Arrogate dominates Pegasus; California Chrome bows out 9th

January 29, 2017

Arrogate validated his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a convincing win over California Chrome and 10 others Saturday in the inaugural $12 million Grade I Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Arrogate, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith , took control on the far turn and prevailed by 3 1/2 lengths over Shaman Ghost with Neolithic third. California Chrome, the No. 1 all-time money earner in North American history, ended his racing career by fading to ninth under jockey Victor Espinoza .
It was revealed after the race that California Chrome suffered a right knee injury.
Arrogate paid $3.80 for a $2 win bet as the 4-5 favorite and covered the 1 1/18 miles in 1:47.61 in the world’s richest horse race to earn an estimated $7 million.
It was expected to be a match race between Arrogate and California Chrome, who finished second to Arrogate in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in their first meeting. California Chrome was the 6-5 second choice in the wagering.
« We used the first turn to our advantage, » Smith said after breaking from post position one with California Chrome leaving from post 12. « I noticed Victor nudging on (California Chrome) and thought, maybe he wasn’t there today. Chrome just didn’t fire.
« I was able to tip out and he was gone after that. »
Arrogate was fourth on the first turn as Noble Bird and Neolithic were first and second, with California Chrome looming third on the outside. Noble Bird set a solid pace of 23.46 seconds through the first quarter and 46.12 for a half mile as the leaders’ positions remained unchanged.
It appeared Arrogate might get hemmed in along the rail, but found an opening when California Chrome began to drop back. Arrogate easily passed the tiring pacesetters as Shaman Ghost moved into a non-threatening second down the stretch.
« I’m so relieved, » Baffert said. « Down the backside he was trapped in there. When he started making that move I knew right there… what a superior horse he is.
« I feel bad about California Chrome. He didn’t run a great race today so that matchup never came about. »
Said Art Sherman, California Chrome’s trainer: « He didn’t break as sharp and then he got wide. He didn’t have the umph. He looked like he was listless. This is the first bad race he’s every run for me. »
Arrogate burst onto the scene last summer by winning the Grade I Travers Stakes for 3-year-olds at Saratoga by 13 1/2 lengths in a track-record 1:59.36 for 1 1/4 miles. Arrogate’s only race between the Travers and the Pegasus was his stunning half-length victory over California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 5 — also at 1 1/4 miles.
Arrogate, who ran his winning streak to six since finishing third in his first career race, won the Eclipse Award as the 3-year-old champion. He had never raced at 1 1/8 miles until Saturday.
Despite his loss to Arrogate, California Chrome claimed his second Horse of the Year award by winning 7 of 8 races in 2016. The 6-year-old earned his first Horse of the Year in 2014, when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
He missed winning the Triple Crown by 1 3/4 lengths with a fourth-place performance in the Belmont before finishing third by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Pegasus was the brainchild of Gulfstream Park owner Frank Stronach. He sold the 12 spots in the starting gate for $1 million apiece in May. Only California Chrome, though, was being pointed toward the race when the slots were originally for sale.
Stronach purchased a slot in May and his horse — Shaman Ghost — earned an estimated $1.75 million. Neolithic earned some $1 million, with the other nine starters receiving $250,000 apiece.
California Chrome retires to stud at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky with a record of 16 wins, four seconds and a third in 27 starts. His official earnings entering the Pegasus were $14,502,650.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 5.4

© Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/Horse-Racing/2017/01/29/Arrogate-dominates-Pegasus-California-Chrome-bows-out-9th/4961485674002/
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Трамп и Меркель затронули в разговоре темы Украины, РФ, Сирии и НАТО

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January 29, 2017

Президент США Дональд Трамп и канцлер Германии Ангела Меркель обсудили в субботу в ходе телефонного разговора, длившегося 45 минут, отношения с Россией, украинский кризис, НАТО и сотрудничество в области борьбы с терроризмом, сообщает Белый дом.
По информации пресс-службы Белого дома, Д. Трамп и А. Меркель согласились с тем, что НАТО представляет для трансатлантических отношений « фундаментальное значение ».
Отмечается, что лидеры двух стран во время продолжительной беседы обсудили ситуацию на Ближнем Востоке и в Северной Африке, отношения с Россией и кризис в Украине.
Д. Трамп и А. Меркель договорились углублять американо-германские отношения и укреплять сотрудничество в борьбе с терроризмом и насильственным экстремизмом.
Глава США принял приглашение А. Меркель на экономический саммит « двадцатки », который пройдет в июле в Гамбурге.
Президент США с нетерпением ждет визита канцлера Германии в Вашингтон, подчеркивается в сообщении.
Тем временем, германская сторона выпустила зеркальный пресс-релиз по окончанию разговора двух лидеров.

Similarity rank: 9

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Luke Kennard, No. 17 Duke rally past Wake Forest

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January 29, 2017

WINSTON-SALEM, N. C. — With an unlikely chance to win based on how Saturday afternoon’s game unfolded, Duke was going to get the ball to Luke Kennard on the final possession.
It couldn’t have worked out better for the No. 17 Blue Devils.
Kennard’s 3-point basket from the right wing with 6.6 seconds to play gave Duke an 85-83 comeback victory against host Wake Forest at sold-out Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
« He delivered, » Duke interim coach Jeff Capel said. « He was in such a rhythm. When you have a guy going like that, you have to keep going to him.
Kennard, a sophomore guard, finished with 34 points for the Blue Devils (16-5, 4-4 ACC), who trailed 81-71 with four minutes to play. He shot 11-for-14 from the field, including 6-for-6 on 3-point attempts.
« We shared the ball well, » Kennard said. « I was just kind of feeling it. »
Grayson Allen added 19 points for Duke, which was in danger of suffering its fourth loss in five games.
« The way our team fought and battled it meant something today, » said Kennard, who poured in 30 points after halftime. « The second half, that’s the team we want to be. »
Wake Forest guard Bryan Crawford tallied 26 points, John Collins had 20 points and Keyshawn Woods finished with 15 for Wake Forest (12-9, 3-6). Crawford missed on a baseline runner in the final second with a chance to tie.
There were 50 fouls called in the game, with Duke in the most serious foul trouble.
« It was such a disjointed first half and we were in such foul trouble, » Capel said. « I was real proud of how we fought and stayed together and pushed each other. »
Within 63 seconds, Duke forwards Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles and Amile Jefferson picked up their fourth fouls, with the stretch ending at the 12:56 mark.
Yet Duke was within 59-56 with 11:23 to play and later had the deficit down to one. The Blue Devils were called for 25 fouls in the first 31 minutes, so seldom-used Antonio Vrankovic was summoned. Tatum fouled out with 6:58 left with eight points.
A scrum near the Duke bench with 4:34 to play led to an extensive official review. Brandon Childress of Wake Forest was assessed a technical foul, but a subsequent Duke turnover left the Demon Deacons up 79-71.
Woods bagged a banked-in jumper with 2:09 to play after Duke closed within 81-76 before Kennard, who produced nine consecutive points for his team, answered with a 3. A shot-clock violation gave the Blue Devils another chance and Allen’s 3-pointer made it 83-82 with 53 seconds left.
Woods missed a jumper, setting up a timeout and Kennard’s go-ahead 3. Giles set a screen to spring Kennard for his final basket.
« We went with our matchups that we went with and he made shots, » Wake Forest coach Danny Manning said of Kennard.
It was a devastating finish for the Demon Deacons, who led for more than 30 minutes.
« Getting on one another and holding each other accountable, » Manning said of the needed remedy.
Wake Forest built a 42-32 halftime lead by scoring seven of the last eight points of the half. Crawford and Woods combined for 16 of the team’s final 18 points before the break.
The Demon Deacons shot 50 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Duke was 5-for-16 on first-half 3-point attempts, enduring a stretch of eight consecutive possessions without scoring.
The leading scorers for both teams had two fouls in the opening five minutes, with Kennard and Collins both going to their respective benches. Collins played only 4 1/2 minutes before halftime.
Allen and Kennard returned to the starting lineup for Duke after reserve roles in the loss to North Carolina State on Monday night.
NOTES: Duke leads the series 168-78, including five victories in a row. … Wake Forest hasn’t defeated a ranked team this season, falling to 0-6 in those situations. … The last time the Demon Deacons defeated a ranked team at home, it came against then-No. 5 Duke in 2014. … G Grayson Allen led Duke in scoring in the previous three meetings with Wake Forest. … Duke was also without coach Mike Krzyzewski on the bench in 1995, when the Demon Deacons won three meetings. … Wake Forest entered the game averaging 87.9 points per game at home. … Duke goes to Notre Dame on Monday night while Wake Forest plays Tuesday at Boston College looking for a season sweep.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 3.3

© Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/College-Basketball/2017/01/29/Luke-Kennard-No-17-Duke-rally-past-Wake-Forest/1411485673808/
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Kard. Dziwisz kawalerem Orderem Orła Białego

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January 29, 2017

Emerytowany metropolita krakowski kard. Stanisław Dziwisz uhonorowany został najwyższym odznaczeniem państwowym – Orderem Orła Białego. Nadanie orderu odbyło się w sobotę, 28 stycznia w kapitularzu katedry wawelskiej, bezpośrednio po uroczystości ingresu abp. Marka Jędraszewskiego. Podczas ceremonii nadania orderu prezydent Polski Andrzej Duda przypomniał, że został ma on głęboką symbolikę związaną z wolną Polską i jest nadawany za znamienite zasługi dla RP. – Całe dotychczasowe życie było znamienitą zasługą dla Rzeczpospolitej. Ta służba, którą Eminencja rozpoczął wstępując do seminarium, była drogą służby dla Boga, Kościoła, bliźniego, ale przede de wszystkim dla narodu Polskiego – powiedział Andrzej Duda. Prezydent wskazał szczególne znaczenie posługi Kawalera Orderu Orła Białego, jako sekretarza Jana Pawła II, zwłaszcza w momencie zamachu z 13 maja 1981 roku, kiedy to kard. Dziwisz podejmował decyzje, które papieżowi ocaliły życie. Prezydent podziękował za 11 lat posługi krakowskiej oraz za zgodę na pochowanie w podziemiach katedry wawelskiej ciał prezydenta Lecha Kaczyńskiego i jego małżonki. Kardynał Dziwisz przyznał, że nadane mu odznaczenie przyjmuje jako wyraz uznania dla spraw, które dokonały się podczas minionych lat, również dla dobra Polski. – Służąc Chrystusowi i Jego Ewangelii, zawsze miałem świadomość, że w ten sposób najlepiej służę człowiekowi, a także Polsce. Przecież nasz naród od ponad tysiąca lat, mniej lub bardziej wiernie, rzeźbi swoją tożsamość na fundamencie ewangelicznych wartości dobra i miłości, godności człowieka stworzonego na obraz i podobieństwo Boże. Ta sama świadomość towarzyszyła mi podczas wieloletniej pracy u boku Jana Pawła II w Watykanie – powiedział arcybiskup senior. Purpurat przyznał, że posługa w Krakowie była zobowiązująca, gdyż podwawelski Gród z jego dziedzictwem nauki i kultury, wiary i świętości, jest wspaniałym klejnotem w koronie Rzeczypospolitej. Hierarcha wspomniał również dzieła, powstałe w czasach sprawowania przez niego biskupiego urzędu: Centrum Jana Pawła II « Nie lękajcie się », Muzeum Domu Rodzinnego Ojca Świętego w Wadowicach oraz nowy Uniwersytet Papieski Jana Pawła II. Przypomniał, że w lipcu w Krakowie odbyły się Światowe Dni Młodzieży. – To wydarzenie odsłoniło przed światem piękno Polski, bogactwo jej kultury i sztuki. To było nasze wspólne dzieło. Wyrosło one ze zgodnej współpracy Kościoła, władz państwowych i samorządowych miasta Krakowa, regionu małopolskiego oraz władz centralnych, a także wielu wspólnot, środowisk, instytucji i pojedynczych osób. To był sprawdzian drzemiących w nas pokładów dobra, pragnień i zdolności – powiedział kard. Dziwisz. W uroczystości nadania Orderu Orła Białego kard. Stanisławowi Dziwiszowi wzięli udział marszałkowie Sejmu i Senatu oraz premier Beata Szydło. Kard. Stanisław Dziwisz w 2006 roku mianowany został przez Benedykta XVI na 76. biskupa krakowskiego. Rezygnację z pełnienia posługi metropolity złożył po ukończeniu 75. roku życia, w maju 2014 r. Ze względu na odbywające się Światowe Dni Młodzieży w Krakowie w lipcu 2016 r., pozostał jednak na swoim stanowisku jeszcze przez dwa lata. Jego rezygnację przyjął 8 grudnia ub.r. papież Franciszek, ustanawiając jego następcą abp. Marka Jędraszewskiego. Order Orła Białego to najstarsze i najwyższe odznaczenie państwowe Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Nadawane jest za znamienite zasługi cywilne i wojskowe dla pożytku Rzeczypospolitej najwybitniejszym Polakom oraz najwyższym rangą przedstawicielom państw obcych. Działy:

Similarity rank: 8.7

Sentiment rank: 5.9

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‘Alternative facts’ let Trump pick his own reality

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January 29, 2017

By Clarence Page
Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 | 2 a.m.
White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said more than a little bit when she described President Donald Trump’s press secretary as offering “alternative facts.”
That may well be the most startling description of our new president’s promotional style that I have heard since his best-selling “The Art of the Deal” said his most useful promotional tool is “truthful hyperbole.”
Sure, it was probably a slip, yet also too on-the-nose in its accuracy to warrant a correction.
Conway, a counselor to the president after managing his election campaign, was in a heated exchange with NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, defending an inaccurate claim by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
The issue started the day before when Spicer yelled at reporters for allegedly “sowing division” and “deliberately false reporting” of Trump’s inauguration crowd — which he called “the largest audience to witness an inauguration — period!”
Unfortunately for Spicer, there was no evidence to support his claim. Trump’s inauguration crowd was much smaller than President Barack Obama’s in 2009, and he drew fewer television viewers in the United States (30.6 million) than Obama did in 2009 (37.8 million) and Ronald Reagan did in 1981 (41.8 million), according to Nielsen figures reported by The New York Times.
Figures for online viewership were not available, although Spicer expressed confidence that the final count would reveal that more eyeballs witnessed this inauguration than any other.
The fact-checking later grew even more interesting on “Meet the Press” when Todd challenged Conway about Spicer’s promoting “falsehoods.” Conway disagreed:
“You’re saying it’s a falsehood, and … Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that,” Conway said.
“Alternative facts?” Call me old fashioned, but is that a euphemism for lying? I’m just asking.
Or maybe Conway, who has described herself as “a fully recovered lawyer,” is simply thinking like a lawyer and spin doctor. Courtrooms and political campaigns are arenas for dueling narratives. Each side has its set of facts and the other side has its, well, alternative facts.
But why is Team Trump so determined to argue on behalf of their president over something seemingly so trivial as his crowd count and television ratings? Because they represent Donald Trump, the unlikely candidate whose aspirations to greatness have left him disappointed that more Americans don’t think he’s all that great.
So he turns for reassurance to favorable numbers — such as crowd size, TV ratings and poll numbers, especially when they show him “winning.”
But his desperation is showing. His efforts to minimize the significance of the Women’s March and Obama’s inaugurations only served instead to glorify them with more attention — well deserved, in my view.
Even on Monday, The New York Times reported that the new president used part of his first official meeting with congressional leaders to rehash his old and false claim that millions of unauthorized immigrants had robbed him of a popular vote majority. He also reportedly talked about the size of the crowd for his inaugural address.
Donald, let it go.
But even after his swearing-in, his inner salesman will not be contained. It is still hard at work, giving us a hard sell to prop up his legitimacy, perhaps in his own mind as much as anyone else’s — even if he has to inflate a few numbers here and there.
“The final key to the way I promote is bravado,” he says in “The Art of the Deal,” co-authored by Tony Schwartz, who says he made up the phrase “truthful hyperbole” and Trump approved it. “I play to people’s fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That’s why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It’s an innocent form of exaggeration — and a very effective form of promotion.”
Welcome to the zone of alternative facts, where your fantasies will be pandered to.
Trump’s bravado challenges our traditional notions of the presidency. George Washington never told a lie, according to legend. But would he tell an alternative fact?
Or would alt-facts make “Honest Abe” Lincoln less honest? In today’s politically cynical times, maybe not so much. But I wouldn’t call that progress.
Clarence Page is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 1.7

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トランプ米大統領「約束したことはやる」公約実行の決意を強調初の直接会談へ厳しい局面の予感

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January 29, 2017

「大統領の一挙手一投足を世界が注目している」。米大統領にトランプ氏が就任して初めての日米首脳電話会談で安倍晋三首相はトランプ氏にこう伝えると、トランプ氏は「約束したことはやる。スタートが大事だ」と語った。首相の発言はトランプ氏の政策や手法に国際社会から懸念が出ていることを遠回しに伝えたものだ。だが、トランプ氏は大統領選中に掲げた公約を実行する決意が揺るがないことを強調したのだった。環太平洋戦略的経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）に代えた日米２国間での新たな自由貿易協定（ＦＴＡ）締結といった具体的な話に及ばなかったのも、トランプ氏が通商政策をはじめとする自身の考えは不変であることを示唆したものだ。安倍首相は会談後、記者団の前に現れたが、その表情はやや硬かった。発言で「経済」という言葉を、安全保障や日米同盟の前に真っ先に挙げたのも、トランプ氏の手ごわさを感じたからかもしれない。電話会談に同席した政府関係者によると、会談の雰囲気は「非常に和やかだった」という。昨年１１月の会談がプラスに作用したというが、２月１０日の初の首脳会談が相当厳しい局面になることを予感させた。

Similarity rank: 4.7

Sentiment rank: 2

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A passenger aircraft almost collided with a drone

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January 29, 2017

A passenger aircraft almost collided with a drone flying at 500ft above a primary school in Birmingham, England. The near miss, which took place on the morning of September 7th 2016, has been confirmed by a recent report into the incident. The local police forces were unable to locate the drone or its operative.
According to UKAB – the official board for investigating near airborne collisions – the commercial DH8 turboprop aircraft came within 1600ft of the drone, before managing to land safely. This incident is amongst 60 other near collisions between aircraft and drones, reported to UKAB in the past year.
The Civil Aviation Authority stipulates that drones must not be flown higher than 400ft , or within close proximity to airports or airfields. According to Sky News , a British Airways pilot suggests the realisation of a plane-drone collision could result in an « uncontrolled engine failure. »
Despite this, UKAB’s report confirmed that:
Whilst there persists incidents of near misses with drones, there have been efforts made by the authorities to limit these hazards. For example, the Drone Assist app designed by the authorities , aims to educate and help drone pilots stay clear of no-fly zones. Moreover, the Telegraph reports that the government has proposed mandatory registration for all drones within the UK – with the aim to reduce careless or misguided flying.
Source: UKAB via Sky News | Image of a drone and airplane via Aviation Buzzword

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Д. Трамп і А. Меркель у бесіді обговорили конфлікт в Україні

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January 29, 2017

“Розглядалося широке коло питань, в тому числі НАТО, ситуація на Близькому Сході і в Північній Африці, відносини з Росією і конфлікт на сході України. Обидві сторони підтвердили важливість тісного німецько-американського співробітництва у сфері безпеки і процвітання своїх країн”, — йдеться в заяві.

Similarity rank: 16

Trump Reaffirms Commitment To US-Japan Alliance After TPP Reversal

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January 29, 2017

President Donald Trump discussed the future of U. S.-Japanese relations with the prime minister of Japan over the phone Saturday.
The two leaders acknowledged the significance of the U. S.-Japanese bilateral relationship going forward. “We confirmed with each other the importance of the U. S.-Japan alliance for areas such as the economy and national security,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said told reporters after his phone call with Trump.
Trump invited the prime minister to visit the White House on Feb. 10. “I hope to have a frank, meaningful exchange of opinions with him on a broad range of issues from the economy to security,” Abe said.
Saturday’s phone call follows Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive free trade agreement encompassing 12 countries. The Japanese prime minister was a strong supporter of the Pacific trade pact, which was intended to serve as an essential cornerstone for his economic policies.
Abe views U. S. participation as vital to the TPP’s success. “The fundamental balance of interests is lost without the U. S.,” Koichi Hagiuda, deputy chief cabinet secretary, said during a press conference following Trump’s decision.
“We want to continue persuading the U. S. of the strategic and economic benefits,” Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko told reporters.
While Japan hopes to convince Trump of the merits of the TPP, it has agreed to consider negotiating new bilateral trade agreements, which Trump prefers to vast multilateral deals.
Although defense is a crucial component of the U. S.-Japanese relationship, economics and trade will play a role in setting the tone for future interactions.
On the campaign trail, Trump presented Japan as a competitor. Trump has criticized Japan for restricting access to Japanese markets through unfair tariffs on American auto exports. Japanese officials maintain that such accusations are unfounded, claiming that there are no barriers to trade. Trump has also argued that Japan does not contribute enough funding for the defense commitments provided by the American military.
Nonetheless, exchanges between Trump and Japan have been cordial.
The Japanese prime minister was the first world leader to meet Trump after his victory in the 2016 presidential election.
“[I am] convinced that Mr. Trump is a leader in whom I can have confidence,” Abe told reporters after their meeting, adding that he hoped to “maintain a relationship of trust” with the new administration.
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Similarity rank: 2.1

Sentiment rank: 2.6

Sir John Hurt: Bafta-winning actor dies aged 77

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January 29, 2017

Sir John Hurt’s wife, Anwen, has led tributes to the veteran actor after he died at the age of 77.
The Bafta-winning star, known for his roles in Alien and The Elephant Man, had been treated for pancreatic cancer in 2015.
Sir John’s wife said he had brought « joy and magic » and it would be a « strange world without him ».
He recently starred as Father Richard McSorley in Jackie, the biopic of President John F Kennedy’s wife.
Despite being given the all-clear from cancer, he last year pulled out of Sir Kenneth Branagh’s production of The Entertainer on the advice of his doctors.
Lady Hurt confirmed Sir John had died on Wednesday at his home in Norfolk.
« John was the most sublime of actors and the most gentlemanly of gentlemen with the greatest of hearts and the most generosity of spirit, » she said in a statement.
« He touched all our lives with joy and magic and it will be a strange world without him. »
US director Mel Brooks described Sir John as « cinematic immortality », as tributes poured in for the star.
Brooks paid tribute to Sir John, who had starred in his comedy Spaceballs, saying on Twitter : « No one could have played The Elephant Man more memorably. »
He added: « He carried that film into cinematic immortality. He will be sorely missed. »
Sir John also played the part of wand-maker Mr Ollivander in the Harry Potter films.
Author of the books, JK Rowling, tweeted : « So very sad to hear that the immensely talented and deeply beloved John Hurt has died. My thoughts are with his family and friends. »
By Nick Higham, BBC correspondent
John Hurt was an unusual actor, instantly recognisable, yet never typecast. He seemed to take every part he was offered and make a success of them all.
Other star actors enjoy a decade or two in the sun before their reputation fades. John Hurt continued entertaining new audiences to the end. It made compiling his television obituary difficult: what on earth to leave out, when it was all so good?
He was the deranged Caligula in I, Claudius and those two brave but ostracised outsiders, the gay Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and the hideously disfigured John Merrick in The Elephant Man. To a younger generation he was the War Doctor in Doctor Who and the wand-maker Mr Ollivander in Harry Potter.
He was blessed with a distinctive voice, gravelly and honeyed, and a characterful face, which as the years passed grew increasingly lined and craggy – the legacy of his years as a hell-raiser.
He was good at complex characters – at once confident and vulnerable, or arrogant yet sympathetic.
And he lived life to the full: four times married, he lived at various times in Oxfordshire, Ireland, Kenya and Norfolk and (having briefly been to art school in his youth) took up painting again towards the end of his life though it’s hard to know how he found the time.
Director Guillermo del Toro tweeted : « John Hurt was nothing if not movingly human. Loyal, loving and incredibly intelligent and kind. He was family. »
Stephen Fry praised Sir John for being « great on the stage, small screen and big ».
The veteran actor’s last cinematic role was in That Good Night, in which he played a terminally ill playwright, Ralph.
Despite « his own personal battles with illness » during filming in Portugal last year, the producers said Sir John was « proud » and « keen » to work on the « extremely poignant » project.
Producers Alan Latham and Charles Savage said in a statement: « We watched John in awe during filming and feel privileged to have had this opportunity to work with him. »
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood said : « It was such an honor to have watched you work, sir. »
British actor Alfred Molina said Sir John was « a gloriously talented actor, one of the best, of this or any era. »
John Hurt was one of Britain’s best-known and most versatile actors.
He was born on 22 January, 1940 in Chesterfield in Derbyshire. Over six decades, he appeared in more than 120 films as well as numerous stage and television roles.
He went to St Martin’s School of Art in London, but dropped out. He then gained a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1960 but said he had been so hungry, he could hardly deliver his lines.
It was not until 1978 that Hurt was recognised as one of cinema’s best character actors, gaining an Oscar nomination for his performance as a heroin addict in Alan Parker’s Midnight Express.
In 1979, he then starred as Kane in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror Alien. in The death of his character has often been voted as one of cinema’s most memorable moments.
The film critic and historian Geoff Andrew once asked Hurt how he managed to regularly turn in such memorable performances.
« The only way I can describe it is that I put everything I can into the mulberry of my mind and hope that it is going to ferment and make a decent wine, » he said.
« How that process happens, I’m sorry to tell you I can’t describe. »
Read more about Sir John Hurt’s life here
Sir John was also known for his off-screen antics, with his drinking splashed across newspapers.
He once even lunged at a pack of paparazzi at a Bafta awards ceremony.
But he said that age had mellowed him and he admitted to being happier sitting with his painting easels than being out on the town.
Sir John was married four times. His first marriage to actress Annette Robertson lasted two years in the 1960s. In 1968 he started a relationship with the « love of his life » Marie Lise Volpeliere-Porrot – it ended 15 years later when she was killed in a riding accident.
The following year he married US actress Donna Peacock but the couple divorced four years later, although they remained good friends. He married his third wife Jo Dalton in 1990 and they had two sons. They divorced in 1995.
In 2005, he wed Anwen Rees-Myers, a former actress and classical pianist, who was with him until his death.
Sir John was knighted in 2015 for his services to drama.
After his cancer diagnosis the same year, he told the Radio Times: « I can’t say I worry about mortality, but it’s impossible to get to my age and not have a little contemplation of it.
« We’re all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly. »
In 2013, he appeared in Doctor Who as the War Doctor, a hitherto unseen incarnation of the character.
He was still working up until his death, starring in Jackie Kennedy biopic Jackie, thriller Damascus Cover and the upcoming biopic of boxer Lenny McLean, My Name Is Lenny.
He was also filming Darkest Hour, in which he starred as Neville Chamberlain opposite Gary Oldman’s Winston Churchill, scheduled to be released in December.