Sleeping pills appear to be linked with a higher death risk, US doctors warn.
The US study, published in BMJ Open, compared more than 10,000 patients on tablets like temazepam with 23,000 similar patients not taking these drugs.
Death risk among users was about four times higher, although the absolute risk was still relatively low.
Experts say while the findings highlight a potential risk, proof of harm is still lacking.
Researchers say patients should not be alarmed nor stop their medication, but if they are concerned they should discuss this with their doctor or pharmacist.
The latest study looked at a wide range of sleeping pills, such as benzodiazepines (temazepam and diazepam), non-benzodiazepines (zolpidem, zopiclone and zaleplon), barbiturates and sedative antihistamines.
Sleeping pills appear to be linked with a higher death risk, US doctors warn
The investigators, from the Jackson Hole Centre for Preventive Medicine in Wyoming and the Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Centre in California, found that people prescribed these pills were 4.6 times more likely to die during a 2.5-year period compared to those not on the drugs.
Overall, one in every 16 patients in the sleeping pill group died (638 out of 10,531 in total) compared to one in every 80 of the non-users (295 deaths out of 23,674 patients).
This increased risk was irrespective of other underlying health conditions, such as heart and lung diseases, and other factors like smoking and alcohol use, which the researchers say they did their best to rule out.
The researchers say it is not yet clear why people taking sleeping tablets may be at greater risk.
The drugs are sedating and this may make users more prone to falls and other accidents. The tablets can also alter a person’s breathing pattern as they sleep and they have been linked to increased suicide risk.
In this latest study, those taking the highest doses of sleeping tablets also appeared to be at greater risk of developing cancer.
The researchers say: “The meagre benefits of hypnotics, as critically reviewed by groups without financial interest, would not justify substantial risks.”
They say even short-term use may not be justifiable.
Kim Kardashian shared a picture of her dressed-down look on her Twitter page.
Kim Kardashian, 31, is seen baring her washboard stomach in a pair of loose jogging bottoms and cropped sports top as she poses and pouts for the camera.
The reality star accompanied the shot with the caption: “Sweatpants hair tie chillin with no make up on (sic)!”
And despite looking less than red carpet ready in the outfit, Kim Kardashian still managed to look as picture perfect as ever in the shot, taken in her bathroom.
Kim Kardashian shared a picture of her dressed-down look on her Twitter page
In a previous interview, Kim Kardashian said that she doesn’t like to rely too much on make-up to look good.
Kim Kardashian said: “Make-up is fun, but it’s just another accessory. I’m happy with myself, and this is who I am.
“As much as it’s fun to glam up, the most important thing is to be comfortable in your own skin- with or without make-up.”
Kim Kardashian’s sexy dressed-down photo came after she spent the evening with sisters Kendall, Kylie and Khloe.
Kim Kardashian's sexy dressed-down photo came after she spent the evening with sisters Kendall, Kylie and Khloe
Earlier in the night, Kim Kardashian had tweeted a picture of the family group, writing: “Family dinner tonight! I love my sissy’s!!!”
One person missing from the shot, however, was the pregnant sister Kourtney, with Kim Kardashian later tweeting her: “You were late to dinner! LOL.”
TJ Lane has been identified as the teenage killer who shot two students dead at Chardon High School in Ohio and left another three injured.
The teenager left a chilling note on his Facebook page weeks before the shooting.
TJ Lane, 17, who classmates described as a bullied outcast, ranted about “a man with a frown. No job. No family. No crown. His luck had run out. Lost and alone”.
The last line of his Facebook note reads: “Now! Feel death, not just mocking you. Not just stalking you but inside of you. Wriggle and writhe. Feel smaller beneath my might. Seizure in the Pestilence that is my scythe. Die, all of you.”
The news of the letter came comes as more details emerged about how TJ Lane specifically targeted one group of students in the cafeteria, including one who had started dating Lane’s ex-girlfriend
Local reports identified one of the other shooting victims as Russell King Jr., a sociable 17-year-old who had started dating an ex-girlfriend of the shooter.
After being shot in the back while sitting at a table in the cafeteria, Russell King Jr. was airlifted to MetroHealth Medical Center.
The Center identified the fatally slain student as 16-year-old Daniel Parmertor, who was shot when TJ Lane allegedly targeted a group in the high school cafeteria at Chardon High School.
In the wake of the shooting, other students have said that TJ Lane was known as an outcast who had apparently been bullied. He had Tweeted that he would bring a gun to school, but nobody took the threat seriously.
Now investigators hope to gain some insight into the mind of the killer, and have found a chilling note he wrote about his dark thoughts two months before the shooting spree.
Freshman Danny Komertz, 15, said he was just about to leave for his first-period health class when he heard a loud popping sound and then saw the gunman open fire.
The freshman said that the person who died was trying to get under a cafeteria table to protect himself and shield his face.
Danny Komertz says that there were at least 100 students in the cafeteria at the time and that most fled immediately as shots were fired.
“He was aiming right at them as he was two feet away … He wasn’t shooting around the cafeteria at all. He was directly aiming at the four of them,” the student said.
TJ Lane has been identified as the teenage killer who shot two students dead at Chardon High School in Ohio and left another three injured
Another student, Danny Mueller, saw the entire incident because he was right in the middle of it, so much so that his ear was grazed by a bullet.
“All of a sudden we heard a loud bang, almost like a firework. We turned around and I saw T.J. standing at the table behind us with his gun pointed and firing,” he said.
“His first shot made me look. His second shot I watched him take, which hit somebody behind me, and his third shot hit me as I was turning away.
“There was no warning or anything. He just opened fire.”
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The shooting ended when the school’s assistant football coach Frank Hall chased TJ Lane out of the building, with many saying that the heroic move is just in keeping with the coach’s nature.
“Coach Hall, he always talks about how much he cares about us students, his team and everyone. And I think today he really went out and he proved how much he cared about us. He would take a bullet for us,” said student Neil Thomas.
The first victim’s family issued the following statement through the hospital : “We are shocked by this senseless tragedy.
“Danny was a bright young boy who had a bright future ahead of him. This family is torn by this loss.”
Daniel Parmertor had aspired to be a computer repairman, according to AP, and was shot while waiting for the bus bound for a vocational centre.
His teacher at Auburn Career School had no idea why Daniel Parmertor, “a very good young man, very quiet”, had been targeted, said Auburn superintendent Maggie Lynch.
Reports on TJ Lane’s personality and social status have been shaky, as each student interviewed paints a different picture of the alleged shooter.
Some say he was a loner, others say he was bullied, and yet another said TJ Lane was “gothic”.
By midday, officers investigating the shooting blocked off a road in a heavily wooded area several miles from the school. Federal agents patrolled the muddy driveway leading to several spacious homes and ponds, while other officers walked a snowy hillside.
There are mixed reports as to whether TJ Lane was enrolled at Chardon High School or whether he was just there while waiting to be transferred to Lake Academy Alternative School.
On their website, Chardon High School says that it handles students with a variety of issues, including “substance abuse /chemical dependency, anger issues, mental health issues, truancy, delinquency, difficulties with attention/organization, and academic deficiencies”.
According to Superintendent Maggie Lynch, the two males shot were both 17, and a third was 16.
A spokesman confirmed that one of the 17-year-old boys and an 18-year-old girl were both in stable conditions at Hilcrest Hospital.
Police say that TJ Lane is now in custody.
Authorities used a K-9 unit to track down the suspect, who was found about a half mile from the school, not far from his car.
Authorities initially believed the shooting was carried out by more than one gunman, though it was later discovered the student acted alone.
FBI officials confirm the believe that TJ Lane was allegedly the only person involved in the attack. They are currently doing a sweep of TJ Lane’s home and the surrounding area for any evidence that could be helpful in the investigation.
However, they will not speculate on the motive for the shootings.
Student Evan Erasmus told officials that the alleged shooter posted a message to Twitter that he was going to bring a gun with him to Chardon, but that no one took him seriously.
Others said that TJ Lane texted people in the days and weeks before the attack.
The FBI and local authorities are now searching the suspect’s house, which is being treated as a crime scene. They will be looking for any notes or additional evidence.
More than 1,100 students attend the high school, which is 30 miles east of Cleveland.
Superintendent Joseph Bergant II told WKYC that the culprit is in custody in a juvenile detention centre, but added that he didn’t know the extent of the students’ injuries.
District Community Coordinator Ellen Ondrey said the Chardon Police Department has the school on lockdown as they secure the area.
A local church is planning to hold a prayer vigil tonight in light of the shootings. Another will be held tomorrow night.
The service this evening will be held at First Baptist Church of Painsville, and is to be led by Rev Peter McCurdy, who was himself a victim of a shooting as a child, WKYC reported.
Grief counselors have also been made available to students as they come to terms with all that has happened today.
Chardon is a city of about 5,100 residents.
The full letter TJ Lane posted to Facebook
The following was reportedly posted by T.J. Lane on his Facebook page on December 20, 2011:
“In a time long since, a time of repent, The Renaissance. In a quaint lonely town, sits a man with a frown. No job. No family. No crown. His luck had run out. Lost and alone.
The streets were his home. His thoughts would solely consist of “why do we exist?” His only company to confide in was the vermin in the street. He longed for only one thing, the world to bow at his feet.
They too should feel his secret fear. The dismal drear. His pain had made him sincere.
He was better than the rest, all those ones he detests, within their castles, so vain. Selfish and conceited.
They couldn’t care less about the peasents they mistreated. They were in their own world, it was a joyous one too. That castle, she stood just to do all she could to keep the peasents at bay, not the enemy away.
They had no enemies in their filthy orgy. And in her, the castles every story, was just another chamber of Lucifer’s Laboratory. The world is a sandbox for all the wretched sinners.
They simply create what they want and make themselves the winners. But the true winner, he has nothing at all. Enduring the pain of waiting for that castle to fall. Through his good deeds, the rats and the fleas.
He will have for what he pleads, through the eradication of disease. So, to the castle he proceeds, like an ominous breeze through the trees. “Stay back!” The Guards screamed as they were thrown to their knees. “Oh God, have mercy, please!”
The castle, she gasped and then so imprisoned her breath, to the shallow confines of her fragile chest. I’m on the lamb but I ain’t no sheep. I am Death. And you have always been the sod. So repulsive and so odd.
You never even deserved the presence of God, and yet, I am here. Around your cradle I plod. Came on foot, without shod. How improper, how rude. However, they shall not mind the mud on my feet if there is blood on your sheet.
Now! Feel death, not just mocking you. Not just stalking you but inside of you. Wriggle and writhe. Feel smaller beneath my might. Seizure in the Pestilence that is my scythe. Die, all of you.”
Costa Allegra, the Italian cruise ship left adrift in the Indian Ocean near Seychelles with more than 1,000 people on board following a power failure, has been taken in tow.
A French fishing vessel is taking the Costa Allegra to a small island in the Seychelles, where it is expected to arrive on Wednesday.
A fire in the ship’s generator room on Monday caused it to lose all power.
Costa Allegra is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which capsized off the Italian coast in January, killing 32.
The ship is being towed to Desroches island, near Alphonse island, at the south-west end of the Seychelles.
Once there the passengers will be disembarked to the one hotel on the island, and then await transfer by air to the main Seychelles island of Mahe.
That process could prove lengthy, since only planes with a capacity of 20 passengers can land on Desroches.
Tugs sent from Mahe were due to meet the Costa Allegra at around 09:00 GMT.
A French fishing vessel is taking the Costa Allegra to a small island in the Seychelles, where it is expected to arrive on Wednesday
The vessel has no air-conditioning or cooking facilities and an emergency generator powering the radio “could fail at any minute”, the Italian coast guard says.
Earlier, Commander Cosimo Nicastro, from the Italian coast guard, confirmed that the French-registered ocean-going trawler had reached the ship.
The ship’s owner, Costa Cruises, has stressed that the Allegra – which had been drifting about 32 km (20 miles) from Alphonse island – is steady and conditions are safe. No-one has been injured, officials said.
Costa Cruises says it is liaising with passengers’ families via their emergency contact numbers, and has reached two-thirds of them. Contact has been made with the relatives of all the crew.
Italian authorities have directed three merchant ships and another fishing vessel towards the stricken cruise ship.
Authorities in the Seychelles earlier said that a plane had flown overhead and reported that the ship did not appear to be in danger.
Costa Allegra is at the southern end of the seas that are vulnerable to attacks by Somali pirates.
The ship sailed with nine armed guards on board, and more are stationed on the French fishing vessel. Pirates in the area have never seized a cruise ship.
A government plane is also patrolling overhead.
Costa Cruises said that the ship sent out a distress signal when the fire broke out, and all passengers and crew not involved in fighting the fire assembled at the muster stations.
Most electric lights on board the ship are off as the batteries are being used to keep essential machinery going.
A spokesman said the situation on board was calm.
There are 636 passengers and 413 crew on board the Costa Allegra, which left Madagascar on Saturday.
It was due to arrive in the Seychelles on Tuesday.
Further destinations on its itinerary include Alexandria and Naples.
A facility on Costa Cruises’ website allowing people to track the Allegra’s position says that “data transmission is temporarily suspended”.
The company says the Costa Allegra received its regularly scheduled maintenance in dry dock in October 2011.
The Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian island of Giglio on 13 January.
The Concordia’s captain, Francesco Schettino, has been accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all those aboard were evacuated. He denies any wrongdoing.
One student has been killed and other four injured in a high school shooting in Chardon, Ohio, according to police.
The students were injured when a gunman opened fire in the cafeteria at Chardon High School, the FBI said, which was busy at breakfast time.
Two of the injured were taken by helicopter to Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights, and three others went by ambulance to Cleveland Hospital.
Authorities say one gunman was involved, and he has been arrested.
An official said that four boys and one girl were injured in the shooting.
All schools in Chardon will be closed on Tuesday and a vigil has been scheduled for Tuesday evening.
The students were shot by a gunman who opened fire in the cafeteria at Chardon High School, which was busy at breakfast time
Officials at the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office identified the victim as 16-year-old Daniel Parmertor, shot in the school’s parking lot waiting for the bus for his daily ride to a vocational school.
“We are shocked by this senseless tragedy,” Daniel Parmertor’s family said in a statement.
“Danny was a bright young boy who had a bright future ahead of him.”
Ambulances arrived from Chardon as well as from three nearby towns within 30 minutes of the shooting, which happened at 07:30 local time.
The two students who were airlifted to hospital were listed in critical condition on Monday afternoon, with one additional student in serious condition and one in stable condition.
Local news reports said the gunman was chased out of the building by a teacher before turning himself in to two people in the vicinity of the school.
“I am happy to tell you that the student that did the shooting is captured,” a sheriff’s official said to reporters at the scene.
“He actually turned himself in to a couple of innocent bystanders just north of the city here in Chardon township.”
Some students said they recognized the shooter, but police said the suspect would not be identified because he was a juvenile.
By early Monday afternoon, police and FBI had surrounded a house in a nearby rural neighborhood.
FBI officials would not comment on a motive.
However, Danny Komertz, 15, who witnessed the shooting, said the gunman was known as an outcast who had apparently been bullied.
One boy who was in the cafeteria when gunfire broke out told US news channel MSNBC: “I thought it was firecrackers at first, I wasn’t sure.
“And then I saw a bunch of people running out. So I started running… I heard someone yell behind me: <<Get down>.. And I heard a bunch of shots fired behind me.”
Students were evacuated to a nearby elementary school, where parents flocked to collect them. Chardon High School has about 1,100 pupils.
Officials from a number of law enforcement authorities rushed to the scene, with a special operations team said to have combed the school for evidence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has sent a team of eight agents to trace the firearm.
Other schools in the Chardon area were locked down as the investigation began, reports say.
Chardon, a town of about 5,000 residents, is located about 30 miles (48km) east of the city of Cleveland.
US high schools and university campuses are no stranger to gun attacks, and many have well-drilled security and emergency response procedures in place aiming to prevent attacks and manage the response if a gunman does attack.
Monday’s shooting was the worst incidence of gun violence at a US high school in 11 months and the worst shooting in Ohio since late 2007, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence told Reuters news agency.
In the most notorious shooting, two students at Columbine High School in Colorado killed 12 students and a teacher in April 1999.
Cissy Houston is said to be planning to visit the Beverly Hilton Hotel room 434 where her daughter Whitney died.
Cissy Houston, 78, apparently wants to see the scene of Whitney’s death in a bid to get closure.
Whitney Houston’s mother will make the pilgrimage to room number 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles where the singer was found dead on February 11 in the bathtub.
TMZ reports that Cissy Houston wants to make a “spiritual connection” with her daughter in the hope of coming to terms with her sudden death.
Cissy Houston will apparently pray while she is there and spend some “quiet, contemplative time”, TMZ claims.
Cissy Houston wants to make a “spiritual connection” with Whitney in the hope of coming to terms with her sudden death
A source said: “[She] won’t be at peace until she gets closure.
“It’s unclear when Cissy plans to return to the hotel room – but we’re told the visit will be soon … she’s currently planning out the logistics.”
Meanwhile, Whitney Houston’s cause of death is still under investigation pending toxicology reports.
Whitney Houston was laid to rest in her homeland of Newark, New Jersey, a week after she was found dead.
As a Certified Nutrition Specialist, I usually shock people with this fact… it’s true that there is a type of healthy natural trans fat that actually helps you to burn off abdominal fat.
Sounds far fetched, but it’s true.
First of all, as I’m sure you’ve heard a million times by now, artificial trans fats in our food supply from hydrogenated oils are one of the most unhealthy foods (if you can actually call it suitable to eat) you can put in your body. Artificial trans fats cause everything from obesity to various cancers to heart disease, and more. They are pure evil, and everyone knows by now that this is a fact.
Stay away from artificial trans fats from hydrogenated oils at all costs!
However, what most people don’t know is that there is a specific type of natural trans fat (yes, it occurs naturally) that can actually stimulate fat loss and lean muscle building.
This specific type of natural trans fat actually occurs in the meat and milk from ruminant animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, venison, bison, kangaroo, etc. It is called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and is not only known to help prevent cancer, but is also a potent fat burner.
CLA is highest when these animals are grass-fed instead of grain-fed.
Now before you think that you can just buy the CLA supplements that you’ll see most supplement stores selling…
WARNING: Do not buy CLA supplements! The only form of healthy CLA is from grass-fed ruminant animals such as grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, etc. The CLA that’s found in CLA pills is an artificially created form that is a different isomer than the natural CLA isomer found in grass-fed meat or dairy. The CLA isomer in the pills is NOT a healthy form, and will not benefit you.
Only the CLA that you get naturally from grass-fed ruminant meats actually has health benefits and can help increase fat burning (particularly from stomach fat) and building lean muscle, which helps increase your metabolism.
While most trans fats (the artificial ones) will just make you unhealthy and fat, now you know that there actually is such a thing as a healthy natural trans fat that makes you burn fat instead!
If you liked this unique tip to burn belly fat with grass fed meats, I have tons more Fat Burning Tips here to give you a leaner, healthier body.
Enjoy… and good luck on your lean healthy body!
Mike Geary Author of the best-seller: The Truth about Six Pack Abs
A new study suggests that Neanderthals were already on the verge of extinction in Europe by the time modern humans arrived on the scene.
The study used DNA analysis which revealed most Neanderthals in Western Europe died out as early as 50,000 years ago – thousands of years before our own species appeared.
A small group of Neanderthals then recolonized parts of Europe, surviving for 10,000 years before vanishing.
The work is published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.
An international team of researchers studied the variation, or diversity, in mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones of 13 Neanderthals.
This type of genetic information is passed down on the maternal line; because cells contain multiple copies of the mitochondrial genome, this DNA is easier to extract from ancient remains than the DNA found in the nuclei of cells.
The fossil specimens came from Europe and Asia and span a time period ranging from 100,000 years ago to about 35,000 years ago.
The scientists found that west European fossils with ages older than 48,000 years, along with Neanderthal specimens from Asia, showed considerable genetic variation.
But specimens from western Europe younger than 48,000 years showed much less genetic diversity (a six-fold reduction in variation compared to the older remains and the Asian Neanderthals).
A new study suggests that Neanderthals were already on the verge of extinction in Europe by the time modern humans arrived on the scene
In their scientific paper, the scientists propose that some event – possibly changes in the climate – caused Neanderthal populations in the West to crash around 50,000 years ago. But populations may have survived in warmer southern refuges, allowing the later re-expansion.
Low genetic variation can make a species less resilient to changes in its environment, and place it at increased risk of extinction.
“The fact that Neanderthals in Europe were nearly extinct, but then recovered, and that all this took place long before they came into contact with modern humans, came as a complete surprise,” said lead author Love Dalen, from the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm.
“This indicates that the Neanderthals may have been more sensitive to the dramatic climate changes that took place in the last Ice Age than was previously thought.”
Neanderthals were close evolutionary cousins of modern humans, and once inhabited Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. The reasons behind their demise remain the subject of debate.
The appearance of modern humans in Europe around the time of the Neanderthal extinction offers circumstantial evidence that Homo sapiens played a role. But changes in the climate and other factors may have been important contributors.
“The amount of genetic variation in geologically older Neanderthals as well as in Asian Neanderthals was just as great as in modern humans as a species,” said co-author Anders Gotherstrom, from Uppsala University.
“The variation among later European Neanderthals was not even as high as that of modern humans in Iceland.”
The researchers note that the loss of genetic diversity in west European Neanderthals coincided with a climatic episode known as Marine Isotope Stage Three, which was characterized by several brief periods of freezing temperatures.
These cold periods are thought to have been caused by a disturbance of oceanic currents in the North Atlantic, and it is possible that they had a particularly strong impact on the environment in Western Europe, note the researchers.
Over the last few decades, research has shown that Neanderthals were undeserving of their brutish reputation.
Researchers recently announced that paintings of seals found in caves at Nerja, southern Spain, might date to 42,000 years – potentially making them the only known art created by Neanderthals. However, this interpretation remains controversial.
808 Pureview, the 41-megapixel Nokia smartphone using Symbian, was among the new technology on show during the opening day of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
Nokia 808 Pureview offers enhanced low-light performance as well as sophisticated image compression designed to help users share pictures.
Nokia hopes to regain ground lost to Google and Apple in the mobile market.
However, some have criticized Nokia’s decision to use its own operating system, Symbian, on the device.
Nokia’s other smartphones typically run on Microsoft’s Windows Phone software.
Symbian, which first appeared on Nokia phones in the 90’s, is widely regarded as inferior to the app and social media-driven Windows Phone system.
“The Pureview 808’s Symbian Belle operating system might detract from its appeal to a broader market, where it deserves recognition,” said Tony Cripps, a principal analyst with Ovum.
“It’s a pity that Nokia was unable to combine the photographic prowess of the PureView 808 with the style of the Lumia 900.
“Such a device may well have been the first smartphone to truly deserve the title of <<superphone>>.”
Nokia claims the 808 Pureview sets a “new industry standard” in mobile imaging devices.
“People will inevitably focus on the 41 megapixel sensor,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice-president of Nokia smart devices.
“But the real quantum leap is how the pixels are used to deliver breathtaking image quality at any resolution and the freedom it provides to choose the story you want to tell.”
Nokia 808 Pureview offers enhanced low light performance as well as sophisticated image compression designed to help users share pictures
Also on show were new models in the company’s Lumia range – including the 610, a cheaper device aimed at a “younger audience”.
Nokia also announced it plans to make the Lumia available in China “in the coming months”.
Nokia’s chief executive Stephen Elop said that introducing the cameraphone and entry-level smartphone were “the actions necessary to improve the fortunes of Nokia”.
Once the mobile world’s dominant player, Nokia has struggled to compete as sales of Google and Apple devices have soared in recent years.
Last month Nokia announced it was to stop manufacturing mobile phones in Europe, instead relocating to Asia at a cost of 4,000 jobs.
Jessica Simpson stepped out in Beverly Hills, California, wearing a long dress with a pair of very high heels and showed no signs of slowing down despite preparing for the birth of her first child.
Heavily pregnant Jessica Simpson, 31, needed her assistant to carry their bags as she shopped at Saks Fifth Avenue for a few items before heading home.
Dressed in a long red dress Jessica Simpson wore a pair of brown peep-toe platform shoes as she strutted down the street.
The mother-to-be said last year that she has no intention of taking the weight off her feet and vowed to continue wearing high heeled shoes whenever she could.
Jessica Simpson stepped out in Beverly Hills with a pair of very high heels and showed no signs of slowing down despite preparing for the birth of her first child
Jessica Simpson joked to Us Weekly: “I’m probably going to deliver my baby in these [4-inch YSL heels].”
However, even with the dangerously high footwear, Jessica Simpson seemed comfortable as she continued handing her assistant her shopping bags.
Jessica Simpson is engaged to NFL player Eric Johnson and the pair is due to tie the knot later this year.
They are excited about welcoming their first child into the world, and are no doubt wondering when that exact day will be.
Costa Allegra, an Italian cruise ship owned by Costa Cruises, with more than 1,000 people on board is without power in the Indian Ocean following a fire.
The Costa Allegra is adrift in the dark more than 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles, near Alphonse Island.
The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which capsized off the Italian coast in January, killing 32.
Costa Cruises said in a statement that the fire broke out in the electric generators’ room. It did not spread and there were no injuries or casualties.
Inspections of the state of the engine room are on-going, the company says.
Tugs and “other naval and aerial units” will reach the ship, which has sent out a distress signal, Costa Cruises says.
Commander Cosimo Nicastro of the Italian coast guard said that it took the crew a few hours to extinguish the fire.
Costa Allegra, an Italian cruise ship owned by Costa Cruises, with more than 1,000 people on board is without power in the Indian Ocean following a fire
Although the ship is in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there are “no problems for the passengers”.
However the ship probably needs to be towed to a Seychelles port, Cosimo Nicastro said.
There are no electric lights on board the ship as the batteries are being used to keep essential machinery going.
The Italian authorities have directed three merchant ships and two fishing vessels towards the stricken liner.
The authorities in the Seychelles say they have sent two tug boats, a coastguard ship and an aircraft to the scene.
The closest vessel to the ship is likely to reach the Costa Allegra at around 2300 GMT, according to AFP.
The first tug boat will not reach the location until 15:00 GMT on Tuesday, the agency reports.
There are 636 passengers and 413 crew on board the Costa Allegra, which left Madagascar on Saturday.
It was due to arrive in the Seychelles on Tuesday.
Further destinations on its itinerary include Alexandria and Naples in the Mediterranean.
Somali pirates are known to operate in the rough area where the ship is adrift, though they have never seized a cruise liner.
A facility on Costa Cruises’ website allowing people to track the Costa Allegra’s position says that “data transmission is temporarily suspended”.
Sean Young spent four hours in a police station after allegedly fighting with a security guard at the Governor’s Ball, the official Oscar party, last night.
Sean Young, 52, who hasn’t been in a major film since 2008, is said to have argued with a guard at the Governor’s Ball in Los Angeles.
The actress was placed under citizens’ arrest by another member of the security team then taken away by police and booked for battery.
And the divorced mother-of-two still appeared to be recovering from the partying as she gave a rambling interview after her release from custody.
Sean Young spent four hours in a police station after allegedly fighting with a security guard at the Governor’s Ball
Sean Young, who shot to fame in Blade Runner playing opposite Harrison Ford, has seen her career fade of late – to such an extent that she recently agreed to appear in the reality show Skating With The Stars.
Sadly her comeback did not last long as she was eliminated in the second show of the ABC series in November after falling onto the ice twice.
Sean Young was seen leaving a police station in Los Angeles at 1:45 a.m. on Monday and said the incident began as she was waiting to enter the party.
“I’m OK,” Sean Young told TMZ on being released from the police station.
“The Academy’s lawyer recommended that a private person’s arrest be made.
“I was standing outside the cord, waiting and seeing friends that were going up to the Governor’s Ball,” the actress told TMZ.
Sean Young said she was “carted off to spend four hours at the Hollywood police”, adding “shame on you (the Academy) for that”.
Los Angeles Police Sergeant Enrique Mendoza confirmed the arrest but wouldn’t give details about the incident or the alleged victim.
The Governor’s Ball is the official Oscar party and is held above the film award show’s venue, the Hollywood & Highland Theatre.
Sean Young posted bail of $20,000 early on Monday morning. An Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences spokesman did not immediately comment.
The incident is not her first issue at an Oscars after party. Sean Young tried to get into a Vanity Fair party by sneaking in behind Jennifer Aniston in 2006.
But she was escorted out by four guards when spotted by security.
Sean Young said of the incident in a recent interview: “It was degrading. But when you have nothing to lose, it’s really not that big of a deal.”
The actress shot to fame in 1982 in the sci-fi thriller Blade Runner. She then starred in hit films including No Way Out and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Sean Young, of Louisville, Kentucky, also had roles in TV shows including One Tree Hill and more recently daytime show The Young and the Restless.
She married Robert Lujan in 1990 before divorcing him 12 years later in 2002 – but they had two boys together, named Quinn and Rio.
One famous incident was in 1992 when Sean Young arrived at the Batman Returns set in a homemade Catwoman suit after she lost out on playing the part.
SeanYoung voluntarily went into rehab for treatment of an alcohol problem in January 2008, after she had struggled against addiction for many years.
Whitney Houston’s life and turmoil have been in the headlines since the singer was found dead on February 11 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Many looked back on her years of drugs use and blamed ex-husband Bobby Brown for her notorious downward spiral.
However, rumors are now surfacing that Whitney Houston’s break-up with lesbian partner Robyn Crawford caused her emotional descent.
In a 1987 interview with Time magazine, Whitney Houston, then 23, said that Robyn Crawford was the “sister [she] never had.”
Both Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford denied being romantically involved.
“My mother taught me that when you stand in the truth and someone tells a lie about you, don’t fight it. I’m not with any man. I’m not in love. People see Robyn with me, and they draw their own conclusions. Anyway, whose business is it if you’re gay or like dogs? What others do shouldn’t matter. Let people talk. It doesn’t bother me because I know I’m not gay. I don’t care,” said Whitney Houston.
Robyn Crawford told Time magazine: “I tell my family, <<You can hear anything on the streets, but if you don’t hear it from me, it’s not true.>>”
Robyn Crawford (right) and Whitney Houston had denied a gay relationship since 1987
However, British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell reports it differently. He described meeting Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford, whom he refers to as the singer’s female partner, at the Reach Out & Touch HIV vigil in London in 1991. Whitney Houston attended the event to advocate the welfare and human rights of those living with HIV.
“When I met them, it was obvious they were madly in love. Their intimacy and affection was so sweet and romantic,” said Peter Tatchell.
“They held hands in the back of the car like teenage sweethearts. Clearly more than just friends, they were a gorgeous couple and so happy together. To see their love was infectious and uplifting.
“Whitney was happiest and at the peak of her career when she was with Robyn. Sadly, she suffered family and church pressure to end her greatest love of all.”
According to Peter Tatchell, Whitney Houston was afraid of the backlash she would face from her family – who raised her in the church -and fans if she made her relationship with Robyn Crawford public.
Whitney Houston then married Bobby Brown in 1992, just one year after the HIV vigil.
Whitney Houston met Robyn Crawford when she was 16-years-old at a summer job in East Orange, N.J. The two soon became inseparable. Robyn Crawford dropped out of Monmouth College to work for Whitney Houston.
An internet hoax about the death of the Mr. Bean star Rowan Atkinson, which was sparked by a user from Philippines, became the top trending topic worldwide on Twitter today.
Rumors about the apparent death of Rowan Atkinson spread around the globe within hours of a “joke” tweet from a so called “internet troll” on the microblogging site.
The hoax even briefly fooled internet encyclopedia Wikipedia, which displayed Rowan Atkinson’s date of death as 26 February, 2012, on his entry page.
Tens of thousands of people latched onto the #RIP Rowan Atkinson hash-tag to express their condolences.
An internet hoax about the death of the Mr. Bean star Rowan Atkinson became the top trending topic worldwide on Twitter
The top worldwide trending subject was apparently sparked by a single post from a twitter user based in the Philippines.
Michael Robert Meras posted the message to his 753 followers: “Fresh news from Britain, Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (A.K.A. Mr. Bean) passed away this evening.”
Within a few hours the rumors had spread around world and ignited an internet frenzy.
Just two hours later, Michael Robert Meras posted another comment saying: “OMG! I started the tween RIP Rowan Atkinson, it was just a joke…”
An hour later Michael Robert meras added: “Shutting down now. Sorry guys, RIP Rowan Atkins was just a joke. Sorry for the matter, I never thought it would be that viral.”
Mr. Bean star’s death hoax even briefly fooled Wikipedia, which displayed Rowan Atkinson’s date of death as 26 February, 2012, on his entry page
Rowan Atkinson is not the first global star to be the subject of a death hoax.
Owen Wilson, Charlie Sheen, Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy are among a growing list of stars to have been killed off in cyberspace.
They were all said to have been tragically killed in snowboarding accidents, according to rumors which have circulated around the internet in recent years.
Morgan Freeman and former popstar Aaron Carter have also been the subject of online death rumors.
Hollywood actor Owen Wilson, 42, was reported to have died in a skiing accident in a dubiously posted article titled “Global Associated News”.
The report claimed Owen Wilson had snowboarded into a tree and died in Zermatt, Switzerland.
High-profile Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon has been cleared by Supreme Court for violating a 1977 amnesty law with his investigation of Franco-era crimes.
Baltasar Garzon had been accused by two right-wing groups of overstepping his powers by trying to prosecute crimes committed between 1936 and 1975.
He said crimes against humanity should not be subject to an amnesty.
Earlier this month, Baltasar Garzon was suspended from the bench for 11 years after being found guilty of illegal phone tapping.
Baltasar Garzon, 56, has vowed to fight that conviction. He faces a third trial, brought by private parties, which involves allegations that he took bribes.
The judge is best known worldwide for helping to secure the arrest of the former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet in London in 1998.
But he is a controversial figure who divides opinion in Spain, say observers.
High-profile Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon has been cleared by Supreme Court for violating a 1977 amnesty law with his investigation of Franco-era crimes
Baltasar Garzon’s supporters on the left view him as a champion of human rights and justice, but his detractors believe he is a politically-motivated publicity-seeker.
Seven Supreme Court judges cleared Baltasar Garzon on the basis that his investigations into Franco-era crimes were defensible in legal terms.
But although it is a significant decision in a significant case, Baltasar Garzon’s suspension from the bar in the earlier case means he will not be able to continue with the investigation.
Baltasar Garzon decided in 2008 to investigate the disappearance of tens of thousands of people during the civil war and the subsequent dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, including ordering the excavation of mass graves.
The move provoked fierce criticism and anger from those on the right who argued that the point of the 1977 amnesty was to allow Spain to forget the alleged crimes of that era, and move on.
Two groups – Clean Hands, and Liberty and Identity – who brought the case against him said they did so because Baltasar Garzon had “reopened wounds which we Spaniards – whatever our political beliefs – had totally recovered from”.
But some of Baltasar Garzon’s greatest supporters during his court hearing have been the relatives of those who disappeared, who had pinned their hopes for justice on his investigations.
US scientists have made a breakthrough discovery finding stem cells in human ovaries from which it may one day be possible to produce an “unlimited” supply of eggs.
The discovery could revolutionize fertility treatment, according to experts.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital were able to isolate the cells in a laboratory where they “spontaneously generated” eggs which they say are capable of being fertilized.
Experts say the discovery challenges the prevailing view that women only have a certain number of eggs and can never produce any more, unlike men who go on producing sperm.
In this sense it “re-writes the rule book” and could help infertile couples and also potentially allow women to remain fertile for longer, they added.
The scientists managed to locate egg-producing stem cells in the ovaries of reproductive age women and grow immature eggs, known as oocytes.
US scientists have made a breakthrough discovery finding stem cells in human ovaries from which it may one day be possible to produce an “unlimited” supply of eggs
These appeared normal and when implanted in living human ovarian tissue – which was grafted inside mice – grew normally for two weeks.
Dr. Jonathan Tilly, who led the study, said it “opens the door for development of unprecedented technologies to overcome infertility in women and perhaps even delay the timing of ovarian failure”.
He added: “These cells, when maintained outside of the body, are more than happy to make cells on their own and if we can guide that process I think it opens up the chance that sometime in the future we might get to the point of having an unlimited source of human eggs.”
Dr. Jonathan Tilly’s team found the stem cells by searching for a protein called DDX4, unique to the surface of egg cells.
For legal reasons, scientists cannot use these egg cells to create an embryo. But the same stem cells taken from mice were fertilized and produced embryos, according to the study published in the Nature Medicine journal.
The latest advance could, if it works in further trials, change all that.
Although using the technique in humans is probably some years away, Dr. Jonathan Tilly’s team is looking at putting the cells in a bank so they can be tested further and possibly used to improve IVF treatment and for women undergoing cancer treatment.
A woman has the most oocytes as a foetus, about 7 million, dropping to about one million by birth, and 300,000 by puberty. By menopause, she has none left.
Since the 50’s, scientists thought that ovarian stem cells capable of producing new eggs were only active during in the womb as a baby develops.
Dr. Jonathan Tilly said this belief “was not actually based on data proving it was impossible, it was simply an assumption made because there was no evidence indicating otherwise”.
Ukraine’ security services have thwarted a plot to kill Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, according to Russian officials.
Two suspects were detained in the Ukrainian port of Odessa, Russia’s state-owned Channel One TV reports.
The two men were both shown on TV admitting their involvement in the plot, after an explosion at a flat in January in which one suspect died.
The attack was to happen after next Sunday’s presidential vote.
Vladimir Putin is expected to win the election and get a third term as president.
The two men were both shown on Russian TV, one being interrogated and the other giving an interview.
Ukraine’ security services have thwarted a plot to kill Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
In the footage, both admit plotting to attack Vladimir Putin. One, identified by Ria Novosti as Ilya Pyanzin, said he had been hired by Chechen militant leader Doku Umarov to carry out the killing and also by Ruslan Madayev, the suspect who died in the Odessa explosion.
The other suspect was named by Channel One as Adam Osmayev, said to have been on an international wanted list since 2007.
The plotters were planning to plant mines on Kutuzovsky Avenue in Moscow, used by Vladimir Putin on a daily basis, the report said.
The Russian prime minister’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed the report, without making any further comment.
Russian media report that Dmitry Pyanzin was arrested in the Odessa flat where the explosion happened. He told police that he and Madayev had flown to Ukraine from the United Arab Emirates via Turkey, with precise instructions from representatives of Doku Umarov.
According to the reports, details of the plot were found on laptops in the flat, along with a video showing Vladimir Putin’s motorcade.
Adam Osmayev was reported to be the local fixer in Odessa and the instructor for the plotters, and had lived for a long time in London.
British comedy actor Sacha Baron Cohen was escorted off the Oscars red carpet after a publicity stunt for his new film, The Dictator.
Sacha Baron Cohen arrived in character as a middle eastern leader and claimed to be carrying the ashes of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.
In an interview with US TV host Ryan Seacrest, Sacha Baron Cohen said it was Kim Jong-Il’s dying wish “to be sprinkled over the red carpet and over Halle Berry’s chest”.
He then tipped the urn over the host, covering his tuxedo in white dust.
Sacha Baron Cohen, who is known for outrageous publicity stunts in films like Borat and Bruno, was bundled off the red carpet by security guards.
Turning to the camera, Ryan Seacrest said: “Anything can happen and it most certainly did, all over my lapel.”
Sacha Baron Cohen stopped by security to pour the ashes on the red carpet at Oscars 2012
Sacha Baron Cohen’s film, The Dictator, is expected to be released in March. He was invited to the Oscars as a cast member of Martin Scorsese’s multiple award nominee Hugo.
There had been reports during the week that he had been forbidden to attend the ceremony after asking to arrive in character as Admiral General Aladeen – which the Academy denied.
In response, Sacha Baron Cohen posted a statement to General Aladeen’s Twitter account.
“VICTORY IS OURS! Today the Mighty Nation of Wadiya triumphed over the Zionist snakes of Hollywood.
“Evil and all those who made Satan their protector were vanquished and driven into the Pacific Sea. What I am trying to say here is that the Academy have surrendered and sent over two tickets and a parking pass! TODAY OSCAR, TOMORROW OBAMA!”
After the red carpet stunt, Moneyball actor Jonah Hill, who was up for best supporting actor, said: “I guess the Oscars isn’t the best place to sell your movie. I think he’s a funny guy, though.”
“Ryan’s mouth dropped open on live TV,” laughed Jackie Collins.
“But that’s what makes live TV good.
“I don’t think Ryan was very pleased, but I don’t think I’d be very pleased.”
Piers Morgan commented it was “just another day in Hollywood”.
30 Rock actress Tina Fey saw the funny side, and crossed herself over the ashes as she walked past.
Speaking to BBC 5 live, Jay Leno said: “Only in Hollywood does that dictator override Libya” as a major news story.
“And somehow that’s more shocking.
“It’s certainly worse than anything Gadaffi or Assad could possibly have done.”
Comedian Steve Martin said: “I love Sacha Baron Cohen”, and joked that the red carpet shouldn’t be sacred ground.
“It should be 12% respect, 23% levity and 13% joy.”
It is not the first time Sacha Baron Cohen has used industry events to promote his movies.
In 2006, Sacha Baron Cohen arrived at the Toronto International Film Festival dressed as Borat, the main character from the hit comedy.
In 2009, Sacha Baron Cohen went to the MTV Video Music Awards as flamboyant fashion critic Bruno, to promote his movie of the same name.
During the show Sacha Baron Cohen was launched into the air wearing a harness and landed in the lap of US rap star Eminem, who stormed out – although it was later reported that the musician had been in on the joke.
Black and white film The Artist has triumphed at the Oscars, winning five awards including best picture, best director and best actor for Jean Dujardin.
Michel Hazanavicius , The Artist director- winning on his first ever nomination – thanked the dog, Uggie, who appears in the film but added: “I don’t think he cares.”
Jean Dujardin said of his character: “If George Valentin could speak, he would say <<Wow! Victorie! Genial! Merci!>>”
The Artist also won the Oscars for best original score and best costumes.
Martin Scorsese’s Hugo also won five Oscars, mainly in technical categories.
Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady – her 17th Oscar nomination and third Oscar win.
The actress thanked the Academy “for this inexplicably wonderful career”.
“When they called my name I had this feeling I could hear half of America going: <<Aww no. Not her again>>. But, you know, whatever.
“I look out here and I see my life before my eyes. My old friends, my new friends. This is such a great honor but the thing that counts the most for me is the friendships… Thank you. All of you, departed and here.”
Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady - her 17th Oscar nomination and third Oscar win
Jean Dujardin broke into his native French language in celebration shouting: “Wow, victory!”
“Thank you to the Academy. It’s funny because in 1929, it wasn’t Billy Crystal but Douglas Fairbanks who hosted the first Oscars ceremony. Tickets cost $5 and it lasted 15 minutes. Times have changed.”
1929 was the last year that a silent movie won an Oscar.
Canadian actor Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner at 82 by taking the best supporting actor prize.
He was widely tipped to win for his portrayal of a father who comes out as a gay man after his wife dies in Beginners.
Christopher Plummer thanked his real-life wife who, he said, deserved “the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day”.
The Help‘s Octavia Spencer won the best supporting actress Oscar and gave an emotional acceptance speech, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.
“Thank you Steven Spielberg for changing my life…oh my God, thank you… I’m freaking out,” Octavia Spencer told the audience, after struggling up to the stage in a floor-length gown.
Best adapted screenplay went to Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for The Descendants, starring George Clooney.
Veteran screenwriter and director Woody Allen won best original screenplay for Midnight in Paris but was not there to collect the award.
The first two awards of the night went to Hugo for cinematography and art direction.
Robert Richardson was cinematographer on Martin Scorsese’s 3D film and Francesca Lo Schiavo was art director.
And later, the film about an orphan who lives in a train station picked up a further three Oscars, all in technical categories.
Best sound editing was won by Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty.
Hugo’s Tom Fleishman and John Midgley won the Oscar for sound mixing and the film also picked up the award for best visual effects.
Rango won best animation, a first Academy award and nomination for director Gore Verbinski, who said it was “made by grown-ups acting like a bunch of children”.
The film features the voice of Johnny Depp, who plays a chameleon.
Best animated short film was The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.
The Oscar for costume design went to Mark Bridges for The Artist, who thanked the Academy “for making a lifelong dream come true”.
The best make-up prize went to J Roy Helland and British artist Mark Coulier for The Iron Lady.
Iran’s A Separation became the first Iranian film to win an Oscar when Sandra Bullock presented director Asghar Farhadi with best foreign language film.
Set in contemporary Iran, it tells the story of a marriage break-down.
Best film editing went to Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – the pair also won last year for The Social Network. Both films were directed by David Fincher.
The Oscar for best original song was won by Bret Mackenzie for Man or Muppet from the soundtrack to The Muppets.
Best documentary went to Undefeated, a film about an inner city American football team whose fortunes are turned around by a new coach.
The executive producer of the film was rapper Sean “P Diddy” Combs.
Northern Ireland film The Shore won the best live action short film.
Saving Face, about a British-Pakastani doctor who helps women who have been injured in acid attacks, won best documentary short.
Earlier, Morgan Freeman introduced the evening before a comic video was shown of George Clooney waking up host Billy Crystal with a kiss – in a parody of his nominated film The Descendants.
Freeman said: “All of us are mesmerized by the magic of the movies. This magnificent event allows us to celebrate the present and look back at its magnificent past”.
Billy Crystal hosted the 84th Oscars ceremony at the Kodak theatre in Los Angeles.
He joked: “This is my ninth time – just call me War Horse.”
On the red carpet, British comedy actor Sacha Baron Cohen turned up dressed in a white military uniform and sporting a beard and sunglasses, promoting his upcoming film The Dictator.
Sacha Baron Cohen arrived holding an urn he jokingly claimed contained the ashes of Kim Jong Il, the late leader of North Korea.
He then tipped the container on to American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.
A-list Oscar nominees get thousands of dollars in gifts from companies hoping to associate their products with their celebrity, while D-listers get bags of swag valued in the hundreds of dollars.
“It’s something they anticipate from year to year,” said Lisa Gal of Hollywood Baskets, who puts together a high-end gift bag that goes to 30 Oscar nominees and presenters who stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Stars checking into the Four Seasons will find a KitchenAid mixer set up in their room, customized with 22K gold paint and Swarovski crystal by Nicole Dinardo and valued at $1,500, Lisa Gal said.
A Traveler’s Choice luggage bag sits nearby, filled with 20 other gifts valued at $7,000, ranging from a $25 pack of Sunny Sleevz — to protect their arms at the beach — to $500 worth of Intelligent Nutrients, a line of certified organic beauty products.
Some products come from established companies – such as the high-end Norman Love chocolates – while younger, smaller ones get into Lisa Gal’s bag – including Symone Prince Beauty.
“They can be in there with the big guys,” Lisa Gal said.
“The key to being selected for the bag is quality,” she added.
“We have to make sure this is up to par on the celebrity’s level, so it’s very exclusive.”
A-list Oscar nominees get thousands of dollars in gifts from companies hoping to associate their products with their celebrity, while D-listers get bags of swag valued in the hundreds of dollars
Getting in the Oscar bag can be a big boost for a product, said Asha Blake, whose Goldenheart Media partners with Lisa Gal.
“It’s great exposure for the companies in media press releases, not just about being in front of celebrities,” Asha Blake said.
“It’s a different way of doing advertising in this day and age.”
Lisa Gal can’t reveal which stars get her bags until they check out of the hotel Monday, but her SAG Award and Golden Globe gift list included Glenn Close, Colin Firth, Michelle Williams, Morgan Freeman and Ryan Seacrest.
“Only the most recognizable, important people staying at the hotel” get her gift bag, but sometimes there are more big stars than bags.
Lisa Gal scrambled to put together an extra bag one year when “Avatar” director James Cameron was left out.
One gift bag is set aside for donation to a charity, which can then auction it off, Lisa Gal said.
Publicist Roger Neal pioneered the practice of connecting the gifting with charities with his beauty and couture suite at the L’Ermitage Hotel before the Oscars 16 years ago.
“Just to give celebs free stuff is meaningless, but when there’s a purpose with it, then I feel good about gifting them,” Roger Neal said.
The 200 celebrities, including 10 Oscar nominees, who attended his four-day suite event this week autographed items that will help an organ transplant foundation and a foster children’s charity.
Two teens who live in foster homes were pampered with facials, massages and other beauty treatments, Roger Neal said. They also left with suits, he said.
A-listers visting Roger Neal’s suite included “The Artist” actress Penelope Ann Miller, “Bridesmaids” actress Wendi McLendon-Covey, Annie Mumolo, nominated for writing “Bridesmaids,” and actors Joe Mantegna, Eric Roberts and Quintin Aaron.
Richard Middleton, executive producer of “The Artist,” brought his wife with him Tuesday, Roger Neal said. She was given a Shekhar Rahate designed gown to wear on the red carpet. Seamstresses worked overnight to resize it for her, he said.
Eimear O’Kane, whose “Pentecost” is nominated for best live action short film, was gifted a handbag and jewels by designer Timmy Woods of Beverly Hills to carry on the red carpet Sunday.
Kari Feinstein’s Oscar Style Lounge in West Hollywood’s Mondrian Hotel offers something for everyone, with companies handing out gifts “based on the caliber of celebrities,” Kari Feinstein said.
Best supporting actress nominee Octavia Spencer would likely be offered a $1,000 piece of jewelry from Devora Libin Jewels and a week at the Capella Hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
But some reality TV stars, who show up may have to settle for a year supply of popcorn from Popcorn Indiana.
“We try and make sure that everyone that comes is someone who is recognizable with a lead part in a movie or TV show,” Kari Feinstein said.
But this year’s D-lister could be next year’s A-lister.
Images of babies as young as two weeks old being flung around a wacky Russian therapist’s head have shocked millions around the world.
The therapist Lena Fokina filmed spinning and somersaulting the babies by their wrists and ankles has confirmed she hopes to bring the craze to the UK.
Lena Fokina, 51, can be seen flipping a baby over her head in her bizarre “baby yoga” routine which has been banned from a number of websites for fear that it glorifies child abuse.
Many viewers believed the moves must have been performed on dolls but Lena Fokina says they are definitely real babies and she has been practicing the techniques for the past 30 years.
The Russian therapist was tracked down at a seminar called “Parenting the Deliberate Way” in Dahab, Egypt, where parents from across Europe were paying her to perform the same moves on their infants, some just months old.
And while most of the babies were left screaming in tears or vomited during or after their session of “baby dynamics”, Lena Fokina insists it is for their benefit.
She said: “It’s very good for babies and not dangerous at all. Some babies cry at first, but they begin to enjoy it.
“Most people think young babies can only lie on a bed, eat, and cry. But babies are born with natural reflexes, which we can use to help them develop physically and intellectually.
“I work with parents from across Europe. I hope soon I will be working with a family in England. I think there are a number of open-minded parents there whose babies could benefit from my work.”
Lena Fokina can be seen flipping a baby over her head in her bizarre “baby yoga” routine which has been banned from a number of websites for fear that it glorifies child abuse
According to Lena Fokina, baby yoga was first practiced by ancient African tribes – but the modern incarnation was developed by fellow Russian Dr. Igor Charkovsky, who was also present at the seminar.
Lena Fokina, a mother-of-five and grandmother, does sessions that can last up to five minutes, during which babies are spun, swung and flipped, often by a single limb.
The actions are performed on babies from a few weeks old up to around age two.
Lena Fokina added: “The method was originally developed to cure and correct the health of children having muscular or skeletal problems but it is also suitable for healthy children.
“The movements are designed to improve their muscular abilities and development.
“And the children often turn out to be early readers, singers, talkers, swimmers. It also makes their hands stronger. We are humanists and we don’t do anything wrong.”
At the camp, the parents, hailing mainly from Russia and the Ukraine, also seemed entirely satisfied as they stood by and watched Lena Fokina treat their babies, usually above a gravel floor.
Each day at 8:00 a.m., parents would bring their tots to the Mirage Village Hotel in Dahab. Around 20 parents had signed up for Lena Fokina’s latest 12-day seminar, which costs $400 per family.
Parents smiled and chatted as the infants were left dangling for long periods by their arms or legs. But in almost every case the babies began crying just seconds into the bizarre routine.
And another vomited mid-air after undergoing several minutes of swinging. Yet Lena Fokina refused to acknowledge any dangers.
The therapist said: “From the moment of its birth a child can grasp, step, support itself and swim.
“The Charkovsky method uses these natural reflexes for child training. The amount of time it takes to train an adult to do it on a child depends on the sensibility of the child’s parent. Sometimes it only takes one training session.”
For years, doctors around the world have warned that “dramatic and unnatural movements” inflicted on a young baby can lead to brain bleeding, retinal hemorrhaging and brain swelling – commonly known as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
And some researchers have suggested that SBS can occur at much lower levels of head movement than had been previously thought.
But Lena Fokina, who has been practicing baby yoga for more than 30 years, tells clients it is harmless even for newborn babies, as long as a child is eased into the movements gradually.
She is also not worried about any strain on the babies’ joints and limbs.
Lena Fokina said: “Even a tiny baby’s body can adapt to the process easily if you take it gradually.
“As long as the parent or instructor has practiced and studied the teachings of Dr. Charkovsky the child will be fine.
“People tend to get upset when they see it because they are not aware of children’s real abilities – but these abilities are much wider than it is traditionally thought.”
The Dahab seminar offered participants the opportunity to “learn the method of Igor Charkovsky and techniques for working with pregnant women, newborns and children”.
As well as morning seminars in “baby dynamics” parents were also instructed in “water rebirthing”, which involves repeatedly dunking children’s heads underwater.
The practice is designed to address “repressed trauma from birth”.
According to literature about the practice on Lena Fokina’s website, rebirthing “allows the mind and body to gently restructure itself so as to increase the feeling of happiness, efficiency, be healthy and to feel the inner harmony of the individual”.
However, there seemed to be little of this on display in the children being forced under the water by Dr. Igor Charkovsky, a Russian midwife whose research includes the effect dolphins can have on a mother’s calm during childbirth.
Again, many ended up in tears.
Also on offer at the seminar were more traditional pursuits such as baby massage, swimming lessons and gymnastics.
Lena Fokina has also conducted workshops in Thailand and India where she has worked on children from all over the world.
She said: “Baby dynamics is quite well known in Russia but up to now all the literature about it has only been in Russian.
“However, it is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world and we want to teach parents by bringing our methods to where they live.
“Although I don’t know anybody practicing in the UK yet I will be very proud when I see my methods applied there.”
Lena Fokina studied physical education at the University of Physical Culture in Moscow, achieving a Master’s degree.
She later went on to study under Dr. Igor Charkovsky.
Now, divorced Lena Fokina has five children, Alexandra, 30, Tatyana, 27, Timur, 23, Maria, 16 and 13-year-old Pavel.
Lena Fokina is also grandmother to Christian, 3, and Petrik, 4, and it was on her own children that she started refining the worrying methods.
The therapist said: “I first tried baby dynamics 30 years ago after my oldest daughter Alexandra was born. At first I was worried, but then I realized how my children enjoyed it and it inspired me.
“People criticize our methods out of ignorance – if only they tried to understand what we were doing, they would change their attitudes. If by doing it I give children an advantage, why wouldn’t I?
“I was aware of the practices but it was only later when I was introduced to Dr. Charkovsky that I became a teacher in it. It’s something I am very proud of and have believed in for a very long time.”
Lena Fokina lives in Russia but frequently visits Dahab where her two eldest daughters live. She works full-time giving seminars all over the world, but insists her work is not done for profit.
She said: “What I do is not a commercial project. I earn enough money just to live here and work with children. What I do is not part of my life, it is my life.”
Despite being relatively common in Russia, Lena Fokina says she prefers to hold her seminars in Egypt.
Lena Fokina said: “I love Egypt for many reasons. The climate is favorable with lots of sun and warm sea.
“There are also good conditions for free diving, yoga and sports and the people here have a good attitude to what I am doing.
“All my children have grown up according to the Charkovsky method and they have all gone on to achieve outstanding results in life – they are Russian champions in parachuting, free diving and horse riding.
“Now my children are practicing those same methods on their own children. It’s the best proof.”
At least three people have been killed in a suicide car attack at a church in the troubled central Nigerian city of Jos, sparking reprisals by Christian youths.
Witnesses said the suicide bomber drove his car into the prominent Church of Christ during morning prayers.
No group has claimed responsibility, but suspicion will fall on the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.
The attack sparked a riot by Christian youths, with reports that at least two Muslims were killed in the violence.
The two men were dragged off their bikes after being stopped at a roadblock set up by the rioters, police said.
A row of Muslim-owned shops was also burned, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
Earlier, the suicide bomber smashed his car through unmanned gates towards the packed church, killing a woman in the process, witnesses said.
The explosives detonated close to where members of the congregation were attending a Sunday service, killing a father and his child.
At least 38 people had to be taken to hospital for treatment, the National Emergency Management Agency said.
The attack sparked immediate anger among Christian youths in the city.
They “were very angry and mobilized… and I overheard them saying they were going to avenge the attack,” one witness was quoted by the APF as saying.
Ethnic and religious tensions run high in Jos, the capital of Plateau state. Hundreds of people have died in bouts of sectarian clashes over the last few years.
But Christian human rights activists suspect Boko Haram of carrying out Sunday’s attack, which they say is the deadliest on a church in Jos.
The group has carried out a number of bloody attacks across Nigeria in its quest to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
Boko Haram has admitted attacking several churches across the country on Christmas Day 2011, killing nearly 40 people at one church outside the capital, Abuja, alone.
It has also claimed responsibility for a string of bomb blasts around Jos on Christmas Eve 2010 that killed at least 80 people.
The men behind the Meryl Streep’s transformation into Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady are about to find out if they have won an Oscar tonight.
Mark Coulier is one half of the team that transformed one of the world’s most recognisable actresses into one of the most famous faces in British political history.
“You can never tell how the Academy is going to vote,” says Mark Coulier, when we meet at a reception for British nominees in Los Angeles two days ahead of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony.
“Somebody said to me before we started on The Iron Lady that it’s a career maker or a career breaker. Hopefully it’ll make mine.”
Mark Coulier and American J Roy Helland are both up for an Oscar for their work on the film. J Roy Helland has been doing Meryl Streep’s hair and make-up for more than 35 years.
During the course of The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep’s Thatcher is seen both in her political prime and as a woman in her mid 80’s, struggling with dementia.
For the younger version, Mark Coulier used a small nose piece to alter the bridge of Meryl Streep’s nose.
“We tried to keep it as subtle as we could,” he says.
But some things had to be toned down. “Meryl’s got great cheekbones and Thatcher’s got a fuller face.”
The men behind the Meryl Streep's transformation into Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady are about to find out if they have won an Oscar tonight
The biggest challenge came when the team had to turn Meryl Streep into a woman in her mid 80’s.
That was a job for prosthetics and paint work. But the team wanted to avoid using a full face mask.
“We started off with a plaster cast of Meryl’s head,” explains Mark Coulier.
“We also did computer designs and took Margaret Thatcher’s picture and Meryl’s picture and fused them together.”
Mark Coulier then crafted latex strips from the head that were then applied to Meryl Streep’s face.
Damian Jones, producer of The Iron Lady, recalls the moment he first saw Meryl Streep in full make-up.
“It was haunting, I was speechless. It was pretty eerie because there was the old lady of Margaret Thatcher in front of us – and it was Meryl Streep.”
The film’s director Phyllida Lloyd says that getting the makeup right was one of the most crucial elements of the film.
“We worked so hard in the preparation and the planning of that. We didn’t want the makeup to be <<eggy>> and a barrier for the audience.
“It comes down to Roy, Mark and Meryl’s painstaking attention to detail.”
And what of the distinctive Margaret Thatcher hairstyle?
“Those wigs were personalities themselves, and there were many of them. And the teeth!”
Phyllida Lloyd adds: “Roy’s worked with Meryl for over 35 years – it’s an amazing relationship and an important part of her preparation and process. It would be very moving if he gets the Oscar.”
A preliminary toxicology report indicates Whitney Houston died due to a mix of prescription drugs, Valium and Xanax, and alcohol.
Final toxicology results will pinpoint the exact cause of death but the coroner confirms that the sedatives and alcohol combined is most likely the cause of death, not drowning.
The combination of Valium, Xanax and alcohol is said to have most likely caused Whitney Houston’s heart to stop beating due to the substances in her system inhibiting her breathing.
Thus, Whitney Houston’s death was not from drowning, although she was discovered submerged in a bathtub.
A preliminary toxicology report indicates Whitney Houston died due to a mix of prescription drugs, Valium and Xanax, and alcohol
Whitney Houston was found submerged in the bathtub in her suite at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, just hours before she was to perform for Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party.
The final report will definitively determine exactly what amounts of substances and which drugs killed her.
Whitney Houston, 48, was found in the bathtub of her guest room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on the eve of the 54th Grammy Awards, February 11, 2012. She was pronounced dead at about 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.
