Alec and Hilaria Baldwin took to Twitter during James Gandolfini’s funeral service on Thursday.
The pregnant yoga instructor’s social media feed was full of upbeat posts while James Gandolfini’s friends, family and co-stars were gripped with grief at a New York Catholic church.
Hilaria Baldwin’s messages included a request for ideas about wedding anniversary presents and promotional notes about her upcoming appearance on the Rachael Ray show.
The 29-year-old, who is due to give birth to her first child this summer, did make time to pay tribute to James Gandolfini amid the social media flurry, writing: “The circle of life is unbelievable – birth, life, death… Please take care of yourselves as life is fragile. Rest in Peace Jimmy.”
Hilaria Baldwin barely skipped a beat before changing the tone, writing: “What did you do for your first wedding anniversary? What did you give your partner? Ours is coming up!”
During the time of the service, she re-tweeted a post from the Rachael Ray show, promoting one of her own recipes of a summer smoothie.
“I’m sure you have some amazing recipes!” Hilaria Baldwin wrote.
She also re-tweeted a “cute” Us Weekly article about herself, which saw her throwing a baby show for “Military moms-to-be”.
At one point, Hilaria Baldwin directed a magazine to get in touch with her publicist.
She also claimed she didn’t have her cell with her, tweeting: “FYI I don’t believe in bringing phones into a funeral and I never did and I never would.”
Sources close to Hilaria Baldwin insist to that the couple left the ceremony early through a side exit because she was feeling “faint” in the heat and she tweeted from her car on the way home. It’s unclear exactly how long they stayed.
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin arrive at Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine for James Gandolfini’s funeral services
Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin appeared to promote a new movie titled Dirty Wars, posting a link just a short time before he honored James Gandolfini.
Eventually, Alec Baldwin, 55, tweeted: “The end of The Sopranos has a different meaning to me now. Rest in Peace, Jimmy.”
He also posted a link to a news article on the funeral.
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin were among the throngs of stars who turned out at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York to say goodbye to the beloved actor.
James Gandolfini’s wife Deborah Lin gave a heart-wrenching eulogy for her ‘honest, kind and loving’ husband in the cathedral.
The first family member to speak, Deborah Lin described James Gandolfini as someone who “cared more about others than himself” and said she enjoyed watching him be a wonderful father to his two children.
“Jim, one of the things I loved the most was watching you be the father that you were to Michael and Lily,” she said.
“Thank you for the memories of the beautiful life we shared together. I love you Jim and I always will. Rest in Peace.”
James Gandolfini’s sister Johanna Antonacci and actor Lennie Loftin also did readings during the ceremony, which began at 10 a.m. local time at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine and Sopranos creator David Chase read out a letter he had written to his leading man.
James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, who tragically found his father dying in an Italian hotel room while the pair were on vacation last week, looked teary-eyed as he arrived at the church just moments after the actor’s casket was escorted inside.
Michael Gandolfini joined more than 1,000 mourners including Edith “Edie” Falco, James Gandolfini’s on-screen wife Carmela in the HBO hit show at for the ceremony, which lasted two hours and was described as a “wonderful” tribute to the star.
Other cast members who came to pay their respects included pregnant Jamie Lynn-Sigler, who played Tony Soprano’s daughter Meadow, Aida Turturro, who played his sister Janice, John Ventimiglia, who portrayed Artie Bucco, and Michael Imperioli, who starred as Tony’s nephew Christopher Moltisanti.
James Gandolfini died of a heart attack at age 51 while holidaying in Rome, Italy, with his son last week.
Gold price has continued its drop, falling to its lowest level in almost three years, after the US Federal Reserve said it could wind down its stimulus programme.
Gold fell to $1,191.21 an ounce in Asia trade, after breaching the $1,200 mark in New York on Thursday for the first time since August 2010.
The US Fed said last week that its bond purchases would start to “taper off” in coming months if the economy recovers.
Analysts said investors had been anticipating further price falls.
As a result there was a sell-off, resulting in a big drop in prices in recent days.
Gold price has continued its drop, falling to its lowest level in almost three years
“You don’t want to catch a falling knife, so people who might be buyers are stepping aside and don’t want to show gold at their quarter-end statement,” said Axel Merk, chief investment officer at Merk Funds.
Gold prices have had a remarkable run over the past few years, driven by two key factors.
The first has been the uncertainty surrounding the global economic situation after the global financial crisis and the sovereign debt problems in the eurozone.
That saw many investors turn to gold – seen as a traditional safe haven asset in times of uncertainty.
At the same time, the slowdown in the global economy, prompted central banks across the world to lower interest rates – to historic lows in many cases – in an attempt to try to boost growth.
Analysts said that with interest rates so low, investors have been favoring gold.
However, things have started to change in the past few months.
The US economy has been recovering; as a result, the Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has said that the US central bank will scale back its $85bn a month bond buying programme.
Analysts said that such a move may see interest rates rise again – making gold a less attractive option.
At the same time, the risks surrounding the eurozone crisis seem to have abated as well, which has also hurt gold prices.
“Gold’s major attribute as a potential hedge against a major global crisis has been diluted,” said Mark Matthews of Julius Baer.
Mark Matthews said that given these factors the gold price may fall further.
Glastonbury Festival reveller Lee Nickleson got down on one knee to propose to his sweetheart – while holding a can of cider.
Lee Nickleson, 35, of Leeds, West Yorkshire, was so nervous about popping the question to Ceilidh Jackson that he forgot to put down his can of Stella Artois Cidre. Friends unfurled a banner reading “Will You Marry Me?” as he proposed to his partner of four years on the first day of the music festival.
Glastonbury reveller Lee Nickleson gets down on one knee to propose girlfriend Ceilidh Jackson
Ceilidh Jackson, 25, was delighted when he pulled the ring from his pocket and immediately said “Yes”. The pair even have their own caravan so they can have some privacy during the festival.
Cash machine installer Lee Nickleson, who has been to the festival once before, said: “I’ve been wanting to propose for a while, but I didn’t know where to do it. Then I realized that Glastonbury would be the perfect place. I proposed on the first day because I wanted to get it out of the way.
“Otherwise I would be too nervous all weekend. I’m glad she didn’t say <<no>> though – that would have put a bit of a dampener on the party. It was Ceilidh’s first time at Glastonbury, so I wanted to make it special. We had a respectable night – we turned in to our love-shack about 2 a.m.
“You don’t want to burn out on the first night of the festival. I probably shouldn’t have been holding a can, but I couldn’t think. I had other things at the forefront of my mind, to be honest. It has set everything up for a great festival.”
Healthcare worker Ceilidh Jackson added: “I don’t mind that he was carrying a can – in fact, I didn’t even notice. I was shocked and delighted. He’s so lovely. I was already looking forward to this weekend so much, but now I think it’ll be the best weekend ever.”
The US Senate has passed a broad immigration reform bill that includes a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.
The 68-32 vote comes after months of debate and a recent deal to boost border security spending significantly.
But the legislation faces a tough road in the more conservative House.
House Speaker John Boehner has said he will not advance legislation that lacks support of most of his fellow Republicans, who remain resistant.
After the bill’s passage on Thursday, President Barack Obama said the vote brought the US “a critical step closer to fixing our broken immigration system once and for all”.
“Today, the Senate did its job,” Barack Obama said in a statement.
“It’s now up to the House to do the same.”
Barack Obama has made immigration a top priority for his second term, asking Congress to deliver a bill for him to sign by autumn.
As the vote was held on Thursday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, made the rare request of asking all 99 of his colleagues to be present and to vote from their desks.
“This is not a vote where people should be straggling in,” Harry Reid said.
The US Senate has passed a broad immigration reform bill that includes a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.
After the vote, members of the bipartisan group that negotiated the original bill, known as the Gang of Eight, thanked the broad coalition that had backed immigration reform efforts.
One member of the group, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, said the voices of young undocumented immigrants “had made a difference”.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the bill’s border security measures had “exceeded every expectation I had”, and said the bill had “practically militarized the border”.
Forward movement on the bill comes shortly after two Republican senators this week brokered a compromise to increase the bill’s funding of border security measures. An amendment that added an additional 20,000 border security agents was passed on Wednesday.
Earlier, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the legislation, without the increased border funds, would reduce the US budget deficit by $175 billion over 10 years and boost economic growth.
And analysts say many Republicans acknowledge reforming the immigration system will be key for their election prospects in the future as Hispanics become an increasingly important voter bloc.
On Thursday, John Boehner, the Republican House speaker, said the House would not take up the Senate bill directly.
“We’re going to do our own bill… that reflects the will of our majority and the will of the American people,” he said.
John Boehner’s comments cast doubt on the chances legislation will quickly reach Barack Obama’s desk, and could portend failure for immigration reform entirely, analysts say.
Separate bills designed by House Republicans include stricter border and interior security measures, employment checks and most significantly, no path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Some Republicans believe such a programme rewards those who broke the law by immigrating to the country illegally.
Senator Chuck Grassley, who voted against the Senate bill, said he was counting on the House to pass legislation that is “much more tough”.
What’s in the Senate immigration bill?
Path to citizenship for immigrants who arrived illegally before 31 December  2011
Billions in funding for border security, including 20,000 new Border Patrol agents, and 700 miles of fencing
Requirement border security and fencing goals be met before these immigrants can become permanent residents
A start-up visa for foreign entrepreneurs; new visa programmes for low-skilled workers and the agricultural sector
All employers must use E-Verify, a programme to verify electronically each employee’s legal status within four years
The Glastonbury Festival rain made its traditional appearance this afternoon, with fans wearing wellies and ponchos when a shower hit the tent city.
However, a good forecast is expected for the rest of the hotly-anticipated weekend.
Meanwhile aerial photographs show the sprawling site of the world-famous music festival, where the rain has stayed away so far for the thousands of fans attending.
Sunshine even broke through the clouds over Worthy Farm in Somerset yesterday, as festival goers trudged miles with rucksacks, tents and sleeping bags to reach the campsites.
The site was due to open at 8 a.m. but flung open its doors an hour early to allow the streams of people in, at an estimated rate of 5,000 per hour. Some had even slept out in their cars overnight to be the first in line.
They carried their precious cargo of beer and cider in shopping trolleys, laundry baskets and wheelbarrows as they made their way across the 900-acre site to secure the best camping spots.
The main performances at the event, which had a fallow year in 2012 to coincide with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will not start until tomorrow – when Arctic Monkeys will top the bill, followed by The Rolling Stones on Saturday night and Mumford & Sons closing the festival on Sunday.
Celebrities including Kate Moss are set to be among the festival goers, with Mick Jagger even staying in Somerset to enjoy the weekend’s festivities. Hundreds of festival-goers proved they had the moves like Mick Jagger by taking part in a Jumping Jack Flashmob at Glastonbury.
The Jagger Off, arranged by two Rolling Stones fans to celebrate the band’s first appearance at the festival, saw crowds of people mimic Mick Jagger’s trademark dance moves.
It was held near the Pyramid Stage, where the band will perform their headline set on Saturday night, under the watchful eye of a giant metal phoenix that is perching on top of the structure this year.
A sound system played classic Rolling Stones songs including Brown Sugar and Start It Up to about 400 fans.
Organizer James Duke-Evans, 33, from south London, said: “It’s gone fantastically well.
“When it got dreamed up late at night we thought it would be funny if 100 people turned up, but 3,500 joined the Facebook group in the end.
“People like to get involved in something that’s not scripted and programmed. I’ve been told some people were looking forward to this more than the festival itself. And quite frankly – do you really want to live in a world where things like this don’t happen?”
Mick Jagger is expected to be on the festival site over the weekend, and is staying nearby with his family.
There is a chance he might even stumble upon the second “Jagger Off”, at the silent disco held in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“I would imagine it’s on Jagger’s radar. I don’t think he can avoid it,” said James Duke-Evans.
Glastonbury aerial photographs show the sprawling site of the world-famous music festival
“It’s a tribute to him. We’ve watched him for years and I hope he’ll be able to watch us if he sees the footage from today.”
Many of those performing the moves, which including the “finger waggle” and “squeezing through a narrow doorway”, wore Mick Jagger masks as a tribute to their musical hero.
Some 135,000 ticket holders have been making their way on to the site at Worthy Farm, Somerset, since the festival flung open its doors yesterday morning. Campsites have been filling up quickly as music fans rushed to pitch their tents in the best spots.
They are set to be joined by celebrities, said to include Wayne and Colleen Rooney and Kate Moss, over the coming days. The main acts play from tomorrow, with other headline acts including The Arctic Monkeys and Mumford & Sons.
Police are hailing a successful start to the event, with crimes down from the last Glastonbury Festival in 2011.
In the first day, 40 crimes were reported, 22 of which were thefts, mostly from tents, and police made a total of 24 arrests, many of them over drugs.
There have been 24 drug-related offences but some of those involved were dealt with by way of a caution instead of arrest, Inspector Shirley Eden said.
Their first arrest of the festival was a person who tried to smuggle drugs into the site in a packet of fruit pastilles.
A police officer’s suspicion was raised by the fact the sweets had been hidden in a sock.
“It looked like a bag of sweets but it turned out the sweets had been taken out and replaced with drugs,” said the officer.
There is a team of 600 police officers on site, working in three shifts, and plans for the policing operation have been under way since the end of the last festival.
Inspector Shirley Eden said: “For there to have been 40 crimes so far at a festival of this size is pretty good.
“I work in Bath in my day job and would say the populations are roughly equivalent. The number of crimes you would expect in Bath in a 24-hour period is on a par with what we’ve had here. Our message to people is to protect their property and put it in the free lock ups.
“We’ve had officers in plain clothes on site who’ve seen people sleeping, with their mobile phones clearly on display next to them.
“I know people want to relax and chill but they need to look after their stuff. The majority of people here are not criminals and are not looking to steal, but there’s always going to be some crime.”
There have also been arrests for drink driving and theft from a motor vehicle, police said.
Liam Gallagher, rumored to be playing a set with his band Beady Eye, could be seen arriving at Castle Cary – the nearest railway station – by train yesterday morning.
James Wilby, forecaster with Meteogroup, said: “You always expect there to be a deluge when it’s Glastonbury but luckily that doesn’t seem the case.
“There’s a fair bit of cloud around but it’s starting to brighten up, with temperatures up to 20C yesterday. It’s pretty pleasant and will stay dry.
“This morning will be dry and bright but there’s a chance of rain in the afternoon, with a damp end to the day. It will be more typical of the conditions you’d expect at a festival. It could potentially get a bit muddy, but there will only be a millimetre or two of rain.”
Friday will see spots of drizzle but conditions will improve during the day, with Saturday being dry and sunny. Sunday will be the best day of the festival with temperatures up to 22C (71.6F), James Wilby said.
Forecaster Tony Gray from the Met Office said: “On Friday there’s a chance of light rain first thing in the morning, but then it should be cloudy. Saturday you’ve got a chance of some sunny intervals after lunchtime and high temperatures reaching 19C.
“Sunday much the same – a bit overcast, but sunny intervals for the afternoon and evening, highest temperature 19C. Monday it’s basically overcast until 10am, followed by cloudy conditions.”
Glastonbury organizer Michael Eavis said he believes the weather, combined with the line-up, means this year’s festival will be “unusually good”.
“The whole thing is fantastic,” the 77-year-old farmer said.
“There are 1,000 acres of creativity on a massive scale and to a very, very high standard. You won’t see anything else like this in the whole world.”
There is even the promise of the best-ever Glastonbury toilets, with a new system that sees waste go straight into the ground, designed to beat the infamous smell.
Michael Eavis has even said that, 43 years since the first Glastonbury, they have finally found “the perfect loo”.
To mark the resurrection of the festival after a year off, a giant phoenix has been installed on top of the Pyramid stage, designed by Joe Rush, who was behind many of the mechanical vehicles and props used at the Paralympics closing ceremony.
Indeed one of them – a steamship on which singer Rihanna performed – can be found at the festival this year.
Other highlights fans can expect are appearances from Primal Scream, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Smashing Pumpkins, Elvis Costello, The xx, Public Enemy, Professor Green and Dizzee Rascal.
As ever, the Glastonbury Festival is also offering some more unusual acts alongside the chart toppers – with Bruce Forsyth playing on the Avalon Stage on Sunday, country star Kenny Rogers taking to the Pyramid Stage the same day, and the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan monks also making an appearance.
The unlikely combination of shorts and wellies was the order of the day as temperatures rose during the afternoon, with ice cream vans and bars alike enjoying a roaring trade.
Many chose to enjoy the sun while sitting at the stone circle, overlooking the whole site, while others were still pouring in through the entrances.
Family, friends and fans have paid tribute to James Gandolfini at his funeral in New York City, a week after he died in Italy.
David Chase, who created The Sopranos series that made James Gandolfini a household name was among the speakers.
“You were a good boy,” he said during the ceremony at New York’s Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.
James Gandolfini, who was 51, died following a heart attack last Wednesday while on holiday with his son.
One of four speakers at the funeral, David Chase remembered James Gandolfini in the form of a letter to the actor, in the present tense, saying he brought the traits of a sad boy, “amazed and confused,” to the role of Tony Soprano.
“You could see it in your eyes. That’s why you were a great actor.”
Family, friends and fans have paid tribute to James Gandolfini at his funeral in New York City
David Chase recalled that James Gandolfini once told him: “You know what I want to be? A man. That’s all. I want to be a man.”
David Chase said he marveled upon hearing that, since the actor represented a man so many others wanted to be.
James Gandolfini’s widow, Deborah Lin, and two family friends also spoke during the service.
The actor’s portrayal of the mob boss in the HBO series won him three Emmy Awards as best actor in a drama series. The show ran for six seasons.
Aida Turturro, who played James Gandolfini’s sister in The Sopranos, was one of the first from the show’s large cast to arrive for the funeral service at 10:00 EST, which was led by the Very Reverend Dr. James A Kowalski.
Some 1,500 seats had been set up in the church for celebrities, fellow actors and members of the public who wanted to pay their respects to the star.
Several members of the cast of The Sopranos attended, including Edie Falco, Joe Pantoliano, Dominic Chianese, and Steve Buscemi.
The New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie also made an appearance.
Laila Robins, who played James Gandolfini’s on-screen mother as a young woman in the early seasons, remembered his friendly and humble nature.
“He had an acting coach on set back then because he just wanted to do a good job. That was so sweet, and I remember that about him the most – just how badly he wanted to do a good job. He worked so hard,” she said.
The funeral took place a day after a private family wake was held in New Jersey on Wednesday.
Broadway theatres later paid tribute to James Gandolfini, who was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for his role in God of Carnage, by dimming their lights.
Officials in Venezuela say they have found a plane that disappeared carrying Vittorio Missoni, the boss of Italian fashion house, in January.
Vittorio Missoni, 58, and his wife were among six people on board the flight from Los Roques islands to Caracas.
Interior Ministry spokesman Jorge Galindo announced the discovery of the plane on Twitter.
Officials said it was found 230 ft under water, north of Los Roques islands in the Caribbean.
Following the plane’s disappearance on January 4, investigators from the Italian Agency for Air Safety (ANSV) said the company that owned the small plane was not fully licensed to operate.
A piece of luggage from the aircraft was found off the Dutch island of Curacao, about 200 miles west of Los Roques, later that month.
Vittorio Missoni was the son of the fashion brand’s founder, Ottavio Missoni, and co-owned the firm with his siblings
Vittorio Missoni was the son of the fashion brand’s founder, Ottavio Missoni, and co-owned the firm with his siblings.
He was returning from a Christmas and New Year holiday with his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, and two friends – Elda Scalvenzi and Guido Foresti.
Two Venezuelan pilots were also on board the BN-2 Islander plane.
Minutes after take-off, one of the pilots reported that the plane was at 5,000ft and 10 nautical miles from Los Roques airport, Italy’s air safety agency has said.
The last radar report showed the aircraft accelerating at 5,400ft before it rapidly lost altitude and speed, veering to the right until it disappeared from the radar.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, has been formally charged with killing four people and using a weapon of mass destruction.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, faces 30 total charges in the April 15 Boston Marathon blasts, which killed three and injured more than 260 others.
A fourth victim, a policeman, was shot dead by him and his brother during the hunt for them, federal prosecutors say.
Seventeen charges could bring life in prison or even the death penalty, US prosecutors said.
In Boston, US Attorney Carmen Ortiz described the Tsarnaev brothers’ preparation for the attack.
They went to a firing range to take target practice, bought electronic material online that could be used to make bombs, and downloaded a publication that could provide instructions on building explosives, Carmen Ortiz told reporters.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, has been formally charged with killing four people and using a weapon of mass destruction
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev also faces charges for a carjacking days after the attacks and for interfering with commerce, prosecutors said.
His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed in a shoot-out with police days after the twin blasts.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was injured in the manhunt and has been held in a prison hospital near Boston since his capture on April 19.
He was found hiding in a boat parked in a residential garden in Watertown, Massachusetts, where according to the indictment, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote a message reading: “The US Government is killing our innocent civilians” and “I can’t stand to see such evil go unpunished.”
According to the indictment, the Tsarnaev brothers made bombs from pressure cookers, low-explosive powder, ball bearings, nails, adhesive, electronic components and other material.
It adds that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev aided and abetted his brother by planting and detonating one of the bombs.
Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are from a family of ethnic Chechen Muslims from Russia and had been living in the US for about a decade.
Never-before-seen photos and home videos of Michael Jackson with his three children have been released on Wednesday.
The moving images were shown as Prince Michael Jackson became the first member of the Jackson family to give live testimony in the wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG.
Prince Jackson narrated as the images of his father, who died in 2009 aged 50, lavishing attention on Prince, Paris and Blanket were shown to the jury by Jackson family attorney Brian Panish.
The teenager credited his father with instilling in him a desire to learn and to help others. Along with the photographs, family videos have been entered into evidence, some taken by Michael Jackson himself, as he filmed his children and asked them what they want to be when they grew up.
Speaking on the stand, Prince Jackson revealed that after telling his father he wanted to be a movie director and architect, Michael gave him tips on how he could one day make films.
Paris and Prince Michael II, or Blanket as he is more commonly known, also figure prominently in the still photo and video exhibits.
During his testimony, Prince Jackson said that his father was excited about going back on tour before his death but wanted more time to rehearse and had several tense phone conversations with promoters of his This Is It shows that often ended with the singer in tears.
Prince Jackson, 16, said his father remarked after one of the conversations, “They’re going to kill me”, but did not elaborate further.
The testimony came in a lawsuit claiming AEG negligently hired Conrad Murray, the doctor who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.
AEG denies it hired the physician or bears any responsibility for the entertainer’s death.
Michael Jackson and his children in touching never-before-seen photos and home videos
Wearing a black suit with a dark grey tie and his long brown hair tucked behind his ears, Prince Jackson testified that he saw AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips at the family’s rented mansion in a heated conversation with Conrad Murray in the days before his father died. The teenager said Randy Phillips grabbed conrad Murray’s elbow and “looked aggressive”.
Michael Jackson wasn’t at home at the time and was probably rehearsing, Prince said.
Conrad Murray’s attorney Valerie Wass and AEG defense attorney Marvin S. Putnam later denied outside court that the meeting Prince described ever happened.
Marvin S. Putnam said Prince Jackson would be re-called to the witness stand during the defense case later in the trial. “I think as the testimony will show when he is called in our defense that’s not what happened,” Marvin S. Putnam said.
“He was a 12-year-old boy who has had to endure this great tragedy.”
For the first time, Prince Jackson publicly provided details about the day his father died. The teenager testified that he saw Dr. Conrad Murray performing CPR on his father, who was hanging halfway off a bed. It appeared Michael Jackson’s eyes were rolled up in the back of his head, Prince told jurors.
Prince Jackson’s eyes appeared red as he recalled being told by Conrad Murray at a hospital that his father was dead. The teenager said he never saw Conrad Murray’s treatments of his father.
“I was 12. To my understanding he was supposed to make sure my dad stayed healthy,” Prince Jackson testified.
Prince Jackson said none of the household staff were allowed upstairs at the mansion, and the singer kept his bedroom locked while receiving treatments from Conrad Murray.
During cross-examination, Marvin S. Putnam played a clip from a deposition of Prince Jackson in which the teen said he discovered the bedroom was locked when he and his siblings were playing hide-and-seek and couldn’t get inside.
Prince Jackson also said his father gave him and Paris a stack of $100 bills on a few occasions to give to Conrad Murray, telling him Murray wouldn’t take the money from him, and the doctor wouldn’t take the full amount from the children.
The teenager said his understanding was that the money was meant to tide Conrad Murray over until he got paid by AEG Live.
Prince Jackson’s grandmother, Katherine, 83, sat in the front row of the courtroom during his testimony.
Katherine Jackson held a tissue and removed her glasses several times.
The testimony began with the teenager showing jurors roughly 15 minutes of private family photos and home videos.
Prince Jackson, Michael Jackson’s eldest son, recalled the moment Dr. Conrad Murray informed him of his father’s death.
Prince Jackson, 16, took to the stand for the first time in the Jackson family’s wrongful death lawsuit against AEG in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
He told the court Conrad Murray simply said: “Sorry kids. Dad’s dead.”
Prince Jackson is a witness in a lawsuit claiming AEG negligently hired Conrad Murray, the doctor who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Michael Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.
According to TMZ, Prince Jackson was in the lounge room of the family’s Holmby Hills mansion when his father went into cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009.
He recalled hearing screams and Conrad Murray called him upstairs. Prince Jackson said his father was “half hanging out of the bed” while the doctor was trying to resuscitate him.
Prince Jackson said his sister Paris, 15, who is being treated following a suicide attempt earlier this month, suffered the most in the wake of their father’s death.
He recalled she screamed that she “wanted her daddy” while Conrad Murray was performing CPR.
Prince Jackson said: “She was my dad’s princess. She definitely is dealing with [his death] in her own way.”
He also revealed his father was excited about going back on tour before his death but wasn’t happy about the terms of the ill-fated shows.
Prince Jackson told jurors his father wanted more time to rehearse and had several tense phone conversations with promoters of his This Is It shows that sometimes ended with his father in tears.
The teen said his father remarked after one of the conversations: “They’re going to kill me,” but he did not elaborate.
Prince Jackson recalled the moment Dr. Conrad Murray informed him of his father’s death
AEG denies it hired the physician or bears any responsibility for the entertainer’s death.
Prince Jackson testified that he saw AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips at the family’s rented mansion in a heated conversation with Conrad Murray in the days before his father died. The teenager said he saw Randy Phillips grabbing Conrad Murray’s elbow.
Randy Phillips “looked aggressive to me”, Prince Jackson testified.
Michael Jackson wasn’t at home at the time and was probably at rehearsals, Prince said.
For the first time, the teenage publicly provided details about the day his father died. Prince Jackson testified that he saw Conrad Murray performing CPR on his father, who was hanging halfway off a bed.
It appeared his father’s eyes were rolled up in the back of his head, Prince Jackson told jurors.
Prince Jackson’s eyes appeared red as he recalled being told by Conrad Murray at a hospital that his father was dead.
The testimony began with the teenager showing jurors roughly 15 minutes of private family photos and home videos.
He described growing up on Neverland Ranch and showed the panel videos of the property’s petting zoos and other amenities. After his father’s acquittal of child molestation charges, Prince Jackson described living in the Middle East, Ireland and Las Vegas.
Prince Jackson told the jury that his father was always working, but his children had no idea he was a global superstar.
“We always listened to his music, but we never knew how famous he was,” he said.
Prince Jackson said he and his sister Paris watched a video of one of their father’s performances and got a sense of his fame when overwhelmed fans were carried from his shows on stretchers.
He is the first Jackson family member to testify during the trial, now in its ninth week. Attorneys have said TJ Jackson, who serves a co-guardian to Prince and his siblings, and Taj Jackson, are also expected to take the witness stand. They are the sons of Tito Jackson.
Prince Jackson, his sister Paris and brother Blanket are plaintiffs in the case against AEG, which their grandmother and primary caretaker filed in August 2010.
In court, Prince Jackson wore a black suit with a dark grey tie with his long brown hair tucked behind his ears. He spoke softly as he began testifying, and the first exhibit shown to jurors was a photo taken with their grandmother on his and Paris’ first day of school.
He described his school life, including taking a summer course in U.S. history, participating on the school’s robotics team and volunteer work.
Another image shown to jurors was Michael Jackson playing piano with his son while Prince was still an infant or toddler.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Brian Panish asked Prince Jackson whether he was interested in pursuing a career in music.
“I can never play an instrument and I definitely cannot sing,” Prince Jackson said to laughter from the jury.
He said he wanted to study film or business when he goes to college.
Prince Jackson said he helped attorneys pick out the videos and photos shown in court.
Michael Jackson sheltered his children from the public eye while he was alive, often obscuring their faces while out in public. The children have been more public in recent years, appearing at a star-studded memorial service and other events honoring their father.
Paris Jackson, 15, had also been expected to testify during the case but was hospitalized last month and her status as a witness remained unclear. Attorneys for AEG played a snippet of her videotaped deposition last week, and more of her testimony may be played for the jury later in the trial.
Blanket Jackson, 11, is not expected to testify.
The jury of six men and six women has learned numerous details about Michael Jackson’s role as a father during the case. They’ve heard about a secret trip to a movie weeks before Michael Jackson’s death, a private circus he hired for Paris’ 11th birthday, and Blanket’s interest in his father’s dance rehearsals.
President Barack Obama has said there will be no “wheeling and dealing” as part of extradition attempts against whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Speaking on a visit to the West African nation of Senegal, Barack Obama said the case would be handled through routine legal channels.
“I am not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker,” the president added.
Edward Snowden, who faces espionage charges, flew to Moscow last weekend and requested asylum in Ecuador.
Barack Obama said on Thursday that he had not called China and Russia’s presidents about the case, adding: “I shouldn’t have to.”
He told a news conference in the Senegalese capital Dakar: “I’m not going to have one case of a suspect who we’re trying to extradite suddenly being elevated to the point where I’ve got to start doing wheeling and dealing and trading on a whole host of other issues.”
The president added: “My continued expectation is that Russia or other countries that have talked about potentially providing Mr. Snowden asylum recognize that they are a part of an international community and they should be abiding by international law.”
The US has accused Russia and China of helping Edward Snowden, which both deny.
President Barack Obama has said there will be no “wheeling and dealing” as part of extradition attempts against whistleblower Edward Snowden
Edward Obama said the leak highlighted significant vulnerabilities at the National Security Agency (NSA), the US electronic spying organization where Edward Snowden worked as a contractor until last month.
“In terms of US interests, the damage was done with respect to the initial leaks,” he said.
Ecuador said on Thursday it had not processed Edward Snowden’s asylum request because he had not reached any of its diplomatic premises.
The country also renounced its multi-million dollar trade relationship with the US, saying its forthcoming renewal would not influence any decision on Edward Snowden’s case.
“Ecuador will not accept pressures or threats from anyone, and it does not traffic in its values or allow them to be subjugated to mercantile interests,” said government spokesman Fernando Alvarado.
He also made an apparently tongue-in-cheek offer of economic aid to the US for human rights training.
The remarks come a day after the chairman of the US Senate foreign relations committee, Robert Menendez, suggested punishing Ecuador economically if it offered asylum to Edward Snowden.
The American is wanted for leaking to media that the US is systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data under a surveillance programme known as PRISM.
On Thursday, Beijing accused the US of “double standards” on cybersecurity.
China’s defense ministry said the Prism programme “has revealed the concerned country’s true face and hypocritical behavior”.
Edward Snowden, now 30, fled to Hong Kong on May 20 before flying to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday, where Russian authorities say he remains in transit.
Although Russia has no extradition treaty with the US, Washington says it wants Moscow to extradite him without delay.
Russia denies reports its secret police have questioned Edward Snowden, whose US passport has been revoked.
Hong Kong officials said he had been allowed out of the territory because of a mistake in the middle name given on US arrest documents.
The US justice department dismissed that as a “pretext for not acting”.
James Gandolfini’s 13-year-old son Michael joined mourners including Edith “Edie” Falco, Gandolfini’s on-screen wife Carmela in the HBO hit The Sopranos at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in NYC for the funeral ceremony, which was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time.
Before proceedings got underway, seven men could be seen escorting James Gandolfini’s casket, covered in a brown sheet, the church – one of the largest in New York.
Other cast members who came to pay their respects included pregnant Jamie Lynn Sigler, who played Tony Soprano’s daughter Meadow, Aida Turturro, who played his sister Janice, John Ventimiglia, who portrayed Artie Bucco, and Michael Imperioli, who starred as Tony’s nephew Christopher Moltisanti.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie arrived to say goodbye to the man who hailed from his state while James Gandolfini fans lined the streets, hoping they would also be allowed inside the church to mourn the passing of the great actor.
The funeral comes after a private wake was held for family and friends on Wednesday in New Jersey.
The 51-year-old died of a heart attack last week while vacationing in Italy with his son Michael.
The ceremony will include a film tribute produced and filmed by HBO for James Gandolfini’s family, the New York Post reported.
HBO crew members have been mapping out the scene at The Church of Saint John the Divine Cathedral since Monday to shoot a video of the Sopranos cast at the actor’s final curtain call.
Cameramen will be posted around the massive cathedral on Amsterdam Avenue and 112th Street, but the footage will not be aired. It will be a private gift to the family from the network, sources say.
“HBO is running the show,” a source said.
Michael Gandolfini joined mourners at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in NYC for his father funeral ceremony
“They’re paying for everything.
“They originally wanted the cast members to file in through the front door, but it would have created [chaos], so now they’re going to escort them to private property and they’re going to walk in through the side.”
Both James Gandolfini ‘s widow Deborah Lin and his first wife Marcy Wudarski were among the mourners at Wednesday’s wake.
It was invitation-only wake and held at the Robert Spearing Funeral Home in Park Ridge, near Westwood where James Gandolfini grew up.
Meanwhile, Broadway theatres in New York City dimmed their marquee lights on Wednesday night in memory of the late Sopranos star, who earned a Tony Award nomination in 2009 for his role in the award-winning God of Carnage.
Meanwhile, James Gandolfini’s former Sopranos costar Lillo Brancato Jr. spoke about his shock at the actor’s passing.
Lillo Brancato is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence at Hudson Correctional Facility in New York for his role in a robbery that left a police officer dead.
“I couldn’t believe my ears,” Lillo Brancato told The New York Daily News.
“I thought it was a mistake.”
James Gandolfini and Marcy Wudarski divorced in December 2002, and their 13-year-old son Michael allegedly found his father’s body after he died.
Marcy Wudarski and James Gandolfini endured a turbulent separation and divorce but are thought to have grown closer over shared custody of their boy during recent years.
On August 30, 2008, after two years of dating, James Gandolfini married former model Deborah Lin in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Their baby daughter Liliana Ruth Gandolfini, was born in October 2012 in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the first showing of James Gandolfini’s work in crime-drama Animal Rescue was greeted with a reverential silence and respectful applause.
Los Angeles-based fitness expert Gunnar Peterson, Kim Kardashian’s longtime personal trainer, has revealed the unusual and grueling exercise method the reality star will be using to shed her baby weight.
Gunnar Peterson, who also counts Halle Berry and Sofia Vergara among his clients, said he will be making Kim Kardashian push a 200-pound metal “sled” up and down a 90-foot track.
The workout involves her standing behind the apparatus with both hands on the handlebars and driving it forward to generate speed. This motion apparently helps to strengthen the core and tighten the glutes.
Kim Kardashian, 32, who gave birth to her daughter North West on June 15, will be following in the footsteps of top athletes and body builders who swear by the training technique.
Kim Kardashian, who gave birth to her daughter North West on June 15, will be following in the footsteps of top athletes and body builders who swear by the training technique
However, she will no doubt need a few more weeks to recover from her pregnancy as using the device is known to cause high levels of fatigue.
Indeed, the workout is so punishing Gunnar Peterson says that actress Sofia Vergara curses at him in Spanish while she is pushing the apparatus along.
To encourage his clients to keep going and build up speed he tells them to pretend they are reenacting a robbery or playing cat and mouse.
Sled training will form just one part of Kim Kardashian’s step-by-step postpartum exercise routine.
Other treats Gunnar Peterson has in store are dead lifts, power squats, cardio boxing and bouts on the rowing machine.
This combination will target all parts of her body, from arms and shoulders to bum, thighs and core.
Before Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy, Gunnar Peterson said that he worked out with her three to five days per week at his Beverly Hills gym, depending on her hectic schedule.
“She grinds in the gym year round and makes the right choices outside of the gym so the payoff is increased,” Gunnar Peterson previously told Shape magazine.
Gunnar Peterson, a graduate of Duke University, was inspired to become a personal trainer after being overweight as a child.
On her blog Kim Kardashian calls him an “amazing trainer”.
“We always mix strength moves with cardio intervals and I find that combination is what really works best for me… but everyone is different,” Kim Kardashian adds.
Kim Kardashian is reportedly breastfeeding constantly baby daughter North West.
Kim Kardashian, 32, and Kanye West, 36, are ensconced in Kris Jenner’s six-bedroom Hidden Hills, California, mansion after making a middle-of-the-night escape from the Cedars-Sinai hospital on Friday.
While the first-time parents are spending every second with North – affectionately known as Nori – they have also employed the services of a 24/7 nurse, according Us Weekly.
“Kim can’t believe how maternal she is on her own,” a source told the publication, adding: “She is breastfeeding constantly… [it] is working for her and she already feels she has bonded with Nori.”
Kim Kardashian’s friend and Pussycat Doll founder Robin Antin told Us Weekly: “When I walked in to see her, Kim was holding the baby. I said: <<Oh my God, you’re a natural>>. Kim said: <<I know – it’s so weird>>.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are taking well to parenthood as they spend their first week home with baby North
Apparently Kim Kardashian’s sister Kourtney – mother to Mason and Penelope – was a driving force behind Kim’s decision to breastfeed, according to Life & Style magazine.
“[Kim Kardashian] wasn’t going to, but Kourtney is a huge proponent of breastfeeding,” an insider told the publication.
“Kourtney also told [Kim] how much [breastfeeding] helped her lose the baby weight,” after she breastfed son Mason, aged three, for 14 months, and plans to not wean Penelope, who is almost one-year-old, for another year.
Baby North has even brought her lofty father Kanye West, 36, down to earth, with the birth having been a very emotional experience for him.
North West was born five weeks early, weighing in at 4 lbs 15oz on June 15.
Understandably Kanye West is feeling renewed heartache over the loss of his mother Donda who died aged 58 in 2007.
“It’s made him miss his mom very much,” the insider went on.
“He wishes she could see his beautiful baby girl.”
Kanye West, whose new album Yeezus shot to the top of the Billboard 200 chart this week after sales of 327,000 copies in its first week, is also learning how to swaddle, with mixed reports about whether he is getting stuck in on diaper duty.
“The rapper has been changing diapers,” according to People, although Us Weekly reports he has drawn the line at this task.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are staying with her mother Kris Jenner, 57, step father Bruce, 63, and her half sisters Kendall, 17, and Kylie, 15.
Her siblings Kourtney, 34, and Khloe, 29, are also regular visitors and “everybody’s trying to help”.
Kris Jenner has been making Kim Kardashian’s favorite foods, including French toast, while at the same time spending time in their Malibu holiday home to give the new parents some privacy, Us Weekly reports.
And on Tuesday Kris Jenner was in New York for a TV appearance.
The magazine claims that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will soon be moving out into rented accommodation while renovations on their $9 million, 9,000-sq-ft home in Bell Air, Los Angeles, continue.
It has also been reported that Kanye West proposed to Kim Kardashian days after North arrived.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are said to be planning a September wedding in Paris, The Sun reports.
President Barack Obama has arrived in Senegal on the first leg of a three-nation tour of Africa.
This is Barack Obama’s second visit to the African continent since he became president.
President Barack Obama has arrived in Senegal on the first leg of a three-nation tour of Africa
Barack Obama is hoping to boost economic ties with the African countries and promote good governance – all the countries he is visiting have stable democracies.
The South African leg of his trip is expected to be overshadowed by the continuing critical condition of former President Nelson Mandela.
The White House has said it will defer to the wishes of Nelson Mandela’s family over whether the former South African president is well enough to receive a visit from him in hospital.
Barack Obama, who arrived in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, on Wednesday night with his family, is due to meet the country’s President Macky Sall later on Thursday.
James Gandolfini’s funeral service is scheduled to take place at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, one of New York City’s largest churches.
The ceremony at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine is planned for 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 27.
It comes after a private wake for James Gandolfini on Wednesday in New Jersey.
James Gandolfini’s funeral service is scheduled to take place at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in NYC
The 51-year-old Sopranos star died of a heart attack last week while vacationing in Italy with his son Michael, wife Deborah Lin and their 8-month daughter.
Broadway theaters paid tribute by dimming their lights briefly Wednesday night.
James Gandolfini was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 as an actor in God of Carnage.
The Italian news agency ANSA reported that James Gandolfini’s body departed Rome for the US on Sunday. Gandolfini family spokesman Michael Kobold earlier told reporters the “provisional plan” was to repatriate the actor’s body Monday.
James Gandolfini had been headed to Sicily to appear at the Taormina Film Festival, which paid tribute to him Saturday.
James Gandolfini’s private viewing is underway in Westwood, a small northern New Jersey town near where the actor grew up.
Mourners began arriving late on Wednesday afternoon at an invitation-only wake for family and friends at the Robert Spearing Funeral Home in Park Ridge, near Westwood where the 51-year-old grew up.
Meanwhile, Broadway theatres in New York City dimmed their marquee lights on Wednesday night in memory of the late Sopranos star, who earned a Tony Award nomination in 2009 for his role in the award-winning God of Carnage.
James Gandolfini died suddenly last week from a heart attack while on holiday with his family in Italy.
Both James Gandolfini’s widow Deborah Lin and his ex-wife Marcy Wudarski were among the mourners at Wednesday’s wake.
His funeral will be held Thursday at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City.
James Gandolfini’s widow Deborah Lin and his ex-wife Marcy Wudarski were among the mourners at his wake in New Jersey
Meanwhile, James Gandolfini’s former Sopranos costar Lillo Brancato Jr. spoke about his shock at the actor’s passing.
Lillo Brancato is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence at Hudson Correctional Facility in New York for his role in a robbery that left a police officer dead.
“I couldn’t believe my ears,” Lillo Brancato told The New York Daily News.
“I thought it was a mistake.”
James Gandolfini and Marcy Wudarski divorced in December 2002, and their 13-year-old son Michael allegedly found his father’s body after having a massive heart attack in hotel bathroom in Rome.
Marcy Wudarski and James Gandolfini endured a turbulent separation and divorce but are thought to have grown closer over shared custody of their boy during recent years.
On August 30, 2008, after two years of dating, James Gandolfini married former model Deborah Lin in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii.
They baby daughter Liliana Ruth Gandolfini, was born in October 2012 in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the first showing of James Gandolfini’s work in crime-drama Animal Rescue was greeted with a reverential silence and respectful applause.
A top Searchlight executive introducing Animal Rescue tells international theater owners, “we are all very deeply saddened and feel very honored to have worked with him”.
Animal Rescue is the last film James Gandolfoni shot before his death on June 19 in Italy.
James Gandolfini, who plays a bar owner in the crime drama, stars with Tom Hardy and Noomi Repace.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has cancelled a trip to Mozambique on Thursday after visiting former leader Nelson Mandela, 94, who remains critically ill in a Pretoria hospital.
Jacob Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj said his condition had deteriorated “in the past 48 hours”.
South Africa’s first black president has been in hospital since June 8 with a recurring lung infection.
Doctors were doing everything to ensure his well-being, a statement said.
Emotional crowds continue to gather outside the hospital, adding messages of support for Nelson Mandela.
Correspondents say South Africans now seem resigned to the prospect of his death.
“We are all going to feel bad when he passes [away], but at the same time we will be celebrating his life. He has done so many great things for this country,” said 25-year-old John Ndlovu, quoted by Reuters news agency.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has cancelled a trip to Mozambique on Thursday after visiting former leader Nelson Mandela
Jacob Zuma was due to attend a regional summit in the Mozambican capital Maputo on Thursday, but decided to cancel his trip.
The statement from his office said he “reiterated his gratitude on behalf of government, to all South Africans who continue to support the Madiba family”.
President Jacob Zuma’s decision to cancel the visit to Mozambique where he was to attend a regional infrastructure investment conference will only reinforce the impression that Nelson Mandela’s life is slipping away.
But later Jacob Zuma’s office warned against speculation about Nelson Mandela’s health, saying that announcements about his condition would come from the president himself or Mac Maharaj.
Mac Maharaj criticized some media outlets for broadcasting unverified information, as rumors spread on social media sites.
Nelson Mandela, known by his clan name Madiba, is revered for leading the fight against white minority rule in South Africa and then preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was elected president the following year. He left office in 1999 after a single term.
Nelson Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has rarely been seen at official events since.
He has a long history of lung problems, and was diagnosed with tuberculosis in the 1980s while he was a prisoner on Robben Island.
After his release, Nelson Mandela said that the tuberculosis was probably caused by dampness in his prison cell.
Police have used tear gas to stop protesters from approaching a football stadium during a Brazil-Uruguay Confederations Cup match.
About 50,000 protesters marched to the stadium in Belo Horizonte.
A small number of them tried to push past police lines. About 20 people were detained.
The crowds repeated the demands they have made since the protests began – more spending on education and health, and a crackdown on corruption.
They also complained about the high cost of the 2014 World Cup, for which the Confederations Cup is a dress rehearsal.
Police have used tear gas to stop protesters from approaching a football stadium during a Brazil-Uruguay Confederations Cup match
The match has now finished; Brazil beat Uruguay 2-1, and qualified for the final of the tournament.
Since the demonstrations escalated last week, President Dilma Rousseff has introduced a series of measures to answer some of those demands.
In the capital, Brasilia, campaigners against social inequality have placed 594 footballs in front of the parliament building to show that the “ball is in the court of the Congress to pass the reforms demanded by those on the streets”.
A key grievance of protesters was a proposed constitutional amendment, PEC 37, which would have limited the power of federal prosecutors to investigate crimes – which demonstrators claim could have opened the way for more corruption.
But on Tuesday, the proposed measure was defeated by 430 votes to nine.
Congress also voted to use all the royalties from newly discovered oil fields for education and health.
Some of the largest oil finds in recent years have been discovered off the Brazilian coast, and the country is expected to be able to produce tens of billions of barrels of crude oil over the coming decades.
In another attempt to pacify protesters, the government promised to speed up the pace of reform.
It said it would simplify a referendum to establish a constituent assembly – proposed on Monday by President Dilma Rousseff – to allow for a vote as early as 7 September.
The president of the Senate, Renan Calheiros, has proposed free transport for all students.
The rising cost of public transport was the main catalyst for the protests, and various city authorities have already decided to reverse fare increases.
Paris Jackson was reportedly the victim of cruel cyber-bullying, it has been claimed today.
Paris Jackson, 15, is reported to have suffered so many vile taunts on-line that she was eventually pushed to breaking point.
TMZ reports that Paris Jackson – who attempted to take her own life earlier this month – was almost “destroyed” by the vicious insults.
“Some of the comments involve the various molestation allegations … others involve the odd life Paris lived while Michael was alive,” the site claims.
The source adds: “They destroyed her.”
Paris Jackson has suffered so many vile taunts on-line that she was eventually pushed to breaking point
It is understood that Paris Jackson, who is recovering at UCLA Medica Center, does not currently have access to the social networking site Facebook.
However, her family are reportedly worried for Michael Jackson’s daughter when she eventually returns to the site.
The reports suggests that family members have even tried to shut down the account, but Facebook’s policy states that no family members have the right to shut down an account if the user is 13 years of age or older.
Adding to Paris Jackson’s troubles before her suicide attempt earlier this month, was her part in her family’s wrongful death suit, regarding her father Michael Jackson, against concert promoters AEG.
Paris Jackson was recently seen giving a video testimonial, recorded in March this year, which was replayed during the trial last week.
The videos were used after lawyers for the Jackson family told the judge that Paris, who is suing concert giant AEG along with her grandmother Katherine, 83, and siblings, would be unable to testify in person due to the fact that she is still recovering in hospital.
During a testimony in the Jackson family’s wrongful death suit against AEG Live regarding Michael Jackson’s death, personal chef Kai Chase revealed Paris is “devastated and lost”.
Microsoft has officially released Windows 8.1 – an update to its Windows 8 operating system – during a keynote speech at its annual developers conference in San Francisco.
The free test version of the update is available to download now and the full version will be released to Windows 8 users later this year.
The lock screen is being turned into a “cloud-powered photo frame” that will shows photos stored on the device and in SkyDrive.
Microsoft has officially released Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 also includes a vastly improved “search” function, which allows a user to search for documents, apps, or items on the Internet from a single search bar.
It also allows users to see all their applications immediately in a grid by swiping down or pressing a button on-screen.
There are new personalization options for tiles including colors and fonts.
Users can also customize the start screen much more easily; changing sizes of app icons or controlling which apps appear.
For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface.
Windows 8.1 includes Microsoft’s latest browser, Internet Explorer 11, and lets the user restore the address bar and tabs to the screen view.
Microsoft has released Windows 8.1 – an update to its Windows 8 operating system – during a keynote speech at its annual developers conference in San Francisco.
The free test version of the update is available to download now and the full version will be released to Windows 8 users later this year.
Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer also confirmed that the start button has been reinstated in Windows 8.1 after it was controversially removed from Windows 8 last October.
“Let’s make it easier to start applications in the way we are used to,” said Steve Ballmer, to cheers from the audience.
“We will bring back the start button, and you can boot straight to the desktop if you want to.
“We have refined the blend of our desktop experience and our modern app experience.”
Microsoft came under fire for its controversial “start screen” in Windows 8, which gave users a series of tiles instead of a traditional desktop PC menu with a start button.
This left many confused, and caused a slower than expected uptake of the new software –Â which also faced increasing competition from Apple and the tablet market.
However, Steve Ballmer said Microsoft was not abandoning its start menu and said it was slowly beginning to attract app developers to Windows 8.
“Within this month we’ll pass the 100,000 app mark in the Windows store,” said Steve Ballmer.
Flipboard, Facebook and the NFL all revealed new apps.
The new Windows 8.1 includes a vastly improved “search” function, which lets users search for documents, apps, or items on the Internet from a single search bar.
The feature resembles Apple’s Spotlight feature.
Microsoft has released Windows 8.1 during a keynote speech at its annual developers conference in San Francisco
Another new feature in Windows 8.1 also allows users to easily see a list of all their apps simply by swiping up on the screen.
“This update shows how much more responsive our engineering has become,” said Julie Larson-Green, head of Windows at Microsoft.
“We’ve had over 800 updates to Windows 8 since we launched it.”
Julie Larson-Green showed off a new Acer 8.1inch tablet running Windows 8.1 – designed to take on the iPad mini.
It uses new gestures such as being able to slide along the screen’s space bar to select menu items.
Julie Larson-Green also showed off a range of touchscreen PCs running Windows 8.1.
“Pretty much every screen you own is going to be touch,” she said.
She demonstrated a convertible Windows 8 laptop that also works as tablet, and large touchscreen machines.
There were also laptops with touchscreens plus an 18inch tablet from Dell that doubles as a desktop computer when docked.
Microsoft has additionally built direct support for 3D printers and even Lego robotic kits into Windows 8.1.
During her speech, Julie Larson-Green unveiled a redesigned the Xbox Music app, a music-streaming service, integrated into all versions of Windows 8, too.
The Spotify-killer app lets owners stream and buy music from anywhere in Windows.
Elsewhere, users can customize the start screen much more easily, changing sizes of app icon “tiles” or controlling which apps appear.
For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface.
Steve Ballmer promised the firm would continue tweaking the software to make it easier to use.
“Rapid release is the new norm for everything we do, from Windows to hardware,” he said.
Windows 8.1 includes Microsoft’s latest browser, Internet Explorer 11, and lets the user restore the address bar and tabs to the screen view.
Earlier this month Microsoft released a preview video showcasing all these new features.
Microsoft removed the button from the Windows 8 operating system when it was released last year but many customers complained and demanded it was put back.
Screenshots leaked in May suggested that Microsoft would be reinstating the button and an official preview video at the start of June confirmed it – albeit not directly.
During the preview demonstration, Harris swipes between screens and lands on the Desktop view.
A Windows logo is shown in the bottom left-hand corner.
Although it will not be labelled “start”, the leaked screenshots suggested that Windows logo would takes the user straight to a grid of applications.
To catch a glimpse of the button, skip to 2.11 in the video above.
That feature was missing in the initial version of Windows 8, which was designed to make the most of limited screen space on a tablet but tended to disorient traditional mouse and keyboard users.
Executives say the plan is now to update Windows periodically, rather than waiting three years or so between big releases.
The world’s largest software company is hoping to kickstart sales of its latest Windows version, which has not made the splash with computer users it was hoping for.
Although Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses since October, broadly in line with Windows 7 three years ago, the company must tackle a dwindling PC user base and its inability to make a mark in the exploding tablet market.
Shipments of traditional PCs – the most reliable gauge of Windows’ popularity – are expected to fall almost 8 percent this year, while Microsoft’s Surface has taken less than 2% of the tablet market.
Windows 8 was designed to be used both on touch-screen tablets and traditional PCs.
But while touch-screen users tend to like the new “tile”-based interface, many mouse and keyboard users complained that the new design was confusing.
Glastonbury, the UK’s biggest music festival, is due to get under way in two days’ time, but for thousands of music fans the race to pitch their tents is now in full flow.
This year’s headliners at Glastonbury are the Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones and Mumford & Sons.
Revelers have been hauling boxes of alcohol and camping gear as they trundle to their chosen camping spots.
Police made their first arrest of the festival when suspected drugs were found inside fruit pastille sweets.
Some 175,000 people will attend the festival in Somerset with an estimated 20,000 of them expected to arrive by coach or train.
Earlier, former Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher was seen arriving at Castle Cary – the nearest railway station to Pilton.
Liam Gallagher is rumored to be playing a set with his band Beady Eye.
Glastonbury festival is due to get under way in two days’ time, but for thousands of music fans the race to pitch their tents is now in full flow
Unlike previous years, the weather for the next few days is expected to remain fairly settled – although some drizzle is forecast for Friday.
Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis said he believed the weather, combined with the line-up, means this year’s festival will be “unusually good”.
“The whole thing is fantastic,” the 77-year-old farmer said.
“There are 1,000 acres of creativity on a massive scale and to a very, very high standard.
“You won’t see anything else like this in the whole world.”
Other highlights this year will be appearances by Primal Scream, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Professor Green and Dizzee Rascal.
Although the Wombles will not be returning to the stage, some of the more unusual acts over the next few days include Sir Bruce Forsyth, country star Kenny Rogers and the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan Monks.
Traffic has been flowing steadily along the main roads into the 900-acre festival site, at Worthy Farm, near Pilton.
Chief Inspector John Holt from Avon and Somerset Police said: “The event organizers are doing all they can to get people into the festival as quickly and as safely as possible.”
He added people should also consider routes other than the A361.
John Holt said: “The majority of people have been using satellite navigation and coming off the M5 – we would stress that there are other routes down.
“The A37 is actually pretty clear and the A39 – so there are other options.”
The police have estimated traffic will remain busy for the rest of the day and into Thursday. Monday will also be another busy day as people make their way home.
Glastonbury is returning after a one-year hiatus in the Olympic summer of 2012. During the one-year break, Michael Eavis grew wheat on the festival fields.
Pope Francis has set up a commission of inquiry to review the activities of the Vatican bank, following recent scandals.
Earlier this month, Pope Francis named a trusted cleric to oversee the management of the bank, which is known officially as the Institute for Religious Works.
The institution, one of the world’s most secretive banks, has been beset by allegations of money-laundering.
Vatican bank has 114 employees and $7.1 billion (5.4 billion euros) of assets.
Pope Francis has set up a commission of inquiry to review the activities of the Vatican bank
The new commission is tasked with ensuring the bank operates in “harmony” with the mission of the Church.
It is made up of Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard law professor, and four senior clerics: Italian cardinal Raffaele Farina, French cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, Spanish bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru and US cleric Monsignor Peter Bryan Wells.
On June 15, Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Battista Mario Salvatore Ricca as the bank’s interim prelate – effectively his representative at the institution.
In February, German lawyer Ernst von Freyberg was named the bank’s new chairman, eight months after his predecessor was ousted amid a money-laundering inquiry.
His appointment was one of the last acts of Pope Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI.
Ernst von Freyberg set about instituting checks on the bank’s 19,000 accounts, which are mostly held by Vatican employees, charities, priests and nuns.
Ecuador officials say it could take months to rule on an asylum bid by fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said it had taken Ecuador two months to grant asylum to Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
The website has been lending legal support to Edward Snowden, who is in a transit zone at a Moscow airport.
A WikiLeaks tweet said the American was “well” and being accompanied by one of its legal advisers “at all times”.
The website has not further elaborated on Edward Snowden’s whereabouts.
Both WikiLeaks and Russia have denied reports that the Russian secret police have questioned the American.
Edward Snowden first fled to Hong Kong before flying to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday.
He was expected to board a flight to the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Monday but his seat remained vacant.
Edward Snowden, 30, has had his US passport revoked and applied for Ecuadorean asylum.
Ecuador officials say it could take months to rule on an asylum bid by fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden
On Wednesday, Ricardo Patino compared the case to that of Julian Assange, who has been living inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London for more than a year.
Julian Assange walked into the embassy when his appeal against extradition to Sweden for questioning on accusations of sex crimes was turned down last June.
“It took us more than two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time,” Ricardo Patino told reporters.
Ricardo Patino said Ecuador had not yet decided whether to offer protection to Edward Snowden in the meantime.
“If he goes to an embassy, then we will make a decision,” the foreign minister said.
Ecuador said it would consider the American’s application “responsibly” and would weigh “human rights obligations”.
It added that the US would have to submit its position in writing regarding Edward Snowden.
Venezuela has also said it will consider an asylum application from Edward Snowden.
Edward Snowden’s case has caused a diplomatic spat, with the US accusing Russia and China of assisting the fugitive. Both nations have rejected the charges.
Russia earlier confirmed that Edward Snowden was still in a transit zone at the Moscow airport.
Although the country has no extradition treaty with the US, Washington said it wanted Moscow to extradite Edward Snowden without delay.
But Russia said that the American was technically not yet under its jurisdiction because he had not passed through immigration.
Meanwhile China described accusations that it allowed Edward Snowden to leave Hong Kong despite an arrest warrant as “groundless and unacceptable”.
The Chinese government has expressed deep concern about the leaker’s allegations that the US had hacked into networks in China.
Edward Snowden is wanted by the US for leaking highly sensitive information to the media about a secret government surveillance programme, which he obtained while working as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
He is charged with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence.
Edward Snowden’s leaks have led to revelations that the US is systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data under an NSA programme known as Prism.
US officials have defended the practice of gathering telephone and internet data from private users around the world.
They say PRISM cannot be used to target intentionally any Americans or anyone in the US, and stress that it is supervised by judges.
