Novelist Richard Russo refuses to allow his new novel to be sold as an e-book.
Richard Russo, 62, said Interventions, a collection of four volumes, is a “tribute to the printed book” and would not be made available online.
The author, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2002 with Empire Falls, said he wanted to encourage people to buy from local bookstores.
“Readers can’t survive on e-books alone,” he told the Associated Press.
“The rapid rise of e-books and online sales of printed books pose threats to bookstores, the book publishing industry and the rise of new authors,” he continued.
Interventions is a collaboration between Richard Russo, his artist daughter Kate Russo who provided its illustrations, and her husband Tom Butler who designed the collection.
Each features three short stories and a novella packaged in a slip case, with a postcard-sized print of one of Kate Russo’s paintings.
Novelist Richard Russo refuses to allow his new novel to be sold as an e-book
Richard Russo has enlisted Down East Books – a company located near his home in Camden, Maine – to publish Interventions, saying he wanted to promote “the idea of buying locally”.
“This particular book is part of that groundswell of people who are beginning to understand that buying all of your books through online booksellers is like buying everything from online sellers,” he explained.
Richard Russo, whose other novels include Bridge of Sighs and That Old Cape Magic, has spoken out against e-books and retail giant Amazon in the past.
In December last year he wrote a piece in the New York Times criticizing Amazon’s price-check app, which allows shoppers to scan a bar code in store and see how much they could save buying online.
Richard Russo said he was “fine with online booksellers” in general but added: “I just don’t want them to control the world.”
Earlier this year erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James topped the New York Times’ prestigious bestseller list on downloads alone.
E.L. James’s book has now sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and was followed by two best-selling sequels.
Despite being an early fan of online publishing, Stephen King’s next horror story Joyland, out in June 2013, will only be released in book form.
Stephen King said he decided against an e-book because he “loved the paperbacks [he] grew up with as a kid”.
Richard Mollet, chief executive of the Publishers Association, said he was not sure Richard Russo’s decision was part of a larger trend.
“Most authors want to reach as many people as possible. Increasingly that does mean the electronic version,” he said.
“We had 366% growth in consumer e-books in 2011,” he added.
“The demand is rising.
“For the majority of authors they want to access that market. But if there are authors that don’t, then that’s fine too.”
Jessica Simpson shared an adorable photo of her daughter Maxwell with her Twitter fans yesterday.
Jessica Simpson, 31, posted a snap of her daughter along with the caption: “Howdy friends!”
Maxwell, who seems to have inherited her mother’s pout, is dressed in a sweet striped jumpsuit and appears to be resting in the star’s arms.
Jessica Simpson gave birth to her first child with fiancé, former NFL star Eric Johnson, on May 1.
Jessica Simpson shared an adorable photo of her daughter Maxwell with her Twitter fans yesterday
As well as looking after her new arrival, Jessica Simpson is also focusing on another time-consuming task – losing her baby weight.
Jessica Simpson, who posted a picture of her post-baby curves last week, hopes shrink to 130 lbs before the end of the year.
The proud mother is adamant she will shed 50 pounds in five months.
Jessica Simpson has signed a $4 million with Weight Watchers to reach her target of 130 lbs.
And she’s enlisted celebrity fitness trainer Harley Pasternak’s and was spotted at his gym in West Hollywood last week.
In addition to her exercise regime, Jessica Simpson is following a strict diet.
Jessica Simpson recently told People magazine that she is eating protein-packed meals and drinking home-mixed juices to help shed pounds.
But in another interview with In Touch magazine, friends say that the star, who is also trying to care for her newborn little girl, is feeling “stressed and overwhelmed”.
Sources told the publication that Jessica Simpson, who weighed a reported 210 lbs at the height of her pregnancy, is also physically exhausted.
Angelina Jolie always revealed her passion for doing her own stunts when she starred as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider.
It seems that Angelina Jolie certainly hasn’t lost her love of adrenaline-seeking, judging by pictures of the star on the set of new Disney movie Maleficent today.
Angelina Jolie, 37, was seen wired up to a crane as she took to the skies to shoot some high-octane scenes for the movie.
Wearing her horned headdress, complete with prosthetic cheekbones and a long brown dress and matching cape, Angelina Jolie looked calm and confident as she was lifted up into the air by the crane, which was attached to her around the waist.
Angelina Jolie, who is shooting the new movie in Buckinghamshire, stars as the title character – the evil Maleficent – in the film, a real-life version of the Disney cartoon Sleeping Beauty.
Angelina Jolie was seen wired up to a crane as she took to the skies to shoot some high-octane scenes for Maleficent
It seems Angelina Jolie has no qualms about shooting the stunts herself – even getting excited about the prospect.
Tomb Raider stunt coordinator Simon Crane said in a previous interview that Angelina Jolie was one of the most competent actresses he has ever worked with in terms of the stunts she performs.
Simon Crane said: “I would rate Angelina very highly against all of the action actors I have worked with. We’ve done a couple of sequences that involve stunts you won’t have seen a woman do before, and basically she is doing almost all of these stunts herself.
“We did a bungee-jumping sequence, and she went through three months’ training to be able to do it. She’s just done all these somersaults for another sequence. I was very impressed.”
The focus of the film centres on the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart, leading her to curse the baby Aurora who will be played by Elle Fanning.
Speaking about her new film Angelina Jolie told EW:“It’s not anti-princess, but it’s the first time they’re looking at this epic woman.
“I hope in the end you see a woman who is capable of being many things, and just because she protects herself and is aggressive, it doesn’t mean she can’t have other [warmer] qualities.
“It sounds really crazy to say that there will be something that’s good for young girls in this, because it sounds like you’re saying they should be a villain. [Maleficent] is actually a great person. But she’s not perfect. She’s far from perfect.
“In general, it’s a very good message to say, <<Let’s look at something from the other side>>. But then also, what our challenge will be – and the script writer [The Lion King and Alice in Wonderland’s Linda Woolverton] has already cracked it – is not to simplify it, not to just reverse the story but tell a bigger story that doesn’t point the finger [at Princess Aurora] either.”
Maleficent is directed by Robert Stromberg and is set for release on March 14, 2014.
The husband of Feng Jianmei, the Chinese woman forced to have a late-term abortion, has gone into hiding and her family are being harassed, a relative has said.
Feng Jianmei was made to terminate her pregnancy at seven months as she could not pay the fine for violating China’s one-child policy.
Photos showing her with the foetus caused widespread condemnation when they were leaked on the web.
Officials apologized, but the couple is now apparently being hounded.
A relative of Feng Jianmei told reporters that the family had been harassed since leaving hospital, possibly with the tacit encouragement of local government officials who have been embarrassed by the scandal.
Feng Jianmei and her husband are being hounded since leaving hospital
She said Feng Jianmei’s husband Deng Jiyuan had gone into hiding on Sunday.
Pictures circulating on the internet appear to show a large red banner saying “beat the traitors, drive them from the town” strung up in the family’s town in Shaanxi province.
“On Sunday evening, we decided to go home [from hospital] and a lot of people had gathered outside,” the relative, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
“They hung banners on a bridge and many people came and shouted that we were traitors. Now wherever we go, people follow us.”
China’s one-child family planning policy aims to control the country’s population, which now stands at around 1.3 billion.
Rights groups say the law has meant women being coerced into abortions, which Beijing denies.
“Feng Jianmei’s story demonstrates how the one-child policy continues to sanction violence against women every day,” said Chai Ling of the US-based activist group All Girls Allowed.
The group says it spoke to Feng Jianmei and her husband Deng Jiyuan after the incident. Deng Jiyuan said his wife had been forcibly taken to hospital and restrained before the procedure.
The Spice Girls have reunited to launch Viva Forever!, a new West End musical based on their hit songs.
Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell helped unveil the show at a central London hotel on Tuesday.
“We’re going to be introducing a whole new generation to Girl Power,” Victoria Beckham said.
Written by Jennifer Saunders, the musical explores the “bitter reality of fame” brought by a TV talent show.
Viva Forever! opens at London’s Piccadilly Theatre on 11 December.
The show is the idea of Judy Craymer, producer of Abba musical Mamma Mia!, who described Jennifer Saunders as a “brilliant collaborator”.
“She understands the anxieties in women, the fear of judgment and trepidation that one day they get to a certain age and become invisible,” Judy Craymer said.
The launch event was held in the neo-Gothic St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, the location where the Spice Girls filmed the video for their breakthrough hit Wannabe in 1996.
Reunited on the same podium, the five ex-bandmates exchanged banter about Geri Halliwell’s exit from the group at the height of their fame in 1998.
Spice Girls have reunited to launch Viva Forever!, a new West End musical based on their hit songs
“I’ve got to say these girls are amazing and brilliant and loving,” said Geri Halliwell.
“Every time I see them, and I don’t see them that often, independently and collectively they’re really lovely. I’m really grateful to have good friends like this.”
“She’s only saying that because she left,” joked Melanie Chisholm, aka Mel C.
“To have our songs performed night after night in a theatre is an honor for us,” Melanie Chisholm went on.
“My little boy doesn’t know who were are, so I can’t wait for him to see this,” said Emma Bunton.
According to its producers, Viva Forever! is “the story of a beautiful, talented girl and her best friends who get swept up in the obsession of today’s TV celebrity culture”.
Judy Craymer said Saunders’ story would “embrace all generations”.
“We listened to Spice Girls songs for nine months non-stop,” she said.
“Jennifer came up with a heart-warming family story that touches on celebrity today.”
The show, Judy Craymer continued, was “very much about the chaos that a TV talent show can bring on a family and friendship”.
Jennifer Saunders, the writer of TV comedy Absolutely Fabulous, said both she and her daughters had been Spice Girls fans.
“I remember the joy and energy and positivity that they brought, and I wanted to bring that to the story,” she told reporters.
The musical will be directed by Paul Garrington, who has staged international productions of Mamma Mia! and Dirty Dancing.
Viva Forever! is the latest in a line of so-called “jukebox” musicals that use popular songs to score what is often a fresh storyline.
The commercial success of Mamma Mia! has helped fuel dozens of similar shows, such as Jersey Boys – featuring the hits of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons – and the Michael Jackson show Thriller Live.
Mamma Mia!, which opened in 1999, is booking in the West End until April 2013, while We Will Rock You, based on the music of Queen, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Yet other examples of the genre have enjoyed lesser success.
Despite winning an Olivier for best new musical, the Madness-based Our House closed in 2003 after 10 months in the West End.
The opening of Viva Forever! will coincide with that of The Bodyguard, a musical based on the 1992 Whitney Houston film that opens at the Adelphi in December.
The Spice Girls topped the charts in 31 countries with their 1996 debut single Wannabe and went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide.
The group created the 1990s mantra “Girl Power” and starred in their own feature film, Spiceworld, in 1997.
The Spice Girls disbanded in 2000 but reformed seven years later for a reunion tour.
Judy Craymer said she was “thrilled” the five had shown “so much encouragement and support” about a musical she insisted was “not a tribute show”.
“The positivity, energy, humor, excitement and friendships that encapsulated the Spice Girls and their songs have inspired the whole creative team,” she added.
Previews of Viva Forever! begin at the Piccadilly on 27 November.
Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L. James has become the number one best-selling Kindle book of all time at Amazon.co.uk, it was revealed today.
Despite the trilogy only being published in March this year, the racy international best-sellers have sold over one million copies in the online store’s Kindle department, while author E.L. James has become the bestselling author of the year on the site as a whole.
E.L. James, originally a self-published Kindle Direct Publishing Author saw popularity of her book soar online after readers embarrassed to be seen with a hard copy of the racy tome preferred to buy online.
The Kindle edition of Fifty Shades of Grey is currently outselling the print book at a rate of more than 2 to 1.
Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L. James has become the number one best-selling Kindle book of all time at Amazon.co.uk
“E.L. James’ books have become both the fastest-selling and the best-selling series ever on Kindle. That’s an exceptional achievement for a debut novelist and we’re excited to see her pass the one million sales milestone,” said Gordon Willoughby, spokesman for Kindle.
“Following a stint of self-publishing, first online and then via KDP, E.L. James found a fan base and her success has rocketed from there.
“Her books have become a worldwide phenomenon demonstrating what a powerful launch pad KDP can be.”
In addition to the sales success seen on Kindle, Fifty Shades Of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed are the first, second and third best-selling print books at Amazon.co.uk and their combined sales have also made her the best-selling print author of the year so far.
Sales of the book, the first in a trilogy, have overtaken the Harry Potter books and the Da Vinci Code, to the delight of not only E.L. James, but established romance writer Jilly Cooper.
Fifty Shades writer E.L. James, whose real name is Erika Mitchell has said she thinks her books are successful because they offer women a “holiday from their husbands”.
The biggest McDonald’s restaurant on the planet has been built in London, right in the middle of the Olympic park.
The vast two-storey restaurant will serve up to 1,200 customers an hour and sell $5 million of fast food during Olympic Games.
At 3,000 sq ft the building, next to the Olympic Stadium, is bigger than the current largest McDonald’s, in Moscow.
The Russian restaurant will regain its title on September 9, however, when the London branch is bulldozed after the Paralympics closing ceremony.
Yesterday McDonald’s gave the media a preview of its flagship store, which includes 20 till points and 1,500 seats.
It is one of four branches in the park, including two open to the public, one for the athletes and officials in the Olympic Village and one at the press centre.
Altogether they will serve 1.75 million meals in 29 days, with Britons accounting for an estimated 85% of customers.
The biggest McDonald’s restaurant on the planet has been built in London, right in the middle of the Olympic park
The main restaurant will offer some of the best views across the Olympic Park from its first-floor balcony, which can seat 150 customers.
It will be staffed by 500 of its top-performing employees from 85,000 in the UK, with 200 on a shift at any one time.
The global sponsor has been linked to the Olympics since 1968, when the company airlifted hamburgers to US athletes in Grenoble, France, after it was reported they were missing McDonald’s food.
But McDonald’s has been criticized for promoting the consumption of fast food at a time when people should be celebrating sports participation and healthy living.
It is estimated one in ten meals eaten at Olympic Games venues will be from McDonald’s.
Last week, members of the London Assembly said firms which sold junk food should not be linked to the Olympic Games. Cadbury and Coca-Cola are also sponsors.
Jenny Jones, a Green Party assembly member, said: “London won the right to host the 2012 Games with the promise to deliver a legacy of more active, healthier children across the world.
“Yet the same International Olympic Committee that awarded the Games to London persists in maintaining sponsorship deals with the purveyors of high calorie junk that contributes to the threat of an obesity epidemic.
“The advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar is already restricted on children’s television.
“These Games will subvert those regulations by providing a glut of sponsored messages for high calorie food and drink that are at odds with the Olympian athletic ideal.”
The restaurant will be McDonald’s first sustainable outlet and 75% of the building and fittings will be recycled or reused.
It is part of London 2012’s bid to be “the greenest Games ever”.
While the restaurants serve fast food to the hungry public, McDonald’s executives will be enjoying some of the top events from their corporate seats.
Yesterday, the firm admitted that global chief executive Jim Skinner and UK chief executive Jill McDonald, along with dozens of others, will enjoy corporate tickets to events such as the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics and swimming.
The restaurant will start trading on July 28, one day after the opening ceremony.
It will not open for the ceremony itself, which many VIP guests and heads of state are expected to attend, for “security reasons”.
Designer Jean Paul Gaultier has joined forces with Coca-Cola to become the latest member of the body art brigade.
As the newly-appointed creative director of Diet Coke, Jean Paul Gaultier has released the highly anticipated third design in a set of limited-edition bottles.
This quirky new design comes after her unveiled two stylish bottles named “Day” and “Night” which harbored all the design elements of his famous fragrances.
Designer Jean Paul Gaultier has joined forces with Coca-Cola to become the latest member of the body art brigade
The feminine corsets made an appearance in the “Night” design, while “Day” featured the Breton stripes that Jean Paul Gaultier has spent 35 years making his signature and conical bra as worn by Madonna on her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour.
The latest edition bares a strong resemblance to the night-inspired bottle, showcasing a cheeky and risqué tattoo art in a corset shape.
The new bottle is available in Europe starting this month with a campaign shot by Stephane Sednaoui.
Coca-Cola is no stranger to designer collaborations and the bottles have been getting fashionable and collectable makeovers by fashion’s biggest names since 2003.
Jean Paul Gaultier is the latest in a long line of designer predecessors who include Matthew Williamson, Gianfranco Ferre, Marni, Karl Largerfeld and Roberto Cavalli.
Celebrities each have their own secret weapon against cellulite, according to Heat magazine.
For Frankie Essex it is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula, which she applies every time she gets out of the bath.
Katy Perry swears by Celluvera cream. At a pricey $72 per bottle, Katy Perry uses the cream as a boost to exercise to banish the bumps.
And Alesha Dixon keeps her orange peel at bay with a miracle cure known as Hypoxi Vacuum Therapy, which is a combination of exercise, improved diet and targeted low atmospheric pressure to help reduce cellulite around the buttocks.
Alesha Dixon is also an avid fan of a juice cleanser containing carrot, ginger and beetroot which she ensures is freshly made using unpasteurized juices that help detox her body.
The celebrities also follow the tried and tested methods of beating cellulite. From dry body brushing to staying well hydrated.
Madonna even invested in a machine that claimed to be the ultimate weapon in our war against cellulite, she paid a whopping $80,000 to have one installed in her home.
Frankie Essex is a huge fan of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula as a weapon against cellulite
The stars’ cellulite-busting tips:
• Frankie Essex is a huge fan of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula
• Katy Perry swears by Celluvera cream
• Alesha Dixon detoxes by drinking a juice cleanser
• Kate Moss gets her antioxidants in the form of white tea
• Miranda Kerr dry body brushes religiously to keep in shape
• Jennifer Lopez’s anti-cellulite staple comes in the form of spinach (and lots of it!)
Famous for her killer legs, Caroline Flack finally reveals her secret, which comes in a tiny bottle, MAC body foundation.
The 32-year-old Xtra-Factor presenter gives her legs a beauty boost with MAC body foundation.
At $33 a bottle, Caroline Flack makes good use of the product and spreads it all over her body to give her an all-round glow.
The water-based, water-resistant foundation prides itself on providing natural coverage for your face and body.
It contains several emollients to help moisturize and condition the skin.
Caroline Flack revealed her secret to Heat Magazine: “I put it everywhere, not just my face. It work. My legs get attention.”
Although Caroline Flack is regularly spotted donning barely-there shorts, the star is not without her insecurities.
Caroline Flack gives her legs a beauty boost with MAC body foundation
“I do have cellulite, but running really helps me tone up. I work with what nature gave me!” she said.
Her trainer, who goes by the name of Ulisses and works at Reebok Sports Club, helps Caroline Flack tone up her legs and exercises include step-ups on a box and power plate sessions to work the back region of the legs.
It’s not just Caroline Flack who feels insecure about her cellulite either. According to Heat, celebrities each have their own secret weapon.
For Frankie Essex it is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula, which she applies every time she gets out of the bath.
Katy Perry swears by Celluvera cream. At a pricey $72 per bottle, Katy Perry uses the cream as a boost to exercise to banish the bumps.
And Alesha Dixon keeps her orange peel at bay with a miracle cure known as Hypoxi Vacuum Therapy, which is a combination of exercise, improved diet and targeted low atmospheric pressure to help reduce cellulite around the buttocks.
Alesha Dixon is also an avid fan of a juice cleanser containing carrot, ginger and beetroot which she ensures is freshly made using unpasteurized juices that help detox her body.
The celebrities also follow the tried and tested methods of beating cellulite. From dry body brushing to staying well hydrated.
Madonna even invested in a machine that claimed to be the ultimate weapon in our war against cellulite, she paid a whopping $80,000 to have one installed in her home.
The stars’ cellulite-busting tips:
• Frankie Essex is a huge fan of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula
• Katy Perry swears by Celluvera cream
• Alesha Dixon detoxes by drinking a juice cleanser
• Kate Moss gets her antioxidants in the form of white tea
• Miranda Kerr dry body brushes religiously to keep in shape
• Jennifer Lopez’s anti-cellulite staple comes in the form of spinach (and lots of it!)
Rapper 50 Cent has been hospitalized after being involved in a serious car accident in New York City in the early hours of this morning.
50 Cent, 36, was taken to Queens hospital with possible injuries to his neck and back after a collision between his SUV – which was being driven by someone else – and a Mack truck on the Long Island Expressway.
According to fan site ThisIs50.com, the incident occurred when a red truck rear-ended his bullet proof vehicle and it “almost flipped over”.
50 Cent – real name is Curtis Jackson – and was put on a stretcher and taken to the nearby medical facility, along with his driver.
50 Cent has been hospitalized after being involved in a serious car accident in New York City in the early hours of this morning
A source close to the rapper has revealed both the star and his driver are recovering well.
The insider told XXLMag.com: “He’s fine,” and when asked about the driver added: “He’s good.”
It’s not the first time 50 Cent has been at Queens this year after he was previously hospitalized due to a bad bout of food poisoning.
50 Cent said at the time: “Eminem called and said, <<Man, you been shot nine times, don’t f**k around and die over a burger>>.
“He called and started making me laugh and s**t, and I wasn’t feeling good. So I just started to laugh, and he cheered me up when I was feeling uncomfortable.”
50 Cent famously survived a brush with death in 2000.
The former drug dealer was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident outside his grandmother’s former home.
50 Cent is understood to be single following a fling with comedian Chelsea Handler last year.
The persons who share an ancestor, a homeland, a heritage that includes language, culture (often including traditions, food preferences and the same religion) can be called ethnic group. The group is recognized as being distinctive from other groups. The young members become conscious of belonging to that ethnic group as they grow up, they seek the other members’ approval, and often they are proud to be part of that group.
A group of persons with the same language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history can be called nation. Also the people who live on the same territory and under the same government, no matter what ethnicity they have, may be called nation. A country or a sovereign state may be referred to as nation in international relations.
Being part of a political, social, national community (a country or a city) makes a person a citizen. A person without a citizenship is stateless. However, trade organizations, non-governmental organizations, multi-national corporations, cross the national and geographical boundaries and a person can be “citizen of the world”, having the sense, being conscious of belonging to the entire mankind.
The state of being a citizen, or the citizenship, implies a number of rights and obligations.
Generally, the citizenship implies a social contract between the community (through certain representatives, the state) and the citizen. The citizen is entitled to receive protection from the community, and in the same time he or she has responsibilities (to obey the law, to pay taxes, to vote).
Citizenship is viewed as a link between an individual and a state in the eyes of law. International law sees citizenship as synonymous to nationality, but these terms may have different meanings under national law.
Citizenship can be obtained through jus sanguinis (“right of blood”) policy and through jus soli (“right of soil”) policy. Jus sanguinis implies a certain ancestry or ethnicity. Through jus soli policy anyone born on the territory of the state can obtain citizenship. Also there is a hybrid birthright requirement of local nativity and citizenship of at least one parent. Citizenship can also be obtained through jure matrimonii (marriage to a citizen), or through naturalization (holding a legal status as a full-time resident for a period of time and promise to obey and uphold country’s laws). The dual citizenship is allowed, or forbidden, depending on the state’s law.
Every human being needs to be a part of a group. The group, no matter its size, can provide protection, and recognition, satisfying the person needs. Also a person wants to be similar to, yet different from other persons. You cannot choose where to be born, but you can choose where to live on the Earth. In modern times, the terms of ethnicity, nationality, and citizenship are beginning to loose their strong significance and although ethnicity cannot be change, one can choose his/her nationality.
John Travolta was putting on a brave front with his wife Kelly Preston at the premiere of Savages in Los Angeles last night.
The pair could not keep their hands off each other, and shared a smooch as they hammed it up for the event’s photographers.
John Travolta, 58, even playfully spun Kelly Preston, 49, around and put his hands around her waist as they lapped up the attention.
He certainly seemed relaxed, even though it had just been announced that a sailor who had accused him of sexual harassment is now suing him for assault.
John Travolta was putting on a brave front with his wife Kelly Preston at the premiere of Savages in Los Angeles last night
The simmering scandal heated up last month, when John Travolta was hit with two lawsuits from male masseurs claiming the actor made sexual advances towards them during massages – though one claim was later withdrawn.
Despite various other people coming out of the woodwork making similar claims John Travolta has not addressed the allegations directly, though his legal team has strenuously denied them.
It also emerged last week author Robert Randolph is alleging in a new lawsuit the actor and his attorney, Marty Singer, made false claims about his mental health in a bid to bring the writer’s credibility into question.
He claims they managed to stop his book You’ll Never Spa in This Town Again, in which he made explosive claims he witnessed Travolta engaged in sexual intercourse with other men at various bathhouses, from making it onto the shelves.
However John Travolta’s lawyer said the pair is intending to sue Robert Randolph’s attorney’s for malicious prosecution.
Last night’s event was not the first time John Travolta has been put on a brave face.
For he has been honoring promotional duties for his first movie since 2010, which is about a violent feud between marijuana growers and a Mexican drug cartel, even though he is not considered one of the film’s lead actors.
John Travolta plays a corrupt DEA agent named Dennis in the film, who ends up getting dragged into the affair.
Devout Scientologist, John Travolta has been married to Kelly Preston since 1991.
Their oldest child Jett died in 2009 at the age of 17 and they have two other children Ella Blue, 11, and 23-month-old Benjamin.
Mac users booking hotels on the Orbitz travel site could end up paying more for their holidays, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Orbitz told the paper it was showing Mac users different, and in many cases more expensive, hotels to those shown to people browsing on a Windows PC.
Orbitz said research suggested Mac users generally spent about 30% more per night on hotels than PC users.
But it never showed the two user groups the same room for different prices.
Mac users booking hotels on the Orbitz travel site could end up paying more for their holidays
Orbitz defended its policy as an “experiment” and said tools on its site let users customize what they saw in a way that would eliminate the differences.
Research into different user groups on the Orbitz site had revealed Mac users were 40% more likely to book a four- or five-star hotel than those logging in with a PC, it said.
In addition, it noticed, when Mac and PC users visited the same hotel the Windows users tended to go for the cheaper rooms.
The average nightly spend on a hotel was $100, Orbitz said.
Orbitz also owns the CheapTickets, ebookers, HotelClub and RatesToGo website.
The secret of Kate Middleton’s face-framing look is a modest £15.50 ($24) Bobbi Brown eye shadow powder from Peter Jones store make-up counter.
Duchess of Cambridge has learnt to use the product, from a range by make-up artist Bobbi Brown, to create the impression of thicker, darker, more luxuriant brows.
Kate Middleton, who has apparently long been concerned about her fair and slightly patchy eyebrows, is a frequent visitor to the Bobbi Brown counter at the Peter Jones store in London’s Sloane Square.
It is understood that staff taught her to apply a deep brown shadow in a shade called “saddle” with a slanted make-up brush to “fill-in” her “thinning” brows.
Kate Middleton is, by all accounts, delighted with her new look, feeling that the darker brows frame her face and make her eyes stand out.
But while Kate may have changed her look, it seems she has retained her down-to-earth approach.
The secret of Kate Middleton’s face-framing look is a modest £15.50 ($24) Bobbi Brown eye shadow powder from Peter Jones store make-up counter
Although she could simply summon the country’s top make-up artists to Kensington Palace, she picked up the eyebrow technique during a highly public – and free – make-up lesson on the shop floor.
Sitting on a stool at the bustling make-up counter, Kate Middleton listened intently while a beauty adviser gave her a step-by-step lesson. Other shoppers walked by oblivious as the pair chatted about everything from eye cream to facial corrector and a creamy concealer she has become a fan of.
Kate, 30, confided that she worries about lines and dark shadows making her look old.
To make sure she looks her best at high-profile events, she invested in a top secret “three set” anti-wrinkle set, which includes a £28 ($44) eye cream, a £17($27) facial corrector and a pot of concealer for £23 ($36).
And like most women, she couldn’t resist picking up a few extra goodies while she was there – a £15 ($24) lip liner pencil in “brownie pink” which she was told to apply all over her lips, rather than just on the edges, as a base for her lipstick.
She also bought a pinky £18 ($28) lipstick called “sandwash tulle” from the same range.
Kate Middleton’s cache came to £116.50 ($186.5).
An insider said: “In her position she has to look good and can’t be seen at posh events touching up her make-up.
“She said she has a lot of events coming up and wanted to look her best during a big tour of the South Pacific she has later this year.
“What was most remarkable, though, was that none of the other shoppers recognized the Duchess as she sat there having her make-up lessons.
“Her bodyguards were very discreet and she looked just like any other young woman popping in to pick up a few free tips.”
Facebook has taken it upon itself to change its 900 million users’ email address and replace it with one that ends in “@facebook.com”.
The changeover happened on Monday, with each individual’s personal email account being hidden in place of the one Facebook thinks you should use.
It means that anyone who searches for you on Facebook and wanted to send an email will now only be able to see @facebook.com – unless you manually revert.
This means the email will come via Facebook messages instead of another account.
Technology blogs lit up after outraged users noticed the change had occurred.
“Don’t do this again,” wrote Gizmodo while Forbes.com declared it “presumptuous”.
Facebook has taken it upon itself to change its 900 million users' email addresses and replace it with one that ends in “@facebook.com”
Facebook claimed the change is to protect users’ privacy and security by not displaying a personal email address but the site’s more generic one.
A spokesman said: “As we announced back in April, we’ve been updating addresses on Facebook to make them consistent across our site.
“In addition to everyone receiving an address, we’re also rolling out a new setting that gives people the choice to decide which addresses they want to show on their timelines.”
It is not the first time Facebook has pulled a “Big Brother” move on social network users.
Anyone who uses Facebook is already turning over reams of sensitive personal information to large companies every day.
There has been much criticism of Facebook’s changeover to the Timeline profile – drawing complaints that it makes past activity more easily accessible.
Facebook also launched a new feature this week which uses the GPS signal in cell phones to help you find friends – and potential new friends – nearby.
The “Friendshake” feature will allow you to make friends with people who are close by. The time-saving feature means that, if you meet a group of new people, you can all use this for one-touch friendship, rather than manually finding out each person’s name and separately adding them.
Some users may find this a boon to easily connect with new acquaintances, while others may see this as an invasion of privacy and way for unwanted people to get your attention.
However, the feature is currently one you have to manually turn on, by visiting http://www.fb.com/ffn – the last letters are an acronym for Find Friends Nearby.
When you enter the URL into your mobile browser, Facebook will provide a list of others who have visited the same page recently in the same area. A quick click will then add you as friends.
How to change your email address back:
1. Go into the “About” section of your profile
2. Where the email address is displayed, click “Edit”
3. Click on the circle along from the @facebook.com address
4. Change setting to “hidden from timeline”
5. Click on circle next to other email address and choose “shown on timeline”
When Eric and Maegan Walber fell into the water during their wedding photoshoot on a dock at the Bay Pinte Inn, Eric Walber swam for shore, rather than rescuing his dunked bride.
The entire bridal party got a soaking when a dock at the Bay Pointe Inn on Gun Lake in Shelbyville, Michigan, collapsed.
However, the new Mrs. Walber gracefully took it in her stride and laughed.
Her only concern was a falling down gown and finding her footing while wearing the heavy dress.
The entire bridal party got a soaking when a dock at the Bay Pointe Inn on Gun Lake in Shelbyville, Michigan, collapsed
“I came up laughing,” she told 24 Hour News 8.
“I was like, <<Oh, man, that really just happened. I can’t believe that actually just happened>>. Your wedding party falls into a lake at your reception. You can’t plan that,” she said with a laugh.
Thankfully, her modesty was protected by a bridesmaid, who also tried to steady her friend.
The scene was captured by Anne Oppenhuizen of Inspiration Video.
The wedding party had just finished eating dinner when the photographer told them that if they wanted photos on the lake, now was the time to go.
“We were out there for probably 30 seconds, standing on the dock, and it started to lean and tilt,” said Eric Walber.
“We went right under,” he added.
Afterwards, the soaking wet bridal party got a standing ovation from other diners at the restaurant.
And Maegan Walber’s evening wasn’t completely ruined as she had the dress that she’d worn to the rehearsal dinner the night before to change into.
Baby boxes, where parents can leave an unwanted baby, common in medieval Europe, have been making a comeback over the last 10 years.
Supporters say a heated box, monitored by nurses, is better for babies than abandonment on the street – but the UN says it violates the rights of the child.
It is an unlikely scene for the most painful of dramas. On the edge of a road in a leafy suburb of Berlin, there is a sign pointing through the trees down a path. It says “Babywiege” – Baby Cradle.
At the end of that path, there is a stainless steel hatch with a handle. Pull that hatch open, and there are neatly folded blankets for a baby. The warmth is safe and reassuring. There is a letter, too, telling you who to call if you change your mind.
“Dear Mother of a Foundling,
“We know that the step of giving away your child wasn’t easy for you. We want you to be sure that we are full of love for your baby and will give the best start in life within our power. And the baby should have the chance to live.
“Should you change your decision and want your baby back, return to us with full trust. We will gladly help you and it pleases us when Mother and Child can remain together. Even if you don’t, we will still help you with advice. You should know that you should not worry about having the police seeking you. Call us. We’re there for you.
“Be aware that one day your child will want to know the name of its mother. We’ll be pleased to help when you want to leave this information with us.”
About twice a year, someone – presumably a woman – treads that path at the secluded rear of Waldfriede Hospital and leaves the baby, perhaps born in secret only a few hours earlier.
That person – presumably the mother – then turns and walks away, never to see the baby again. The baby grows, but never gets to know who his or her mother was.
The word “presumably” is used because the process is secret and anonymous, so nobody knows who the people are who make that walk, carrying a baby to reverse their steps without one.
So one of the arguments made by those who condemn the system is that it may well be men who are giving the baby away, dumping him or her seems too hard a word. The critics say that baby boxes may be used by unscrupulous fathers or even controllers of prostitutes to put pressure on mothers to dispose of an unwanted baby.
Baby boxes, where parents can leave an unwanted baby, common in medieval Europe, have been making a comeback over the last 10 years
On this argument, by making it so easy to get rid of a baby, mothers are less likely to get the real help they need in their situation of great emotional trauma and even physical risk.
It is an argument the people who set up baby boxes reject. They say, rather, that they are offering desperate mothers a safe way to get rid of their unwanted babies. Those who don’t walk the path to the baby box might instead leave the baby in the biting cold of a public place.
Or, worse. A court case has just finished in Germany where a mother was prosecuted for killing her baby by throwing it from a fifth-floor balcony.
This kind of case is giving a push to the movement for more baby boxes across Central and Eastern Europe, from the Baltic states, down through Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, to Romania. The law in some countries encourages their spread – in Hungary, for example, it was changed so that leaving a baby in the official baby box was deemed to be a legal act amounting to consent to adoption, while dumping a child anywhere else remains a crime.
The proponents don’t accept that for a moment. Gabriele Stangl, of Waldfriede Hospital in Berlin, said that baby boxes save lives, and so increase rights.
At the box in Berlin, she said, there was safety backed by the full facilities of a maternity unit. Once a baby is in the hatch, an alarm rings and medical staff comes, even as the mother walks away unseen. The baby is cared for in the hospital and then fostered before going into the legal system for adoption. In the early period, mothers can return and retrieve their child, but later they can’t – adoption is final.
But some mothers do return. One mother said how she had been in despair when her child was born. The father was absent, and she was young and in a state of numb shock, so she took the route down the path – and then changed her mind barely a week later.
She followed the advice in the letter she had found in the hatch and returned. She said that, for the first time, she had realized it was her baby. She noticed his hair and eyes, and realized she couldn’t give him away. Today, she returns to the unit with pictures of the child she now brings up. The baby box had given her time for her confusion to clear.
It’s hard to know the full figures of how many relent – the critics of the system say that in Germany it is well-appointed, with the best facilities, but in some of the poorer countries to the east, baby boxes are less well organized.
But at one baby box in Hamburg, for example, there have been 42 babies left in the last 10 years. Seventeen of those mothers have then contacted the organizers, and 14 have taken back their child.
Steffanie Wolpert, one of the organizers of the system in Hamburg, says it has to be better than providing no facilities at all.
“In 1999, we had five babies abandoned and three of them were found dead.
“So we thought about this situation, and why it happened, and found a new way to help children to stay alive.”
But the critics, like the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, are not convinced. They say that baby boxes are a throwback to the past when the medieval church had what were called “foundling wheels” – round windows through which unwanted babies could be passed.
Maria Herczog, a child psychologist who is on the committee, said that a better alternative, now as then, was more understanding and help for mothers in difficult circumstances.
“They send out the mistaken message to pregnant women that they are right to continue hiding their pregnancies, giving birth in uncontrolled circumstances and then abandoning their babies.”
There is no clear right or wrong in this. It is an argument between well-meaning people. The one voice never heard is that of the mother who walks the path with the baby she bore secretly hours earlier, to return without the bundle. Her tears can barely be imagined.
Angelina Jolie is considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.
But even Angelina Jolie took time to grow into the features that have inspired admiration and envy from corners of the globe.
Her pillow lips and deep set eyes impossible to miss, the actress is not so unlike other awkward school girls in one of several newly-unearthed photos from her past.
The rebellious daughter of actor Jon Voight became a model in her teens while she was studying drama.
Angelina Jolie is not so unlike other awkward school girls in one of several newly-unearthed photos from her past
Before she started her movie career in music videos – most notably for the Rolling Stones and Meatloaf – Angie Voight, as she was then known, went through her own growing pains.
At 14, she was reportedly permitted to move in into her mother Marcheline Bertrand’s Los Angeles home with her older boyfriend, and later dropped out of acting classes at Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.
Photos of Angelina Jolie at that time show bright-eyed young girl who fancied polka dot headbands, satin dresses and wore little make-up.
Even then, however, she seemed to have perfected her trademark pout.
Staring at the camera in one rebellious photograph, Angelina Jolie appears bored in class. Her long brunette locks tumbling down her back, she already looks beyond her 14 years.
Angelina Jolie eventually returned to her theatre studies, and graduated from Beverly Hills High School.
Photos of the star – minus her trademark tattoos – show her a bit taller, but with the same wide smile and mahogany hair as she joins her classmates and friends for photos.
The images are positively demure compared to what was to come in the following years as she rose to fame: an intimate kiss with her brother James Haven, a bisexual relationship with a Calvin Klein model Jenny Shimizu, and of course wearing a vial of her then-husband Billy Bob Thorton’s blood around her neck on the red carpet.
Angelina Jolie as of late seems to have tamed her wild child ways, however.
The actress has successfully transformed herself into a box-office star and woman of the world as an actress, director, model, humanitarian and mother-of-six with partner Brad Pitt. .
Angelina Jolie, now 37, seems to have mastered how to have it all.
Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie is juggling her multiple roles as she begins filming her latest movie, Maleficient – an adaptation of Disney’s 1959 animated feature Sleeping Beauty.
Three policemen have been killed in a shootout with two other officers at Mexico City’s main airport.
Officials say those shot dead were attempting to arrest the two officers who are suspected of involvement in a cocaine trafficking ring.
Passengers dived for cover when the suspected traffickers opened fire, killing two officers immediately and injuring a third who later died.
The two suspects escaped and are being sought by the authorities.
Officials said they had spent 18 months investigating corrupt federal and local officials who they suspect are part of a drug trafficking ring operating at the airport.
Three policemen have been killed in a shootout with two other officers at Mexico City's main airport
The area was sealed off immediately after the incident but flights were reported to be operating normally in and out of the airport.
“When the alleged perpetrators were surrounded by the police, shots were fired against the federal agents,” a security ministry statement said.
The two officers have been identified, authorities said.
Eyewitness Israel Lopez told the Associated Press news agency: “We were in the food court, and some policemen came in and started shooting at another policeman who was on the floor.”
Shootings in public spaces in broad daylight remain rare in the capital, which has been largely insulated from the violence seen elsewhere in the country.
Though traffickers use the capital’s main airport to move drugs, money and illegal migrants and have seized 440 lb (200 kg) of cocaine there so far this year, violence related to drug trafficking seldom occurs in passenger areas.
Reuters reports that gang violence has been growing in Mexico City and its suburbs, with around 300 gang-related murders last year.
British researchers are to begin a study to find out if stress can trigger dementia.
The investigation, funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, will monitor 140 people with mild cognitive impairment or “pre-dementia” and look at how stress affects their condition.
The researchers will take blood and saliva samples at six-monthly intervals over the 18 months of the study to measure biological markers of stress.
They hope their work will reveal ways to prevent dementia.
The results could offer clues to new treatments or better ways of managing the condition, they say.
British researchers are to begin a study to find out if stress can trigger dementia
People who have mild cognitive impairment are at an increased risk of going on to develop dementia – although some will remain stable and others may improve.
And past work suggests mid-life stress may increase a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
A Swedish study that followed nearly 1,500 women for a period of 35 years found the risk of dementia was about 65% higher in women who reported repeated periods of stress in middle age than in those who did not.
Scottish scientists, who have done studies in animals, believe the link may be down to hormones the body releases in response to stress which interfere with brain function.
Prof. Clive Holmes, from the University of Southampton, who will lead the study, said: “All of us go through stressful events. We are looking to understand how these may become a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s.
“Something such as bereavement or a traumatic experience – possibly even moving home – are also potential factors.
“This is the first stage in developing ways in which to intervene with psychological or drug-based treatments to fight the disease.
“We are looking at two aspects of stress relief – physical and psychological – and the body’s response to that experience.”
Dr. Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We welcome any research that could shed new light on Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia.
“Understanding the risk factors for Alzheimer’s could provide one piece of the puzzle we need to take us closer to a treatment that could stop the disease in its tracks.”
NATO members will meet in emergency session after Syria shot down Turkish F-4 Phantom warplane.
The act is condemned by Turkey as a “serious threat” to regional peace.
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Turkey described the incident as a “hostile act by the Syrian authorities against Turkey’s national security”.
Turkey’s deputy prime minister said it “would not go unpunished”, but stressed it was not seeking military action.
Damascus insists the F-4 Phantom jet was shot down inside Syrian airspace.
In the letter to the Security Council, Ankara said the shooting down of its F-4 reconnaissance plane was “a serious threat to peace and security in the region”.
The letter does not ask the council to take any action.
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to outline his next step when he addresses parliament on Tuesday.
NATO members will meet in emergency session after Syria shot down Turkish F-4 Phantom warplane
Turkey, a NATO member, has requested a meeting of the alliance’s ambassadors in Brussels after invoking Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which entitles any member state to request consultations if it believes its security is threatened.
This is believed to be only the second time in NATO’s history that a member state has invoked Article 4. In 2003, Turkey asked for NATO assistance to ensure its security in the run-up to the Iraq war.
A NATO official quoted by AP news agency said Turkey’s NATO envoy would inform other ambassadors of the details of the incident at Tuesday’s meeting.
The envoys are then expected to discuss Turkey’s concerns but not decide on anything specific, said the official.
The North Atlantic Council – which consists of ambassadors from all 28 NATO countries – works by consensus and all members must approve any action.
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, speaking after an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday, called the shooting down of the jet “a hostile act of the highest order”.
He vowed that Syria would “not go unpunished” but added that Turkey had “no intention” of going to war.
“We don’t believe warmongering or provoking the crowds by being righteous is the right thing to do. What needs to be done will be done within a legal framework,” he said.
Tensions between Syria and Turkey rose even higher on Monday when Turkey accused its neighbor of firing on another of its planes.
Bulent Arinc said the CASA search and rescue plane – which had been looking for the F-4 Phantom jet – was not brought down.
He said the Syrians stopped firing after a warning from the Turkish side.
Ankara has said the jet strayed into Syrian airspace by mistake last Friday but was quickly warned to change course by Turkish authorities and was one mile (1.6 km) inside international airspace when it was shot down.
Syria said it was unaware that the plane belonged to Turkey and had been protecting its air space against an unknown intruder.
But in its letter to the UN Security Council, Turkey says that intercepted radio communication shows that Syrian units were fully aware of the circumstances of the flight.
Relations between the two countries were already highly strained before the F-4 was shot down.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been outspoken in his condemnation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose government he accuses of brutally putting down opposition protests.
Microsoft confirms it has bought the office social network site Yammer for $1.2 billion.
The business, which is four years old and has five million users, operates like Facebook for communication within companies.
There had been reports the two were talking about a deal but Microsoft only confirmed the plan on Monday.
Yammer is used by firms including the motor giant Ford and the business services firm Deloitte.
Microsoft confirms it has bought the office social network site Yammer for $1.2 billion
Microsoft hopes the acquisition will make its range of software products more appealing.
Last year it bought the communications business Skype and is integrating it into its products, including its Office software which contributed 60% of its profits last year.
Yammer plans to continue to offer its service in the way it does currently.
Yammer’s chief executive David Sacks said: “When we started Yammer four years ago, we set out to do something big.
“We had a vision for how social networking could change the way we work. Joining Microsoft will accelerate that vision and give us access to the technologies, expertise and resources we’ll need to scale and innovate.”
