Regularly sipping water can reduce the severity of headaches and migraines, reducing the need for painkillers.
Scientists found drinking around seven glasses a day was enough to ease pain and improve the quality of life in patients who regularly suffer headaches.
Researchers from the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands, noticed in 2005 that a patient told to drink more for a bladder problem saw his migraines get better.
Scientists found drinking around seven glasses a day was enough to ease pain and improve the quality of life in patients who regularly suffer headaches
Lead researcher Dr. Mark Spigt and his team recruited more than 100 patients who frequently suffered from severe or mild headaches.
The team instructed them on how to ease their discomfort, including reducing stress, improving sleep and avoiding caffeine.
But half the patients were also told to drink 1.5 litres of water a day for three months, on top of their normal liquid intake.
At the end of the study, patients filled out a questionnaire called the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life index to say how they felt. The results, published in journal Family Practice, showed those drinking extra water scored far higher on the questionnaire.
The researchers said: “We suspect that some headache patients may benefit from drinking more water and it seems reasonable to recommend they try drinking more for a short period of time to see if they experience an improvement.”
Dr. Fayyaz Ahmed, of the Migraine Trust, said the benefits of drinking water could be due to the placebo effect.
But he added: “However, regular intake of water and adequately hydrating is healthy, and a lot of people feel better.”
The most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps has hit the big time, landing a spot in the latest Louis Vuitton Core Values campaign.
Following in the footsteps of Sean Connery and Catherine Deneuve, Michael Phelps, 27, poses with one of the French label’s famous monogrammed bags.
He stars alongside former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, 77, also an Olympic champion many times over, having won 18 medals in her impressive career.
The caption beneath, which is written in Italian, bears the words: “Due percorsi straordinari. Uno stesso destino”, which translates as: “Two extraordinary paths. The same fate.”
Michael Phelps stars alongside former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina in Louis Vuitton's latest Core Values campaign
The new Core Values campaign image was released at the same time as another image of the swimming star, wearing trunks and goggles in a bath, with an LV-monogrammed bag beside the tub.
Though it is designed to look like it too is for Louis Vuitton, the luxury label said: “It is not an official Louis Vuitton image.”
The official new advertisement is the latest in an ongoing series, all shot by celebrated U.S. portrait photographer Annie Leibowitz.
The campaign has also featured images of Francis Ford Coppola with his daughter Sofia, Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards and even Mikhail Gorbachev.
The purpose of the Louis Vuitton series runs deeper than straightforward promotion however.
The Core Values campaign supports Al Gore’s Climate Change project.
“We are delighted with its success” says Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Senior Vice-President of Communication and Marketing.
“Our aim was to broaden the idea of travel beyond its geographical dimension, and the campaign has achieved this in a truly remarkable way. We are particularly proud of the acclaim it has received from within the advertising industry, witnessed by numerous awards.”
“This is a good example of how a business can be innovative and successful, and at the same time environmentally responsible,” said Al Gore on the project.
It has been revealed that Katherine Jackson does not want to see her children Janet, Randy and Rebbie anyway.
According to a source, Katherine Jackson is so upset with her children’s recent behavior she will not see them, even if it is at another location other than the Calabasas property they are banned from.
“For the time being, Janet, Rebbie, and Randy aren’t allowed at the home,” a source told Radaronline.
“The executors were asked to send a letter to Katherine’s children after the trio, plus Jermaine, descended onto the house while Katherine was in Tucson, Arizona unaware that her grandchildren had been trying to reach her, and an altercation ensued.
“Katherine is free to see Janet, Rebbie, or Randy, just not at that house.
“However Katherine has absolutely no desire to see them right now because she is just heartbroken that they betrayed her trust and didn’t tell her that Michael’s children had been trying to contact her,” added the source.
The insider says Katharine Jackson will forgive but she will most definitely not forget.
“[She will] never publicly say anything negative about her children, it’s just not who she is. However, she is just absolutely disappointed that Janet, Randy, Rebbie, and Jermaine would keep her in the dark like that.
“Jermaine has apologized, but Katherine can’t forget it,” the sourced added.
“Katherine recognizes that Randy was behind all of this, and wishes he would stop spouting off to the press about their family business. She isn’t having any contact with him especially right now.”
Katherine Jackson is so upset with her children's recent behavior she will not see them, even if it is at another location other than the Calabasas property they are banned from
Last week Janet Jackson broke her silence after weeks of highly-publicized disputes with her relatives over the validity of her late brother Michael’s will.
The singer, in a statement released on behalf of herself and siblings Randy and Rebbie Jackson, claimed the executors of Michael’s will were causing harm by damaging “fundamental family relationships”.
The statement, released through Janet Jackson’s attorney, Blair G Brown, also accused executors John Branca and John McClain of isolating matriarch Katherine Jackson “from anyone questioning the validity of Michael’s will”.
At the start of this month a judge named TJ Jackson, a cousin to Michael Jackson’s three minor children, as co-guardian with Katherine, who was named their sole caretaker in the disputed will.
Janet, Randy and Rebbie Jackson in the statement accused John Branca and John McClain of a “relentless” negative media campaign and said that they were barred from visiting their 82-year-old mother or Jackson’s children, Prince, 15, Paris, 14, and Blanket, 10.
“The effect of that notice not only is to damage fundamental family relationships, it is also to isolate Katherine Jackson from anyone questioning the validity of Michael’s will,” the statement read.
“Since the loss of Michael, Janet, Randy, and Rebbie‘s principal concern has been and continues to be for the safety and well-being of Michael‘s children, their mother Katherine Jackson, and the entire family.
“Unfortunately, those people have been harmed by the actions of the executors of Michael‘s estate, the estate’s lawyer, and those installed and paid to do their bidding,” it continued.
They said they would continue to contest Michael Jackson’s will because “the executors have never explained how Michael could have signed his will in California on a date that irrefutable evidence establishes that he was in New York”.
Representatives for executors John Branca and John McClain released a statement some weeks ago saying: “Any doubts about the validity of Michael’s will and his selection of Executors were thoroughly and completely debunked two years ago when a challenge was rejected by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the California Court of Appeals and, finally, the California Supreme Court.”
Janet, Randy and Rebbie Jackson said that they will continue to contest Michael’s will, and added, “they stand nothing to gain financially by a finding that the will is invalid”.
“The individuals who have the most to lose by a finding that the will is invalid are, of course, the executors and those on the executors’ payroll.”
The siblings said they would “press forward in their search for the truth in order to carry out the wishes of their brother Michael”.
The Jackson siblings’ statement came days after their mother Katherine was stripped of her guardianship after she was reported missing by a family member following a sudden absence from the Calabasas home she shares with her late son’s children.
Katherine Jackson was determined to be staying at an Arizona resort while Prince and Paris made claims on Twitter they were barred from contacting their grandmother – leading to a driveway dispute between the siblings and their older relatives.
During bizarre scenes Randy, Janet and Jermaine Jackson apparently burst into the home, reportedly demanding that the children come with them to Arizona where their grandmother was staying. Police were called and “two male adults became violent”, according to police officers.
The dispute prompted Katherine Jackson to make a televised statement last week – with Janet, Jermaine, Rebbie, Rebbie’s daughter, and a manager of the resort where she was staying – to reassure the public she was fine.
However, in a court deposition released within days of that interview, she revealed she was unaware the children were trying to reach her, and that her mobile devices were taken during her time away, preventing her from contacting them.
Nadzeya Ostapchuk, women’s shot put Olympic gold medalist, has been stripped of her title after failing a doping test, the International Olympic Committee has announced.
Belarusian Nadzeya Ostapchuk, 31, threw 21.36 m with her third attempt to win in the Olympic Stadium last week.
But Nadzeya Ostapchuk has now been disqualified after officials said metenolone was found in a urine sample she provided.
New Zealand’s Valerie Adams, who was second, has now been awarded gold.
Nadzeya Ostapchuk, women's shot put Olympic gold medalist, has been stripped of her title after failing a doping test
An IOC statement said: “The athlete was first requested to provide a urine sample for a doping control on 5 August.
“She competed the next day in the women’s shot put event, where she placed first, and was asked to provide a sample straight after her competition.
“Both samples indicated the presence of metenolone, which is classified as anabolic agent under the 2012 prohibited list.”
Nadzeya Ostapchuk won gold at the 2010 European Championships, but was second to Adams at the 2011 World Championships.
London 2012 saw the biggest anti-doping operation in the history of the Olympic Games.
Before the start of the Olympics, those competing were warned that 150 scientists were set to take 6,000 samples between now and the end of the Paralympic Games.
Every competitor who won a medal at the Olympics was tested.
British discus thrower Brett Morse apologized to his Twitter followers after accusing Nadzeya Ostapchuk of doping last week.
Brett Morse made the claim after he failed to qualify for the Olympics discus final and also tweeted: “I’ve had a bad day but it could be worse, I could look like Ostaptchuk [sic].”
Syrian rebels have produced footage of a man they claim is the captured pilot of a fighter jet that went down in the east of the country.
The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) say they shot a military aircraft down near the Iraqi border.
But state media say the plane crashed because of “technical problems” and a search is under way to find the pilot.
Government forces have continued their advance in Aleppo, with reports of clashes in the west of the city.
According to Syria’s state-run news agency Sana, the plane that went down had suffered a fault with its “control mechanisms” during a routine training mission, forcing the pilot to abandon the aircraft.
Syrian rebels have produced footage of a man they claim is the captured pilot of a fighter jet that went down in the east of the country
The aircraft was shot down near the town of al-Muhassan, around 120 km (75 miles) from the Iraqi border in Deir al-Zour province, the rebels say.
The FSA says that one of the two-man crew died and that another has been captured.
A group calling itself the “Revolutionary Youth of the Land of the Euphrates” uploaded a video to YouTube purporting to show the captured pilot surrounded by three armed rebels, saying that his mission was to “bomb the town of al-Muhassan”.
In the video, which cannot be independently verified, the seemingly middle-aged man identifies himself as a pilot, Col. Fareer Mohammad Suleiman. He appears to have minor bruising to his face which he attributes to the plane crash.
In other footage provided by the rebels, what appears to be a Russian-built MiG-23 fighter jet is shown carrying two under-wing weapons pods thought to be loaded with air-to-ground missiles.
Anti-aircraft fire can be heard before the jet bursts into flames.
Rebel gunners are then heard on the footage celebrating.
If the rebels have succeeded in downing a MiG-23, it would be a significant moment in the conflict.
Reports have emerged recently of anti-aircraft weapons reaching rebels in Syria.
Earlier this week, photos were posted online by rebels showing them with a full surface-to-air missile system. This would pose a potential threat to the regime’s air power, correspondents say.
Meanwhile, activists say government forces have begun a new advance against rebels in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. Aleppo has seen fierce clashes between the two sides in recent weeks.
Government forces entered the Saif al-Dawla neighborhood with tanks and armored vehicles, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The strategic northern district of Salah al-Din had been coming under bombardment since the morning, the Observatory said.
State media also said Syrian armed forces in central Homs province had killed a large number of “mercenary terrorists”.
NASA has released the first full color mosaic from its Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars.
Scientists have remarked that the rover’s surroundings resembled parts of the southwestern US.
Curiosity’s ultimate goal is to drive towards a peak – informally known as Mount Sharp – to study its rocks.
NASA has released the first full color mosaic from its Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars
Shown in the mosaic is a section on the crater wall where a network of valleys is believed to have formed through water entering from the outside.
This is the first view scientists have had of a fluvial system – one relating to a river or stream – from the surface of Mars.
Team members are also studying a section looking south of the landing site that provides an overview of the eventual geological targets Curiosity will explore, including the rock-strewn, gravelly surface nearby, a dark dune field and the sedimentary rock of Mount Sharp.
The rover will also study a patch of ground where rocks have been uncovered by the blast of the rockets used on the “sky crane”, which lowered Curiosity to the surface.
Jennifer Aniston got engaged to partner Justin Theroux on Friday, after he popped the question during his birthday celebrations.
Justin Theroux’ spokesperson confirmed to People: “Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday on Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, accepted his proposal of marriage.”
“They’re great friends,” the spokesperson added – a cheeky reference to the sitcom that made Jennifer Aniston famous in the Nineties.
The engagement news comes on the weekend rumors swirled that Jennifer Aniston’s ex-husband Brad Pitt set to be marry Angelina Jolie, his partner of seven years and the mother of his six children, at their French home.
Their romance was infamously shrouded in whispers that they embarked on a relationship while Brad Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston – having met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004.
Jennifer Aniston got engaged to partner Justin Theroux on Friday, after he popped the question during his birthday celebrations
However, as news of the wedding has still not been confirmed and insiders are claiming that next weekend is “a far more likely date”, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have stolen their thunder.
The couple, who has been dating for more than a year, was first seen together in May 2011.
Just two months later, Jennifer Aniston placed her Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $38 million, before buying a palatial LA Bel-Air home with Justin Theroux in January of this year – for a reported $22 million.
Jennifer Aniston, 43, and Justin Theroux, 41, both starred in Wanderlust together, a comedy flop with Paul Rudd about a modern New York couple trying to escape society by moving to a commune in Georgia.
However, while the news will come as a surprise to her fans – it seems that it came as an even bigger one to her father, John Aniston.
The veteran Days of Our Lives actor, 79, was apparently not aware that actor-screenwriter Justin Theroux had proposed to his daughter on the North Carolina set of her new film, We’re the Millers, on August 10.
He told celebrity website Celebuzz: “It’s the first I’ve heard about it. It’s a surprise to me. I’ll have to look online. When I find out more, I guess I’ll tell you!”
When it was explained that Justin Theroux proposed to Jennifer on his birthday, John Aniston added: “It sounds very romantic.”
John Aniston has described Justin Theroux as a “charming young man”, and gave his seal of approval saying: “I think they make a wonderful couple.”
Paolo Gabriele, former butler to Pope Benedict XVI, will stand trial for stealing confidential papers and leaking them to the press, a magistrate has ruled.
Paolo Gabriele was arrested in May after police found confidential documents at his Vatican flat.
He has been charged with aggravated theft while another Vatican employee, a computer analyst, faces complicity charges.
The Vatican says it is continuing to investigate the leaks.
Paolo Gabriele told investigators he acted because he saw “evil and corruption everywhere in the church”, according to Reuters.
If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison.
Paolo Gabriele, former butler to Pope Benedict XVI, will stand trial for stealing confidential papers and leaking them to the press
The Vatican also accuses computer analyst Claudio Sciarpelletti of acting as Paolo Gabriele’s accomplice.
The trial will not take place until October at the earliest, Judge Piero Bonnet has told the press.
Earlier this year a series of media leaks, dubbed “Vatileaks”, exposed alleged corruption and conflicts at the Holy See.
In April, the Pope set up a special commission of cardinals to find the source of the leaks.
As the Pope’s butler and personal assistant, Paolo Gabriele, 46, was one of a select few lay people with access to the papal apartments.
He has been living under house arrest at his family’s Vatican flat, where police discovered a stash of confidential correspondence taken from the Pope’s Secretariat of State.
Paolo Gabriele’s lawyer said his client confessed to stealing the papers but told investigators he thought he was acting in the interests of the Catholic Church.
His arrest took place shortly after the publication of a controversial book, entitled His Holiness, by Italian investigative journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi.
The bestseller featured reproductions of private correspondence between the Pope and his personal secretary discussing corruption and malpractice among Vatican administrators.
The Vatican called the book “criminal” and vowed to take legal action against the author, publisher, and whoever leaked the documents.
Gianluigi Nuzzi has refused to divulge whether Paolo Gabriele was one of his sources.
Some Vatican observers believe Paolo Gabriele may be the scapegoat for a wider conspiracy to smear certain of the Pope’s top aides.
The highly sensitive media leaks have been an evident embarrassment to the Pope, prompting the rare investigation.
The Vatileaks scandal has dominated the columns of Italian newspapers, filling TV programmes and magazines.
The controversy began in January, when Gianluigi Nuzzi published letters from a former top Vatican administrator begging the Pope not to transfer him for having exposed alleged corruption.
Other leaked documents concerned “poison pen” memos criticizing Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the pope’s number two, and the reporting of suspicious payments by the Vatican Bank.
Motorola Mobility is to cut 4,000 staff worldwide as part of efforts to return to profitability.
The job losses are the equivalent of 20% of its workforce.
The firm, bought by Google last year, said it planned to close or merge about one third of its 90 facilities which include offices and factories.
US-based Motorola also announced a shift in emphasis away from low-cost non-smartphones to “more innovative and profitable devices”.
Motorola Mobility is to cut 4,000 staff worldwide as part of efforts to return to profitability
Two-thirds of the jobs will go outside of the US, Google said. It expects the cost of severance packages to be $275 million.
“Motorola is committed to helping them through this difficult transition and will be providing generous severance packages, as well as outplacement services to help people find new jobs,” a statement said.
Motorola has lost money in 14 of the past 16 quarters, Google said.
The company, which once dominated the mobile phone market, has fallen behind its competitors, including Apple and Samsung.
According to one industry watcher, Strategy Analytics, Samsung overtook Nokia as the world’s biggest seller of mobile phones earlier this year.
Samsung sold more than 93 million handsets in the first three months of 2012, giving it a 25% market share. By contrast, Motorola said it had sold almost 9 million mobile devices over the same period, including 5.1 million smartphones.
Its most recent financial results showed that Motorola Mobility recorded a loss of $86 million in the first quarter of the year. That was greater than the $81m net loss it made in the same period a year earlier.
Google bought Motorola Mobility last year in a $12.5 billion deal, giving it access to more than 17,000 technology patents.
A new study has found that children who snore loudly at least twice a week are more likely to misbehave.
The risk of hyperactivity and inattention increases in young children who are persistent and loud snorers at an early age, warns a leading US doctor.
Breathing difficulties and poor sleeping patterns that underlie snoring may explain the link, said Dean Beebe, a neuropsychologist from Cincinnati.
He led the first study to examine the relationship between the persistence of snoring and behavior in pre-school children. Persistent, loud snoring occurs in about one in ten children.
In the study published online in the medical journal Pediatrics, the mothers of 249 young children were questioned about their sleep and behavior.
A new study has found that children who snore loudly at least twice a week are more likely to misbehave
The study found children who snored loudly at least twice a week at the age of two and three had most behavior problems, including hyperactivity, inattention and depression.
Dr. Dean Beebe said that breastfeeding, especially over longer periods, seemed to protect children against persistent snoring, even after taking into account other factors, including family income.
Persistent, loud snoring occurs in approximately one of every 10 children.
Dr. Dean Beebe said: “A lot of kids snore every so often, and cartoons make snoring look cute or funny.
“But loud snoring that lasts for months is not normal, and anything that puts young kids at that much risk for behavioral problems is neither cute nor funny.
“That kind of snoring can be a sign of real breathing problems at night that are treatable.
“I encourage parents to talk to their child’s doctor about loud snoring, especially if it happens a lot and persists over time.”
Infant breastfeeding, especially over longer periods of time, seemed to protect children against persistent snoring, even after taking into account other factors, including family income.
Doctors are concerned that snoring is a symptom of breathing difficulties at night, leading to poor sleeping patterns and daytime sleepiness which affects health and development.
Dr. Dean Beebe said: “The strongest predictors of persistent snoring were lower socioeconomic status and the absence or shorter duration of breastfeeding.
“This would suggest that doctors routinely screen for and track snoring, especially in children from poorer families, and refer loudly-snoring children for follow-up care.
“Failing to screen, or taking a <<wait and see>> approach on snoring, could make preschool behavior problems worse.
“The findings also support the encouragement and facilitation of infant breastfeeding.”
Brazilian carnival dancers invaded the stage in the final section of the closing ceremony last night to symbolize the handover from London 2012 to Rio 2016.
It started with some samba street dance and ended with football legend Pele – London bid farewell to the Olympic Games with an unmistakable Brazilian twist.
There were fears the stunning display would have to be toned down over concerns about the dancers’ revealing outfits.
Officials were worried that the performers in the Rio carnival-themed section were too skimpily dressed.
At one stage they asked the dancers to ‘tone down’ their outfits for fear they might offend the family audience.
Brazilian carnival dancers invaded the stage in the final section of the closing ceremony last night to symbolize the handover from London 2012 to Rio 2016
The Brazilian choreographers are thought to have protested, insisting the dancers’ outfits were an accurate portrayal of traditional carnival clothes.
The colorful segment which closed the ceremony – featuring supermodel Allesandra Ambrosio and popstar Marisa Monte – was based on the Brazilian concept of the “Carioca” embrace.
“Carioca” is the name given to a person from Rio, and the Carioca embrace- a traditional greeting in the city- was used to symbolize the warm welcome with which Rio wants to greet the rest of the world in 2016.
The segment began with a street cleaner called Renato Sorriso – who became an internet hit after video of him performing an impromptu routine during a carnival in Brazil in 2009 was recorded and uploaded to youtube – practicing his samba steps. A security guard attempted to remove him, but was disarmed by a Carioca embrace of friendship.
Moments later a colorful parade of dancers- representing the world famous annual Carnival held in the city – exploded onto the stage.
And in a spectacular entrance, Brazilian pop singer Marisa Monte glided into the arena in a giant blue gown.
Marisa Monte – who has sold 10 million albums worldwide and is considered one of the great figures of modern Brazilian music- was intended to represent the Brazilian sea goddess Yamanja, who is celebrated every year in a huge New Years’ Eve party on the beach of Copacabana.
She performed a classical music piece with indigenous South American rhythms as well as the pop song “Maracatu Atomico” by Brazilian rapper BNegao.
This was followed by the appearance of actor-singer Seu Jorge among an acrobatic performance by traditional Brazilian Capoeira fighters.
Jorge- a Brazilian pop samba artist – was wearing a suit designed to represent the “malandros” – famous dandy characters of 1940s Lapa, a neighborhood in Rio de Janero.
The procession of the fighters, interspersed with dancing couples, was intended to symbolize the movement of a lively Copacabana pavement.
Among the couples was 31-year-old Brazilian supermodel Allesandra Ambrosio, most famous for modelling Victoria’s Secret lingerie.
Her appearance will surprise few in Brazil as she had been tweeting about it all day and even posted pictures of herself arriving in the Olympic park by bus.
The section ended as the entire cast united in a Carioca embrace in front of a vista of Rio’s unique skyline, while the Rio 2016 logo appeared on the stage.
Rio 2016 will be the first ever Olympic games hosted by a South American country.
Organizers said the handover was intended to celebrate Rio’s “contagious mix of cultures.”
BlueScope and Nippon Steel, Australia and Japan’s biggest steelmakers, have announced a $1.4 billion joint venture in a bid to capture greater market share.
Australian firm BlueScope has agreed to sell 50% of its South East Asian and North American building products business to Nippon for $540 million in cash.
The proceeds are expected to help ease BlueScope’s debt burden.
BlueScope shares rose as much as 50% in Australia after the deal was announced.
BlueScope and Nippon Steel have announced a $1.4 billion joint venture in a bid to capture greater market share
“The proceeds received from Nippon Steel Corporation will afford BlueScope further financial flexibility and balance sheet strength to continue to grow businesses delivering strong returns,” Paul O’Malley, managing director of BlueScope said in a statement.
BlueScope has been going through a rough patch in recent times.
One of the key reasons has been the rising Australian dollar. The Australian currency has strengthened almost 11% against the US dollar since October last year.
A strong currency has made its products more expensive for foreign buyers.
At the same time, it has also made imported steel much cheaper, which has impacted domestic demand.
As a result, BlueScope has mostly stopped its exports from Australia, shut down a blast furnace and announced production and job cuts over the past year.
The firm said that it expected to report an annual loss of almost one billion Australian dollars ($1.05 billion) for the financial year ending 30 June 2012.
However, it said the deal with Nippon Steel was likely to help it to turn things around.
“This is a significant new platform to enhance our growth opportunities in some of the fastest growing markets in the world,” said Paul O’Malley.
Google has decided to change the way it calculates search results in an effort to make sure legal download websites appear higher than pirate sites.
The world’s biggest search engine announced the change in a blog post on its website.
The move has been welcomed by record companies in the UK and Hollywood film studios.
Google has decided to change the way it calculates search results in an effort to make sure legal download websites appear higher than pirate sites
Movie and music firms have complained in the past that Google should have been doing more to fight piracy.
They say searching for an artist, song or film often brings up pages of illegal sites, making it hard to find a place to download a legal version.
From next week, search results will take into account the number of “valid copyright removal notices”.
Sites with more notices will rank lower, although Google has not said what it considers a valid notice.
The BPI, which represents record labels in the UK, has welcomed the news.
Chief executive Geoff Taylor said: “We have argued for some time that sites with a lot of illegal content should feature lower in search rankings, based on the notifications we send to Google.
“Consumers overwhelmingly want and expect the top search results for entertainment content to feature legal, licensed services.
“We will look carefully at how much impact this change will have in practice, but we welcome the announcement from Google and will be pressing other search engines to follow suit.”
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said it was “optimistic” about the changes.
“We will be watching this development closely – the devil is always in the details,” said MPAA senior executive president Michael O’Leary.
London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony has started with a performance charting a journey through a day in the life of the capital city.
After 16 days of competition, the show, said to be a celebration of British people, music and culture, kicked off at 21:00 BST at the Olympic Stadium.
More than 4,100 performers are taking part in A Symphony of British Music.
The climax of the ceremony will see the Olympic flame being extinguished and the baton passed to Rio de Janeiro.
The finale is set to feature the best of British music, including artists such as George Michael, the Spice Girls and rapper Tinie Tempah.
London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony has started with a performance charting a journey through a day in the life of the capital city
Closing ceremony artistic director Kim Gavin has described the closing ceremony as a “mashed-up symphony”.
Kim Gavin said it would showcase “British creativity in the arts” and take people on a musical journey from Elgar to Waterloo Sunset in 30 tracks.
The director explained that while the national flags would process in, the athletes would come in together as “friends” rather than country-by-country as in the opening ceremony.
The Olympic flame will be extinguished and the figurative baton passed to the organizers of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, who will also make a presentation celebrating their multicultural roots.
As the Olympics drew to a close, the US topped the final medal table with 46 golds, followed by China with 38 golds. GB came third with 29 golds – their best tally since 1908.
In all, 44 world records have been set during London 2012, and 117 Olympic records broken.
Among those to have set new world bests included Kenyan David Rudisha in the men’s 800 m and the Jamaican sprint relay team, one of three golds during the Games for Usain Bolt.
US swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian in history while cyclist Sir Chris Hoy’s two gold medals meant he became the most successful British Olympian of all time.
The International Olympics Committee president Jacques Rogge said he was “very happy” with the Games, and he was a “very happy and grateful man”.
“It has been a dream for sports lovers,” he said, adding that history had been made by many athletes.
The revamped 560-acre (227-hectare) Olympic Park site – to be known as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – is set to reopen in stages starting on the first anniversary of the opening of the Games, on 27 July 2013.
Nigerian army has killed 20 suspected members of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east of the country.
One government soldier also died in a shootout in the town of Maiduguri.
Boko Haram has recently carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets in Nigeria.
The group wants to establish Islamic law in the country, whose large Christian and animist population mainly lives in the south.
Nigerian army has killed 20 suspected members of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east of the country
On Sunday, the army said it acted on intelligence that a number of Boko Haram members were holding a gathering at a location in Maiduguri.
“Our men mobilized, leading to a shootout. Twenty suspected terrorists were killed while a soldier died in the operation and two others sustained injuries,” army commander told the AFP news agency.
Boko Haram has not publicly commented on the army’s claim.
Most of Boko Haram attacks have been staged in the largely Muslim north, but the group has also targeted churches in central Nigeria.
Men facing prostate surgery could avoid post-operative impotence with a simple new treatment called Prostatic Artery Embolization that uses microscopic plastic beads.
The procedure is set to revolutionize how men with an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are treated.
At the moment, the standard treatment is to cut out a section of the swollen prostate. But complications are common following this operation, and every year thousands are left suffering with sexual dysfunction, incontinence, infection and bleeding.
Prostatic Artery Embolization can be done under a local anaesthetic using a catheter (a small plastic tube) to inject tiny plastic particles no bigger than a grain of sand into the blood vessels that feed the swollen prostate.
Prostatic Artery Embolization can be done under a local anaesthetic using a catheter (a small plastic tube) to inject tiny plastic particles no bigger than a grain of sand into the blood vessels that feed the swollen prostate
Radiologists pinpoint where to deposit the tiny spheres by watching on an X-ray television monitor as they insert the catheter through the thigh’s right femoral artery and into the tiny blood vessels that branch off it.
These spheres “plug” these blood vessels, reducing the blood flow to the prostate and forcing it to shrink by as much as a third. The remaining blood supply allows the prostate to function at a healthier level.
“With a faster recovery, reduced symptoms, improved urination and fewer potential side effects, it could lead to changes in accepted prostate therapy,” say researchers.
Clinical trials in Portugal and Brazil have indicated that the procedure is effective and safe, with minimal side effects and no risk of incontinence or impotence.
Most of the 200 cases involved in the studies went home within four to six hours of treatment.
In particular, one trial, conducted at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, showed that there was an average 30% reduction in the size of the gland after treatment.
Another, based on 84 men who were followed for nine months after the operation, reported a 98.5% success rate, with 91.7% of patients saying they had extreme improvement in their symptoms.
Currently, half of all men will show tissue change associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by the age of 50 – a figure that increases to 75% among 80-year-olds.
Although not life-threatening, the condition sees the prostate – a walnut-sized gland surrounding the urethra, which carries urine out of the body – swell so big that it causes an obstruction. Symptoms include poor urine flow, more frequent urination, urinary tract infections and an inability to empty the bladder.
There are a number of surgical techniques, with Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) considered the standard treatment.
In this procedure, carried out under general anaesthetic, sections of the prostate are shaved off to ease the blockage.
Conventional drug treatments include alpha-blockers, which work by relaxing the muscles at the neck of the bladder and in the prostate, and alpha-reductase inhibitors, which block production of a hormone called DHT, which contributes to prostate enlargement.
Some drug therapies are associated with side effects including dizziness and headaches.
But prostatic artery embolization could side-step such issues. And it has already been used in cases of advanced prostate cancer complicated by intractable bleeding.
Tyra Banks, who has famously fluctuated in weight since her days as a professional model ended, admitted today she has herself fallen victim to foolish methods of weight loss.
“A couple of years ago I lost – I wouldn’t say it was 30 [pounds] – but it was a considerable amount of weight,” said the fashion industry icon.
Tyra Banks, 38, was speaking at a press conference in Singapore to launch Asia’s Next Top Model, the latest adaptation of her successful TV franchise.
“I went on a health challenge with the crew of America’s Next Top Model, and at the time I had a talk show,” Tyra Banks explained.
Tyra Banks and her crew were filming in Brazil, and after realizing that they were “really unhealthy [and] not working out”, a decision was made to “see who can get the healthiest the fastest”.
“I’m very competitive, so what did I do? I ate so much for about three weeks, so that I could gain 10 pounds so that when we all weighed in, I could weight a lot more and then lose it fast.
“So I won. I lost a lot of weight, but then I looked in the mirror and decided I’d lost too much.
“And so I’ve actually gained some back.”
Tyra Banks admitted she has herself fallen victim to foolish methods of weight loss
Tyra Banks told the Singapore audience she created America’s Next Top Model to “expand the definition of beauty, and to show different types of beauty”.
“But I feel that after 10 years of Top Model being on the air, that the public now understands that it’s not about looking like Barbie, but that it’s about so many different types of beauty.”
Tyra Banks said: “The fashion industry has always been obsessed with thin …
“I fight every single day to try to expand that, and to try to show different types of beauty.
“So sometimes my girls will win America’s Next Top Model, and then call me crying, saying they don’t fit any of the clothes at Fashion Week, and so that’s a challenge that we have.
“But it’s what the Tyra Banks company stands for, it’s what America’s Next Top Model stands for … is not having a cookie cutter.”
One of the Victoria’s Secret original angels, Tyra Banks says she’s proud of Vogue magazine.
“They just started an initiative where they’re going to pay attention to girls that they feel are unhealthy, not treating themselves their bodies right – and hopefully they won’t just have a size double zero on the runway.”
She added: “If that was the rule when I started high fashion modelling back in the day, I wouldn’t be on the stage right now, because there is no way even one of my thoighs could have gotten into a double zero.”
The high-profile entrepreneur, who famously prefers the term “fiercely real” over “plus-size” for models that aren’t double zeros, said she believes “things are changing slowly” in her industry.
“Sophia Loren and Marilyn Munroe and Jane Mansfield … the thing is with women’s bodies, our bodies go in and out of fashion.
“One decade it’s about curves, and another decade it’s about being thin, if you think about Twiggy’s era.
“Then another decade it’s about being athletic, if you think about the Eighties; then the Nineties was even more athletic – you have to have a six pack – like Janet Jackson.
“And then the new millennium was about being super stick thin, then for a little bit you had to have a big bootie like Beyonce and Kim Kardashian … and now it’s like, ‘Ooh you gotta be skinny again – but not too skinny.
“It’s really sad that as women, we cannot be really beautiful in our differences. It’s a sad fact that women have to live with.”
Marks and Spencer have created a solution for the women with an ample bosom in the form of the “Amazing Illusion” bra.
This innovative design is the first ever patent pending non wired padded bra which goes up to a G cup.
Soozie Jenkinson Head of Lingerie Design at M&S said: “For the past 60 years, bra wires have been the global industry standard in helping to shape, support and lift the bust.
“I believe this exciting innovation has the same potential to revolutionise underwear for our generation as underwires transformed the underwear drawers of women in the 1950’s, offering a completely new bra construction which delivers on shape and support but is wire free.”
Amazing Illusion’s innovative design is the first ever patent pending non wired padded bra which goes up to a G cup
With the soft channelling around the cup and secret support sling providing extra lift, this bra gives the shape a regular wired bra provides.
For extra comfort this bra boasts a padded cradle and smoothing wing making this an extremely comfortable addition to any lingerie drawer.
“Our Amazing Illusion TM bra is our first non wired padded bra that is available in sizes up to a G cup.
“We developed a hidden patented technology which provides all the comfort you would expect from a non wired bra but with the support and shape you expect from a wired bra, a truly amazing innovation!
“Women who have worn this bra have commented that it feels almost like wearing nothing,” said Paschal Little, Head of Innovation at M&S.
Justin Bieber made the headlines by saying Prince William should take the hair loss drug Propecia to avoid those ever-impending bald patches from worsening.
While it was all harmless joviality, a leading hair transplant surgeon is adamant that Prince William will be completely bald on the top of his head by the time he is 40.
Doctor Asim Shahmalak said that Propecia could halt the royal’s hair loss but it would not restore his lost hair.
Dr. Asim Shahmalak, who runs the Crown Clinic in Manchester said: “He would have to take Propecia for the rest of his life and it would not help him to grow new hair.”
The doctor, who carried out a hair transplant on Dr. Christian Jessen from Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies, said that Prince William, 30, would be completely bald on the top of his head by the age of 40 if he didn’t take action.
He said: “Prince William has been losing his hair since he was 25. His hair loss is even worse than his father Charles. And obviously his grand-father Philip is bald too.
“That is a strong family gene. There is a strong likelihood that any male child he has with Kate will also have this bald gene – though a further consideration will be hair genes on Kate’s side of the family.
“Prince William has quite fine light brown hair. To restore the hair on the top of his head to a reasonable level of density, he will need at least 3,000 or 4,000 hair grafts where hair is taken from the back of the scalp and moved to the top of the head. This is similar to the treatment which Wayne Rooney had.”
Propecia is the only licensed hair loss tablet in the world which keeps existing hair.
However, because of Propecia side effects, the drug will not be suitable for the Prince at this moment.
Propecia active ingredient is also used to treat BPH (benign prostate hypertrophy).
For years Beyonce and Jay Z were famously secretive about their lives, refusing even to acknowledge their relationship.
But it appears that the birth of daughter Blue Ivy has led to a new chapter in their lives, with Beyonce happily opening up her family album on Tumblr.
Beyonce revealed intimate snaps from behind the scenes of her public and private life.
They included images of her bottle feeding her daughter, larking around with her husband and posing with her entourage in front of a private jet.
And while not so off-duty that she has anything other than a full face of makeup, the shots provide a rare glimpse into Beyonce’s world.
They come as she is about to star in a new documentary film about her life and career, a large step for the private 30-year-old.
Beyonce revealed intimate snaps from behind the scenes of her public and private life
One of the photos shows Beyonce taking a quiet moment to feed her daughter. Little Ivy Blue, born in January, is seen with her back to the camera, wearing a “Watch The Throne” shirt, advertising her father’s tour with Kanye West.
The tot hungrily drinks from a bottle held in her mother’s manicured hand, as she is cradled in her arms.
Another picture shows Beyonce screaming with laughter as her husband pushes her on a swing.
She wears a long flowing pink maxi dress which billows up around her as Jay Z pushes, their dog at his heels.
Another off duty moment shows her riding a bike through deserted streets. While the setting is low key Beyonce looks anything but, showing she is still the pop star with her bright lipstick, long toned legs, huge styled hair and designer boots.
Giving a glimpse into her privileged lifestyle the multiple Grammy winner also includes a few shots of her private jet, grinning with her all-female entourage as they strike poses in front of the building.
Other images behind the scenes of her successful tour, with the singer filling up at a food truck or on the scene of a music video.
Beyonce also posted a snap of the sight that greets her onstage, with thousands of screaming fans all blurring into one impressive vista.
Despite her role as a new mother Beyonce has a busy year ahead. Along with her documentary, album and tour, she is also attached to several film roles.
These include a remake of A Star Is Born, directed by Clint Eastwood, and the animated film Epic, in which Beyonce will voice the character Queen Tara.
Businessman Howard Mann has been banned from selling Michael Jackson memorabilia and using the singer’s name online, after a US judge ruled he was guilty of copyright infringement.
District Judge Dean Pregerson granted an injunction blocking Howard Mann from using his sites including MJgives.com and michaeljacksonsecretvault.com.
The sites featured Michael Jackson video clips, art from This Is It and Jackson logos.
Businessman Howard Mann has been banned from selling Michael Jackson memorabilia and using the singer's name online
Michael Jackson’s estate sued Mann over copyright and unfair competition.
The estate holds the copyright to Michael Jackson’s image and music for the benefit of the singer’s mother Katherine and his three children.
Judge Pregerson said: “There is undisputed evidence that [Howard Mann] intended in bad faith to profit from use of Jackson’s name, by registering multiple domain names containing his name or the initials MJ to sell Jackson-related products.”
Howard Mann was not unknown to the Jackson family. He had worked with Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine on several projects since 2009.
These projects included a book published in 2010 entitled Never Can Say Goodbye, which featured recollections of her son, as well as a DVD and calendar containing exclusive photos and video.
All were sold through Howard Mann’s “secretvault” website.
Howard Mann said he obtained the rights to the material at a bankruptcy sale involving members of Michael Jackson’s family several years ago.
Michael Jackson estate executors John McClain and John Branca said in a statement they were “extremely pleased” with the court’s ruling which will prevent Howard Mann from “continuing to unlawfully profit from Michael Jackson and his intellectual property”.
A further court hearing on 4 September will decide how much Howard Mann will have to pay in damages to the Jackson estate.
Carlo Rambaldi, the renowned Italian special effects artist who created E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, has died aged 86 after a long illness.
Carlo Rambaldi worked with many Italian directors including Pier Paolo Pasolini and Dario Argento but he became world famous for his work in Hollywood.
As well as Steven Spielberg’s ET, carlo Rambaldi worked on Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien and John Guillermin’s King Kong in 1976.
He was awarded Oscars for all three.
Carlo Rambaldi, the renowned Italian special effects artist who created E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, has died aged 86 after a long illness
Carlo Rambaldi died in hospital in the city of Lamezia Terme, in Italy’s Calabria region.
He was born in Vigarano Mainarda, near Ferrara in north-east Italy, and attended Bologna’s Fine Arts academy.
His introduction to cinema came in 1956 when he was asked to create a 16 m (52 ft) dragon for a low-budget science fiction film.
Carlo Rambaldi moved to Rome where his work drew the attention of producer Dino De Laurentiis, who brought him to Hollywood to work on King Kong.
Once in the US he became a master in the art of mechatronics – a mix of mechanical and electronic engineering used to produce special effects.
Italian director Pupi Avati described him as “a child who loved to play and make his toys”.
Egypt’s President Mohammed Mursi has ordered the retirement of the powerful head of the country’s armed forces, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi, a presidential spokesman has said.
He also said a constitutional declaration aimed at curbing presidential powers had been cancelled.
Mohammed Mursi, who was elected in June, is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Relations between the Brotherhood and the military have been tense since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.
Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi – who has also been removed as defence minister – has not yet indicated whether he accepts the moves.
President Mohammed Mursi has ordered the retirement of the powerful head of the country's armed forces, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi
Presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said a career army officer, General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, would replace Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi.
The president’s intervention is clearly an attempt to take decisive action in his tug of war for control with the armed forces.
Under the interim constitutional declaration issued before Mohammed Mursi was sworn in, the president cannot rule on matters related to the military – including appointing its leaders.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which issued the declaration, also dissolved parliament, which is dominated by the president’s Islamist allies.
As head of the SCAF, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi became Egypt’s interim ruler after President Mubarak was ousted following mass protests in February last year.
Sunday’s presidential announcement also said armed forces chief of staff Sami Annan was retiring.
The spokesman said Gen Annan and Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi had been appointed as presidential advisers and were given Egypt’s highest state honor, the Grand Collar of the Nile.
Tensions between the Egyptian presidency and the military have been exacerbated since Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula killed 16 border guards in a raid last week.
Both sides have tried to use the incident to strengthen their position.
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