Drake has made no secret of his persistent respect for the late singer Aaliyah and he revealed a second tattoo that he has had done in honour of the Grammy nominated artist.
Drake’s new ink, which sits on his rib cage, is also a homage to his home town area of Toronto, Canada, too.
The picture shows a large 416, which is the area code of his home city, down his side but it is only partially shaded in so that the four also looks like a one.
Aaliyah’s birthday is January 16th or 1-16, which the tattoo clearly shows.
Drake revealed a second tattoo that he has had done in honour of Aaliyah
It is the second permanent ink tribute that Drake has on his body after he had the singers face plastered on his back.
The black and white photo came shortly after Drake announced that he is planning to release a posthumous album with Aaliyah.
As well as performing some duets on the album he will also be the executive producer behind it.
The surprising move has not been well received by Missy Elliot and Timbaland, who have publicly said that they should be approached if he intends to go ahead with the project.
Timbaland told Power 105.1: “I know they’re trying to drop some Aaliyah records, but if he do it, it should be with me and him and Missy.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but the proper to do that would be for me, him and Missy to be all on the record. I produce it.
”But to put it on his album or to put it on his record or whatever, however it be, it would just not be right.”
President Barack Obama celebrated his 51st birthday today with a round of golf and plans for a weekend away at Camp David, taking a break from campaigning three months before Election Day.
Barack Obama played golf with a group of friends and aides at Andrews Air Force Base before heading to the presidential getaway in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains.
But, before Barack Obama escaped to begin any celebrations, Republicans acknowledged his birthday by delivering him a tongue-in-cheek cake.
The Republican National Committee delivered a cake to their counterparts at the Democratic National Committee on Friday featuring a picture of a smiling Barack Obama next to the words: “You didn’t bake this.”
The inscription was a reference to a line from an Obama speech last month in which he said: “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that.”
Barack Obama escaped to begin any celebrations, Republicans acknowledged his birthday by delivering him a tongue-in-cheek cake
His opponents leaped on the gaffe with Mitt Romney seizing the quote to question Barack Obama’s commitment to small business while the President and Democrats have said the quote was taken out of context.
DNC officials promptly sent the cake back to RNC headquarters, along with a copy of a recent report by the Tax Policy Center that found that Mitt Romney’s tax proposal would give millionaires a broad tax cut at the expense of tax breaks enjoyed by many middle-class families.
However, Mitt Romney’s team has disputed the study, saying his tax plan would benefit all Americans.
Barack Obama returns to campaign mode next week, with fundraisers in Connecticut on Monday and campaign rallies in Colorado on Wednesday and Thursday.
Next weekend, Barack Obama will hold several birthday-themed fundraisers in Chicago, including one at his family’s South Side home.
Barack Obama’s campaign used the event to drum up small-dollar donations before the end of the July fundraising deadline, offering two lucky winners the chance to attend the fundraiser at Obama’s red brick home.
In an email to supporters, Barack Obama warned that his birthday “could be the last one I celebrate as president of the United States, but that’s not up to me – it’s up to you”.
Barack Obama’s team has warned that he could be outspent by Republicans and GOP candidate Mitt Romney.
Barack Obama got some early birthday wishes on Thursday during a rally in Florida, when supporters serenaded him with “Happy Birthday”.
The president joked that his birthday wishes “probably would have to do with electoral votes. Winning Florida wouldn’t be a bad birthday present”.
US champion Serena Williams couldn’t hide her glee after storming to Olympic victory against Russia’s Maria Sharapova and celebrated with a crip walk.
After routing Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1, Serena Williams showed off some impressive dancing skills on Wimbledon’s grass centre court.
“I don’t think I’ve ever danced like that,” Serena Williams said.
“I don’t even know where the dance came from.”
However, Serena Williams certainly had plenty to dance about – today’s medal was her first Olympic gold in a singles match and means she has achieved a career Golden Slam.
Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova easily and finished off the match by serving two aces. She jumped for joy before performing her little victory dance as her sister, Venus Williams, watched on grinning.
“I didn’t think it could get better than winning Wimbledon,” Serena Williams said as she came off the court.
Serena Williams wins first singles Olympic gold after beating Maria Sharapova
In an incredible display of prowess, Serena Williams served three aces in the opening game, broke Maria Sharapova’s serve in the second game before racing on to win the match.
Serena Williams, the fourth seed, beat the third-seeded Russian on the same Centre Court where she took home her fifth Wimbledon championship last month.
Since losing to a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova at the 2004 Wimbledon final, 30-year-old Serena Williams has now beaten Sharapova eight consecutive times.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have won all four Grand Slam titles during their careers but both were going for their first Olympic gold in singles today.
Serena Williams is scheduled to play a doubles semifinal match with her sister Venus on Saturday. The two won Olympic doubles gold in 2000 and 2008.
“Whether I win or lose, that’s not the big deal,” Serena Williams said before today’s game. She defeated world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 6-2 on Friday.
“The big deal for me, USA is guaranteed another medal. I’m guaranteed to just go out there tomorrow and have fun. That’s all I can do.”
Roger Federer, who has won 17 majors, also has a chance at a career Golden Slam when he plays for the gold against Andy Murray on Sunday. He beat Juan Martin del Potro in the longest best-of-three set match of the Open era, at 4 hours, 26 minutes, while Murray ousted Novak Djokovic.
“Roger, me and Maria. The odds are good,” Serena Williams said about the opportunities to get a career Golden Slam. Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal, who withdrew from the London Olympics because of a knee injury, won all four Grand Slam titles as well as Olympic gold in different years.
Forty eight Iranian pilgrims have been kidnapped from a bus in the vicinity of a shrine near the Syrian capital Damascus, reports say.
Iranian diplomats blamed the abduction, from close to the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zainab, on “armed groups”.
Syrian state television later gave the same account of the incident.
Meanwhile, fresh fighting has been reported around Damascus, and in the northern city of Aleppo, where rebels are trying to secure their positions.
The Iranian consul in Damascus said the whereabouts of the abducted pilgrims was known.
Syrian state-run news agency Sana said the Iranians had been kidnapped by “armed terrorist groups” and that Syrian authorities were “working to handle the situation”.
Thousands of Iranians travel each year to Syria to visit the pilgrimage site in the mostly Shia district of Sayyida Zainab, which has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks.
There have been several other reports of groups of Iranian pilgrims being kidnapped in Syria in recent months, with most later being freed.
In May, 11 Lebanese Shia pilgrims were abducted in Syria while returning from Iran.
They were released after being held for three days, but the incident sparked violence across Lebanon, where the crisis in Syria has heightened sectarian tensions.
Forty eight Iranian pilgrims have been kidnapped from a bus in the vicinity of a shrine near the Syrian capital Damascus
Meanwhile, fresh fighting was reported in Syria’s two biggest cities on Saturday.
Most areas of Aleppo where rebels are entrenched have been bombarded by government forces and clashes have been reported in several districts.
Video footage posted by activists showed a military jet flying over what they said was the rebel-held quarter of Salah al-Din followed by a loud explosion.
Activists reported clashes in several areas too, including around the officers’ club and a political security headquarters.
Government forces seem to now be pushing harder in the crucial battle for Aleppo.
Syrian state television reported that troops had inflicted huge losses on what it called “terrorist mercenaries” in Salah al-Din and in other nearby areas too, our correspondent adds.
There have been skirmishes in which rebels have done rather well, he says, seizing three police stations and retaking a fourth on Friday, and rebels are “incrementally” increasing the size of the area they hold.
The rebels have “remarkable” defence capability in Salah al-Din where government tanks had been trying to enter, but as an area full of narrow twisting lanes, it is perfect for guerrilla warfare, he adds.
However, the full thrust of the armour and the artillery from the regime side has not been seen yet, he adds.
The focus of the fighting is also on the southern edge of Damascus where shelling and gunfire were reported from the Tadamon quarter, despite it having been earlier stormed by government forces.
Shooting and explosions were also being heard in some central parts of the capital, and activists reported clashes too on the western side of the city, in and around Dumar.
Earlier, Russia and China condemned a UN General Assembly resolution passed on Friday which criticized the Security Council for failing to halt the violence in Syria.
Moscow’s UN envoy, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters the resolution was one-sided and supported the armed opposition.
Western nations praised the resolution, which passed by 133 votes to 12 with 31 abstentions.
It criticizes both the UN’s own Security Council and the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for its use of violence.
The assembly debated the resolution, which was proposed by Saudi Arabia, shortly after the resignation of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan and the failure of his six-point peace plan.
Activists say more than 20,000 people – mostly civilians – have died in 17 months of unrest.
The Afghan parliament has passed a vote of no confidence in two of its most senior ministers and demanded that they be replaced.
The interior and defence ministers were criticized for failing to prevent cross-border shelling from Pakistan and security lapses that resulted in the assassinations of senior officials.
They have also been questioned by MPs over allegations of corruption.
The vote is a blow to President Hamid Karzai’s administration, observers say.
The Afghan parliament has passed a vote of no confidence in Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak
Hamid Karzai’s office said he would make a decision on Sunday about the future of Interior Minister Besmillah Mohammadi and Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak.
The president has the power to keep them in their posts for another month. In the past, he has retained his ministers for even longer.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Rahim Wardak said he had responded to cross-border attacks by sending more troops to the north-eastern border, and had deployed long-range artillery and ammunition.
But parliament passed a measure to remove him by a vote of 146 to 72.
A separate vote of no-confidence in Besmillah Mohammadi was passed by 126 to 90.
The international community appears to have lost two key Afghan figures with whom they have been dealing the most at what is a critical time.
NATO-led forces are looking to withdraw from the country by the end of 2014.
Psychologists say actually getting angry can be the best way to solve marriage problems.
James McNulty, associate professor at the University of Tennessee, found that forgiving may actually build up resentment.
He said the “short-term discomfort of an angry but honest conversation” can benefit the health of a relationship in the long term.
“I continued to find evidence that thoughts and behaviors presumed to be associated with better wellbeing lead to worse wellbeing among some people – usually the people who need the most help achieving wellbeing.”
Psychologists say actually getting angry can be the best way to solve marriage problems
Prof. James McNulty therefore set out to examine the potential costs of positive psychology. In a set of recent studies, he found that forgiveness in marriage can have some unintended negative effects.
“We all experience a time in a relationship in which a partner transgresses against us in some way,” he said.
“For example, a partner may be financially irresponsible, unfaithful, or unsupportive.
“When these events occur, we must decide whether we should be angry and hold onto that anger, or forgive.”
His research found a variety of factors can complicate the effectiveness of forgiveness, including a partner’s level of agreeableness and the severity and frequency of the transgression.
“Believing a partner is forgiving leads agreeable people to be less likely to offend that partner and disagreeable people to be more likely to offend that partner,” he said.
Additionally, he claims, anger can serve an important role in signaling to a transgressing partner that the offensive behavior is not acceptable.
“If the partner can do something to resolve a problem that is likely to otherwise continue and negatively affect the relationship, people may experience long-term benefits by temporarily withholding forgiveness and expressing anger.”
However, Prof. James McNulty found there was no single answer to the problem.
There is no “magic bullet”, no single way to think or behave in a relationship.
“The consequences of each decision we make in our relationships depends on the circumstances that surround that decision.”
To understand how fast a human can ultimately run, we need to go beyond the record books and understand how Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s legs work.
In 2008, at the Beijing Olympic Games, Usain Bolt ran the 100 m in just 9.69 seconds, setting a new world record. A year later, Usain Bolt surpassed his own feat with an astonishing 9.58-second run at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. With the 2012 Olympic Games set to begin in London, the sporting world hopes Usain Bolt will overcome his recent hamstring problems and lead yet another victorious attack on the sprinting record. He is arguably the fastest man in history, but just how fast could be possibly go?
That’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer, and ploughing through the record books is of little help.
“People have played with the statistical data so much and made so many predictions. I don’t think people who work on mechanics take them very seriously,” says John Hutchinson, who studies how animals move at the Royal Veterinary College in London, UK.
The problem is that the progression of sprinting records is characterized by tortoise-like lulls and hare-like… well… sprints. People are getting faster, but in an unpredictable way. From 1991 to 2007, eight athletes chipped 0.16 seconds off the record. Bolt did the same in just over one year. Before 2008, mathematician Reza Noubary calculated that “the ultimate time for [the] 100 meter dash is 9.44 seconds.” Following Usain Bolt’s Beijing performance, he told Wired that the prediction “would probably go down a little bit”.
John Barrow from the University of Cambridge – another mathematician – has identified three ways in which Usain Bolt could improve his speed: being quicker off the mark; running with a stronger tailwind; and running at higher altitudes where thinner air would exert less drag upon him. These tricks may work, but they’re also somewhat unsatisfying. We really want to know whether flexing muscles and bending joints could send a sprinter over the finish line in 9 seconds, without relying on environmental providence.
To understand how fast a human can ultimately run, we need to go beyond the record books and understand how Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's legs work
To answer that, we have to look at the physics of a sprinting leg. And that means running headfirst into a wall of ignorance.
“It’s tougher to get a handle on sprinting mechanics than on feats of strength or endurance,” says Peter Weyand from Southern Methodist University, who has been studying the science of running for decades.
By comparison, Peter Weyand says that we can tweak a cyclist’s weight, position and aerodynamic shape, and predict how that will affect their performance in the Tour de France.
“We know down to 1%, or maybe even smaller, what sort of performance bumps you’ll get,” he says.
“In sprinting, it’s a black hole. You don’t have those sorts of predictive relationships.”
Our ignorance is understandable. By their nature, sprints are very short, so scientists can only make measurements in a limited window of time. On top of that, the factors that govern running speed are anything but intuitive.
Peter Weyand divides each cycle of a runner’s leg into what happens when their foot is in the air, and what happens when it’s on the ground. The former is surprisingly irrelevant. Back in 2000, Peter Weyand showed that, at top speed, every runner takes around a third of a second to pick their foot up and put it down again.
“It’s the same from Usain Bolt to Grandma,” he says.
“She can’t run as fast as him but at her top speed, she’s repositioning her foot at the same speed.”
That third of a second in the air – the swing time – is probably close to a biological limit. Peter Weyand thinks that there is very little that people can do to improve on it, with a notable exception. Oscar Pistorius, the South African double-amputee, runs on artificial carbon-fibre legs that each weigh less than half of what a normal fleshy limb would do. With this lighter load, he can swing his legs around 20% faster than a runner with intact limbs, moving at the same speed.
For most runners though, speed is largely determined by how much force they can apply when their foot is on the ground. They have two simple options for running faster: hit the ground harder, or exert the same force over a longer period.
The second option partly explains why greyhounds and cheetahs are so fast. They maximize their time on the ground using their bendy backbones. As their front feet land, their spines bend and collapse, so their back halves spend more time in the air before they have to come down. Then, their spines decompress, giving their front halves more time in the air and their back legs more time on the ground.
Such tricks aren’t available to us two-legged humans, but technology provides alternatives. In the 1990s, speed skaters started using a new breed of “clap skates” where the blade is hinged to the front of the boot, rather than firmly fixed. As the skaters pushed back, the new design kept their blades in longer contact with the ice, allowing them to exert the same force over more time. Speed records suddenly fell.
People have tried to duplicate the same effect with running shoes, but with little success. That’s because a running leg behaves a bit like a pogo stick. As it hits the ground, it compresses. As it steps off, it gets a bit of elastic rebound. Technologies that try to alter a runner’s gait tend to interfere with this rebound, and diminish the leg’s overall performance.
“It’s hard to intervene in a similar manner to the clap-skates without buggering up the other mechanics of the limb,” says Peter Weyand. (Again, Oscar Pistorius bucks the trend because his artificial legs are springier than natural ones, and give him around 10% longer on the ground than other runners.)
For those with intact limbs, one option remains: exert more force on the ground. Put simply, fast people hit the ground more forcefully than slow people, relative to their body weight. But we know very little about what contributes to that force, and we are terrible at predicting it based on a runner’s physique or movements.
We know that champion male sprinters can hit the ground with a force that’s around 2.5 times their body weight (most people manage around two times). When Usain Bolt’s foot lands, it applies around 900 pounds (400 kg) of force for a few milliseconds, and continues pushing for around 90 more.
Peter Weyand likes to imagine a weightlifter trying to apply the same force in a one-legged squat – they would come nowhere close.
“What we know about force under static conditions under-predicts how hard sprinters hit by a factor of two,” he says.
“We just don’t have the ability to go from the movements of the body to the force on the ground.”
Even if a sprinter’s muscles were eventually boosted by gene doping techniques, we have no way of calculating how much faster their owners would run.
Studies are underway to fill in those gaps, and Peter Weyand is hoping that we’ll be able to make better predictions in five or 10 years. Just a few months ago, Marcus Pandy from the University of Melbourne used computer simulations of sprinters to show that the calf muscles, more than any others, determine the amount of force that runners apply to the ground. At top speeds, the hip muscles become increasingly important too. “Maybe if you train a sprinter, you could potentially train them to have really strong calves,” says Hutchinson.
For the moment, however, any predictions about the ceilings of human speed are still ill-informed ones. The only way to work out if Usain Bolt or some other sprinter will smash the existing record is to watch them.
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius made history at London Games 2012 by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics.
Oscar, Pistorius, a four-time Paralympic champion, 25, whose legs were amputated below the knee as a baby, finished second in his 400 m heat in a time of 45.44 seconds to reach Sunday’s semi-final.
“I didn’t know if I should cry or be happy. It was such a mix of emotions,” Oscar Pistorius said.
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius made history at London Games 2012 by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics
Defending champion LaShawn Merritt of the United States pulled up injured.
The 26-year-old, who failed a drugs test in 2009, appeared to be still suffering with an Achilles tendon problem that affected him earlier in the season.
He stopped running after 250m and crossed the line at walking pace.
“It’s Olympic year – I tried to go for it, and it just didn’t happen,” he said.
Oscar Pistorius was impressive in his heat, coasting over the line behind Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic, who won in 45.04.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me. Thank you so much to my family – I saw my gran in the crowd. It was the most amazing experience.
“This crowd is amazing. I’ve run so many times in the UK and it feels like a second home to me.
“I’ve got to thank my team, they trust me, I trust them. We’ve been together for nine years.”
Oscar Pistorius ran in the individual 400 m at the 2011 World Championships but did not progress beyond the semi-finals.
He also ran in the relay but, after running in the heats, he was omitted from the team which raced in the final as South Africa went on to claim silver.
Oscar Pistorius is also due to run in the 4×400 m relay at London 2012.
The floods that hit parts of North Korea in recent weeks have killed 169 people and left 400 missing, the state news agency says, sharply revising earlier casualty figures.
The floods and heavy rain in late June and July have also made more than 212,000 people homeless, it says.
Some 65,000 hectares (160,000 acres) of cropland were affected.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) says it is sending emergency food aid to North Korea after it asked for aid.
The floods that hit parts of North Korea in recent weeks have killed 169 people and left 400 missing
Official media had previously reported 119 deaths in the floods.
On Friday, the WFP said the initial food assistance would provide flood victims with 400 g (14 oz) of maize per day for two weeks, but it did not say when the food would arrive.
UN officials in Pyongyang who visited flood-hit parts of the country to assess damage said the need for aid was urgent.
Damage to infrastructure and farmland has affected the country’s already dire food shortage problem.
More than 8,600 houses were destroyed and another 43,770 swamped, along with some 1,400 schools, factories and healthcare facilities, according to the state news agency.
Residents in these areas need of food supplies, as well as clean water, as wells have been contaminated by sewage during the floods.
North Korea relies on food aid because it cannot grow enough food to feed its people.
Famine in the mid-1990s is believed to have killed hundreds of thousands of people.
A UN report released last month estimated that two-thirds of North Korea’s 24 million population suffer from a chronic shortage of food.
As new pictures emerged of Jennifer Aniston on the set of her latest movie yesterday, the actress sparked concern with what appeared to be an overly plumped up face.
The images of Jennifer Aniston, 43, caused fans to take to the internet to comment on the actress’ “pillow face” – a common term used for women who have used too much filler in their face.
Jennifer Aniston has admitted to having a little cosmetic help in the past, telling talk show host Conan O’Brien earlier this year that she previously had a chemical peel to help her stay looking young.
Jennifer Aniston sparked concern with what appeared to be an overly plumped up face
The actress said: “I became obsessed with laser porn. I did this thing called like, a peel. It’s extremely intense – you don’t realize you look like a battered burn victim for a week – and then the dead skin on your face just kind of falls off.”
Jennifer Aniston was Thursday seen shooting new movie We’re The Millers, in which she stars as a prostitute, in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The actress sported a pair of Daisy Dukes that were ripped and frayed, paired with a revealing white vest top.
Jennifer Aniston wore minimal make-up and accessorized with just a simple pendant necklace and single beaded bracelet, as well as gold earrings.
While the outfit may have been a bit too saucy no doubt Jennifer Aniston would have preferred it to the drab ensemble she switched into later in the day.
She was later seen sporting a much more modest get-up in the form of a red and white checked top and khaki trousers.
We’re The Millers follows Jason Sudeikis’s pot dealer as he creates a fake family in order to smuggle 1,000 pounds of pot across America.
Jennifer Aniston plays a prostitute hired to play Jason’ wife and co-stars alongside Emma Roberts and Parks and Recreation star Kathryn Hahn.
The National Enquirer is firmly standing by its story that Macaulay Culkin is hooked on heroin and highly addictive painkillers.
The tabloid has posted a statement on its website, urging Macaulay Culkin, 31, to seek urgent professional help – and challenged him to take a blood test.
It comes after his representatives strenuously denied the magazine’s report on Wednesday – which features on the cover under the headline: “Macaulay Culkin addicted to heroin: 6 months to live.”
The Enquirer posted a statement on its website yesterday, reading: “Should Macaulay’s representatives continue to deny The ENQUIRER’s accurate and detailed report, we are ready to offer him the opportunity to take a blood test administered by an independent medical lab.”
It adds: “Our advice to Macaulay is to seek professional help to avoid the same tragic fate of other beloved celebrities, including Whitney Houston who died earlier this year.”
The National Enquirer is firmly standing by its story that Macaulay Culkin is hooked on heroin and highly addictive painkillers
The Enquirer‘s statement also refers to Macaulay Culkin’s friend Elijah Rosello, who died in March aged 24 from a heroin overdose.
In the article, the magazine alleges Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Rosello used to do drugs together – and repeats this again in today’s statement.
It went on: “We believe that the former child star should be doing everything he can to get the treatment he so desperately needs – and which could have saved the life of his friend Elijah Rosello.
“Her family confirmed to The ENQUIRER that she did drugs with Macaulay before her drug-related death in March.”
On Wednesday, Macaulay Culkin’s spokeswoman Michelle Bega branded the article – which claimed the actor has a $6,000-a-month drug habit – as “ridiculously fictitious” and “insulting”.
The magazine alleged Macaulay Culkin regularly shoots up heroin and the highly addictive painkiller oxycodone – dubbed hillbilly heroin.
The article went on to say the former child star turned his Manhattan apartment into a drug den where he gets high either by himself or with friends.
Responding to the allegations earlier this week, Michelle Bega said: “The report in the National Enquirer that Macaulay Culkin is addicted to heroin and assorted hallucinogenics is not only categorically without merit, but it is also impossibly and ridiculously fictitious.”
She added that the story was “destructive and insulting”, to her client.
The Enquirer says Macaulay Culkin’s drug use intensified 18 months ago – around the time he split from long-term girlfriend Mila Kunis, who is now dating Ashton Kutcher.
A source told the publication: “Macaulay Culkin is hooked on drugs and it’s killing him.
“He’s been hooked for a year and a half, and his drug of choice is either heroin or oxycodone.
“Mac is surrounding himself with junkies and lowlifes. It’s a real tragedy.”
The source – described by the Enquirer as a “close friend” – also claimed Macaulay Culkin has had a close brush with death in the past year and almost overdosed.
“Mac suffered a near overdose, and needed help,” the insider said.
“Fortunately he didn’t need to call 911 and the near-OD was kept quiet among his pals. But Mac got very sick.”
In February, pictures of Macaulay Culkin looking emaciated and shockingly thin made headlines.
At the time his representatives strenuously denied the actor was addicted to prescription drugs or heroin amid reports the 5-foot-7 star’s weight had dropped to 104 lbs.
Macaulay Culkin is best known for his roles as cheeky Kevin McCallister in the 1990 film Home Alone and the 1992 sequel, Home Alone: Lost In New York.
He also starred in the likes of Uncle Buck, My Girl and Richie Rich.
But his adult career has failed to match the blockbuster success of his childhood days.
In 2003 he played a drug-addled club hopper alongside Seth Green in Party Monster, while his last film role was in 2007 in the Indie flick Sex And Breakfast.
These days he earns a living DJ-ing at clubs around New York.
Macaulay Culkin’s half sister Jennifer Adamson died of a drug overdose in 2000.
In 2004, Macaulay Culkin he was arrested on suspicion of marijuana and two controlled substances – Alprazolam and Clonazepam – eventually pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug offences. He was slapped with three one-year suspended prison terms.
Kris Jenner has admitted her own marital dust-ups with husband Bruce have made it particularly hard for her to watch this season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Kris Jenner told Us Weekly: “I watch it back and I’m like, <<Oh my God, I can’t watch>>. It’s so crazy painful that I can’t watch it.”
The latest trouble started with Bruce Jenner getting a new golf partner in model Angie Everhart.
In what appeared to be a somewhat staged retaliation and story line, jealous Kris Jenner set up a meeting with her old flame Todd Waterman.
Kris Jenner has admitted her own marital dust-ups with husband Bruce have made it particularly hard for her to watch this season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians
Kris Jenner had an affair with Todd Waterman when married to her children’s father Robert Kardashian.
She later came clean about the rendez-vous with but hubby Bruce Jenner, but he was less than impressed.
Daughters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian sided with their stepdad, with Khloe even calling her mother a “whore”.
The girls urged their mother to take a lie detector test to prove her meeting with Todd Waterman meant nothing. Kris Jenner passed the test.
Since then, Kris Jenner told Us Weekly she and Bruce have managed to put the incident behind them.
“Bruce and I are okay and that’s all that matters,” Kris Jenner said.
“The kids understand. It’s just hard to watch. I just can’t wait until Season 8!”
US medal-winning athletes at the Olympics will have to pay tax on their prize money – something which is proving controversial in the US.
But why are athletes from the US taxed when others are not?
The US, unlike most countries, has a “worldwide” system of tax, which means that money earned abroad is liable for US tax.
The US is right up there in the medals table, and has produced some of the finest displays in the Olympics so far.
Michael Phelps has broken the record for most Olympic medals ever, and 16-year-old rising star Gabby Douglas has won the all-round gold in the gymnastics – the first African-American woman to do so.
So the US is feeling pretty proud of its athletes right now. But not everyone is happy to hear that their Olympic medal-winning athletes are being taxed on their medal prize money.
Athletes are effectively being punished for their success, argues Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, who introduced a bill earlier this week that would eliminate tax on Olympic medals and prize money.
“Athletes representing our nation overseas in the Olympics shouldn’t have to worry about an extra tax bill waiting for them back home,” said Marco Rubio.
This, he said, is an example of the “madness” of the US tax system, which he called a “complicated and burdensome mess”.
US medal-winning athletes at the Olympics will have to pay tax on their prize money
The US Olympic Committee awards prize money to its medal winners – $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze.
This money is considered taxable income by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
According to the advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), an athlete on the highest rate of tax (35%), could face a tax bill of $8,750.
The value of the medals themselves could be subject to tax too, according to the ATR – adding a further $236, $135 and $2 respectively for gold, silver and bronze.
The Olympic example highlights what they regard as the underlying problem of the US’ so-called “worldwide” tax model.
Under this system, earnings made by a US citizen abroad are liable for both local tax and US tax.
Most countries in the world have a “territorial” system of tax and apply that tax just once – in the country where it is earned.
With the Olympics taking place in London, the UK would, in theory, be entitled to claim tax on prize money paid to visiting athletes. But, as is standard practice for many international sporting events, it put in place a number of tax exemptions for competitors in the Olympics – including on any prize money.
That means that only athletes from countries with a worldwide tax system on individual income are liable for tax on their medals.
And there are only a handful of them in the world, says Daniel Mitchell, an expert on tax reform at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank – citing the Philippines and Eritrea as other examples.
But with tax codes so notoriously complicated, unravelling which countries would apply this in the context of Olympic prize money is a tricky task, he says.
Daniel Mitchell is a critic of the worldwide system, saying it effectively amounts to “double taxation” and leaves the US both at a competitive disadvantage, and as a bullyboy, on the world stage.
“We are the 800 lbs [360kg] gorilla in the world economy, and we can bully other nations into helping enforce our bad tax law.”
The tax burden may not be as heavy as it first appears, however, as there are a number of credits and tax treaties which can either exempt or reduce the amount due, says tax lawyer and blogger, Kelly Phillips Erb.
She believes that the US tax system needs to be modified, and – most importantly – simplified.
The Rubio bill – by adding another exemption to the already complicated tax code – would only make matters worse, she says.
Congress is about to go off on a one-month recess, and with the Olympics already well underway, this is, says Kelly Phillips Erb, more about “political grand-standing” than anything else.
Not all athletes get prize money along with an Olympic medal – it depends what country you come from.
Money is not awarded by the International Olympic Committee. The decision whether to offer prize money is made by the national Olympic Committees in each individual country, who also set the sum.
At the opposite end of the scale is Singapore, which is offering $800,000 (£515,000) for a gold medal.
Many countries in Central Asia are also offering large sums to medal winners.
John Hoberman, a sports historian and expert on doping at the University of Texas at Austin, says Americans are focusing on the wrong issue.
The real question, he believes, is whether athletes should be awarded prize money at all at the Olympics – and he is firmly in the “no” camp.
“Cash incentives are just an incentive to cheat,” says John Hoberman.
He believes the more money you offer, especially in poorer countries, the greater the chance an athlete will be tempted to dope.
How much for a gold medal at London 2012 Olympics:
According to US and Canadian researchers, a “spray-on skin” developed by Healthpoint Biotherapeutics in the US, which coats a wound with a layer of skin cells, could help healing leg ulcers.
The spray was tested on 228 people with leg ulcers, which are painful open wounds that can last for months.
The findings, published in the Lancet, showed that ulcers treated with the spray were more likely to heal and did so more quickly.
Experts said faster healing could save money despite the cost of the spray.
Leg ulcers are hard to treat. The best treatment, compression bandages, will heal only about 70% of ulcers after six months. Other options include taking skin from somewhere else on the body and grafting it over the wound.
Instead the spray puts a coating of donated skin cells and blood-clotting proteins over the ulcer.
A "spray-on skin" developed by Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, which coats a wound with a layer of skin cells, could help healing leg ulcers
In the study, patients who were given the spray-on-skin every 14 days showed the most improvement.
The researchers said the size of the wound “began to decrease rapidly” as soon as the treatment started. In the patients who had the spray, 70% were healed after three months compared with 46% who received other treatment.
The spray was developed by Healthpoint Biotherapeutics in the US, which also funded the research.
One of the scientists involved, Dr. Herbert Slade, said: “The treatment we tested in this study has the potential to vastly improve recovery times and overall recovery from leg ulcers, without the need for a skin graft.
“This means not only that the patient doesn’t acquire a new wound where the graft is taken from, but also that the spray-on solution can be available as soon as required – skin grafts take a certain amount of time to prepare, which exposes the patient to further discomfort and risk of infection.”
The study largely tested the safety of the spray and the best dose to use, further studies will decide if it is a practical treatment for leg ulcers.
Leg ulcers are most commonly caused by high blood pressure in the veins of the legs which damage the skin, causing it to break down and develop into an open wound.
Clint Eastwood has endorsed Republican Mitt Romney in the race for the White House.
Oscar-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood attended a Mitt Romney fundraiser in Sun Valley, Idaho, said to have raised over $2 million.
Clint Eastwood said he was endorsing the Republican because “the country needs a boost somewhere”.
In February Clint Eastwood starred in a Chrysler Superbowl advert, Halftime in America, sparking debate over whether he backed President Barack Obama.
Clint Eastwood has endorsed Republican Mitt Romney in the race for the White House
At the time, Clint Eastwood had said he was not endorsing either candidate and, speaking to Fox News, said he was “certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama”.
“It was meant to be a message about just about job growth and the spirit of America,” Clint Eastwood said in February of the Super Bowl advert.
“I think all politicians will agree with it. I thought the spirit was OK. I am not supporting any candidate at this time.”
On Friday Mitt Romney said of Clint Eastwood’s endorsement: “He just made my day. What a guy.”
After an introduction from Mitt Romney, Clint Eastwood spoke to about 325 guests gathered for the Idaho fundraiser.
Clint Eastwood said he first saw Mitt Romney when he was running for governor of Massachusetts, and Eastwood was directing the film Mystic River in Boston.
The actor said he thought: “God, this guy, he’s too handsome to be governor. But it does look like he could be president.”
Backing Mitt Romney, Clint Eastwood added that Romney would “restore a decent tax system… so there’s a fairness and people are not pitted against each other,” according to reports from Idaho.
Mitt Romney is challenging Barack Obama for the White House in November’s presidential elections.
Also on Friday figures showed that the US added 163,000 jobs in the month of July, but national unemployment rose to 8.3% from 8.2%.
Correspondents say the health of the US economy is likely to become a decisive factor in the outcome of the election.
The UN General Assembly has voted by a big majority to condemn its own Security Council for failing to end the unrest in Syria as fighting rages.
It passed a non-binding resolution, which also condemns the Syrian government’s use of heavy weapons, by 133 votes to 12 with 31 abstentions.
The move came after the resignation of UN envoy Kofi Annan and failure of his six-point peace plan.
Government forces backed by tanks have launched a new assault in Damascus.
The UN General Assembly has voted by a big majority to condemn its own Security Council for failing to end the unrest in Syria as fighting rages
Shelling also continued on Friday in Syria’s largest city, Aleppo.
Activists say more than 20,000 people – mostly civilians – have died in 17 months of unrest.
The resolution passed at the UN expresses “grave concern” at the escalation of violence in Syria and deplores “the failure of the Security Council to agree on measures to ensure the compliance of Syrian authorities with its decisions”.
“The first step in the cessation of violence has to be made by the Syrian authorities,” the resolution said.
Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, the envoy for Saudi Arabia which is the driving force behind the resolution, had urged the Assembly to maintain its moral and humanitarian values by approving the resolution.
Syria’s envoy, Bashar Jaafari, reacted to the passing of the resolution by saying his government still supported Kofi Annan’s six-point plan.
Accusing Saudi Arabia and Qatar of having undermined the plan before coming out in support of it, he said: “You cannot be a fireman and an arsonist at the same time.”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the conflict in Syria had become a “proxy war” and called on powers to overcome their rivalries in an effort to end the violence.
“The acts of brutality that are being reported may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes,” he said.
Russia and China have blocked attempts in the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against Damascus.
Miley Cyrus has tweeted a picture of herself and her ultra miniature waist.
Miley Cyrus, 19, was clearly so impressed with her own figure, that she even chopped off her head from the snapshot to focus solely on her taut and toned midriff.
Alongside the picture, the Hannah Montana actress added the caption: “my <<Fiance>> jeans. but for real though.”
The wording is a play on the popular boyfriend-style of jeans that are popular with girls who favor baggier trousers and the fact that Miley Cyrus is now engaged to Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth.
Miley Cyrus has tweeted a picture of herself and her ultra miniature waist
Following her obsession with Pilates and workouts, it seems Miley Cyrus’ figure has continued to shrink, with the actress taunting critics by flaunting her sculpted body at every opportunity.
Even her fitness instructor spoke out on the issue, but in Miley Cyrus’ defense saying there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the singer’s health.
Mari Winsor told People: “I think people need to chill out. She’s healthy and she feels good, that’s the main thing. She’s smart about her body. She wanted to sculpt her body, that’s all.”
The fitness guru added: “When this girl comes in, she is on fire. She’s focused.”
But whatever Miley Cyrus’ secret, it seems she may not be so sure herself – or at least, doesn’t want anyone to know.
Back in April, Miley Cyrus claimed her changing shape was not a quest for size zero, but a health issue.
Miley Cyrus tweeted: “For everyone calling me anorexic I have a gluten and lactose allergy. It’s not about weight, it’s about health.”
However, last night Miley Cyrus insists she does eat, saying: “upallnighteatinchicken&waffles/makin beats.”
Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, Austria.
The 33-year-old international musician was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, where she had lived since studying in the city.
A statement on Mihaela Ursuleasa’s website said: “We have not only lost a wonderful person but one of the greatest artists our musical world has known.”
The artist is survived by a five-year-old daughter, according to Arts Journal.
The arts website said several reports blamed her death on a brain haemorrhage.
Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, Austria
The message on Mihaela Ursuleasa’s own website continued: “We are in deep sorrow because of her sudden unexpected death. Our thoughts are with her daughter and her mother.”
Mihaela Ursuleasa had been due to play with the National Youth Orchestra on Wednesday in Bucharest and on Saturday in Berlin.
She was born in Brasov, Romania and began her career at the early age of five, before making the decision to withdraw from the stage in 1990 to concentrate on studying in Vienna.
Her “rare combination of vivacity and technical mastery” meant she went on to win the highly acclaimed Clara Haskil Competition in 1995.
Her online biography from EAS Music Management said she was “one of the most remarkable pianists of her generation”.
Mihaela Ursuleasa performed at world renowned venues such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Vienna, Tonhalle Zurich and in the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York.
She had also been welcomed as a guest soloist by orchestras such as the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, Mozarteum Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
In 2010, her debut solo album, Piano & Forte won the ECHO Klassik award for Solo Recording of the Year.
Mihaela Ursuleasa’ second solo album Romanian Rhapsody was released in March 2011.
An invasion of Giant African Land Snails is causing havoc in parts of Florida.
The slimy creatures, which are native to East Africa, cause widespread damage to crops and buildings, while some carry thousands of “rat lungworms” which can cause meningitis if ingested by humans.
Government officials battling to stem the tide have collected more than 40,000 of the snails since they were first found in the south of the state late last year.
Large numbers of the snails, which can grow up to eight inches in length and more than four inches in width, have also infested parts of South and Central America.
Giant African Land Snails cause widespread damage to crops and buildings, while some carry thousands of "rat lungworms" which can cause meningitis if ingested by humans
Parasitic Rat lungworms use the snails as hosts.
After a rat eats an infected snail, thousands of the worms – up to 60 mm long – may grow in its brain.
If a human ingests a snail infected by the worms they can reach the brain, causing eosinophilic meningitis.
Symptoms can include headaches, numbness and spasms and in the most serious cases – death.
The snails are eaten in parts of South and Central American. Properly cooked, they are safe to eat, but they are eaten either raw or partially cooked by some communities.
They eat hundreds of types of crop, are known to cause slicks on pavements when present in large numbers and can cause damage to plasterwork on the front of buildings.
The last reported outbreak of Giant African Land Snails in Florida took place in 1966 after a boy smuggled some into Miami as pets.
It is not clear what caused the latest invasion, but eradicating them could take years.
They can grow to be 8 inches long and 4 inches around, much larger than average snail.
The species can live up to nine years, and produce more than a thousand eggs a year.
They reach maturity after a year and can produce 200-300 eggs a month. This leads to enormous infestations over a short time-scale.
The snails are listed among the world’s top 100 invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Tons of the snails have been collected in Columbia and other parts of South America, while some are even reported to have been found in the Galapagos Islands.
Los Angeles police stormed pop star Miley Cyrus’s house, after receiving an emergency call about a possible kidnapping and shooting.
Armed police and rescue crews surrounded the former Hannah Montana star’s house in Hollywood on Wednesday, while helicopters circled the property.
But they soon discovered there was no one in the building.
Los Angeles police stormed Miley Cyrus's house, after receiving an emergency call about a possible kidnapping and shooting
Police say the incident may have been part of a trend of prank calls, which has been dubbed “swatting”.
Swatting is when an anonymous call is made to get a team of police to storm a building or an innocent person’s home.
Police told ABC News that such incidents were on the rise – even though false calls to emergency services are a crime in California.
An investigation is underway into the incident at Miley Cyrus’s home.
Police said they were tracking the caller. If found, the person will be prosecuted and could face up to a year in jail.
Miley Cyrus, the 19-year old actress and singer, is the daughter of American country star, Billy Ray Cyrus – who had a worldwide hit with Achy Breaky Heart in 1992.
The actress gained worldwide fame when she was cast as Miley Stewart, the lead role in Disney’s Hannah Montana.
In 2010, Miley Cyrus was ranked number thirteen on Forbes’ Celebrity 100.
Katherine Jackson, mother of late megastar Michael Jackson, has been re-instated as guardian of his three children by a court in Los Angeles.
Katherine Jackson, 82, will share custody with their cousin TJ (Tito Jackson Jr.), who was made temporary guardian last week after she was reported missing.
She had not had contact with her grandchildren for ten days, but was later found at a spa in Arizona.
A hearing on 22 August will decide if the arrangement will be made permanent.
Tito Jackson Jr., the 34-year-old son of Michael Jackson’s brother Tito, stepped in as guardian for Prince Michael, 15, Paris, 14 and 10 year-old Blanket.
However, his lawyer Charles Shultz said he “in no way was trying to displace his grandmother” as “they respect each other”.
Katherine Jackson will share custody of Michael’s children with their cousin TJ, who was made temporary guardian last week after she was reported missing
Under the new agreement, TJ Jackson remains as co-guardian, with control over the staff and day-to-day operations of the family home.
Perry Sanders Jr., Katherine Jackson’s lawyer, has said the arrangement will allow his client to focus on the children’s upbringing and not on financial or logistics issues.
The co-guardianship arrangement would also allow either adult to serve as sole guardian if the other were no longer able to serve
In a sworn statement, Katherine Jackson said: “I am, and have been, very close with my grandson TJ and have relied on him to help me raise Prince, Paris and Blanket since the death of their father.
“While I was away, I assumed that (the children) would be secure and safe in the hands of the person who had essentially been acting as an informal co-guardian on many matters with me since my appointment as guardian.”
The Jackson family has been involved in legal and financial disputes since the singer’s sudden death in June 2009.
His will left nothing to his siblings and last week several of them signed a letter claiming it was a fake, calling on executors of the estate to resign.
However, Jermaine Jackson withdrew his support for the letter on Wednesday and issued a plea on Twitter for peace in the family.
He wrote that the family is still raw from Michael Jackson’s death, and his mother has endured incredible stress and pressures since then.
Katherine Jackson returned to the family compound near Los Angeles last week after publicly denying rumors she had been kidnapped by some of her adult children.
She said she was unaware she had even been reported missing during her stay at the luxury spa in Tucson, Arizona last month, from where she said was unable to communicate with the outside world.
Katherine Jackson claims she was not allowed access to a phone or her iPad after being sent there following doctor’s orders to rest, but was told that the kids were fine.
Court documents revealed that she had only learned she was the subject of a search when she accidentally heard a TV report.
“While there was a telephone in my room, the telephone was not functioning and I could not dial out,” she said in the documents.
“In addition, there was no picture on the television in my room,” she added, and said she had repeatedly asked to have the TV fixed.
“One morning I woke up to the sound of the television,” she said. “While there was no picture, I heard a broadcast that stated I was missing.”
Katherine Jackson made a statement to ABC News before she left Tucson, seated with her children Randy, Janet and Rebbie next to her, denying that she had been prevented from leaving.
“My children would never do a thing to me like that, holding me against my will,” she said.
“It’s very stupid for people to think that.”
Katherine Jackson also said she was devastated she had lost guardianship of her grandchildren “based on a bunch of lies.”
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said an investigator who looked into the children’s care found the late singer’s mother was an excellent guardian and the children love her.
Michael Jackson died aged 50 from an overdose of the surgical anaesthetic propofol.
His former doctor Conrad Murray was jailed for four years in November, after being convicted of the singer’s involuntary manslaughter.
Gu Kailai, wife of controversial Chinese politician Bo Xilai, will go on trial for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood next Thursday.
Prosecutors announced last week that Gu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun, employed at Bo Xilai’s home, had been charged with intentional homicide.
Neil Heywood was found dead in a hotel in Chongqing on 15 November 2011.
The alleged murder of Neil Heywood triggered Bo Xilai’s downfall in a scandal that has rocked Chinese politics.
The trial is expected to take place in the eastern city of Hefei, even though the crime allegedly took place hundreds of miles to the west in the city of Chongqing.
Gu Kailai, wife of controversial Chinese politician Bo Xilai, will go on trial for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood next Thursday
Legal experts have previously said that authorities would have had concerns about the political influence Bo Xilai and his family may still exert in Chongqing and whether that would affect a fair trial.
Local officials initially said Neil Heywood died of excessive drinking, but the government announced in April it was investigating Bo Xilai’s wife in connection with the case.
The exact nature of Neil Heywood’s role and his relations with Bo Xilai’s family have been the subject of much speculation inside and outside China. At the very least, there were close business contacts between the Bo family and Neil Heywood.
Bo Xilai, the former high-flying leader of the south-western Chinese megacity of Chongqing, was sacked in March and is under investigation for allegedly flouting Communist Party rules.
He made his name tackling corruption in Chongqing and had been expected to be elected to an important position during the once-in-a-decade leadership change due at the Communist Party congress this autumn.
Analysts say the authorities are keen to resolve the case quickly before China undergoes that politically sensitive transition.
A group of scientists believe they have discovered a clue to why women tend to live longer than men by studying fruit flies.
Published in Current Biology, the study focuses on mutations in mitochondrial DNA – the power source of cells.
Mitochondria are inherited only from mothers, never from fathers, so there is no way to weed out mutations that damage a male’s prospects.
But one ageing expert said there were many factors that explained the gender difference in life expectancy.
And females outlive males in many other species.
Scientists believe they have discovered a clue to why women tend to live longer than men by studying fruit flies
In the research, experts from Australia’s Monash University and the UK’s Lancaster University analyzed the mitochondria of 13 different groups of male and female fruit flies.
Mitochondria, which exist in almost all animal cells, convert food into the energy that powers the body.
Dr. Damian Dowling, of Monash University who was one of the researchers, said the results point to numerous mutations within mitochondrial DNA that affect how long males live, and the speed at which they age.
“Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of ageing in females,” he said.
“All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species.
“Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male ageing across the animal kingdom.”
They suggest this is because there is no evolutionary reason for the faults that affect males to be picked up – because mitochondria are passed down by females.
Dr. Damian Dowling added: “If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed.
“Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed.”
Kim Kardashian revealed her diet secrets as she shared another picture of herself in a bikini on her Twitter page, showing off her toned curves in a sexy purple two-piece.
Kim Kardashian, 31, said in a recent interview: “I used to eat a ton of junk food, but there are plenty of fast food places that offer healthy options, so there’s no excuse for eating badly all the time.
“Although, when I go out for dinner, I eat what I want. You can’t spend your life worrying about calories.”
Kim Kardashian later shared another picture of herself in the bikini, with the caption: “#nofilter #nophotoshop.”
Kim Kardashian revealed her diet secrets as she shared another picture of herself in a bikini on her Twitter page
She has been keeping her fans updated with her diet and exercise regime on her Twitter page.
And earlier this week Kim Kardashian tweeted that she was keen to tone up, writing: “Back on my workout grind!”
Kim Kardashian’s bikini pictures came after she was subjected to abuse on Twitter over her weight.
After she received comments surrounding her figure, and the size of her derriere on the micro-blogging site, sister Khloe Kardashian came forward to defend her sibling.
Khloe Kardashian wrote on Twitter: “Still get disgusted by how people judge others by weight. Either <<fat>> or <<skinny>>. Nothing is ever good enough…
“Throwing stones behind a screen. If you must judge a person. Try judging their soul. My brick walls are getting higher and higher.
“U can’t love any1 else until u know how to love urself first. The good, bad, ugly, beautiful…. Love yourself deeply. The rest is easy.”
Curiosity, the big robot rover NASA is sending to Mars, looks in excellent shape for its Monday (GMT) landing.
Curiosity – also known as the Mars Science laboratory (MSL) – was launched from Earth in November last year and is now nearing the end of a 560-million-km journey across space.
To reach its intended touch-down zone in a deep equatorial crater, the machine must enter the atmosphere at a very precise point on the sky.
Engineers told reporters on Thursday that they were close to a bulls-eye.
A slight course correction – the fourth since launch – was instigated last Saturday, and the latest analysis indicates Curiosity will be no more than a kilometre from going straight down its planned “keyhole”.
The team’s confidence is such that it may pass up the opportunity to make a further correction on Friday.
“We are about to land a small compact car on the surface with a trunk-load of instruments. This is a pretty amazing feat getting ready to happen. It’s exciting, it’s daring – but it’s fantastic,” said Doug McCuistion, the head of NASA’s Mars programme.
Curiosity, also known as the Mars Science laboratory, was launched from Earth in November last year and is now nearing the end of a 560-million-km journey across space
Curiosity is the biggest and most sophisticated Mars rover yet.
It will study the rocks inside Gale Crater, one of the deepest holes on Mars, for signs that the planet may once have supported microbial life.
The $2.5 billion mission is due to touch down at 05:31 GMT Monday 6 August; 22:31 PDT, Sunday 5 August.
It will be a totally automated landing.
Engineers here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, can only watch and wait.
The vast distance between Mars and Earth means there is a 13-minute lag in communications, making real-time intervention impossible.
NASA has had to abandon the bouncing airbag approach to making soft landings.
This technique was used to great effect on the three previous rovers – Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity.
But at nearly a ton, Curiosity is simply too heavy to be supported by inflated cushions.
Instead, the mission team has devised a rocket-powered, hovering crane to lower the rover to the surface in the final moments of its descent.
Adam Steltzner, who led this work for NASA, said: “It looks a little bit crazy. I promise you it is the least crazy of the methods you could use to land a rover the size of Curiosity on Mars, and we’ve become quite fond of it – and we’re fairly confident that Sunday night will be a good night for us.”
The team is also keeping a sharp eye on the Martian weather and any atmospheric conditions that might interfere with the descent manoeuvres.
It is the equivalent of August also on Mars right now, meaning Gale Crater at its position just inside the southern hemisphere is coming out of winter and moving towards spring.
It is the time of year when winds can kick up huge clouds of dust, and a big storm was spotted this week about 1,000km from the landing site. But NASA expects this storm to dissipate long before landing day.
The first black-and-white images of the surface taken by Curiosity should be returned to Earth in the first hours after touch down, but the mission team do not intend to rush into exploration.
For one thing, the rover has a plutonium battery that should give it far greater longevity than the solar-panelled power systems on previous vehicles.
“This is a very complicated beast,” said Pete Theisinger, Curiosity’s project manager.
“The speech I made to the team is to recognize that on Sunday night at [22:32 PDT], we will have a priceless asset that we have placed on the surface of another planet that could last a long time if we operate it correctly, and so we will be as cautious as hell about what we do with it.”
Curiosity – Mars Science Laboratory:
• Mission goal is to determine whether Mars has ever had the conditions to support life
• Project costed at $2.5 billion; will see initial surface operations lasting two Earth years
• Onboard plutonium generators will deliver heat and electricity for at least 14 years
• 75 kg science payload more than 10 times as massive as those of earlier US Mars rovers
• Equipped with tools to brush and drill into rocks, to scoop up, sort and sieve samples
• Variety of analytical techniques to discern chemistry in rocks, soil and atmosphere
• Will try to make first definitive identification of organic (carbon-rich) compounds
• Even carries a laser to zap rocks; beam will identify atomic elements in rocks
