Associated Press